Mafia Born

Chapter Sixteen: Remember the Past

**Veronica's POV**

I could see the lust and desire in Teo's eyes. I believe I've awaken a beast and I was going to try and tame it. I lean back down starting to kiss up and down his neck feeling him shiver under my touch. I love how he reacted to me. It gives me confidence and even the courage to try to be dominant.

I slid my hands under his shirt and trace the outline of his muscles slowly. I give the shirt a tug before Teo reaches over and removes his shirt for me. I just stare down at him and take in the Italian God before me. The light from the TV gave me the opportunity to look at his tattoos a little. He had black and gray flames on his chest the spread all the way up to his neck where a bright red lotus flower seemed to be the source of the fire. I was mesmerized to say the least. I traced some of the flames with my finger before looking back at Teo. Teo had his eyes closed and seemed to be enjoying this intimate moment.

I felt his hands grip my hips tightly as I returned to teasing his neck up and down. He took one hand and forced me to look at him. He pulled me down crashing my lips on his feeling his tongue depend access into my mouth. I wanted to remain in charge but Teo eventually won and our kiss intensified.

In one swift movement, Teo had flipped us over and now he was on top of me never breaking our kiss. He took his time and removed his lips from mine to trail kisses down my neck nibbling as he went. I accidently let a soft moan out and Teo smirked. He pinned my hands over my head and forced me to stay still.

"One thing you must know about me, mio petardo...." Teo begins to whisper in my ear. "I will always be in control in the end." I felt my core erupt with desire that I didn't know I was still holding in. Teo was about to take my shirt off until all the light in the room shut off leaving us in complete darkness.

"Cazzo!" I hear Teo yell while still on top of me. He places a tender kiss on my forehead before I feel him get off the pullout bed.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to check to see what happened to the power. Just stay here. I'll be right back. There may be candles and matches somewhere in here. Isabella always has stuff like that stored away." Teo said before I hear him open and shut the door on his way out.

How the hell am I supposed to find a candle if I can't see? I thought to myself. I try to adjust my eyes to the dark but I noticed a small amount of light trickle in through the window. I opened the blinds and saw the moon was out. The moonlight helped me navigate through the room. I start searching for matches or candles in some of the drawers. I finally found one and set it on an end table and light the candle. The candle didn't really offer a good amount of light in the room but it was better than nothing.

I waited for a few minutes which seemed longer before I got curious and decided to see if I could find where Teo went. I pick up the candle and head out the room.

"Teo?" I whispered into the dark hallway.

I waited a moment and listened to see if I heard anything. I heard fumbling and what sounded like a struggle coming from down the hall towards the formal sitting area. Next thing I heard was a loud crash of something breaking.

I checked my pockets for anything I could possibly use as a weapon because the commotion didn't seem to be ending anytime soon. Of course I had nothing, not even my phone. I'm screwed I thought to myself. I hear another loud bang followed by voices.

"Where is she?!" I heard an unfamiliar voice yell.

"You better just kill me and get it over with. I'm never gonna tell you anything." I hear the other voice say. It sounds like Teo but I wasn't too sure. My heart was racing and my mind was constantly playing different scenarios in my head about what could be happening in the room.

I hear more struggling and a sound of someone getting punched over and over again. Grunting and voices were heard as I made my way to the doorway of the room. I kept my back against the wall and peaked my head over the door frame to get a better look at what was happening.

I saw two dark figures fighting each other aggressively. I recognized the taller of the figures as Teo only because the moonlight was shining bright through multiple windows in the area. I watched as Teo punched and kicked the other figure over and over again showing no mercy. The figure seemed to stop moving after the last punch and was sprawled out on the ground.

"You can come out now, mio petardo." Teo says sounding out of breath.

"A-are you okay? Who is that? What's going on?" I had so many questions and I didn't want to wait for answers.

"Slow down, Ronnie. Just come here so I can see you."

I walked around the corner and slowly approached Teo. Even though it was still dark, I could see he had a busted lip and bruises starting to form on his torso. I wish the power wasn't out so I could see exactly how much he's hurt. I had this strange feeling of wanting to care for him and make sure he's okay.

