POV: KATHERINA
One week later
Everything went rather quiet after the encounter with Luca after I disobeyed him. I didn’t see Rick, Emm, or Cruz after that. Luca went early in the morning and came back very late at night.
When he was pissed off, he would tear off all my clothes, not bother that I was asleep, and fuck my brains out. When he was in a better mood, he would wake me up and fuck my brains out.
Either way, he couldn’t last for more than a day without sinking deep inside.
I also noticed that in this one week, his behavior had changed drastically. He never allowed me to step out, even to the balcony.
I was getting homesick, and being locked up in this room wasn’t helping, but Luca wasn’t ready to understand.
He made sure that the room service was delivered by a lady, not a man. He would constantly keep a close watch on what I was doing, how I was doing, even what I was watching on TV.
It was suffocating to be under his icy gaze.
He didn’t lay a finger on me to cause any physical injury, and all my old bruises had started to fade.
I noticed that obeying him paid off in many ways. He sometimes forgave me when I snapped back at him. I observed him, just like he observed me, and I realized how possessive he was of me.
He simply wanted me to be his. He didn’t love me or care for me like a lover, but he didn’t want me to be in any pain or discomfort that he didn’t cause.
I was trying to understand him, but it was so hard. We barely talked during sex, and the rest of the time, he was on the phone or his laptop or just out, dealing with his business.
I didn’t know what he thought or what he wanted. Last night he woke me up, and I thought it was for sex, but he told me to pack up, that we’re leaving early in the morning.
We left the hotel and took off on his private plane. The trip was short, and I ate on the flight before we landed in Rome.
I followed Luca quietly. An unfamiliar man approached Luca, grinning widely. He hugged Luca, who was smiling ear to ear. “Welcome home, brother.”
“It feels good to be back,” replied Luca.
“Hello, Katherina,” the man said to me, and I gave him a timid smile before looking away.
He took our bags and put them in his car. Luca got into the passenger seat while I got into the back.
They conversed in Italian after that, and I paid no attention and looked out the window. I was far from home, too far. But the fear was gone, replaced by a void.
We passed beautiful monuments and tourist destinations. If I had come here with my family, I would’ve been excited to explore the wonderful city.
I drifted off to sleep, leaning on the window, and woke up on a bed in a new room. The luggage was already unpacked and stored in the walk-in closet.
The room was big and lavish, and when I stepped out, I saw a long hallway and four other bedrooms and a staircase leading downstairs.
I was awestruck by the magnificent house. It was even more beautiful than the one we stayed at in Bridgehills.
Black vintage curtains draped the windows elegantly, giving an impressive look in contrast to the white flooring and walls. There was also an indoor garden which captivated me.
Tall windows rose up to the rooftop where the slanting rays of the sun were flowing in. Peaches, orchids, red roses, lilies, and money plants were growing inside.
The creepers were pruned perfectly, encouraging lush growth for the best display, and there was a table in the center with four chairs.
The only thing missing was a waterfall—a small waterfall in place of the table and chairs.
There were maids in the kitchen who informed me that Luca would be back by night and went back to their work.
I stepped out to a beautiful patio with a swimming pool and a basketball court. There was a huge tall wall overlooking the abundant trees.
The living room had a library and another room that was locked, so I couldn’t explore it. I settled down with a random book to pass the time.
The maids provided me with Italian breakfast and lunch, and I found myself loving the new dishes.
When the maids left at dusk, I was alone in the eerie house.
The silence was scary, and stepping outside didn’t help since we were in the middle of nowhere, with dark trees looming, casting their shadows.
I closed all the glass doors the maids had left open during the day and drew the curtains, and switched on the TV to a random channel.
In spite of making the house less scary, I jumped when the landline started to ring.
“Luca,” a man’s voice grunted from the other end when I picked it up.
“Luca is―”
“Who are you?” He cut me off before I could even answer.
“I’m―”
“Just give the phone to Luca,” said the voice.
“He’s not here.”
“Where the fuck is he?” he bellowed.
“I don’t―”
He cut the call before I could answer. Idiot.
Sighing, I switched off the TV and went upstairs to sleep. No sooner did I change my clothes and lie down on the bed than the doorbell started to ring.
