《The Badass Mafia Boss Queen》


 The Boss

    HOLLIS


    Whoever brought up the idea of carving that awful looking image of Einstein must either be so dumb or extremely stupid because they made a whole mess of the image and also made it so obvious that the faux wall really had to be a door.


    Bloody hand raised, I waited for Ro to hand me a reloaded gun. The cold feel of a semi-automatic grazed my fingers and I smiled.


    ¡°There¡¯s nobody inside Boss. Aside from the few securities we¡¯ve already taken care of, the house is clean.¡± Ro, my right hand man reported, but I smiled knowing that my suspicion might be true then.


    I simply shifted my gaze to him. Today was just the fucking day I¡¯ve been looking forward to. A good day to teach Velcro and his stupid brother some hard lessons and knock some senses into them while at it, if they survive anyway.


    ¡°Nero, stay out here with the rest of the men and be alert. I¡¯ll notify you if we need more men.¡±


    Nero nodded and dished out inaudible orders to the rest of the men with his fingers while I started heading towards the image of Einstein with Ro following right behind.


    ¡°Boss, shouldn¡¯t we take more men, we don¡¯t know what we would meet where we are headed.¡± He asked worriedly, and got me pissed off.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to whine and not hold your gun firmly, then you¡¯d better get back there and let Nero take your ce. Should I send for him?¡± I asked, stopping abruptly.


    ¡°No, no Boss.¡± He replied. ¡°But are you sure¡­..¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine Ro. Let¡¯s examine what we¡¯re up against first before involving our men.¡±


    As I finished my statement, I started shooting right through the funny carved image and he joined immediately. Neither Ro nor I stopped, not even when the horrible thing started giving away in bits and pieces and became unrecognizable before crumbling to the ground.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    The wooden door behind blew apart bit by fucking bit too, until it bounced open. When it released, I made to step in, but Ro stood in my way.


    ¡°Let me go first Boss. We don¡¯t know what we might face down there.¡±


    I looked at him in stark amazement, yet to understand why he was hell bent on being a pain in my god-damned ass. ¡°If you don¡¯t step aside, I will fucking put a chaotic bullet in your head.¡± I swore under my breath.


    But the annoying human stood there staring at me, trying to gauge the possibility of me carrying out the threat. He took a deep breath and stepped aside.


    I stepped into a narrow opening that seemed to be a passageway, gun in hand. We pushed open a door and there stood the rats, all down and panicky.


    My eyes met Velcro¡¯s brother, whatever his name was. He looked white as a sheet, then there were two of his wounded men, trying their best to stop the bleeding in their arms.


    ¡°What¡¯s that name of yours, boy?¡± I asked him, shooting the two struggling guards to put them out of their misery.


    Ro was right behind me, gun pulled and pointed at the boy.


    ¡°Ralph. Goddamn it, you shot my men. What did we do to you, we¡¯ve never trespassed.


    ¡°Ralph,¡± I called calmly, ¡°where the fuck is your brother?¡±


    He shifted uneasily, cursing under his breath. ¡°You¡¯ve killed my men.¡± He muttered.


    ¡°Which of them? These ones that don¡¯t know a thing about Safety 101.¡± I asked scanning the room, noting the possible ces Velcro might be hiding.


    ¡°The next trigger I pulled sent a bullet right through Ralph¡¯s left thigh and he screamed in tears. ¡°Your brother, boy. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he cried. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know.¡±


    ¡°Wrong answer.¡± The second bullet went through his right thigh.


    ¡°Jesus!¡± The boy screamed and almost had me rolling on the floor withughter. Who would have thought he knew Jesus, even as a petty killer.


    I would have sent Nero and the boys to take care of this shit. But when I finally got the news that they were the fools that almost killed Ugo Chike, I was beyond furious. If that girl was going to die, then I have to be the one to kill her. Not some petty fools that know absolutely nothing about that fragile girl that I¡¯ve dedicated a lot of time to know and understand.


    ¡°Where is your brother?¡± I repeated the question and he pointed to a closed door, his tears now uncontroble.


    Ro moved over and pulled the scared piece of shit out of his hiding spot. I smiled at how terrified he looked.


    ¡°Wee to the party.¡± I cheered him, turning my gun toward him, while watching Ralph from the corners of my eyes. ¡°Tell me, was it fucking you, sweetheart,¡± I asked, looking him dead in the eyes, now calm as ever, yet ready to empty my gun in his dead ass body.


    That sounds more like it anyway. I can¡¯t remember thest time I spared any motherfucker that double-crossed me. I spare no one, I take what I want, when I want it, and get killed to get the job done.


    ¡°Boss, I swear, I didn¡¯t want to do it. I was ckmailed.¡±


    He was sweating profusely, the emotions in his eyes didn¡¯t match the one he was forcing in his voice. He was a fucking liar. There is more to the whole drama and I was ready to hear it all.


    I turned to Ro. ¡°Take him, let¡¯s get the fuck out of here.¡±


    Ro nodded and led the way.


    I was about to leave when I heard the tiny whimpers from the boy on the floor. I bent down and cut out a few pieces of fabric from his shirt and threw them at him. I guess a day will alwayse for one to break my own rule. I started it with Ugo Chike, now I¡¯m extending it to this Ralph boy. Lucky day for him.


    ¡°Tie up those legs if you don¡¯t want to be an amputee and call for help fast.¡± I told him and left.


    That was me being kind. I didn¡¯t kill him and I helped him too. Not everybody can get such kindness from me.


    As I entered the back seat of the Audi, I felt a lot at ease knowing that I have done some good and I had the idiot that stepped on my toe.


    ¡°What¡¯s the update?¡± I asked Ro who was seated beside me with an expressionless face.


    ¡°Miss. Ugo has arrived at Lilycity, Boss. She arrived yesterday and was seen running this morning.¡± He pushed a picture toward me.


    I smirked, lifting the picture of one of the cutest and brave girls I¡¯ve known. ¡°She must have missed her early morning runs.¡± I murmured taking a closer look at her arm to be sure the bruises she sustained from thest attempt on her life were now faded.


    ¡°I believe so, Boss.¡±


    ¡°Yes, is there more?¡±


    ¡°Boss Maxine said to tell you that everything is under control and he¡¯s handling it well from his end. He said to tell you that if the Queen fails to visit, that he will visit her and he will forward a signal to you when he will need your presence.¡± He said.


    I nodded. Having my brother down at Lilycity was not such a hard request. He had turned into an advocate for the girl even before I exined everything to him. He was in support of literally anything I suggested as long as it was going to keep the young girl safe. I trusted him enough to carry out his part to perfection.


    I brought the picture up again and stared. Brown eyes, dark brown hair with highlight tips, and charming lips. ¡°Ugo Amber Chike.¡± I murmured rubbing off an invisible stain from her cheeks through the picture.


    Ro cleared his throat and I turned to him. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°A message came in from your father, Boss.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s requesting your presence over the weekend.¡±


    ¡°What about?¡± I asked, putting the picture away and wishing to hear something else aside from my whining father and his irritable self.


    ¡°Dinner, a family dinner. Miss Elsa would be there.¡±


    ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll be out of town. I don¡¯t care what else you have to say, but make sure he doesn¡¯t insist that Ie for that miserable gathering.¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine myself seated beside Don Pedro¡¯s daughter.


    She was a prettydy of course, but the match-making our parents seem hell-bent on, wasn¡¯t going to work for me. I didn¡¯t like the girl, one bit. And although the union would strengthen both empires, I still didn¡¯t find that enough reason to wallow in marital misery for the rest of my life.

 Unsafe

    UGO


    I took in the orderliness of the little room that had always served as my safe space for the longest time. All my childhood memories were still intact, almost as I had left them.


    My mother had taken it upon herself to preserve all the good memories, making sure not to alter the shape of the room and the position of things as I left them.


    I tried recalling thest time I visited Lilycity. It¡¯s been well over two years. Fairview had found a way to draw me into its tight grasp and sapped me off all my free time. I sighed, recalling my mother¡¯s tears at the airport when she came to pick me up. I was initially skeptical that she would be the one to pick me up, but then she somehow managed to convince me with my father¡¯s support that she has recovered perfectly since her intestinal surgery.


    ¡°Poor woman.¡± I murmured regrettably.


    Pulling my hair into a tight bun, I sat down on the only chair in my room, took in the beauty of the modest-looking room and smiled. What my roomcked in size, it made up for in character. There was my doll-sized bed that seemed refurbished, but the color and designs were still intact.


    ¡°Mum.¡± I smiled, tapping the bed frame, imagining the stress she must have gone through just to ensure that the bed retained its design.


    I pulled my window blinds closed. That was the only renovation my mother made in the room that I seriously didn¡¯t mind. The ugly looking suede curtains were off the wall and reced by stylish window blinds that had me wishing to catapult the same into my home office at Fairview.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Carefully, I pulled out my old sweatpants from the wardrobe, making sure to pick the easiest and stic one I couldy my hand on, ck and ash color it was.


    cing it on my waist, I tried to visualize what it would look like on me.


    Over the years, I had taken serious care of my body, causing me to develop more adequate muscles and toned skin, shredding off the unnecessary fats at some absurd parts of my body, so with its sticity, I had no doubt the sweatpants would be my perfect size.


    Putting it on, alongside a sports top, I ran down the stairs. ¡°I¡¯m going for another run, mum.¡± I announced as I passed my mother in the kitchen. But the poor woman ran out of the kitchen hastily causing me to pause in my steps.


    ¡°Again!¡± She almost screamed my ears out. ¡°But Ugo, we¡¯ve talked about this, it¡¯s not safe to jog through the neighborhood alone. Times have changed.¡± My mother said,


    ¡°Oh, not to worry, I can take care of myself, Mommy.¡± I tried assuring her but she shook her head in disagreement.


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you out of that door. This is not years ago when you were just twelve. There are rumors of gangs and cartels everywhere. I can¡¯t let you out alone.¡±


    ¡°Mama¡­¡± I protested but she didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll just run around a couple of blocks and I¡¯ll be home. I promise, it will be just like yesterday.¡± I pleaded, curving my lips in a sober twitch.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She finally agreed. ¡°Just within the streets and you make sure toe home as soon as possible. Dinner will be ready soon.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye ma.¡± I was outside in a sh and hit the ground running, literally, zipping down the streets.


    I dodged people and the heaps of garbage that were piling up on the sidewalks. Grandma May¡¯s house caught my attention instantly. A clear image of myself and my best friend, Daisy, ying at the back of that house shed through my mind and I smiled sweetly.


    ¡°How time flies.¡± I whispered to myself.


    Now the gorgeous and once-upon-a-time most beautiful house on the street was now a tangle of faded washed-out walls and overgrown nt weeds.


    I took a couple of turns to a few familiar streets I used to ply through as a kid, ignoring my mother¡¯s warning to run within the area. I¡¯d stuck to that warning the previous day but today is a new day.


    Things have indeed changed in Lilycity. There were new buildings, exotic shops and the roads looked way better. A few more turns brought me to the part of Lilycity that was considered the city slum, a stark contrast to the manicuredwns I grew up in.


    Rumors always had it that the houses here offer affordable amodations to a weird mix of underprivileged families, and drug dealers. Seeing the current condition of most of the houses, I sighed regrettably.


    What used to be a cute middle-ss neighborhood was now a dpidated, sore spot on the city¡¯s good standing. The homes were built about three feet from the street and barely two feet apart from each other, a pattern I used to like until now.


    Most of the paints on the houses were chipping away. Multicoloredyers had started peering through spots as if the houses bared the scars left by their previous owners before being abandoned for good. I felt a few peering eyes on me, making me cringe with worry, wondering if it was the first time they had ever seen someone run through the streets.


    I tried to convince myself that it was because of where I was, in this city or maybe not. Maybe it was something else. It could have everything to do with me being in a neighborhood like this one, it wasmon for someone like me to be a beacon for curious stares.


    Ebony skin, brown hair with bold blonde tips. And to say that I was well built and beautifully endowed in the right ces. My regr visits to the gym, Pith¡¯s karate sses, Bell¡¯s Yoga sses, my dermatologist and nutritionist wasn¡¯t just for the paparazzi of taking pictures and making videos.


    My body is amazing, so is my skin, spotless and shiny. Now worried, I turned up the sound on my airpod. It¡¯s easier to ignore people¡¯s stares when you¡¯ve got music sting in your ears. Then I ran up the next bus stop and took a sharp turn to the next faintly-familiar street, tracing my way back home.


    I veered onto the pathway that led through a cemetery. Like the rest of the neighborhood, the cemetery had been left neglected, with weeds growing everywhere around, and within the slow cracks of tombstones. Street-gang graffiti, spray-painted art covered almost every surface of the graveyard, including some of the stones.


    I recalled running through this same route with some of the kids from school almost every day when I was fourteen. Some days we would stop and sit on the tombstones and gist before we continued. Other days we¡¯ll keep running until we start dispersing to our various homes.


    But today I kept running, trying to make the most out of the lingering daylight, because I was runningte, and a graveyard was definitely not where I wanted to be seated after dark.


    The pathway snaked the cemetery and eventually led through a fence of overgrowth and trees.


    I ran into the opening of the field of weeds, feeling unsettled and tense, then curved into another street, bringing myself closer to home.


    The streets held more people and buildings, contrary to the shorty quietness I experienced at the cemetery that had been virtually deserted.


    Plying through a few more streets, I caught sight of my home in front and noticed the figure of my parents pacing thewn with worry all over their faces.


    I ran up to the front of the house and stood staring at them. ¡°Where the hell did you go to?¡±


    ¡°Ada,nguage.¡± My father, Liam Chike chided.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, is there a problem? Mom?¡±


    ¡°I told you not to run past our neighborhood. What if something had happened to you? You just don¡¯t listen, you¡¯re just a replica of your father. None of you listen until you fall into a ditch!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± My Father said to a confused me.


    I waspletely clueless as to why my mother was upset. I was home, in one piece. Yet, that was not enough?


    Still panting from running several streets, I followed them inside the house. ¡°Go freshen up ande down for dinner. We need to talk.¡± My mother finally said after being silent for a while.


    I nodded and headed up the stairs, the fear of what I saw in my mother¡¯s eyes hunting me while I battled with cleaning my body thoroughly in the bathroom.

 Unsafe 2

    The silence at the dinning table felt excruciating and painful. I forced most of the mashed potatoes down my throat and swallowed hurriedly each time, unable to feel the taste of the meal. When the silence became too unbearable, I shifted my meal and turned to my parents.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it, what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Eat Ugo.¡± My father said, tapping me gently on the arm.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°I¡¯m full, and even if I¡¯m not, I can¡¯t take more. I¡¯ve lost my appetite. What¡¯s going on, what¡¯s with the silence and brooding, did someone die?¡±


    My mother was the first to shake her head. ¡°We didn¡¯t lose anyone. But we might as well loose someone if we don¡¯t find a solution.¡± She said,


    ¡°Ada¡­¡± My father called in his usual peace-loving manner.


    ¡°Ugo is not a child, honey. The earlier we start taking¡­. the better.¡±


    ¡°Please talk to me¡­ anyone. Dad, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Honey, it¡¯s nothing serious¡­..¡±


    ¡°Your father was used of stealing from hispany.¡± My mom interrupted.


    ¡°What?¡± I looked at my father, hoping he would assure me his wife was just making things up, but he lowered his head. An act of surrender or shame. One that I¡¯ve never seen him do since I knew him.


    ¡°How?¡± I asked the next question that came to mind.


    My mom turned to my father and when she was certain he wasn¡¯t going to talk, she took over.


    ¡°Thepany your father works for is trying to¡­.¡±


    ¡°Some money was found missing.¡± My father interrupted.


    ¡°Some money as in millions.¡± My mom rushed in.


    My heart rate increased a ton. I looked at my mother, my father then back to my mother. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, fearfully.


    ¡°Sweetheart,¡± he called in his cheerful manner, although the tone of his voicecked the usual grave it carries. ¡°Remember when I told you about my job?¡±


    I nodded. He tells me everything and recently, he¡¯s been calling to update me on some of the leverage his new position as the chief ountant offered him.


    ¡°Well, a few weeks ago, something terrible and suspicious happened. I stayed way above the normal closing time. I had a couple of projects to round off and I didn¡¯t want to bring work home¡­.¡±


    ¡°Was that the night you called and I told you to order pizza for two?¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly. That was the night.¡± He replied and continued with his narration. At this point, I forgot about my mealpletely.


    ¡°Sadly, Darling, I¡¯m being framed for something I didn¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean, Daddy? Framed, by who exactly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a very long story, but thepany¡­.¡± He looked at my mom, before turning back to me. Gradually, he kept rubbing his palms together, continuously and when he stopped asionally, I would notice how shaky his hands were. Swallowing carefully, I let out a deep sigh, worried to my bones that whatever is disturbing him was way bigger than he could handle.


    ¡°Thepany belongs to a powerful man. The day I stayed above the necessary time, I saw some things that didn¡¯t just click. So, I started searching for more clues. I finally discovered that some illegal activities take ce within thepany.¡±


    I jolted immediately. ¡°What sort of illegalities?¡± I croaked, cringing at the sound of my non-recognizable voice.


    ¡°Drug trafficking. I think thepany is used as a camouge to transport and store their merchandise. When I discovered it, I panicked and confided in someone from the office. But I guess that was where I made the mistake.¡±


    I impatiently cleaned my forehead with my palms, fear gripping the best part of me. ¡°So, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Some funds were discovered to be missing and I was set up to take the fall for it.¡±


    ¡°What, that¡¯s outrageous. Why, why would they do that. That¡¯s such a stupid and in-annoying thing to do.¡± I said, hoping the money wouldn¡¯t be anything more than a few thousands.


    ¡°If that was the worst of it, I wouldn¡¯t even be worked up. But it¡¯s not.¡± My mom said, preparing my mind for the worst case scenario. I turned to my father, staring expectantly with wide eyes.


    ¡°Now, they are threatening me, saying I have to pay up arge sum of money or else¡­ I¡­. we might lose our lives.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I pushed my meal farther away for fear of destroying the te. ¡°Death? Oh my god! What sort of situation is this? How much are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°Five hundred million dors.¡± My mom answered,ughing hysterically. ¡°These people must think we are some Billionaires or something. How much is your father¡¯s sry? Let¡¯s start from there.¡±


    A wave of restlessness and fear swept over me instantly. Where in god¡¯s name am I going to get five hundred million dors. Even with all my life savings and investments together, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get up to that sum. I started thinking of all the possible ways I could gather the money.


    ¡°We will need time to pay up.¡± I finally said, looking up.


    On normal days, I would have turned creative but this has to do with my father. The very first man I¡¯ve ever loved and looked up to, my role model. There was no way I would let them touch a strand of his hair.


    ¡°No, there is no way we can give in to their cheap ckmail. I can¡¯t support their criminal activities. I¡¯m going to fight this¡­¡± My best father announced.


    ¡°Darling there is nothing cheap about this ckmail and the corresponding threat. Ugo is right, we need time to pay up. We can negotiate paying gradually until we clear it out. These people are dangerous. You saw what they did the other day when they came to the house¡­.¡±


    ¡°They what? They¡¯ve been to the house?¡±


    My mom nodded and I became terrified. ¡°Did they give any sort of ultimatum?¡±


    My parents nodded in unison. ¡°We¡¯re to pay up in two months. But I think we should negotiate for a longer payment window.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I replied scratching my head. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if I meet your boss and negotiate for a flexible payment window for us or even plead for forgiveness. I will promise and give him my word that you won¡¯t say a single word to anyone.¡± I added.


    ¡°You think that would work?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m only hoping it will. You know, normally Dad would have been targeted or killed by now. But the fact that he¡¯s still alive proves that there might be some goodness in your Boss.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me to keep shut. I shouldn¡¯t open up to the authorities on what I saw?¡±


    ¡°No you can¡¯t.¡± I snapped. ¡°That would mean signing your death sentence. These people might hurt you, I¡¯m scared for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡± My mum interrupted. ¡°Not until we sort this issue out. I¡¯ll go get my phone,¡± she said. ¡°I guess we have a call to make, yes?¡± She looked over to me and I nodded my consent.


    We did have a call to make and the earlier we do that, the better for everyone of us. I looked at the sad expression on my father¡¯s face and shook my head.


    He had no idea what he had gotten himself into. I¡¯m still battling with the cartel case I handled a couple of months ago and have narrowly escaped death twice. So, I needed no soothsayer to tell me that my father might lose his life if we didn¡¯t act fast enough.


    I scratched my headzily and thought to myself, I needed a n too. Althoughing back home was a much needed holiday, I still had a battle looming over my head and the word, ¡®terrified¡¯ doesn¡¯t even exin how I feel at the thought of going back to Fairview.

 A Deal With The Devil

    I climbed down carefully from the grey van that picked me up from the house. I was going to see a cartel Boss. So there are quite a lot of things that could happen today.


    It¡¯s either I end up dead or I seed in striking a good deal that will keep my father alive and give my family enough time to pay up the crazy-absurd debt they leveled against my Father. If the stars are in my favor, the money might even be forgiven.


    But in all, one of these things was going to happen today and I pray my dead body won¡¯t be drawn out of the industrial looking premises. As I stood looking around, I got a nudge behind from one of the men.


    ¡°Move!¡± He barked at me and like a crippled roach revealed by a light from a handheld torch. I had to put both of my feet to good use.


    One of the men walked in front, leading the way, while two others walked behind me.


    ¡°Stop.¡± A baritone voice from a guard stationed at the gate yelled at us. ¡°She¡¯s going to go in blindfolded.¡± He read out a rehearsed instruction and pushed a blindfold to one of the men behind me.


    ¡°My apologies Reina.¡± One of the men with a crooked smile said as he grabbed and fastened the blindfold over my eyes, pulling it across my face and ensured it behind my ears.


    ¡®My apologies Reina,¡¯ his words came back to me. Who the hell was Reina?


    Blindfolded and blind in other words, two hands grabbed each arm and started leading me forward. It was a chore to get me inside the building. At one point, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the blindfold was necessary. Maybe when we got to where we were going, they could use it on me, but obviously not when I still had stairs to climb.


    We climbed the few stairs carefully. I listened and noted when a door was pushed open and we stepped inside. Carefully, I was pushed to an empty seat and told to wait for the Boss.


    First chapter done and sessful, second chapter about to start.


    I didn¡¯t realize when I started a silent prayer begging God to spare my life one more time. I started counting numbers to ascertain the exact amount of time It would take the Boss toe. Counting the time was something I do a lot and I¡¯m now familiar with. It was something I do whenever I¡¯m baiting a client and I wanted to know how much time it would take them to take the bait.


    At three hundred and eighty five, the door to the room opened. My ears became more than active as I listened carefully to pick up even the slightest sound.


    ¡°Leave us.¡± A voice said and I heard footsteps leaving the room until thest of them closed the door behind him.


    Forty six seconds of silence passed before the voice came up again. ¡°Yes, you wanted to speak to me.¡±


    I quickly shifted in my chair. After the call the previous night, I had spent the rest of the night imagining what the Boss would look like. But of course I would never know. But I expected him to sound way older, somewhere between fifty to seventy years. But the voice I heard sounded young, dark and refreshing.


    I cleared my throat quickly. ¡°Yes sir. I¡­ I came on behalf of my father.¡± I replied finding it rather easier to speak since I had a blindfold on. There was no room to gauge emotions or anything of such. Just a blinddy expressing herself.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    I heard it, the impatience in his voice. Carefully I pushed my seat aside, kicked my feet gently in circles to be sure I wouldn¡¯t get hurt. Then I went on my knees. This was a do or die affair. I had to go back home with something.


    ¡°Please sir. My father is sorry. He didn¡¯t mean to upset you. I promise we¡¯ll pay up every single dime he owes you sir.¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    I swallowed hard and spoke up. ¡°Time sir.¡±


    ¡°Time for what exactly?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Time to pay up sir. Two months is too small for me to pay back the money. I really need more time. Please¡­..¡±


    ¡°And how on earth do you n on paying back?¡± He started moving. I heard the subtle sound from his shoes. Calcted, calm and stylish, the sound of the soles of his shoe told me exactly how he was moving.


    ¡°Thest I checked, Fairview is not such a safe ce for you anymore. Neither is anywhere else. So, how do you want to pay back five hundred million dors even in one year.¡±


    The moment of truth came. Whoever this man is, he knows a few more things about my family. Not just general knowledge. ¡°How¡­.. how do you know that sir?¡± I had to ask.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve been the one keeping you alive for the longest time. The two times I withdrew my men from you, you ended up at the hospital.¡±


    I stiffened. Okay, I stand to be corrected. I think he knows almost everything about me. ¡°I don¡¯t understand sir.¡±


    ¡°Ugo Chike.¡± I heard my name being mentioned in the softest, most sensual way that tiny balls of bumps spread through my skin ¡®whatdahell!¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ve been protecting you since you took up the Morello case. If you go back out there without my protection, you might end up in a bloody bag in days.¡± He replied.


    ¡°But why,¡± I gasped out, wondering why he would do such a thing for me.


    I felt gentle fingers trace the corners of my eyes. Snap! The blindfold came off and I stumbled over when I saw the man standing before me. His voice should have given him away, but I refused to add the dots because how could he be who I¡¯m thinking he is.


    ¡°Hollis.¡± I could only afford a whisper.


    He nodded. No smile, no introductions, no further exnation, nothing. Series of emotions surfed through me. I remained kneeling, not knowing who I was really dealing with aside from the fact that he once asked me to be his woman and I refused.


    With trembling hands and a voice filled with trepidation, I pleaded with him to spare my father from the consequences of his debt. The real picture was now clearer. I won¡¯t be able to clear out that debt in two months and whatever reason he had for leveling up such debt on my father, it must have been well calcted. Even if I decide to borrow from my best friend, Daisy won¡¯t have five hundred million dors lying around somewhere. A hundred, two or even five hundred thousand, yes. But millions, that was too much money.


    ¡°I¡¯d do anything please. He¡¯s all I¡¯ve got. My parents are all I¡¯ve got.¡± I pleaded again.


    I watched his expression go from bored to uninterested then to amusement while I begged for mercy, offering anything I could in return for his forgiveness. He watched me from under his thickshes, throwing calcting gaze my way, while in what seemed to be deep thoughts. After what seemed like a long moment of contemtion, his lips curved into a sensual smile. A smile that gave me butterflies.


    Locking his gaze to mine, he pulled out an envelope from his jacket inner pocket. He dropped it on the table and finally spoke in a voice as cold as steel. He made me an offer that sent chills down my spine¡­..


    ¡°I have a proposal that would benefit all the parties involved.¡± He pointed to the envelope. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    I almost tore the thing open as my hands searched for the contents of the envelope. I pulled it open. It was an agreement between myself and him. I shook with disappointment. What was happening. How did we go from two to a hundred in just minutes. He agreed to forgive my father¡¯s debt in full, but in return¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± The agreement fell off my shaky hands.


    Hollis pulled a yful smile. ¡°You seem to have taken this better than I thought. So, what would it be, Ugo.¡± He stood in front of me in the most seductive pose I¡¯ve ever seen, e. v. e. r


    ¡°Stay with me for a year and I¡¯ll forgive your father¡¯s debt.¡± He looked at me, his eyes full of unspoken words and unexpressed emotions.


    ¡°I looked down on the floor and shook my head.


    ¡°You said this would be good for everyone involved, but this won¡¯t be good for me.¡± I almost cried at this point.


    ¡°It would be perfect for you, contrary to what you think. It would offer you protection and so much more than I can speak of yet. I¡¯ll give you time to think about this. thirty minutes is all you have.¡± He dered and left the room.


    I burst into tears. I wailed, I yelled, I sobbed, I literally drowned in my own tears. But it didn¡¯t change the fact that my time was ticking and I had to at one point put myself together and make a decision while putting all the parties involved into consideration.


    I was shocked and appalled by his audacious proposal, I felt a surge of conflicting emotions. The thought of being under the control of such a man filled me with revulsion, but the desperate hope of saving my family pushed everything away.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    When the door opened upter, I was much calmer and my thoughts as clearer. All I asked was for a pen and I signed at the spot that had my name and space for signature.


    I knew even without being told that I¡¯ve just signed a deal with the devil. But the incentives that came with signing such a deal was good enough for me.


    ¡°It¡¯s just one year and I will get back to my life.¡±

 A Deal With The Devil 2

    There was a sh of light and distant noises. My head felt like someone was taking an ice pick and pouring heavy chipping on my skull.


    I decided that death couldn¡¯t be this painful, so I was probably not dead or this was what hell was supposed to feel like. My eyes were pried open, and a light came shing again.


    This was followed by a groan, like a bear cub. ¡®was that me?¡¯


    I managed to flutter my eyes open without anyone¡¯s help. Inches away from my face, someone was holding a pen-sized shlight. I couldn¡¯t focus enough to see him, but I could definitely smell him. Light scent of woodberry and some chemicals I remember enduring the mixing process once I snuck into the chemistryboratory during practicals that were meant for students offering science courses.


    The ceiling was swimming. I thought I was going to vomit, and I had to let my eyelids drop to stop the spinning. Slowly, the muffled sounds became words.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, sweetheart.¡± Asked the man with the shlight. His voice was raspy, and I could smell the caffeine off his breath.


    ¡°None of your business,¡± I managed, my voice bouncing like a rock against the walls of my skull.


    ¡°Call her a sweetheart one fuckin time and you¡¯ll see your brains on that wall.¡± An unfamiliar voice threatened in the background.


    I wanted to look up, to see who it was. But my head was on fire. The man with the pen touch grew mute immediately. I tried to get up again, but barely managed to get my head off the pillow before it fell back with a thump.


    ¡°Whoa there, swe¡­¡± he paused. ¡°Not so fast.¡± He finally said, looking back sharply before turning back to me. ¡°You¡¯ve got a pretty big bump on your head,¡± said the man.


    That would exin the blinding pain I was feeling. ¡°You¡¯re scared of calling me sweetheart again.¡± I chuckled, beside myself with amusement even with the awful pain, my mouth would rarely shut up.


    ¡°That¡¯s not your name, I believe.¡± He answered, instead.


    I nodded. ¡°Can you give me a name to work with?¡±


    ¡°U, letter U.¡± I answered.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s great Miss letter U.¡±


    ¡®What the hell is Miss letter U¡¯. I thought. I wanted to tell him it wasn¡¯t what I meant but I was in too much pain to argue with him on his use of words.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably got a mild concussion,¡± the man assessed. ¡°Just make sure she gets plenty of rest and wake her up every few hours overnight. Give me a call if she gets any worse.¡±


    ¡°She looks like she¡¯s in pain. Can she take anything.¡± The unfamiliar voice asked again.


    I forced my eyes open. There was a lovely gentleman in a ck jean and white Tee and he was standing at the foot of the bed. I recognized his clothes from before I found myself on this bed.


    He hade into the room I was held in and I requested for a pen which he offered me and motioned that I followed him. We were way across the corridor when I lost sight of him.


    Then I followed the voices echoing at the other part of the corridor which led me to a slightly open door. I saw Hollis, he was standing with his back toward me.


    In a sh, he pulled the trigger of a gun and a body came crashing on the floor. When my eyes came to refocus, the man on the floor was not moving. Blood sttered the floor and three other men that were with Hollis had spun round.


    They looked at me withplete surprise on their faces.


    Without realizing it, I had been screaming and I was still screaming and shaking and I couldn¡¯t stop or move any other part of my body like my legs, to run away from them. The door was now very much open from my hands pushing it in.


    Hollis turned around and our eyes met again, and his face turned pale while he rubbed his forehead tirelessly. Then I cked out. I must have fallen or fainted or something, I can¡¯t remember any other thing.


    I watched the young gentleman step closer to me. He looked stressed and tired.


    ¡°Not for the next twelve hours. But I¡¯ll leave you something for tomorrow,¡± replied the man with a pen touch, like he was in a hurry. The doctor¡¯s calm voice did match his appearance, he looked like he had just crawled out of a very clean and well equippedundry home.


    ¡°Thanks, Doc.¡± The young man furtively nced in my direction and turned to a man who was standing behind him, in a soldier-like stance.


    With a nod from the young man, the man standing behind him dug into his pocket and pulled out a wad of rolled-up bills.


    Not missing a beat, the Doctor grabbed the cash and rushed out of the room without taking one more look at his patient. So much for bedside manners.


    The man standing behind the gentleman followed the doctor out the door, shooting me a frosty re on his way out.


    I ran my fingers through my hair, hitting a bump at the crown of my head. ¡°Ouch,¡± I said in a whisper.


    But the man heard me and nced back. As soon as our eyes met, he shed me a reassuring smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m Maxine.¡± I tried to read his face, but his expression was nk. ¡°Get some rest, my brother wille see you soon, he¡¯s taking care of a few things.¡± He told me as he too walked out, closing the door behind him.


    Iy there, circling my fingers around my temples and trying hard to remember what happened. Thest thing I remembered was Hollis¡¯s empty stare after I had watched him kill an innocent man in cold blood.


    I tried hard to forget this. I was still alive, but everything else was a blur, including where I was and how I had gotten there. I struggled to sit up and flip my legs over the edge of the bed. My eyelids were heavy. All I wanted to do was sleep.


    My feet hit the cool wooden floors. and I suddenly noticed that I didn¡¯t have my sneakers on anymore. Slightly panicked, I looked to see if anything else was missing, or different. I didn¡¯t know what I was expecting to find, but whatever it was, I didn¡¯t find it.


    Except for the stains on my knees, the rubber band that was missing from my hair, and the immense throbbing against my skull, everything else on my body was the way I hadst left it.

 Dark And Dangerous

    With a stiff neck, I scanned my surroundings. there wasn¡¯t much to decipher. I was in a small room, lit only by the bedsidemp that was on the table next to the bed. There was an armchair with a rose velvet cushion in one corner. The walls were nd and frameless.


    After waiting for another bout of nausea to pass, I went to the window, holding on to the small table as support for my shaky frame. Outside, the sunsetting sky was of resilient palettes of shady hues, and I was peering over the shadows of endless rooftops. Wherever I was, it was high above a city, at least twenty stories high.


    Down below, a yellow cab was waiting at a red light on an otherwise empty street. I couldn¡¯t decide if I was still in Lilycity. I thought I had a fair recognition of the clock tower that stood at the center of the city square, but it was too distant and I was too tired to be sure. My hand pressed against the ss. I closed my eyes until the dizziness passed, then slowly and painfully moved to the door of the bedroom and ced my ear against its smooth white surface.


    I could hear a Television echoing in the background and hushed voices, but nothing else. I twisted the doorknob, expecting it to be locked, but it wasn¡¯t. Without a sound, I cracked the door open. Initially I was surprised to find that no one was keeping guard at the door, but when I looked all the way down the corridor, I noticed the man that was standing behind Maxine earlier.


    He was looking at me. I speedily closed the door and dragged myself back to bed, got under the warm covers, and let my eyelids fall once again. I had exhausted whatever small resource of energy I had left in me. I would have to stay here. If this was where they live, then this is where I would be living.


    Within a few minutes, I was asleep. I heard someone clearing his throat, and I was startled awake. The room was ckened, except for the light that was pouring in from the hallway. Hollis was standing by the open door, like he was waiting for me to wake up. I looked up at him through a sleepy, confused haze. He looked tired but satisfied, and he slid out, closing the door behind him.


    I fell back asleep almost immediately. The same thing happened many more times. Hollis would walk into the room, make some small noise, wake me up. Then I¡¯d look up and he¡¯d quietly exit the room. his expression always nk. He had apparently taken on the task of ensuring that I didn¡¯t die in my sleep. So far, he had decided to keep me alive, for whatever reason.


    In the morning, I woke up to the sound of a soft hum and a blinking pain localized to the top of my head.


    Soft lights of dawn wereing in through the windows. I sat up in bed, letting my tired head fall against the cold wall behind me. It wasn¡¯t until I saw Hollis that I remembered where I was.


    Well, at least I recognized the room I was in. He was sleeping, ufortably sprawled on a very small armchair, still fully dressed, but had obviously changed out of his bloody shirt. I couldn¡¯t remember if he still had it on when I had first woken up in the room.


    His head was rolled back and rested on the wall with one hand half fallen over his eyes, an unconscious effort to block out the rising sun. His brown hair was scruffy, like he¡¯d raked his hand through it a thousand times.


    The dark circles under his eyes told the story of someone who hadn¡¯t been sleeping much, probably not for many days. I watched him like this for a while,mitting his features to memory. And then his watch beeped, and he jumped awake, momentarily disoriented. His eyes quickly found me.


    ¡°How long have you been awake?¡± He asked with a hoarse voice, squinting down at his watch.


    ¡°A while, I guess.¡± I said with care, pulling the covers up to my chin.


    He passed both hands over his entire face, rubbing his skin awake. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I answered quickly without really thinking about the question.


    Hollis moved to the side of the bed and stopped short, deliberating. ¡®Was he debating shooting me now orter. I looked for signs of trouble, like a gun being pulled out from the back of his jeans. I saw something I wasn¡¯t meant to see. I watch movies, I¡¯ve seen cases like this y out in court and I know such intrusion can lead to one¡¯s death.


    With a movement that was too fast for my bruised brain to analyze, He sat next to me and rushed his hand to my face. In instinct, I gasped and recoiled from him. His eyes widened, and he snapped his hand away like he¡¯d just been burned. The features of his face washed with Guilt. Worry. Anger. Disappointment. I couldn¡¯t be sure.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, his voice notably softer. ¡°I was just going to check the bump on your head. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± His concern was unreserved, which made my throat immediately squeeze shut.


    But It was toote. the tears had sprung to my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine really,¡± I said in answer to the increased concern on his face.


    ¡°Ugo, you don¡¯t look fine.¡±


    I wiped the tears as soon as they escaped my eyes. ¡°This is stupid. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m crying.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± he mumbled resentfully, his jaw tightening. ¡°Can I check your head even if you say you¡¯re fine.¡±


    I nodded through my sniffles and bent my head forward as a peace offering. My heart pumped hard in my chest while his fingers parted the hairs at the crown of my head and pressed lightly on the bump. My face winced under the cover of my hair.


    ¡°Does this hurt?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I lied, the strain in my voice betraying me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll get you something for the pain.¡±


    Before I could refuse, he was out the door. He came back almost immediately and gave me two little white pills and arge ss of water. The water was liquid gold to my eyes. My mouth tasted like I¡¯ve been licking sawdust for days.


    As for the mystery pills, I hesitated and nced up. He folded his arms. ¡°It¡¯s still really early and you need to get more rest. The pills will help with the pain so you can get some sleep.¡±


    He stood there, watching me like I was a mental patient, ensuring that the crazy girl took her pills.


    I needed to get some answers, starting with what I thought I knew, seemed like a good idea.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°You are Hollis, my Hollis?¡± I asked, needing to be sure he was the same man I met at Fairview. I know he had a dark and dangerous edge to him, just never knew it would be this deep.


    ¡°Your Hollis, yes.¡± He repeated, choosing that phrase instead.


    We watched each other while I took tworge gulps of water to make sure that my throat was open to choke down the drugs. He sat next to me.


    ¡°What do you remember fromst night?¡± He asked me.


    Color rushed to my face. ¡°Is this where I tell you that I don¡¯t remember anything?¡± I blurted again. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I wished I had spent more time thinking about the weight of his question anding up with a response that wouldn¡¯t get me killed.


    ¡°No,¡± he said without blinking, ¡°this is where you tell me the truth.¡±


    I took my time swallowing the first pill and my tears. ¡°That man, what did he do to deserve what you did to him?¡±


    I needed him to tell me that the man hadn¡¯t been just some random man who was in the wrong ce at the wrong time. That only bad people got killed by him and that girls like me didn¡¯t get killed just because they witnessed a murder.


