Chapter Nine
Emma
I’m surprised when Leo returns the following morning and lets me out of the cage.
“You don’t need to be in here all the time,” he explains. I don’t hesitate to get out. The last thing I want is to be locked up all my life. “Come along.” He leads me upstairs and to the kitchen where a huge spread of food is resting on the table. “Eat. You need to.”
I stare at Leo a moment longer before I dive into the food. I can feel him watching me but I only focus on eating. As a prisoner, I don’t know when Leo might let me again. I need to converse as much strength as I can.
The longer I feel him looking at me, the more I’m reminded of how he touched me last night. His mouth on my pussy. His finger inside of me. It was all so taboo and wrong and yet… it had only felt right.
He only speaks once I finish eating. “Good. Now, go take a shower. You need it.”
I blush. “Do I smell bad? You’re the one locking me in a cage every night.”
“I didn’t say you smell bad. I just meant…” He sighs deeply. “You need a shower. It’s good for you.”
“Why does it matter if it’s good for me? I’m your prisoner.”
“You didn’t go with that man last night when you had the chance. If you were truly working with your father, you would have gone. I’m starting to see that maybe…”
“Maybe?”
He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. Just take the shower, Emma. We have plans this evening.”
“What plans?”
“I’m taking you to the opera.”
I blink, not sure if I’m understanding him. “The opera? I don’t know what that is.” It was never mentioned in any of my books.
“You don’t know what the opera is?”
“No.”
“It’s where people sing on stage for a few hours. You were listening to an opera album before. When I saw you crying. I thought maybe you would enjoy it.”
I stare at him for a long moment and he looks back, unfazed, not giving anything away. “You want to do something nice for me?”
“You didn’t go with that man last night. I think it’s only fair. Would you like to go out to the opera tonight?”
“Do I get a choice?”
He doesn’t respond to that.
The chance to get out of the house and see more of the world would be amazing but at what cost? I’m not sure I fully trust that Leo wants to take me out just to make me happy when he’s treated me like I’m the enemy. But when else am I going to get this chance?
“Ok,” I whisper. “I’d like to.”
“Good. Take a shower. I have a dress laid out for you in the guest bedroom. We’re going to the matinee showing. Normally I prefer going at night but this was the only time I could get last minute.” He motions for me to head to the bathroom. In my confusion, I do what he wants.
I take the shower and I change into the beautiful dress he bought.
It’s a long, green gown that flows out around my legs like a flower.
It’s so beautiful I could cry. This was the life I thought Leo was going to give me.
But I was na?ve. Leo is a dark man and I never should have trusted him. I can’t let him get in my head now.
But I can’t give up this opportunity.
Leo is dressed in a simple black suit when I approach him in the foyer. His eyes rake over me, making me blush. “You look good enough to eat.”
That only makes me blush harder.
Leo smirks, like he knows what he’s doing to me, before putting his hand on my low back and lighting my body on fire.
He drives us to a grand building. One that looks a couple hundred years old.
I’ve never seen a building so beautiful.
Other people are going inside, all wearing nice gowns and suits.
This feels like a fairytale and I have to remind myself that it’s not.
I can’t stop myself from gazing around the inside of the building in awe. The grand foyer is so large and elegant that I feel myself grow breathless.
“People come here all the time?” I ask.
“They do. How have you never heard of the opera? You’re from a wealthy family. I know your uncle used to love going to the opera from what Gabriel told me.”
“Because I don’t know my uncle or my father. I am telling you the truth.”
Leo doesn’t say a word to that. Instead, he leads me to our seats in a private box overlooking the stage. I watch in fascination as the opera begins. People in elaborate outfits come out and begin to sing about heartbreak and pain and death. The entire ordeal is magical.
I don’t feel time passing by. I only feel elated.
And then I feel Leo’s hand on my thigh, jerking my attention away from the performers. His eyes are locked with mine as he leans down and slips his hand underneath my dress. I gasp when he brings his fingers straight to my pussy. I don’t have any underwear on because he didn’t give me any.
Leo makes a low sound in the back of his throat as he runs his fingers over my nub. My legs clamp down on his hand, holding him in place. Leo smirks and rubs me harder.
I can’t stop the soft moan that escapes me.
“We have to be quiet,” he murmurs. “We don’t want anyone catching us like this, do we?”
I can only shake my head.
Leo taps my thigh with his other hand, signaling for me to open my legs wider. I do as he wants, too lost in the pleasure to object.
