Her Mafia Husband's Mistress

Chapter Ten

I stood behind Pedrov waiting for his next action, while I watched Caralina who was a hiccuping mess, her palms pressed against each other pleading for mercy.

Her eyes darted behind Pedrov and her green eyes widened in apprehension; as if she had just discovered a secret.

"Adalina, what are you doing here" Pedrov muttered without looking back.

"What are YOU doing here", I kicked the ajar door close with my left heel.

Seeing that I had no idea about Pedrov's action, Caralina shoveled on her feet before trying to move in my direction.

Pedrov repositioned his pistol and she stopped on her track.

" You can leave now brother",

Pedrov would have killed Caralina without batting an eye if he wanted to, but he hadn't even taken off the safety. He was giving me a chance to make my choice; if I had not come, he would have killed her, but Caralina did not have to know and he did not even know what I had just found out.

"You should be at the party, Adalina_ " his soft Russian accentuated voice whispered

_ You need not see this", Pedrov's soft voice always found ways of wrapping me up in its comfort, its warmth.

It's a form of reassurance that I had a person of my own, that I was not alone; it reminded me of home.

But, his 6ft2' height, wide shoulders, slender hips, large muscled arms, and powerful legs are a reminder of the intense training we had gone through. He was a force to be reckoned with.

Godfather could have chosen someone else, but he chose Pedrov; my person. It was intentional.

"You work for me Pedrov", there was an edge to my voice.

He should have told me, we were together; physically and in everything. I should have known, at least why he had been placed beside me. It was never about protecting me, it was about carrying out Godfather's decision that I was too sentimental to carry out.

"No, you work for Godfather", I corrected, he turned to me his eyes hooded, and a flash of apology flashed in his eyes.

My brother was telling me he was sorry for leaving me out of it, but he wasn't sorry for taking the job; it was a necessity.

" No, I work for the family", he put the gun back into its holster by his waist.

"Leave", I commanded, my voice void of any emotion and he was gone as if he was never there in the first place.

Caralina heaved a sigh of relief before her cautious eyes glanced my way.

" Are you also here to finish me off", Caralina's voice trembled, but she raised her chin.

Even with all the streaked black liner and washed powder, she looked beautiful.

"Finally grew a nerve", she taunted.

I was numbed beyond being goaded, I was as empty as I could be.

I walked leisurely towards her and she almost took a step back in fear before straightening her back.

" Marcello would kill you if you hurt me", She warned

There was only one way to find out, but as I stared at her tummy, something in me said I lacked the courage to take that step.

It was never about lacking courage, it was about not being heartless enough.

As I stood before her, I saw it all. The reason he chose her was to make up for my shortcomings. My eyes trailed from her protruding stomach that she cradled in her sinewy flawless arms to her slender shoulder and swan-like neck. Her sharp jaw was softened by her pouty pink lips, and her eyes, those green eyes could be anybody's undoing. Her blonde hair like sunshine pushed to the back of her head into a bun highlighted all her gorgeous features.

All this form contrasted with everything that made up my being. My hands were callous from numerous vigorous training, my body was never soft, I had lost all fat and what was left was muscles; everything all firmness. My grey eyes were like looking into the glass, and we could see that at any time.

No wonder even Marcello could not resist.

A laugh left my lips as I shook my head. I was a fool, what was I trying for? I had lost the game before it even started.

"What", her soft voice snapped me out of my reverie.

"_you now know why I'm better than you", she taunted, but if she thought her words were getting to me, she could not be more wrong.

Seeing someone better looking than me has never made me insecure and it won't make me now.

None of them, both Marcello and Caralina had any weight whatsoever to make me insecure.

My hand trailed along her white slender neck like a lover and her breath hitched.

I had something she could never have. Power, pride, self-esteem, and bravery.

My eyes may be soulless, but they contained the power of compulsion, the power to instill fear in even grownup men.

These same eyes had seduced countless men into submission, including Marcello.

My hand came to pull her hair out of its bun and I watched as it curtailed her face like a halo, before palming her face.

My eyes looked into the window of her soul, letting her catch a glimpse of what was left of my emotions. All numbness and grimness.

Caralina swallowed heavily

" You never saw Pedrov", I muttered.

"I'll kill you Caralina", my palm glided down to her neck; slender and soft. Caralina's green eyes glistened in tears before a tear ran down her cheek adding to previous dried-up streaks. One of my fingers caught the tear before it dropped to her chest.

" No, not now", I glanced down at her stomach before my hand automatically tightened and her manicured hand raised to hold mine.

It would be so easy to just tighten my hand and watch the life drain out of her, I had done it before, so why was it different now?

Caralina trembled like a leaf in the storm.

I heard footsteps as they hurriedly approached us. My hand dropped and Caralina stumbled back a step.

My index finger found my lips and I gestured to her to keep her mouth shut, but knowing Caralina, she was only afraid at the moment, once the reason for the fear was gone, she would blab.

Marcello rushed into the room and pushed past me before grabbing Caralina's shoulders "Are you alright", Her shoulders trembled and she collapsed into his arms a crying mess.

I saw his eyes, the fear in his eyes. I heard as he cursed seeing his men on the floor outside of her room.

I watched as he walked her toward one of the sofas before grabbing a blanket on the bed to cover her up. I stood there watching his attentiveness.

He poured her water from the pitcher and helped her take small sips. Marcello had never been an inconsiderate man, he just chose who saw that side of him.

He seemed to have forgotten that he met someone here.

He let her calm down before turning to squat before her. " Who was it", he placed his large hand on her face to grab his attention.

Marcello never squatted, now he half-knelt in front of a woman who wasn't his queen.

I thought my heart could not harden anymore.

But, he needn't do that, he was the only thing she saw, and she was the only person who evoked any sort of emotion in her.

Caralina glanced my way and he looked in my direction.

He straightened and his gaze turned cautious as he took firm and steady steps in my direction.

"How are you here", He stood before me with his jaw clenched.

He had made his decision, and I had become the villain in the story he did not know half about.

His eyes glanced behind me as his men began to awaken.

" You should be at the party, what were you doing here? His baritone voice which I once admired now made my chest heavy, full of frustration and anger as it took an interrogating tone.

His blue eyes dulled in disappointment as he muttered "Did you_" he stopped short, but I got his question with the way he glanced behind me.

Did I knock the guards out? He had the nerve to ask.

The bastard.

So, what if I did, what if it was I who knocked them out? What would he do? It was within my right.

He stepped even closer, the tips of his shoes touched mine, and his nose brushed mine.

Dante ran into the room, his chest heaving. "Marcello", his voice full of warning and a touch of persuasion.

He did not need to do that, I wanted to see what action he would take, I wanted to see the worst thing he could do to me for jeopardizing his mistress' safety. I needed him to prove to me that he did not deserve the aching of my heart.