    His face hardened. ¡°You assume that the man was meless.¡± This wasn¡¯t a question. He had read what had been lingering in my mind. ¡°He isn¡¯t innocent. Justice was served.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dead, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°What does it matter?¡± He said. ¡°It¡¯s not like you knew him.¡±


    I closed my eyes, which forced the tears to drop down my cheeks. Then the words came drooling out before I had time to process them. ¡°His family will never know what happened to him, and they¡¯ll spend the rest of their lives wondering what they could have done to change things. There doesn¡¯t seem to be much justice in that.¡±


    I fearfully braced myself for the blows that woulde next. When I felt his fingers quickly brush my damp cheek, I opened my eyes. There was no anger on Hollis¡¯s face. But his eyes were appraising. I cleared my throat to cut through the pain in my chest, and I swallowed my second pill.


    My fingers tingled. The first pill was already working its magic. Whatever I was chugging down, it was potent.


    ¡°Hollis,¡± I said, ¡°what exactly am I supposed to be doing for you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll rest and recover for now.¡±


    ¡°And after?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll work through the rest together.¡±


    ¡°You have a brother?¡± I probed again, my head falling into the pillow.


    ¡°Yes.¡± His stare was unwavering while my eyelids were getting heavy. I was fading fast.


    ¡°I am the breadwinner, sort of. I take care of my family. Now that I can¡¯t do that, will they be taken care of.¡± I drowsily continued. Hollis pulled the ss out of my numbed hands and set it on the table next to me.


    ¡°As long as I live, your family will neverck anything.¡± He replied.


    ¡°And what are you going to do with me, while I¡¯m here.¡± This came out as a whisper. My eyes were barely slit open.


    Hollis paused on this question. He scanned my face, like the answer was written somewhere there. ¡°I will fulfill all your wildest dreams and tick all the right boxes, the dark and dangerous way.¡± Those were thest words I heard before I nked-out. I wasn¡¯t sure he said those. Maybe my mind made it all up. That would be the only exnation because how could hee up with the dark and dangerous phrase if I hadn¡¯t told him.

 Better

    The next time I woke up, the sun was already setting. I was feeling better, rested, though my joints and muscles ached from theck of movement.


    As for the bump on my head, it was only sensitive to touch. there was no more throbbing. My hair on the other hand was a tangled mess. My head felt naked when my hair was down. I searched my pockets and then the barren room for anything that I could use to tie it back. The only thing I found was the ss of water that had been refilled, and that I greedily gulped down.


    The bedroom door had been left open, and hollowed sounds from a Television could still be heard. As soon as the smell of food tickled my nose, my stomach grumbled.


    Thest meal I had eaten was the vegetable sauce my mother made specially for me. How long ago was that? My brain was still too foggy to count back the hours or the days. The thought of my mother sent chills down my spine. I haven¡¯t heard from my parents and I knew they would be worried sick.


    Letting my stomach do the thinking, I got out of bed and shuffled to the door barefooted. The darkening hallway had many doors, all the same as the one I had just walked through, and all closed. The only source of light came from the other end of the hall. I passed a small, white-tiled foyer and what looked like a front door, or a way to escape.


    The door had five different locks on it. I kept going while I tried to calcte how long it would take me to go through all those locks before I was discovered. A tiny knot loosened inside of me when I noticed my worn, familiar sneakers neatly ced next to the pile ofrge shoes that were on the floor.


    In the living room, Maxine was sprawled on one of the couches, remote control in hand, looking utterly bored. The other man was sitting erect on the edge of an armchair. He shot up and stood as soon as he saw me, his venomous stare unimproved.


    Maxine followed his gaze and narrowed his eyes, as he scanned me head to toe. ¡°You look like crap,¡± he remarked, with a warm smile.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said the only word that came to mind. My voice was still throaty.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± Maxine asked and I nodded.


    He stood up and led me to a small dining space obviously made for just two people. ¡°Hollis is in the kitchen, he will be out pretty soon.¡± He whispered this for God knows why but I nodded.


    ¡°There you are, did you rest well?¡± Came a voice I didn¡¯t fail to recognize.


    I turned to see Hollis strolling out of the kitchen, a cardboard box with green symbols in one hand. There was something decidedly different about him. The worried creases on his forehead and around his eyes were lessened. I couldn¡¯t stop my heart from thudding.


    He was handsome for a Cartel Boss. Feeling the weight of the other man¡¯s stare, I tucked my hair behind my ears and shifted ufortably.


    ¡°Ro, you¡¯re freaking her out.¡± Maxine tapped the man¡¯s arm.


    Hollis¡¯s smile almost reached his eyes. Scoping out of the food from the box into an empty te, he paused and took something out of his pocket and handed it to me. It was a rubber band. My face flushed while he watched me put my hair up. but I felt better, less naked, as soon as my luxury tinted beauty was pulled back.


    Hollis pushed my food to me and I dived in, keeping my eyes down to the table to avoid looking at Ro. I was never the type to be intimidated, n. e. v. e. r. But I guess being faced with the possibility of death could change people¡¯s orientation.


    When I looked up again, Ro had found the edge of his seat again and turned half his attention to the television.


    I started loading food into my mouth while Hollis watched me. Every time I looked up from my te, his eyes were on me.


    ¡°I spoke to your parents.¡± He finally broke the silence. ¡°They know you¡¯re fine, we¡¯re buddies from way back and you¡¯ll stay here for a while.¡±


    ¡°You told them everything?¡± I found my voice.


    ¡°I told them what they needed to know. Not everything actually. It¡¯s not in my ce to do that. You can give them a better exnation when you feel better.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Really.¡± I was happy that I could make calls freely, yet I wondered how my parents took the news. ¡°And they took it well?¡±


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t. But they don¡¯t have a choice as it is.¡±


    I nodded ¡°When can I speak to them?¡±


    ¡°When I¡¯m sure you¡¯re okay.¡±


    There was something unsettling about the way he said it. Like he was certain I would never be okay. Like his interpretation of okay waspletely different from mine.


    ¡°Do you feel better today?¡± He asked, changing the topic.


    I swallowed. ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    He paused and read my face. His eyes narrowed, unsatisfied with what he found. ¡°How¡¯s your head?¡±


    I doubted he knew what a loaded question that was. ¡°My skull is fine.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel dizzy?¡± He asked quickly.


    I brought my spoon to my mouth. ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    He waited, and then he continued, ¡°any throbbing?¡±


    ¡°Just a little bit,¡± I answered truthfully but quickly before he chose to poke and prod my head to catch me in a lie again. He paused and watched.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said finally with satisfaction.


    I breathed a sigh of relief. I had passed his assessment.


    I looked down at my te with surprise. one more spoonful and it would be polished off.


    ¡°More?¡± Hollis asked with amusement when I took myst bite. I thought about it, but shook my head. He took the empty te back into the kitchen. With Hollis¡¯s easy mood and food in my stomach, a lot of food actually, my shoulders were starting to unclench.


    It didn¡¯t ur to me why Hollis was so rxed until he came out of the kitchen and announced his decision, ¡°Maxine¡¯s going to take you for a drive.¡±


    My full stomach dropped to my knees, and Maxine smiled a hideous painful smile that had me going crazy at the spot.


    Ro shot his head up, surprised by the announcement. Apparently Hollis hadn¡¯t shared his n with him.


    Turning to Maxine, he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re taking Ugo to The Garden tonight.¡± He said and his brother nodded but shook his head after a while.


    ¡°Tonight you mean. It¡¯s already getting dark and It will take forever.¡±


    I took a deep breath. I still had hope.


    ¡®Maxine doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s a good time to kill me yet.¡¯


    But Hollis offered incentive. He grabbed a set of keys from the kitchen counter and threw them across the room to Maxine, who caught them.


    His eyes lit up. ¡°Seriously, you want me to take your car.¡± He said, his voice filled with doubt.


    Ro stared at Hollis in disapproval, but kept silent. Not needing any further encouragement, Maxine hastily got up, nced in my general direction and headed for the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go, U.¡± He said.


    My stomach was now down to my toes. Was taking someone to ¡®The Garden¡¯ some kind of code word along the same line as ¡®making someone join their ancestors.¡¯


    Tears sprung to my eyes. I couldn¡¯t breathe. I turned the full focus of my pleadings to Hollis. ¡°Hollis, please don¡¯t do this. I won¡¯t talk, I won¡¯t misbehave, I will do anything you ask of me, I¡¯ll do whatever you want. It doesn¡¯t have to be like this.¡±


    But my handsome Lord¡¯s easy mood turned to ice, and his lips spread thin. ¡°Your shoes are at the door,¡± he said sharply.


    I looked down, my teeth biting into my quivering bottom lip. I went to the front door and slid into my sneakers, not bothering toce them up. By the time I made it out of the apartment, Maxine was already down the hallway, at the elevator, impatiently pressing the button over and over.


    I looked back and saw Hollis¡¯s back was turned, and his arms were tight to his side. I closed the door.


    The hallway was bright, with brick walls painted white and plush carpets. Not the kind of carpet I expected to find in the hallway of an apartment building but the expensive kind that your feet sink into and leave footprints behind when you walk on it barefoot.


    There were only two doors on the floor, the one I had just exited, and the door to the elevator I was about to enter. The apartment, I noted, must have been a penthouse.


    Going down the elevator, Maxine was silent, squirmy, spinning the key ring around his index finger, clearly indifferent that I would be joining him, even if it would only be for a little while, until I was dead.


    The elevator doors opened, and we stepped out into a closed-in garage, with a garage door at the front and aneway only big enough for cars to tightly enter and exit. There were four vehicles in the garage.


    One was a newer model ck pickup truck, and two were beaten-up, rusty cars. The fourth car was an Audi, sleek ck with tinted windows. The Audi beeped as we came closer.


    Maxine jumped right in and started it up. I hesitated, casting my eyes in search of an exit that I might have missed. He rolled down the window and stuck his head out. ¡°You don¡¯t want to try running, do you?¡± He smiled. ¡°If yes, don¡¯t do it. My brother¡¯s kindness has limits. Now get in the car.¡± He said.


    I wasn¡¯t dumb enough to assume that he was being nice or thoughtful of me. My heart pumping through my ears, I climbed into the passenger side, the Audi¡¯s locks clicked shut as soon as I closed the door.

 A Road Trip

    Maxine gripped the steering wheel and side-nced me. ¡°Put your seatbelt on, this is going to be fun.¡±


    I did as I was told, and he hit the red button on the rearview mirror, which caused the garage door to slide open. We drove out onto the gloomy street. Maxine didn¡¯t let go of the gas pedal until we were driving well above the speed limit.


    Darkened street signs shed by. He sped through a red light, swerving around a car that was patiently waiting for its turn.


    ¡®What was the point of making me wear my seatbelt if he was nning on killing the both of us by crashing the car.¡¯


    With an extended grin, he weaved us in and out of traffic. Eventually we moved away from the city streets and onto a country road. We picked up more speed, but at least there were no other cars to y chicken with.


    I was able to unclench my teeth and my stranglehold on the security bar against the door, using my free hand to wipe my newly dampened forehead. The car air-conditioner couldn¡¯t do anything for me.


    With little distraction and the car¡¯s novelty having worn off, Maxine remembered that I was sitting next to him. ¡°Sorry about your head,¡± he said, his eyes still on the road.


    Unprepared for this discovery, I kept quiet. What was I supposed to say. Hitting my head on whatever it was, seemed insignificantpared to what wasing.


    ¡°How did you manage to sneak away from me?¡± He asked, like he was nervous with my silence.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sneak by you,¡± I hissed, my eyes shooting daggers at him. ¡°You were walking too fast and I lost sight of you.¡±


    ¡°Who goes about peeping through closed doors when they miss their way. It¡¯s the craziest thing I¡¯ve ever heard. You¡¯re good at karate right?¡± He asked.


    I nodded, but my lips said something else. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to show me what you¡¯ve got when you¡¯re settled. I could show you one or two tricks for self defense and assault.¡±


    My mind went from a hundred to a sharp ten. ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me tonight!¡± I blurted out.


    ¡°Kill you? Hell no! Why would I do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I thought taking me to The garden was a code word that shared the same meaning with idioms like sending me to meet my ancestors.¡± I confessed.


    Maxine startedughing. ¡°Shit U, what¡¯s going on in that head of yours. I would nevery a finger on you. Not me, not anyone else. You have no reason to be scared Reina.¡±


    I jolted at the name again. ¡°What does that even mean?¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Reina?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Queen.¡± He replied.


    ¡°I am no Queen.¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Oh, but you are. You are my brother¡¯s woman. He¡¯s the Boss, you¡¯re his Queen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nobody¡¯s woman.¡± I rushed at him, hating the sound of the sentence.


    Maxine shrugged. ¡°I stand to be corrected then.¡±


    We passed through yellow road signs with pictures of crumbling rocks shing by us. He was still speeding, but at a more considerable tempo now.


    We were heading into thergely uninhabited mountains. Even though I¡¯ve been assured that today won¡¯t be myst day on earth, I still felt the panic in me.


    A hazy survival tip from one of those crime shows clicked in my head, make the attacker see that you¡¯re a real person, not just a nameless witness to a murder, or something like that.


    ¡°My name is Ugo Chike,¡± I announced. He looked at me like I was crazy. ¡°Right. I¡¯ve forgotten you know that already. You told me yours, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked, my full stomach lurching as the Audi sped into a curve.


    He nodded. ¡°Maxine.¡±


    ¡°My mom¡¯s name is Ada and we call my dad Papa-Bear. And he met my mum at a health summit they both attended and exchanged contacts. I was named after my grandmother. I am awyer, or I used to be one. I love my body and skin so much that I spend a reasonable chunk of my sry on the gym, karate sses, yoga and appointments with my nutritionist and dermatologist. I have a best friend, the best girl in the whole world. I don¡¯t want to share her name¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve met her, once.¡± He said, pushing me to pause. But I refused to stop talking. It was better than being terrified.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever want to get married, I hatemitments and high expectations¡­.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s going on? Are you high on drugs, are you scared? What¡¯s with the influx of information.¡± He asked, finally slowing the Audi down. There was incredulity mixed with an edge of worry in his voice.


    ¡°So marriage is not¡­..¡± I meant to continue but I felt a knot in my throat. My heart started racing, and my body temperature went up a thousand degrees. ¡°Oh God!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°U, what is the problem, talk to me.¡± he sighed, worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be sick.¡± I started heaving my hand in front of my mouth.


    ¡°Hold on. Keep it in.¡± He stretched to the back of the car seat and pulled out a stic bag, emptying its contents, he gave it to me.


    I pulled the bag open and I threw up immediately, repeatedly.


    ¡°Gross.¡± He gasped, opening his window.


    The fresh air that came in from the opened window made me feel better, plus I had nothing left in my stomach to puke up anyway.


    After a few minutes, I pulled my face away from the bag and nced up. He was ring at me, wincing. His face had gone from rosy-cheeked to pale and worried.


    ¡°Throw the bag out the window,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a stic bag. It will take over a hundred years to disintegrate. I don¡¯t want to pollute¡­.¡±


    ¡°U. g. o,¡± he said, carefully enunciating every syble, throw the fucking bag out the window.¡±


    I sighed and reluctantly threw the bag out my window. But I didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit guilty as I watched him breathe through his nausea.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, trying to not mock him.


    ¡°That¡¯s the grossest thing I¡¯ve seen in a while. Now I¡¯m kinda d we didn¡¯t take my car.¡± His voice trailed back into his head. ¡°Ugh!¡± he groaned dramatically a few secondster.


    Tired and worn out, I let my head fall back into the seat and closed my eyes.

 Reality Struck

    I was awakened by the distant sound of the television. Immediately I opened my eyes, I saw Maxine cropped up on a chair at the end of the room.


    ¡°Wee back to thend of the living,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I croaked, sitting up on the bed and surveying the empty room that had only a bed and a television.


    Maxine stretched his arms, and sighed. ¡°Home, The Garden.¡±


    ¡°Thank God.¡± I sighed, before realizing what he meant. ¡°You mean your home is referred to as The Garden?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± He hummed.


    ¡°Gross.¡± I spat out.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good name.¡± He stood up. ¡°Hollis totally owe me for this.¡± He murmured and left the room, not even saying a goodbye or any other word.


    My throat felt raw, and my body, emotionally exhausted. I could feel dark istion seeping through the room like deep depression. I just wanted to go home, to go shopping, boat cruises, clubhouses and the courtroom. I wanted my life back.


    But even I know I couldn¡¯t. Not with the continuous attempt on my life and with my father¡¯s life at stake.


    I wondered what lies in wait for me henceforth. Maybe breaking my spirit and instilling fear in me was part of the preparation.


    As if in the know, a knock came on the door and Hollis stepped in. ¡°Get off the bed Ugo. Ro will take you up to our room.¡± He said, voice emotionless.


    I stood up from the bed, trying to gather my thoughts. Our room, he said. ¡®Are we going to share a room?¡¯. I wondered. ¡°Are we going to share a room?¡± I asked out loud when I couldn¡¯t keep it in.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You agreed to this, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Then move your legs.¡± He said.


    I looked at him, searched his face for that calm, young man that had been trying so hard to woo me non-stop but saw nothing. Nobody would say he was currently forcing me to do anything per se, I agreed to it .


    It didn¡¯t matter if I liked the choices, I still made a decision. ¡°I¡¯m not sharing a room with you.¡± I stated, at least I didn¡¯t sign away my freedom of speech too.


    ¡°That is exactly what you are going to do,¡± he insisted.


    Hollis called me closer with his fingers, ¡°You will do as I say.¡± He told me once I came closer.


    I avoided his gaze, but stood rooted on the floor.


    ¡°Which way?¡± I asked, gaze still downcast.


    ¡°Are you talking to me or your shoes, Ugo?¡± He asked such an annoying question.


    ¡°You.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Look at me.¡±


    I shook my head. Looking at him would obviously mean falling into a trap. The drum of tears I¡¯ve been battling so hard to keep at bay would definitely get broken.


    He waited, obviously thinking that I would be able to gather enough courage to look at him. But then he gave up when I didn¡¯t. ¡°That way,¡± he pointed.


    ¡°Lead the way then.¡± I told him refusing to give it another thought.


    He pulled my arm gently and drew me even closer to him. ¡°I am not your warden, Ugo,¡± he said, watching as I blinked up at him through watery eyes. ¡°I am the Boss, he added. ¡°Don¡¯t ever forget that.¡±


    I pulled my hand away from him and saw the smirk on his lips. ¡°I do forget how much you¡¯ve built your strength and stamina. You might need some taming.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not some toy to you, am I?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve fully grasped the deal you signed. But I guarantee that it will all sink-in in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Does this deal state that I¡¯m your prisoner too?¡± He said he wasn¡¯t my warden, wasn¡¯t he? Because I was so certain that I wouldn¡¯t be permitted to leave the premises. Not without him seeking out and ughtering everyone I loved.


    I would never let that happen. I actually felt a little whish from the whole thing and It didn¡¯t even help that I¡¯d witnessed a gruesome murder or that I was being used as some sort of white g to stop the wrath of the so-called Boss on my father.


    To even realize that if I didn¡¯t let myself be used that way, my loved ones would die made it all worse. With all the thoughts roaming through my head, it was no wonder that I felt a little unstable on my own two feet. And as for my head, well, it kept shooting off in a dozen different directions every second. I needed to focus!


    I was going to spend several months with this man, a killer, a monster in a man¡¯s clothing. I¡¯ll have to endure whatever he¡¯s going to throw at me for months. I was fucked up, no matter how I chose to look at it.


    Even if he was objectively-attractive, darkly-attractive, if that was a thing. He was still a psychopath who used his position, power and money to bend people to his will. That was the kind of evil bastard I just got myself mixed up with. He wasn¡¯t an angel. My senses were slowly bing clearer and suddenly, I was doing all the thinking I should have done before cing my signature on that stupid sheet of paper.


    ¡°Ugo,¡± Hollis¡¯ voice snapped, the sound like a whip cracking in the empty room. I raised my head up to find him looking down at me, those dark eyes unreadable.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Move,¡± he said, tone impatient.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting you upset already.¡± I chuckled. ¡°This has always been your n. You couldn¡¯t just handle a simple rejection. So, you had to sit down in that little pissy chair of yours and craft out a n to get me tangled up in your deadly life, right?¡±


    ¡°If only you knew what I¡¯m doing for you, you would owe me your life.¡±


    I startedughing, I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Well you¡¯re in luck, at least you¡¯ll have me in your space in theing months.¡±


    ¡°Ugo!¡± He snapped again. ¡°Move,¡± he warned sternly.


    ¡°This was all your n.¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed as his hand grabbed mine. And I could swear that it didn¡¯t leave a strange spark on my nerves. If it did, it was because I was pissed that he was touching me. That was the only logical exnation. ¡°But you are the one being difficult,¡± he added as he moved ahead and pulled me along.


    ¡°Look who said he wasn¡¯t my warden,¡± I grumbled


    ¡°If you were expecting a soft-romantic man, Ugo, you are very much mistaken. You had the opportunity once and you threw it away.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want romance from you,¡± I insisted. ¡°Why would I, for god¡¯s sake.¡±


    We were now in an open corridor. Ro stood like a statue at the end of the room, staring into space. Two other guards stood at a reasonable distance, taking the same stance. I snatched my hand back from him, crossing it over my chest.


    ¡°Good. Then that¡¯s settled. But make no mistake, he turned ¡°I¡¯m going to take my pleasure from you, how and when I deem it fit.¡± He threatened.


    ¡°You dare not!¡± I challenged, creating a distance between us.


    ¡°Really,¡± he mused. ¡°Let¡¯s see how that goes.¡±


    ¡°Every single thing about this situation is disappointing,¡± I corrected him, feeling my jaw quiver. I had a temper. So I try so hard to always remain happy and positive.


    And that was why I surrounded myself with people that really love and care about me. They all knew and understood how bad my temper used to be.


    As a form of control, I would always remain cool and calm in situations I have no power over. Until I grab a full picture of the situation. But then, in some conditions, I almost always end up crying when I get angry. It was frustrating and embarrassing and something my best friend had teased me about a lot.


    Hollis mouth opened as if he was going to snap back at me before he shut it again, thinking for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was calm, patient even. ¡°You will learn that there are benefits to being with me.¡±


    ¡°Touche. You might end up dead one morning.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°And you¡¯ll be my killer?¡± He asked as one of his dark brows rose.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re giving yourself too much credit, Ugo.¡± I couldn¡¯t decide if he was surprised, amused or annoyed. Or maybe all of them at the same time. ¡°But I¡¯m banking on that,¡± he added.


    ¡°I imagine there are at least a dozen men who want you dead.¡±


    ¡°Yes, even more than a dozen.¡± He said, shrugging it off.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll just wait it out then.¡±


    ¡°You should.¡± He nodded, pretending to think it through. ¡°Someone might beat you to it.¡±

 My Prison

    Ro and I followed the overlyrge corridor and came to the foot of the stairs. We climbed the stairs quietly. He kept mute all through while I hung my head low, tired and withdrawn.


    We made it through the double rows of stairs and came to a closed door. Ro ced his thumb in a scanner ced beside the wall and the door clicked open. When he closed it behind me, he tried to sh a smile but decided against it. Maybe because It didn¡¯t seem like I was interested.


    ¡°The door is bulletproof,¡± he told me. But I didn¡¯t respond.


    We passed through a quiet smaller short corridor and came to another closed door. He punched a couple of numbers and just like the other one, the door opened up again and we stepped into the most lovely sitting room I¡¯ve ever set my eyes on.


    I don¡¯t know what I thought the home of a man like Hollis would be like. But this was definitely the real definition of wealthy. It was homey. I guess I thought a man like him would be all about that awful, industrial look. But no, the whole space felt warm and inviting, a bit masculine, but not in an oppressive way.


    The living room was connected to a kitchen and arge, pine-colored dining table. It had brown leather furniture, the soft kind that seemed to form around your body as you sunk into it. There was a firece made of stones stacked to the high ceiling, with an oversized t screen television that hung above its mantel. A gigantic kitchen separated the living room from the dining table. it had two of almost every appliance. Two restaurant-sized refrigerators, two microwaves, two toasters, two dishwashers, but only one oven. And the dining table looked big enough to seat ten people.


    My eyes drafted round the room all at once andter settled on the closed door at the end of the room. The bedroom, I figured. And there was only one.


    I tried not to focus on that, It wouldn¡¯t do me any good. I focused on the space instead. It was huge. Windows lined the whole front of the building, letting in a fair amount of light, but there was some kind of film on them that didn¡¯t let ite inpletely. I moved closer towards the kitchen to appreciate the beautiful work of whomever is the interior designer. I loved to eat, but I could offer only the barest minimum when ites to cooking. Let¡¯s say my cooking skills need some honing.


    The thought of cooking for Hollis came to my mind and Iughed at how hideous the n was. He would end up vomiting his intestines. I was that girl that was always busy learning stuff with Daddy that I barely had time to visit the kitchen and my mother was that woman that didn¡¯t give a fucking fuck If I knew how to cook or not.


    Her motto has always been, focus on your damn academics and make us proud. When the timees, hire a goddamn cook or youe home and learn from me. Pathetic!


    ¡°You¡¯re free to roam around,¡± Ro said, ¡°It¡¯s yours now too,¡± he added, and his words were like a kick to the stomach.


    It was mine now. Because I would never see my own apartment for the next couple of months. Okay, admittedly, this one was much nicer than mine, but mine wasn¡¯t so bad and it was full of the love I¡¯d put into it. It was my safe space, the one ce in the world I could go to when everything felt like it was falling apart, all I had to do was bundle under the covers and recover.


    I was not going to that for a very long while. This would be my home for now. This magnificent looking apartment was owned by a man who had somehow conned me into agreeing to live under the same roof with him for a specific number of days.


    A pathetic whimpering sound rose up my throat. My gaze shot over toward Ro, not wanting him to hear if I was about to have another weak, emotional moment. I opened my mouth to say something to him about exploring every part of the house before I remembered his words. ¡®This was mine now.¡¯ I didn¡¯t need to exin myself to him.


    Squaring my shoulders and lifting my chin, even if my insides felt like they were shaking. I made my way across the apartment toward the closed door that led to what I assumed was the bedroom. It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to be in Hollis¡¯s bedroom. In fact, it was thest ce I wanted to be.


    But it was the only ce I could escape for a little while. I needed to get myself together. I might have been stuck in an impossible situation, but I was not going to let Hollis see that he was getting the better of me. I needed to wash my face. I needed to give myself a pep talk. And then I slip behind a shield of cold indifference.


    It was the only way I was going to make it through today and maybe every other day.


    The door to Hollis¡¯s bedroom stared steadily at me, there was a moment of hesitation as I reached toward the handle, The knob turned in my hand, and I felt a trip in my heartbeat as I pushed it open. Some twisted depth of my mind had me wondering if this was going to turn into some cheesy erotic fiction movie, and I was going to walk into a sex dungeonplete with whips and chains.


    ¡®Imaginations.¡¯


    But I simply walked into a bedroom. The bed was big, too big, a kingsized four-poster bed that was ced against the wall nearest to the door.


    The room had its floor-to-ceiling windows, it had that same openness as the living room, but the walls here were much darker, with mahogany-stained wood panels up to my shoulders and dark gray paint up to the high ceiling. Again, the room had a masculine touch.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I took a few steps inside to assess my new prison. It was nice, cozy, with no metal bars.


    The sight of leftover bottle water ced on a nightstand indicated the part of the bed Hollis sleeps in. A gorgeous looking wristwatch was left beside the bottle of water, close to the edge of the nightstand that It felt like It would fall and shatter into pieces pretty soon if I don¡¯t push it back in. I wanted to push it in, but at the same time, the evil-petty genie in me didn¡¯t want me to. Why should I care if his fancy wrist watch gets ruined. I wasn¡¯t the one that kept it there, was I?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t even supposed to be helping the man who¡¯s trying so hard to lord over me. I should be walking round the house causing chaos upon chaos until he decides that the best thing to do would be to let me go.


    But I couldn¡¯t do all of that, such actions might put my loved ones in danger if Hollis decides to start threatening me with my family. There was no need pushing the man to the wall. He might resort to the unthinkable.


    ¡°At least my prison is a little haven,¡± I mumbled to myself.

 Questions

    I moved past the bed to the far end of the room and saw an explicit and carefully painted image of Einstein. Perfect and looking original.


    That alone was proof that Hollis was a lover of art. Everything about the painting was soothing to my spirit.


    Done with a general survey of the bedroom, I walked over to the bathroom. A low groan of satisfaction shot through me because it was the bathroom of my dreams with its ss shower enclosure with multiple shower heads as well as a bathtub at one end. The sleek design, modern looking essories and perfect lighting made me gasp in appraisal. The interior decorator deserves everything beautiful.


    The thoughtful ensemble all came together to give the space a sexy look. A look that I haven¡¯t even seen in movies before.


    The oval moss-green bath tub was to the side of the space. Same as the double sink vanities. Even the sinks themselves and the toilet were the same color as the bathtub. Everything looked so perfect, enchanting and inviting. I shrugged, thinking it was a good thing that I liked it since I would be using it everyday. And it was a step up from the lovely, not-so-sleek bathroom in my apartment.


    Curious, I moved toward the vanity that looked like it belonged to Hollis. There was a hanging set of drawers below it. Opening up one of the drawers, I picked up a little ck bottle of cologne amongst the others that were lined up in the drawer. I took a sniff. ¡®Oh heavens! Such an enchanting fragrance for a handsome man.¡± I grumbled as my body responded to the thick-lush scent.


    cing it right back, I caught a short glimpse of myself in the mirror and froze. I looked every bit as hideous as that wicked she-devil from maleficent.


    Although I knew I must be looking rough, but seeing myself in the mirror, the reality was worse than I thought. My eyes were puffy and my cheeks looked raw from tears. I didn¡¯t want to be worried about my looks, besides I didn¡¯t n on looking pretty for anyone in this god-forsaken ce.


    Yet I found myself grabbing a sheet from the roll of face wipe ced on the vanity and I went to work on my face until I got my face looking a lot better and less terrible. Reaching up, I pulled the band out of my hair and shook the strands out over my shoulders as I took a few deep, steadying breaths.


    I had spent thousands of dors on this hair but seeing how unkempt it looks on the mirror almost broke my heart.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Ugh!¡± I eximed.


    It was pointless to freak out with everything happening. After all, It won¡¯t change my fate. What I have to do now is to focus on how to work the whole situation to my advantage.


    There has to be a way, even if nothing wasing to me at the moment. I thrashed the third face wipe into the bin beside the bathroom door, then moved toward the only other door in the room.


    Opening it, I found myself in a mini hallway that went off in both directions. A massive, as in m. a. s. s. i. v. e walk-in closet. The left side was filled with Hollis¡¯s wardrobe while the right side, well let¡¯s see.


    I walked over to the right side and froze. The familiar sight of my Aqua-blue stringed-red gown stared at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m fucking dreaming.¡± I exhaled. ¡°What is happening?¡± I started surfing through the closet. Almost all my designer outfits were right there. But there was a difference, they all looked brand new, like they¡¯ve never been worn before or maybe they were dry-cleaned. I had no fuckin idea. But, they were all my clothes.


    Did Hollis break into my home at Fairview. What is really happening? I tucked my hair behind my ears. I was not dreaming. The whole thing was fucking real. Who is this man, really.


    There were my shoes, but they were all new. Their soles look unworn. That was the shocker, I¡¯ve worn most of these shoes. Unless he bought new ones in the exact colors and inches, there was no way my old shoes would look this brand new.


    My favorite bags were there, all brand new. Wigs, underwear.


    I moved over to the jewelry chest beside my closet. All my favorite jewelry was there. My wristwatches, everything.


    Then it struck me. I rushed back to the bathroom and opened the drawers hanging below the vanity that looked like it belonged to me. Right there were my perfumes, my make-up, all in their right shades.


    ¡°Christ!¡± I gasped, taking a few steps back.


    He couldn¡¯t have done this in just hours or days. He¡¯s been nning this all along. He must have broken into my home to know the things to buy.


    What if he¡¯s been the one making the attempts on my life only to turn around and act as my savior. What if he intentionally set my father up just to make my presence here happen. Have I gotten myself entangled with a freak? I broke into sweat.


    I moved to the bedroom, unsure of what to do with myself and suspicion. I started pacing the room for a few useless moments, needing to spend my nervous energy. Once I was starting to calm down, I sat down on the floor at the foot of the bed. What did I get myself into?


    I felt the soft feel of the bed on my skin and crazy imaginative images of myself and Hollis on the bed shed through my head. He said it, he was going to demand his pleasure from me however and whenever he wanted.


    Which meant I was going to need to endure sex with him. Does it also mean that he would take it even if I wasn¡¯t willing, I hope not. But I was certain of something, I would never be willing to offer him anything. Or would I?


    I closed my eyes, and imagined trying to escape from this prison. It isn¡¯t a thought I ought to rule outpletely. There was still a possibility that it could happen.


    The first step would be to leave his apartment and maybe stroll through the whole house and catch a glimpse of what the outside looks like as well. Then I¡¯ll set my n in motion.


    ¡°Fuckkkkkkkk!¡± I just remembered my parents. They will always be the easiest target if I run off. I was fucked for real.


    My father would be ming himself right now. And I had no way of reaching out to tell him that this was my choice, that I would do anything to save him and my mom.


    My mother, God! My mother was going to be a wreck. An absolute wreck. Especially because I don¡¯t even know how long it would take Hollis to let me speak to her.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bed right behind you,¡± the deep, smooth, silky voice said, making my whole body jolt as my eyes shot open, finding Hollis standing just inside the doorway.

 Who Want Me Dead?

    ¡°That¡¯s your bed. I¡¯m yet to see mine.¡± I said, voice rough.


    That damn brow of his, arched again and I decided it was a condescending movement. And I hated him even more for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s your bed too now.¡± he said, shrugging.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather sleep on the floor,¡± I grumbled.


    Hollis ignored me. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have some questions.¡± He started, taking a seat on his part of the bed. ¡°I¡¯m here to answer all of them.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful.¡± I mumbled. ¡°What are my clothes doing in there?¡± I pointed to the closet door.¡±


    ¡°Ugo, sit down on the bed, let¡¯s talk. You can¡¯t sit on the floor.¡± I hesitated. ¡°Come on¡­. you don¡¯t have to be mad at me forever. I¡¯ll tell you anything you want. But first, you need to sit down here.¡± He tapped the bed, making a sound.


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± I said and slowly stood up from the floor. I went over to the other side of the bed that was meant to be mine and sat down, facing the wall, with an enormous space between us.


    ¡°So¡­.¡± I waited.


    ¡°I had to protect you. Part of the measures I took while doing that was to get a duplicate of your house key.¡± He responded casually, not a bit worried or sorry for the invasion of privacy.


    ¡°How did you get my house key in the first ce?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I have my ways.¡±


    ¡°So do you still have it now, the duplicate?¡± He nodded. ¡°Can I have it?¡±


    He sighed, brought out a bunch of keys from his pocket. He pulled out a single key and pushed it across the bed to my side. I almost screamed down the room in anger, but I held it in.


    I picked up the key and continued. ¡°So the clothes, shoes and the rest, how did youe about all of them?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately. So, I figured he was taking his time to arrange his words.


    ¡°I bought them from their designers, all of them. Some were out of stock, but I had them remake one for you.¡±


    I startedughing hysterically. ¡°How long have you been nning this, all of this.¡± I curved my hands in circles demonstrating what I meant.


    ¡°Ugo, can we talk about¡­.¡±


    ¡°How long!¡± I snapped at him. Oh my temper, it¡¯s definitely going to put me in real trouble.


    ¡°After the first attempt on your life.¡± He replied.


    ¡°So the attempts on my life, was it you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He sprang up from the bed. ¡°Hell no! I would never do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Then who the fuck want me dead?¡± I started sobbing. I knew the tears were going toe. I couldn¡¯t hold them back anymore. They just had toe. ¡°Who wants me dead, please?¡± I sobbed uncontrobly.


    He walked over to my side of the bed and held me closer to him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t cry for anybody Ugo. I want you to always see an opportunity in every situation and think of the best way to use it to your advantage. That¡¯s how I live my life and it works for me.¡± I heard him say.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    He sat beside me. ¡°The Morello case, why didn¡¯t you withdraw the case and have an amicable settlement when you were asked to?¡±


    Yet another information this man had ess to without me telling him. ¡°My client refused to withdraw the case. His wife was killed for crying out loud.¡±


    ¡°Was that all?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®was that all¡¯. Didn¡¯t you hear me, his wife was murdered.¡±


    ¡°I heard you all right. But he was offered money, millions of dors, he refused to let the case slide.¡±


    ¡°He obviously wanted justice for his wife.¡± I stressed.


    ¡°You know he was cheating on his wife, right? And he was already nning on eloping with his lover before the incident happened.¡±


    I became silent. I didn¡¯t know this. The man that came to our firm was disoriented, and depressed. ¡°No, I had no idea.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Someone gave you money to continue with the case, no matter what. Did you take the money?¡±


    ¡°Jesus!¡± I eximed. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Hollis took my hand. ¡°Morello was my cousin, and he died in prison.¡± I pulled my hand away from him instantly and moved a few distance away from him while holding his gaze.


    Next, I bolted to the door, tears blurring my vision. I was fucked up. This was now looking a lot like revenge. I needed to run far away from Hollis, from everyone, including my family.


    ¡°Ugo, sit down.¡± He called not moving a single part of his body aside his mouth.


    ¡°No,¡± I sobbed, turning the door knob to find that it was locked. The tears were flowing freely now. ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me.¡± I was sobbing profusely at this point.


    Hollis stood up from the bed and came to meet me. He took my hand and pulled me with absolute gentleness toward the bed.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a request, so I sat.


    ¡°I¡¯m not killing anybody,¡± he said, ¡°but there are people after your life. Most of them are members of my family. That is why I brought you here. I need to keep you alive and in order to do that, you have to be my woman for a while, at least.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, not like this.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes Ugo, yes, like this. It¡¯s the only way to keep you safe. No one would ever dare touch you once they know you belong to me, not even my father. You¡¯ll go back out there after a while. But by then, you¡¯ll be untouchable because you belong to me.¡±


    ¡°I belong to you? Jesus Christ! Why¡­ why are you doing this?¡±


    He stood up and paced a little. ¡°My cousin messed up, okay. I found out he was involved in human trafficking. He was trafficking young women to some men in the Mafia. We don¡¯t allow that, Ugo.¡±


    He looked at me and I nodded, trying to make him see that I was following whatever he was saying.


    ¡°Women are off limits, so is any form of human trafficking. He got set up by someone, Frick. That was how he was caught. I should have stood for him, pulled some strings, but I wanted him to be taught some hard lessons. So, I did nothing and I warned everyone to do nothing. But when my father couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he went behind me to offer the victim¡¯s husband some money. Unfortunately, Frick was on top of his game. He doubled the money for the victim¡¯s husband.¡±


    ¡°So, why am I being targeted? I was just doing my job as hiswyer.¡± I whined.


    ¡°Because Morello is dead. He is family and it¡¯s only logical that his death is avenged. It¡¯s something that has to do with honor. As a family, we are bound to give him that honor, the respect.¡±


    I slumped to the floor. ¡°So, I¡¯m safe for now until?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re safe for now Ugo.¡± He replied simply.

