Page 107 of Hostile Secret
No sooner have I agreed, and he’s already pretending to fly out the door, leaving me alone in the opulent master suite of a man who’s full of mystery. My heart is pumping so fast I’m lightheaded.
He won’t let me go to prom, but he had heard me. Giovanni understands how hard it's been for me to fit into his world while giving up the life I once cherished.
I lay the dress out on the bed and quickly undress, darting into the bathroom where the vanity cupboards are filled with expensive cosmetics and unopened bottles of my favorite Chanel perfume.
Somehow, the man knew exactly what I had in my duffle bag and over the weeks, multiple replacements had appeared in boxes. They keep coming, too. Day after day.
From coconut scented bath oils to vanilla body creams. My favorite brands of lipsticks, concealers, bronzers, and expensive eye shadow palettes. Everything a girl could desire to transform from a teenager into a woman befitting of his kingdom.
Even his closet is crammed with gifts for me, including made-to-measure leather bras, panties, and various harnesses that have additional chains and ropes. I didn’t realize I had a leather kink until I saw how much it had turned him on. Now I’m converted.
Tonight, however, there’s no room for straps and buckles under the beautiful dress he’d bought for me. So I’ll stay naked underneath to give him uninterrupted access.
Taking a moment to steady my breathing, I study myself in the lit mirror. Grief stole the carefree girl I once was and had turned me into a woman whose heart belongs to a complex monster, and I’m okay with that.
My eyes sparkle with truth and the pulse in my neck visibly thrums from the buzz of knowing he’s waiting for me.
Once upon a time I was a silly little girl who had played in the sunshine, who never truly understood the ever-present shadows that protected me. My daily routine was always overseen by the men in my life, my version of real freedom a flimsy veil.
Looking back, I recognize how that seemingly carefree life was controlled at every turn. Bodyguards walked behind me. A cartel boss funded my education with drug money and gifted me an exorbitant lifestyle behind the realms of normality. And my ruthless brother had governed my entire existence from the clothes I wore to the places I visited. Everything I did was dominated by the Colombian cartel.
Now my life’s under the guardianship of another protective gangster who has only hinted at a life less confined. The same man who brightens my day and unwittingly settles me. All I ask is to hold his hand in the daylight rather than hide in secretive dark corners.
When I look at him or I know he’s watching me, or when he’s moving inside of me, I feel like I’ve found a place to call home. My one and only wish is for Giovanni Souza to be a part of my future. For this private world of his to adapt and make room for me—for us to become a real family.
At that thought, my hard-working lungs cramp, my racing heart stutters, and the blood in my veins turns thicker, hotter—possessive.
Could a man like him ever know freedom?
Massaging a delicately scented oil all over my razored legs reminds me of the first time we had wrestled on Sin Island. My core clenches at the memory of my unusual surrender. It was the moment when I’d realized his dominance was my weakness.
Adrenaline surges through every move I take. Thick strokes of a mascara wand lengthen my lashes, turning them inky black and a smokey brown eyeshadow emphasizes my blue irises so they stand out even more. A luxury sea kelp facial moisturizer has energized my skin and I decide not to bother with a heavy foundation.
Rather than picking out a colored lipstick, I choose a clear minty gloss and finish the look by adding a few loose curls to the lengths of my silky hair.
Even though the girls from school were relying on professional make-up artists, I do a pretty good job of doing my own. But in truth, it's the elegant dress that steals the show. The second I step into it and pull the zipper at my spine, I start to shake.
Intricate black crystals create a pretty design across my pushed-up breasts and a thigh to floor split adds to the sexiness of his choice. The fit of the dress spills down my figure as if it was handmade just for me.
Staring at my reflection, I see the mature version of India Hardy and tonight, this is how I want Giovanni to see me—a woman worth fighting for.
I’m a determined female, ready to step into my power in a world governed by mobsters. It’s my right as a Souza to demand the life I desire with the man I’ve fallen for.
Content all the finishing touches are perfect, I pick out a pair of designer strappy sandals from my modest collection in Gio’s closet and take a deep breath. It’s time to meet my monster and figure out what he’s planned for me.
* * *
My heart is thumping in the hush when I enter the grand library. Tall pillar candles on the mantelpiece ooze warm wax as the flames shiver and burn. Ominous shapes flicker across the floor to ceiling bookshelves, creating pockets of freakish darkness in the unlit corners.
Moving from a modern airy extension into an ancient stone mansion has my stomach in knots. I’d forgotten how lonely I was in this place back then. Now it feels as if I’ve left behind the life I dream of, and stepped into the oppressive choke hold of a life I don’t want.
Cool air tingles over my bare arms and goosebumps scurry the length of my spine. Walking over an age-old wooden floor, I pass the impressively sculpted fireplace and linger by the couches.
I swallow my jittery nerves and scrutinize the room for signs of Giovanni. Without warning, tingles burst from my scalp to my toes.
The spike of adrenaline in my bloodstream clashes with the fear in my gut. Slickness builds between my thighs and my nipples harden. A beautiful man dressed in a well-tailored suit moves across the room in my direction.
He wears a black shirt tucked into fitted dress pants and a hand is casually slotted into the pocket, marginally hitching up an unbuttoned, expensive suit jacket. My narrowed gaze strains to see the suave man prowling towards me, his dominant form cloaked in devilry and the top half of his face covered in a plain black masquerade mask.
