POV: KATHERINA
Luca came early in the morning and took me to the hospital, where I’d been admitted three months ago after the hotel incident.
Edward was sitting on the bed, with a cast with a bandage on his left arm. He looked much better than last night, and he smiled at us.
“Hey, mate. Hey Katherina.”
“How are you feeling?” Luca asked, leaning down and pressing his finger on his wound. Rick grunted but then relaxed.
“Better,” Edward replied, and Luca rubbed his bandage.
“You must be discharged by evening,” Luca replied, and Edward nodded.
“I’ve given the file to Parker,” Edward said to Luca. “Did you guys get any information from those bastards last night?”
“No. The main guys ran away. The others were new punks. I had no idea about anything. We just killed them.”
“Who do you think it is, Luca? First the hotel and now your home.”
“I don’t know.”
“I think we should inform the boss about this.”
Luca’s eyes snapped toward Edward. If looks could kill, Edward would have been six feet under by now. Edward looked away from him.
“No one, I mean fucking no one will inform the boss about anything,” Luca warned.
“Luca, I was trying to―”
“I’ve heard enough. Meet me once you’re discharged. We need to clear this up as soon as possible.” With that, Luca stood up and started to walk toward the door.
“Take care.” I smiled at him, getting the same in return before following Luca.
We got into his car and took off. The tension in the air was becoming more and more difficult to handle. Luca’s eyes were trained on the road, and his knuckles were white, gripping the steering wheel.
I looked out the window to the grey clouds that were threatening to pour down rain.
We passed the Vatican Museum, and I couldn’t help but remember the day where I actually thought I could enjoy his company.
“I want you to be by my side, no matter what. Do you understand?” His voice was calm yet threatening.
“Yes,” I said.
“I can’t take the risk of leaving you home all alone. Also, I can’t keep you in my hotel. It’s not that safe.”
“So you think keeping me with you is safe for me?” I couldn’t keep my mouth shut at times.
“Yes,” His voice was calm even after hearing my mocking reply.
I scoffed at him before turning away toward the window.
The car came to a stop in front of the casino. So, this was the place he thought I’d be safe with him. The casino was empty, with only maids around, cleaning.
We got into the elevator just like last time, but he didn’t propose elevator sex this time. He was not in the mood for it, and I relaxed.
The elevator door opened on the third floor with a long, wide hallway and just five big rooms. Luca opened one of them and motioned me to go in.
“You’ll be safe here. If anything goes wrong, go to the casino and find Romero. I’ve written my number on a slip next to the telephone. I’ll be back tonight.”
With that said, he shut the door and left.
I slept for a while and woke up when the doorbell rang, and Romero came in for lunch. He was the man who maintained the casino.
He was muscular with tan skin and high cheekbones, as tall as Luca with blue eyes and dark hair.
He took me on a tour of his casino and taught me some of the gambling games and their tricks. I watched them with fascination, even tried them once before settling down to play snooker.
Romero won two games and let me win the last.
Romero was different from others I’ve seen. He was respectful and polite, but all the while, he didn’t even smile at me. He was more like a bodyguard than a casino manager.
While walking toward the private elevator, the common elevator on the other side opened, and several girls walked out, accompanied by a man.
The girls were caked with makeup, and their attire confirmed what they were.
“I thought there were only drinks and games here,” I said as we entered the private elevator.
“Every casino we own has prostitutes. We make sure our customers are satisfied in every way possible.”
I scoffed at his reply, which didn’t go unnoticed by him.
“So, you force the girls?” I asked.
“We don’t force the girls, not at all. It’s their own choice. All those girls are from Bangkok, and they do it for money,” he replied solemnly.
“You guys don’t kidnap girls to sell?” I asked, recalling the conversation with Sheriff Newman.
“That’s totally a different business. Those girls are kidnapped and sold to many countries to rich businessmen and pimps. What happens to them later is not our concern.”
His voice held no emotion. It was all business to him.
We got out of the elevator and went to the room I stayed in.