 A Subtle Trap

    ¡°What about the victim¡¯s husband?¡±


    ¡°Dead.¡±


    ¡°His lover that you spoke about?¡±


    ¡°Dead.¡±


    ¡°This Frick of a guy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be dead soon.¡±


    ¡°God, he deserves it for putting me in this mess. I were just a pawn in his stupid game.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to squeeze out an apology from him before killing him. Do you want that?¡±


    Surprisingly, I nodded before recollecting what my nod meant. ¡°I¡­. I don¡¯t mean it like¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have it Ugo. Anything you wish. Don¡¯t feel sorry about a thing. You want something, own up to it. Now sit on the bed.¡±


    I pulled myself up on the bed hurriedly. ¡°So what now?¡± My voice was low, all that anger thrown a thousand miles away.


    ¡°Do you still think I did the wrong thing having you here with me?¡± He waited.


    I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a better answer.¡± He said. ¡°I know you still have more questions, but I think we¡¯ve had enough for today.¡±


    I honestly agreed with him. I¡¯ve had enough for one day. One more revtion from him, and I might just loose my fuckin mind. I had a lot to ask him, how my father got involved in all of this. How he ns on convincing his family not to kill me, what role I¡¯m expected to y in all of this and a lot more. But for now, I¡¯ve heard enough that couldst me for a few days.


    ¡°Shower up ande to the living room when you¡¯re done,¡± Hollis said, interrupting my thoughts. He stood for a minute, looking around in awkward silence, we avoided looking at each other. Then without saying anything else, he turned around, closing the door behind him.


    I emerged from the bathroom feeling and smelling like myself again. But when I heard roaringughtering from the living room, I knew Hollis wouldn¡¯t be alone.


    I skipped through my wardrobe for a simple dress, but all the clothes there were just too beautiful to wear at home. Aside my designer clothes, Hollis got even more outfits for me and strangely, this warmed my heart.


    Finally settling for one, I pulled their dress over my head, and took a little extra time to de-tangle my hair. Thanks to Hollis for my readily avable hair products.


    Satisfied that I was looking presentable enough, I started heading towards the door and perceived something, the smell of food, real food. My stomach rumbled hungrily. I didn¡¯t even know what time it was, but it felt like I hadn¡¯t eaten in days.


    My feet started moving towards the source of the tantalizing aroma. I was out of the room in no time. I walked into the living room on Hollis, Maxine and Ro. The brothers were busy in the kitchen, while Ro stood at a corner smiling at their jokes.


    ¡°Ugo,¡± Hollis called on seeing me, making me jolt, not knowing he could even see me from his position. ¡°You need to eat,¡± he added.


    ¡°What did you order?¡± I asked simply.


    ¡°Order? No,¡± he said handing a paper towel to Maxine, who had his sleeves rolled up just like him.


    My eyes rested on Hollis¡¯s strong, tanned forearms and his very pricey-looking wrist watch. It looked like a pair to one of the wristwatches I saw in my jewellery shelf. But what was more enticing than seeing him looking casual was the fact that he was now scooping something out of a pot.


    ¡°You cooked?¡± I asked, registering what his presence in the kitchen could mean. Did he really cook? He looked too damn sophisticated to be struggling with dishes and cookers in the kitchen.


    But then again that would be a win for me. I wouldn¡¯t have to bother myself so much about cooking. Plus, I¡¯ll definitely eat good food and not end up struggling with tasteless meals.


    It¡¯s a win for me. Small wins, I need to start counting them.


    ¡°Come sit.¡± He demanded, putting the te of food on the dinning table.


    I was literally shocked, too surprised and very hungry to object. I sat down and he started scooping out food for me. Two more tes were ced on the table and he put even more food.


    Maxine soon joined us and it became a sort of family dinner with a guest.


    ¡°Creamy Parpadelle and Asparagus¡± Hollis said, in the most self-assured, rehearsed way of someone who made and served food frequently to guests.


    I tried so hard to picture him serving guests cheerfully and wholeheartedly, but the image refused to form in my head.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°White or red?¡± He asked, making me look up to find two bottles of wine on the table.


    I wanted to sound polite, to bury the hatchet at least for the time being. But being me, I would always do what I know how to do best.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know the answer to that from all the stalking you¡¯ve done of me?¡±


    Maxine¡¯s lips twitched briefly and went back to it¡¯s normal position. He shoved some food into his mouth, minding his business literally.


    Hollis insufferable brow arched again, goddammit. ¡°Red it is then.¡± He filled a ss and ced it in front of my te.


    ¡°Eat.¡± He ordered and I went ahead.


    I felt a bit bothered that I hadn¡¯t spoken with Maxine since I came into the living room. The young man had been nothing but nice to me but at that moment, I had no words in my mouth and luckily when Hollis took a seat, the two men went on without me, discussing about a ne that was carrying people with Molly and the best possible way to go about bombing it. When I couldn¡¯t keep shut anymore, I cleared my throat for the hundredth time to gain their attention.


    ¡°Out with it.¡± Hollis finally said, turning to me.


    ¡°Ehhh, what?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me change my mind, Ugo¡±


    I scratched my headzily. ¡°I was listening to your conversation.¡± I confessed.


    ¡°And?¡± He queried.

 A Tale

    ¡°The ne would obviously have other passengers, innocent people. Bombing it would mean spilling a lot of blood and it would attract the media.¡± I said looking at both brothers.


    ¡°Yes, it will.¡± Maxine agreed, speaking for the first time since I entered the room.


    ¡°But the media might be unable to get anything tangible since the location of the bombing would put the ne in the sea.¡± Hollis added.


    ¡°Yes, true.¡± I agreed. ¡°But what if the transporters like you call them are not carrying a lot of molly. Let¡¯s look at it this way, from your conversation, you said there will be a few transporters on the ne. Now these transporters will only carry a few kilogram of Molly at a time. When you get the possible figures of the transporters and get the amount of Molly they are carrying, do you think it would be worth bombing the ne for that amount of Molly.¡±


    ¡°Good point.¡± Hollis hummed. ¡°So, what better alternative do you have?¡±


    ¡°If you really need to stop the transporters, you could identify them and neutralize them before they head to their destinations from the airport. Get a family member, anything to force their cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Or shot the motherfuckers down.¡± Maxine slid in.


    ¡°There is that too. But, I believe there are other less bloody approaches.¡± I fused in.


    Hollis stared at me from under hisshes and Maxine chuckled. ¡°I knew you had it in you, the Boss spirit.¡± He said to a confused me. Looking at his brother, he shook his head to the side in the ¡®I told you so¡¯ pattern. ¡°Bad Ass.¡± He said.


    Hollis stared at me for a while and tapped me gently on the arm. ¡°Eat your food, Ugo.¡±


    I looked at him and then his brother. Then It finally clicked. It was a trap. Their conversation was a set-trap. They wanted to note my reaction. A trap and I failed. Gosh!


    Refusing to kill myself with worry, I turned to my food. The food, though, God, the food was impable. I was actually a bit jealous that Hollis could cook that well.


    Ro was the one to clear the table. And then, Hollis asked me to join them downstairs so that he can take me round the house. Over the roof with joy, I fell in step behind him but he pulled me to his side and held my hand until we got to the overlyrge corridor downstairs.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show you around.¡± Hollis said, dragging me gently, before curling his hand at the small of my back.


    By the time I realized the position of his hand, he was already drawing me closer. Maxine smiled at me and left with Ro.


    ¡°Where are we exactly.¡± I probed.


    ¡°Willowbrook.¡±


    ¡°Were not in Lilycity anymore.¡± I said before I had time to take the shock out of my voice.


    He peered from the corner of his eye. Willowbrook is a different state, yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said slowly and took a breath while he kept his eye on my expression.


    ¡°This is your home, I guess.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And yours too, while you¡¯re here. This ce was basically just a barn when I bought it, but I had it fixed up. Pulled it all to the floor, and redid it from scratch. Everything here is new.¡± He led me through the back door, past a kitchen, toward a hallway.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ro, Nero, Castello.¡± He pointed out as we passed each of the three doors on our left.


    He pushed Ro¡¯s door open. The room looked untouched. The bed was made up so tight that you could bounce a dime off it.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Nero and Castello?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t miss Nero,¡± he chuckled, ¡°He¡¯s one of my best men. Tough and friendly.¡±


    ¡°And Castello?¡±


    ¡°My cousin. He¡¯s not around at the moment. He travelled, for a course.¡±


    ¡°Castello, sounds nice.¡± I said and caught him slightly rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Oh well, let¡¯s be grateful he¡¯s not home.¡± He hummed.


    I chuckled. ¡°So Maxine doesn¡¯t have a room here?¡±


    ¡°Nope. His house isn¡¯t too far from here. He prefers his space. But he uses one of the guestrooms if there¡¯s need for that.¡± He exined as he opened one of the double doors at the end of the hall.


    When we walked through the double-doors, Hollis watched as my chin dropped. It was a room of tall bookshelves and pale suede chairs and couch. The high ceiling had exposed dark wood beams that ran across it.


    There was a firece between the two long windows that faced the back of the property, and the opposite wall wasyered of soft gray and rose stones.


    ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous,¡± I whispered, instinctively letting my hand slide over the stones as I strolled deeper into the room.


    ¡°Nobody ever uses this room,¡± he said after a barely audible clearing of his throat. ¡°I brought some of your books here. All your books, actually.¡± He said, pointing to the shelves.


    ¡°Wow!¡± I gasped, totally short of words. I didn¡¯t know if it was best to pick offence at the intrusion or not. But, I was happy. Having my books meant reading as much as necessary.


    I folded my arms and investigated the books on the shelves, rising up and down on my tiptoes, while Hollis stood by. Every single thing was there.


    ¡°There¡¯s a piano in the corner. You cane here and y whenever you want,¡± he told me.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put anyone through that kind of torture.¡± I murmured.


    ¡°What! don¡¯t you y, I saw a piano at your home?¡±


    There was usation in his tone and I could feel myself reddening as I understood he must have gone through the stress of getting a piano because he thought I y.


    ¡°I went through annoying piano lessons all through my childhood courtesy of mum and her music-tutor friend Miss Calista.¡± I exined dully. ¡°My mum believed that I¡¯ve got the fingers of a good pianist and Miss Calista believed I was created to be a lot of amazing things but being a pianist was not one of it.


    Hollis chuckled. ¡°She ended up running off one day, using me of purposefully being tone deaf. Mum said she had a nervous breakdown afterwards.¡±


    Hollis eyes widened, and suddenly a full bellowedugh escaped him. It was so unexpected, that I took a step back. I noticed something different about him, something that had been there since he arrived that morning, something that had only intensified since we got downstairs. The tired and anxious creases around his eyes were almost gone and he looked decidedly younger.


    It was like a mask had been taken off or put on. I couldn¡¯t be sure but I liked it more than I ought to. We headed back through the foyer and continued on our way.

 Nothing Is Too Much

    ¡°How old are you, Hollis.¡± I wondered aloud as we walked into a den.


    ¡°This is where the guards hang out when they¡¯re not working,¡± he exined.


    The space had everything to keep overgrown children entertained. A stocked kitchen, ping-pong and pool table, a big screen Television, and a wall of movies and video games. It also had patio doors that opened up onto a pool outside.


    ¡°Are you avoiding my question on purpose?¡± I put to him.


    ¡°What. Oh, I¡¯m thirty,¡± he answered, distracted.


    We made our way down another hallway. ¡°Some of the night guards sleep in here,¡± he whispered, pointing at the bedroom doors that were closed.


    I could hear off-tempo snoring and wheezing through the door. At the end of the hall was a room, housing a fully equipped gym with windows that looked out onto the pool.


    There were two men in the middle of the room and arge opened box next to them. ¡°It¡¯s a high-speed treadmill,¡± Hollis announced. ¡°I had the the room fixed up as a gym and some of the extra equipments installed so that you can still do the same stuff you normally do.¡±


    We paused to watch the confused men arguing over the instructions manual, surrounded by pieces of something. ¡°Well, he added, it will eventually be a high-speed treadmill when they are done arguing and fix it.¡±


    When I had figured out that this gift of a gym was meant for me to use while I served my indefinite prison sentence, I said thank you, put an unadulterated smile on my face, and followed him out to the pool.


    By that point, I had so many questions for him, that I didn¡¯t even know where to start. He rolled up his jeans, and we plunged our feet into the cool pool water.


    Hollis peered over my knees with a warm grin on his face. ¡°Your skin looks amazing.¡± Heplimented. ¡°Heard you spend a chunk of your funds keeping it this beautiful. Do you need to have a private session with your nutritionist and dermatologist?¡±


    ¡°I can go?¡± I asked almost giddy.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll bring them to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­. that¡¯s too much.¡± I said


    He shook his head. ¡°Nothing is too much. You want something, you get it. Remember that, hmmm?¡±


    ¡°I nodded. ¡°Nothing is too much.¡± I murmured.


    ¡°Absolutely nothing.¡±


    ******


    I woke up feeling so tired and a bit rested. Hollis had left hurriedly yesterday with the instruction that I should rest and eat.


    Leaving me with a youngdy that was introduced as my help or whatever archaic name he called it. But her job was precisely to keep mepany and help me with everything I need when Hollis was not around and to make herself scarce when he¡¯s around.


    As I chewed on my breakfast of cereals, I tried to think of what I would do to keep myself busy. ¡°How long ago have you been working here?¡± I asked thedy.


    ¡°Seven years ma¡¯am.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Seven wha¡­.. that¡¯s such a long time!¡±


    She nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t have a better job, Miss¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Alessia ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Alessia.¡±


    ¡°I have no reason to walk away from my present job, Reina.¡±


    ¡°My name is Ugo, not some fuckin Reina.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Alessia noted. ¡°It¡¯s a good job, pay is amazing, hospitality is great as well. I have no reason to quit.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Of course you do.¡± I murmured. ¡°You like this¡­. this life. You get to be involved with¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t say the word but Alessia said it for me.


    ¡°Drugs.¡± She said and I nodded feeling uneasy. I looked around, hoping that such admission won¡¯t cause an issue for any of us.


    ¡°You can quit looking around Reina, the Boss instructed that you are kept abreast of any information you seem to take a liking to.¡± Alessia said a rehearsed line.


    ¡°So you¡¯re okay with getting involved with drugs?¡± I didn¡¯t need to be told what Hollis was involved in. It was obvious. Armed guards, talks about Molly, bombing, trafficking. Even a blind would have seen the clear picture already.


    Alessia smiled, neither confirming nor denying what I said. ¡°Honestly?¡±


    Alessia nodded.


    ¡°Well, I think It¡¯s just awful that these drugs might end up in the hands of kids,¡± I tried to put nicely.


    ¡°We don¡¯t sell to kids,¡± she quickly replied, her brow furrowing.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t control what happens to the product once it leaves here,¡± I said apologetically. ¡°I mean, at some point, some street thug will try to push drugs on kids.¡±


    Alessia shook her head. ¡°Kids don¡¯t decide to start taking drugs because of some pusher they don¡¯t know on the street. They¡¯re convinced through peer pressure, through family and friends. You know, children are more likely to start by looking through their parents¡¯ medicine cab for drugs that won¡¯t cost them anything.¡± She tried to table her rehearsed point and I almostughed out loud, wondering if she knew who she was really talking to.


    I breath arguments for a living and before I start one, I¡¯ve already covered the bases, fully ready to give youebacks, corrections and diss when necessary.


    Deciding not to piss mypany off or bark her up in in a shell, I went with the easy novice reply. ¡°Yes, but drugs lead to violence,¡± I argued.


    ¡°Violence in the media has been the leading cause of violence. Illegal drugs might cause bad people to do bad things, but so do alcohol and licit drugs,¡± Alessia argued obviously feeling good about herself.


    For what it¡¯s worth, her line of argument sounded good and impressive, I give it to her.


    ¡°Most drug crimes rte to the sale of drugs.¡± She continued. ¡°If selling drugs weren¡¯t illegal, then they would free up the court system and jails.¡± She smiled, waiting with delight for what she might assume would be myeback.


    I shrugged, allowing her to enjoy her moment. Then I went in with anothermeeback, hoping she still had more fire up her sleeves to enjoy herself.


    ¡°Drugs are just really bad for you. People can die if they take drugs.¡± I said.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Reina, people do all sort of things that are bad for their health. Like smoking, overfeeding even vegetable oils have been ruled as one of the major cause of heart diseases. You do know that heart disease is a leading cause of death in most part of the world. People die from the food they ingest and cigarettes than anything else.¡± She stated.


    I nodded. ¡°Understood, Alessia. I¡¯m d you love your choice of profession and it was not forced down your throat.¡±


    ¡°It was not Reina.¡± She acknowledged.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you call me my name?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Sadly, I can¡¯t. The Boss would have my head if I ever try it.¡±

 The Profiler

    ¡°Okay, so apart from keeping mepany, what else did he ask you to do for me?¡±


    ¡°Run all your errands, prepare your meal, make sure you¡¯refortable andck nothing. I work and answer to you¡­ and you alone at least for now. So you decide what you want me to do for you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, he didn¡¯t by chance ask you to make sure I don¡¯t run away?¡±


    She paused briefly before replying truthfully. ¡°Yes, that too.¡±


    ¡°So, asides all you¡¯ve mentioned, what else can you do?¡±


    ¡°I can keep you entertained with news, jokes, history¡­..¡±


    ¡°History of certain people?¡±


    ¡°I believe so.¡± Alessia replied.


    ¡°I¡¯d like a little historical breakdown of your Boss.¡± I blurted out. ¡°He asked you to tell me everything I need to know, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did.¡± Alessia replied, still standing.


    ¡°Good, now tell me about him. Everything, no matter how little.¡±


    She stiffened. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better you find out from him.¡±


    ¡°Alessia, If I wanted to find out from him, I wouldn¡¯t be asking you, would I?¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Of course not.¡± She replied and I saw what looked like a little panic escape her face before she pulled herself together, again.


    ¡°He¡­. he graduated high school at fifteen, Everest at twenty,¡± she said as if she was reading a recital.


    ¡°Let me guess, top of his ss.¡± I added.


    Alessia nodded. He¡¯s the first of two children, highly skilled in hand-to-handbat, and boxing being a pastime of his.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s just him and Maxine?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Now tell me, Alessia, what do you think of Hollis?¡±


    ¡°Not sure what to say.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Alessia, I¡¯m sure you know a lot more than I do. And I want you to speak freely. You answer to me, remember.¡±


    She nodded and cleared her throat. ¡°The Boss can be cocky, arrogant, controlling, maniptive, hotheaded, and attractive. What makes it worse is that he knows it. He has bloodlust. He stares at people with some undertone rage, as though he wishes for them to mess up so he can put a bullet in them. However, the moment he looks at you or talk about you, it¡¯s gone, he is content. And that is quite far from the man most of us know who always seem rather isted. He trusts very few people, which includes his family. He¡¯s searching for something.¡±


    I stared at Alessia from under my full semi-permanentshes, before grinning. Alessia was purely talented, no doubt. She could pass out as a very good profiler, a second pair of eyes.


    ¡°So you think I can trust him, with my life.¡±


    The next words that came out from her mouth made me speechless. ¡°He loves you, even before you came here. You¡¯ve always been a priority. But there were a few times he would get so mad and infuriated that he would withdraw your undercover security details. But he always send us back in less than twenty-four hours.¡±


    ¡°Us, you were among them?¡± She nodded.


    ¡°So you know deets about me?¡± Another nod. ¡°What type?¡±


    ¡°I know your daily schedule by heart, where you normally train, I profiled your trainer, your dermatologist, yoga instructor, nutritionist, best friend¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­..¡± I cut her off swallowing hard. ¡°That¡¯s¡­.. scary.¡±


    ¡°About your question ma¡¯am,¡± Alessia continued, ¡°you are the only one that knows. You are a better judge of character than myself. I think he wants you to care about him as much as he cares about you. I don¡¯t think he is out to hurt you, yet¡­¡± She gave her honest, unbiased opinion and I was marvelled.


    ¡°But one can¡¯t forcefully gain love, it shoulde naturally, shouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Well, it should. Don¡¯t you feel anything for him?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t expecting the question, so I didn¡¯t have a readily avable answer. ¡°I¡­.. don¡¯t know.¡± I replied truthfully. ¡°I can¡¯t say. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You can think about what you feel for him, and give the feeling a name, no matter how little. Then work it up from there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a rough couple of days.¡± I sighed.


    Alessia nodded. ¡°Maybe you should get even more sleep, Reina.¡±


    *******


    It¡¯s been three days, yet there was no sign of Hollis, all I had of him was the daily short phone conversations with Alessia¡¯s guard phone and that was it.


    I trained at the gym, read some books, watched television, tried cooking twice, disaster. And I did feel lonely. I¡¯ve never felt so useless all my life.


    By the fourth day, I went down to the main house and stepped on to the front porch. From that point, I saw the busy guards and how they were stationed at each point with their long rifles guarding the house.


    One of the guards walked pass me and greeted me cheerfully. I replied back with a smile, d that someone seemed to notice me. Unlike the coldness and distance I was getting from the other guards.


    He turned and brought his free hand across and shook mine. ¡°I¡¯m Hugh.¡±


    ¡°Ugo.¡± I replied, smiling warmly.


    After a good squeeze, he took his hand back and glimpsed at his watch. ¡°Geez. I have to get back to work.¡± He pushed away from me. He gestured his hand forward. ¡°You cane keep mepany, if you¡¯re okay with that.¡±


    I turned to Alessia who was seated at a safe distance. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, just taking a lot around.¡±


    Alessia didn¡¯t look pleased, but I didn¡¯t care. I would give anything to experience a different routine from what I¡¯ve been on for days now.


    I took Hugh¡¯s extended hand, he was beaming. Shouldering his shotgun, he led the way. We crossed thewn and reached a tree line. Hugh swaggered his steps as we neared the armed guard who was standing next to a tree.


    I recognized the guard, he had been standing at the corridor when I pped Hollis a few days ago and he drew his gun at me. Crazy fellow.


    By the look of disdain on his face, he seemed to be angry with me. Well, the feeling was mutual. Hugh switched spots with the bothered guard and dragged a tree stump out of the woods for me to sit on.


    The other guard nced at Hugh and looked like he was about to say something but decided against it. He shook his head and walked away. Hugh lit a cigarette and huffed a few puffs, still beaming. We were a foot inside the tree line, half-hidden by dense green leaves. The surrounding bushes were quiet, dark, and I couldn¡¯t see more than a few feet far.

 A New Friend

    There were other guards lined in the trees. I saw heads popping through other trees every once in a while.


    ¡°Is this what you do all day. Stand here?¡± I asked swatting mosquitoes away and rubbing my arms. It was getting a bit chilly and buggy in the shade that I looked back at the warm, bug-free house with longing.


    Standing in front of the porch was Alessia, straight face with phone in ced on her ear, obviously answering a call.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Hugh eximed and pointed at a head that popped out about thirty feet away. ¡°Sometimes I get to stand over there too.¡±


    In my head, I was trying run a math division. The approximate size of the property divided by the thirty feet that separated each guard would equal the number of big men with guns that I had to worry about and then I remembered that my math skills were barely amazing.


    ¡°How many of you are there?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s just one of me, Ugo.¡± He told me, wiggling his eyebrows. ¡°But if you mean other guards, I don¡¯t know. It varies from day to day, from week to week. Since this morning, probably thirty or forty, maybe more. This is the most that I¡¯ve seen here so far.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stand in the sun.¡± I suggested, casually, after another chill or bug tickled the hair on the back of my neck.


    He shrugged. ¡°Sure it would, but we¡¯re not supposed to.¡± He pointed at the sky. ¡°Too many guys, too many guns, attracts too much attention. If someone were to fly above us. You never know who might be watching.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are the guns for?¡± I asked in the most innocent manner.


    ¡°Keep people out, keep things in. Not really sure. I just know to point and shoot when I¡¯m ordered to.¡± Hugh took another puff of his cigarette.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re guarding?¡±


    He nced down the line of trees. ¡°Nope. And I don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    I had a hard time believing him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious to know why you have to stand here all day with a very big gun over your shoulder?¡± I asked him.


    He was starting to look uneasy. ¡°Ugo,¡± he said as he bent closer to me, ¡°don¡¯t ask questions about what goes on around here. I¡¯ve gotten some pretty nasty stares for doing just that. Just know that this is not a church and the people here, they don¡¯t react well when people meddle in their business.¡±


    He leaned further in, his chilling voice bing barely audible. ¡°Listen, from what I gathered from a reliable source, you¡¯re very lucky to still be alive. The people after you could¡¯ve killed you or you could¡¯ve been finished you off after what you saw. But here you are. Count your blessings and do what you need to do to stay alive. y the game, keep quiet, and pretend you don¡¯t see anything.¡±


    I gulped. He took a second and finally forced his lips into a smile. ¡°Just stick by me, and you¡¯ll be all right.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied in a whisper.


    I didn¡¯t know how to feel or if it was right to swallow everything He said. But in all, fear did grip me that I started taking prolonged breaths to calm the drumming pulsation in my veins. He finished his cigarette with an eventually rxed smile.


    ¡°How did youe to be here.¡± I asked carefully, keeping my voice low.


    ¡°I knew a guy, who knew a guy,¡± he replied, winking at me.


    ¡°And now you work for Hollis.¡± I mused.


    A puzzled look came over him. ¡°Hollis. Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Uhh sorry I thought I heard someone mention that name. I must have been wrong.¡± I lied.


    Hugh shrugged and didn¡¯t seem to notice my blunder.


    Hugh and I spent the rest of the afternoon shooting the breeze, staying away from the taboo topics and the best thing about him was that he talked enough for both of us. It was great to listen to him and block all the other stuff out.


    I didn¡¯t notice how cold and hungry I was until the sun lowered and we were approached by another guard who hade to switch spots with Hugh and ignore me. Wow!


    Hugh bellowed as we walked back to the house, ¡°That was the fastest shift I¡¯ve put in yet since I started working here. You should keep mepany more often.¡±


    I smiled ¡°Want some tea?¡± I offered as we got to the corridor that would lead to the backdoor and upstairs.


    Hugh hesitated. ¡°Nah I¡¯m going to hang with the boys at the back. They¡¯ll get jealous if I don¡¯t spend time with them.¡± He stood for a while, his eyes hopeful. ¡°See you tomorrow?¡±


    I gave him a devious smile. ¡°Maybe.¡± More guards started filtering in through the front door. The iing guards wouldn¡¯t allow more than a furtive glimpse in my general direction. Hugh had already disappeared through the back and I started heading upstairs but stopped when I remembered that I needed someone who¡¯s fingerprints were registered on the door scanner.


    Alessia appeared immediately behind me, still with an unsettled facial expression. ¡°Reina.¡± She greeted and climbed the stairs to the door.


    ¡°Do you always whine like a kid when things don¡¯t go your way?¡± I threw at her and she shook her head.


    ¡°I apologize for my behavior.¡±


    ¡°Alessiae on, I¡¯m not mad at you and you shouldn¡¯t be mad at me either. I was bored sick and needed something new for a change. Surely you should understand, since you¡¯ve been stalking me for the longest time.¡±


    She nodded and we entered the apartment through the second door. ¡°Dinner is ready.¡± Alessia announced before I could ask the source of the sweet aroma in the room.


    ¡°Why exactly is Hollis not back yet, it¡¯s been days.¡± I bitched.


    Alessia ced the bowl of soup on the dinning table, before looking up. ¡°Would you like me to call the boss, Reina?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I blurted out before I could stop myself.


    She nodded and pulled out a cellphone from her pocket. Stepping closer to me, she ced the cellphone to her ear while I rested my gaze on her. A few secondster, she stiffened.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    She shook her head and made to step away from me. But I grabbed her arm and dragged the phone off her ear. cing the phone to my ear, I heard a female voice from the other end of the line.


    ¡°You just have to call himter, he¡¯s taking a shower.¡± The anger that surged through me was overwhelming. I couldn¡¯t ce why I was angry. Was it jealousy or something else, I had no idea, but I was boiling.


    ¡°Give my fiance the damn phone.¡± I barked. The irritation was eating deep into me that I couldn¡¯t keep calm. I was so vexed that I wanted to spite the woman with the phone.


    ¡°Your fiance?¡± The voice from the other end of the line queried.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I bit out. ¡°Hand the phone to him now.¡± Alessia shook her head, warning me not to go through that route but I was too vexed to give a care.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± I heard thedy from the other end of the line scream.


    The call got disconnected alongside more screams and I nodded, satisfied. One thing was certain, whatever she is doing with Hollis would either get ruined or require patching.


    A win for me. Small wins, another one in the bag. I gave the cellphone back to Alessia and headed straight to the dinning table.


    Nobody has the monopoly of madness.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

 Fianc茅

    HOLLIS


    After having a private meeting with Don Pedro about his various investments and some of the ways he could consider managing them better. I stood to see him and his daughter off, but he announced that he was meant to be at another important meeting and pleaded that I see that Elsa got home in one piece.


    The man had pulled me hurriedly to see him off and when I got back to the table, I met a fuming Elsa, with my cellphone ced on the table. I had left with Don Pedro hurriedly that I forgot to tuck it back into my pocket.


    ¡°You have a fiancee?¡± She asked before I could settle into the opposite seat.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked ignoring the anger sshed across her face.


    ¡°Some chick called and said you¡¯re her fiancee¡± Elsa replied.


    I picked up my phone and checked through the call log. A call from Alessia, I sighed when I started fixing the puzzle. Ugo must have gotten pissed and made an announcement that is going to rock her world and mine in a not-so-good way.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Damn, what did you say to her?¡± I asked carefully signaling Ro¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Seriously, that¡¯s all you care about? What I said to her is the only thing bothering you? You have a fiancee, don¡¯t you think I deserve some sort of exnation and apology?¡±


    ¡°Why, I didn¡¯t lead you-on or give you the impression that something is ever going to work out between us. Listen, I have to go.¡± I told her as Ro approached the table. ¡°Ro will get you home safely.¡± I said more to Ro than Elsa.


    I was worried, about Ugo. If she intentionally told Elsa that I was her fiance just for spite, then she was obviously upset. I was behind the wheels of my Audi as quickly as I could and started speeding back to Willowbrook.


    After an hour and a few minutes, I was back home, unannounced. I almost ran to my apartment. I met Ugo, curled up on the couch, asleep, probably cold. Carefully, I pulled off my jacket and lifted her up gently. Her entire body jolted in my arms that I slide under her back and knees, lifting her up off the couch. It took a moment or two before her immediate instinct took over.


    ¡°Shhhh,¡± I murmured against her skin as I pulled her against my chest. ¡°We¡¯re going to bed,¡± I added, walking through the apartment toward the bedroom door.


    ¡°I want to sleep on the couch,¡± I heard her insistence.


    ¡°No.¡± I stated, the tone of my voice left no room for arguments. But as always, Ugo would never take a simple no without getting on yourst freaking nerve.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She started as usual. ¡°Beside, I wasfortable on the couch.¡± She insisted. I noted the annoyance in her voice. And I began even to wonder why she was mad at me, really.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be sleeping on the couch.¡±


    ¡°Why not, I¡¯ve been sleeping on the couch since I got here.¡±


    My hold on her became tighter, a reflex action that came to surface with just the thought of not sleeping on the same bed with her. A short soft moan escaped her lips right before she stopped herself. It was all my fault, I left her the very first day she got here and went off to attend to the damn club. Now she¡¯s been sleeping on the couch?


    ¡°You are my fiancee, remember. So you will sleep in the bedroom and not some couch that will give you back aches. Moreso, we¡¯re passing a narrative that we¡¯re lovers. It won¡¯t stick when any of my menes in and meet you sleeping on the couch.¡±


    ¡°Why. But no one is here to see where I¡¯m sleeping.¡± Ugo insisted.


    ¡°My mene and go at all times when they need me.¡± I replied,cing the truth with a bit of casually-baked lie.


    ¡°So, you do care about appearances.¡± Came the next question that made me roll my eyes at her. ¡°That¡¯s pathetic!¡±


    ¡°In this life, Ugo,¡± I snapped, ¡°appearances matter a whole lot. It¡¯s why we dress the way we do, why we have codes and rules. Anytime you stray from the appearances that outsiderse to expect from you, you open yourself up to spection, you make yourself appear weaker.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying.¡±


    Goddamn, half of this woman would be enough to drive me insane. But I have one of her. So I won¡¯t think of ever ruling out the possibility of running mad one of these days.


    ¡°You¡¯re sleeping inside here, on this bed, my dear fiancee.¡± I added as I lowered her onto her side of the bed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking call me that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you called yourself that, not me. Don¡¯t me that on me.¡±


    ¡°I will me it on you. What the hell do you take me for. You left me here since five freaking days. I call to find out how you¡¯re faring and some cheap ass fool picks my damn call telling me you were using the shower. You think that¡¯s some great stuff.¡± She barked at me, her eyes were bloodshot and I was certain her pulse and respiration would be over the room as well.


    ¡°Ugo,¡± I called softly. ¡°Elsa must have said that just to spite you.¡±.


    ¡°Oh, she has a name. Spite me, why would she want to spite me. Does it look like I care. You can screw the whole town if you want to.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to screw anybody. I only want to screw and be screwed by one person.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you.¡± She spat out.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t in any bathroom, Ugo. Elsa¡¯s Dad and mine are childhood friends. She only apanied her Dad to an important meeting with me. She probably answered my phone when I went to see her father off.¡± I still exined, even though she kept insisting she didn¡¯t want to hear it. I started taking off my wirstwatch while standing on my side of the bed. I watched her turn her face to the side like I was demonstrating some stupid strip-tease. Not like I wouldn¡¯t think about giving her one.


    ¡°Ugo, like it or not, you are now entangled with me, a mafia Boss. As long as I breath, you are untouchable. Not only will I protect you, but when I officially introduce you to my family, you will be one of us and have more people that would be willing toy down their lives just to keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any of that. I didn¡¯t ask anyone to die for me.¡±


    ¡°You have little or no choice in that. You are my woman. And a high-value target for the anyone who wants to fuck with my Family.¡±


    ¡°Christ! just what a girl wants to hear right before bed,¡±she said, shaking her head.


    ¡°I need you to know.¡± I said, reaching for my belt.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± I asked, removing my belt, then rolling it up in my hand, securing it before putting it aside.


    ¡°Then,¡± she started. ¡°ah¡­.. well then,¡± I listened, while unbuttoning My shirt. And I noticed she couldn¡¯t get herself to look away as I slipped off the grey fabric and exposed the body beneath it.

 Fiancee For Real

    UGOContentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Hollis turned his bare back to me. The strong back was crisscrossed with scars. Old scars, faded to nearly his sikin tone with age. What the hell had happened to him.


    There was a tattoo on his upper arm that I spotted as he started to turn back to face me, but I couldn¡¯t quite make out what it was. Then, well, then there was the whole front of him to see. I knew he was strongly built, but I don¡¯t think I was fully prepared for just how well built he was under that ck suit of his. This was my first ever time to have a slow, up-close and careful look at his body.


    Taking it all in. He had a lean build, but his six-pack brick steel body was some thing that could make any woman cry for joy. And the best part of it, his Adonis belt, the one and only feature I see in a man and I¡¯ll desire to eat ice cream off his body. That deeply-etched V that disappears into the waistband of his pants, that was the kind of thing that graced the covers of men¡¯s fitness magazines.


    I didn¡¯t want to be impressed by his body, but there was no mistaking the sheer perfection of it. ¡°Like what you see, baby?¡± Hollis asked, making my stomach drop at being caught looking.


    ¡°What is that tattoo?¡± I asked, trying to sound casual, unimpressed. ¡°Is it new?¡±


    Hollis¡¯s other arm lifted, rubbing over the tattoo. He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s new. It¡¯s a cross with roots and branches.¡±


    ¡°A cross with roots and branches.¡± I repeated. ¡°I thought Boss¡¯s have absolutely nothing to do with certain signs like the cross. I mean¡­..¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised Ugo. I¡¯m an ardent Christian, the type that is actively active in my church. Projects, supports, charity, you name it.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± I eximed. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m the one that didn¡¯t get the picture initially. It¡¯s no news that most crime lords cover their evil with lots of good deeds. They are the most supportive humans.¡±


    ¡°In some cases, yes. Some are just givers, naturally.¡±


    ¡°So, you peddle drugs, kill people and then go to church and ssh the blood money on impoverished people.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Ugh, now when you say it like that, it sounds too creepy. I peddle drugs to people that are in dire need if it, yes. And maybe I put a bullet or two in the skull of some unfortunate people. But I don¡¯t kill for fun. However, I¡¯ll never hesitate to slit the throat of anyone in my way. I don¡¯t allow insurbodination either. Neither do I permit any of my men spending time with my fiancee.¡± He said, calm, and casual, Yet clearly stating in summary the things he wouldn¡¯t take from anyone.


    ¡°Alessia snitched on me?¡±


    ¡°There are cameras on this property. I know and see what happens in here.¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°Hugh was keeping mepany and he¡¯s a great guy.¡±


    Hollis sort of froze, startling me. I shut my mouth immediately and watched him.


    ¡°You know his name already? Hugh is it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, Hollis.¡±


    ¡°And If I do?¡± He arched his damn brows again, for god¡¯s sake. ¡°He¡¯s a mere guard. You can¡¯t be seen with him Ugo. He¡¯s my worker and as such is your worker as well. You will live to your name and expectations, even if you have to fake it.¡±


    Before I could say anything else, he was undoing his pants and letting them drop down his legs, leaving him in nothing but a pair of tight ck boxer briefs. My gaze slid away, not wanting to be caught looking at that particr part of his body. He might get the wrong idea. I didn¡¯t want that.


    He disappeared into the closet doors and reappeared a few secondster, holding a ck box.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to put this on.¡± He said, holding out the box.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked, immediately suspicious.


    ¡°What does it look like.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± he said, flipping the top open. ¡°You will have to wear this, Ugo. By tomorrow, the news that I have a fiancee would have travelled round the whole family. We¡¯ll have to meet my parents sooner than I nned.¡± He told me as it dawned on me that I¡¯ve messed things up with that stupid act of mine.


    I looked at the shiny object in the box and shook my head, ¡°I said I don¡¯t want it,¡± I tried again, now looking down on the bed.


    The gorgeous ring was a clear symbol of my imprisonment, of his indirect ownership of me. I didn¡¯t want to ept it, but then I got myself into this crazy situation and the part of me that had always loved unique jewelry was also a little fluttery at what Hollis was holding out to me.


    ¡°What time did you have to n this, howe you have a ring waiting. Is this your n all along.¡±


    ¡°No, the ring is an heirloom. it¡¯s been sitting in the closet since my twenty second birthday.¡± He exined.


    This got me on edge even more. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much, giving me something of such sentimental value, that has been in your family for generations.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer, instead he ced the box on the bedside drawer on his part of the bed and started pulling the ring out. ¡°It¡¯s been passed down through generations. And I was told that It symbolizes love,mitment, and tradition. It was crafted from pure, lustrous gold. So, it¡¯s not just a piece of jewelry, it¡¯s a cherished symbol of family history, love, and devotion.¡±


    The way he said those words, made me realize how precious that ring was to him and the fact that I¡¯m the only woman he¡¯s ever given the ring to, created a tight knot in my stomach. I looked at the gorgeous piece, it was too beautiful.


    The band of the ring was delicately engraved with intricate filigree patterns and embellished with small, sparkling diamonds that shimmer and catch the light with every movement. The design was both ssic and unique,bining traditional craftsmanship with a touch of modern ir. I was in love with the piece. At the center of the ring sat a stunning, brilliant-cut diamond, held in ce by prongs that were meticulously crafted to showcase the diamond¡¯s beauty and brilliance.


