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I want my freedom. I push back from the table and head up the steps to get back to work.
CHAPTER13
Nico
My frustrationwith my little captive is growing, and my patience is equally withering away. Every night for the past week, we go through the same routine. I have dinner with her, and she sits there refusing to eat until forced, while I ask her carefully probing questions. Nothing that would overtly ask her for family secrets, but enough that I know she’s not being truthful when she says she knows little about the family business. No, she knows far more than she’s telling, and I aim to discover all of it.
And amid it all, she’s pulled out damn near every book from each shelf in the library and is now starting on the hallway area. Stacks cover the rooms, and I still can’t figure out what she’s doing or what she’s looking for. And I don’t like when someone keeps secrets, and Ms. Giulia De Luca is full of them.
The only good thing out of it all is that she’s been sleeping in the damn bed every night, too exhausted to do anything but climb under the sheets, fully clothed, and sleep until the morning before she starts it all over again. No more sleeping in the closet or in the library area. Still, I don’t monitor the cameras constantly, so it’s possible she’s doing something she shouldn’t be, and I haven’t noticed it, but she hasn’t tried to escape again. I know there is some ulterior motive there, but I have to figure it out.
And that starts tonight. It’s time to put my little mouse through some tests.
I pull up the cameras, and desire burns as I catch the moment she lowers herself into the steaming bath she’s drawn. I get a flash of skin, a quick glance at her rounded ass, and then only her neck and face as she sinks into the bubbles. The bliss on her face has me hard as a rock, and far too damn jealous of that water for putting that expression on her face. Fuck, this woman is messing with my head, and it’s only gotten worse in the past week.
Having her here, spending time with her every night, my obsession grows. Hell, I haven’t been sleeping more than a few hours a night, spending far too much time watching her sleep on the damn cameras. Or, in the case of last night, I went through the passages and walked into her bedroom, sat next to the bed and watched her sleep for hours. It took everything in me not to climb in that bed with her, or hell, wake her and bring her to my room.
I fucking hate this hold she has on me, and nothing will make it loosen. I fight in the ring with my men and the burning in my gut never lessens. I even thought of bringing in one of the women I normally fuck when the need strikes, but as soon as I pulled up the names, my cock never so much as twitched at the thought of warm, willing pussy. No, like the rest of me, he didn’t want anyone else. He wants this woman. And only her. I’m going to have to do something about this soon, or I’m going to go mad.
I stare at the screen for another long moment, taking in the way she’s piled the mass of curls on top of her head, and how her eyes are closed as she lays there, dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. And if I’m not mistaken, she’s lost more weight since she barely eats more than enough to keep her alive. Even when I force her to eat, she doesn’t finish.
Is this all part of whatever plans she’s making? To make herself so sick that I’ll either let her die or take her to a hospital or doctor? Then she’ll try to get help or escape? She’ll be sorely disappointed if that’s her plan, because I’ll tie her to the damn chair and force-feed her before that happens. Determination grips me and I shove back from my desk. Dante glances up at me in surprise, and his brow lifts even higher when I order, “Tell Sofia I’ll be taking my meal in the dining room tonight. Ms. De Luca will be joining me. Ensure there are guards at every exit of the room outside the doors and see that we’re not disturbed.” Then I stalk out, not waiting for his reply or to see if he follows my orders.
I storm up to her room, shoving the door open and shutting it quietly behind me as I head for the walk-in closet. I move through it quickly, grabbing the items I need before going and setting them on the bed. Then I head for the closed bathroom door, determination in every step.
I turn the knob and walk inside, biting back a smug smile when Gia startles, gasping at the intrusion and sinking so that only her chin and up is showing. “Finish up and get dressed. We’re having dinner in the dining room tonight.”
She doesn’t respond for a moment, her eyes wide as she stares at me. I take one step toward the tub, and she blinks at me before saying stiffly, “No, thank you. I’m tired.”
I give her a cool stare. “That wasn’t a request,topolina,” I inform her sternly. “I will have someone bring you down in an hour. And if you do not arrive, I will come back up here and carry you down myself, and I will not care what state of undress you are in. And consider that I will kill any man in this home that glimpses of any part of you that I don’t allow, so do not test my patience. Your outfit is on the bed.” I turn and walk toward the doorway.
Before I reach it, she stops me by saying, “Mr. Armani, I’m exhausted. I don’t have the energy to fight and try to outwit you tonight.”