Thinking it must be Luca, I walked down to get the door, but when I peeked through the hole, I saw two men standing there, and neither was Luca. I immediately stepped back.
The bell rang again, but I refused to open the door.
The men started to grumble on the other side, and I stared at the gap beneath the door.
“Luca!”
The men started to pound on the door.
“Open the fucking door, man! Rick said you came back here with your chick, so open the fucking door!”
I just folded my arms and stared at the door. When the pounding finally stopped, and their voices faded away, I went back to bed.
I was woken up by his fingers brushing my hip softly and his hot breath fanning my face.
“How was your day, tesoro?”
His voice sent a shiver along my spine. I stayed still and quiet, pretending to be asleep.
I heard him chuckle deeply before wrapping his hand roughly around my waist and leaning down to my neck, peppering me with kisses.
I couldn’t help but remember the times Chris used to wake me up like this. Even though Chris’s intentions were rooted in love and care for me, I couldn’t help but like it with Luca.
Maybe it was because he hardly showed any affection, and when he did, I couldn’t help the butterflies in my stomach.
“I know you’re awake,” he whispered over my skin before lifting his head up and turning me to face him.
He leaned over and switched on the table lamp, and I saw him towering over me. He rubbed my cheek with the back of his hand
“You’re beautiful,” he said, staring into my eyes.
Even though his expression wasn’t cold, I couldn’t exactly decide what was swirling in those soulless eyes. He was playing with my mind, toying with my feelings, just to get me to submit to him.
I stayed still when he leaned down and captured my lips. His lips were soft and gentle, and slowly I started to kiss him back.
My hands wrapped around his bare shoulders, and his hand slipped into my dress while the other was at the back of my head, holding me in position.
His hand rubbed my skin, drawing random patterns, and I sucked in a deep breath when his lips trailed down to my jaw.
“You’re going to be the death of me, tesoro,” he whispered and chuckled before withdrawing his arms from me and laying down beside me.
“Be ready tomorrow. We’re going out,” he said, then turned around and went to sleep.
I couldn’t sleep. After a while, his deep relaxed breaths confirmed to me he was sleeping. I turned and looked at him.
The bedside lamp was still on, the light blocked by my shadow, so it didn’t fall on his face. One of his hands was stretched on the pillow while the other was below his head.
His head was facing me while I watched him sleep peacefully. Tomorrow would mark the third week of my captivity, and the coming days seemed terrifying and exciting.
From what Sheriff Newman explained to Chris and me, he was a criminal. As far I know, criminals lives are meaningless and downright horrible.
They live on crowded streets in dirty apartments, killing and threatening people like it’s their job, getting high on drugs, and sleeping with women in their spare time.
The leader of the gang might live in a little luxury, but Sheriff Newman made it clear that Luca works under a leader. Looking at the richness around me, I could easily mistake him for a billionaire.
There had to be a big network working in illegal businesses, but I wasn’t about to go all detective and find out.
I had other concerns like getting back to my family and my normal life, but I really wanted to figure him out.
He was like a puzzle to me, which could turn out to be an image of anything I wanted, but when I put all the pieces together and looked at the outcome, it just didn’t fit right.
Bringing my hand up carefully, I traced the side of his face with my index finger. I never touched him, except during sex. Then I would wrap my arms around his back or hold his arms in a tight grip.
His skin was soft as I traced it down his chiseled jaw. I felt him stiffen, and I was quick to withdraw my hand from him. He took a deep breath, his bare chest rising and falling slowly.
“Go to sleep, baby,” he whispered suddenly, and I gasped.
He didn’t say anything else and drifted off to sleep again. I turned around and switched off the lamp, sleep being the last thing on my mind.
It felt like I had just closed my eyes when I saw the first ray of light flickering through the gap in the curtains, illuminating the room.
I got up and glanced at Luca, who was still asleep. This was the first time I was up before him.
My footsteps were light as I walked to the washroom for a shower. When I went to open the cabinet to take my morning pills, my hand clutching the towel to my naked body, my eyes caught my reflection.
The wounds on my forehead were healing, and the swelling from being slapped in the face had gone down.
