Page 38 of Auctioned To Her Dad's Mafia Enemies

She’s exquisite, like a swan gliding throughthe filth of the world with her head held high.

She tastes sweet.

My brother's words ring through my head like adamn gong, over and over. And every time I remember, my mouth floods withsaliva. How did he get her to open for him so easily, spreading those prettylegs like butter over warm toast? When I tried, she looked at me like shewanted to carve me up with a rusty blade. If looks could kill, she’d haveliquified me in a fucking second.

I drag a hand through my hair, pushing themessy curls back as I follow her into the house, my eyes locked to her perfectass. The place reeks of dust and stale air, motes spinning in the bright shaftsof light that slip through the ratty curtains. This house is a relic, barelylivable, a place we retreat to only when we need to disappear. It’s indesperate need of a woman’s touch—anyone’s touch—to make it habitable.

Aemelia looks around, her chin high as always,her expression surprised, then she turns to me. “Here? This is where we’regoing to stay?”

“The Plaza was fully booked.”

She rolls her eyes. “Is there a vacuum atleast? I’ve never seen dust so thick.”

“Are you offering to clean up for us?”

“I’m offering to help. We’ll get allergies.”

Luca and Antonio enter through the back door,carrying bags. They’re followed by four men from Antonio’s crew. The older twolook unfazed, having been through this before. The younger ones? Much lessexcited to go to the mattresses.

Antonio seems unable to keep the grimexpression from darkening his features, even though Luca encouraged us to keepthings light. We don’t want to scare Aemelia by telling her of this outsidethreat. She has enough to deal with worrying about the threat we pose to her.

She’s still our prisoner, after all.

One thing is certain—Aemelia won’t have herown room. I smile, already foreseeing her reaction and the chance it will giveme to get closer to her.

“Let’s see,” I say, gesturing to the stairs.“Go up.”

She moves past me, her hips swaying slightly.I’m not used to going this long without pussy, so my body is hungry. But that’snot the only reason I’m fixated on her. Aemelia has the rare ability tosurprise me, and I like it more than I should.

Upstairs, the situation isn’t much better. Themattresses are old and bare and have seen better days. She wrinkles her nose. “Wehave sheets, right?”

“Of course.”

I dump the bags on a mattress and toss myjacket on top. Aemelia drifts toward the window, but I block her way before shegets too close. “Stay away from the windows,gattina.” Her eyes dart to me,then back to filthy glass. “You don’t know who’s out there.”

She presses her hand to the hollow of herthroat before dropping it. “We better get cleaning.”

Downstairs, the house hums with activity.Antonio has his sleeves pushed up, ready to unpack the bags of food lined up onthe counter. At least with him around, we won’t starve while we’re holed up inthis dump. I start rummaging through cabinets for anything resembling cleaningsupplies and discover an old dustpan and brush, a few ratty cloths, and avacuum that looks like it belongs in a museum.

Aemelia, dressed in black leggings and afitted sweater, glances down at her expensive attire. “I’d change if I hadanything older and less expensive to wear.”

“Don’t worry. Clothes aren’t an issue if moneyisn’t an issue.”

She nods, and I consider that this might bethe first time she hasn’t had to worry about where the next outfit or meal iscoming from. A girl like Aemelia should never have to serve others.

She twists her long, glossy hair into a neatbun, securing it with a band from her wrist. Then she takes a cloth and startscleaning. There isn’t much furniture, but once she’s wiped those surfaces down,she crouches to tackle the baseboards, and I catch every man in the placestaring at her ass.

Luca, who's probably never lifted a finger forhousework in his life, eyes the vacuum like it’s a foreign object. “How do youget this thing working?”

I smirk. Has AemeliaLambrettiachieved the impossible and domesticated the boss of this family? Is that howmuch he wants to get in her cunt?

Man, this is fucked up. Antonio’s alreadylicked his way to half a claim on her body, but what does that matter? We’renot proposing marriage here. Best-case scenario, Carlo comes back, and we setAemelia free. She leaves, and we all go about our business. Worst case? We’reforced to do something none of us wants to do.

Her virginity is still a bargaining chip. Wecannot take it from her without losing leverage. But there are many otherthings we can take. Many places on her body to taste.

“Plug it in,” I tell Luca, watching as heawkwardly fumbles with the cord. The vacuum roars to life, belching out a cloudof dust before revealing a clean streak on the floor beneath it. Luca nods,satisfied, and keeps going as I stifle my laughter.

I meet Antonio’s confused eyes, and we bothshake our heads. Thank fuck the men are outside, watching for threats insteadof witnessing this circus.

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