He flicks his finger over my nub. I gasp, arching my hips into his hand. The performers are in the way back of my mind now. Leo has a good way of drawing all the attention to himself.
“Leo,” I whisper.
He cups my entire pussy with his palm, rubbing it over my swollen bud again and again and again. I’m powerless to stop this.
“Come for me,” he murmurs. “Now.” He presses down on my body harder and my hips rise higher.
“Please,” I whimper.
“I know. I know, baby. Emma. Come for me. I need to see it again.” There’s almost a desperation in his own voice that I don’t fully understand. Why does he need this as badly as I do when he’s the one doing all of this to me?
“Leo.”
“Come for me, Emma. Now.” He presses down on my nub and I can’t hold it back any longer.
My hips buck into his hand as I find my release.
It washes over me, making me feel more relaxed than I’ve ever been.
He pulls his hand away and smells his finger.
“You smell like honey. I could eat you again but not here. It would be too obvious.”
Another flare of arousal hits me at his words. “Why do you do this to me?”
“Do what?”
“Touch me like this? Make me feel good when I’m your prisoner? You’re only using me to hurt my father. I don’t understand any of it.”
“If you truly don’t understand any of it, then you’re innocent.”
“And you’re still figuring out if I am or not.”
“Yes,” he admits. “Everything points to you being innocent but I just can’t quite believe it. No one is this innocent.”
“Why did you bring me here? Why give me something nice?”
He looks away from me and gazes down at the performers like his life depends on it. “Because the more I take you out in public, the more it taunts Alessandro. The more he knows I’m in power. And the more he knows that, the more he’ll back off.”
“And what if he doesn’t? Why is my father such a bad man?”
“He shot up Gabriel’s club without any second thought. He stood back and watched as your uncle murdered Gabriel’s entire family. Your mother was there as well. Where is she exactly?”
I flinch at the memory of my mother. “I don’t know where she is.”
“Your story doesn’t make sense, Emma. There’s too many missing details. And I know you’re still keeping things from me. So what is it?”
“You don’t get to know me.” He especially doesn’t get to know all about my mother.
He leans in close. “I’ll find out sooner or later.” His lips capture mine in a quick kiss before he pulls back. At that moment, the singer on stage finishes her last note and the curtain falls and the light comes back on.
“Intermission,” Leo explains. “Let’s stretch our legs.”
“So you can show me off. That’s what you mean.”
“Yes. There’s a lot of wealthy people here today. A lot of them have ties to the mafia. Word will get back to your father. He doesn’t deserve good things and you should never assume he’s a good man.”
“I don’t. He’s a stranger to me. But you judge him while you keep me prisoner. You’re not a good man either, Leo.” I stand up and walk out of the booth before he can say something to stop me. Leo hurries after me without a word.
I’m shocked by the sudden onslaught of people around me. It’s a huge amount, coming out of the theater to use the bathroom or get food. Some people stand around and talk.
I’ve never been around this many people before. It makes my chest squeeze in panic. Before I know what’s happening, I slump against the wall, trying to catch my breath.
“Emma?” Leo asks, sounding concerned for me but that’s ridiculous. He can’t sound concerned for me when I know in fact he does not care for me.
“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” I snap. “I am innocent. I am not my father’s daughter. I am not the enemy.”
He stands back, staring at me with shock. “Emma…”
“You kidnapped the wrong girl.”
Leo opens his mouth to speak when his eyes flick behind me and narrow. “Your father is here.”
Spinning around, I see that Alessandro is approaching us with determination. “Isn’t this what you wanted? You wanted to bring me here to get his attention.”
“Yes but I didn’t think he’d just show up here. Your father is proving to be more difficult than I thought.”
“Leo Detti,” Alessandro says, stopping once he reaches us. “I see that you have my daughter. Give her back to me.”
“I thought you said she wasn’t your daughter.”
Alessandro’s eyes narrow. “You’re mocking me. Trying to get a rise out of me. But I won’t have it. So I will be taking my daughter back and then we can cease this fight.”
“You’ll back down if you have Emma?” Leo scoffs. “I don’t believe it. She’s the only thing keeping you at bay. The only thing preventing you from shooting this opera house up at this very moment.”
Alessandro sets his eyes right on mine. “Come with me, daughter. I can bring you back home.” He holds his hand out to me but I take a step back.
“I don’t know you,” I whisper. “I don’t know you.”
Leo frowns. “You’re not getting Emma back. She’s mine. She’s my wife.”