I let the towel slip to the floor and stared at my naked self, water dripping from my long hair.
The dark hickeys on my breasts were gone. The bruises where his nails had dug into the sides of my waist were gone too. My body looked new and mine, without his marks.
I let out a chuckle, feeling happy for the first time since he got hold of me. He was wrong. He couldn’t claim my body as his, not unless I gave it to him.
I’ve had my short-term pleasure. I’m glad he doesn’t ask me to reciprocate, maybe because he needs to be in control and always make the first move.
I laughed. “I’m going crazy.”
I clutched my wet hair and took deep breaths.
It’s just sex. Just sex.
Nothing more, nothing less.
No one can get into your skin through sex and make their way into your soul, Katherina. Breathe. Breathe. It’s just fucking sex.
Picking up the towel from the floor, I wrapped it around my body and walked out to find Luca still asleep on his stomach, his hand stretched to my side, and his mouth opened slightly.
I dressed and carefully opened the door, walking down to the kitchen.
I took out the cereal and milk, then searched for coffee grounds.
The kitchen was modern with all the utensils required for cooking anything you desired. I was pouring the coffee into my cup when Luca arrived, showered and dressed.
He was wearing a tight black shirt with black jeans, making his muscles prominent. His hair was wet, droplets of water trickling down.
“Morning. What’s for breakfast?” he asked and sat on the stool, picking up his phone.
I don’t know what gave him the idea that I would cook for him, but since he was in a good mood that morning, I knew better than to piss him off.
So I filled a bowl with cereal and milk, added a spoon, and pushed it over to him. I drank my coffee and watched him.
He dug in, without any suspicion that I might have poisoned it—not that I would be able to.
I ate some toast and drank my coffee. Once he was done, we left the house.
I frowned deeply when he came out of the garage, riding a humongous bike. There is no way I was getting on that. His expression turned hard when I stood like a statue.
Not ready for his bipolar mood swings, I reluctantly got on, keeping a gap between us as I held his sides tightly.
The moment he hit the main road, it felt like I was flying. My hands immediately left his sides and gripped his shoulders painfully.
The rushing air was like a whirlpool, and I was unable to open my eyes. He was fast and rash. I screamed for him to slow down, but he only sped up.
The vehicles around honked their horns, and some even slammed the brakes and shouted, but Luca stopped for nothing. My heart skipped a beat every time he passed a vehicle by barely an inch.
Not able to witness the horror anymore, I wrapped my arms around his torso tightly and plastered my face on his back, squeezing my eyes shut.
When the bike came to a stop, I immediately hopped off the dreadful thing, glaring at him.
“Is that the way you drive? You would have killed us both!” I screamed.
“It’s good to hear that you’re concerned about me too.” He smirked.
“Oh no, I’m not!”
He just winked at me before wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me along. All the while, the stupid smirk was still on his face.
The first thing I noticed was the crowd. I’ve never experienced such a crowd as Bridgehills is such a small town.
We walked through the crowd. People were laughing, taking pictures, and talking in Italian and English. It was a bright sunny day, another feature I didn’t experience much in Bridgehills.
My head was spinning due to the sun and the crowd, and having been awake all night didn’t help the situation either. I put my head down and walked steadily with him.
We stopped at a building that was familiar even though this was the first time I’d come here.
^MVSEI VATICANI^
“I always wanted to visit the Vatican Museum,” I said, staring at works by two great artists, Michelangelo and Raphael, at the sides.
“I know,” he mumbled.
“How?” I asked, mildly surprised. “Did you threaten the people who know me to get them to tell you my likes and dislikes?”
“I wouldn’t call it a threat. Arabella blurted it out when I informed your parents that you are in Rome, Italy, my hometown.”
My expression fell, every ounce of the excitement of exploring the museum gone.
I wanted to reply, ask him where they were and what exactly was he doing with them, but he stared at me, daring me to continue the conversation.
I gulped and looked away. He held my hand, and together we passed the long queue, and the guards let us in.
We stepped onto the mosaic flooring of the museum, which depicted ancient stories. My eyes traveled everywhere, trying to take in as much as I could since Luca was pulling me away to the Sistine Chapel.
