Entangled with the Mafia Don

LORENZO’S P.O.V.

It was clear that I would need a glass of whiskey if I was to survive the meeting without putting a bullet through someone’s skull. As I looked around the room, I thought about who the unfortunate victim could be.

Dante, our head of security seemed like a fine choice considering the fact that he was the one responsible for protecting the shipment that was attacked by the Russians. As if sensing my gaze on him, he slowly lifted his eyes to mine. I shot him a sharp smile that had him cowering and looking away. Maybe it was the scar on my face that ran from my brow to my chin or maybe it was just the fact that I was the heir to the De Lucia family. Whatever it was, there was something about me that had men quaking in their boots and I loved it.

All my life, I had never met anyone who dared to defy me- until her. It had been seven years but I was still unable to get her out of my mind. It was like the more I tried, the deeper she dug her claws in. When she left, I scrubbed the house clean of every trace of her in anger then I regretted it and brought everything back. I tried and failed for years to find her and all this time, I still held onto the inkling of hope that she would return.

“Lorenzo,” a voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up at my father.

If there was any man in the world who was almost as scary as I was, it was Antonio DeLucia. He was known for his bloodthirsty nature and natural cruelty. We had the same black hair and while I chose to keep mine long and reaching my shoulders, he preferred to have his cropped close to his scalp. He had dark brown eyes that were almost black while I inherited the bright blue eyes that my mother had. Our eyes were the only difference that we shared. He taught me everything that I knew.

“Yes, father?” I asked as subconsciously twirled the knife on the table between my fingers. I saw Dante swallow deeply as if worried that I would suddenly throw the knife at him. “Has something new come up in the half an hour that we have been here? The Russians took the shipment, I am aware.”

“We are discussing strategies in getting them back.”

I sat up straighter and I saw a few of the men in the room take subconscious steps back. Only my father didn’t move and that was because he knew that there was no way I would harm him. Instead, I turned to Dante and beckoned him closer.

He looked like he would rather swallow glass but he slowly made his way over to me and I saw him bow curtly as a show of respect. I lay the knife down carefully on the table and I saw his sigh of relief. It only made the corner of my mouth turn up. His first mistake was thinking that I needed a knife to kill him.

I reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and jerked him close. He inhaled sharply and he tried to look everywhere but at me.

“You were in charge of the shipment, weren’t you?” I asked and he nodded making me slam his face into the table. “When I ask a question, I expect a response with words.”

There was blood dripping from his nose but he made n move to wipe it off. “Yes, Capo, I was in charge.”

“Good, now it will be your job to make sure that you bring it back and the Russians who took it along with you. Am I clear?”

“Of course, Capo.”

I let him go and he took a few steps away from me so he was no longer within arm’s reach. He bowed to me and turned on his heels. I waited until he had gotten to the door before I spoke again. “You have one week to make that happen, Dante. If it exceeds a week then I will make sure that it is you who dies in their place.”

He didn’t respond, he knew there was no need to, instead, he walked out the door leaving the room in silence. I took a napkin from my pocket and wiped the bloodstain on the table. My father was barely hiding his smile.

“Is there anything else?” I asked him and he shook his head. “I really don’t know why you bother, there are more important things for me to handle.”

I stood to my feet and walked out of the room without looking back. As soon as I was out, I heard the talking begin. I knew my men feared me and I lived off that fear. I had come to realize that men operated better under fear. They respected me because of fear and I knew I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I made my way back to my office where I knew no one would dare enter. I wanted peace and quiet and in my line of business, it was very difficult to come by. I was about to close the door behind me when I heard a voice.

“Lorenzo.” Only a handful of people referred to me as Lorenzo- my father and my close friends of which I had only one- Matteo.

“If it is not important, I will cut out your tongue,” I warned as I turned to him but the moment my eyes met his, I knew something was wrong.

“It is bad, Lorenzo, you have to come and see for yourself,” he said in fluent Italian and I muttered a curse under my breath as I followed him. I was confused when he started heading out of the house and towards the gate but I didn’t question it and chose to stay silent.

There were two guards at the front gate and at first, I was confused until I noticed what or rather, who was between them. A little boy was standing there and he looked scared but determined. He had a small backpack on his back and I was confused. Not many people stumbled on our house, much less a child.

“Who are you?” I asked but he stayed silent. “Who are you looking for?”

“Lorenzo.” His voice was soft but clear and I gestured for the guards to release him.

"I am Lorenzo. Who sent you?”

“I’m here from my mother. Her name is Isabella.”

ISABELLA’S P.O.V.

I hated working at the casino.