    When I tried looking at the ring from another angle that is not too appreciative, I saw the piece as a symbol of the uncertain bond between myself and Hollis. And there was the fact that the ring could mean an attachment to him for life.


    ¡°You will still let me go after a year, right?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡±


    He snatched the ring out of the box, opened it, and moved over to my side of the bed. Taking my left finger, he pushed the cute ring into my ring finger. It was so perfect and too beautiful.


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t want it.¡± I whined onest time.


    ¡°And I said too fucking bad!¡±

 Training Session

    I looked at the ring continuously. The words I wanted to say all got stuck somewhere in my throat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely kill you.¡± I whispered more to myself but his sharp sense of hearing picked up my words.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Perhaps you might consider getting married to me, get the papers signed before you hope for my death, baby. At least then you¡¯d be entitled to everything I owe. It¡¯s worth a thought right?¡± He asked making such an annoying sarcastic sound with his voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you,¡± I hissed, wrapping my arms around myself tightly.


    ¡°An inexpensive wife to be. How unexpected,¡± he said, lying down on the big sized bed, making sure to maintain his side. ¡°Good night, baby.¡± He turned off his bedsidemp.


    ¡°I¡¯m never having sex with you, Hollis.¡±


    ¡°Never say never.¡± He replied with such a calm voice that I wondered if he understood what I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll give me my space and privacy. Don¡¯t meddle. I don¡¯t want to be ufortable here.¡± I waited for a reply but I got none. When it was obvious he wouldn¡¯t say a word to me, I turned to the my side of the bed. At least I¡¯m certain he heard me.


    With my bedsidemp being the only source of light in the room, I stared at the sparkly rock on my finger. A mix of anger, disappointment, a bit of happiness and guilt. This was the first time I was sleeping on this bed and the first time Hollis was sleeping on the same bed with me.


    ¡°We¡¯ll visit my parents by weekend.¡± He made another disclosure that rocked my senses in a nauseous way.


    I wanted to tell him I that I won¡¯t be going to see his parents even if he forced me, but I know I couldn¡¯t because he would drag me to his parents if he needed to.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡± I finally whispered. My eyes remained glued to the diamond on my finger until I pretty much dozed off.


    ******


    The early morning sunlight filtered through the iron wrought windows of a room that had several training facilities set up like a Dojo.


    The sun cast its warm glow over the polished wooden floor. I stood in the center of the room, wearing a pair of dark pants and tank top with a few padding below my belly, elbow joint and knee. My tinted hair was pulled back in a tight bun.


    ¡°Show me what you¡¯ve got, U.¡± Maxine¡¯s voice echoed in the room.


    He watched as I kicked through a pad of weight, my movements fluid and precise, a testament to my years of rigorous practice.


    I saw Maxine observing my performance with arms crossed over his chest. As I finished up with a powerful kick, Maxine¡¯s expression softened, and a proud smile graced his lips.


    ¡°Excellent, U,¡± He praised.


    On other days, I would have been so thrilled and excited. But this morning, I was too pissed and angry at almost everybody, myself included. Just yesterday morning, I was a mere visitor here, something about being Hollis¡¯s woman or whatever stupid name he called it. Barely twenty-four hourster, I¡¯m wearing his goddamn engagement ring as his fiancee.


    Can life get lessplicated than that! Maxine¡¯s deep voice brought me back to reality. ¡°Your form is impable, but there is always room for improvement. You¡¯ve covered the basics well enough. So, you need to move on to some more advanced drills. Are you up for it?¡±


    ¡°God knows I am.¡± I swore under my breath.


    ¡°Someone is definitely upset this morning. Mind telling me what¡¯s bugging you?¡±


    I wonder what he wanted to know. Between everything that transpired with me and his brotherst night, or the fact that I woke up curled up on his brother¡¯s body like he was some form of big teddy bear, giving him the joy of making jest of me or the fact that I¡¯m being forced into an entanglement I don¡¯t think I want. That¡¯s the word, I don¡¯t think I want it. period!


    ¡°Your brother is driving me nuts.¡± I finally chose a gentler summary of the situation I¡¯ve found myself in.


    ¡°That¡¯s not such a bad thing.¡± Maxine smiled. ¡°If it¡¯s any constion, I think you¡¯re driving him nuts too.¡±

 Tips For Meeting My Parents

    ¡°This whole thing is a mess, Maxine. I don¡¯t think I want this.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Your words aren¡¯tced with certainty. You¡¯re still thinking. So¡­¡±


    ¡°Hollis fucking gave me a ring!¡± I let out with quivering lips, bringing out the gorgeous beauty from the pocket of my pants.


    Maxine stared at the ring, refusing to touch it even when I pushed it towards him. ¡°He gave you that ring?¡± I nodded. ¡°Wow! That belongs to my family.¡± He appeared speechless for a while. ¡°Maybe he wants everything to look more convincing.¡± He finally said. ¡°That can be the only reason.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± I told him and he nodded.


    ¡°We should get back to training.¡± Maxine, a man of few words said and this time, I nodded, bing the speechless one among us.


    We spent hours practicing together, focusing on assault and defense techniques that pushed my limits and expanded my repertoire of moves. Maxine¡¯s instructions were precise and demanding, ¡®free your mind, channel all that feeling into each move.¡¯


    ¡°Now that¡¯s more like It.¡± He bellowed.


    He kept dishing out more instructions as we went on. ¡°Focus, U. You must anticipate your opponent¡¯s moves before they make them.¡±


    I absorbed his teachings with a fierce determination, eager to master every new challenge he presented to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re a natural,¡± He remarked, a hint of pride in his voice while my chest heaved with exertion, but a smile did y on my lips.


    ¡°Thank you, Max, can I call you that?¡±


    ¡°You can.¡± He nodded. ¡°My brother is not a bad person,¡± he continued as I washed my hands in a nearby sink.


    ¡°He¡¯s been all about your safety since he met you. You might not want to be here, you might want your freedom, but that¡¯s exactly what he wants for you too. He wants you to be free, to be able to go out there without fear. His method of ensuring that might look crude to you, but it¡¯s for the best, I assure you.¡± I heard Maxine say.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This is the first time my brother has ever gone out of his way this much, for a woman, any woman. I need no soothsayer to tell me that he likes you, a lot too and he¡¯s happy, Ugo. If protecting you, keeping you safe,makes him happy, then you¡¯d better understand that you¡¯re now a priority to not just him, but to me too. Because, I want my brother¡¯s happiness. Now, I need a favor from you.¡±


    I turned away from the sink to look at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do what he asks, be who he wants you to be, you¡¯ll definitely walk out of here pretty soon , I¡¯ll make sure of that. He¡¯s not out to hurt you, so don¡¯t hurt him in any way. And, I swear to you, no harm whatsoever will ever befall you, your family, friends, everybody connected to you. Just make Hollis happy.¡±


    The plea in his voice, the desperation, I felt it but I had no idea why they were there.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an easy person to be with. He¡¯ll get fed up with me in no time.¡± I found myself saying.


    ¡°Not being an easy person to be with is perfect. I figured that part from the first day we met and I like that. Don¡¯t make it easy for him.¡± Maxine giggled. ¡°Do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± I said, taking a seat on one of the benches in the dojo. ¡°We¡¯re seeing your parents this weekend, it would do me some good if you could tell me what to expect.¡±


    Maxineughed that cynicalughter and shook his head. ¡°Mum is a perfect sweetheart, Dad is a bitch. You would have to be fearless and act like a real Boss wife to survive him. Can you do that and put up with it for as long as necessary.


    I nodded, a picture of what I needed to do already in my head. ¡°I can handle that.¡± I said.

 Preparations

    ¡°Which one, Reina?¡± Alessia held up two skyblue dresses for me to wear for my first day with the Genovese family.


    I thought about Maxine¡¯s offer the other day and I came to the conclusion that there was no difference with his promises and that of Hollis. But something inside of me just wanted to do this one good for a kind gentle man, a kind-looking dangerous mafia-man rather.


    Before now, I wouldn¡¯t have cared about what I would wear, but now, I did. ¡°What do you think, Alessia?¡± I asked.


    She looked up from the dress she was holding, ¡°The long-sleeved one is lovely, screams royalty. This other one is edgy. Not everybody can pull it off. But if you do, then it would state not just ss, but fierceness and power.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯m forced to think you are talented in every aspect of life.¡± I looked at the second dress. ¡°Let¡¯s style the shit out of that dress.¡±


    ¡°Happily ma¡¯am.¡± Alessia replied excitedly, like she was eager to put her styling talents to work.


    I had no doubt we would pull out a stunning look with the dress, images were already shing through my head and it was a big bonus that I had someone on the same fashion spectrum as myself. We got to work with assembling the right jewelry, shoes, purse and wig.


    When we were done setting up the right essories, Alessia helped me dress up. I looked myself in the mirror hung on the wooden demarcation between my closet and that of Hollis.


    ¡°Tell me.¡± I asked Alessia.


    ¡°You bodied the dress. If there is any word bigger than perfection.¡± She replied and I nodded.


    That was what I needed to hear. Even though I was seeing it in the mirror, I wanted to hear someone else say it.


    ¡°If you were my sister, what would be your advice to me today, Alessia.¡± She drew a long breathe. ¡°Be brutal with the honesty.¡± I urged her.


    She nodded, trying to brace herself for the words that wereing. ¡°I would say you should make peace with the Boss.¡±


    ¡°Make peace, how?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious you¡¯re mad at him. It¡¯s been evident for the past few days. You¡¯ll need him in your corner when you meet Don Genovese. You¡¯ll need as many allies as you can get and in this case, you have very few.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Alessia hesitated. ¡°Go ahead.¡± I urged.


    ¡°Don Genovese wants his son to marry someone else. .¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To strengthen both empires and make them formidable sort of. But the Boss refused. So, I have no doubt that meeting the Don today wouldn¡¯t be such a smooth one.¡±


    I understood her. ¡°So without this union, Hollis¡¯s empire will struggle?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Alessia replied. ¡°But with the union, he would be stronger.¡±


    ¡°Is there a way to make him stronger without the Union? As strong and feared as required.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, there are so many ways, ranging from breaking more borders, getting more authentic supplies. It all boils down to having extra smart heads around him. Luckily for him, you can pass as three of that.¡± Alessia smiled, trying to lighten the room. ¡°I think he won with you, he just doesn¡¯t know it yet. Neither do you.¡±


    I stood in my gorgeous outfit looking at myself and Alessia through the mirror. Suddenly it felt like everyone wants Hollis and I to work out. Maxine was straight forward with his request. But Alessia, she should be given an award for cutting edges and hitting the nail on the head at the end of the day.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°I can handle his father.¡± I said aloud, reassuring myself that I was up to the task.


    ¡°I have no doubt you can.¡± Alessia assured me.

 Meeting The Genovese鈥檚

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Ro knocked gently on the bedroom door and waited for an answer


    We were now out of the walk-in closet and Alessia was applying finishing touches to my hair.


    ¡°Almost.¡± She replied and we heard Ro¡¯s retracing steps.


    When I was sure we were quite done, I signaled for Alessia to open the door. The moment I stepped outside the door, I was met with three pairs of eyes staring at me, each more beautiful than thest until they fell on Hollis, whose gorgeous eyes were glued to my legs.


    His gaze lingered a little before wandering up the rest of my body meeting mine. His lips were turned in a frown, but his eyes were filled with lust.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I threw a greeting meant for the men in the room.


    ¡°Good morning U,¡± Maxine replied. Ro gave a bow and Hollis kept staring dumbfounded or something.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Am Ite?¡± I asked as kindly and brightly as possible.


    ¡°No, just thinking you¡¯re so beautiful this morning,¡± Hollisplimented trying to take my hand, he brought my fingers to his lips in a kiss. ¡°I¡¯m hoping you can forgive me for this.¡± He caressed the little cuff on my finger.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°That happened a couple of days ago. I¡¯m not mad at you anymore.¡± I told him, paying heed to Alessia¡¯s advice.


    ¡°You look fucking hot.¡± He confessed.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like the dress.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I like the person in the dress, Ugo. And I¡¯m hoping we could have more peaceful days henceforth.¡±


    It suddenly felt like Hollis and I were the only ones in the room. His eyes and attention were focused on me and mine, on him.


    ¡°Depends on you. You might have topromise if you want that to happen.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be too hard, will it?¡± Hollis asked, touching my forehead gently.


    How did we go from being arch-enemies in three days to looking at each other like some love-struck buddies. I have a reason for my behavior, I was listening to Alessia¡¯s advice and Maxine¡¯s plea.


    ¡°I¡¯m a handful, Hollis.¡±


    ¡°I know that. We¡¯ll revisit this when we get back.¡± I nodded.


    He took my hand and led us towards the door. Maxine and Ro went ahead of us and got the doors open before we approached. Soon, we were outside. We walked toward our cars, a Bentley, an SUV pickup van and an Audi.


    Maxine stepped into the Bentley with Ro. A couple of Hollis¡¯s men jumped into the SUV pickup van leaving me alone with Hollis and his ck Automobile. Our driver, a well built man, dark inplexion with a friendly smile, opened the door to the Audi. I stepped into the car and Hollis closed the door after filing in behind me. I watched him and took in the frown on his forehead that had settled back in.


    ¡°What is bugging you?¡± I asked as my eyes narrowed in an attempt to read his features.


    ¡°Work,¡± he replied. ¡°But it¡¯s nothing to worry about. It¡¯s not a big deal, I¡¯ll sort it out.¡±


    I stared at him, and tapped his arm as the Audi roared to life with the driver ignoring us totally. ¡°You should rx today, It¡¯s a day for family.¡±


    He managed a wry smile. ¡°Thanks baby.¡±


    I was not convinced. Hollis rarely wears a frown. So, I was deeply bothered seeing the furrowed deep line on his forehead.


    ¡°Mind sharing your troubles with me? I might not have a solution but I¡¯ll try my best to make you feel better.¡± He arched his damn brows again! ¡°I promise.¡± I added, letting him know how serious I was.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re picking interest in my type of work, Ugo. Do you think it¡¯s something you can deal with?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I can be of help while I¡¯m here.¡± I answered honestly.


    ¡°Remember Frick?¡± I nodded. ¡°His hitman was in prison, but he¡¯s out now. They¡¯ve been trying to hide it. Monte, that¡¯s his name. They want to use him to attempt to steal my fucking cocaine.¡± He spat out, voiceced with anger. ¡°They must have been on some cheap drugs to think that it was going to work. But that¡¯s what Frick does, it¡¯s what he¡¯s good at. That fucking thief.¡±


    ¡°Why would he want to steal from you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°For years, Frick and his men have stolen whatever they could from my family. Their leader, Frick¡¯s father, Draco, has been run out of business by my father. And Instead of withering into nothing, he resorted to the ck market. If it is worth a penny, Amory would steal it, flip it, and buy himself more men.¡± He exined.


    ¡°And your father left him?¡±


    ¡°They used to be friends,¡± He replied. ¡°But now that the reins have been handed down to me, I¡¯m free to deal with Draco and his family anyhow I want.¡±


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll revisit this when we¡¯re done with your family. okay?¡±


    Hollis smiled, ¡°You surprise me Ugo,¡± He said and grabbed my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s face my family today.¡± He added.


    ¡°Heard your father is tough.¡± I said.


    ¡°Only if you be small for him and I know you would never. So, we¡¯re good.¡± He nted a kiss on the back of my palm.

 Welcome Home

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Hollis told me, squeezing my hand gently. I hadn¡¯t even noticed we had arrived. A gorgeous looking woman with a fair distribution of golden hair came rushing towards our car almost immediately, all smiles.


    Sliding the hem of my dress up, I adjusted my heels. ¡°Try not to give a fuck,¡± he encouraged and I nodded my understanding.


    A gentle tap came on the window, signaling Hollis to open the door. The moment he did, the golden haired woman rushed to me.


    ¡°Ugo, oh my God! My gorgeous girl.¡± The woman pulled me into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m Isabe Genovese, you can call me Nana, everybody does.¡± She hugged me again and I returned the hug. She turned to Hollis who quickly pulled me closer to himself. A frown crossed her face. ¡°Put some room between you and the poor girl, we are Catholics for goodness sake.¡± She pulled me away from a smiling Hollis.


    ¡°Mrs. Genovese, it is such a pleasure to meet you. Hollis could not stop ranting and raving about you,¡± I said as politely as possible.


    ¡°Please call me Isabe, my sweetheart.¡± She smiled brighter than the sun. ¡°You have no idea how long I have waited to meet you, and no wonder this son of mine hid you away, you are so beautiful, Ugo.¡±


    I dropped my head for effect before smiling. ¡°Thank you Mrs¡­ Isabe.¡±


    From the corner of my eye, I saw the impressed look on Hollis¡¯s face. Maxine and Ro also beamed with smile as they headed into the house.


    ¡°Your father is inside.¡± Isabe said. ¡°With your permission and that of your fiancee, I¡¯d love to introduce her to your cousins, uncles and aunts. They are all waiting.¡± She pointed over to the house.


    ¡°Will you be fine all by yourself?¡± Hollis whispered to my hearing alone.


    I nodded. Slowly, he released his hold on my hands and started towards the house. ¡°Don¡¯t take up most of her time¡± He said before disappearing.


    ¡°Ugo, these are Hollis¡¯s cousins, Britney, I took notice of her long gold hair as her bright blue eyes red at me but she shook my hand, giving it a tight squeeze.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so beautiful,¡± I said, smiling. Her eyes lit up like she had found the true meaning of Christmas.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.


    Next was Cordelia, the rather tall, chocte-skinned woman with a wide smile on her face.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Cordelia. I¡¯m d to finally met you.¡± She couldn¡¯t contain herself from pulling me into yet another hug. ¡°Oh sweet lord! English silk, very nice.¡± She grinned and pulled back saying, ¡°Oh, my God! and the shoes. You sure know how to wlessly pull it off when ites to fashion. You¡¯re quite daring with your style.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Cordelia.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°Thank you for the homely wee. You have no idea how nervous I¡¯ve been about today.¡±


    Cordelia grabbed on to my free arm, while Isabe just smiled, clearly finding no threat in me whatsoever.


    ¡°We¡¯re all here for you Ugo. Now,e and meet our parents before your fiancees right back and take you away.¡±


    We started heading into the house where we saw a group of people seated idly in an open room, discussing. The Genovese family home was an exact opposite of my home, sadly. It was a modern day fortress.


    The nude marble floors that stretched for as far as the eye could see, the double grand stair cases framed with ck iron, and the engraved wooden French doors. There were no statues, barely any nts, and only modern paintings.


    Everything was simple, crisp, and clean. Turning around, I saw Hollis emerging from one of the closed doors. He was grinning when he saw me and something softened inside of me because I smiled at him.


    I was introduced to a couple of older men and women. Some children too were told that I was their uncle, Hollis¡¯s wife to be. The introductions turned extensive that I started feeling ufortable, knowing that we were neither getting married nor are we in a real rtionship.


    Just when it felt like I was going to faint from the unending hugs, smiles, touching and too many kind words, Hollis came to my rescue and dragged me away.


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± I said breathing fast, almost choking.


    He pulled me down to a boring hall, out through a set ofrge French doors, which opened to arge grasswn. He took me through a simple tour of the house while we waited for lunch.


    ¡°How¡¯s your father?¡± I asked when we approached a patio.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Pissed. We¡¯ll meet him during lunch. I hope my mother didn¡¯t swamp you with the whole introduction and family?¡±


    ¡°No, but damn!¡±


    ¡°It was too much, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It was. I thought we were only going to have a simple lunch with your family.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is ever simple with my family Ugo. It¡¯s either over the roof or over the roof.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m d they like you enough to go through the stress of family introductions.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they have done the same for the girl your father wanted you to marry?¡±


    Hollis scratched his headzily. ¡°Alessia have been telling you tales.¡±


    ¡°You told her to broaden my knowledge on any topic I wish discuss, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°So¡­.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t even want to be with the girl in question.¡± He replied.


    We came to a stop and he gently removed a flyaway hair from my forehead. A romantic gesture that shouldn¡¯t have any effect on me but sadly, it did. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I want to be with the girl in question?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t love her.¡± He replied simply. ¡°Forever is such a long time to live with someone I have no feelings whatsoever for.¡±


    I wanted to ask him more questions but we were interrupted by a maid that came to announce lunch..

 Isabella Genovese

    We walked into an open passageway and turned the corner. I fought not to dig in my heels and skid to a stop. Hollis had presence and gravity, but I was tense at the sight I would see at the table. Mr Genovese sounded like a ck hole.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    He was seated at the head of the long dining table and looked to be in histe fifties. His patterned dress shirt appeared tailored and expensive. His face was rugged, his eyebrows thick and dark, and his hair had a few streaks of silver near the temples.


    If this was an indication of what Hollis would look like in twenty years, he¡¯d be handsome and distinguished when he was older.


    But there was a dark, fric energy radiating from the older Genovese man, and I could sense it clear across the dining room. A quiet rage boiled just below the surface of his skin.


    My mouth went totally dry and my throat closed up as Mr. Genovese¡¯s discerning gaze discovered me alongside his son. I remembered Hollis¡¯s words, ¡®try not to give a fuck.¡¯ I caught a glimpse of the older man¡¯s face as we moved closer. His eyes were as ck as Hollis¡¯s, but far scarier.


    ¡°So you were serious about bringing your situation along?¡± His voice was loud and using.


    I almost shrink if not for Hollis¡¯s reassuring hold and subtle tap. His insistent hand pulled me forward toward the table.


    ¡°This is Ugo Chike, my fiancee.¡± He introduced, pulling out a seat for me.


    I sat down and shed a warm smile at Maxine seated beside his mother, across the table. Isabe shed a sweet smile and Maxine gave a reassuring nod.


    Hollis sat down beside me and held my hand under the table. ¡°I told you about her earlier.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did.¡± Isabe said happily but received a mean re from her husband.


    Mr. Genovese¡¯s face twisted into a scowl, and he peered at me like I was dirt. ¡°How dare you bring her to my house?¡± He asked in between clenched teeth.


    Hollis squared his shoulders to me. ¡°Ugo, this is my father, Dominico Genovese.¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Genovese.¡± I greeted, straightening my gait. Was I supposed to show some sort of pleasantry after he¡¯d just referred to me as a situation?


    Dominico ced his hand on top of the dining table. ¡°There is nothing good about the afternoon.¡± He said.


    ¡°Darling, you don¡¯t have to sound mean. Ugo is such a lovely girl. I believe you¡­.¡±


    ¡°Isabe please¡­.¡± Dominico cut with a wave of his hands.


    I swallowed hard and managed a smile, I wasn¡¯t going to let this man get to me, not with the reassuring faces on the table. I was thankful Hollis was a buffer between me and his father. It put Isabe and Maxine directly across from us, and my gaze naturally went to them.


    ¡°You¡¯re the first girl Hollis brought to meet us.¡± Isabe¡¯s sharp gorgeous eyes shifted to Hollis¡¯s direction. ¡°I was beginning to worry myself to stupor until we heard the news about you.¡± She said excitedly from across the table.


    Beneath the table, Hollis held onto my hand even tighter. The tension in the room as a result of Dominico¡¯s presence was stifling.


    ¡°Where did you meet?¡± Isabe asked me.


    I looked at Hollis and he nodded and I saw it in his eyes. ¡®Tell them the truth but not explicitly.¡¯ I read those words just by looking him in the eyes and it surprised me even more that I understood everything he wanted to say.


    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for a while,¡± I answered. ¡°But we recently ran into each other again.¡±


    ¡°And the rest is history.¡± Isabe said.


    I smiled and stared at the te in front of me. The china was simple but elegant. White with a silver rim, and I knew it must have cost a fortune.


    ¡°Why is she here?¡± Dominico demanded.


    ¡°That is an excellent question. She¡­.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s here to meet the family of course. And get the wedding ns in gear, right?¡± Isabe interrupted.


    ¡°Right.¡± Maxine pitched in giving me a wink.


    There was a terrible crash as Dominico brought his fist down on the edge of the table, making the silverware rattle and both me and Isabel jumped. Then a slew of words burst from Dominico, but I couldn¡¯t understand a word of it except for the Genovese family.


    Was he speaking nonsense? No. My stunned mind was slow. It was a foreignnguage, and one I didn¡¯t recognize. Hollis did, so did Isabe and Maxine. Isabe¡¯s face turned pale, Maxine tensed and my fiance¡¯s posture snapped straight and his eyes narrowed, and then he was responding in thenguage with the same invective his father had used.


    ¡°He deserved what he got and much more. Now don¡¯t you dare speak about her like that. We¡¯re getting married and that¡¯s final. You should get used to it.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be part of this.¡± Dominico said and stood up from the table.


    ¡°Dominico sit your fucking ass down!¡± Isabe yelled down at her husband. Everybody on the table suddenly became still, including Dominico. ¡°This is our son¡¯s choice. He wants her, and she wants him.¡± She turned to me. ¡°Do you want my son, Ugo?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ ma¡­. I¡­..¡± She peered at me through her cuteshes, awaiting my answer.


    I looked at Hollis, short of words. This was going too far. It was meant to be a false engagement, not a false marriage.


    ¡°Do you want to be his wife, Ugo?¡± Isabe repeated her question.


    I looked at Maxine and he stared pleadingly at me. Hollis¡¯s re was still directed at his father. ¡°Yes, I want to be with him.¡± I replied, biting the flesh of my lips.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s settled. Now we¡¯re going to sit together like one big family and eat.¡±


    The butler called in some of the maids and they started scooping food into our tes. Dominico sat back in his seat without a single word.

 Girl鈥檚 Talk

    The rest of the lunch went on uneventfully and I couldn¡¯t help but steal subtle nces at Isabe, such a powerful woman whose words alone brought calm at least for a few moment.


    After lunch, the men left the room. Dominico maintained a deep scowl on his face but he knew better to spit any ill word against me again.


    ¡°For the love of God, don¡¯t be nervous,¡± Isabe said, walking over to sit with me when both of us moved over to the living room. ¡°You¡¯re young and beautiful. My children already love you, I love you too. And anybody that doesn¡¯t will have to because you are Hollis¡¯s. You belong to him and you are untouchable. Do you hear me?¡± I nodded, not sure I was okay with everything she said.


    ¡®I belong to Hollis, for real?¡¯ That¡¯s some anti-feminist shit to say¡¯ I wanted to tell her that I wasn¡¯t really engaged to her son, that we¡¯re faking it because he was trying to keep me alive and I really don¡¯t think she should be mad at her husband because of something that isn¡¯t real but her next words pushed the thoughts back into my head


    ¡°My son saw something beautiful in you that made him take the risk and go against his father just to be with you. He¡¯s protecting you, I know. I hope you do something for him too, Ugo.¡±


    I tried not to look nervous, but anyone would agree with me that it¡¯s a very rare urrence to eat on the same table with a Mafia family, and to have a chit chat with a woman like Isabe.


    I smiled and nodded at her words. ¡°I¡¯m grateful to him.¡± I said.


    ¡°He¡¯s happy with you. The way he stood up for you against his father, he¡¯s never done that before. It was a proud moment for me, proof that he is indeed ready to start up his own family.¡±


    His own family, what is she saying. Nobody is starting any family. At least not me.


    ¡°A few of the Genovese men even cursed Hollis for finding you first. Especially his cousin, Castello.¡± Isabe said as one of the maids handed us a ss of juice. ¡°How do you wish to celebrate your engagement? A garden party or a night out at the club for all us girls.¡± Her eyes shined with joy. ¡°Everyone is dying to meet you, you have no idea. I didn¡¯t want to bring plenty family members around, until you¡¯re ready to meet them all.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet all of them.¡± I lied, conveniently. ¡°But I don¡¯t think an engagement party is necessary.¡± I added.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I do agree, since the wedding will take ce soon.¡± Isabe replied.


    I didn¡¯t understand what she meant by the wedding taking ce soon. I should have ask her, but I just didn¡¯t have the strength.


    ncing around, she took my hands. ¡°Thank you Ugo, you¡¯ll eventually know why I¡¯m so grateful that you came into my son¡¯s life. It might not make sense to you now, but eventually, it will.¡± Her fingers tapped my ring gently. ¡°You deserve all that fight and more. You deserve it for making my son happy. I promise you, Hollis would never endanger your life. He cares about you so much to even try. And now that you¡¯re going to be part of my family, your safety would be top priority. I¡¯m d you¡¯re the one wearing this ring.¡±


    I swallowed hard. Everything was sounding too deep for my little head. ¡°I won¡¯t be with your son for long.¡± I voiced out, epting the voice in my head, telling me to tell the truth.


    But to my surprise, Isabe smiled. ¡°So while you¡¯re with him, can you promise to make him happy, to stand by him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You¡¯re not upset. You¡¯re okay with the fact that I¡¯ll leave him eventually?¡±


    Isabe Genovese ced her ss of juice on the table. ¡°Ugo darling, anything that will make my son happy, I¡¯m in for it. Now when are we going shopping for your wedding dress? I know just the right ce.¡±

 The Man, Hollis

    I stood in the room I share with Hollis, pacing the floor. Confusion streaming through my veins. We got back from his family home almost two hours ago and I had expected him inside the room with me. We needed to talk, to clear out the chaos choking at the edges. To arrive at an agreement, to define where we¡¯re headed at least.


    But he halted at the living room and had been there ever since with Maxine. I could hear their muffled voices from here. Initially I thought he just wanted to offer me the privacy of taking a shower and freshening up. Since that had been our routine since I moved into the room with him.


    So I quickly took a shower, changed into a lighter, simpler outfit and sat waiting for him. After what seemed like an eternity, I gave up and started heading to the sitting room.


    There was something about Hollis Genovese, he is kind, patient, tolerating, amodating to me at least. And oh, he easily dominates any room he is in. Those were just the few things I could think of, and then I also knew he smelled like Saffron and cinnamon spices, and apples too.


    I had taken the time to reflect on his scent, even enjoyed it. On top of that, I enjoyed how he looked up close. The way he flexed his muscles out of habit and cracked his knuckles when he was tense. I had noticed all these by being around him more than necessary.


    I¡¯ve met lots of men before him and many were attractive in some way, shape, or form, and yet none was close to Hollis. Maybe because I¡¯ve not spent more time gazing lustfully at any of these men while they are asleep.


    I pushed the bedroom door open and stepped out a bit to watch him as he demonstrated something to Maxine. He was dressed in dark pants paired with a ck and green vest with the letter H on the breast.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    While I ducked a bit and watched him from my position, taking in his beauty, I was taken aback when he casually looked at me as if he knew I¡¯d be there.


    He red at me, stopping his demonstration before he smirked and brushed through his hair, his sex hair. ¡°Hey.¡± I called announcing my presence to the other men in the room, Ro and Maxine.


    ¡°Hey, missing me?¡± Hollis asked, trying to hide the frown I noted on his face just moments ago.


    ¡°I was waiting to speak to you. I figured we need to talk.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping you waiting. I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just¡­. I¡¯ll just keep myself busy with the television.¡± I turned on the TV even as I was speaking. Reducing the volume to the barest minimum, I settled on E-news, hoping to see something that would spike my attention. But instead of listening to the voice of the journalist, I was eavesdropping on the ongoing conversation between Hollis and Maxine.


    ¡°We settled for your suggestion, but with a little twist.¡± I heard Hollis say out loud. I turned, and he was looking at me. ¡°I know you¡¯re eavesdropping.¡± He stated.


    Maxine chuckled. Not minding his usation, I turned off the television and walked over to them in the dining room. ¡°So¡­. when is the flight scheduled to leave?¡±


    ¡°In neen days.¡± Maxine replied.


    ¡°We¡¯ll nt some of our men in the flight and have them pass not-so-kind messages to the transporters. We¡¯ve only identified thirty-three of them for now.¡± Hollis exined. ¡°There may be more.¡±


    ¡°Thirty-three, they¡¯re¡­.. too much.¡±


    ¡°Not for a flight that would carry three hundred and seventy four passengers.¡±


    ¡°What if they refuse toply?¡±


    ¡°Then they are dead.¡± Maxine replied.


    ¡°Frick doesn¡¯t have time to train most of his transporters. He just instilled fear in them and let them carry his stuff. Since his father doesn¡¯t have any region assigned to him anymore, he literally smuggles all his stuff into any region and most times sells them below their market value in a bid to buy trust, support and loyalty.¡± I listened while Maxine looked in horror. Obviously taken aback that I knew that much already.


    ¡°So, these transporters will cave when they are extremely scared?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°They will cave when they are offered their life, a home and a new identity.¡±


    I gasped in awe of how this man thinks. He is smart, rational and his level of thoughts, quite deep and extensive. I loved every bit of it.


    ¡°But if the n fails, then we opt for B, C or D.¡±


    ¡°Does any of the ns involve killing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he gave a clipped answer with his jaw tightened. ¡°How good are you with guns, Ugo?¡± He surprised me with another strange question. But I answered, still.


    ¡°Better than Junno Brisk in the popr crime series.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Perfect. We¡¯ll see how good you are tomorrow.¡±

 A Real Wedding

    I stood in the room I share with Hollis, pacing the floor. Confusion streamed through my veins.


    It¡¯s been almost two hours since we got back from his family home, and I¡¯d expected him inside the room with me. We needed to talk, to clear out the chaos choking at the edges. To arrive at an agreement, to define where we¡¯re headed at least.


    But he halted at the living room and remained there ever since, with Maxine. I could hear their muffled voices from inside our room. Initially I thought he just wanted to offer me the privacy of taking a shower and freshening up. Because that had been our routine since I moved into the room with him.


    So I took a quick shower, changed into a lighter, simple outfit and sat waiting for him. After what seemed like an eternity, I gave up and started heading down to the sitting room.


    There was something about Hollis Genovese, he is kind, patient, tolerating, amodating to me at least. And oh, he easily dominates any room he is in. Those were just the few things I picked up while I was with him and he also smelled like Saffron and cinnamon spices, and apples too.


    I had taken the time to reflect on his scent, even enjoyed it. On top of that, I enjoyed how he looked up close. The way he flexed his muscles out of habit and cracked his knuckles when he was tense.


    I¡¯ve met lots of men before him and many were attractive in some way, shape, or form, and yet none was close to Hollis. Maybe because I¡¯ve not spent more time gazing lustfully at any of these men while they were asleep.


    I pushed the bedroom door open and stepped out a bit to watch him as he demonstrated something to Maxine. He was dressed in dark pants paired with a ck and green vest with the letter H on the breast.


    While I ducked a bit and watched him from my position, taking in his beauty, I was taken aback when he casually looked at me as if he knew I¡¯d be there.


    He red at me, stopping his demonstration before he smirked and brushed through his hair, his sex hair.


    ¡°Hey.¡± I called announcing my presence to the other men in the room, Ro and Maxine.


    ¡°Hey, missing me?¡± Hollis asked, trying to hide the frown I noted on his face just moments ago.


    ¡°I was waiting to speak to you. I figured we need to talk.¡± I said strolling down.


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping you waiting. I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just¡­ I¡¯ll just keep myself busy with the television.¡± I turned on the TV even as I was speaking.


    Reducing the volume to the barest minimum, I settled on E-news, hoping to see something that would catch my attention. But instead of listening to the voice of the journalist, I was eavesdropping on the ongoing conversation between Hollis and Maxine.


    ¡°We settled for your suggestion, but with a little twist.¡± I heard Hollis say out loud. I turned, and he was looking at me. ¡°I know you¡¯re eavesdropping.¡± He stated and Maxine chuckled.


    Not minding his usation, I turned off the television and walked over to them in the dining space. ¡°So¡­ when is the flight scheduled to leave?¡±


    ¡°In neen days.¡± Maxine replied.


    ¡°We¡¯ll nt some of our men in the flight and have them pass not-so-kind messages to the transporters. We¡¯ve only identified thirty-three of them for now.¡± Hollis exined. ¡°There may be more.¡±


    ¡°Thirty-three, they¡¯re¡­ too much.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Not for a flight that would carry three hundred and seventy four passengers.¡±


    ¡°What if they refuse toply?¡±


    ¡°Then they are dead.¡± Maxine replied.


    .¡±Frick doesn¡¯t have time to train most of his transporters. He just instill fear in them and let them carry his stuff. Since his father doesn¡¯t have any region assigned to him anymore, he literally smuggles all his stuff into any region and most times sell them below their market value in a bid to buy trust, support and loyalty.¡±


    I listened while Maxine looked in horror. Obviously taken aback that I knew that much already.


    ¡°So, these transporters will cave when they are extremely scared?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°They will cave when they are offered their life, a home and a new identity.¡±


    I gasped in awe of how this man thinks. He is smart, rational and his level of thoughts, quite deep and extensive. I loved every bit of it.


    ¡°But if the n fails, then we opt for B, C or D.¡±


    ¡°Does any of the ns involve killing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he gave a clipped answer with his jaw tightened. ¡°How good are you with guns, Ugo?¡± He surprised me with another strange question. But I answered, still.


    ¡°Better than Junno Brisk in the popr crime series.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Perfect. We¡¯ll see how good you are tomorrow.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until after lunch which I had alone by the way did Hollis finally stepped into the bedroom we share. And, he brought cupcakes.


    ¡°A goodwill snack.¡± He said offering me a bag containing three monster cupcakes.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said, excitement tingling on my nerves as I grabbed the paper bag from him.


    He stood firm at the entrance, staring at me. ¡°A wedding won¡¯t change a thing.¡± He said, his voiceced with bouts of reassurance that somehow made me feel rxed. ¡°We¡¯ll go separate ways once I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll be safe.¡± He added.


    I sighed, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulder. ¡°Your father seem to be the only person that doesn¡¯t want me around you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You know why, Ugo.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re not having a real wedding, just some make-believe stuff with false certificates, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re having a real wedding, in a real church, with real certificates.¡±


    My mouth fell open. Could this be any more horrifying.


    ¡°Surely that can¡¯t be possible. If it¡¯s a real wedding, my parents ought to be present. They have to consent to the wedding. You need my consent, too!¡±


    He arched his brow again, Jesus Christ! And he squeezed his forehead in a frown.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ugo, but you have no say in this. You¡¯ve already had your say when you signed¡­¡±


    ¡°I did not sign that I¡¯ll have a goddamn wedding.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a smartwyer. You read that piece of paper. You know the summary is separation at the end of this whole charade. The lines in-between are all blurred.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuckin talk to me like I¡¯m a kid. You keep me here all day, I can¡¯t go out, I can¡¯t mingle with the people here. I just sit my ass down and do the same set of things over and over again. I don¡¯t even have a job, I don¡¯t earn any sry¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that what this is all about? Then consider yourself an employee of mine. You¡¯ll get your sry at the end of each month.¡±


    ¡°Hollis, don¡¯t you get it. I¡¯m bored out of my mind. I don¡¯t even get to see you!¡±


    ¡°You are the one that asked for space and privacy!¡± He sparked, moving towards me, his face was concocted with pain, anger, I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°You didn¡¯t want me around, bugging you and I gave you just that. Making sure that I only step into this room when I really needed to. What else do you want?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I gasped. For a split second, I was speechless, but I continued. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know. But I never said that, did I?¡±


    His stare was enough answer. I said it, I did. Maybe I¡¯ve forgotten¡­ Of course not, how could I forget. I haven¡¯t forgotten.