My eyes fell upon a familiar sculpture that has always raised great interest in me while I used to read about the museum on school nights, with my unfinished assignments lying ignored beside me.
I stopped in my tracks, and Luca turned around, irritated. I knew he wouldn’t cause a scene in public, so I removed my hand from his and walked toward it.
The statue shows various dynamics; agony, pain, and suffering. There’s a man and two kids strangled by snakes.
The older man’s torso is pushed forward with his head tilted to his left. His hands are twisted, trying to get free from the snakes.
The two boys were on either side of him, one passed out and the other trying to uncoil the snakes from his body.
“Laocoon and His Sons,” I heard Luca say at my shoulder.
“It’s a beautiful sculpture, though their agony is evident,” I replied.
“Sometimes agony can look beautiful too, and I’ve always believed that’s what makes this sculpture unique.”
“Agony is painful suffering, and suffering is never beautiful, Luca,” I said softly.
His hold on my waist tightened. “Suffering is personal, tesoro. Pain isn’t. I understand the sculpture. I understand pain,” he replied softly and led me away from the sculpture.
When we entered the Sistine Chapel, the first thing that caught my eye was the Last Judgement, covering the entire altar. Looking at it in person is amazing after the pictures and videos I d seen on the net.
The saved ascend at the left, and the damned descend at the right. The newly saved join the upper part in Heaven. At the center is Christ, who is looking down at the damned.
To his left is the Virgin Mary, who is looking down at the saved. Surrounding Christ are many figures, the saints, and other saved souls.
“That’s St. Peter,” I said, pointing at the figure to my left.
“No. That’s St. Peter, holding the keys of Heaven,” he said, pointing toward the right, the old figure with a white beard holding a key and looking at Christ.
“The one you pointed at is John the Baptist,” he said.
Moving aside, I saw the northern wall completely filled with the life of Jesus, starting from the Baptism of Jesus to the Last Supper.
The southern walls were covered with frescoes with scenes from the life of Moses.
I was so awe-struck and absorbed by the beautiful painting that Luca’s intense gaze on me didn’t affect me. He crossed his arms in front and watched me blankly like a creep, and I ignored him.
I knew he was trying to weaken me, make me depend upon him so that I would give in and forget everything he’d done to me, letting him get away with it.
He’s proven several times that he’s a bastard.
We exited the beautiful Sistine Chapel and came across another painting, The Transfiguration by Raphael.
“It’s Raphael’s last masterpiece before he died,” said Luca.
“Who are those two at the sides of Christ?” I asked, pointing at the two floating with Jesus.
“Elijah and Moses,” he said. “Below them, lying dazzled and sprawled on the ground, are the disciples of Christ.
“It shows the Miracle of the Possessed Boy, which follows immediately after the Transfiguration. In the Bible, Jesus heals the boy to demonstrate the power of faith and prayer.
“Using this contrast of light and movement between the two scenes, Raphael has combined both these Biblical episodes into one single spectacular and dramatic painting. Such a masterpiece, right?”
He told me stories behind a lot of artifacts and paintings I already knew, as well as the ones I had missed on the internet, and I listened to him with great fascination.
His conversation was normal for the first time, and it was also the first time he’d really talked to me.
He knew every nook and corner of the museum and the stories behind the artifacts inside, and it made me wonder how many times he had visited the museum.
By the time we were out of the museum, it was dark, and I was hungry and tired. I sat down on the pavement, my legs aching badly. Luca hesitated before settling down beside me.
“We need to leave,” he said, looking everywhere around like someone’s going to attack us.
“Yeah,” I sighed and leaned on him, placing my head on his shoulder. I felt him stiffen for a second and then release a low sigh.
We had a moment before it was interrupted by his phone. I heard him speak in his usual Italian, and when he ended the call, he stood up abruptly.
“We need to go,” he said. The urgency in his voice didn’t go unnoticed by me.
I rose to my feet and followed him to his bike. He quickly started his engine, looking everywhere again. I just crossed my arms and stared at him.
“What is it?” He asked.
“I’m not coming with you on that dreadful thing.”
Luca pinched his nose and released a sigh before replying.
