Loving Her Forgotten Mafia

JANE

I splashed water on my face for the nth time before looking at the mirror and a pair of lifeless and fearful amber eyes stared back at me.

The water dripped down my chin in a straight line and wet strands of hair clinged to my face. My chest heaved up and down as I stood there with my hands pressed on the sink counter.

I was hyperventilating, my whole being was gripped by anxiety. I had just an hour left before he'd be back and I didn't have a plan.

"Someone help me, please," I murmured, sliding my hands over my face while my knees buckled.

My butt hit the cold and hard floor and I turned, resting my head against the edge of the sink counter. Hugging my knees, I put my head on them as sobs wracked my body.

My hands trembled, nails dug into the skin of my legs, making a sharp pain rising from the spot but it did nothing to stop the tremble.

A knock on the door made my head snap up and I stood up hastily. My legs felt like jelly as I moved clumsily to open the bathroom door and peeked through the small gap.

"Yes?" My voice was hoarse from crying.

I cleared my throat and opened my mouth to speak again when a sweet feminine voice came in. It was too sweet.

Linda.

"Are you ready? Mr Salvatore is on the way."

A new wave of fear rose in my chest as I took a shaky breath before answering,

"Yeah…yeah. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Okay. Hurry up. He'll be here in twenty minutes."

I heard clicking of heels as she walked away and leaned my head on the door frame, staring at nothing. I shut my eyes and the image of Dom from last night filled my vision.

"You're mine. Don't let him touch you."

His words echoed in my head and those eyes, I could never forget the sadness, pain and helplessness I saw in them.

"Why can't I just forget about him?"

Everything would be so much easier if I could just discard these stupid feelings."

But it was impossible.

And then, like a tidal wave, a feeling of determination rose in my heart and I opened my eyes.

"I can't be so weak. I am strong and I'll not let him touch me without my consent," I whispered, pushing myself away from the door.

"Time to get ready."

My nose scrunched up in disgust as I laid my eyes on the flimsy black lace bra, a matching panty along with a black thong, lying on the bed.

Only if I can get some poison to add to his drink. How enticing.

...…

Not being able to find a decent robe that could hide what I wore underneath, I put on a bathrobe over that disgusting piece of clothing and fastened it tightly.

The creak of the door rattled me as I whirled around and found Rosario walking in like he owned the place.

He did own it but right now it was my room. A knock would have been better but what could I expect?

"Why didn't you knock?" I spat with a deep frown and he raised an eyebrow, as if challenging me to stop him.

I looked away, gritting my teeth. I didn't want to anger him.

"That's what I thought," he spoke smugly before turning his head to the side. "Get in and search."

My head snapped up and my heart dropped as I looked at him in confusion.

"What search?"

He shrugged, looking around the room nonchalantly before he decided to take a look at me properly.

"No. You can't search my room without my permission," I raised my voice as two bulky men walked in.

My ring!

"Do I look like I care? I need to secure my perimeter and I think someone was here last night and you know about it."

While he was talking, I let my eyes dart around, trying to locate the ring and found it on the dresser behind a small spherical vase with a cactus in it.

One man turned the mattress upside down while the other opened the cupboard.

"No. You can't do this. This is my personal space." I walked forward, trying to inch closer to the dresser as my heart galloped.

It wouldn't be much of a problem even if he found the ring. The thing was, I didn't want to part from the ring. I couldn't. And to lose it to Rosario was even worse.

Dom was here last night, I could have returned it but I didn't.

"Are you hiding something?" He came closer and stopped just a few inches away from me.

"No. What have I to hide? You didn't even let me bring my phone." I turned to the dresser, acting like I was sulking and folded my hands across in the front.

"Then why are you scared, Doll?"

My eyes were laser focused on the vase and I knew I had to act fast. Someone would come here to search any time now.

"You don't give me an ounce of respect. I can't even decide a small thing for myself, then how do you think it'll work out?"

There was a beat of silence before he spoke in a low growl.

"What are you trying to imply?"

I turned to face him, and taking advantage of my movement, I discreetly moved sideways towards the dresser and my hip touched the wooden edge.

I let my hands fall to my sides and put one hand on the wooden surface.