“As Luca informed you, I’ll be down in the casino if you need anything,” he said and left, closing the door behind him.
The rain started to pour down before dusk. Standing on the balcony, I watched the people trying to get shelter from the torrential rain.
Stretching out my hand, I felt the icy droplets falling hard on my palm.
I don’t know how long I stood watching the rain thundering down, the grey sky turned black, and the city lights were switched on.
Rich, sleek cars entered the gate of the casino, and men in suits got out with their bodyguards at their sides. Soon there were more, filling up the parking spaces.
I heard the door open and turned around, but I was taken aback when my eyes fell on Luca. He is totally drenched, not just in water but in blood too.
His eyes fell upon me, and he started approaching, his shoes leaving behind blood trails on the white floor.
My hands clutched the railing behind me harder, and I took deep breaths, trying not to let his intimidating personality scare me.
The last time I saw him like this, I almost freaked out. He was totally drunk and animalistic. It would’ve gone worse if Rick hadn’t come to my rescue,
“Luca, stop,” I said bravely as he approached me with steady steps. He wasn’t drunk this time, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t hurt me.
He stopped immediately as the words slipped off my tongue. I was surprised that he actually listened to me but didn’t let the moment distract me.
“It’s not your blood, right?” I asked, and he shook his head like an obedient student.
I gulped hard and stared into his eyes confidently.
“I want to touch you, tesoro,” he said softly. “I want to feel your body against mine.”
His eyebrows furrowed as he saw my hands curled around the railing tightly.
“N-Not like this,” I said softly, trying my best not to make him explode.
His eyes narrowed at me.
“I want you naked on the bed, with your legs spread wide open.” With that said, he turned around, walking toward the bathroom.
My hands loosened around the railings, and I sighed in relief.
I hesitantly walked inside. My body was already cold from standing outside for so long, and when my dress hit the floor, I almost shivered in the chill.
I laid back on the bed and listened to the rain hitting the window panes. I took deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves, but I could hear my heartbeat thudding in my ears.
The lightning and thunder rose drastically, and so did the rain; the only sounds that disturbed the silence in the room, and strangely, it comforted me.
When I heard the door open, I immediately closed my eyes and opened my legs wide. Heat rose to my cheeks and neck as I imagined his black orbs staring at me right now.
My body heated up, and I fisted my hands, my jaw tightening. It’s humiliating that he makes me do this.
I hate him so much, but I also want him.
The door closed, and for a few painful seconds, I neither heard nor felt anything. I was about to open my eyes when the bed dipped under his weight.
My stomach churned with delight, making my core hurt, making my legs tremble when I felt his hot breath fanning my hip. My hands at either side curled the sheets tightly around my fingers.
“Open your eyes“ he commanded, and I obeyed.
He was toward my right, laying on one side with his weight balanced on his elbow. He was wearing his jeans, his inked chest fully bare, and his lust-filled eyes gazing at me.
“If I tell you the truth, would you answer my question?” he asked.
I looked at him skeptically, wondering what he was up to, and nodded quietly.
He rose up and placed himself in between my open legs. His thumb brushed below my abdomen, and I shivered.
“The truth is I want to give you the freedom you want, but only if you promise to submit and be mine forever. So, tell me, if I let you go, would you be mine, or would you leave me?”
“I’m not yours now, even though you have taken my freedom, and I am lying naked beneath you,” Was all I replied.
Luca stared at me with a cold expression and then craned his head up to the ceiling and took a deep breath.
I watched his hands clenching in tight fists, and I knew it was just a matter of time before he lost his temper, but then Luca did the unthinkable.
He got off the bed, removed his jeans and boxers before settling beside me, with his arms crossed behind his head.
“You’re in control tonight. If you don’t want it, go to sleep,” he said and stared up at the ceiling, waiting for my reply.
I was surprised and excited. I didn’t know what had happened these past few months that made him so unpredictable. He’d always initiated the sex, and he was always in control.
