How To Tame A Mafioso (PLAYBOOK #5)

CHAPTER 21: When crazy meets insanity!

HERA

It’s a bad skill to start late but I am highly trained in the skill of dancing from classical to ballet, another trade I owe to the Albino and the den.

This is why I f*****g hate it, dancing that is.

Just like in a cheesy romantic movie, the volume of the music increases the moment we grace centre stage as more people join us which eases the attention that seems to be on us.

If my life wasn’t a horror movie franchise, I’d actually buy into it all this because I like the medley the singer is belting out with all her might since it is James Arthur but Hera’s life is a horror flick.

This is why I need to put as much space between Ivan and I as humanly possible after this.

It is not right the way his calloused finger tips are scratching the satin fabric covering my lower back. Or the way he is gently holding my other hand as I try to keep the small space between us breathable.

It does not make sense the way he is gliding the dancefloor like he is Fred Astaire. Or the way he is keeping eyes on me like he does not want to look at anything else.

Enough of this fluffy bullshit.

“Ow.” Ivan bites when I purposefully (yes, I don’t hide it) sink my block heel into his large foot.

I hate dancing that much.

“I should have mentioned.” My upper lip turns up cruelly, “I am not a really good dancer but I understand if you want to stop.”

To my complete surprise, Ivan smiles back. Not his usual smirk or an upper lip curl. No, he lets the corner of his mouth turn up and makes the mole on his upper cheek move in result.

“You have two left fee huh? I can take it.” Ivan presses our bodies together but not in a pleasurable way—ouch. “But can you?”

His gentle touch turns tight as he holds my hand like he is holding something he wants to break. Even the fingers on my lower back sink through the material to claw at my skin.

“Ivan.” I wince against his neck because this actually hurts. “Ow,” I bite when he proceeds to drag me around like I am moving too slow for him.

“I should have mentioned,” Ivan sinks his fingers into my knuckles. “I no longer like taking things slow.” He taunts as he pushes me out only to pull me back in like I am a rag doll.

Even the live band picks its pace to keep up with his sudden moves.

“Fine.” I huff because sadly, I am no stranger to being man handled. “It takes two to tango, right?”

I knee the inside of his thigh and it does the job to loosen his grip on me which gives me relief. I was actually feeling a bit suffocated so the space and air does wonders even if it lasts a few seconds.

“Wow, was that the Adonis in you?” Ivan knows what just to say to push back without lifting a finger.

Unlike before the name is not a reason to fight but my own demise and hearing it come out of the one person who should not know that name splits me in half while Ivan squeezes us together again.

This time, he presses our chests close and moves his hand to the lowest point in my back where I feel his pinkie tease the knot there like he did earlier which is why I jump into him.

“It was the f*****g Greek in me you bastard.” I bite lobe of his ear but he doesn’t react so I claw, kick and bite all at once.

I do not even care the half of the crime industry is watching me admittedly assault their future king because I cannot take it.

“Kinky.” Ivan gives it back as he throws me around to show his superior strength. “I don’t mind it,” he holds my hand when I try to raise it in order to free it.

So I stomp on his foot again but this time, I hold it in his foot and sink till his jaw jerks again.

That’s right, I have a little crazy in me too.

“We both know I can do all this all night,” Ivan breathes into my skin.

“Ow.” I try to stifle the wince but Ivan actually stepped on my foot and even goes to the extent of sinking his sole like I did earlier.

If Ivan continues to press us together like this, then we will indeed be melted into one and not in a good way it probably looks to the audience.

“Jackass.” I blink away the tears influenced by the pain all over my body.

How long should a stupid dance take anyway?

“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” Ivan tugs a curly strand behind my ear to hold my chin and I see hint of gentleness before he says “especially when you are about to break.”

That does it.

That word ‘break’ twists the same thing the word ‘sold’ does. For someone who didn’t know a single English word before, I hate that certain words trigger me but I have the Albino to thank for that.

He calls my crazy the siren.

It is so subtle, even I don’t see it coming when it burst out of me but it has a few tells. So when I hear Bianca smack the living daylights out of Felix behind us, as she spits “I hate you” at his shoes it is like my own charge horn.

Tell number 1, the crazy laugh.

Even though there is nothing funny here, my mouth opens and a cackle so horrendous it chills me to the bone comes out of me as I face him.

Ivan Akarove Dominaka is not the man I have been looking for.

“Looks like the party is over.” I separate our bodies and go straight for the bar while still laughing but it is not for alcohol this time.

Tell number 2, cigarettes.

I don’t smoke them. No, I know how I am going to die and it has nothing to do with lung pollution.

I use the cigarettes as timer. I light it and hold it between my fingers. I use the time it takes to burn out as the time I have left to clear my head before my crazy fully takes over.

But I don’t get a chance to light anything because the moment the barman hands over a light and two buds, it is the same moment Yaya grabs me to lead me the exit where we stop by a valet booth.

Tell number 3, the silence.

This is the final stage, an indication I am too far gone.

Ever since I got snatched at 11, silence has been the main thing my body craved. To me, noise represented danger so my mind created its own silence as my crazy grew.

It liked peace before the chaos hence the saying, ‘the calm before the storm’ changed to ‘the look of Hera before the quake’ back at the den.

How do I know it’s happening now? Well, Yaya’s lips are moving and I am sure sounds are coming out but I don’t hear a single thing as I count the last seconds left in the bud on my hand.

Ivan Dominaka had my full attention now and this was not good for him or his little empire.

IVAN

I am fully convinced that Hera Kampouris is actually insane.

The balls on her must be the size of melons because she challenges, me—Ivan Akarove Dominaka—publically and f*****g hell she looks good doing it.

I thought my headache and air lock was due to the lack of drinking but I realize now it is because I missed Hera’s scent. The heavenly smell of the ocean and sunlight blended into one.

If she wasn’t assaulting me, I would have my nose buried deep into her neck by now because I am getting a b***r the size of Texas she is turning me on so much by scent along with touch.

Where did Yaya find this girl?

How can she endure so much when she looks so freaking fragile?

But she is not breakable, is she? Hera sinking the heel of her shoe into my foot proves she is stronger than what she leads on.

Even her dancing seems like it stems from training which doesn’t make sense because she is supposed to be a poor stray. I wonder what else she is hiding but I don’t get a chance before I hear a smack.

“I hate you,” the words come from behind us and have an accent.

It’s Bianca and Felix again—freaking hell raisers.

“Looks like the party is over.” Hera is laughing like a madwoman as she walks away proudly.

My eyes follow her because she looks freaking sexy in her dress but my attention is quickly taken away as Kudo joins my side.

“Did that really just happen?”

“I am not surprised, Felix and Bianca are like boiling pot. They were bound to explode eventually,” I just don’t understand why it had to be now.

I was finally having fun.

“I am talking about you and Hera,” Kudo is actually laughing. “It might have taken years but I think the almighty Ivan might have finally found his match.”

“What on earth are you talking about?” I raise my hand to request a drink because though it was disaster, the final dance meant my duties at this party are over.

“She is as crazy as you are insane,” Kudo holds my shoulder to whisper. “You better marry that girl before she realizes she is way too good for you.”

I turn back to find Kudo dead serious.

“I mean it Vi, as your oldest friend I am obliged to kick your ass if you fail at securing someone who will keep you entertained for the rest of our lives.”

“Our lives?” I take the drink the waiter offers.

“We are sadly a package deal, now what are you going to do?” Kudo shakes his head when the alcohol is extended to him.

I look at Yaya dragging Hera away like she is a naughty toddler, “absolutely nothing.”