Page 50 of The Sicilian Bastard
Luciano
Araceli was so pretty when she came. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes flashed with happiness. I was content watching her come down from her orgasm. I stared into her eyes, remembering this moment because it would be the last good one I had of her. I had to let her go. She was in too much danger. I couldn't protect her. I couldn't keep her safe. I was a failure. If only I hadn't met her, but if I hadn't, I wouldn't have known her love. I needed her more than oxygen. She didn't even know what was about to happen, but I knew. I knew, and it was killing me. All I wanted to do was lose myself in her body. I could carry her upstairs and thrust myself deep into her body. I would bury myself so deep, we wouldn't know where I ended and where she began. I wanted to be one with her. She was made for me. Her love taught me so much. I didn't even know it was love until we exchanged words. I peppered kisses all over her face and neck. I inhaled her scent. I couldn't get enough of her. How could I lose this precious woman? She giggled as I lavished love all over her. For the last time. Fuck. This was it.
"You shouldn't have started a fight with my sister like that," I admonished. I kept my voice hard and unyielding.
"Wait, what?" Her eyes had been glazed with arousal and were now moving to confusion. I had to power through. I tried again.
"She's family. You can't go around just beating on her."
Araceli's eyes narrowed. "But you liked it," she purred. Her hand grazed over my engorged cock that was still achingly hard from bringing her off with my hand.
"No, I didn't." I removed her fingers off me one by one. The look on her face was gutting me.
"Yes, you did. Why are you lying to me right now? I thought you loved honesty." She crossed her arms and gave me the opening I needed.
"Honesty? Honesty? You want to talk about being honest when you're a rat who gave up your own family?" I sneered at her.
This was it. This was where we ended. Araceli stumbled backward, hurt slashed across her features. Then she reeled back and smacked me across the face. I expected it and it wasn't anything I didn't deserve, but I still collected all of the hatred within myself and filled up on it. I swelled with only hatred and grabbed her neck, slamming her against the wall in fury. She whimpered and I slammed her again against the wall so she wouldn't forget this moment ever. I pulled her so close to my face that my lips touched her eyelids.
"Get the fuck out and never come back. If I ever see you again, I will rip out your innards and string them across the Mojave desert right where your whore roommate was found," I snarled in her face and released her. She stumbled back into the wall, a broken sob bursting out of her throat. Tears were rolling down her face finally.
I walked away and slammed the door. As soon as it closed behind me, I let my shoulders slump in defeat. I went to Vito's office. My eyes were staring, but I was unseeing everything in front of me. I was reeling. I broke her heart. I hurt her. I didn't need to hurt her. I could've hidden her or something. We could have planned together. Why didn't I think to make a plan with her? She was smart as a whip, and I'd bet that she had a few ideas on how to fight the cartel. I looked up at my brothers. Vito and Agosto were there in the office. Vito, on Facetime, and Agosto was making small talk while they waited for me.
"Is it done?" Vito barked.
"Yeah," I snarked back. Fuck him and his attitude.
"Great job, brother. It wasn't that hard, now was it?" Agosto chimed in. I wanted to punch his face in. He was a younger brother. He had no idea what it was like to rip your heart out, give it to someone, and then later stomp on their heart that they had given back. That's what I did to Araceli. She gave me her heart. She trusted me to keep it safe and I laughed in her face. I was a monster.
"Good. Good. Family first." Then he jumped into more talk about the cartel, but I was reeling.
Family first. When had that ever applied to them? It was all right for everyone else to go to war over their significant others, but not me. I felt sick, like I had done something I couldn't fix. I did irreparable harm to the only person who loved me. These people didn't love me. Not like Araceli does. Did. Fuck. They just wanted me to be their loyal dog. All the familial feelings I had before dissipated. I realized the only person who treated me like family was Araceli.Mia fiore.I sent her away. I could've sent her to her death.
"We need to come up with some kind of plan," Agosto was saying.
"Hopefully they will follow the little whore back to where they came from and it won't be our problem anymore."
I growled at Vito. He was belittling my woman. He called her a whore. She wasn't a whore. At least not for anyone besides me. Fuck him. I needed to gut someone. Preferably one of my brothers. I'd had enough of them pushing me around like I was their lackey. I was a Picone.
I excused myself from the meeting. It was dark outside already. My heart was racing as I went to stop the ball I had put into motion.
I ran up the stairs and checked the room she was staying in. It was empty. I started running to the other side of the house. The left-wing was large. I opened every single door and didn't see her. I checked the libraries. I went back to the gym. I checked the pool. I was panting and sweating. I couldn't find her. My mind was conjuring up all sorts of scenarios.
"Sir?" The gate guard stopped me when I approached his booth.
"Did you see a woman leave here?" I panted at him.
"Which woman?" He went to the computer and pulled up the security footage. He played it for me until I saw my Araceli leave the property and climb into a tinted vehicle.
Whoever they were, picked her up from the gate. No one stopped her from leaving per Vito's orders, but I thought she was alone. I thought Ruby was her only family. If so, who grabbed her? She didn't know anyone as far as I knew.
"Run that plate," I growled.
We had many things at our disposal. The police here were in the Falcone's pockets and paid handsomely for it. All I had to do was wait and pace.
A while later, the results came back.
"It was a rental, sir," the soldier relayed to me.
