Page 12 of The Mafia's Captive

“There isn't any.”

“Why is it heavy?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because when my grandmother made it, she used cheap stuffing?”

I almost want to rip it apart to make sure. However, when I glance at her, she seems almost teary-eyed, and I stop myself. Clearly, this ugly thing holds some sentimental value to her, and I would not be like every Mafia caricature that rips dolls apart. I hand it back to her. She grabs it and places it under her arm while a small tear drops. It makes me feel like an unfeeling brute. What’s up with me? It’s only been a day of interacting with Corina and she’s already twice brushed against my sleek exterior and exposed the animal within.

“Grab anything else you want and let's go. You won’t be returning here.”

Her eyes widen. “What does that mean?”

I do not know what it meant. It slipped out and my intention, which she must think, isn’t because I will kill you, but rather, you don’t deserve to live in a place like this. As if part of my desire is to put her up in an upscale apartment as… as what? My girlfriend? My mistress?

Another tear falls and I close the space between us just as it reaches her cheeks. I brush it off with my thumb. Her silky soft skin feels amazing under it. I wonder how it would taste like and without thinking; I do just that. I kiss her cheek. Then the other cheek. I trail down until my lips meet hers. My tongue coaxes them open and when they do, I triumph, delving inside. Our tongues dance with each other as I pull her closer. Not only does she taste like heaven, she smells like heaven. Feels like heaven.

Heaven comes crashing down, when I feel hard steel against my stomach. I hear the cock of a trigger. When I pull away from her slowly, I see the teddy bear on the floor and a pistol pointing at me. The bear did have a secret compartment, after all. When I look up at her, the fear is gone. She has murder in her eyes.

5

Ididn’t sleep the previous night. The longer I lay down in that luxurious bed with my head resting on that therapeutic pillow, the more I realized that if I was going to get out of this, I would have to use my head. I couldn’t sleep. I kept tossing and turning throughout the night. It was only in the late hours of the morning when the idea came to me. The gun. The teddy bear has a secret compartment where I put my gun. I used to put the teddy bear on my bed when I stayed in a more dangerous part of town, but now that I was staying in a safer place, I no longer had need of it and so I chucked the doll in the closet.

My plan was to get the teddy bear and then use the gun when an opportunity arises. I didn’t think he would want to accompany me. That made me change my plans. I had to think on my feet. It wasn’t until we entered my apartment alone that I realized Dante wasn’t with his goons. It was now or never. Then he kissed me. That was a surprise, but it gave me time to get the gun out and point it at him, which is where we are now. With my gun against him, but no idea what to do next.

“Stand back.” I nudge the pistol into his stomach. He moves, but only slightly.

“You're a ball of surprises, aren’t you?” His calm demeanor is unnerving. He doesn’t seem afraid of me or my weapon. He seems to view it as a game.

“I said stand back if you don’t want me to shoot you.”

“What’s your plan if you do? Colin and Rob are downstairs. If they hear a gunshot, they’ll rush here and if they see me lying in a pool of blood, you’ll be lying in your own pool next to me.”

He’s right. Even if I outrun them, his Mafia family would be after me. They would probably kill me or my mother. Think Corina, think. I could use the fire escape and go through there. And it’s not like I want to kill him, anyway. Just enough time to get away from him.

“Let me go,” I say.

“You’re the one holding the gun.”

“I’m not your thief. I didn’t steal your money. I’m not working with Hugh or Saccone. Somebody is framing me.”

“Nah. I’d say this situation begs to differ.”

“Please let me go.” The hand holding the gun trembles. Dante notices it. I grip the gun with both hands. But it’s too late. He’s already seen my weakness. I can see it in the way his lips twitch, as if he’s trying not to smile. He takes a step forward.

“Do it then,” he says when the gun touches him, “Kill me.”

I can’t and we both know it. Maybe if I duck and run away while I still have something of an upper hand. Before I could do that though, in one swift move, he pulls the pistol out of my hands, grabs my waist, turns me around until my back is against him and he’s now the one holding the gun to my temple. In my other ear he whispers, “Don’t you ever, ever threaten me with a weapon ever again. Do you understand?”

It’s tough to process what he’s saying through the fog of changing fortunes. Is he going to kill me? He’s going to kill me, isn’t he? I feel the gun move and swipe away a lock of my hair. “Do you understand?”

I barely nod.

“I need you to say it out loud.”

My throat feels parched. The “yes,” comes out as a whisper. That seems to satisfy him. He drops the gun and puts both his hands in front of me as he opens the chamber and takes out the three bullets inside. As he’s doing so, my pulse rate drops and I notice things. He’s holding me so close inside this bear hug I can feel his hardened cock. He’s swaying us slightly that if someone were to walk in, they would think we were a couple. What’s worse, my body’s positive response. I have to stop myself from leaning back against him as if I want to be in this position. To be his prisoner. As if the previous seconds mean nothing.

“I knew you were going to be difficult, but I didn’t expect you to threaten me with a weapon.” The way his breath blows against my ear causes another bout of tumultuous emotions inside me. “I should have seen it, though. You’re one fascinating fireball, Corina.”

Just as fast as he held me, he lets go of me. The lack of support makes me stumble backward. His hand snakes out, and catches me before I crumble to the ground. He didn’t let me go as he dragged me out of the apartment and back into the car. We drive back to the penthouse and throughout the entire drive, I can feel his anger vibrating around him, making it difficult to breathe. His grip on my arm is just as strong, too. When we enter the apartment, he blasts past Vera, who looks aghast, and when we reach my room, he thrusts me inside and says, “I hope you think about what you did.”

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