The Mafia Don’s Temptation

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ARIA

I woke up before the sun rose. There wasn't much sleep I could get, especially since I could only remain in a particular position due to the way my hands were handcuffed to the headboard. From where I was restrained, I watched as the sun filtered into the room through the window and the light rays fell on my skin.

My heart tugged painfully. I don't know when next I'll be able to stand directly under the sun, under the moonlight or even in snow. I don't even know if I'll ever be able to do that.

My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the sound of the door opening. Maximo showed up in my room more frequently now and I wonder why.

I knew why, even though I didn't want to think about it. He liked seeing me like this; tied up and waiting. I inhaled a sharp breath as I remembered the way he confessed those words to me. I remembered the way his words made me feel things I shouldn't be feeling, and I became angry all of a sudden.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” I asked without turning. I was tired and I don’t think I have the energy to have any kind of conversation with him. I also didn't want to turn to look at him. I didn’t want to see what he looked like before leaving for work in the morning.

“This is my work,” a female voice with a thick Italian accent replied.

I turned to see Maria standing with a slight scowl on her face. A feeling I didn’t like went through me, and I realized it was a disappointment.

I shook my head and tried to focus on the young woman who stood before my bed. I tried not to focus on the fact that I had wanted it to be Maximo standing by the door.

“What now?” I sighed tiredly. “You’ll force me to eat?” I asked.

She shook her head and moved towards the bed.

“You’re the only prisoner I’ve seen that rejects food,” she said as she started unbuckling my handcuffs.

“You should appreciate the boss’s good side. It’s not very often that he shows it,” she told me and I scoffed.

“Good side?” I spat. “I’ve been chained to a f*****g bed for days—“

“You’re lucky you still have a bed,” she interrupted. “Some prisoners are locked up in cold cells. Some are tortured daily. Don’t be a brat,” she spat.

I scoffed as tears filled my eyes.

I didn’t even know what to tell the maid. She saw Maximo as some kind of god who never did anything wrong. If not, why would she even insinuate that I act grateful towards my f*****g captor?

I remained silent as she removed my handcuffs. It has become almost a daily routine now; she unchains me and I brush my teeth, take a shower, have a change of clothes, eat if I’m too tired to argue, and then go back to my bed to be handcuffed again.

As I stood from the bed, I swayed slightly and had to hold onto the wall to stop myself from falling. I didn’t even realize how hungry and tired my body was. I trudged to the bathroom as Maria moved to the wardrobe, probably to get what I’ll wear after my shower.

I briefly wondered who the real owner of this room was, but the thoughts disappeared from my head as I stepped under the hot shower. After carefully washing my body, I tied a towel around my small frame and walked to the sink where I proceeded to brush my teeth.

When I was done, I entered the room again and saw that Maria had laid out a lemon dress for me to wear.

“Why do you always dress me in bright colours?” I asked as I slipped on the dress.

She ignored my question, and that was when I saw that my food had already been served.

At that point, I didn’t even care if they poisoned me. I just wanted to eat.

And for some reason, I didn’t believe that Maximo would want me to die by mere poisoning. He couldn’t be that merciful. I believed he wanted to use and humiliate me before finally killing me. Not that I would let him do the former.

I proceeded to eat my food, and after that, I went back to my normal position on the bed, to be tied up like an animal to be slaughtered.

***

I tried to force myself to sleep but I couldn’t, so I just looked around the room. There was a bookshelf on the far end of the room, and I wished I could reach for it and maybe pick up a book to read. I allowed my eyes to wander, fixing themselves on the most insignificant things, like the cobwebs on the ceiling which were barely noticeable, the chandelier that hung from the same ceiling, and the table by the side of the bed which had a drawer that had been locked with a small padlock. I briefly wondered what was inside, but all my thoughts came to a stop as the door to my room was pushed open.

My breathing instantly became faster as I spotted Scar himself standing by the door. He looked dishevelled like he had a bad day at work. His curly hair was tousled, and I briefly wondered what it would feel like to run my hands through them.

He stepped closer and I tried to stop looking at him. The sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled up, and I could see the black ink that decorated his arm.

I inhaled sharply.

“You see, I won't even ask you to kill me anymore,” I started talking without thinking. “Leave me here for a few more days and you'll come in to find me dead.”

“And what will be the reason for your death?” He asked after a beat.

“Boredom.”

I heard a deep, beautiful sound, and I realized that he was laughing. Beautiful was the only word I could use to describe it because that was what it was.

I watched the way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. His lips parted to reveal a set of pearly white teeth, and I felt transfixed.

He stopped laughing and that was when I realized that he was already standing beside the bed. I could feel the heat emanating from his body as he leaned over my frame.

“The only thing or being that can kill you is me,” he growled. His hot breath fanned my face and I gulped in a mixture of fear and something else…

“You keep saying this, but you couldn’t even pull the trigger the last time you had me in this position,” I whispered.

I saw something feral cross his eyes and I immediately regretted my words as one of his hands came to hold my throat.

My whole body became heated as I felt his rough skin come in contact with mine. I didn’t know that being choked could be this…hot.

He put a little bit more pressure in his grip, not enough to strangle me, but enough to make my core wet.

“Is this what you want?” He growled and I saw desire in his eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words left them.

Maximo had a pained expression on his face. He looked like he was trying to restrain himself from doing something to me.

“f**k it,” he said in a low growl as his lips descended on mine.