    ¡°Your parents wille for the wedding, Ugo. I¡¯ll speak to them. You have a few days to get ready for the event. We¡¯re getting married over the weekend.¡±


    I opened my mouth to protest but he shut me up immediately. ¡°You don¡¯t have a say in this, remember. You can tell Alessia to ce a call to Nana by tomorrow to fix a day for the wedding shopping or you can go with Alessia if you don¡¯t want my mum.¡±


    He took out a ck colored debit card and ced it on the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll be busy with work tonight, don¡¯t wait up.¡± He said and turned to the door.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wait up, Baby.¡± He replied and left.

 Wedding Shopping

    I was boiling with anger, so bad that I went after him. But the bullet proof doors were shut already before I got to them. And, I didn¡¯t have the code. Even if I did, the damn codes changes every day. And if I had today¡¯s code, I couldn¡¯t pass the second door that would require a fingerprint.


    I heard everything Hollis said but I was more pained when he didn¡¯t tell me where he was going. It¡¯s been like that for the few days I¡¯ve been here. Isabe and Maxine had said he cares about me. But I could not in god¡¯s name imagine someone that cares about me behaving the way he does.


    Even if I told him I needed my space and privacy, does he really have to listen? What if I was just teasing him.


    ¡°Jesus!¡± I eximed at the crazy thoughts running through my head.


    He rarely spends time with me except on a few asions. One minute he¡¯s calling me Baby and acting all smitten and the next minute, he¡¯s guarded and hooded like a thick opaque ss.


    ¡°I need to know where he spends most of his time and with whom.¡± I muttered.


    Feeling like a prisoner, I went back to our bedroom and stared at his corner of the bed. Aside from sleeping a hundred meters away from me, he rarely use the bed.


    Funny how he would always maintain the same position all through the night and I¡¯ll always be the one that will be groping his body forfort by morning.


    AwwI sighed picking up the ck debit card. ¡°Let¡¯s make this situation work to my advantage.¡± I said flipping the card, certain that It was best to go shopping with Nana and Cordelia.


    Thetter would be enough to fill me in on anything that I¡¯m missing. The best thing about all of this is that none of it is real. In a couple of months from now, I¡¯ll be out of here.


    Hollis never came back all through the night nor in the morning.


    Maxine was surprisingly around and came up to check up on me during breakfast. We ended up having a fierce session at the Dojo. A session that broadened into Kickboxing. I was super pissed and it showed in my moves, amusing Maxine as he already figured the reason for my sore mood.


    ¡°Where does he go all the time? Why can¡¯t he tell me and why can¡¯t he take me along?¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°You want to go?¡± That was Maxine.


    I nodded meekly, too curious to say no. ¡°I¡¯ll show you, after the wedding.¡± He said, sparking up a glint of hope in me.


    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯ll take me there?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll only show you. It¡¯s a club, one of his businesses that he¡¯s handling personally because it¡¯s new.¡± He exined. ¡°Meanwhile, how are you preparing for your wedding?¡± He giggled.


    I shot him a re that made him tumbled over withughter. ¡°That¡¯s literally the only way to convince ol¡¯ Genovese. If not, he would never believe. I just hope you understand.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Do I even have a choice? I¡¯m going shopping with your mum and Cordelia.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Sounds like fun to me. Just enjoy yourself. I mean all of this would end pretty soon. So why work yourself up when you could just enjoy it all. While itst, make yourself happy, U.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡± I told him, easing off the soft pads on my skin.


    *******


    I had a wardrobe full of clothes. Clothes that I doubt I could finish wearing even in two years unless I decide to wear five to ten outfits each day. I exined all of this to Nana and Cordelia, but none of them paid attention to me when they started stacking up gorgeous outfits into my shopping cart.


    ¡°A woman can never have too much of these things.¡± Nana insisted on adding a mind-blowing lingerie set to the trolley that was held in ce by Alessia.


    ¡°Nana, those are¡­¡±


    ¡°Daring.. tempting¡­ They will be perfect for an evening at the beach with your h. u. s. b. a. n. d.¡± She stressed thest word with pride and excitement.


    The mood between all of us was light and cheerful until a striking and top-of-the-roof gorgeousdy walked up to us, all smiles. She gave Nana a hug and Cordelia, a fake smile, which was returned in the same fold. As for me and Alessia, we were totally ignored.


    Cordelia dragged me away, leaving Nana with the rude girl. ¡°That¡¯s Elsa.¡± She said with an unpleasant re.


    ¡°Hollis¡¯s girlfriend?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What the hell! They never dated. My cousin would never settle for such a rude and disrespectful girl. She was just forcing herself on him and somehow she got Uncle Genovese to her side. You know how these things happen.¡± She shrugged and dumped another set of very lovely lingerie in my shopping trolley. ¡°Hollis will go wild if he ever sets his eyes on you in those.¡±


    I picked up the lingerie set. A peppermint redce set with tiny ribbons holding them in ce. ¡°I love it.¡± I said agreeing that the set could drive a man hard with need.


    ¡°So, if Hollis didn¡¯t date her, who is his girlfriend?¡± I whispered, back to where our previous conversation left off.


    Cordelia looked at Alessia as if bothered. ¡°You can speak freely, she won¡¯t say a word.¡± I assured her.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay. Have you been to the club?¡±


    Ah, this same club. I shook my head. ¡°What happens there?¡±


    ¡°I heard he had this woman that pays him a visit there.¡± Cordelia whispered. ¡°It¡¯s a little gist from a reliable source. She satisfies his needs.¡± She demonstrated, pointing out her index finger and arched her brow.


    ¡°I understand.¡± I said.


    ¡°But I guess he¡¯ll stop now. Since you¡¯re here. The Genovese men neither cheat nor disrespect their women. And Hollis, well, he loves you. I heard he stood up against Uncle Genovese because of you.¡± She smiled sweetly. ¡°I was so happy when I heard. I¡¯m d he chose you and not her.¡± She said pointing to Elsa. ¡°That one is so rude and spoiled. And I bet she has absolutely nothing to offer.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that, Cordelia.¡±


    ¡°Oh! But I do. And you¡¯ll see right through her if you spend just a minute with her.¡±

 Family

    Buying lingerie as a bride-to-be turned out to be more fascinating than I had thought it would be. I found myself in that kind of mood where you suddenly feel happy even when you know you should not.


    As I stood in front of the mirror in the dressing room, looking at myself, I thought about what Maxine said at the Dojo. ¡®Enjoy yourself, this is only temporary.¡¯


    Thinking about it now, it made absolute sense. Why get upset, why bother. Why not just enjoy all of this and have fun. Since they are temporary. A n built-up in my head. Going to this club that belonged to Hollis, wherever it is and finding out who thisdy that takes care of his needs is.


    If we¡¯re getting a real wedding, then he won¡¯t keep disrespecting me by sleeping with some cheap woman. I¡¯ll let him know. And If he insists, then two can definitely y the game. As I stared at my curves and my toned belly, I fell in love with the way I look in the red lingerie.


    ¡°When I met my husband, I didn¡¯t want to marry him. In fact I detested the very sight of him.¡± Nana plunged into an old tale of her love life when I rejoined them at the pay point. ¡°I wanted a Knight in shiny armor, a real love story like Cindere and co.¡±


    My eyes sparked with interest. ¡°He was hot headed and love wasn¡¯t one of his fine strengths. But me on the other hand, I was a hopeless romantic. We were two opposites. Guess what I did?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked


    ¡°I humbled him. When it dawned on me that we were stuck with each other for the rest of our lives, I had to take matters into my own hands.¡± She shifted closer to me and whispered. ¡°I seduced him and brought him to his knees. In just a few days, he was a finished-man.¡± Nana giggled like a child and I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how a woman like her could have a man like Don Genovese wrapped around her finger.


    Once we were done at the Mall, we headed to a custom bridal ballroom owned by a top designer who was so pleased to have us as she personally assisted us with the wedding gown selection. We ended up not settling for any.


    I wanted a simple gown with less drama. But I found none of their avable stock to my liking. So, Nana had them take my measurements in order to give me exactly what I wanted. By the time we were done, I was totally exhausted and happy.


    Nero, one of Hollis¡¯s right hand men who seemed not to like me so much, served as our driver for the day and he drove myself and Alessia back to Willowbrook while Nana¡¯s driver took Nana and Cordelia home.


    The journey back to Willowbrook was a reflective for me. My mind kept wandering to my parents and how in god¡¯s name Hollis would be able to convince them that getting married to me was part of things we had to do to keep me safe.


    I created an image of my father¡¯s response in my head and it was not a beautiful one.


    ******


    HOLLIS


    ¡°This is ridiculous, you can¡¯t punish her for something she did not do. This has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with her.¡± Ada Chike thundered.


    ¡°You¡¯re missing the point Mrs. Chike. I¡¯m not punishing her, I¡¯m only trying to keep her safe and this is the only way.¡± I responded as the mother to my soon-to-be wife fumed.


    I had brought her to my home to see her daughter. Hoping that the sight of Ugo would calm her agitation. And even though her husband refused to tag along, I knew she would definitely spread the news that her daughter was neither a prisoner nor was she mistreated.


    However what I didn¡¯t think through was Ugo¡¯s reaction to seeing her mother. I heard the sound of the door from where I stood, opposite Ada Chike and the sharp, fast approaching footsteps. Ugo came on sight immediately with Alessia struggling with shopping bags behind her.


    ¡°Mum¡­¡± Ugo¡¯s voice broke as she ran down to her mother.


    I watched both of them hug each other passionately. The mother kept touching Ugo¡¯s body, checking for God knows what. And then I heard her next question.


    ¡°Did he touch you? Did he hurt you? How are you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. He didn¡¯t hurt me.¡± Ugo replied and I felt a swell in my heart.


    The right thing to do at that point would have been to give the women some space but I didn¡¯t want to. I wanted to hear everything they were saying. Call me petty, but I don¡¯t care.


    I was about moving to the dining area when my mother-inw-to-be called my attention. ¡°You were saying?¡± She turned to me.


    I paused as Alessia dragged the endless shopping bags into the room. ¡°Just keep them over there Ale, kindly give us a moment. I¡¯ll send for youter.¡± Ugo said and I almost groaned with jealousy.


    Alessia has a cute name already, but I was yet to get any. ¡°It was either this or we would risk losing her.¡± I exined once Alessia left the room.


    I watched her turn to her daughter, and to my delight, Ugo nodded. ¡®Oh sweet Christ!¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s a way to ensure she¡¯s safe,¡± I said, shrugging, keeping my gaze on Ugo as a little tremble moved from her lips to her whole body.


    ¡°Are you hurting my daughter?¡± She asked me.


    I shook my head, ¡°I would never hurt Ugo. I told you we know each other way before now. She¡¯s¡­ special¡­ to me.¡± I exined.


    ¡°Mum, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m fine. He¡¯s been nothing but kind to me. And this whole arrangement is for my own good. It¡¯ll be over soon and I¡¯ll be home, I promise.¡±


    Ada Chike¡¯s voice broke. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me, Ugo? Why did you lie about how you got the money for my surgery? You told me it was work, that you made partner in your firm.¡±


    Ugo became fidgety as she held her mother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It was work mum, I swear.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°So, if it was work, howe they¡¯re after your life.¡±

 Your terms

    Ugo kissed her mother on the forehead. ¡°I love you mummy, tell Papa Bear I love him too. And it¡¯s okay if he doesn¡¯t want toe to the wedding. But I need him to know that this is not about him, It¡¯s about me. I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m okay. Hollis is taking care of me and this whole arrangement is temporary.¡± She sobbed with her mother.


    I couldn¡¯t put a name to what I was feeling. A picture of my mother lying over my almost lifeless body years ago, kept reying in my head as I watched Ugo and her mother.


    ¡°My family is safe too, right?¡± Ugo asked, looking at me.


    ¡°A hundred percent.¡± I replied immediately.


    ¡°I will slit your throat while you sleep if any harmes to them.¡± She told me, her voice was shaking, but it delivered the threat regardless and I liked that.


    ¡°Any wife of mine will be protected and will want for nothing,¡± I said, looking over at Ada Chike, ¡°and so will her family. None of them will be harmed by anyone. Ugo is making the right decision, Mrs. Chike.¡± I added, looking over at my supposed mother-inw to be.


    ¡°Ugo, you¡¯re sure about this? If no, you can stop it,¡± Ada insisted as she looked at her daughter.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Ugo called, drawing her mother¡¯s attention. ¡°I. am. fine. You have absolutely nothing to be worried about. And I will definitely pay you and Papa a visit. Right?¡± She asked, looking at me with a slice of desperation in her gaze.


    To that, I shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s a possibility in that.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± she said, surprising even me.


    I smiled and moved over to the kitchen to prepare a meal for my soon to be mother-inw.


    *********


    UGO


    ¡°Cordelia will bring my wedding dress this evening. Do you have a matching tie topliment my dress? Navy blue preferably.¡± I asked, settling on one of the lounging chairs in the bedroom.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t part of the numerous shopping bags you came home with the other day?¡±


    ¡°You gave me your credit card, what did you expect?¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°That you spend all my money¡± He replied casually.


    ¡°And how did I do?¡±


    ¡°Bad.¡± He shrugged. I eyed him and ignored.


    He must be joking. One time I had became worried at the Mall when I made a mental calction of the items in my cart. But Nana and Cordelia kept adding more, like the credit card was rooted in endless ocean of dor bills.


    ¡°Do you have the tie?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Where? I checked your tiepartment, and I didn¡¯t see any.¡±


    ¡°You went through my stuff?¡± He asked, turning away from hisptop.


    I shrugged. ¡°Just curious. Sorry for the intrusion.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± He smiled briefly. ¡°But it¡¯s right there,¡± He insisted. Setting hisptop aside, he stood up and moved into the closet.


    I followed him. ¡°Where? Is there anotherpartment where you keep your ties?¡± I asked, tone dry.


    I got a nce from him, but I couldn¡¯t read what I found in his eyes. ¡°She must have put them in there,¡± he grumbled, storming past me, taking a moment to check his underwaterpartment.


    ¡°She?¡± I asked, watching as he turned to face me, handing me a box of navy blue ties.


    ¡°The help.¡±


    ¡°You have a female help? I thought it was the job of two of your men and Alessia to keep the home tidy?¡±


    ¡°It became their work only recently.¡± He answered inly.


    ¡°So, why would your help forget to put your box of ties at the right ce? She doesn¡¯t know her job?¡± I asked.


    My voice sounded strange even to my own ears. Yet I didn¡¯t care. We had just two more days before this godforsaken wedding and even a blind man would see that I¡¯ve been trying my best to be good.


    Wake up in the morning, have breakfast, burn some calories at the Dojo, avoid the guards, even though I desperately wanted to speak to Hugh. Read a book, watch TV and try to gather more information about the mafia from Alessia.


    I was literally perfect. But none of that changed Hollis¡¯s routine. He was still spending most of his free time outside his home, at this club of his, obviously. I found myself praying for the wedding toe. So that Maxine c hould take me to the infamous club.


    ¡°Maybe she was distracted,¡± he hummed, moving out of the closet.


    There was something in his tone that pissed me off. ¡°Distracted? What do you mean?¡± I pressed on, and regretted it when he turned on his heel, giving me a devilish smirk. ¡°You fuck your help?¡± I asked, when realization hit me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t owe you an exnation, Ugo. We¡¯re not in any sort of rtionship. So, I don¡¯t owe you monogamy.¡± He said, shrugging. ¡°But if you must know, I don¡¯t fuck her. She just sucks me off. Sparingly.¡±


    ¡°Gross. Well news sh, that is not going to happen again,¡± I informed him, chin raised, hoping I could at least fake the strength I wasn¡¯t feeling.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He asked, watching me.


    With my jaw not looking as trembly as it felt, I said, ¡°I will not have you do that to me.¡±


    ¡°You want to tell me what to do?¡± He asked, stalking forward, towering over me, making me need to snap my head up and keep steady to maintain adequate eye contact with him. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± He said with finality.


    I wanted to shrink down, but I just knew that if I did that now, I would be backing down the entire time I¡¯ll be with him.


    ¡°I can.¡± I challenged.


    His stupid, foolish, annoying brow arched again.


    ¡°And who do you think you are?¡± I stepped closer to him, pushing my face up.


    ¡°Your wife!¡± I said, clenching my teeth to keep my lips from quivering.


    His hand rose at my side and it took a lot of strength not to wince, to jerk away. But he wasn¡¯t going to strike me. No. Instead, he grabbed me gently on the shoulder and smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s right Ugo,¡± he agreed, nodding . His hold was unmistakably possessive. ¡°Which is why you need to check those ties and make a choice. We¡¯re making it official in two days and after that, you tell me your terms.¡±

 Hollis

    ¡°You¡¯re super charged today¡± Maxine shouted as I emptied the bullets in the 9mm he gave me that morning.


    Aside from the numerous rooms Hollis showed me, I discovered there were other rooms in the big house, like the shooting range. And I did jump excitedly when Maxine proposed a home defense beginner ss.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I shouted back. ¡°It would be great to find other avenues to burn the extra charges.¡± I replied.


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± He positioned my hand and pointed it directly to the shooting target ced in front. ¡°Focus, U.¡±


    I nodded and paused. Welding the pistol with precise strength, I positioned myself and hit the target for the first time that morning.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it.¡± I bit out with a smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t we visit Hollis¡¯s club tonight. Have a drink or two. Just some harmless night out.¡± I suggested.


    Maxine chuckled knowingly, shaking his head. ¡°You can¡¯t use me to piss your fiance off. I¡¯ll show you, after the wedding. No one¡¯s going to let you through the doors without questions unless you show up as Mrs. Genovese.¡± He said. ¡°Now, concentrate and hit that target more often.¡± He ordered like I was some kind of machine that could be turned on and off at will.


    I snorted and turned to the target again. ¡°Does he have some girl he¡¯s keeping out there that is preventing him froming home all the freaking time?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Maxine queried.


    ¡°What was I even thinking? I know you won¡¯t tell me. So, there was no need asking at first.¡±


    ¡°U, Hollis is a powerful man, he¡¯s a workaholic too, he¡¯s never had a girlfriend and he¡¯s never spoken about any girl the way he speaks about you. That¡¯s all I can say.¡±


    His revtion brought a bit of relief to me, but that wasn¡¯t the only thing I wanted. ¡°What does he do at the club then? Peddle drugs? Fuck some sick girls, watch and take part in orgies, have some girl suck him off¡­¡±


    Maxine pulled the second piece of my soundproof headpiecepletely off. ¡°Stop torturing yourself. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± He chastised. ¡°Tell me, do you have anything nned throughout your stay here?¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take your advice. Enjoy myself while wrecking little havoc here and there. Just so y¡¯all don¡¯t forget I exist.¡± I told him.


    ¡°You are impossible to forget, no matter how hard anyone tries. And your n sounds fun. Let me know whenever you need my help with extra wreckage.¡±


    I smiled and nodded. He just identified himself as an ally. Another small win, in the bag!


    *********


    HOLLIS


    I could never regard myself as a righteous man. My sins are like dark-scarlet. But I have some beliefs in life, things I hold sacred.


    Like my family, taking care of my neighborhood and there was the sanctity of marriage. I have no delusions when ites to such situations. Ugo¡¯s consent to get married to me had been outrightly forced. I made her understand that she had no say and I meant it.


    Either way, I would have found a way to push marriage into our arrangement. But It was a good thing my dear mother made it way easier for me. I had been attracted to the gorgeous girl since the very day I set my eyes on her. I¡¯ve never believed in love at first sight, but that was my case when I saw her in front of a restaurant in Fairview.


    A new judge had taken up my cousin¡¯s case and I was trying to catch a glimpse of every tough-nut involved in the case. I literally stalked her for days with a n to either threaten her or offer her money to step away from the case. A n that went to ruin immediately I set my eyes on her.


    When I attended one of the court hearings and watched her in her element. Her aura, grace and beauty stole my breath away and right there, I decided that nothing and no one would ever harm her.


    With my identity hidden and several positive stuff about me updated on the Inte by Maxine, I tried getting close to her. I tried being her boyfriend but she pushed me away. A shock that I¡¯m yet to get over.


    When she won the court case and had my cousin, Morello sentenced for human trafficking, I was low-key proud of her. But when Morello got murdered in prison, and murder attempts were made on her life, I realized I had to act fast or I¡¯d loose the very woman I¡¯ve ever been attracted to.


    Well, even with all these, I know I should have allowed her make a choice without hanging the life of her loved ones on the line. But I was desperate, desperate to see her live.


    There were other options I could have adopted, but I chose the one that would keep her close to me and I don¡¯t really give a fuck what anybody had to say.


    Some people might find my method crude and believe it¡¯s not how things work. But who cares. As I had anticipated, Ugo didn¡¯t appreciate the situation. But I was hopeful that in time she would learn to feel a connection toward me.


    And the physical and sensual part of the rtionship I had once sort with her would begin.


    ¡®And what if she doesn¡¯te around?¡¯


    Well, I hope she would because I believe in the sanctity of marriage, in the vow you make to not only your partner but God, it meant I couldn¡¯t fuck around anymore. And with the willful woman I have to live with, I had a feeling my balls were going to either be permanent blue or it would take a while before I would get any relief.


    But that¡¯s a choice I¡¯ve decided to make. It is also why I¡¯d gone ahead to let my ex-escort suck my dickst night before the wedding as it might be thest release I would get for a while that wouldn¡¯t be done by my own goddamn hands.


    The possessiveness in Ugo¡¯s tone rang in my head. I smiled, loving every bit of it as it made me believe that I did stand a chance after all.


    Even if she made that statement because she was disgusted by the picture she created in her head, I figured that one day she might make the statement because of she was jealous of sharing me with other women.

 Loved ones

    ¡°So have the both of you reached a mutual agreement on this whole arrangement, Ace?¡± Maxine asked me for the billionth time as we waited in St. George¡¯s Cathedral.


    ¡°Mind your own fucking business. And if you call me Ace again, Max, I will kill you, then bury you beside the church.¡± He smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re excited, so much that you didn¡¯t even describe how you would kill me. I guess that¡¯s how much your charming wife is affecting you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll punch those words into you, Maxine and I mean it.¡±


    ¡°Rx man, I¡¯m only looking out for you. Remember how crazy you looked when she turned you down back at Fairview? I can never¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, I punched him in the fucking nose. ¡°For the love of motherfucking fuck.¡± He eximed,ughing excitedly.


    ¡°Last chance brother or you¡¯re going to piss me off,¡± I warned, fixing my tie.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say I¡¯m going to let this slide because it¡¯s your wedding. If not, I would have just employed the services of my student, who happens to be your wife, to give you a thorough beating of your life.¡±


    That statement made meugh. ¡°How is she doing?¡± I asked, needing an update on my Ugo¡¯s defense sessions.


    ¡°Pretty good. Too fierce with a sign of bloodlust when she¡¯s pissed at you. Less tense and a littleid back when she¡¯s indifferent.¡± Max told me.


    ¡°She¡¯s pissed at me, for what? What did I do?¡±


    ¡°Well for once, you are always away. She doesn¡¯t get to see much of you. Secondly,¡± he scratched his beardzily before stepping closer to me. ¡°I think she needs to getid.¡± He whispered.


    I tensed up a little but rxed almost immediately. ¡°You think wrong.¡± I replied with certainty.


    ¡°That only means you¡¯ve not been paying attention. For God sakes that¡¯s what you ought to be doing. Paying attention so as to be her man, the man she wants once the opportunity presents itself. I thought that was the reason we chose this route?¡±


    I stumped my feet in an uncharismatic manner. ¡°She gave me aid out rule, and I¡¯m only following it. But¡­¡± my voice faltered. ¡°I don¡¯t know man. What the hell should I do?¡±


    ¡°Win her over. Make out plenty of time for her. Castello would be back soon, so the club will be fine. As will the other businesses, I¡¯m going to be on top of my game. All you have to do is give her attention, smother her to stupor.¡±


    ¡°I did that once, it didn¡¯t work out for me.¡± I insisted.


    ¡°This is different. It¡¯s just the both of you now. There¡¯s no one else. Use that to your goddamn advantage.¡± Maxine tapped me gently on the shoulder.


    A look passed between us and we understood everything perfectly. That was the kind of rtionship I shared with my brother. We didn¡¯t have to say everything out in in word


    ¡°If you must know, she wants to visit the club, your new club specifically.¡±


    ¡°Does she now?¡± Max nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll make that happen.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want that?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°High time she gets involved with her husband¡¯s activities.¡±


    ¡°You should be careful about the ones you expose her to, in case she still insists on leaving after all of this.¡±


    ¡°God help me.¡± I exhaled.


    Taking a deep breath, we walked closer to the Cathedral door. Looking inside, I noticed my mother had made sure to invite everyst motherfucker with a worth over a hundred million. They all looked excited to be on the guest list.


    ¡°How is security?¡±


    Maxine snickered. ¡°They would have a better chance of getting to the president than any one of us today. If there¡¯s any ruckus still, best believe I¡¯ll shoot the fools repeatedly down. Let¡¯s just hope Ugo doesn¡¯t run away.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°No, she wouldn¡¯t run.¡± Running wasn¡¯t in her nature. She would rather face her troubles head-on than run.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re getting married to a fighter. We really have to give it up for the woman that stood fearlessly and fought to have Morello behind bars.¡±


    I beamed with smiles. ¡°That¡¯s my fucking wife.¡±


    ¡°Cheers.¡±


    We created an imaginary ss with our fingers and pped it together.


    ********


    UGO


    A reporter rattled on tirelessly as she spoke about everything and almost nothing. Then she started out another line of news, hinting about the marriage of Hollis Genovese, the son of the wealthiest man in Lilycity, who would be getting married today to the love of his life, whom for the purpose of privacy, they couldn¡¯t reveal her identity just yet.


    ¡°Pathetic!¡± I said as I watched the reporter bber words.


    ¡°Do you want me to turn off the television?¡± Alessia asked as she fixed my hair.


    Taking a sip of the wine she brought for me earlier, I shook my head before looking into the mirror. ¡°I don¡¯t like my hair looking like old Maggie¡¯s hair. Isn¡¯t there something better you could do to it? In fact, let¡¯s leave the hair down. I don¡¯t think a pony would do me any good at this point.¡±


    A knock came on the bedroom door and I turned to Alessia. ¡°I thought the men left for church already?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Nero and a few men stayed back to drive us to the cathedral.¡± She replied. ¡°The rest of the men would stay back to watch the house.¡±


    She looked at me, and I nodded. Opening the door, my heart swam with butterflies and pure excitement when I saw Nana, my mother and¡­. Daisy!¡±


    ¡°What the hell! are you doing here, Daisy baby?¡± I almost screamed out of excitement. My best friendughed excitedly.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss your wedding for the love of the world. What were you thinking, not telling me?¡±Well it wasn¡¯t a real wedding and this shit is fucked up. But I didn¡¯t tell her that. Instead, I shrugged.


    ¡°Mum.¡± I called as she kissed my temple.


    ¡°You look adorable sweetheart, and I¡¯m definitely fixing up that hair. But let¡¯s just give you and Daisy a moment.¡± She looked at Nana and something passed between the two women who seemed oddly excited.

 The wedding

    Nana gave me a lengthy hug before leaving the room with my mother and Alessia. Trust Nana to smother you to death with hugs.


    It took a moment before I could get myself to look at my friend. ¡°I know what this looks like Daisy baby, I wish I had a good exnation for this, but I don¡¯t. This whole thing is just¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, Hollis told us everything.¡± Daisy said and my heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°He did? My mum, she didn¡¯t invited you over?¡±


    ¡°No, Hollis did. Listen U. U, it¡¯s your wedding. Fake, real, whatever. I need you to be happy, alright. He told Brett this was the easiest way out. Both of them tried looking for other ways, but they would all involve you being on the run for most part of your life and I know you wouldn¡¯t want that.¡±


    I felt my tear ducts getting filled, but I held it in. ¡°You should have told me about your mother¡¯s surgery.¡± She scolded gently.


    ¡°I wanted to, but when I got that money, I figured I didn¡¯t have to bother you.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re here alone?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Brett¡¯s at the church.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Your mother-inw passed the vibe check. She knows something about everything. She¡¯s a ss of her own, damn. Fake mother-inw.¡± She corrected when she noticed my stare.


    I shook my head, reminding myself that the wedding was a real one. ¡°I¡¯d prefer you refer to Nana as a temp.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s too real to be called fake, I agree.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be my maid of honor?¡±


    ¡°You bet baby, your temp maid of honor.¡± Weughed at the sound of that.


    Nana, my mother and Alessia came in a few minutester and joined us. ¡°How do you want your hair?¡± My mother asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I was thinking I could let it down. But the traditional¡­¡±


    ¡°Screw tradition,¡± Nana said and my mum turned to her in shock.


    ¡°Language.¡± She cautioned like she was talking to a child instead of the wife of a Quadrillionaire.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Nana whispered and winked at me. ¡°I like your hair down, Ugo. It¡¯s daring, and you know, that¡¯s what you are.¡±


    I smiled, this woman keeps winning my heart always without doing too much.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡± My mother asked kindly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I turned and saw Daisy and Alessia already busy, arranging my purse, bouquet, and jewelry. I looked around, and my heart was filled with joy. I had the two most important women in my life right beside me, offering their support and cheer and that alone gave me the hopes that the day would be amazing.


    Turning to my mother, I arched my brow in silent question and she shook her head. My father didn¡¯te. I wasn¡¯t expecting him toe anyway, but I had one little flicker of hope that his wife might seed in convincing him.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful my baby.¡± My mother kissed my ring finger and I smiled even wider.


    Nana brought out a box and handed it to my mother. ¡°We bought this for you.¡± My mother said.


    ¡°You¡­ as in the both of you?¡± I asked and they nodded. ¡°How? When did you meet?¡±


    These two women giggled like kids. ¡°A couple of days ago.¡± Nana replied.


    Overwhelmed with certain feelings I didn¡¯t have any name for, I opened the box and my eyes widened ever so slightly. There was a bracelet in the box. Made of all pearls and pendant with the letter U embedded in it.


    ¡°We had them customize it for you.¡± My mum said.


    I was over the moon with joy as I ced it on my wrist. ¡°Thank you, so much.¡± I replied, and for the first time it hit me. I was getting married today.


    ¡°We should get going. the guests are waiting,¡± Daisy said.


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to walk me down the aisle?¡± I asked the question that was tugging on my mind all along.


    ¡°My husband will.¡± Nana replied and I froze for a second.


    I searched her face and all I saw was a reassuring smile. It was definitely going to happen.


    ¡®Jesus! Nana is my role model, I swear it.¡¯


    I want to wield that sort of power. The power to bring a strong man to his knees.


    **********


    HOLLIS


    We were called into the church, towards the altar by one of the wardens. ¡°The fuck is taking so long? She only had a dress and shoes to get into.¡± I grumbled, checking my watch with Maxine on my tail.


    ¡°Patience, mother is here already.¡± Maxine whispered.


    The news could only mean that Ugo had arrived too, since Nana and Mrs. Chike left for the house to help her get ready. I breathed out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°What about my father-inw?¡±


    ¡°No sign of him yet.¡± Max replied.


    ¡°Lexington?¡± I asked, certain that a roll call had been made and Maxine had been told of the people present.


    ¡°He¡¯s present, with his wife.¡±


    ¡°It will take a lot of work to win my father-inw over.¡± I murmured.


    ¡°You can¡¯t me the man, we messed up and he¡¯s got pride.¡±


    Before I could reply, music rang throughout the church and the door opened slowly making my heart rate quicken. A vision in white stood beside my father with a bouquet of navy-blue tinted roses in her hands.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Maxine said. ¡°Damn!¡±


    I almost cursed the veil for covering my bride¡¯s face. Seeing my father with Ugo in his arms and a cheerful look on his face, I was overwhelmed with emotions. Such that I¡¯ve never felt before.


    Ugo was beautiful, deadly, stunning, and all mine. When she reached me, she stopped and kissed my father on the cheek before taking my hand.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Dominico Genovese surprised us when he returned her kiss with a heartwarming smile. ¡®The devil is a Christian.¡¯ I almost eximed.


    When my bride stepped up to me, I looked into her eyes. I saw a twinge of sadness, and it pained me to my core. I squeezed her hand, not to hurt her, but to tell her that I saw and I didn¡¯t like it.


    I wanted her to be happy. I would keep trying to win her father over. That would be one of the best things I could do for her.

 Wedding Night

    ¡°Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of God, and everyone here, to join together Hollis Genovese and Ugo Chike in holy matrimony.¡±


    Everything the priest said afterwards faded when Ugo squeezed my hand back. She nced up at me, and I saw it. The lioness in her eyes wasn¡¯t gone, but simply asleep.


    ¡°Hollis Genovese, do you take Ugo chike to be yourwfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish. Do you promise to be faithful to her until death do you part?¡±


    ¡°I do, always,¡± I said without any hesitation, and she snickered at me, shaking her head as I ced the wedding band on her finger topliment her engagement ring.


    ¡°Ugo Chike, do you take Hollis Genovese to be yourwfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish. Do you promise to be faithful to him until death do you part?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± She replied, and I felt overflowing relief and joy as she slid my ring into ce.


    ¡°May these rings be blessed so he who gives it and she who wears it may abide in peace and continue in love until life¡¯s end.¡± He said as we stared at each other.


    ¡°You may now seal the promises you have made to each other with a kiss.¡±


    In that moment it didn¡¯t feel like our lips met. It felt like our souls did. Ugo¡­, my Ugo, wiped the lipstick from my lips. ¡®Oh my fuckin god!¡¯


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you the new couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hollis Genovese.¡± The priest said while Ugo rolled her eyes at me.


    Apparently, Mrs. Hollis Genovese didn¡¯t sit well with her, because what about her name? But, too fucking bad.


    Everyone rose from his or her seat, pping and cheering as we walked down the aisle hand in hand. We stopped at the top of the stairs to take photos for every damn reputable magazine my mum granted audience.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Everyone wanted an exclusive and many of them were willing to pay to get one if they were asked to.


    When my brother leaned in beside me, he said, ¡°I bought every single emotion both of you sold today. So will the world.¡± He whispered with a smirk as we smiled.


    We slid into the waiting Rolls Royce and started heading to the reception venue.


    ¡°You¡¯re sad, what¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked my beautiful wife.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    I sighed and held the side of her face so she would have to look me in the eye. ¡°My wife, what is wrong?¡±


    She stared at me and burst intoughter. ¡°Now you¡¯re trying to be funny.¡± She said.


    I liked the sound of herughter and I felt happy that I could brighten her mood even for a brief moment.


    ¡°My father, I miss him.¡± She replied.


    I held her hand in mine. ¡°I¡¯ll fix it, I promise. I won¡¯t give up.¡± I told her and was grateful when she nodded.


    After doing our time at the reception, we left for one of mypany owned resort that I had set aside for our honeymoon, which was stipted tost a month or less, depending on my dear wife¡¯s preference.


    We got to the resort at dusk. The staff were lined up in the lobby waiting for us, waiting to see the new Mrs. Genovese.


    The thought of putting Ugo in charge of my chain of resorts since she¡¯s beenining of being home all day and being lonely, crossed my mind. That might be something I¡¯ll discuss with her.


    After a very warm reception, we retired to our suite. A room with the perfect blend of nature from the furniture designs to the walls and paintings. I heard her let out a deep breath and I smiled, she definitely loved the room. If not, I would have heard it by now.


    Therge king sized bed stared at us and my wife stole a quick nce at me. ¡°Happy married life.¡± She said, surprising me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I warmed up. ¡°And to you too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll just¡­. I¡¯ll go freshen up.¡± She said pointing to the bathroom. She was almost at the door when she paused. ¡°I¡¯m not with any clothes. We didn¡¯t discuss this, so I had no idea¡­¡±


    ¡°There are clothes for you in the wardrobe, everything you need is here.¡± I told her. She mouthed an okay.


    ¡°Would you like to hang out on the patio over a bottle of wine, cupcakes and spaghetti?¡± I asked, pointing to the candle lit arrangement for two set up at the little space behind.


    ¡°I would love that.¡± She said.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll quickly take a shower, then I¡¯ll see you there.¡± She stared at me with unease. ¡°There¡¯s another bathroom, over here.¡± I said, pointing at the second bathroom door in the suite.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll see you outside.¡±


    I took a quick shower. I¡¯d wanted to check up on Maxine and get all the updates I could. But I wanted to do all of that before Ugo finished from the bathroom.


    I was done with thest call when I spotted my wife¡¯s figure at the door. Angelic, bare, soft and delicate. As she walked down, I noticed a shift in her stance. I¡¯ve stalked Ugo Chike for too long to know when she was having difort.


    Once she took her seat, I poured us a bottle of wine and scooped some food for her. Thanks to the heating b under the tes, the food was still warm.


    We ate in silence and when we were done, I packed up the tes and kept them aside. Then poured more wine for both of us and ced three cake slices on a saucer for her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not trying to get me drunk, and filled, are you?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Just enough to calm your nerves.¡± I said. ¡°How¡¯s your feet?¡± I asked the only question that had been troubling my mind since she stepped into the open patio.


    ¡°They¡¯re fine.¡± She replied and tucked them under her seat.


    ¡°Give me your feet, Ugo.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she stammered around a sip of wine that quickly spilled on her fingers.


    Grabbing one of the napkins I kept on the table, I cleaned across her lips, then her fingers. ¡°You literally did a lot of walking and standing today in those godforsaken heels. This is the least I can do.¡±


    Pushing my chair out, I tapped myp. Is this me trying to bug her, overstep her set boundaries, I had no idea and sadly I really don¡¯t care. It is just a foot rub, and I needed to do something to ease her pain.

 Foot Rub

    Considering that I wanted to do a lot more to her, I think a foot massage would be pretty tame. ¡°Seriously?¡± She asked me.


    ¡°Seriously.¡± I replied.


    With a nervous swallow, she watched my face as she lifted her right foot up to me. I delicately removed the oversized slippers she was putting on and winced at the painful looking state of her pinched toes.


    She was wearing stockings that blended with her skin tone under a free flowy floral ankle length gown. I purchased that particr gown with an image of her in my head and she pulled it off just as I had imagined.


    I patted her feet gently and said, ¡°take these off.¡±


    Her breath hitched. Pulling her gown up a couple inches to the top of her thighs, she pulled the tip of her stockings and I said a silent fuck me in my head.


    I bought the fuckin stockings, but in my defence, it was just a small looking piece of clothing. How was I to know that it would expand up to the thigh? I thought it would do the same job as a small sock she could wearzily during the day to protect the sole of her foot.


    The picture I created in my head waspletely different from what I was seeing. But that was not it. I wished I could look away as she pulled it down, but the tip hidden under her cloth was as sexy as sin, and I¡¯m only a human, after all.


    My cock grew hard in my pants, and what started as an innocent foot rub to help ease her pain and my conscience, soon turned into a sensual peep-show and what would be a rough case of blue balls for meter.


    I helped her roll the intimate piece of clothing down her legs and drape them over the back of her chair while promising myself that I¡¯ll get her more of that shit.


    When I looked up, she was quiet, biting her lip and watching my face. As I began rubbing and massaging her poor battered feet, she let out a hum. It sounded so sinful that I had to shift my growing cock away from her ankle that was resting on myp.


    ¡°Does that feel good?¡± I asked, wincing as I heard the words escape my lips.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied softly.


    I watched as she melted into her chair, looking rxed. When I dug my thumbs gently into her arches, her head hung back, and I knew I¡¯d won. This was the pleasure I wanted to see, and with nothing in return for myself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll rub your feet every night until the redness subsides. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied with a sigh, shocking me again with no argument.


    Moving to the second foot, I did the same, and everything was fine until her right foot inched too far and brushed against the hard length in my pants.


