Tangled With The Mafia King

Carrie.

I took a deep breath.

Then I told myself it would be easy to jump. But one more look at the height from my window to the cement ground below was enough to change my thoughts.

So, with a racing heart, I stuck with walking out of my room’s door and dodging my way past everyone in the hotel. That is a better option compared to jumping out a window.

The exit door of my huge and exquisite room soon came into view. But as I pressed the golden handle of the door, my younger sister, Bri, spoke from the other side.

“Carrie, are you done dressing? It is time for the final rehearsal.”

I ran back on tiptoes to my previous plan. I just have to do it. I have to escape another night of rehearsals and listening to my aunties bicker about how their neighbour’s kids are turning rogue. I need to escape for a while before I am sold into eternal slavery.

Slowly, I stretched a leg over the window sill and took another look at the death trap I was about to dare, the satchel around my neck dangling ahead.

I was about to exit my straddling position when I noticed a ladder to my right.

Hurriedly and gladly, I found my way to the iron saviour waiting to transport me to freedom.

Slowly, with intended caution, as I wouldn’t want to slip and have my guts all over the floor, I stepped down the ladder, the evening breeze blowing through my recently washed hair.

Though the lovely scent of my hair almost made me lose focus, I stayed calm. And, I resumed the descent.

In no time, my legs touched the bare ground of the very expensive hotel my father booked for ten whole days because his wild child was finally getting married… Getting married to a man he brought out of the blue for her.

Trust me, I don’t know how things became so terrible. But one true thing is that I cannot escape the alliance my father dragged me into. My fate has been sealed.

My life sure has its crazy issues. Hence this little getaway that made me consider jumping out of my window.

The evening breeze came again and snapped me out of my thoughts, reminding me that I had a great night ahead.

Without an exact sense of where I was going, I moved towards my left and walked down the road that was adorned by red brick walls and low-lighted street lamps. Solitude found its way to the atmosphere as well.

That silence made me realise something. And after a thorough search of my small bag, I discovered I did not take my phone. But I was with my eye drop and credit card. So, I was good to go for the night.

So, I walked further and further until I entered a part of Venice that greeted me with liveliness. People, in different groups, either sitting or standing, were chatting, laughing, and just going with the flow of the moment.

I was awed by the bright lights that illuminated the emotions of the night and, soon, I was drawn by a piece of distant music. The softness of its tunes put me in a certain type of mood…

As though I was a little piece of iron, the magnetic music drew me closer and I found myself moving deeper into the area until I was facing a bricked building that welcomed me with a staircase that ran all the way down.

I immediately walked down the stairs.

The place was filled with people who were paying rapt attention to the performer who was a neat-looking guy with short, spiked hair. His fingers trailed over his acoustic guitar to continuously produce melodious harmony while he sang a tune in Italian.

I had no idea I was standing still and watching him from a corner until he winked at him.

Soon, I found a seat and when I did, it occurred to me that everyone in the room had someone with them, someone they were chatting with dreamy looks in their eyes.

But I didn’t let that faze me. I quickly ordered a mug of beer and once that drink was in front of me, I faced the stage and told myself that the night had just started and that I needed to enjoy myself to the fullest.

***

Alessandro.

A glance at the lighted city beyond the clear glass to my right told me I had already stayed longer than I wanted to.

Well, I don’t mind. I love work. Amongst other things.

But sometimes, I like to take a short break, go out to my favourite bar then retire to my hotel room. And sometimes, within those simple activities, I torture, sometimes kill, and re-establish my stance as one of the men who should be feared.

I was shutting down my laptop when my door creaked open. My friend, Eduardo, walked in with a wide smile on his lips.

“Do you ever take a break from this office work?” he asked, his pocketed right hand crawling out of the confinement of his suit trousers.

“I am pretty sure I saw you leave earlier.”

“I came back for this.” The bottle of wine in his left hand was raised before he walked further into the large room and sat opposite me. “Tell me, Alessandro, do you ever think of taking a break from all office drama?”

“Why is there an unasked question beneath your question?” I peered into his bluish eyes and a chuckle escaped his lips.

“Nothing gets past you.”

“I took a break from the gang for reasons best known to me.”

A raise of his thick brows led to him adjusting his position on the leather chair. A squeaky noise was produced from his action and he said, “All I know is that you are not having fun. You are not cut out for office work.”