A part of me wants to turn away and go to sleep, but a bigger part wants to take control since I don’t know when I will get this chance again.
Slowly yet hesitantly, I rose up and looked down at his naked glory. His eyes didn’t move away from the ceiling, but he knew I was watching him.
Taking a deep breath, I crossed my left leg over his body and settled on his waist, his dick touching my ass behind.
He looked at me blankly. My hands traced the tattoos on his torso, pinching his pierced nipples before leaning down and licking one of them.
Luca stiffened below me, and I couldn’t help but feel brave. I licked his other nipple, too, before kissing his neck, where the lotus tattoos lay.
His hands were still behind his head as I kissed every inch of his upper body, taking my time, rubbing our naked flesh together.
He would stiffen, take a deep breath and even moan but never took control and lay at my mercy.
I kissed his jaw, the corner of his lips, and his nose, making him chuckle. I looked into eyes that were filled with desire and something else I couldn’t decipher.
Kissing his neck one more time, I rose up and moved back.
I grabbed his dick in my hand. I was about to put it in but seeing him hiss in pain, literally bulging in my hand, turned me on.
I did the unthinkable, settling between his thighs and bending down to his dick. Luca’s eyes widened in a dark excitement, but he still didn’t make a move.
Holding his erect length, I rubbed the tip of my thumb on the tip before slowly moving up and down. Luca hissed, his eyes shut and sweat forming on his forehead.
It was a beautiful sight for me, and I caught him off guard by quickly slipping his dick into my mouth. His eyes snapped open, and one of his hands held my head, but he didn’t urge me to move.
I stayed still for a few painful seconds and started moving up and down his thick dick.
Luca hissed and moaned my name, encouraging me to go faster, and I obliged. His fingers massaged my scalp, and my other hand rubbed his balls.
Whenever I felt his thighs stiffen, I would slow down. I would bring him to the edge and then slow down completely, making him growl like an animal.
He was sweating by the time I withdrew abruptly, just before he could release it inside my mouth.
Luca’s face looked tortured, but he still didn’t utter a word as I climbed back onto his waist and guided his dick inside my wet pussy.
His fingers started to dig into my hip, and I moaned when he was completely inside me.
“Fuck, baby!” he cursed, and his other hand held my other hip.
I started moving slowly, my eyes never leaving his. My breathing turned to panting for every thrust, and I slowly increased my pace.
His hands moved from my hips and groped my breasts with a firm grip, and I started moving faster now.
He started to bulge inside of me, and even I was close. My ass smacked his thighs as pleasure overrode me, fucking him hard. Luca’s hands tightened around my breasts, his release close.
“Cum with me,” he ordered and pulled me down to capture my lips.
I kissed him and felt him lift up to meet my thrusts. Our moans dissolved in our mouths, our tongues dancing for dominance.
“Luca, I’m close,” I pleaded.
Luca started to thrust into me when I stilled, the pleasure too much to handle.
“Fuck, cum now,” Luca said. I came at the same time he shot his load inside me.
I screamed his name in pleasure as he held me on him.
When I finally came, I was panting, my head spinning. Luca was watching me with a sly grin on his face, his dick still inside of me.
I gave him a peck on his forehead, and he spun us around, so I was under him. Slowly sliding out of me, he settled between my legs, holding my sides and placing his head on my stomach.
My fingers played with his hair, and I felt him relax under my touch.
“Whom did you kill tonight, Luca?” I whispered.
Luca showed no sign of replying to me, and I was fine with that. He never really spoke about his business to me.
“The men we captured at my place,” he said after a while.
“But you told Edward you killed them all at home.”
“Edward might look boyish, but he won’t stop until he hunts down the man who put a bullet in him and tried to give him a painful death. He’s no use to me when he’s wounded.”
“Who were they?” I asked carefully.
“I have a lot of enemies, Katherina. The police department, rival gangs, but in this case, I can’t really say what they are since they lie on the narrow border between these two sides.”