“Look, I drove fast because you were not holding me. Just hold on to me, and I will maintain a decent speed, okay?” he said calmly.
“What? You nearly drove us to death just because I didn’t hold you?” I said.
“Yes,” Was all the tattoo monkey replied!
I was going to snap, but looking at him losing his patience already, I quietly hopped on and wrapped my arms around his torso.
He maintained a decent speed like he promised and stopped in front of a hotel called Morte.
It instantly reminded me of the club I visited with Chris, where everything had started to go downhill. It was also written in the same style.
We sat by the window, and Luca ordered Italian cuisine for both of us.
“I’ve seen this word Morte before,” I said, once the waiter was gone.
Luca’s eyes lit up, and he smiled at me, something I don’t get to see often. “Really? I wonder where you would have seen that?”
He gave a sly grin, crossing his arms on the table and leveling his eyes to mine. “Surely, not in my club where I first saw you in the arms of your boyfriend but staring up at me on the balcony.”
I recalled the time and still felt the same way I felt that night. Luca was naturally intimidating, and his attention had been on me since that night. I was overwhelmed by his dark and dangerous self.
“All the Mortes belong to me, Katherina,” he said.
“This is your hotel?”
“Yes,” he replied and was interrupted when the waiter came back again to greet him.
They spoke in Italian, and I looked out the window, deep in thought. Today was different with him. He’d shown me a whole new part of himself, which left me confused and wanting more.
If the reason for a peaceful day today was only to make me his, I wondered how things would go down if I indeed gave myself to him at some point, if I gave in to the allure of his fake charm.
One thing I knew for sure is Luca had very little patience, so this facade wouldn’t last if he didn’t get a reaction out of me. He’d go back to his usual domineering self and fuck me into submission.
The waiter went away and came back with loads of food and laid it on the table.
“Enjoy your dinner, Signor and Signorina,” The waiter said with a polite smile.
I smiled back at him, and he left.
“That’s too much food,” I said, looking at our table filled with a variety of dishes.
“We haven’t had anything since breakfast. You must be hungry, so I’m sure this will disappear into that ocean of your stomach within no time.”
“Did you just call my stomach an ocean?” I asked, amused.
“I just did, cara mia,” he said.
Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach at him calling me his beloved, I looked at the variety of dishes on the table and asked him to name them all.
“Skillet chicken with potatoes and peppers, chicken Sorrento, drunken chicken marsala with tomatoes and rice,” he said, pointing out at each and filling our glasses with a ruby red wine.
“And that’s Rosso di Montalcino,” Luca said, placing the glass in front of me.
The wine was strong and smelled fruity with hints of herbs. I was indeed hungry and finished most of the food quickly, ignoring Luca’s knowing chuckle.
The cuisine reminded me of Grams and her cooking, and I felt a wave of nostalgia hit me, making my eyes tear up.
The drive from here to Amalfi must be roughly three hours, and this is the closest I’ve been to a member of my family since he kidnapped me.
“What are you thinking, tesoro?” Luca’s commanding voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Hm? Nothing,” I replied, finishing the rest of the food from my plate.
“I asked did you enjoy your day today?”
“Yes,” I replied quickly. “Yes, I did. Thank you.”
I gave him the best smile I could muster up at the moment, and Luca was about to reply, but he was interrupted by something behind me. His expression fell, and his eyes widened.
I quickly turned around, and in the blink of an eye, a man lunged directly at Luca with a knife in his hand.
Luca twisted his wrist, taking the knife from his hand and pressing down on his wrist, making the man scream in pain as blood oozed over the table, dripping onto the floor.
The people who witnessed the horror screamed and started rushing out of the hotel, but I was too stunned to do anything as I huddled in my seat, unable to look away from the man’s bloody hand.
The man pulled his hand away, the knife dropping on the floor, and launched himself at Luca.
Luca was out of his seat by then and kicked him at the side before slamming his head on the table, making the dishes shatter on the ground. I stayed motionless until Luca did the unthinkable.
He held the struggling man by his head on our table, took his gun out, and shot him in the head.
I lost it. I screamed and stood up to get away, but Luca’s murderous eyes fell upon me.
“Sit down!” Luca screamed at me.
I sat down immediately.