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My smile falters, heart pounding in my chest. Does this man know my family? Oh god. They have found me. Sweat drips down my spine and my body begins to tremble in fear. I clear my throat, hoping that I can convey confidence even when I feel like I am about to black out. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”
His predatory eyes spark, and I know full well he caught the tremor in my voice. He is terrifying in a way that I’ve never experienced before. I want the ground to open up and swallow me, just so I don’t have his gaze focused on me. I thought Nico was scary but whoever this man is, he is next level. Darkness coats him, sucking all the air out of the room. His stare, cold and calculated, never leaves me, sending a shudder through my body. A voice in my head screams to get as far away from him as I can, but I am rooted to the spot by the fear thrumming through my veins.
“Ocean, I heard–” Macy starts as she steps into the reception area, only to cut off when her gaze lands on the man whose name I still haven’t learned.
“Loren–” her mouth snaps shut when he speaks.
“Leave.” His timber is deep and terrifying, leaving no room for argument.
My eyes widen when with that one word, Macy does exactly as he asked without even sparing me another glance. His dark eyes shift back to me, an evil smirk curving his lips.
Closing the distance between us, he steps up to the counter. All the air leaves my lungs, my body stiffening with his proximity. I try to take a step back - put as much space between us as I can – but am stopped when I hit the wall. Now all that separates me and this… well whoever he is, is the front desk and a couple of feet. “As Macy just confirmed, you are Ocean. I mustsay, my son has excellent taste. You are even more beautiful than I imagined. Exquisite even.”
My body shakes and no matter how much I try to force myself still, it’s no use. I am terrified. He isterrifying. I blink, a shuttered breath leaving me as I stare at him. This is Nico’s father? I let my gaze travel over him and now that he has confirmed who he is, I can see the small similarities. The dark hair and chiseled features. The curve of his nose and masculine jaw. I exhale, trying to calm my racing heart and the pounding of blood in my ears.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I finally say, though I don’t mean any word of it. It’s not nice to meet him. In fact, I don’t think a man has intimidated me like this man does, since I last saw my father.
He laughs, the sound sending a shiver down my spine and raising all the hairs on the back of my neck. “Oh, I’m sure you will change your mind about that within the next ten minutes or so.”
My blood turns to ice in my veins. And needing to do something,anything, I clasp my hands together, trying to find some purchase. “Wh-why do you say that?” I stutter out.
He searches my face, for what, I’m not sure, before pulling something out of his suit jacket pocket and holding it out to me. Glancing down, I notice it’s a thick manilla envelope. My brows furrow in confusion. I shift my gaze back to him. “I want you to take this money and leave the city.”
My stomach drops, nervous laughter bursting out of me. “What?” I blurt out, not sure I am hearing him correctly.
Anger and impatience roll off him. He pins me with a look that nearly has my knees buckling. “You will leave the city. Take this money and go. I don’t want to see your face again and if I do? Well, let’s just say our next interaction will be a lot less… friendly. I can assure you that if you do not follow my orders, it won’t end well for you. We can do it the easy way or the hardway. I would prefer easy. I don’t want to have to add another body to my count.”
I swallow, not sure what he means by that, but hearing the threat in his voice all the same. But still, I have questions and I want answers. “But why? I don’t even know you. You don’t know me.” I shouldn’t be antagonizing this man, but I want to know the reasoning behind his demand.
Dropping the envelope to the counter, he pins me to the spot with a deadly look. “I don’t need to know you. From what I do know, you have my son distracted and I can’t have that.” A sick smile forms over his face. “Nico thought he had hidden you well, that I didn’t know about you, but I have known for a while now. I was going to let whatever he was doing with you run its course and let him discard you as he has done with every woman that came before you.” I flinch at his vile words. “Seems that I underestimated his obsession with you and now I need to take things into my own hands. Get rid of his mess. My son has not been honest with you, but I won’t lie to you. Nico is the heir to one of the most powerful organizations on The East Coast. The Marchettifamiglia.The Mafia.” I freeze, shock hitting me in every part of my body. I knew Nico was dangerous. Powerful. But mafia? Fuck. His father doesn’t stop there, though. No. With his next words, he puts the final nail in my coffin. “You do know you are nothing but a side piece to him? A hole to fuck? Nico is engaged to be married to another woman.” My heart cracks in my chest, splintering me with every word he is saying. “A goodItalianwoman, that belongs in our world. You will never be more than a whore to him.La sua puttana.” He spits, laughing derisively as everything I thought I knew is torn apart in an instant. “You are nothing. No. One.” He enunciates to get his point across and filling me with even more self-doubt. I was right to have my insecurities when it came to Nico and now, I know why.