    She tensed, her eyes found mine, and in that moment, I felt like the world¡¯s biggest creep. I wasn¡¯t doing this to get off or turned on. I was doing it because I wanted her to feel good, but even now that sounded predatory in my head. ¡®Feel good? What the hell is that?¡¯


    The moment stretched on between us while I held her foot in my hand, waiting for her to erupt from her chair and call me out or leave or p me because if anyone else touched her the way I¡¯m touching her now, I would have their fucking head on a stick.


    But she didn¡¯t do any of those things. Instead, with her gaze locked on mine, she brushed her foot against my cock again.


    Or was I imagining that? Nope, she did it again, this time with a little more force, and it felt so fucking good. I resumed massaging her foot while her other leg rested against my aching erection, and the whole act was definitely not so innocent anymore.


    ¡°Ugo¡­,¡± I whispered, but I didn¡¯t even know what I wanted to say.


    I should tell her to stop and put her foot down. But I couldn¡¯t. This might be one of those opportunities I¡¯ve been looking for, but wasn¡¯t this too soon?


    ¡°Yes.¡± She answered. Her voice was breathy and inviting. The moment felt charged sexual and very, very fucking dangerous.


    Before I could say another word, she hushed me. ¡°Shh. Hollis..¡±


    She called and I answered hurriedly, unsure of what her next words would be, but definitely eager to hear them.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to visit your club.¡± She said in the most sensual voice I¡¯ve ever heard.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I croaked.


    ¡°Will you take me?¡±


    ¡°When do you want to go?¡± I asked.


    ¡°How about tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± I replied without thinking.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    My phone rang on the table next to me, breaking the wonderful moment and I almost cursed the living day light out of whoever was disturbing me on my fucking wedding eve.


    I looked at the screen, it was Elsa, our eyes met and I knew she saw the caller¡¯s ID and recognized the name because her countenance changed.


    I quickly cut the call and typed a message stating that I was busy. I looked at her, hoping she could see the surge of apology in my eyes.


    But she didn¡¯t say a word about the caller and if she saw it, I had no idea anymore. ¡°Tell me about it, your club. What do you do there?


    I was still holding on to her legs. ¡°There are several levels in the club. Parties, drugs, strippers¡­¡± I noticed her leg tense.


    But nothing else gave away her emotion. So, I continued. ¡°A sexual fulfillment section..¡± I said, struggling with the best words to use for description.


    There was silence as we stared at each other. ¡°Are you going to expand on that or make me use my imagination?¡± She asked when I didn¡¯t give her any more information.


    ¡°I think I want you to use your imagination. What is on your mind?¡± I licked my lower lip and watched her. I knew my voice sounded flirtatious, but she didn¡¯t call me out on it, so that meant everything was okay.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of a brothel with a more refined name and space.¡± I heard her and I shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯re not to far from the truth. But, everything done there is consensual. And it¡¯s for members only. Requires a registration online, subscribing and getting an exclusive password. No one there is held against their will.¡±


    I noticed the movement of her throat. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ daring¡±


    ¡°And financially rewarding.¡± I added.

 Being Mrs. Genovese

    UGO


    I woke up sprawled on top of Hollis like he was some damn mattress, again!


    There was no nicer way to put it. My arms were resting perfectly on his shoulder and my head on his chest while I enjoyed the warmth his body was providing me.


    His toned chest was rising and falling rhythmically enough that I figured he was still asleep. Slowly and carefully, I tried to move off him.


    ¡°I thought you werefortable, Baby.¡± Hollis¡¯s voice startled me the second I tried moving my head.


    Fuck! I¡¯ve been caught. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. it¡¯s just that I¡¯m so used to sleeping with a teddy that sometimes, I forget that I¡¯m not home.¡± I tried to exin as I shifted my legs, bing intimately aware of Hollis¡¯s hard cock pressing against my skin.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t mind sharing my side of the bed,¡± he caressed the back of my neck absentmindedly and my senses heightened.


    Slowly, his hands slid down my back and considering how light the fabric of my gown was, I felt his fingers on my bare skin. A shudder moved through my insides at the soft touch, reminding me how long it had been since I¡¯d felt that from a man.


    I pulled away even when my senses were telling me to stay back and let my husband pamper me. I went over to my own side of the bed.


    ¡°I should get a body pillow or a big teddy. I had one back at Fairview.¡± I told him.


    ¡°No you shouldn¡¯t.¡± He said to my surprise.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°You heard me.¡± He replied standing up from the bed. ¡°No,¡± He insisted. ¡°I¡¯m more than willing to do the job.¡± He replied shamelessly


    ¡°You¡¯re barely around. So your offer can¡¯t hold.¡± I argued, determined to milk the situation to my advantage.


    ¡°I said no. I¡¯ll be around henceforth, if you want.¡±


    ¡°I want.¡± It came out before I could stop myself.


    I watched him smile satisfactorily before heading into his own bathroom or the second bathroom, whichever one. I stepped into my own bathroom and locked the door.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Day one as a wife. I thought of what I should be doing. What do married people do? Seriously, I had no idea.


    I turned on the bath and climbed into the warmth the water provided after stripping off my gown slowly. The image ofst night remained etched in my head. Hollis was hard for me. I did that to him and instead of letting me know what I was doing to him, he was determined to provide me with all that pleasure and deny himself of any.


    That was another level of selflessness unlocked. And it was a good thing for me because now I know how much of an effect I have on him.


    I was married to him. False, pretend, short, long marriage, it doesn¡¯t really matter. The summary is we are married and somehow the terms should be different now.


    I could use some extra incentives for myself. Like having a cellphone for starters.


    ¡°Mrs. Genovese.¡± I murmured with a smile. Now it¡¯s time to make my husband understand what he signed up for. I grabbed a sponge and scrubbed my body. Then let my body soak and enjoy the warm water.


    I shut my eyes and shes of Hollis rubbing my foot became endless. I opened it and tried shutting it again, more shes came but this time, I saw his mouth on my toes.


    ¡°Fucking Christ!¡±


    I almost moaned at the erotic image I was able to create. Hollis¡¯s words rang in my head, he ran a members only club. A club that fulfills one¡¯s wildest dreams, sexually. He was running a fucking sex pad but legally, right?


    I had no idea. But I was even more turned on with the thought of that sex pad. The things Hollis could do to my body with his eyes alone was mind-blowing and it made me wonder what he could do to my body, this body.


    Damn, I am horny and I might be miserable by the end of the day if I don¡¯t give myself the satisfaction of an orgasm. I don¡¯t know how long I spent in the bathroom, fantasizing. But when I finally climbed out, the water was already chilly.


    Then I made my way toward the door, pulling it open, I walked into the lovely smell of fresh roses in a clear vase with a ck envelope ced on top of it and dropped on the bed.


    I almost ran to the bed. When I pulled the envelope open, I smiled at the words.


    ¡®Good morning dear wife¡¯


    This is what married people do. I chuckled sweetly, rubbing my stomach at the butterflies I was feeling there. I looked through the window and saw my h. u. s. b. a. n. d seated at the patio, legs crossed, holding a newspaper.


    Everything about that posture of his screamed male and elegant. When I turned back, a mug of coffee stared at me from the table. I picked it up and got straight to business. I rummaged through the dressers, everything I needed was there. From skincare, makeup, haircare, every single thing. Hollis was a thoughtful and very attentive man.


    If only I knew we would being here, I would have packed a couple of lingerie from the ones I shopped with Nana and Cordelia. But it isn¡¯tte though. I still had a lot of time to wear those, a lot of time to drive Hollis Genovese crazy.


    Now that I was sure of what I could do to him, he¡¯s in for a long ride. I finished with my hair and makeup and the girl staring at me in the mirror looked everything like the sophisticated wife of a Boss.


    I was going to be introduced to one of my husband¡¯s businesses, so I had to dress the part. A ck little dress, hair knotted up and allowed to fall, lips plump and red, makeup done and perfect, skin dewy and glowy. Smile.. well.. I pulled my cheeks aside for a smile. And smile, perfect! Now, let¡¯s go see my husband.

 Are you checking out my Wife

    On Hollis¡¯s insistence, I had to put on an extremely gorgeous kitten heel. We left our suite for the car and he held my hand firmly. The staff of the resort was lined up just likest night.


    ¡°Gross.¡± I murmured when we passed them and he arched his brow again, oh Lord!


    Does he even know that arching his brow gives a certain heart melting look on his face that can make a woman think of several things in rtion to sex and orgasm. ¡®Straight to hell Ugo, straight to hell.¡¯ The voice in my head warned.


    ¡°What do you think about managing resorts, is that something you can do?¡± His voice broke through my sinful thoughts.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Youin that you¡¯re bored at home. I¡¯m wondering if you¡¯ll love to take up something as challenging as managing my chain of resorts. I have just a couple of them in few ces. I¡¯m wondering if you think you can manage them or if you¡¯re willing to give it a try.¡± A smirk appeared on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long it will take before you get drowned.¡± He added with a wink.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to do.¡± Iughed at his trick.


    He was trying to cajole me into taking up an offer he knew very well I could handle effectively.


    ¡°You do?¡± He chuckled. ¡°So is it something you can do, Ugo?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, how about I think about it, Ace?¡± I looked up to meet his stunning gaze but saw a frown, then it wore off instantly.


    ¡°Perfect answer.¡± He replied. When we got to the car, Nero was already behind the wheels, waiting. Hollis opened the door for me.


    ¡°You look and smell amazing Ugo.¡± He said, when he slid in behind me.


    I smiled. ¡°Thank you for getting everything I¡¯m wearing.¡±


    ¡°Which of your perfumes are you wearing? I¡¯ll need to get you a dozen bottles of it ¡±


    ¡°Raw.¡± I replied. He adjusted his trousers and said something I didn¡¯t hear. ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That sounded¡­ raw,¡± he replied and Iughed.


    ¡°Well, you got it.¡±


    ¡°I never knew it would smell this amazing. I saw an empty pack of the perfume in one of your dressers and I figured you didn¡¯t want to forget the name. Hence your reason for keeping it there.¡±


    ¡°True. I used it once after a friend¡¯s rmendation. And I just couldn¡¯t get it around anymore. So I kept the empty pack.¡± I agreed.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°See, look how much I know you.¡± He said excitedly.


    ¡°Do you?¡± I asked and he replied with a simple yes. ¡°So, what¡¯s my favorite food?¡±


    ¡°Spaghetti.¡±


    ¡°Favorite color?¡±


    ¡°Aside ck, brown.¡±


    I knew my surprise was evident. Out of curiosity, I asked more.


    ¡°My favorite snack?¡±


    ¡°Cakes.¡±


    ¡°Sports?¡±


    ¡°Hockey.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow!¡± I eximed. ¡°Hobby?¡±


    ¡°Reading.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve stalked the shit out of me. It¡¯s creepy.¡± I confessed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡± He replied instead.


    ¡°One more thing.¡± I said and motioned him closer with my index finger. ¡°What¡¯s my favorite sex position?¡± I teased, making sure that my voice carried the intensity of the question.


    He smiled and drew even more closer. ¡°That¡¯s a personal question, Ugo.¡± He told me and I gulped. ¡°But we can run a test, if you want us to.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I be a bad wife if I say I don¡¯t want us to?¡±


    ¡°You will be an amazing wife either way.¡± He blew a kiss and rxed back to his seat leaving a stunned me.


    When I finally rxed, I focused on the ride to the club. The rest of the ride went on in silence. When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was the location of the club, the distance from the gate to the club was vast.


    Some crazy developers would have turned the wholend to arge estate that could take about a hundred and twenty to a hundred and fifty houses without air. The windows and doors of the club were all tinted and just above the entrance door was a logo with the club name, HG.


    ¡°Hollis Genovese? I asked, looking at the logo.


    He followed my gaze and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Nero parked the car. As we climbed out, I straightened my dress and watched my husband waiting for me calmly like we had the whole day. As soon as I was done, and we got to the entrance of the club, a tall blond man in faded jeans and a tight nnel shirt exited the building and marched in our direction.


    He had a hard hat on his head and a mildly disgruntled look on his face as he approached us, but when he lifted his head and locked eyes with me, his expression suddenly changed. A smile stretched across his stubbled cheeks as his blue eyes skated up and down my body.


    ¡°Are you checking out my wife, Jason?¡± Hollis asked in a firm tone, making my head swell.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Jasonughed cheerfully. ¡°I would never do that.¡±


    But he was doing that. I found myself staring at his chiseled cheekbones and full, pink lips. He was freaking gorgeous.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Genovese. It¡¯s a pleasure to have you here with us ma¡¯am.¡±


    He chimed with a disarming gaze on me. Hollis cleared his throat, putting the attention back on Jason.


    ¡°Baby,¡± he called me sweetly and that alone brought some wetness in a certain part of my body. ¡°Jason handled the building contract of this ce and he¡¯s beenden with the task of taking care of the building until we decide to let him go.¡±


    He told me and I watched Jason nod like some Agama. ¡°Mr. Jason, it¡¯s nice meeting you. I¡¯ll be seeing you around, right?¡±


    I looked at Hollis and as usual, that brow did the questioning. ¡°I won¡¯t be banking on that.¡± He replied shrewdly.


    Suddenly, a soft handtched around my waist and tugged me away abruptly from Jason¡¯s presence.

 Finding Her Preference, or not

    ¡°We have a tour to get to.¡± Hollis said softly and we headed out. Then he muttered in my ear, keeping my body close to his. ¡°Stay away from him. He has his eyes all over you.¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡± I scolded gently and tapped his arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± He pouted, a very cute expression that got my heart melting.


    I chuckled in response. ¡°But why?¡± I saw something pass through his face before he settled back into his usual expression. ¡°Is he one of your members?¡±


    ¡°An answer to that would be a breach of contract.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m your wife. That should automatically make me a member, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± He smiled and curved his arm. I ced mine in it and saw him nod to my question.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He said.


    ¡°What¡¯s his preference, orgies, BJ, cougars, bondage..?¡± Hollis¡¯s head snaped in my direction. With my arm still hooked to his, he stopped me before we reached the door.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just go around asking people what their sexual preferences are.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    He drew closer to me, hovering over me like a shadow. ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen for once?¡±


    He swore under his breath and I smiled. Wrecking a little havoc here and there. That was exactly what I told Maxine and yes, I¡¯m currently in the process.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want you¡­¡± His voice trailed off.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me, what?¡± We were facing each other now.


    ¡°To these people, you¡¯re my wife, all right. I don¡¯t want you getting involved too deeply in any of this shit. So don¡¯t ask people their preferences and don¡¯t flirt with the men. Or women.¡± He added as an afterthought.


    I felt my jaw clench and my shoulders tighten as I red up at him. ¡°You know I¡¯m an adult, right. And you said this stuff was normal.¡±


    His hand went to the small of my back and I felt it tighten, I could feel the eyes of some of his workers on us at this point. ¡°Will you just listen to me, please. You¡¯re not ready for this, Ugo. I brought you here to show you what has been keeping me away from you for the past couple of weeks, not to immerse you in it.¡±


    At that moment, all I could hear was chastisement by my father or an imaginary elder brother.


    ¡°I am your wife, at least that is what the whole world knows.¡± I whispered. ¡°So, I will immerse myself, my whole body in whatsoever you are involved in, If I so wish. You should know that by now.¡±


    My tone was mild, heavy and direct. Biting out each word with precision before I turned and we resumed towards the door.


    Hollis cursed in his nativenguage. ¡°English please.¡± I shot at him, my eyes still focused on the door.


    ¡°You are too damn stubborn.¡±


    ¡°Aww, thank you, hubby.¡± I said and almost bounced with excitement.


    We passed through a lobby area with a tall desk and dark ck tiles. Then we entered the main room, which reminded me of a dance club. A stage was at the front, and a team of guys were working on the tallest stripper pole I¡¯ve ever seen in my entire life.


    Along the sides of the room were doors and two hallway entrances, one on either side of the stage. There was also a second floor with a wraparound balcony that lets those above look down at the club below.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I couldn¡¯t stop looking at everything, trying to imagine what would go on here at night and what all the rooms are for and what is down those hallways.


    ¡°Boss.¡±


    A young gentleman shook Hollis ¡®s hand. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± He bowed, turning to me.


    He kept his eyes on my face and not my breasts like Jason from outside. I nodded my consent, basking in the closeness of my husband¡¯s rigid body.


    ¡°Derek, how is the arrangement going?¡±


    ¡°Perfect sir.¡± Derek replied.


    He had a warm smile, showing his teeth as he smiled. With honey brown hair and a clean-shaven face, he had the look of someone who does a lot of business, the looks like a salesman.


    ¡°Derek is one of our salesmen,¡± Hollis told me.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°Someone wants to see you.¡± Derek told my husband. ¡°Don Pedro.¡± He spelled out.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fuckin honeymoon. Why would hee here? He turned to me, and asked. ¡°Would you be able to stay by yourself if I spent a few minutes with my father¡¯s friend?¡±


    I nodded. He kissed my forehead and gave Derek a stern look before walking away. I knew what that look entailed ¡®stay with her¡¯


    Once he turned to the door, I walked across the open space, my shoes echoed with each step. Derek followed behind like a second part of my body. In silence and utmost quiet.


    I headed down a hallway that led toward the back of the building, and he followed, but at a distance. There were guards at the beginning of the hallway, but they all made way for me to pass. I soon realized that this wasn¡¯t just a regr hallway.


    It was broad with doors on each side andrge windows. As I passed the rooms, I took a peek in, they were all beautiful furnished. Four poster beds, sofas, some had red drapes and blindfolds hung freely in some of them.


    Each of the rooms were about the size of a bedroom, and I found myself gulping down my nerves. ¡®Do they let people go into these rooms?¡¯ I wondered and froze, peering into one.


    The walls were painted a deep blue and it had a couch pushed to the edge, then onerge chair that was raised on a dais with brown decorative embellishments framing the red velvet seat that was ced at the other end of the wall.


    ¡°Is that¡­¡± I said to myself, or at least I thought it was to myself.


    A warm voice that was neither Hollis¡¯s nor Derek¡¯s finished my sentence as he approached me from behind. ¡°A throne,¡± the stranger answered inly.


    I quickly spun around and stared at another gorgeous man. ¡®Does this ce breed cute men or what?¡¯

 Castello

    ¡°I missed your wedding Reina. Believe me I tried so hard to get on the avable flight back but the airlines shifted our flights by almost twenty-four hours. The jet was upied. Your husband was so pissed that I booked ast minute flight.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I was held up by certain business deals. But I got back this morning.¡±


    I stared at him, nk, trying to figure out who he was, before he extended his head for a handshake. ¡°Castello, your husband is my cousin.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± I eximed as recognition hit me. I¡¯ve never seen him before but I¡¯ve heard his name from Hollis and from Isabe. ¡°Castello, my husband has told me so much about you.¡±


    ¡°Nice things?¡±


    ¡°You bet.¡± I replied.


    ¡°So you want to check the throne out?¡±


    He had a sly grin came on his face, as if he was daring me to go inside. I nced down the hall for Hollis and when I noticed he wasn¡¯t close by. I took Castello up on his dare and stepped tentatively into the room.


    ¡°Why is there a throne in the room?¡± I asked. It seemed a little weird.


    ¡°Why not.¡± he replied casually, like it was obvious. I swallowed and felt him lean closer, his warm breath brushed against my ear as he whispered, ¡°Try it.¡±


    ¡°Me? Hell no. I¡¯m not really a throne type of girl.¡± I protested.


    ¡°How can you be so sure if you¡¯ve never tried it?¡±


    I paused, and looked back at him. He was challenging me, and I couldn¡¯t quite tell if I really liked him or sort of hated him for that. But I never turn down a challenge. ¡°Go ahead,¡± he added.


    Crossing the room, I climbed up the step and touched the brown arms of the broad chair. The first thought in my head was that the throne was for kings and masters. But as my fingers glided along the edges, I corrected my train of thoughts.


    Turning around, I settled my weight into the seat, and the moment the back of my thighs hit the crushed red velvet, it felt so good. Crossing my legs, I stared down at the room, Castello leaned against the doorframe, watching me with a look of approval on his face.


    ¡°How do I look?¡± I asked.


    Judging by the way he was staring at me, I expected anotherpliment, and he opened his mouth as if to deliver one. But he stopped, closing his lips, almost as if he wasn¡¯t allowed.


    Instead, he ambled forward, stopping in front of me. He circled around me and said. ¡°Now imagine how it would feel to have someone kneeling at your feet, worshiping you, bowing to your presence.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try that.¡± I giggled, enjoying myself a little bit too much and refusing to strain my head with imaginations.


    Castello shed a wry smile and stepped in front of me. He let out augh and replied, ¡°As you wish, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Then he faced me and dropped to his knees with his eyes on my face. As he lowered his gaze, I watched him bend his head downward and bowed down to me, sending a surge of power and strength right through me.


    There was no chemistry between us, but there was also a warm buzz of arousal coursing down my spine at the sensation, the feeling of having such a powerful man bowing to me. It was intoxicating, power!


    I let myself imagine someone else in Castello¡¯s ce, someone called Hollis.


    As Castello lifted up his head, he touched my leg, sliding his fingers up the side of my calf, ¡°now imagine what someone can do from this position,¡± he said quietly.


    The raspy tone of his voice felt like it was echoing through my bones. And when I looked down at him, I imagined another pair of eyes looking back at me. Castello¡¯s attention moved downward to the apex of my crossed legs.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± A voice thundered from the doorway, and I jumped about three feet in the air.


    Hollis was ring at us as I erupted from the chair. His arms were crossed, his fists clenched, and those wolf-like eyes were trained on me with so much anger.


    ¡°Hollis,¡± I stammered, waltzing across the room and trying to remain as casual as I could. It¡¯s not like I was interested in Castello. I mean, he¡¯s gorgeous, but I just met him and I don¡¯t even know him.


    Castello turned to his cousin. ¡°Your wife was curious,¡± he replied casually as if the room wasn¡¯t drenched in tension. ¡°I had to let her see for herself. It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    Hollis¡¯s gazended on me and I swallowed, trying not to shrink in his presence. Slowly, his gaze moved to my face, and when neither of us moved toward the door, Castello excused himself, leaving me alone with my fuming husband.


    Castello¡¯s footsteps disappeared down the hall, and Hollis mmed the door, cornering me against the deep-blue wall.


    ¡°I thought I told you that I don¡¯t want you involved with the men here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your cousin, and I wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong.¡± My mouth verbalized what my wild mind would have said. ¡°If you didn¡¯t want me talking to him, then you shouldn¡¯t have brought me here.¡± I said, forcing my voice to hide the tremble.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He was towering over me, and I was momentarily overwhelmed with his proximity. ¡°Would you have stopped pushing it If I told you no?¡±


    Well, he was right. I would have kept pushing and disturbing until he brought me. He stared down at me and for the first time I felt the height difference between us. I felt that intoxicating cologne, the deep rumble of his voice, the cold, harsh expression on his face which somehow made me want to crumble to my knees.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure of what I did wrong anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is going to work out,¡± I said in a quivering whisper, but when I tried to escape from the room, his warm grasp on my arm stopped me.


    ¡°No,¡± he barked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I struggled to say.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t quit. But if you evere to the club again, I don¡¯t want you leaving my side nor do I want you talking to anyone other than me, understand?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± Imented.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying this as your husband, Ugo, I¡¯m saying it as your¡­¡± His voice trailed.

 In every possible way

    I understood him. The argument I wanted to raise died on my lips as I stared up at him and nodded. He really had to go there, didn¡¯t he? And for what, because he saw me with not just some man but his cousin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see the other parts of the building. There¡¯s an underground part of the club.¡± Hollis said, pulling me alongside him.


    When we got to the door, he waited for me to fall in step. Then his hand returned to thatforting ce at the small of my back. He nudged me gently out the door and down the hallway. We saw Derek at a reasonable distance when we passed.


    But this time around, I kept my eyes forward instead of letting them trail into the various open rooms we passed on our way out.


    We quarreled nonstop when we got back to the resort. I didn¡¯t think I did anything wrong back at the club, nor did I agree that I¡¯ll be ordered around and told what to do and what not to do.


    Hollis refused that I would be responsible for making the sole decision of what I want and what I do not want. He insisted that he would decide what was good for me and approve the people I mingle with. Since it was his world, he knew better.


    But stubborn me refused to give him the grace. What the hell is he protecting a twenty-seven year old adult from.


    I refused to bend, Hollis refused to bend. Two alpha humans merged together in a funny thing called marriage. What the hell was I expecting?


    We didn¡¯t speak to each other after the arguments and I literally folded my clothes from the wardrobe together and created a barricade between us to prevent me from rolling over to his side of the bed.


    By morning, I insisted that I¡¯ve had enough of the stupid-ass honeymoon and since he won¡¯t let me quit, I¡¯d love to go back to the Garden. At least over there, I had Alessia on standby to cheer me up and Maxine to help with my training.


    I¡¯d expected this man to refuse and indirectly plead that I stay. But hell no! At 11:55am, we were in the back seat of the Range Rover, heading back home, to the Garden.


    Two stupid people deceiving each other, that was what we were.


    I had expected Alessia to show some sort of shock at my arrival at the Garden. But the girl was smiling like she had expected my presence way earlier. We didn¡¯t pack any of our stuff, but I figured they would eventually bring them back for us.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    *******


    HOLLIS


    I still don¡¯t know who deceived me into thinking Ugo would be someone I could manage. She was not an everyday type of woman. She is determined, fierce and very vocal.


    Not the type you can squeeze into a space and she¡¯ll stay right there with a sweet smile just to please you.


    Once we got to the Garden, I regretted everything that transpired between usst night. I should have pleaded and we would have been settled by now. But I was just as hard-headed as she was.


    When we got home, she stumped into our bedroom, ignoring me and even Alessia that I thought she was so fond of.


    Sadly, I had already booked a table for two in one of the restaurants in town as a way of announcing my wife to everyone that was yet to hear or believe the news.


    The dinner date was to be held tomorrow and I knew I ought to tell her about it now, today. But I was worried she would refuse tantly.


    So, I stayed away from our bedroom most part of the day, even during dinner. A dy tactics I was employing to wean her off the anger before speaking to her about dinner. When I finally went inside and told her about it, I got the exact answer I was expecting.


    ¡°That would be a no for me,¡± Ugo told me.


    ¡°Why?¡± I went ahead to ask.


    ¡°For many number of reasons,¡± she said, rubbing on some soft, feminine smelling lotion as she sat off the side of the bed, her back to me.


    I almost swore under my breath when I finally caught a glimpse of what this woman chose to wear to bed. I bought the gown, but I had no idea it would fit the way it did.


    ¡®Is there really anything this woman wore that doesn¡¯t look good on her?¡¯


    Her back was covered with see-throughce embroidery that glided over her body. Something about the white color of it went really well with her tinted hair and dark skin.


    ¡°Tell me.¡± I urged, leaning against the bathroom door jam.


    ¡°Okay, you should have told me earlier.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m doing.¡± I argued.


    ¡°What was that?¡± She asked, turning to face me with raised brows, daring me to repeat what I said.


    ¡°Nothing. But I¡¯m already informing you a day before. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    ¡°And I said I am not going.¡± She hammered. And with that, she whipped up the nkets, climbed under, and turned off the light.


    ¡°Goddammit.¡± I muttered.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised, I¡¯ve always known she would stress the living daylights out of me. I can¡¯t exactly be pissed when she tosses all that sass at me, can I?


    Sighing, I made my way into the bathroom. Taking onest look at hercey back, my cock twitched, hardening at the thought of running my hands through her skin.


    On a sigh, I reached down for my cock, stroking away the idea of possibly fucking my wife who was just one room away. But I might as well imagine her being across the country or the world since she would rather torment me than have my hands on her.


    It was going to be a long fucking marriage and I just have to brace myself for the iing chaos. Sometime in the middle of the night, she finally rolled onto me with a soft, mewling sleep sound, then let out a little sigh as she wiggled into ce, liking me more in sleep than she did while awake.


    I realized that while she wasn¡¯t happy with the situation, and despite the wreck she was causing already, I was satisfied with the choices I made. Eventually, she would be my wife in every way that mattered. I just had to be patient. And patience was a selling point of mine.

 No Commitments

    UGO


    When I woke up in the morning, I was wrapped around someone¡¯s body as usual. But I felt less guilty because he said I shouldn¡¯t get a teddy. So I didn¡¯t expect him toin.


    But when I wanted to lift my head, he held me down and opened his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s stop fighting Ugo, I don¡¯t like it when we do.¡± He told me and I felt like he poured me some sort of chilled water.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I replied, clearing my throat. ¡°I need to get a dress for tonight¡¯s dinner.¡± I told him and he looked at me like I was some kind of alien. Then his lips twitched.


    ¡°The credit card is still with you. Do with it as you wish.¡± He whispered, I felt excitement coarse through his skin.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    It was safe to say that the day started out well enough for the both of us. We had breakfast with Maxine and Castello. Initially, I found thetter too funny to be taken seriously, until I saw him switch from funny to deadbeat serious when it was time to discuss real business.


    It felt like I was watching someone with multiple personality disorder.


    Later in the day, I left for the mall with Alessia while Hollis left for the club and we agreed to meet at the restaurant. Nero was to drive me down.


    It was true that I had forgiven Hollis, but I still wanted to punish him a little. And I did just that by spending so much money from his fat bank ount that when we finished paying for our order, I wanted to weep for my dear husband.


    But then he said I didn¡¯t do great the first time I used his card, I was hoping this time around, he would have no choice than to notice. I helped Alessia cart the shopping bags up into the apartment and left everything in the living room space for Hollis to see when he got home. Hopefully it would make him check his phone for his bank statement.


    Then he¡¯ll get to see the dent I¡¯ve put into his bank ount. I was able to squeeze in the bath I very much needed before getting myself ready for dinner. Did my makeup and put on the most beautiful white dress I¡¯ve ever seen that had cost three thousand dors.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I put on my shoes that cost almost the same, and spritzed on my personal favorite perfume, Raw.


    ¡°Reina,¡± Alessia called softly. ¡°You might have to consider hurrying up a bit. The Boss hates waiting, and you might be pushing him a bit too much by making him wait.¡± She pleaded.


    I surprised even myself when I grabbed my clutch that was empty save for a pressed powder and lipstick, then murmured a thank you and hurried through the bedroom.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me how I look.¡± I asked as I walked towards the corridor waiting for her to open the doors. I¡¯ll definitely take up the issue of the doors with Hollis. We should be way past this prisoner style by now.


    ¡°You look breathtaking, Reina, always.¡± Sheplimented. ¡°The Boss is a lucky man.¡±


    ¡°Yes he is.¡± I agreed.


    Soon, we were downstairs and I got into the back of Hollis¡¯s Audi while Nero drove me expertly into town. The restaurant Hollis had chosen was intimate and seemed nowhere close to casual. It was top ss! Which made my dress work perfectly.


    ¡°I have a reservation with my husband¡­¡± I told the waitress I met at the entrance.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Genovese,¡± She said, giving me a service-smile. ¡°This way please, your husband is over there.¡± She pointed, half-turning.


    ¡°Oh, there he is, I said, heading toward Hollis.


    Hollis¡¯s gaze found me right then, his eyes did a slow once-over of me before he got to his feet and pulled out a seat for me right before I approached him.


    ¡°You look heavenly, Ugo.¡± He struggled to breath out and I smiled briefly.


    We ced our orders. I settled for a well seasoned steak while he went on to takemb chops. We ate in silence. The friction of yesterday had died down. Yet there was a little tension between us. When I was done eating, I emptied my ss of champagne and Hollis refilled it for me.


    The crazy Ugo surfaced. Looking at him, I gulped down the second ss. He arched his brow and gave me a warning stare before refiling the ss. I smiled and emptied the ss again.


    ¡°Damnit Ugo, you will get drunk if you don¡¯t stop.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my business. It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it, you are not going to drink another drop of wine.¡±


    ¡°Stop making decisions for me. I am an adult. I decide what I want to do, when I want to do it. You don¡¯t decide for me.¡± I told him. The wine had kicked in at this point. But I didn¡¯t give a fuck.


    I took the champagne bottle and tried pouring more wine into my ss but Hollis was fast to grab it from me.


    ¡°Can you fucking stop?¡± He whispered. ¡°You¡¯re still mad at me? I thought we¡¯ve settled this already. If we¡¯ve not, then let¡¯s settle it. Because I¡¯m nning on going to war with almost the whole world and I don¡¯t need one with the woman I love.¡± He spat it out, his face showing hurt and a brief vulnerability before the shield he wears for the world came back on.


    Neither of us spoke after that. He just confessed that he was in love with me at the height of his annoyance. ¡®Holly Molly!¡¯ He did say it, I heard it.


    After a moment, I took his hand in mine, trying not to look at him. I squeezed his hand before letting it go. ¡°I¡¯ve never been a fan of love and marriage, you know.¡± I said and he nodded.


    ¡°Maybe great sex, but nothing deep. I will always be the one to run away. When a rtionship seem to be leading to marriage, I always bolt. I¡¯m yet to understand how I¡¯m so calm about us. Maybe because I¡¯m certain I¡¯ll walk away at the end. Hollis¡­,¡± I whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s not make this more than what it really is. I¡¯m open to having fun, a lot of it. But I don¡¯t think I want an entanglement.¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Are you certain or you¡¯re still in thoughts?¡± Hollis asked me.


    ¡°When I¡¯m not certain, just know that the probability of things going the way everyone wants it to the way I want it would be thirty-seventy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not too bad. Thirty is actually arge number.¡±


    ¡°Hollis..¡± I called. ¡°No.¡± I repeated.

 I belong to my husband

    ¡°Because of?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°I don¡¯t owe you an exnation.¡± Insisted.


    ¡°Except you do. And I¡¯m not going to give in to your request unless you give me a good reason to do so.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡± I found myself pleading.


    ¡°No.¡± He replied. ¡°If it¡¯s about someone from your past, then you have to tell me who and why.¡± I watched him turn to his ss instantly. His gaze focused and I sighed.


    ¡°You know already, don¡¯t you?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°The more reason I¡¯m not giving in.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t win this one Hollis. My mind is made up.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how it goes dear wife. Cheers.¡± He tapped my empty ss with his half filled own.


    We finished with dinner and headed out to our car. I stood close to the curb waiting for Hollis to reverse the car and a man came to my side.


    ¡°Hey.¡± He giggled annoyingly. ¡°Are you stranded, do you need help or something?¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± I shed a smile. ¡°Oh no I¡¯m fine. Just waiting for my husband.¡± I politely replied and even pointed to the car.


    But unfortunately, his gaze didn¡¯t follow my hand. He was looking at something else. My fucking breast and was getting overly excited. I was disgusted.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kennedy.¡± He stretched out his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m married.¡± I replied ignoring his outstretched hands.


    In a sh, he pulled my arm, urging me to face him and I pped him. I may have taken a few sses of wine, but I was still sober enough to know how to use my hands and legs if the need arises.


    Kennedy froze for a second and tried yanking my arm. I dodged his hand and gave him two more ps on each cheek. Infuriated, he lunged towards me and I ducked his body cursing under my breath and praying he doesn¡¯t get his hands on my three thousand dors gown because that would fuckin piss me off.


    ¡°I will make sure you pay for being a nuisance.¡± I heard him shout from behind me and I found that amusing.


    I turned to him and was looking for a safe ce to keep my purse so that I could teach the fool a very hard lesson but s, my husband had grabbed the cor of his stupid shirt.


    ¡°Uhh, hubby got you, end of the road for you man.¡± I winced feigning worry.


    Since I couldn¡¯t teach the poor man a hard lesson, I was pleased to have Hollis do that in my stead, besides he was a much better teacher and Mr. poor-Kennedy had iting anyway.


    I am a married woman, I belong to someone now. I winced again at the thought but it was true. My heart leaped with joy when Hollis mmed Kennedy¡¯s face on the seat built beside the curb. People panicked and fled the streets.


    The security manning the restaurant came to lead me to the car that was parked just at the curb. Before I went with them, I walked over to Hollis and tapped his shoulder gently.


    ¡°A minute is okay Hollis. Let¡¯s not ruin the man. I¡¯ll be in the car.¡± He nodded just before I left.


    From the car window, I watched the man I got married to, teach a disrespectful man a hard lesson on how not to treat ady. It was a tough one.


    People walked by with the I-don¡¯t-care-attitude from fear or respect, I wasn¡¯t sure. But either of them was equally effective. And judging by the frenzy disy Hollis was exhibiting, I knew none of the people from thismunity would dare interfere.


    I watched with keen interest as he mmed the man¡¯s head down the chair for the fifth time and he showed no sign of slowing down. But I believed he would, pretty soon. Let¡¯s just hope the man would be recognizable enough when his one minute pses.


    When it became obvious he might kill the man before time, I climbed down from the car and went to him. His eyes were bloodshot as he released a blow to the man¡¯s ribs. Blood was gushing. But instead of being sick or scared, I was rxed and happy that I had a defender and I could even defend myself even if it¡¯s just for a couple of minutes.


    Does that make me a bad person or bloodthirsty? I had no fucking idea. But seeing him wild with anger that I was disrespected made me horny and needy.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± I said, but Hollis was not listening to me. I reached for his arm mid air before he couldnd another strong, steady blow on poor Kennedy. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I whispered.


    Our gaze locked briefly, then he released the man who slumped on the floor like a log of wood. ¡°Keep your damn hands to yourself next time.¡± He spat and followed me to the car. His arm at the small of my back.


    We were soon on our way home, hitting the highway before I knew it. I looked at Hollis, his jaw was clenched and his hand gripped the steering wheel a bit too tight that I could see his knuckle almost white.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said and his lips softened.


    ¡°You did amazing today. I am so proud of you.¡± A full course of arousal washed through me again as a result of his praise.


    I had no idea why, but it¡¯s been a while anyone stood up for me. And no one has ever praised me while having their gaze filled with lust. I looked at my husband¡¯s hands and I suddenly wanted them on my skin. They were still bloody, and so was a part of his shirt.


    I bit my bottom lip as several sexual shes of what I wanted Hollis to do to me spread across my senses. When I looked at him, he was looking at me. He knew what was going through my mind, he knew I wanted him and thanks to God, we got home almost immediately.


    Hollis opened the car door and scooped me up in bridal style. The next minute he was climbing the stairs and I don¡¯t remember the whole details, but I do recall that immediately we stepped foot into the living room, I grabbed his neck and sucked on his lips, diving into a deep kiss I¡¯d never thought I wanted.


    The best part, he kissed me right back with the same speed, intensity and virility. We were both aroused and hot for each other.

 Blue Balls

    HOLLIS


    I have never been attracted to anyone like I was with Ugo Chike. But she isn¡¯t just anyone, she is my now wife who has the whole of me on chokehold.


    I must have wished so much for someone like her that God or whoever the supernatural being up there is, decided to bless me with Ugo. But did he make it easy for me, hell no!


    Yet I¡¯m grateful. In his defense, he might say he¡¯d given me what I asked for. Which is true. So, it¡¯s now up to me to do my part. I¡¯d chosen a restaurant within mymunity to have dinner with my wife. This was because I wanted the people in mymunity to start getting used to the fact that it was now the two of us.


    Aside from that, I wanted to show off. I married a gorgeous, smart and stylish woman, so why won¡¯t I show her off? Imagine my surprise when I was reversing the car and I spotted someone with the audacity to approach my wife.


    I cursed under my breath, rethinking my decision to send Nero back home. I should have told him to stay back to drive us home. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have left my wife for a second.


    In a sh, I saw Ugo give the fool a well deserved p. Then I bolted from the car. Before I could approach the scene, she¡¯d given him plenty more ps and the fool wanted toy a finger on my wife, my Gem!