As fast as the power was cut, it returned. I was now standing face to face with Teo and I could see better with the lights working again. Teo not only had a busted lip, but he had a long cut on his face as well as all the bruises starting to form. He had bruises on his chest, down his side, on his arms, and another cut right above his ribs.

"Oh my god! Teo! What happened to you? Sit down. I'll run and get the first aid kit from the bathroom." Before Teo had a chance to respond, I ran out the room to the bathroom, grabbed the kit, and quickly returned to see Teo gracefully sitting in one of the chairs in the room.

"Where did the other guy go?" I asked as I knelt down in front of Teo. I wasn't gone that long but apparently I was gone long enough for him to move the person out of the room.

"I had Marco come and get him."

"Of course Marco shows up as soon as the fighting is over with. He seems like the type to let everyone else do the hard work and he just takes the credit."

Teo chuckles. "You right about that."

"This might sting a little." I tell Teo as I pour some antiseptic on a few cotton balls to clean his cuts.

"Ow! Easy, Ronnie! You don't have to use so much!" Teo said through gritted teeth.

"Stop your whining. I'm trying to help you." I do my best to keep my concentration on Teo's wounds and not how attractive he looks being roughed up a little bit. He still had some sweat dripping down his head and down his neck. If he wasn't injured, I probably would have jumped him right then and there. But I held in my composure and continued to clean and dress his wounds.

Teo rolled his eyes. "I'm not whining. It stung!"

"How old are you?"

"Huh?"

"How old are you, Teo?"

"Um, older than you.." Teo said with a puzzled look on his face.

"Well if you're older, you should act like it. You work for the mafia for god's sake."

Teo chuckles some more. "I'm sorry love. I'm just not used to having someone take care of me."

I smile softly up at Teo looking him into his beautiful bright eyes and I can see he's looking right back at me. I could tell we were having a moment but wait... Did he just call me love? What does that mean? Does Teo like me? Does he love me? Is he messing with me? What is going on? Thousands of questions begin to pop up in my head but they were interrupted when I heard someone enter the room.

"He's taken care of, Teo. Won't be seeing daylight anytime soon." Marco said with an evil grin.

"What did you do to him?" I asked well finishing cleaning the last cut on Teo's chest.

"Trust me, little one. You don't want to know."

"Were there any others?" Teo asked.

"Not that I could see. Looked like he snuck in during the storm and cut the power. I was able to fix it thank god. Emilio and Bella weren't even in the house. I think they stayed in the guest house."

"Guest house?" I say with a confused face.

"Yeah. Emilio and Isabella tend to stay in the guest house when they want to be romantic. It's a weird thing they do. I don't know how to explain. I think Isabella once called it a staycation? Something odd like that." Teo responds.

"Oh! That's cute. I can totally relate to that." Both Marco and Teo look at me with an odd face. "Like you want to go on vacation but don't want to go anywhere or don't have the money you just set up something nice for yourself and stay home. I used to do that all the time back in America."

"That's just called being lazy, mio petardo."

"No!" I shout back at Teo. "Being lazy and enjoying a staycation is very different. I guess only intellectual people like myself can truly understand."

"Whatever. Let's get you into bed. I have to call boss man and inform him of the situation." Marco said before he reached down and threw me over his shoulder. I kicked and punched trying to get down but Marco just smacked my ass and held me tighter. I picked my head up to see Teo filled with rage. I wonder what got him so upset.

Instead of taking me to the guest room I normally shared with Teo, Marco decided to take me the room he was staying in for the time being. This room was a little bit smaller than the other guest room but still had bright beachy colors throughout. Unfortunately, there was only one bed in this room. I hope Marco doesn't think we are going to share a bed tonight. Yes, I may have had a weak moment which led to a very heated make-out session with him but that was just because it happened in the moment.

"Don't worry, little one. I'm not going to make you share a bed with me. Not tonight anyway." He said with a wink. "Teo and I will be right outside the whole night keeping watch."

"Why do you have to keep watch? Was that guy looking for me?" I asked scared to know the answer.

"I believe he was. You have to understand Veronica, your father is a very powerful man which means he has very powerful enemies that will stop at nothing to take him down. Now that you're here, you're a weakness. You're a bargaining chip and his enemies want that kind of control. Harming you or even kidnapping you would have Don Lorenzo on his knees. But, don't worry little one. Teo and I will never let that happen."