"We need to talk. I can't stay here like this."

He frowned while looking into my eyes like he was seeing through my soul and I tried my best to keep my face neutral. My hand moved behind me slowly on the wooden surface, inching closer to the ring when he suddenly grabbed my other hand.

A surprised yelp left my lips as he pulled me to him, his face less than an inch away from mine while I kept my grip on the dresser, not wanting to move away.

"You can't treat me like an object if you want me to be with you like old times," I whisper yelled, while keeping my eyes locked on him when all I wanted was to move far far away from him.

His touch disgusted me.

I heard footsteps from behind and my heart raced even faster.

No. No. No.

Rosario's gaze went behind me and the footsteps stopped.

"Wait outside."

Just one word and my shoulders relaxed, I was about to let out a long sigh but stopped at the last moment.

"Are you playing with me?" he asked and I saw the men exiting the room, shutting the door behind them.

"No. I am trying to survive. Can't spend my whole life feeling like trash. Can I?" I raised an eyebrow.

His facial expressions relaxed a little as he stared at my face for what felt like an eternity.

Leave me, you pervert.

"Will you please leave my hand? It hurts."

He moved his jaws from side to side as the gears turned in his head and finally left my arm.

I had the urge to rub the spot where he was holding me, to soothe the soreness but I kept my other hand behind me and moved a step back.

I turned to the dresser again, facing the mirror from where I could see him and started rearranging the cosmetic items that didn't need any rearrangement.

"I'll tell you something if you let me live my life freely."

My hands moved to the vase as I grabbed it with one hand while grabbing the ring behind it with the other hand.

"Do you take me for a fool?"

I picked the vase along with the ring tucked under it.

"No. I ain't asking for a phone or to go out."

I angled my body a little away from him and put the vase on a different spot while hiding the ring in my fist. I went to the bed and could feel him following me.

"What do you want then? And what's in it for me?"

I looked back and found him standing behind me with his hands in his pockets. He was a handsome man too, but I couldn't find it in me to appreciate it. His oppressive behavior and the lack of even a little bit of empathy and morals put me off completely.

But he was nowhere as handsome and hot as Dom.

"I want outfits of my choice, not those sorry excuses for clothes." I turned to the bed again and started putting the mattress in its place while carefully sneaking the ring under it.

I let out a small, inaudible breath before facing him again.

One problem down.

"And I want you to knock on my door every time you want to come in."

"Who told you I'll let you stay in a separate room after tonight?"

A chill ran down my spine but I still met his gaze with confidence.

"That's the problem. You want sex, right?"

I restrained the urge to cringe as the words left my lips.

His lips curled into a smirk.

"Yes. And not only sex. I want you to fulfill all my fantasies." There was a malicious glint in his eyes that screamed danger.

"Okay. Do you want to enjoy yourself while doing it or do you just want a body to have sex?"

"Of course I want to enjoy it. If I just needed a body, I don't lack women who are dying to spread their legs for me."

How I'll love to wipe that smugness from your pathetic face.

I couldn't believe I was having such a talk with him. It felt like cheating and I was disgusted at myself.

"Don't you think if I can do it willingly, it'll be more enjoyable for you?"

He looked like he was in deep thought and then he came too close for my comfort. I pressed myself to the wall behind me and his hand rested on the nape of my neck.

I moved my face away.

"This is your problem. You don't have the concept of consent in your mind. That's what I hate about you. Give me some time. My past is not a secret to you. So give me some time to get back to normal. Can you do that?"

"You said you'll tell me something if I agree to your demands. What is it?" His breath fanned against my cheek and restrained myself from scrunching my nose in disgust.

"Will you please keep some distance?"

He still leaned in, brushing his lips on my earlobe and I pressed my lips in a thin line, my hands clenched in tight fists on my sides as I tried my best not to punch him in the face.

"Okay. For now," he whispered before licking the skin below my ear and finally moved away.

"How can I believe you are really trying to forget Dominic? Maybe you are scheming something." His hands rested on the wall beside my head.

"Hate. That's the only thing I feel for my Dad's killer. Dominic is nothing for me but that."

"Prove it."