    I lost all the morals in me. If we had that dinner somewhere that wasn¡¯t within mymunity, maybe I wouldn¡¯t have been too angry. My anger rose from the fact that some fool could dare wish to touch what was mine in what is assumed to be my kingdom.


    All I saw right then was fury and he would have been a dead man even before the timeframe Ugo gave me. But, this woman, my wife, she literally shocked the hell out of me.


    Her calmness in the situation, the fact that she was already teaching the fool a thorough lesson before I got to the scene made my head swell with pride. I loved that people got to see a little of who I was married to. My warrior princess.


    What she said at that moment kept ringing in my head. ¡°Hubby got you now, end of the road for you, man.¡± The thought alone made my cock twitch.


    I made the right choice and I was fucking lucky to be with a woman that matched my energy. I have always prayed not to ever end up with the type of wife that would judge the things I do.


    The ones that behave like saints while putting out their innocence, camouge or not. I wanted a strong woman that would stand beside me and rule my fuckin empire with me and that woman was Ugo. Even though she was yet to understand it, I was never letting her go. Not anymore.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if she pisses me off most of the time, it was what I signed up for, theplete package. The image of her staring at me in the car was carved permanently in my head.


    My girl literally bit her lower lips, giving me that erotic once-over. That was one of the opportunities I¡¯ve been waiting for and thanks be to God, the restaurant wasn¡¯t far away and we were home almost immediately.


    Sadly, what started off as a heated moment soon ended abruptly with a call from Elsa.


    Ugo saw the caller ID just before I could and her countenance changed abruptly. She looked at me and I felt the hurt in her eyes.


    ¡°Tell your goddamn girlfriend that you are married, or I¡¯ll do that for you, Hollis. And I¡¯m not ying.¡± She warned and started heading to the room.


    My cock twitched and twitched in anticipation. I didn¡¯t know what to do at that moment. Follow her to the bedroom or stay right there. ¡°Baby¡­,¡± I started. But she raised her hand up to cut me short,


    ¡°I need my phone.¡± She said still walking.


    ¡°Ugo, let me exin this¡­¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. Go sort out your entanglement with that woman Hollis. I swear this will be thest time I will tolerate her calls interrupting us. If she want you, she should wait till I¡¯m gone. I¡¯m not asking for too much.¡± She told me in a clear voice just before she disappeared behind the bedroom door.


    I looked at my phone screen and cursed the day I met Elsa Pedro. Her father had visited the club and asked if I still wanted to be with his daughter and I almost threw up. I¡¯ve never wanted to be with his daughter at all. So, I was shocked that he thought I did.


    I stated it all out inly that I had never wanted to be with his daughter and it turned out that the poor man was given a different narrative by his lovely daughter and my father. But I cleared out any misconception he must have had.


    When he tried pestering, I dismissed him with a few conclusive words. I had a lot on my mind and her daughter would never be one of them.


    There was my marriage, then Frick and the expansion of my empire. Rubbing my forehead gently, I finally settled my eyes on the shopping bags in my living room.


    It looked like we were about to open up a department store in my apartment. And judging by the names on the bags, I had no doubt Ugo spent real fortune acquiring everything. I almost didn¡¯t want to check my bank statement. But I immediately unlocked my phone and checked.


    ¡°Bloody hell.¡± I cursed, looking at several debit notifications on my phone screen.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    When you made millions each month, even if the shopping spree set you back a couple of thousands or million grands, it wasn¡¯t going to hurt your bottom line. I underestimated Ugo.


    I hadn¡¯t expected as much defiance as I¡¯d gotten from my dear wife. I knew that was what the spending spree was. She wanted to make a statement, to get on my nerves, and god help me, I would never let her.


    Shrugging, I ced a call to Ro. ¡°Come upstairs.¡±

 The Morning After

    Ending the call, I moved over to take a seat. There was a w in my wife¡¯s n, her shopping spree didn¡¯t get to me. Instead, I liked that she was willing to do that. I appreciated her spirit. I even admired her fearlessness in doing something that no one else would feel safe doing.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    It had been worth every penny she spent when I saw her walk into that restaurant in a dress that hugged her body at the right ces. I literally drank her up with my eyes feasting deliciously on her perfect body. And so did every other man in the restaurant.


    It was fine by me to have other men admire my possession. I didn¡¯t mind if they looked, if they admired what was mine, if they envied me. I wanted them to envy me, to have blue balls while thinking of my double-barrel-of-perfection-wife. As long as they don¡¯t touch her, we¡¯re good. Their imaginations were free to run wild.


    The rage I felt seeing another man touch my woman was insane. It was familiar, because I¡¯ve always had a temper. But then there was something else, an unfamiliar feeling that was attached to it, possessiveness.


    I¡¯ve never felt quite as possessive as I had at that moment. I would have killed that man if I wasn¡¯t stopped. Good riddance to him. But I was never that out of control, I should watch it, or not.


    ¡°What in God!¡± Ro eximed when he entered my living room.


    I shrugged. ¡®Look what I got myself into, Ro.¡¯ The silent voice in my head said.


    I heard a faint sound of water sshing on the tile floor, and I knew my wife was taking a shower. It took a lot of self control not to imagine her up there, stripping out of that dress, taking off her bra, sliding out of her panties, and stepping under that spray.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± I muttered. Ro gave me a questioning look and I shook my head in response. ¡°I might strangle Don Pedro¡¯s daughter if she doesn¡¯t get off my back.¡± I said to him.


    Apparently, I would have been gettingid right now if not for the intrusive son-of-a¡­ No, daughter-of-a¡­ What am I even saying? I was going to battle with blue balls again tonight, all thanks to that witch. I sighed, realizing that It was going to be more difficult than I realized to wait for Ugo to get to this point again. She would get to this point again, definitely. But how was I going to remain sane until then?


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have brought her to my house or worst still married her, someone I was so fucking attracted to. I mean the woman had me hard and desperate as a teenage boy whenever she climbed over me in her sleep. I was always ready to bust by the time she woke up and realized what had happened.


    Worst of all, I couldn¡¯t cheat. Not with the Catholic background I grew up in. And the type of parents I have. As tough as Dominico Genovese was, he did set a good example for his children on the issue of marriage.


    The word, ¡®love¡¯ and the sentence, ¡®for better and for worse¡¯ meant everything to him. Then there was the bible that preaches against adultery. Hell, it preaches against a lot of other things too, but I¡¯ve picked the ones I wish to abide by.


    So when ites to settling down, getting married, and starting a family, that means I had to be loyal to my wife, regardless if our sex life existed or not. It meant that I wouldn¡¯t scream at her or beat her.


    ¡°Do you need me to handle Miss Elsa Boss?¡± Ro¡¯s voice brought me back.


    ¡°I swear, I will strangle her if I meet her in person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll sort it out. If we let you handle it, you might incur more trouble.¡±


    Iughed at Ro¡¯s honesty. Because, there was no lie in what he said.


    **********


    UGO


    I may have sounded like some jealous, wounded Bitch yesterday, but I seriously don¡¯t give a fuck. It was best to stomp my foot on certain things I don¡¯t like now, rather thanter. Anything I don¡¯t stop now would linger on and it might be hard to put a stop to itter.


    My thoughts drifted to the shock on Hollis¡¯s facest night. He seemed confused, sexually frustrated and hot as hell. I was hot for him too, my pulse was literally throbbing all through the night. With a man like Hollis sleeping beside me, bare chested why wouldn¡¯t it. I guess that was why Elsa refused to let him be.


    I was married to a gorgeous man who derived joy in showing me off. That was what yesterday was all about, showing his wife off. And I loved the idea of it. It made me feel like I own him as much as he owns me.


    We were married, and our marriage isn¡¯t even a secret. Elsa knows, a lot of people know. So, why won¡¯t she just let Hollis be. Or did he tell her? Did he tell her that we were only temporary? I scratched my headzily. I had my doubts. Hollis is all about appearances and impressions. For someone that cares about all of that, he wouldn¡¯t tell a girl he ims not to feel a thing for something of that sort.


    But I was mad that she was taking up even a fragment of his time. If she doesn¡¯t want to let him be, maybe I would have to help make it easier for her. Hollis is my man, for now at least and while we are still together, I will get the respect I deserve.


    Surprisingly after what transpired between usst night, he was calm and rxed all through the night while lying on the same bed with me, like a sex god. I had no choice than to remain horny till morning.


    While I went through hell to calm my surging arousal, he slept peacefully like a baby.


    For the first time ever, I woke up before him and headed down to the bathroom. But before I coulde out, he was already out of the room, making me believe he was enjoying the whole space and privacy thing way more than he should.


    I knew what he was trying to do. He wanted to hear me say it. He wanted to hear me say that I want him to stay, that I don¡¯t need the space and privacy anymore. And who is going to say that? ¡®It definitely can¡¯t me.¡¯

 Breakfast

    I saw my phones, iPad andptop ced on the bed and I almost leaped with joy. ¡®A man who listens to his wife!¡¯


    I giggled excitedly and thought of thanking him, but as always, the crazy genie in me asked me not to. They all belong to me anyway. And if he didn¡¯t force me into this arrangement, there wouldn¡¯t be any reason to separate me from my phones.


    Strolling down to the breakfast table, I caught Hollis and Castello having a quiet conversation. The both of them smiled when they saw me. ¡°Good morning, our Queen.¡± Castello greeted.


    I shed him a cute smile. ¡°Good morning Castello, did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± He nodded. ¡°The weather here is far better than what I was subjected to in Mn for almost a year.¡±


    ¡°Posso passare solo una settimana a Mno.¡± I said, unting my fair knowledge of Italian.


    ¡°Veramente?¡± He asked, his eyes lightening up with excitement. Maybe he was intrigued to find out that I could handle Italian fairly.


    ¡°Si.¡± I replied truthfully. Thest time I visited Mn was a couple of years ago and I¡¯ve never spent more than six days in the city. As refreshing and fun as visiting the city was, I didn¡¯t find it fun each time I visited, especially during the early months of the year.


    ¡°Quando e stata l¡¯ultima volta che hai visitato Mno?¡± That was Hollis, with a painful questioning stare.


    I shrugged. ¡°A couple of years ago.¡±


    ¡°Who did you go with?¡±


    I eyed him for a few seconds before looking away. Sitting downfortably, I pulled the pack of cereal on the table closer and poured some into an empty bowl I found there.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he requested.


    ¡°No one you know.¡± I said in response, while pouring milk into my bowl of cereal.


    Castello smiled and pushed a spoon of the already-made cereal in his te into his mouth, while watching us in silence.


    From under myshes, I watched as Hollis tightened his grip on the dining table. ¡°You¡¯re a real pain, you know that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, if you mean that as apliment.¡±


    Castello giggled, but shut his mouth immediately Hollis threw him a murderous re. ¡°I¡¯ll just¡­. I¡¯ll see myself out.¡± He stood up and took his te to the sink. A few secondster, he was done and was heading out of the room ¡°Have fun today.¡± I called after him and he gave me a thumbs up just before he shut yhe door.


    I turned to Hollis. ¡°You¡¯re going to watch me eat and not touch any of yours?¡±


    ¡°Have a problem with that?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just that I hate soggy cereals.¡± I replied, frowning. ¡°They soaked up all the water and instantly loose that taste and slight crunch.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say a word, he just kept staring, making me feel unsettled, and hot, and shy, and¡­. sexually starved! Shifting ufortably, I scouted for something to say, to tone-down the awkwardness in the room


    ¡°Do you have a safe room or something of that sort here? I believe houses like yours have such things, do you?¡± I struggled with a topic to leverage on.


    ¡°I do.¡± Hollis replied and bent over. He pushed on something under the dining table and one of the marble tiled walls of the kitchen slid open, making me gasp in awe.


    ¡°It¡¯s an underground cer. Haven¡¯t gotten the opportunity to use it yet. There has never been an attack on any of my properties since thest ten years.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what he saw, maybe something on my face betrayed me, I¡¯m not sure. But he smiled heartily. ¡°Disappointed you might have to wait longer before someone actually attempts killing me?¡± He asked and that annoying brow rose again, for god¡¯s fuckin sake.


    I swallowed my cereal and watched him grin. ¡°So how did you get myptop and iPad?¡± I changed the topic, refusing the urge to strangle him


    His smile froze briefly. He pressed whatever it was that was under the table and closed the underground cer, disying magnificent and innocent-looking tiled walls once more.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of anything.¡±


    ¡°I reached out to your mum. She made them avable.¡±


    ¡°Did you see my father?¡± My voice had a little crack.


    Hollis nodded, ¡°but he didn¡¯t want to speak to me. I tried.¡±


    ¡°When was this?¡± I know it couldn¡¯t have been this morning orst night, even.


    ¡°Yesterday, in the afternoon.¡± He replied


    ¡°Jesus Christ! Hollis, are you nuts? ¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He leaned on the dining table.


    ¡°You hurt my father. Your approach to things was terrible. There would have been better ways to sort these things out. But the way you went about it¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Hollis insisted.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t set my father up?¡± I asked, biting off the bitter sound of that. What did he mean by he didn¡¯t do anything, hearing him say that made me feel insulted. ¡°You mean to say you didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°What should I have done then? I wanted to see him, to speak to him¡­ He didn¡¯te for the wedding and it made you sad.¡± He let out in frustration.


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to listen or even give you a tiny bit of audience just like that. He¡¯s got pride. Maybe you should let me go with you some other time. It might work better when he sees me.¡±


    I watched him shift a bit, a proof that he wasn¡¯t toofortable with my proposal, yet he wouldn¡¯t rule it out. ¡°What do you n for fun today?¡± He asked, changing the topic.


    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll reach out to some old friends today. Speak to my colleagues at work, my annual leave will soon be exhausted. I need to let them know that I¡¯ll be taking more time.¡± I pinched my nose, trying to imagine what my Boss would make of my sudden decision.


    ¡°I reached out to them, already.¡± Hollis¡¯s replied, surprising me.


    ¡°You did?¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And what did you say to them?¡±


    He started cing the cereal box and milk at their right spots, in the cab. ¡°I sent them an official mail from one of mypanies. I¡¯ll share a copy of the mail with you.¡±


    ¡°What did the mail say?.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Turning away from the kitchen cab, he faced me. ¡°I have an idea for fun and games, if you¡¯re up for it.¡± He announced.

 Car Wreck

    After breakfast, we headed down the driveway, with Ro straggling. It had rained heavily during the early hours of the morning, so the ground was still wet with dull clouds up in the sky. When we came to the bend in the driveway, something at the back of the property caught my eye.


    Hugh and Nero were standing near the tree line at Hugh¡¯s usual spot. Nero¡¯s face and his shaking finger were very close to Hugh¡¯s face. His chest was pumped, and his lips were moving rapidly, angrily.


    Hugh had his back to me, with his head bent in submission. While I was quickly taking all of these things into ount, I hadn¡¯t noticed that my pace had slowed. Hollis came back to get me.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait for Ro,¡± he told me, grinning.


    Ro caught up with us. He nced knowingly to the spot Nero stood with Hugh before catching my eye, but remained silent.


    When we got to the garage, Hollis stood by with an evenrger grin on his face. I smiled back, to hide my difort at the sight I witnessed seconds ago.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± He asked, waving his hand back and forth along the lineup of cars in the garage like a game-show host.


    The smile was washed from my face. I shook my head in disbelief. ¡®Was this his idea of fun?¡¯


    Hollis nodded as if he heard my thoughts. ¡°They¡¯re your cars now. You should know how to drive them.¡±


    I shook my head, I¡¯ve rarely driven much. Getting a driver¡¯s license was one of those Real World things that I had wanted to achieve, and I did. I celebrated my feat by buying a car, a bright-red Toyota. But after battling with Fairview traffic for months, I ditched the car and opted for the bus that had a designated pathway and the train at other times.


    I remembered the added dents on my car due to impatience and the crazy drivers that roamed Fairview. Then I looked at the shiny, frail cars lined next to me. I imagined the kind of damage someone like me could do to them since I¡¯ve been out of touch for months. I lost my breath and leaned against one of them to steady myself.


    ¡°Aha!¡± Hollis said, waking me from my nightmarish trance. ¡°The Lamborghini, a bold choice.¡± He smiled with approval and went to grab the keys from the back wall.


    ¡°Hollis, I can¡¯t¡­ I have no idea how to drive this thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazingly easy,¡± he reassured. ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    He climbed into the driver¡¯s seat. Ro went into the backseat, pulling his shirt in ce to shield his gun. I grudgingly got into the passenger side. Hollis spent the next few seconds amused with my frustrated attempts at closing the door. When I gave up, and started murmuring in frustration like a five year-old, he got out of the car and closed the door for me. My mood was darkening with the impending doom tugging at the edge of my mind.


    My mood seemed to amuse Hollis and Ro. They didn¡¯t understand. I was sure they were making faces when my head turned to struggle with the stupid seatbelt. Hollis ended up leaning over me and helped me with that one too. I was terrified.


    While he pulled the strap over to myp, our eyes locked briefly, I let my smile reach my eyes and his cheeks colored. He looked down and then away and fumbled to get the strap secured as quickly as possible. Driving out of the garage, Hollis looked at everything and anything that wasn¡¯t in my general direction.


    At the end of the driveway, he decelerated just long enough for the soaking-wet armed guard to peer in and quickly step away. Within seconds, the car was racing at an incredible speed down the gravel road.


    I held on to the door handle and the middle console for my dear life while Hollis exined over the rev of the motor how the gears worked. But hello, I heard nothing. Not even a single word. I was still terrified.


    The trees on the side of the road were a blur, and the rain was hitting the windshield hard. We raced through sharp curves, never slowing down. Hollis waspletely, frustratingly calm.


    And then he looked over at me. He slowed down a bit, making it possible for me to swallow again. The whole episode I experienced with Maxine shed through my mind at that moment.


    We¡¯d been driving for quite a while, at least fifteen miles, I wasn¡¯t sure. I wasn¡¯t paying adequate attention. But I was certain I hadn¡¯t seen any houses, road signs, nothing. We were in the middle of nowhere. When the gravel driveway paved onto a muddy highway, Hollis spun the car around and stopped.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I mumbled, but he was already out of the car, making his way around to the passenger side.


    Hollis opened the door and stood in the pouring rain. I scooted over to the driver¡¯s side, catching a glimpse of Ro¡¯s reflection as I adjusted the rearview mirror. He was terrified, so was I. Even though Hollis coached me through, the car kept jerking forward, and stalling. And everytime ites to a jolting stop, Ro¡¯s head would m into the seat in front of him.


    After a lengthy while, I was able to make the car move more than a few inches at a time, and before long, we were coasting along the muddied road. The car did corner curves effortlessly. It was almost a refreshing experience for me. Even though I noticed Ro¡¯s knuckles going white with the tight grip he had on the door handle. But Hollis on the other hand, looked on proudly, enjoying the ride.


    But soon, it all went very wrong. I came to a deceivingly deep puddle and got to a curve faster than I should. I turned the wheel, but nothing happened. I braked hard, the car swerved. Hollis looked ahead, a hand on the dashboard, and the other pushing me against my seat.


    ¡°Hold on we¡¯re gonna crash,¡± he said so casually like it was some normal basic stuff.

 You Don鈥檛 Give Troubles

    We all held our breath. I touched the brake again as a reflex even when I shouldn¡¯t. The car did a full circle in the mud and slid, picking up speed in the process. Thest thing I remembered was Hollis ordering me to cover my face, which I did without thinking.


    Next was a loud bang, swiftly followed by the screeching of wood against metal and shattering ss. The car engine ticked, before everything went silent. The sound of the rain became the only audible sound.


    ¡°Uhm, are you hurt? Hollis¡¯s voice broke the almost absolute silence.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered from behind my hands.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± He tugged my hands away and turned my face to him. When my eyes flicked open, he startedughing. ¡°You just crashed a three-million-dor car.¡±


    In the back, Ro was giggling too, weird men. Ro was covered with scanty traces of broken ss, mud and tiny leaves from the small back window that had been pierced by the branch of a tree.


    Nothing about the scene before us was funny, or fun to me. After trying to push the car out, we all stood in the rain and watched the Lamborghini sink deeper into the mud.


    When realization set in, Ro took out a short-wave radio and called for help. I recognized Nero¡¯s sharp voice on the other end of the radio and my heart sank.


    When the rain finally ceased a few minutester, my mood improved with it. Hollis and I walked the rest of the way home. The road was flooded in parts, and the corners of my sandals were smeared with mud.


    At Hollis¡¯smand, Ro stayed behind, and watched uneasily as the Boss left without armed defense. Help drove by us in the form of a ck pickup truck, with Nero and four other guards who were grimly holding onto shovels in the back cab.


    After our bit of crazy fun, Hollis was in an excellent mood. ¡°So the car is three million dors?¡± I utilized that slight opening to pry.


    ¡°Approximately. Shipping fee and other charges.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I actually had fun.¡±


    ¡°Three million dors is a huge sum of money.¡± I added and he offered a nod. ¡°So you agree?¡± He turned to me, a quizzical expression clouded his face. ¡°You agree that three million dors is a huge sum of money.¡±


    ¡°It sure is. So, where¡¯s this conversation headed?¡±


    ¡°I shrugged. ¡°My father was used of stealing five hundred million dors at his ce of work and was asked to make a refund or face the beat. I offered to speak to his Boss, and you won¡¯t believe what I found. My father¡¯s Boss is a man named Hollis Genovese.¡± I rendered sarcastically.


    ¡°Ugo, stop it. I was clueless as to the best thing to do. What else should I have done in order to get you out of danger? You are stubborn and my options were very limited.¡±


    ¡°Of course they were. You said the Genovese were after my life. But look, they all stood behind you and watched you marry me, against my will.¡±


    ¡°We did nothing without your consent. Don¡¯t make me look like a monster.¡±


    ¡°Like I had any choice.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you? You could have said no. But you didn¡¯t.¡± He paused and turned to me. ¡°You wanted to be here as much as I wanted you to be here. Take it or leave it.¡± He turned and continued walking. I followed suit. ¡°And my family, they didn¡¯t have a choice. It was either they ept us together or end up creating a rift between myself and them.


    ¡°So they epted me because they don¡¯t have a choice?¡± I pushed on.


    Hollis chuckled. ¡°Do you really have to care why they epted you? This is temporary, remember.¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ I¡­ remember.¡± I said, then changed the topic immediately. ¡°Nero doesn¡¯t seem to like me that much.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just being overprotective, since he can¡¯t stay mad at Maxine for taking a liking to you and Ro for warming up to you too.¡±


    I slightly raised my chin and scrunched my forehead. ¡°Am I a threat to you?¡±


    He grimaced and looked at the road ahead. ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± He turned around, extending his hand to help me jump over arge puddle.


    Tell me about you, Hollis. I want to know about you. Your favorite color, sports, food. Anything you deem fit to share with someone.¡±


    He drew a deep breath and shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not doing that.¡±


    ¡°Come on¡­ why not. What are you hiding?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± He smiled.


    ¡°Then tell me¡­. about your exes?¡± I rephrased.


    ¡°I thought you were asking about my favorite color and meal just seconds ago.¡±


    ¡°I changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have an ex.¡±  Hollis replied.


    ¡°What? That can¡¯t be true. You¡¯re saying you¡¯ve never been in a rtionship before?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying¡±


    ¡°But you women that satisfy your needs, yes?¡± I asked.


    A hint of amusement crossed his face. ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± He said.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve had no emotional attachment to any of these women.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Came Hollis¡¯s in reply.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Unbelievably beasty.¡± I gasped in shock.


    The sky chose that moment to explode and buckets of rain came pouring down on us. I hadn¡¯t realized that Hollis and I had stopped in the middle of the road, and that was where we stood, ring at each other, getting drenched.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, still trying so hard to believe him.


    ¡°I¡¯m a busy man, Ugo. I¡¯ve never had time to keep up with rtionships and the stress thates with it. I¡¯ve never had to try to please or impress any woman for any reason whatsoever, until you.¡± He replied.


    Ugo felt warmth creep underneath her skin. All he was trying to say was that he has never had to put up with any woman whatsoever. I am the one and only exception, for now at least.


    ¡°Thanks for putting up with my troubles.¡± I told him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t give me trouble. I love spending time with you.¡±

 Do people leave?

    He took my hand and we continued toward the house. Even though the rain was falling heavily, I didn¡¯t want to run, and the same went for Hollis. We walked at a calcted pace to the house.


    ¡°So Nero doesn¡¯t like me because he thinks I should have gone through a dislike phase of some sort?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re back at Nero again?¡± Hollis asked and I shrugged.


    ¡°You can¡¯t me me. He doesn¡¯t really talk to me, and when he does, his words are always short and clipped. Do you think I did something else to upset him?¡±


    ¡°Nero is not the chatty type.¡± Hollis said. ¡°It takes time for him to get used to someone new. You might have to give him time.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Hollis drew in a breath. ¡°You don¡¯t belong to my type of world, Ugo. So it¡¯s only understandable that he would be skeptical about your presence here. Nero and Ro have been with me since I was a teenager. They are my most loyal men. We¡¯ve gone through a lot together. Nero is just looking out for me. I believe he doesn¡¯t trust me around you.¡±


    ¡°So he doesn¡¯t like me, and he doesn¡¯t trust me either. And that¡¯s such a sub reason you just gave me. Do you think I can¡¯t handle being here with you?¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± he said sullenly.


    ¡°But you did insinuate it. So since that is the case, why didn¡¯t you let me be. Why bring me here if you don¡¯t trust me.¡± I kept staring angrily at him through the water dripping down my face. ¡°Why did you say that Nero doesn¡¯t trust you with me?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s smart and somehow figured it out.¡± he blurted, his voice almost as loud as the roaring thunder above. ¡°He knows that I like having you around too much and he thinks I might grow too attached to you. And, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but I tend to spill my guts when I¡¯m around you. I¡¯m in a type of business that is deadly. People who talk too much disappear, permanently. And people like you get taken out even before they can get the chance to snitch on people like me.¡±


    His eyes were fierce, and the muscles of his face were pulled tightly. He looked like he meant every word of what he had told me.


    ¡°You think I will snitch on you, Hollis?¡±


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t say that either. The thing is, I¡¯m a Boss, and it takes a whole lot to get to where I am right now and remain there for long. Damn it, I¡¯m spilling it all out again.¡± He groaned.


    I walked over to him and held out my hand to him. ¡°I can imagine what it feels like being in your shoes. It doesn¡¯t look pretty. All that wealth, but you have to keep looking over your shoulder every single time.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s really not like that, Ugo. I don¡¯t really have to keep looking over my shoulder because there are lots of people out there, doing the looking for me. My existence is beneficial to so many people. Young children in schools, the less privileged, the church members that need help and support, the care homes that need attention. Families and men that I¡¯ve saved their lives countless and are now in my debt¡±


    ¡°Just like me and my family?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re different.¡± He replied.


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you one day¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t have to rx Hollis. There are men out there that want what you have.¡±


    ¡°You mean men that want you?¡±


    ¡°What! Yuck, that¡¯s gross.¡± Iughed excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your position, the things you¡¯ve achieved.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re part of my achievements.¡± He winked.


    A warm spread of happiness rushed down my body. ¡°Do people ever get to walk away from all of this?¡± I asked, curiosity taking the best part of me.


    Hollis startedughing. ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed two people get out. One of them was murdered on his way out of the country.


    The other one survived for seven months or thereabouts. But he ended up dead anyway.¡± He replied casually and pulled me along. We continued walking to the Garden.


    ¡°There¡¯s no getting out, Ugo. My family is too powerful and well known. If I dare back down, I¡¯ll be dead in days, maybe months or years. It all depends on how long I can fight to stay alive. Because I¡¯ll definitely have to keep fighting for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°What if you decide to clean your money. You know, start it gradually and get it all turned over eventually.¡±


    ¡°That would mean cutting off supplies to arge number of people who depend on us for it. I have a family who are all invested and involved. If it¡¯s just me, I could do it. Clean the money, buy lots of investments with a false identity. Disappear or die in the books only. Whichever one that would work best. But I¡¯ve got my family, and I can¡¯t just disappear and leave all that responsibility of cleaning up on Maxine. I¡¯ll be exposing my family to real danger, after stripping them bare.¡±


    Then he turned to me. ¡°Is that what you want, for me to walk away?¡±


    I bit my lower lip hard and shook my head. ¡°Will any of this affect me when it¡¯s time to leave?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he replied. ¡°We¡¯ll get a divorce, it¡¯ll be a bit messy and I¡¯ll make sure the world understands that I only married you because I wanted to spite my father and we were never in love. That¡¯s all that is needed. I¡¯ll help you set up your own firm or have a friend put in a word or two for you in anypany you chose to work in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I murmured and saw the sad look on his face. ¡°Hollis, let me help you while I¡¯m here. I can help out if you need me. I¡¯ll do with some challenges. And I have no doubt that I can be useful to you.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±

 Shocker

    I jumped at his sharp reply. He suddenly dropped his head into his hands. ¡°Ugo God, I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me. I¡­¡± When he nced up, he looked heartbroken. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. He said, shaking his head.


    The rain dripped from his hair into his eyes. He looked dismal and beautiful, all at once. I found myself wanting nothing more than to make him happy again. This scared me even more than the words that hade out of his mouth.


    I smiled at him. It took him a while, but he did smile back, faintly. ¡°Can we start over?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said with honesty. ¡°Do you think we can do that?¡±


    I considered and smiled wider. ¡°Yes, we can. I¡¯m Ugo Chike, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    Hollis smiled a little wider too. ¡°You know, no one has ever dared to ask me that question in a really long time. Everybody calls me Boss and the people thate after them follow the thread.¡±


    I waited, tapping my foot in the puddle we had been left standing in. I tried to imagine what it¡¯s like to be so powerful, yet unable to walk away. Must be draining.


    ¡°I¡¯m Hollis Genovese.¡± He shed a smile and we shook hands.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Hollis Genovese.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Genovese.¡± He corrected with a wink.


    ¡°Ohe on¡­¡± Iughed heartily, sparing a nce at my gorgeous engagement ring. ¡°Now that sounds like a good way to start over.¡±


    Hollis chuckled lightly, slowly picking up his good mood. I was relieved. Thunder and lightning crashed, and we ran the rest of the way home. It felt incredible. Seeing him so free and at ease, engaging in a rain chase with me while we could get to a shade and send for a car to pick us up.


    The fog was blinding, so he had to shepherd our way. I was startled by the two soaked guards who appeared out of the fog as we neared the property line. They quickly receded when they saw Hollis.


    We made it back to the house, breathless, covered in mud, and soaking wet. Hollis removed his shoes.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± he ordered with renewed energy and ran off through the main house.


    He came back with a bath towel in his hand, helped me remove my footwear, draped the towel around my body and carried me up into the house.


    Once we got to our room, he turned on the room¡¯s heater and underground feet warmer. Something about experiencing luxury¡­ An underground foot warmer, who would have thought such a thing existed. Damn!


    ¡°Go take a shower before you catch a cold Ugo.¡± he told me. cing a clean towel on a wall clip, he started pulling off his wet shirt.


    ¡°What about you?¡± I asked


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait my turn.¡± He replied.


    I didn¡¯t know what came over me or what I was thinking. But I shocked even myself with the next words I uttered.


    ¡°There are two shower faucets and a bathtub in the bathroom. We can bathe at once. It won¡¯t be nice if you stay here drenched, waiting for me.¡± Hollis looked at me, in obvious shock.


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you on one condition.¡± I arched my brow and stared at him. ¡°You¡¯ll let me bathe you.¡±


    My nipples grew hard instantly and strained the fabric of my drenched top. Thanks to the bathrobe covering my body, It would have been an erotic spectacle for Hollis. Instead of saying no to his offer, which was the logical reply to give. I epted!


    ¡°Deal.¡± I said and he smiled.


    He came closer and helped remove the almost soaked bathrobe from my body. Then he went ahead with helping me undress.


    Shivering from the touch of his hand, I let him remove my clothes. Before I could grasp the thought that I was standing naked before him, he had already wrapped me up in the clean dry towel from the wall clip.


    The air in the room felt heated and awkward. I swear, I could hear the sound of our breaths. He carried me into the bathroom and ced me down, close to the sink before moving to fix the bathing water.


    I watched him move with precision, flexing the muscles in the exposed upper part of his body while at it. He turned on the bathroom warmer and proceeded with running the bath.


    In barely a minute, the temperature in the room became warm enough. When he was done with the bathtub, he stepped aside and asked me to step in.


    Lust filled me up, but I gulped down, trying to rein myself. Pushing the towel off my body, I stepped into the bathtub. Hollis stared lustfully at my body like he¡¯d seen the rarest form of goddess in human form and that only made me more hot and needy.


    I knew what to do, how to get what I want, if I really wanted to. But, do I really want to fuck this man. I could throw my worries to the winds and have a goody just like I¡¯d wanted to, the night after the dinner. But right now, my brain is working overtime more than that night.


    Fucking Hollis might be the worst decision I would ever make. Because it will definitelyplicate things. It might make it harder for me to walk away when the timees. But how was I going to keep sexually-sane living in the same house with such a perfect looking man.


    Kneeling beside the bathtub, Hollis scrubbed my hands gently with a soapy sponge. My gaze went to his face and I swallowed hard. ¡®How can a man be this handsome, oh god¡¯


    ¡°The club will be having its first exclusive night next weekend.¡± He said to me as he washed under the breasts.


    Thankful that he brought up a discussion worthy of redirecting my attention from what his touch was doing to me, I spoke up. ¡°Can Ie?¡± My voice, Christ! It sounded so strange even to me.


    ¡°Do you want toe?¡± He asked me.


    I nodded. ¡°Only if you¡¯ll go too.¡± I added, surprising him. ¡°What is the exclusive night about?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re opening up those rooms you saw. For the first time.¡±


    ¡°People are going to be making use of the rooms?¡± My interest peaked.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I want to go.¡± I announced.


    Heughed cutely. ¡°I know you do I have a couple of things to take care of thising week. If I¡¯m unable to go with you, I¡¯ll tell Maxine to take you.¡±


    Surprisingly he was done bathing me in minutes and he pulled me into a dry towel and had me move down to my part of the walk-in closet.


    I was still in a towel surfing through my wardrobe when I heard the closet door open and close again. I knew it was Hollis, he was done bathing. The demarcation between our closets offered each of us privacy, preventing us from seeing each other unless we opened the door attached to the expensive demarcation-frame.


    But, the privacy could only stop us from seeing but not hearing each other¡¯s voice. I heard a soft-deep throaty moan from Hollis¡¯s side and I paused, and listened again. The moans became louder and more intense.


    My blood boiled. Is there a woman sucking him off inside there? How dare he!


    I stormed toward the door and pushed it open. The sight before me made my blood run cold.

 Thinking With My Cunt

    I walked into a view of Hollis¡¯s perfect ass on disy with no piece of clothing covering it.


    While I was still dumbfounded on the sight before me, he turned. A fucking perfection of a man! He offered me a full side view of his naked body. Our gaze caught and he turned away.


    Christ! I looked, not just at his ass, but every part of him, making me aware of the hollow space inside me, as I imagined the way he would fill it up perfectly.


    My gaze lowered, and my attention diverted to something else that was desperately demanding for it. His cock, hard, long and thick. I wasn¡¯t really surprised by the throbbing I felt between my thighs right that moment. It was a normal, healthy response from the body of a woman looking at a man¡¯s sexy, naked body.


    I heard my own breath catching in surprise, and stayed statue-still for a long moment. Hollis wasn¡¯t hiding what he was doing. He knew I would hear him from the other side of the room, he wanted to put up a show for me.


    I wouldn¡¯t have cared less, only if my cunt wasn¡¯t already dripping. One can¡¯t really fight nature, my body was doing exactly what anyone would expect it to.


    It made sense if one thought about it though, Hollis was objectively, a practically perfect male specimen. He was tall, wide-shouldered, fit, with ssically handsome features, a rough, masculine  demeanor, and a great cock. Goddammit!This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I cautioned myself to leave and go back to my side of the room, but my fucking legs refused to move an inch and my body didn¡¯t even try coaxing it. The throbbing between my legs got worse and worse until I didn¡¯t seem to have any sort of control over my body anymore.


    His muscles looked tense and firm as he worked his fist up and down his long length. His other hand balled into a fist on the wooden wardrobe door and his breathing got more and more ragged.


    My breath felt caught, making my chest tight as I watched him take himself closer and closer, getting nearer and nearer to that edge. Then pushing himself right over. His fist mmed against the wood and a low, almost ragged groan escaped him as he came.


    My body moved then, knowing he would be less distracted now and would probably have the time to actually face me. But when I tried to move my legs, they felt like jelly. Making me realize that after now, I would really need to do something about my throbbing pussy if I wanted to be able to fall asleep.


    I forced my legs to move again. But then I heard him speak, ¡°Wait.¡±


    He said and started walking toward me. When he stopped in front of me, he rested his gaze on me and I swear, my skin felt heated everywhere his eyes dropped. I knew I needed to tell him to fuck off, to get away from me, but I couldn¡¯t seem to get the mouth to convey those thoughts.


    Why the hell would he want to ruin me sexually while he was getting himself off. He could have done it in silence. While he was in the bathroom, alone maybe. But he chose our closet of all ces. Christ!


    Once again, I thought of leaving and telling him to go to hell while at it. But I wasn¡¯t even sure I would mean those words. I mean, of course I would mean them on a logical level, just not on that primal, animalistic one that had my sex throbbing along with my heartbeat as he towered over me for a moment.


    And then he grabbed my ass and pulled me up onto a nearby high-seat, making sure to tilt my ass a bit forward. It happened so fast, knocking me out of breath. And worst of all, I was dumbfounded and curious. So curious to find out what he wanted to do.


    Next his hand reached out, his finger snagged my chin, forcing it up so he could look at my face. I didn¡¯t have to see myself to know what he saw when he looked at me right then. I could feel the flush to my cheeks and the heaviness to my eyelids.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t invite you to my party, Ugo.¡± He said.


    ¡°The¡­. the party was quite loud.¡± I replied in a voice I couldn¡¯t even recognize as mine.


    ¡°Did I give you a good show, Baby?¡± he asked, his voice was so smooth and deep and it washed over me.


    My lips parted, I was about to say something, but the sound failed toe out.


    Hollis¡¯s thumb moved out, stroking along my lower lip for a second before he released me.


    ¡°I have more in store to show you.¡± And just like that, his big hand slid between my thighs, stroking up my slick and aching cleft.


    I knew I needed to push him away, that this kind of thing was only going to dull my senses. I was yet to make that big decision, but my body wasn¡¯t listening.


    Instead, my thighs parted for him. He stepped between my parted thighs just as his finger started stroking up my sex, teasing around the edge of my clit, but not quite touching it.


    ¡°Did you see how hard I was just at the thought of you?¡± He asked, the pad of his finger dipped down with his words, doing a quick pass over my clit.


    My breath caught at that quick hint of pleasure. ¡°Do you know how difficult it has been?¡± He started, doing light strokes over my clit. ¡°How difficult it¡¯s been to wake up to you draped over me in the morning?¡± He asked as my breathing got faster and more shallow.


    ¡°How I have to keep my hands to myself when I want so desperately to tear off your panties and slide inside you,¡± he told me.  ¡°Like this,¡± he added and demonstrated as  two of his fingers slid inside my cunt.


    A surprised moan escaped me. My muscles clenched around him, and a low groan escaped his lips.


    ¡°Christ! Ugo. One day, you¡¯re going to squeeze my cock like this,¡± he told me just before his fingers started to fuck me.