“Then killing you would not end everything,” I said softly, hearing him chuckle below.
“They didn’t come to kill me. They came for the file. It’s evidence,” he said, absentmindedly tracing his finger below my left breast.
I recalled the black folder Edward brought last night to keep in his office before the attack started.
“What’s in the file?” I asked.
Luca took a deep breath. “It contains details about the diamonds we buy from Angola.”
Diamond smuggling. Good lord. I didn’t question him further, and after a while, I heard his calm breaths as he slept peacefully on me.
***
Romero took me back to Luca’s house the next day. The house looked new, as if it wasn’t damaged in the shootout.
They were bodyguards placed at every corner of the house, and they looked dangerous and tall. Romero spoke to a guard before bidding me goodbye and taking his place behind the wheel.
I looked at the guards strangely. They didn’t seem to be looking at me at all. They stood like statues, and I wondered whether I’d get a reaction if I kicked one of them.
Not dwelling too much on them, I went inside the house.
The house was crystal clean, and the maids smiled at me when they saw me. I smiled back before heading toward the bedroom for a quick shower.
The guards were annoying me even though they did nothing. I couldn’t step out of the house to the patio or even stare out the window.
The guards were everywhere, and it was like I had no privacy except for the room I was in.
My thoughts drifted to my family and Chris, the guilt rising up when I thought about Chris. Rick said he was fine, the last time I asked him in London, but I don’t know how fine he was.
He must’ve missed his classes and all the practice as his legs healed, and I know how sad he would’ve felt when he wasn’t able to participate in the inter-school football game.
From the time I’d known him, he never missed a football game, and even though we’d fallen in love and started dating just two years before, I’d watched him grow up as a rich kid in town.
I missed him and the times we spent together, but I wouldn’t interfere in his life ever again.
He came looking for me, and Luca decided to teach me a lesson by breaking his legs.
My heart tore apart for the love he had for me that made him decide to fight the monster, but I cheated on him with the same monster who almost killed him.
Chris will always have a spot in my heart, but I will never drag him into my life. He deserves much more than I ever was.
Later that night, I prepared an Italian dish Mom used to make on occasion, distracting myself from the heavy thoughts that might pull me down.
Luca arrived early but walked into his office even without looking at me and banged the door shut.
Someone’s in an awfully bad mood.
I ate dinner alone, my eyes flickering toward his office door, expecting him to come, but he didn’t. Time passed. I flipped the channels aimlessly, waiting for him to come out, but he didn’t.
Finally, getting irritated, I filled a plate with dinner and knocked on his office door.
“Come in,” he grunted.
I opened the door and walked inside. He was sitting on his chair, head bent over a pile of papers like he was the CEO of some company and not a criminal. I rolled my eyes and walked over to him.
“I cooked dinner today,” I said, holding the plate in my hand.
He hummed in response but still didn’t look up at me. I placed the plate beside him and walked out without saying anything.
I was getting frustrated with his attitude. Some days he was good. Most days, he was an asshole. The clock struck one, and he still didn’t come out of his office.
I was feeling sleepy and thought of seeing him one last time. I opened the door. The plate was empty but still in the same spot dI left it, so I wondered if he threw it out or actually ate it.
“How was the food?” I asked softly.
He looked up at me. “I ate it. Did you poison it?”
I was surprised by his question. “I’m not stupid, Luca,” was all I said.
He gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“So, how was the food?” I asked, leaning my knuckles on his table.
“I hate risotto.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, but before I could say anything, the doorbell rang, interrupting us.
He pushed his chair back and stood before walking out of the office without a second glance at me. I followed him out, feeling awkward for some reason.
Edward stood by the door and smiled at me.
“Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” I asked.
“And aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?” He asked, smiling wickedly. My eyes landed on the spot where the bullet had pierced his skin.
He was wearing a white-collar shirt, and the bulge of the bandage was clearly visible
“Let’s go,” said Luca, interrupting our conversation.
“Thanks for dinner,” he said over his shoulder and went out.