My eyes narrowed instantly and I asked, “I am cut out for killing people?”

“Yes, it suits you more. But … Wait a minute…” Eduardo’s voice thickened and I was able to hear his Italian accent. “... do you want to retire early?” Eduardo completed his question, shock on his face which was quite baby-ish to be a face in the Calcio Della Pistola gang.

A scoff escaped me and I sat back into my comfortable chair. “What makes you think so?”

“You have not stepped into the CDP lair in a month. Your grandfather is starting to ask questions.”

“My grandfather asks unnecessary questions. Next time he asks about me, tell him I will be back in two weeks.”

“But will you be back?” Eduardo was unusually persistent, I had to raise a brow in suspicion.

“Hmm…” With no further desire to speak about the gang, I got up and reached for my brown coat, readying myself to leave.

“When was the last time you got laid?” Eduardo swiftly changed the topic.

“Excuse you?”

He tucked his hands underneath his chin. “I strongly recommend that for a good night’s rest.”

I frowned at him. “Grazie, but I don’t need sex for a good night’s rest.”

“Do you think I am joking? So,” intent and mischief clouded his eyes, “Alessandro, when did you last have sex?”

As I slipped on my coat, I watched him with wide eyes. “I don’t think you need that information.”

“But you do need my advice.”

“You make me sound pathetic,” I replied to him while I wondered why I was still entertaining his questions.

“Because you are. I am serious Alessandro, you need to loosen up.”

Again, I detected an unsaid statement in his voice. “I don’t need to loosen up.”

“Yeah, right.” Eduardo scrunched his nose in reaction.

“Mr. Crest, don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”

“I just don’t want to see you die alone.”

“Are you going to excuse your boss or should I show you how to?” My question was accompanied by a glare- the very one I give my targets before they lose their souls in my hands.

“Sure, sure. I will leave. I don’t even know why I bother. Have a great time having no fun.” He grabbed his wine and walked out after giving me a little sneer.

I knew he was being a concerned friend but of all things on my mind, women or a relationship wasn’t part of it.