Marco gently lays me on the bed, tucks the covers around me, kisses my forehead, and leaves the room.

Would someone really take me to have control over Lorenzo? Am I really that important to him? I haven't even been introduced to the whole family and people are already trying to kidnap me. What the f**k did I get myself into? I mean I do have enough money to just buy a plane ticket and leave. I could hide away in a remote island for a few years or even forever with that amount of money I have now in my bank account. But I don't think my mother would like to hear I'm running from my problems again.

In college, I did happen to be in a relationship but haven't been in one since. His name was Blake and he was your typical American mama's boy who spends daddy's money. Blake had sandy blonde hair, bright emerald eyes, no tattoos, and dressed like he had just walked out of a yacht party. I wasn't looking for a boyfriend or any friends really. I just wanted to get my class work done and I preferred to keep to myself. I was always in the library or the campus garden reading and doing assignments. Blake tried to talk to me for months before I finally gave him a chance. At first, everything was perfect. He was sweet, caring, romantic, bought me nice gifts, and took me out on some pretty nice dates. But as time went on in our relationship, he started to change. He became possessive and verbally abusive. Blake would complain that I was boring and never wanted to do anything. He dragged me to parties and would get extremely upset if I was alone talking to any other guys. The last straw was when we got home from one of his friends' parties and I was talking to one of his friends most of the night. The only reason I did was because I had no idea where Blake was during the party. He disappeared as soon as we got there. His guy friend was named Thomas but everyone called him Tom-Tom because he was so good at directions. Weird group of people I know. However, Tom-Tom was gay and only told me since we got close when I was with Blake. The moment we got back to Blake's place, he went off.

**Entering Flashback**

"What the f**k, Veronica? I leave you alone for like 5 minutes and you're all over Tom! Do you know what the guys are saying to me?"

"I told you a million times that I don't see Tom like that. He's one of the only friends I have in your group. He would never try something with me." I pleaded with tears in my eyes.

"You say that every-f*****g-time! I know you're sleeping with him!" Blake yells.

"I would never cheat on you Blake! I'm not that kind of girl and you know that!" Tears were streaming down my face at this point.

Without warning, Blake smacked me across the face hard knocking me down to the ground.

"Don't ever talk back to me. I should have left you where I found you. I thought you would be an easy lay but now I can see you're nothing but problems." He said while leaning over me.

"Then just break up with me if you're so unhappy..." I replied in a whisper tone.

I guess Blake didn't like that solution because he decided to kick me harshly in the stomach bringing more tears down my face. Blake bent down more and pulled my hair so I was now facing him.

"You're mine, Veronica. You're not leaving until I tell you that you can leave. Understand?"

I didn't answer. Blake pulled my hair even harder.

"I said, do you understand?!"

I whimpered slightly before nodding my head yes at his question. He threw my body back on the ground and left the apartment. I knew in that moment I needed to get out of there and fast. I quickly wiped my face, packed my clothes, and left. I couldn't go to Tom's because that would have been the first place he would look. I decided to just go home. I never told Blake where I lived exactly. He knew what town I came from but I never introduced him to my mom which I will forever be grateful for.

As soon as I pulled into our driveway, my mom was standing on the porch waiting for me. I called her before I left asking if I could come home. I didn't tell her what happened because I knew she would worry and try to take matters into her own hands.

"Oh Ronnie! What happened to you?? You have a huge bruise on your face. Come here." My mom wrapped into one of her famous hugs and the waterworks just started to flow. I couldn't stop them. "Please Ronnie. Tell me what happened."

"Can I just go to bed first, mom? I'm really tired from the drive and crying all night." I said while rubbing my eyes.

"Of course. Let's get you settled inside."

The next morning, I told my mom everything. I told her how Tom had confided in me about his secret and how Blake became physical towards me. My mom was livid.

"If I was younger I'd show that piece of s**t a thing or two about hitting women. But I'm not as young as I used to be." My mom admits as she moves a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "You know what you have to do, don't you Ronnie?"

"No... what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, you have a couple options. One choice you could make is talk to the police. File charges against Blake and hope the justice system prevails. Or..."

"Or??"