I pause because I hear the exhaustion in her voice. Turning, I walk back toward the tub, and when I near the edge, I look down at her. The dark circles under her eyes are larger than they were last night, and her face is pale, even with the heat of the water. I want to reach in and shake her, demanding to know why she’s doing this to herself, and at the same time, I want to soothe and give in to her request. Maybe she is realizing there is no point in fighting with me.
I do neither. Instead, I tell her, “Again, this is not a request, Ms. De Luca. You are the one deciding not to eat and exhaust yourself, so your poor choices are your own fault. One hour.” I turn and stalk out, leaving her room and locking it behind me before heading to my own bedroom.
Once I’m inside, I head straight to the bathroom to shower. I force myself not to look at the camera, telling myself that patience is key. Instead, I stand under the heat of the spray and close my eyes, trying not to picture the woman who is currently naked on the other side of the house. The one wreaking havoc on my entire life. And no matter how much I try to tell myself I won’t allow it, to try and ignore her, she’s an obsession I can’t shake. Far more addictive than the stuff I sell and far more dangerous than the weapons currently making their way into my buyers’ hands.
Even now, I can’t get the picture of her climbing into the bath out of my mind, and my cock is throbbing. I turn the water to cold, and it does nothing to calm the heat in my blood. No, if anything, it fuels it. I reach down and stroke myself, gritting my teeth at the pleasure that sparks. I’m far past the times I’ve had to jerk off to get relief, and it infuriates me I’m here doing this instead of finding someone to relieve it for me. Hell, I could have a shower full of women if I wanted to ease this burning ache inside me, but no, the only one it’s hard for is her.
So I do the only thing I can. I stroke myself slowly, picturing her in my mind. Of what I wish I had done when I walked into that bathroom. I’d have stripped down and joined her in that water, finally getting to taste that mouth of hers as I fucked her until she screamed my name. My balls draw up at the thought, and I stroke myself faster, imagining the sounds she would make. Would she try to quiet them? Refuse to let them past those pretty lips? Or would she scream them? Let everyone know what I was doing to her?
I’m that much of a bastard that I don’t want anyone else to hear the sounds she makes. No, I want them for my ears only. And that’s what I picture as I come all over my hand and the shower floor; her soft cries in my ears as I push her over the edge, feeling her pulse around me, squeezing me tight until I can’t do anything other than follow.
“Fuck,” I grunt as I release myself and then angrily scrub myself down and wash my hair. That did nothing to take the edge off, and it only left me wanting her more. My cock is still half hard, and I know I’ll be doing this again before the night is over.
I climb out of the shower, wrap a towel around myself, and then head to the closet to get dressed. Then I go to the dining room to wait for my little prisoner to decide if she’s going to defy me.
When I reach the dining room, Sofia is already there setting things up. She arches a brow at me when I walk in but says nothing. I take my seat and watch as she polishes the last of the silverware, pours the wine, and then walks out of the room without so much as a word. Probably for the best.
I pull out my phone to check the time and then set it on the table, watching the door and waiting as the minutes tick by. She only has about three more minutes before she’ll be late. I resist the urge to check the cameras again, instead sipping at the bourbon Sofia poured for me.
The clock ticks to the one hour mark and I resign myself to waiting another couple of minutes before I head up to drag her ass down here. I bring the glass to my lips once more as the door to the dining room opens and Dante walks in with a sullen looking Gia behind him. I nearly smile as I take her in. I should be furious, but instead anticipation buzzes in my blood.
Instead of the little black dress I set out for her, she’s wearing a pajama onesie, complete with mouse ears, and if I’m not mistaken a small little tail on the back. Her eyes are gleaming and defiant, though her face is blank of all expression once again as Dante leads her over to her seat. She sits in the chair serenely, though her eyes never leave me. Over her head, Dante is grinning like an idiot, and I can tell he wants to laugh. I dismiss him with a wave of my hand, and then wait impatiently as he calls Sofia to bring our dinner. When Sofia is within eyeshot, I see the grin on her face, eyes bright as she sets the plates down in front of us. She looks at me with a smug grin, and then heads out, while Dante excuses himself and follows her, shutting the door quietly behind him.
I don’t even look at the food in front of us. Instead, I move my eyes down over Gia once more. “Topolina, I’m almost surprised, but not quite.”