Clicking his fingers, his gaze never leaves me as one of his goons steps forward, handing him what looks like a paper. Slamming it next to the envelope, he points a finger.
Despite my apprehension to see what he is pointing at; something tells me I have to look. Stepping forward, I glance down. What is left of my heart completely fractures at the sight. Nico. His arm wrapped around the waist of a beautiful dark-haired woman. He smiles down at her as she beams up at him. Nausea churns in my gut and I think I’m going to be sick.
“No,” I whisper, shaking my head.
He laughs. “Yes. Now be the good littlewhorethat you are and take the money. You are young and gorgeous. I’m sure there is a man out there for you. One that you will have a future with. It’s just not my son.”
Tears blur my vision, my whole body shaking with the weight of the truth. Looking up at the man who has just destroyed me in less than ten minutes, I choke out. “I need to get some things.” I shouldn’t be agreeing to his demands. I should be finding or calling Nico and confronting him about his betrayal. But I just don’t have it in me to fight. I’m tired. So damn tired. I have spent the better part of six months running from a monster and the irony is, I ran straight into the arms of an even bigger one. Nico is the devil. I saw the red flags like a beacon of light flashing at me. I just chose to ignore them. I thought Nico cared about me, but he was only using me. His father is right. I’m his whore. He made me a fucking side piece without me even knowing.
A broken laugh bubbles out of me and I shake my head. I fucking told him that I loved him and now his silence makes sense. He doesn’t love me. He is in love with some other women. Someone so much better suited to him than I would ever be. Every insecurity I had was warranted. I meant nothing to him but a fuck. None of it was real. I gave him everything, my fuckingvirginity, and all the while he was engaged. God, I really am stupid.
“Not necessary. My men took the liberty of collecting some things from the apartment my son had you holed up in.”
Fury heats my veins, anger rising in me, and I don’t care if I provoke him. These fuckers went into my apartment, went through my stuff. My underwear. My jaw clenches. “You invaded my privacy.” I snap.
He smirks as a look of…pride crosses his face. I frown. “Feisty little thing, aren’t you? I bet you are a tiger in the bedroom. No wonder Nico couldn’t quit fucking your pussy.” He winks lasciviously. Bile rises in my throat. “Take the money and go now. Nico is in The Hamptons with my wife, his sister and fiancée. My men will drop you at the bus or train station or whatever means of transport you need to get out of New York.” He pins me with a sinister look. “There will be consequences for your disobedience,Ocean, and you won’t like them.” he leans in, his voice dropping. “I don’t want to have to put a bullet in your pretty little head.” His words are honest. He will kill me. “Now get your shit and get gone.” He turns on his heel only to stop. “And hand me your cell. I don’t want you to be able to contact my son. In your duffle bag, you will find a new cellphone along with your fake andrealdocuments that my men found hidden in the apartment.” He smirks. I freeze. Fuck. He knows who I am. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell my son that you have been deceiving him the whole time, as long as you do as you are told. But be warned, I don’t know your story, but it is clear you are running from something. Your family if I were to guess.” He grins, while I’m sure that I’ve turned an abnormal shade of white. “Your reaction just confirmed what I already knew. You are scared. Which means, I won’t have to threaten you with putting a bullet in your head. I will just let your family know exactly where you are, and they can deal with you however they see fit.”
Tears stream down my face and defeated, I nod. I’ve shown him my hand and he ran with it. He knows he has me. Going back to my family would be a worse fate than him killing me. Reaching down, I grab my purse from under the counter, thankful, that I didn’t put it in my locker today. I don’t want to have to go back there and face any of the other staff that work here.
“Okay.” I agree.
He stares at me. “Okay. Now get gone. I need to take care of some things here.”
He doesn’t need to ask me twice. With one last look around the place I have called my job for the last couple of months, I grab the envelope full of money and rush outside.
Tears prick my eyes and I try to suck much-needed air into my lungs. A man steps up beside me, making me jump. “Where do you want to go?”