"Or you go back and kick his ass." My mom smiles over at me. "You've trained for this. He just got you by surprise. Take another night here to relax and catch up on some sleep. But you show that douchebag you don't mess with this family."

"Thanks mom. I really needed that." I hug her tight.

"Running is never an option Ronnie. You're a smart young lady. Any problem has a solution. Don't run. Promise me?"

"I promise mom. I won't run. Well, I'll try not to." We both laugh as she hugs me tighter.

Once I got back on campus and back into my dorm apartment, it didn't take long for Blake to make his presence known. I forgot he had a spare key to my place and he quickly entered.

"Veronica? Baby? Are you here?" I heard Blake shout from the living area.

I walked out to see he was looking around frantic until his eyes landed on mine.

"Baby, where have you been? I've been trying to get in touch with you for days. You didn't call. You didn't text. I wanted to apologize for hitting you, baby. You know that's not who I am. I love you. I would never hurt you."

Blake attempted to reach out and embrace me but I dodged his advance and remained firmly planted near the other side of the room.

"Baby? You believe me right?" Blake grabs my shoulder and shakes me in order to get a response to anything he's said.

I shove his arms off me before I finally decided to say something.

"Don't ever touch me again. We are done, Blake. You and me are through. Get out of my apartment now!"

Blake's face went from looking shocked to confused to being angry in a matter of moments. I think of my mom and how she told me to stand up for myself. She told me not to run and to solve my problems head on. Blake is a problem and I'm going to solve this problem if it's the last thing I do.

"Veronica! What's wrong with you? I'm here, trying to apologize and be the bigger person, and you still want to fight. I said I was sorry, alright? What more do you want from me? You were the one acting like a slut."

I don't know what came over me but I quickly slapped Blake across the face. For a moment, I felt a slight grin grow on my face and I couldn't help but enjoy the slight pain I caused Blake.

Blake was not amused in the slightest and closed the space between us jumping on top of me knocking us both to the ground. Blake was on top of me and held my arms down. I tried kicking and wiggling under him to get free but he wasn't going anywhere.

"You stupid b***h. Quit fighting me!"

I used all my might to swing one of my legs up and around his body to flip us over so now I was on top. I didn't wait to hear Blake say anything and I just started punching him. Over and over again. I kept punching him. Blood starting to drip down his nose and his lip but I didn't stop. I saw red and kept hitting him. I finally stopped when he stopped moving. I knew he wasn't dead because I could still hear him breathing but the blood was all over the walls and the floor. I went back into my room, packed my things in a couple suitcases I still had, and left.

I know it was my apartment but I didn't want to stay on campus anymore. I talked to my mom before and we both agreed online classes would be a better option until Blake was no longer around.

I took one last look over the living room where Blake was passed out and left. The next few days, I had different people from his friend's group calling me. Apparently, after our fight, Blake dropped out of college without a word and disappeared. I wasn't too surprised. I guess he didn't want people to see how I handled his outburst but I ignored their calls. It wasn't until Tom messaged me did I actually answer.

Tom: What the f**k happened Ronnie? Where have you been? Blake's gone and now I can't even get a hold of you.

Me: He hit me, Tom. You know how I feel about that s**t. I can only handle so much.

Tom: He hit you?! Where are you? Can I see you???

Me: I'm home for the semester but I'll visit campus soon....

**End of Flashback**

Unfortunately, I never went back to campus and I never saw Tom again. We tried talking on the phone or Facetiming when we had a moment but both of our lives got busier and the communication eventually died out. I'm not mad. I know Tom's living his best life and I know he would want the same for me. I do wish Tom was still around because I could use a pep talk from him about my love triangle situation. Tom would probably be Team Marco because he was always attracted to blondes. Especially blondes with bad attitudes and Marco definitely has a bad attitude. However, the more I think about the qualities in both these strong Italian mafia men, Teo seems more my type and I think Tom would agree.

Surprisingly, I was able to fall asleep quickly even with all the action occurring in the living room. The bed Marco laid me in was big and comfy with many pillows just how I liked it. It did feel a little weird not having Teo's muscular arms wrapped around me holding my body close to his but I managed. More leg room so I was thankful for that but was still weird. It wasn't until I finally closed my eyes did I realize how much I missed, no... , how much I craved Teo.