And... Talking about things on my mind, I could already see Mike at Fiore Di Venezia bar, serenading the room. So, without wasting time, I walked out of my office.

~~~~~

In all honesty, my attachment to the bar is strange, but there is a history behind it. Of course, there are better places around, but for some reason, I visit the bar more than I visit home.

As usual, Mike was singing. He threw me a smirk when our eyes met. Not a lot of people live to see the next day if they do as much as breathe beside me. I guess Mike, the singer has a soft spot in my bitter-sweet life.

The bar was full as usual and couples were sharing drinks while laughing or whispering as though passing sacred words between each other.

But one thing was different. Unlike other days, there was one person seated at the bar without a partner. On a normal day, that person is me.

A little curious, I approached the bar. As I took a seat and turned in her direction, I frowned in amusement.

“Is there a reason you are staring at me?” She wished to sound harsh, but there was an implanted softness in it that made it seem like she was telling a joke.

“Well, it is not every day I see a woman using eye drops in a bar.”

She closed her eyes to reveal her long lashes that rested so well on her skin.

“I certainly can’t risk getting drunk with bad eyesight, can I?”

“I suppose you can’t.”

Her eyes snapped open and darted my way, giving me the chance to see the most alluring eyes I have seen in a while. While they were predominantly green, they had shades of blue and grey. Those eyes made her look somewhat surreal yet beautiful.

“Are you going to stare at me all night?”

My brows went up. What was I doing acting as if I have never seen a beautiful woman before? “Uh...”

An amused look triumphed over the woman’s face. And the way her long black hair bounced when she fully turned to face me did not escape me. That large mass of shiny hair instantly had me imagining pulling her hair in the most sensual way.

Her left arm resting on the bar surface, she asked, “Do you want to sleep with me or something?”

“Of course not.”

“Why? Don’t you find me attractive?”

Another quick look at her hair and heart-shaped, full lips reminded me why I thought she was beautiful. “Of course, I find you attractive.”

“So, if you had the chance, you would have sex with me.”

I shrugged as I wondered where she was going with her words. “If I had the chance.”

She smiled. Before I knew it, she had transported herself to the seat dividing us. “What if you had the chance at this very moment?” she asked, her dreamy eyes peering into mine.

After a thick breath escaped my lips, I asked, “What do you mean?”

She moved even closer, giving my sense of smell something nice to feast on.

“I want you to kiss me.”

“Excuse me?”

Her lips wore a smile and my brain quickly captured how unique her smile was.

With a teasing look in those eyes I couldn’t stop gazing into, the woman inched her lips closer and drowned the music as she said, “Try me, gorgeous. Try me and kiss me. Kiss me hard.”

Carrie.

If this strange, good-looking man was taken aback in the slightest way, he didn’t show. His storm-coloured eyes were as calm as possible and his voice failed to show high surprise at my strange request.

I was expecting a little more reaction when I offered him to kiss me, but I am not backing down just yet. I can be weirdly persuasive when I want to be. And since I am letting loose tonight, things must work my way.

So, with a gentle wiggle of my exposed shoulders, I leaned just a little closer and made my breath graze his lips as I asked, “Well? What do you say?”

“Well?” His well-shaped thick brows quirked in question.

I moved even closer. His eyes shifted. He must have wondered why I was doing what I was doing. Funny story... I don’t know either. “Are you going to kiss me or not? Or don’t you find me attractive anymore?”

Our eyes met again and he huskily asked, “Are you drunk already? I see you have had a couple of mugs.”

I sighed.

This man is no fun. I was expecting a little action from him but it seems he can’t match my speed. So, I faced the front and grudgingly replied to his question with, “Maybe I am a little drunk. And, maybe I am about to do something stupid.”

After another audible sigh, I got up and made to go back to the seat I was in before but a firm grip on my right wrist held my back. Surprised, I slowly turned to face him, a little frown on my face.

The gorgeous, dark-haired man said nothing but he held my gaze in a way that made me thankful for using my eye drops. I could see every detail of his fineness and while I was interested in studying those details, I won’t deny that this stranger is one of those men mothers warn their daughters about. You know, those men that shift your pants just by their looks.

And, as though the man read my mind, his stare intensified and his line of sight slipped to my lips, then to the little swell on my chest.

Yes, I am proudly a small-breasted woman.

But the silence between us was getting weird. So I broke it. “Uh… You are still holding me.”

“You asked me if I find you attractive.” His heavy accent dropped and he refused to let go of me. At this point, with the insane proximity between us, I could already tell that something would happen.

I tilted my head a bit. “Yes?”

With a little tug on his lip, he said, “You have the kind of eyes I want to drown in.” My full attention was caught. “And these lips... These darn beautiful labbra… If someone were to ask my name at this moment, I am pretty sure I wouldn’t remember it because your lips are all I think of now.”

Wow. Oh wow.

While his words are a better fabrication of the many pick-up lines I have heard in the past, there was something about the way he spoke. His sentences flowed out easily but they were filled with some touch of emotion. And I could not help but drown in his words as he spoke to me.

And I think I am still drowning in them because now I can’t take my eyes off him. His words brought some sort of tranquillity to my soul and I forgot about the damned fate I was bound to face in two or three days.

“So, uh…” I cleared my throat and pushed the stool beneath me away so that I could stand closer to him. “You must use that line quite often. It sounded natural.”

“Signorina…” There was this gentle thing his eyes did whenever he talked. He did it again and I felt something change in my soul. “I have better things to do than keeping pick-up lines in my head.”