Exotica was the one place that everyone wanted to go. It was where the richest men went to play and where they found their call girls. If you worked there, you were practically a celebrity because of the people you were around. When I applied, I didn’t even think I was going to get the job because they liked their women a certain way- tall, white and skinny but I was the opposite. I was tall but thanks to my African American mother, I had dark skin and I had curves. I had never hated my body until the moment I saw the women at Exotica.

When I got the job< I was reeling with excitement until I realized that all that glittered was not gold. The men were rude and disgusting and the only reason I was hired was so that I could be their exotic woman. I was treated like an object and harassed more times in a day than I had been in my entire life. I wanted to quit but I had nowhere to go. The tips were good and for the first time in forever, I had my head over the water so I stayed.

Everything was going perfectly until one night. It was Friday and it was obvious that something was happening. There was an obvious shift in the atmosphere and the usual bustling atmosphere had a tinge of tension to it. Even my co-worker, Bella noticed. Just before our shift started, we were called by the manager.

“I don’t usually do this but we have some important people coming in,” he explained and as I watched him, I saw something like fear in his eyes. “I don’t need to tell you who they are but when you see them, you will know.”

“Is that why the place feels like a graveyard?” Bella asked and he nodded.

“You will not speak to them unless spoken to and you will stay out of their way.”

“Are they royalty?” I couldn’t stop the question from tumbling out.

“Of a sort,” he hesitated before saying more. “Be on your best behavior girls. These men are powerful people. They own this place and by extension, they own you too.”

He didn’t say anything after that and I was left looking confused as hell. For the next thirty minutes, nothing happened, then I felt them. There were a lot of them, I couldn’t have counted if I wanted to but I assumed they were about thirty. They walked in together and I noticed they walked in a sort of formation around two men.

The first had brown hair and dark brown eyes. There was something about him that screamed mischief. He had a smirk on his face and I caught him winking at the other customers, I knew he was going to be trouble. For some reason, he didn’t grab my attention as much as the other guy. People would have noticed the scar on his face first, his impressive height or the tattoos that climbed up both arms but it was his eyes that drew me in. They were like shards of ice and when he caught me staring, I had to look away.

“They’re terrifying,” Bella whispered to me and I couldn’t help but agree.

Bella and I went to serve them drinks and I had to fight to keep my composure because the man with the blue eyes was staring at me. He didn’t take his eyes off me for a moment, not even when his friend leaned in to whisper something to him. I tried to pretend like I was unaffected but the truth was that his gaze was intense and it had me squirming where I stood.

When we got away from them, Bella grabbed my arm. “He likes you.”

I rolled my eyes. “He is intrigued by me, Bella, just like everyone else in here. I don’t look like the rest of you.”

“Maybe, but I know interest and he is interested.”

“Just like everyone else here. Everyone wants to bang us not because they want us but because it is convenient.” She frowned and I cleared my throat. “I will be right back, I just need to use the bathroom.”

I didn’t wait for her response before I made my way into the staff bathroom. I stayed in there for a few minutes trying to catch my breath when the door opened. I thought it was Bella so I ignored it but I got a whiff of the expensive cologne and I turned to see the man from the table. Up close, he was a lot taller than I had thought and I had to crane my neck to look up at him.

“This is the staff bathroom,” I told him but he made no move to leave. “I can show you the way to the guest-”

“What is your name?” His voice was like velvet and he spoke with the hint of an accent. “You were not here the last time I came around.”

“Isabella,” I said softly and he hummed as he closed the distance between us. I took a step back and my back hit the sink.

His eyes tracked my movements and the corner of his lips tilted up. “Do I scare you, Isabella?”

“No.” The lie came easily. I was terrified of him... but not for the reasons he thought.

He raised a tattooed arm and tucked a braid behind my ear. As he did so, he leaned down and his hot breath fanned my ear. “I think you’re lying.”

My breath hitched as he spoke and I fought the urge to arch into him. His hands were gripping the sink on either side of me and keeping me trapped between his body. I had been with my fair share of men but none had made me feel a fraction of what this stranger was feeling and I didn’t even know his name.

“What do you want?” I asked softly and I felt his smirk.

“You, I want you in my bed tonight.”

“I don’t even know your name.”

“Lorenzo,” he answered off-handedly. “What do you say?”

“I shouldn’t fraternize with customers.”

The words were barely out of my mouth when he leaned down to press an open-mouthed kiss to my collarbone. He licked and sucked on the spot until I moaned softly. “I won’t tell if you don’t,” he whispered.

I had never done anything like this in my life and for some reason, I was contemplating it. I wanted to refuse but his lips were assaulting my neck and I couldn’t think straight.

“Okay,” I said finally. “I get off at 1.”