Good Bad Blood

MILAN, ITALY. Celeste’s body shook violently as she drew in a sharp breath. A bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head to bring her back to consciousness. The thing that had been used to firmly bind her eyes was yanked off and as she took in her surroundings, goosebumps crawled up all over her skin. She didn’t need anyone telling her where she was, she knew exactly the moment her eyes were freed. She had been there, walked the floors like it was her second home and yet she knew she was there as no more than a prisoner as her eyes landed on her predator. Ten years was a long while and she didn’t think she would ever see him again. Matteo Cassano stood tall and imposing and right now, she couldn’t be anymore intimidated than she already was. But she wasn’t about to let this made man see that. “Sei fuori di testa, cazzo?” Are you out of your f*****g mind- Celeste said, her italian that hadn’t been spoken in so many years rolling down her tongue effortlessly. Her breathing was still ragged, she was still trying to make sense of anything that was happening. One minute she was headed to her wedding venue, the next she was back in Italy with a man she had once taught she loved, just because she had fallen for his whiskey coloured eyes. “Hai un bel coraggio” You have some nerve- Matteo hissed dropping into a chair to watch his newly acquired lap dog. Celeste tried to move but she winced, she had been beating sore from trying to escape the man who hoisted her here, one of Matteo’s henchmen surely. “I have some nerve? You speak as though you didn't just abduct me against my will.” Celeste spat out bitterly, not realizing that tears had started to streak down her face. Matteo let out a dark humorless laugh, and a look that Celeste couldn’t place flashed his eyes. “What, you found it that hard to get over me? You are still obsessed after all these years?” Celeste said, trying to get a rise out of him. “Non illuderti” Don’t kid yourself- Matteo finally said, he had had enough of the tantrums. “You speak like you know what has been going on with me for the past ten years, but i can tell that you are in oblivion. You know nothing.” Matteo said, his English as flawless as his Italian. He stalked towards her, like a lion about to pounce on his prey and in that moment, Celeste realized that her wedding gown wasnt even white anymore. She realized without a doubt that she had been dragged back into the world of if I dont like it, I’ll f*****g shoot it and she realized that she might certainly not see her loved ones ever again. As Matteo moved closer to her and bent to her pathetic position on the cold marble ground, she was tempted to scream but she found that no words escaped her lips. He kissed and sucked on her ear lobe as his fingers twirled around her red hair, something he always did that made her utterly wet, but right now she couldn't stomach the taught of his hands on her. “Stop it, you don’t own me.” She said, shying away from his possesive touch. He didnt argue, he stood up and what she saw on his face before suddenly flashed again. “Sbagliato, possiedo ogni fottuta parte di te” Wrong, i own every f*****g part of you- The words were like acid to Celeste’s body. And while it was something he had said to her before, then and now where quite different. Then, she was someone he wanted with everything he had. But right now, she could tell that that look in his eyes came from a place of untamed hatred. *** 10 years ago “Per favore, passami il sale” Please pass the salt- Celeste managed at this table that resonated with a coldness she had never felt before. She should have been mourning, bitter, sour of the fact that she had just lost her father, the consegliere to the Capo dei capi of Italy, but instead her mind dilly-dallied on the fact that she had been played. How dare Matteo cheat on her, how dare him make such a fool of her. So what if he was the son of the Capo dei capi? She couldn’t wrap her head around the reason why. At just fifteen years of age, Celeste was a rare beauty with mass of long wavy engine-red hair, dusts of freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks and piercing green eyes that intimidated all the italian girls. Her legs were slender and long, her curves were not too pronounced but anyone could tell that she would fill out nicely when she came of age. Her butten nose that was always scrunched up in defiance and her full lips that were always gathered in a pout when she didn't get what she wanted from her father. And that smile that was rumored to soften even the hardest of hearts, except the future Capo dei capi of Italy apparently. Matteo reached out to pass the salt, but was beat to it by his younger brother who obviously had a thing for Celeste. Celeste smiled graciously at Eduardo and pointedly avoided eye contact with Matteo even though she could feel his eyes burning through her soul. “Mia signora, hai appena toccato il cibo” My lady, you have barely touched your food- Salvatore Cassano spoke up, his deep baritone feeling the room. His comment was directed at Camilla Cuntreta- Caruana. A lady in her ripe age of thirty-one, this woman looked barely over twenty, so Salvatore Cassano’s advances towards her were not unexpected even though she found it untoward. Even when her husband was alive, the Capo dei capi tried very little in hiding his desire for her. Now her husband was dead, there was really nothing stopping him. “I’m not that hungry.” Camilla managed to say with a polite smile. She had lost her husband less than 48 hours ago so where would she find the strength to eat, all her mind could think of was the looming danger and what the future held in store for her and her two young daughters. She was the wife of a consegliere so when he died, many were sure to come after her and her children in this moment of weakness. But Salvatore Cassano had been gracious enough to invite them to stay at his impenetrable mansion until a permanent solution had been come up with. She could only dread the solution until it would present itself. “It seems everybody seems rather full so i suggest we all retire to bed early, tomorrow is a long day for all of us.” Salvatore suggested. Everyone quickly wrapped up dinner and retreated to their rooms as Salvatore’s suggestion came off as more like an order, not that that was what he intended.