“Oh.” I chuckled. “God, you are good! My heart was almost racing for a moment.”

Somebody, please help me! I am almost glueing my chest to this man. I intended to play a quick game of seduction with him, but now that the tables have been turned. I am more attracted to him and I can’t get out of it.

“That’s funny. Because my friend told me this evening that I might have turned into a virgin already.”

I laughed even louder. “You are really good.”

Oh my God, that wasn’t funny. But yet I am laughing as though he told the joke of the century.

The man’s hold on my wrist, which I had forgotten about for a moment, loosened. And before I could utter a single word, his other hand found my waist and he drew me closer to his chest, enclosing my lower body between the thickness of his thighs.

“Wh...what are you doing now?”

“I am thinking of kissing you,” he replied, his voice huskier in a sexy way.

And, to worsen the situation, the live song playing changed to a very romantic tune. It sounded like the kind of melody that sets the mood before couples get down to business.

And truth be told, I am already imagining being naked with this strange man.

In fact, if it were in the past, I would have already given him a chance to kiss me. But, as much as I loved to entertain that thought, the fact that I am engaged to be married soon seeped into my mind and I forced myself to put a pause to the intensity between us.

I could tell that I would want more than a kiss once I act on my needs.

So, with a gentle pat on his shoulders which felt nice to touch beneath his coat, I withdrew my steps and said, “I should err... Go back to my seat.”

He released me without hassle. But he asked with a smirk, “Why? Don’t you find me attractive?”

I chuckled. “I do. You are a very attractive man.”

“So, we are both attractive. And luckily, some kind of attraction is going on between us.”

“So?”

He gave a little laugh in response and my ears went through a little orgasmic moment. And with the way he slightly threw his head back as he laughed…

Oh Lord, have mercy.

“I can see you are making the game a bit harder,” he commented.

Step by step, I walked back to my seat. When I had sat down I faced him. “Well?”

“Let me pour you another drink.”

He got up, walked past me, and soon he was behind the bar.

“Should you be doing that?” I asked as he got rid of the mug in front of me.

“Don’t ask so many questions.”

“I asked just one.” He looked up at me and I gave him a silly smile. But I had to wonder if he was a staff there because the lady from earlier just glanced our way and she did not wear anger as my Dad would if someone did as much as touch his laptop.

But then, the man in front of me was dressed too well to be a bartender. His suited appearance bore a resemblance to a rich man. And I would dare say he might be a stinkingly rich man because the Prada suit he was putting on is one that I know to be extremely expensive.

“So, do I get to know your name?” The thick accent in his voice reached my ears again.

“No.” He directed a filled mug of beer in my direction. “I don’t think so.”

“It is probably for the best.”

“Yes.” I took a large gulp of my drink and used that opportunity to stop staring at the man.

But when I set my mug down, I noticed that he was still watching me. With an indecipherable look in his eyes, he watched me while I picked up my mug again.

“So, signorina, do you think you and I would have sex tonight?”

The drink in my mouth spat out onto the counter. I don’t know why I am so shocked. Sleeping with him is all I have been picturing since I realised how crazily good-looking he was.

But there’s something about the way he abruptly dropped that question…

It makes me want to… Uh… Give in.

Okay… I know I was going to be a good person and respect my approaching wedding ceremony, but I think I am going to fuck that thought.

This time next week, I will be married to a nerd I know nothing about. I deserve to gift myself an unforgettable memory, don’t I?

One fun night with an unknown, gorgeous, and attractive man can certainly not hurt.

Oh… God help my soul so I don’t get kidnapped. Because I could get kidnapped!

But then, if that happens, I would not have to get married. And if this gorgeous man who might be a cold-blooded kidnapper doesn’t kill me, my father would gladly call off the bloody marriage arrangement.

And voila! No grand, stupid wedding. And, no marriage to a man I hardly know.

Oh my… I am certainly tempted. I am very, very tempted.

Should I ask this man to kidnap me?

A light touch settled on my chin and I was instantly brought out of my thoughts.

I had made a mess on my lips when I spat my drink out and the man, with seriousness, was getting rid of the wet trail my outburst caused.

As the silence grew between us, I became more aware of his touch.

His strokes felt good in the best way possible.

“You haven’t answered my question, amore.”

“Well...” His eyes met mine and I decided that I would just stick with sleeping with him. Asking him to kidnap me might be a little extreme. “I-I guess it could happen.”

“No. You know it will happen,” he whispered.

He stopped the cleaning but still held my gaze. Then, a strand of his sleek-looking dark hair fell to the front of his head as he leaned in further in my direction. He held my chin gently and smiled.

“I am glad you feel the same way,” he said.

“I didn’t even say anything.” I wasn’t so sure, but I think I was leaning in too.

“Your beautiful eyes told me everything.”

“I see...”

Despite the barrier between us, we managed to close the distance and as we did before, we teased each other with intense looks and hot breaths.

“Yes. And now… I get to do this.”

Without hesitation, he fulfilled my earlier request, and once our lips met my entire being felt like it had been subjected to a huge change.

Mushy things started to happen to my insides and I gave in to his kiss.

His kiss was different. It was like none I have had in the past. It wasn’t rough or sloppy. It wasn’t too gentle. It was crazily just right.

It was so good. He was so good. He smelt and felt so good. I wanted more.

So, I broke the kiss.

With my eyes telling him things I could not bring myself to say, I asked, “Your place or mine?”

“Uh...”

“Your place then. My father will kill me if we go to my place.”

~

Translation Signorina - Miss Amore- Love Labbra- Lips