    It wasn¡¯t slow or sweet or explorative. He finger-fucked me with his fingers until my  walls shattered, my panting turned into loud moans and my juices spread all over his fingers.

 Battle of conscience

    Hollis continued pumping his fingers in and out of me until my hand slid down and pressed his palm against my cleft, engaging my clit with his motions.


    His fingers got rougher and more demanding bringing me closer to my release. My walls tightened around him as he took me on a beautiful journey of promised sexual satisfaction. I moved my hips to meet his strokes, hoping for those little more push, that would send me falling into oblivion.


    ¡°Do you want me inside of you?¡± He murmured to my hearing.


    I was gasping desperately for a release at this point. So I didn¡¯t even know what word to say.


    ¡°Use your mouth, Ugo.¡±


    I could only shake my head, and suddenly, he stopped the beautiful motion inside me. I groaned with frustration and pushed my hips to him. A subtle way to tell him not to stop.


    ¡°Nope,¡± he said, his fingers slipping out of me. ¡°If you want toe, then you¡¯re going toe with my cock inside you.¡± He told me, shooting me a devilish smirk as his fingers slipped out of me.


    I watched him quickly slip on a pair of shorts and a Tee. Then he made his way toward the bedroom.


    Alone and embarrassed, my hands rose, covering my face, not sure how the hell I was ever going to be able to face the man again after what just happened. It would have been worse if I¡¯d had an orgasm. But it was somehow much worse that he¡¯d denied me.


    ¡°Oh, Lord!¡± I murmured to myself, finally stepping down from the chair.


    I headed back to my closet, calling myself pitiful names. Cold and frustrated, I slipped on a thick cotton sleepwear and took extra time on my skin and hair, making sure to take enough time to allow Hollis to leave the room.


    When I was done, I cracked the door slightly open and listened. Seeing and hearing no sound, I stepped into the room. My first instinct was to pick up my phone and call the one person I could freely discuss my current predicament with.


    ¡°Daisy¡­¡± I murmured once my best friend picked up her call.


    ¡°Oh my God! U. U.¡± The excited voice sounded from the other end of the line. ¡°You got your phone, I can call you freely now?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Thank God! I have lots of gist piled up. So much has happened that I¡¯ve been wanting to share with you.¡± Daisy said.


    ¡°Omg! Me too Boo. But let¡¯s start with you.¡± I said with so much excitement. I wanted to speak to her about my experience with Hollis so far, but I also wanted to hear her tell me everything I¡¯ve missed.


    ¡°No baby, let¡¯s start with you. How has it been with Hollis? How are you holding up?¡±


    I sighed. The question had such deep meaning that I wondered if Daisy knew that much. ¡°I¡¯m fine Daisy baby. I¡¯m just frustrated.¡± I added.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Hollis is not keeping to his words?¡±


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m talking about¡­¡± I paused, breathing in and hoping to find the right words. ¡°I¡¯m sexually frustrated.¡± I let out.


    ¡°What? You guys haven¡¯t¡­ He hasn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, fast, too fast.


    I had no doubt that the speed of my reply would only make Daisy think that I was lying. But that wasn¡¯t my utmost care at the moment.


    ¡°No. He hasn¡¯t made me do anything really.¡± I added. ¡°We only sleep on the same bed, on his insistence.¡±


    ¡°Well! That¡¯s new. The Ugo I know, would have damned the consequences and gotten what she wants. Do you mind telling me the reason for the abstinence that is obviously eating at you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want any strings attached Daisy. This is not my home. When all of this is over, I¡¯ll still go back to my old life. So you see, I¡­.¡±


    ¡°So, getting it is going to mess with your head and your feelings. I understand that much.¡± Daisy said to me and I nodded, happy she understood.


    ¡°So¡­ What do you think I should do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Maybe you should get yourself off. Get a vibrator or something. You¡¯re allowed to go out and shop for the things you want. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, somehow loving the direction of our conversation.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s the answer to your question. You give yourself the orgasm your body is craving, and that would shut out all that stupid dopamine. But¡­¡± she paused.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I replied, impatient.


    ¡°It might be a temporary solution. That man is insanely gorgeous, and that might be a little issue for you. But If you can shut him out, it would be fine. The only problem would be from him, if he decides to seduce you, then you¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°Jesu!¡± I eximed. ¡°Something happened today,¡± I whispered and went ahead to tell her some of the things that transpired between Hollis and me.


    When I was done, Daisy whistled. ¡°That was fuckin hurt. You have a lot of work to do, girlfriend. Two things might happen between the two of you. It¡¯s either you get your body worked and given some good mind-blowing orgasm by him, or you¡¯re gonna make the Dildo your best friend for the rest of the year.¡±


    ¡°Wow, way to go, Daisy. You¡¯re doing such a great work. I actually feel great right now with such encouraging words from you.¡± I said, sarcastically.


    I heard Daisyugh sweetly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m just stating facts. Your man is handsome and if he keeps his moves up, he¡¯ll definitely be irresistible.¡±


    For the first time since we started the call, Iughed. ¡°I miss you, D,¡± I said, admittedly.


    ¡°I know¡­ I miss you too.¡± Daisy admitted. ¡°Tell me, generally, how is living with Hollis?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s great actually. Hollis Is surprisingly a traditionalist about marriage. He doesn¡¯t believe in cheating.¡±


    ¡°Even if you aren¡¯t sleeping with him?¡± Daisy asked.


    ¡°Even then,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Surprisingly Interesting. So, you¡¯re not going to¡­?¡±


    ¡°Sleep with him?¡± I rified.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not nning to,¡± I told her. ¡°But damn Daisy, this man is so sexual, so raw, so¡­ I don¡¯t know the word to describe his mastery of the female body. Plus he is powerfully endowed down there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a tough battle between you and your conscience Ugo. I don¡¯t even envy you.¡± Daisy told me.


    ¡°God.¡± I muttered.¡±

 Is That Jealousy?

    Daisyughed uncontrobly, ¡°I wish you well Honey. You¡¯ll be fine, you¡¯ve got this¡± She said.


    ¡°Except I don¡¯t. ¡± I insisted. ¡°Dude has got some good MD.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Daisy asked,ughing uncontrobly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s one of those funny abbreviations for shitty words you don¡¯t want to say out loud.¡± Sheughed even more.


    ¡°Well damn, I have to give the word an abbreviation. I really don¡¯t want to sound too in. But in case you need to know, I¡¯m talking about his ¡®Monster Dick¡¯ . He¡¯s so blessed down there, goddammit.¡±


    ¡°Ugo, all I¡¯m hearing you say right now is ¡®I want to ride that dick but I¡¯m too scared to try because I may not be able to let go once I get a feel.¡¯ Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah. Is it that obvious?¡± I asked.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°To me, yes. But he obviously doesn¡¯t know. So maybe you¡¯ll need to keep it that way. Like I suggested earlier, pleasure yourself if you have to. Just don¡¯t get sexually frustrated. Alright?¡± Daisy asked.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded.


    We spoke for a few more minutes before I finally ended the call, letting her go. At a loss at what to do, I opened the door and peeped through the tiny opening first to make certain Hollis wasn¡¯t around. I saw only Alessia standing somewhere close to the living room chairs.


    So, I stepped out of what I suppose could be regarded as my hiding spot and came into view. Alessia lightened up when she saw me and smiled wildly.


    ¡°What¡¯s so entertaining?¡± I hissed at her, sweetly though.


    ¡°Good evening Reina.¡± She greeted. ¡°The Boss asked that your fingerprints be activated on the locks right before he stepped out. You¡¯ll also be getting updated on the passwords for the second lock each day, in case you wish to head downstairs, you can do that on your own. ¡± Alessia told me.


    ¡°He did?¡± I asked, wondering how much coincidence that could be since I was already nning on telling him about it. ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say.¡± Came Alessia¡¯s reply. ¡°You can call him if you wish to. His contacts and personal numbers are saved in your phone as Hubby.¡±


    That caught my attention, so I turned to her immediately. It¡¯s the fact that she knows these things when I¡¯m yet to even check my phone. ¡°Howe you know that, and I don¡¯t?¡± I asked.


    She shrugged her shoulders and remained mute. ¡°Alessia?¡± I quizzed but she still didn¡¯t say a word.


    I let it slide and followed her down the stairs to get my fingerprints registered on the scanner. She told me the password for the day and I had to input it myself.


    Happy with the fact that I was actually getting what I wanted, I excused myself and headed down to the open hall, making my way outside to see how wet the surroundings were and view the rocky mountainndscape of Willowbrook, while letting my mind ponder on the things around me and what just transpired between Hollis and I.


    I didn¡¯t make it out to the front door before seeing Hugh stepping into therge corridor. He paused and shook off one of his wet shoes, then looked up and saw me. A sour expression appeared on his face instantly, but I ignored it and walked up to him.


    ¡°Hey, Hugh,¡± I called with careful cheerfulness, stepping in front of him.


    ¡°Good afternoon Ugo.¡± Hugh replied, his expression, still the same.


    ¡°I saw you with Nero earlier, he looked pretty upset.¡± I said, ¡°Did you get into trouble of some sort?¡±


    Hugh nodded, his face remained grim and unmotivated. ¡°I got into trouble for a couple of things.¡± He finally made a sentence that was more than three words.


    After tugging for a while, he pulled off his second pair of shoes and held onto both of them with two fingers.


    ¡°Do you want toe back out for cupcakester, when you¡¯re changed?¡± I asked, already expecting no for an answer because something told me I was the reason he got into trouble with Nero.


    ¡°No thanks.¡± He replied.


    Since I was expecting the rejection, I didn¡¯t feel bad. But nothing prepared me for his next words, ¡°I think you¡¯ve gotten me into enough trouble as it is. If I live to see another day, then I¡¯ll count myself lucky.¡± He grumbled.


    I definitely wasn¡¯t expecting that, so I reacted by asking, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Hugh¡¯s eyes rested somewhere around my hypochondriac region, maybe he was scared to look at my face, I wasn¡¯t sure. But he replied, ¡°Never mind, I have to go.¡± He said, his voice sounding low and panicked at this point.


    He rushed past me and disappeared into therge corridor. I spun around and behold! Hollis was behind me, in a clean white linen two-piece, leaning against the doorframe, his arms in the pocket of his shorts and his legs crossed.


    I swallowed hard and shed an uneasy smile. ¡°Hey¡­¡± I called. ¡°Alessia said you were out.¡± I verbalized the only words that came to my head at that moment.


    ¡°Wanted to inform you before I leave.¡± He replied, staring at me like he was ready to squeeze the life out of something or someone.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, searching for the next words to say. ¡°I was just¡­¡± I waved at the surroundings. ¡°I was just trying to look around.¡± I found the words and said them.


    ¡°I can see that.¡± He bit out. Yes, it felt like he was forcing himself to remain calm, so the words seemed to be forcing themselves out through his clenched teeth.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± He asked, suddenly changing the topic and making the air appear less tense, making me less ufortable as well.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied truthfully. ¡°But I thought you were going out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go tomorrow, I can afford to stay back for one more day.¡± He shocked me. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs, food will be ready soon.¡±


    Happy at the sound of food, I hopped toward him and he led me upstairs.


    To show off my excitement, I unlocked the doors myself and let us in. Alessia was nowhere to be found when we got upstairs, but Castello and Maxine were present.

 In The Midst Of Family

    Castello was standing over the electric cooker, vehemently stirring foodstuff in arge frying pan while engaging in a seemingly interesting gist with Maxine, who was dutifully cutting vegetables.


    Hollis led me to the dining table beside the kitchen counter where scented candles and a table set for four waited for us.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, adjusting onto the seat Hollis pulled out for me. ¡°Where were all of you, before now? I didn¡¯t see any of you when I entered the living room earlier.¡± I queried.


    ¡°In one of the rooms downstairs,¡± Hollis replied, taking his seat at the head of the table.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Alessia?¡±


    ¡°In her quarters. I¡¯m at your service if you need anything.¡± He gave me a wink. Yes, he did. I saw it.


    Maxine and Castello soon approached the dining table with big bowls of fajitas, noodles, vegetables, plenty of meat and cupcakes! I smiled when I saw it and I had no doubt Hollis noticed my happiness as well.


    The meal was wholesome. It felt like Maxine and Castello were two brothers having a meal with their oldest brother and his lovely wife. And the lovely wife is me.


    After eating and clearing the dining space, we decided to y poker. I wasn¡¯t good at the game, so I was soon out of chips after a few hands.


    But my husband was still in the game, so that means I am still ying, if you look at it from the ¡®two bes one¡¯ aspect of marriage. As expected, Hollis was sitting behind a fortress of chips and Maxine was barely hanging on.


    Castello was out and he kept his mouth busy and mood elevated with ntain chips from one of the containers in kitchen cupboards. He offered me some, but I didn¡¯t think I still had any sort of space in my stomach. So I didn¡¯t take it.


    ¡°Is it always like this?¡± I whispered to Castello¡¯s hearing.


    ¡°Are you asking if your husband always wins?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I nodded. He squinted at Hollis¡¯s direction. ¡°He wins, but we all know he cheats.¡±


    I looked over at Hollis, who probably overheard us. But he kept quiet and remained focused on his cards.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see him cheating,¡± I said to Castello.


    ¡°I never expected you not to take your husband¡¯s side.¡±


    That made meugh out loud. Hollis turned in our direction, probably amused at the sound of my boisterousugh.


    ¡°Oh no, Castello is seriously cracking me up. Do not mind us, just focus on your game and win it for us.¡± I told him amidughter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do just that.¡± He replied and did as I asked. He focused on the poker game.


    When I turned back at Castello, he was giggling. ¡°You both look so cute together, you do know that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh please.¡± I cut him off but was unable to hide the blush that spread across my cheeks. ¡°So howe you think Hollis is cheating?¡±


    ¡°He counts cards and he reads people.¡± Castello stopped and searched my face. I believe he found what he was looking for because my face was full of doubt.


    ¡°You can¡¯t believe that he knows what people are thinking about just by looking at them.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t brag about that to you?¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°What do you guys talk about then?¡± He whispered.


    I drew closer to him and whispered right back. ¡°Stuff that married people talk about.¡±


    He smiled and shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s not surprising.¡±


    I turned to Hollis and asked, ¡°Is that true? Can you really tell what people are thinking, just by looking at them?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± He answered, carefully, sparing me that beautiful once-over.


    I melted, not physically, but I felt some liquid below, down there. ¡°Castel likes to invent words.¡± He added


    Maxine pushed the rest of his chips in and mumbled, ¡°All in.¡±


    Hollis immediately called. They overturned their cards on the table and waited for the dealer¡¯s card to unfold. Hollis¡¯s first three cards gave him an edge already. But Maxine waited for the next two, hoping that a sort of miracle would save him from the inevitable.


    ¡°Told you,¡± Castello murmured, in between the deposition ofrge heaps of chips in his mouth.


    I smiled and turned back to Hollis. ¡°Which part of what Castello said is invented?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what people are thinking.¡± He rified, looking at Maxine with that expression that says, ¡®Okay, you can give up now, Buddy.¡¯


    He then sighed and turned briefly toward me. ¡°All I can tell is if someone is happy, sad, mad, nervous, guilty, or bluffing to scare others or to buy time.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you got man.¡± Maxine urged.


    ¡°I¡¯m of the opinion that you pack up the cards Max. Hollis has won already, you know this.¡± Castello suggested, sipping from a ss of very cold water.


    Maxine turned to me, ¡°what do you say, U. U?¡± He asked me.


    ¡°I say you finish what you started.¡± I gave him my honest thoughts.


    ¡°You heard the Queen, let¡¯s see what you got,¡± Maxine told Hollis.


    ¡°That Queen is my wife. Her loyalty lies with me, you know.¡±


    ¡°And my sister-inw, you should know that too.¡± He pped back.


    Hollis smiled, and so did I. ¡°So, are some people easier to read than others?¡± I asked, still picking up the topic from where we stopped.


    Hollis shrugged, ¡°Everybody has their own unique trait that gives them away.¡± He replied. ¡°Although I¡¯m still forced to say yes to your question, some people are like an open book, way easier to read than others.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I kind of agreed with him that some people are like open books. ¡°So do you count cards too? If you do, that¡¯s cheating.¡± I added, even before he offered an answer.


    ¡°I think poker is more about knowing your opponents than counting cards.¡± He said, contracting his eyes toward an unaffected Maxine again. ¡°I do count the odds in my head, but it¡¯s not a sure thing.¡± He smirked at Maxine. ¡°For instance, I know that Maxine has lost all his chips, and he has almost no chance of winning this hand.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have it.¡± Maxineughed. ¡°I like my ass handed over to me.¡± He said.


    I watched Hollis, my husband, do that little smile that always warmed my heart. Then he turned over his fourth card, a nine of diamonds. He winked at me before turning over hisst card, a Queen. Maxine chuckled and shook his head to the sides in defeat.

 Act of Insubordination

    HOLLIS


    Knowing Ugo and living with her has taught me that there is more to a woman than her body and beauty. And a woman can be anything as long as you give her the wings to fly.


    A few hours after the incident in the closet, It got me thinking of how much strength my wife had, if she could really resist my charms with all that tension between us.


    I had to rush down to my study to regain myposure and for some quiet. ¡®I should have let this womane when I had the chance.¡¯ I groaned, looking down at my boner, a painful reminder of my miscalcted decision.


    I¡¯d thought at that point that preventing her froming by my fingers would put her head in a space where she would want her orgasm too much to damn the consequences.


    In other words, I thought she would be thinking with her cunt and not her head. But I was fucking wrong. Ugo Chike is not just any girl, she is my nemesis, God¡¯s punishment to me for all my hideous sins.


    ¡°God,¡± I murmured.


    God must think she is the best punishment for me, but maybe he has no idea that I¡¯m a big fan of this punishment he handed down to me. Because I love what she does to me and how she brings me to my knees with just a stare.


    But then, I messed up really big! When I caught her in a soft moment, I should have taken full advantage of it and not messed it up by fucking around with her head.


    Now, how in the world am I going to get her to be in this space again? When will such an opportunity present itself again? ¡°Well, you have to be patient, and wait for it.¡± I groaned.


    That is the big problem, I am naturally not a patient man. The little level of patience I¡¯ve exhibited so far is because of Ugo and I¡¯m fast running out of it, but who would I tell? My wife doesn¡¯t give a fucking-fuck.


    I have to keep reminding myself that even if my wife decides that she won¡¯t let me touch her ever, I should be cool with it. Even if my balls want to burst. Especially since I now know that her body responds to my touches, but her head has refused to be in it.


    ¡®Is this proof that she hates me so much?¡¯


    Sadly, It could be. But how do I go about reversing this ill feeling she has towards me? It would have been really better if I didn¡¯t get to find out about her body¡¯s response to my touches just yet. That way, my head won¡¯t have to be running wild with too many fantasies.


    ¡®OH MY GOD!¡¯


    I was still battling with my numerous thoughts when the phone tracker signal I had in my phone beeped, notifying me that my wife was on her phone and was on call. I shouldn¡¯t have done what I did with her phone, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    With Ugo Chike, one can never be too sure. I needed to be certain she wouldn¡¯t plot or consider running away. So I tampered with her phone, making it possible for me to either listen to her calls while it¡¯s still ongoing or have them recorded and stored in my own phone.


    I didn¡¯t need to be told that she would have my head if she found out what I did with her phone, but who¡¯s going to tell her? Nobody.


    Picking up my earbuds, I fixed them into my ears and tapped on the prompt that appeared on my phone screen. It took barely thirty seconds to find out who she was speaking to. But the next few seconds of their conversation left me dumbfounded.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    They were talking about me. The conversation made me happy, hot, and needy. But those feelings managed to fly away when I overheard thedies talking about sex toys and orgasms. What rtionship do sex toys have with my wife¡¯s orgasm? Why the fuck would she be considering a sex toy when I am right here.


    Panic immediately set in. This woman would prefer a fucking toy to me. If that is the case, then I¡¯m so fucked, for real. I was almost at the door of my study when Maxine and Castello pushed the door open.


    They paused briefly and stared at me for a few seconds, obviously considering if they should stay in the room or leave, as I had no doubt my facial features were anything but weing at that moment.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I queried their presence, forgetting that I was the one that sent for them.


    ¡°Your wife is getting on your nerves again, isn¡¯t she?¡± That was Maxine, and surprisingly, that single question of his brought back some part of my senses.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± I cursed out, hating that Ugo had made me so readable.


    Maxine crossed over to the room and took a seat. But Castello remains perched close to the door. I turned back into the room. I was still hearing Ugo¡¯s discussion with her friend and I wanted so badly to keep listening to what they were saying.


    But Maxine¡¯s expression made me worry. So I turned off my phone¡¯s connection and turned to Castello first. But he didn¡¯t say a word and his face told me I needed to be worried.


    ¡°Out with it,¡± I said to no one in particr and took a seat.


    Maxine tilted his head to the side and scratched his foreheadzily. ¡°Uncle Carloz is after U. U.¡± He said and I kind of fell deaf for a couple of seconds.


    ¡°That son of a bitch.¡± I found myselfughing, wondering the level of stupidity Carloz must have decided to immerse himself in.


    Who in their right senses would want to hurt my wife? If it were an outsider, maybe it would have made some sense. But Carloz was family, and he knew what faith awaited him if anyone discovered such an act of insubordination.


    ¡°How did you find out?¡±

 Things That Happen to married couples

    ¡°How did you find out?¡± I turned to Castello with the question because I was certain he made the discovery.


    ¡°Cordelia,¡± Castello replied, walking over to take a seat opposite Maxine. ¡°She likes Reina. So she¡¯s trying to look out for her.¡±


    My phone beeped. I realized that I didn¡¯t really know when Ugo ended her call. But the notification on my phone showed that she was heading outside with her phone.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay a visit to Father tomorrow and spend a couple of days with them,¡± I told Maxine.


    ¡°You want me to tell him?¡± Maxine asked.


    I shook my head.¡± Carloz will be dead in a second if you do that. I want to know what he¡¯s gotten himself entangled with and who he¡¯s working with. Killing him will prevent me from getting names. Your presence there is to tell me what Carloz is up to. Meanwhile, how is Ugoing up with her training?¡±


    Maxine nodded, ¡°she¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Castel, you¡¯ll take over her training for a couple of days. I¡¯ll be away from tomorrow. Maxine will join you at some point. But if not, then bring her over for the Club¡¯s exclusive night, I¡¯ll meet you there. You might need to grow an extra pair of eyes and a mountain of patience while dealing with my wife. She can be a handful¡­¡±


    ¡°And an amazing human.¡± Maxine interrupted. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re sending me away for days. I¡¯m going to miss her.¡±


    ¡°Castel will raise suspicious eyes if I send him. Sadly, you¡¯re the perfect man for the job.¡± My phone beeped again, Ugo was almost at the entrance of the house. ¡°Boys, go make a quick dinner. I¡¯ll be right up in a bit. There are cupcakes in the fridge for my wife.¡±


    I told them and started rushing off, but not too quickly, as I overheard Maxine telling Castello how much he loved what Ugo does to me and the fact that I can¡¯t help myself when ites to her.


    I would have stayed to offer my own line of defense, but I needed to be sure my wife was okay. After hearing that Carloz is after her, anything can be possible.


    Imagine my shock when I walked up to her, asking one of my men toe have cupcakes with her.


    ¡®Does it mean that she sees me as a statue? Why the hell does she keep choosing other people and items instead of me?¡¯


    The idiot was lucky he didn¡¯t ept the offer. I wanted so desperately to tell her that I would eat cupcakes with herter just to spite the fool, but he hurried away immediately when he saw me, as he should.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    While we headed upstairs for dinner, my thoughts kept drifting back to what I just discovered about old Carloz. Seems the man has little to no value for his life because I¡¯ll definitely have his head soon.


    That part is non-negotiable. Once I confirm the authenticity of the news and the people involved in it, they¡¯ll all be gone. Uncle or not.


    UGO


    After dinner, the men left for whichever room they had been in before now. But that was after Hollis exined to me that he had an important meeting to attend with Maxine tomorrow and he would need to do some necessary stuff rted to work afterwards.


    In summary, my husband would be away from the house for almost a week, but what he offered as a form of constion was calling me every day and having Maxine check on me on alternate days. But that was before he made sure that I would befortable with Castello.


    I wanted to go with him, wherever he was going. But I knew that would be me being super clingy, and it wasn¡¯t a nice thing to show to a man like Hollis; he¡¯d immediately think he got me, hook, line and sinker. And he hasn¡¯t, has he?


    Of course not. Besides, I was supposed to still be mad at him for what he did to me back in the closet. For what I let him do to me rather. Who am I kidding?


    When night came, I arranged throw pillows on the long sofa in the living room andy on them. I should have gone to the bed, but I didn¡¯t feel like it. Especially, since Hollis wasn¡¯t back upstairs yet. And the absolute truth was there too, I am horny. Who wouldn¡¯t be while living with a god like Hollis?


    I soon drifted into sleep. But instead of sleeping peacefully, what did I do? I dreamed of him of course. The hot, chaotic, sweaty and erotic kind of dream. It was so wild that I felt the wetness in my panties.


    Then I felt hands grabbing me, leaving me to wake up with a gasp and a soft moan, only to find myself being lifted up in Hollis¡¯s arms yet again.


    ¡°Dreaming about me?¡± He whispered as he cradled me to his chest.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I replied, but felt one of his fingers slip from my bum to my panties, all thanks to this crazy ass-gown I had on.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I thought when I heard you moan as I stepped into the room, and that¡¯s not what I just felt with my fingers.¡± He said.


    Embarrassed but unwilling to let him see that. I sped my thighs and charged at him verbally. ¡°Put me down.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he casually replied, still holding me to him. ¡°Stubborn ass.¡± He mumbled.


    ¡°Put. me. down, Hollis.¡± I demanded in a sharp voice, cing emphasis on each word and wriggling my body forcefully, hoping that would give him the hint, get him annoyed and force him to put me on my feet.


    But no, it didn¡¯t. I already suspected that It won¡¯t. Who am I kidding? This is Hollis we¡¯re talking about. In his massive body and arms, I was nothing but a little child throwing tantrums.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, you¡¯ll sleep on my bed.¡± He told me as he carried me into our bedroom.


    The living chairs aren¡¯t meant for sleeping. Maybe during the day, I wouldn¡¯t mind. But never at night and while I¡¯m at home.¡±


    ¡°Bold of you to think that I would want to sleep in the same bed with you after what happened in the closet.¡±

 Blame The Damn Hormones

    I saw his lips thin out before being reced by what seemed like a frown. ¡°So this is about your ego.¡± He said.


    ¡°Fucking put me down, and leave me the hell alone.¡± I voiced out.


    He stopped moving and looked down at my face. ¡°No.¡± He repeated. ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck if your ego is bruised, but you will sleep in my bed. If we have an issue, we sort it out like adults and if I wronged you, I¡¯ll apologize. Sleeping in my bed is non-negotiable.¡± He finalized, offering me not even a single room to debate his decision.


    ¡°My ego is fine,¡± I grumbled, leaning as far away from his chest as I could get with how hard he was holding onto me, even though all of me wanted to lean in and take deep breaths of his cologne that had clung to his skin.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re not in a great mood. If I remember correctly, your mood was great when Maxine and Castello joined us for dinner, but it¡¯s not anymore because it¡¯s just you and I?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied, again.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s not it. So I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because I wouldn¡¯t let youe when you wanted to. Whatever way you¡¯ll have me put it.¡±


    Pissed and in dire need of words to hurt his feelings, I chuckled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself unnecessarily. If I wanted toe, I wouldn¡¯t need your help to do so. I¡¯ve been having great orgasms way before I met you. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡± He snapped, hushing me up. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me about the other men you¡¯ve been with or the sexual activities you¡¯ve engaged in. Don¡¯t discuss those things with me.¡±


    That was the space I was waiting for and I set out to milk it to the fullest. ¡°Hollis, if you wanted an innocent young girl who would wholly believe that your cock is the best thing in the whole wide world, then you should have left me to my faith,¡± I told him, enjoying the way he was bubbling with anger, knowing that I am the cause of such reaction from him. I did that!


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve gotten all I need to know from the state of your panties, and I bet you¡¯ll be saying something entirely different if I rip them off your ass and fuck you till you realize the difference between a real man and toys.¡±


    I stilled. ¡®Did he just call all the men I¡¯ve been with toys? I give it to him; he is really such an ass.¡¯


    I hissed and attempted to wriggle my body again. ¡°That¡¯s not even going to happen,¡± I said, shooting him what I thought should be a mean look. But he didn¡¯t seem bothered at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re already dripping down there for me. You don¡¯t have to be too hard on yourself.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to imagine what you want. I¡¯m anything but turned on because of you.¡±


    ¡°So that means you¡¯re actually turned on.¡±He chuckled.


    I remained silent, ignoring himpletely. ¡°It would take more than your lethal mouth to get me really pissed.¡± He said to me, ¡°In other words, you can try something else.¡± He added, dropping me down on my own side of the bed, then went round to climb into his side.


    We turned our backs on each other. I was wide awake and I knew he wasn¡¯t sleeping either. Iy there asking myself if it was really wise to pick a fight with him.


    We are two consenting adults who are old enough to bear the consequences of any decision we make. It was just being a woman, obviously and somehow I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s a fault of mine.


    me it on the damn female hormones, anything or anyone but me. And truly, the hormones were responsible for my nasty mood because, by morning, I saw my period. So I¡¯m totally meless for whatever happenedst night.


    The hormones are the culprits.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    The following morning, I woke up to an empty bed and an empty living room aside from the presence of Alessia, who informed me that Castello was down at the Dojo, waiting for me, in case I decided to work out a little.


    I asked if Hollis had left, but she answered that he was in his study downstairs. And that got me a bit worried because it was still very early.


    I left the living room after taking a healthy cup of very dark, in coffee, and Alessia led me to the direction of Hollis¡¯s study downstairs. She called out the password for the door and my fingerprint did the rest.


    When we got downstairs, I found out that the Dojo was just two doors away from Hollis¡¯s study. Alessia pulled her body close to the door and stood beside it.


    ¡°You¡¯re noting in?¡± I said with an annoying voice I would never have appreciated it if someone used such a tone with me. I winced and shook my head. ¡°Sorry about that, I¡¯ll just head in. You¡¯ll be around, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she bowed and shed a smile.


    Once I pushed the door open, I saw Hollis on call, facing the window, with his back to the door. I stood there for almost a minute and heard him speak to some girl on the phone.


    ¡°Look Henrietta, l need you.¡± He said in the sexiest and most erotic voice ever.


    My blood started boiling instantly. ¡°Good morning!¡± I shouted, tapping the wall noisily to gain his attention.


    He turned to my direction and I noted the shock on his face. He obviously didn¡¯t know I was right behind him while he was busy telling another woman that he needed her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call youter.¡± He spoke into the phone and hung up. ¡°Hey.¡± He called me.


    But I ignored him, hoping to piss him off. But instead, he chuckled and walked up to me while I turned away toward the open door to leave.


    He curled his arm around my belly button and brought his lips close to my ears.


    ¡°Someone is still mad at me?¡± He murmured.

 Don鈥檛 Stress My Tolerance Level

    ¡°Well?¡± I said in the form of a question, keeping my gaze on his arms. My way of asking him to let me go.


    ¡°No,¡± He said, annoying me even further.


    For Christ¡¯s sake, I¡¯m in my period, and this man neither has an idea of what I¡¯m feeling right now nor what those hands of his were doing to me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find those fingers of yours broken if you don¡¯t keep them to yourself,¡± I warned, and he let out a softugh.


    ¡°Why are you so mad at me?¡±


    I flipped around to look at him. ¡°You insisted that I sleep in the same bed as you, and you crawled out to this little office of yours so early in the morning, just to speak to one of your numerous mistresses. You should be ashamed of yourself.¡± I hissed and stormed out of the room.


    I was fast enough to get into the Dojo and shut the door behind me before he stormed right in behind me.


    ¡°What the hell did you just say to me?¡± He asked, startling Castello, who was busy cleaning some of the equipment in the room.


    Castello turned to face us and I saw terror in his eyes. I didn¡¯t need to be told, I¡¯ve fucked up, again. I let my stupid hormones finally get me into some mess. Hollis was beside me and he pulled me to a standstill holding onto my arm.


    ¡°What the fuck did you just say to me, U. g. o?¡±


    I trembled at what I saw in his eyes, rage. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± I found myself saying.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± He rubbed on his forehead,pletely pissed. ¡°You say something and decide to retract it because you¡¯re what, a coward?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± I warned.


    ¡°Why not?¡± he challenged. ¡°That¡¯s not what you are?¡±


    I don¡¯t know what happened but my hands moved too fast and almostnded on his cheek, but he caught it and pinned it high in the air. ¡°I¡¯ve warned you about this before, Ugo. But since you have a lot of energy to exhaust this morning, why don¡¯t you show me the skills Maxine has been teaching you.¡±


    I dragged my hand from him, and he released me. I was certain there was no way I could free my hand from his grip if he didn¡¯t want me freed. ¡°You¡¯re going somewhere today.¡± I said, instead of rendering a sincere apology.


    But Hollis stood right there, hands now in his trouser pocket, waiting. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to whoop your ass.¡± I said and he nodded, but his face remained expressionless, so I neither knew what he was feeling nor thinking.


    I saw Castello through the side of my eyes and he was shaking his head. Instead of listening to his silent words of wisdom, I started washing my hands.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I said.


    I passed Castello, ¡°this is a wrong idea.¡± He whispered to my hearing.


    I nodded, letting him know that I knew that much. Slipping a pair of mitts off their holder, I slipped them on and added the necessary padding I needed. Then I turned to face Hollis, determined to secure at least a blow or two, just to let him know that I¡¯ve not been ying with Maxine all the while.


    How stupid I was to think I stood a chance at securing a single blow at a man like Hollis. I made the first attack and in an instant, my back hit the mat with enough force to knock the air from my lungs.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Stunned, I blinked at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath and bearing. I overheard Castello pleading that he take my ce and receive the beating instead.


    But this man that is my husband refused. Hollis¡¯s face came into view as I stared at the ceiling. He stretched out a hand to help me up, but that rebellious spirit in me reared its head, and I tapped his hand away.


    ¡°I can help myself,¡± I grumbled and stood up.


    His lips thinned out in what seemed like a smile and immediately, it was gone. ¡°You¡¯re wasting my time. If we¡¯re going to do this, then I¡¯ll need you to give me your hundred percent.¡±


    I spared a gaze at a worried andpletely terrified Castello, before turning back to Hollis. He was right, I didn¡¯t give it my hundred before. Now, I will.


    ¡°Sorry about that, I had my mind somewhere else,¡± I told him.


    Seeing that I was up, he moved like lightning, tagging me first on one knee, then my shoulder with rapid-fire ps. ¡°Do you think an attacker is going to wait until you¡¯re alert and have your mind settled before he attacks you?¡±


    I crouched, forcing myself to focus on his movement. Hollis crouched as well, his eyes hard and watchful. When he came again, I blocked him, but not for long as he curved his feet and had my ass t on the mat again.


    He squatted down to my level on the floor and stared darkly at me. Then he said the next couple of words in a whisper, but loud enough to my hearing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever disrespect me like that Ugo. I respect the constitution of marriage, you know that already. I do not have a damn girlfriend and I would never cheat on you with some woman¡­ or man while still married to you. Now get that into your thick skull, because the next time we get a repetition of what just happened,¡± he pulled off the mitt on my left hand and brought my fingers to his lips.


    He nted a kiss on my finger and shook his head to the side, ¡°You¡¯ll be punished severely for it by me. And, I¡¯m a ruthless leader. You know what I¡¯m capable of doing.¡±


    My blood ran cold. I just stared, speechless and scared when I recalled the memory of seeing him shoot a man. ¡°I¡¯m only gentle with you because you¡¯re fragile.¡± He released my hand and ran his thumb on my cheek. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to my tolerance level, don¡¯t stretch it.¡±


    Tapping me gently on the cheek, he stood up and left the room. It took me almost a minute toe out of my daze, gently I stood up and walked over to Castello.

 The HG Exclusive Night

    ¡°Let¡¯s train.¡± I told Castello in a calm, numb voice.


    He shook his head, opposing the idea. ¡°We can do that tomorrow. Are you hurt?¡± He asked.


    He starteding closer, but I tagged him on the leg and he was quick to block it but missed the blow thatnded on his jaw.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± He yelled and I sunk my ass on the mat, letting out the threatening tears. Castello rushed over to me, ignoring his jaw. ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s okay. Are you hurt?¡± He asked again.


    I shook my head, but continued sobbing. ¡°I want to go home.¡± I sobbed.


    Damn hormones, now look at the mess!


    ¡­¡­¡­


    The days rolled by. Maxine would visit every now and then and all three of us will chat and y games. They ended up teaching me some poker tricks. Castello was so kind and attentive to my needs. He did everything he could think of to keep mepany. Including taking me out for shopping and making sure I was alwaysfortable.


    Eventually, I got a vibrator and on Castello¡¯s insistence, I got a couple of beautiful and overly expensive outfits even though I exined to him that I had too many clothes at home and I could wear them to Hollis¡¯s club for the exclusive night we spoke about.


    Each time I recall Castello¡¯s reaction when it was time to pay for my purchase at the Mall, I always find myself giggling. ¡°Tuo marito mi idera.¡± (your husband will kill me). He had said in Italian,ughing so hard.


    We had a pretty goodugh about it. The both of us knew Hollis would probably go crazy if he sees me using a vibrator. But none of us said it out loud.


    As he promised, Hollis was calling almost six times every day and other times, he would send text messages. Even though we don¡¯t say much to each other during the calls, because I was giving him the cold treatment.


    It never stopped him from calling me, neither did it stop me from picking any of his calls. I¡¯ll pick up and we¡¯ll do a crazy silent breathing exercise. Then we¡¯ll ask about each other and that was it.


    ¡­


    On the day of Hollis¡¯s club exclusive night, Castello came upstairs to pick me up by seven. I was already dressed, waiting for him. I got ready too early, no doubt. That was because Castello reassured me earlier that my dear husband would be at the Club.


    Even though I would rather eat grass than than admit it to anyone, I was desperate to see him. I was already in the living room waiting for Castello in a shimmery sapphire and gold ankle length gown that was ripped up to my thigh.


    The most gorgeous and expensive dress I¡¯ve ever worn. Alessia and I added a few finishing touches to my makeup and I was all set to go meet ¡®my man¡¯.


    Castello had on a silk grey shirt and a suit with matching color. In my entire life I¡¯ve never seen such fashion match-up and I can boldly tell you that I would have thought it wasn¡¯t going to be pleasing to the eye. But it was. Castello bodied it like a real Boss .


    ¡°Ready?¡± He asked.


    I nodded and pointed to his outfit. ¡°That¡¯s such a daring fit and you pulled it off so well.¡±


    ¡°Apliment from the Queen!¡± He eximed. ¡°Now, I feel really good about this outfit.¡± He smiled. ¡°You look breathtaking as always. That color looks good on your skin and I don¡¯t know¡­¡± He paused. ¡°People are going to ogle. You know that right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, don¡¯t you think?¡± I replied and he gifted me with that Genovese men smile.


    ¡°Jealousy doesn¡¯t look good on your husband.¡± He replied, extending his hand.


    ¡°He¡¯ll get over it.¡± I told him, slipping my hand into his own.


    We were soon outside. Castello helped me into his car. Nero was the only one that had driven me since I arrived at the Garden. Since he wasn¡¯t around, Castello slipped into the driver¡¯s seat and drove us to the club.


    We made small talk during the drive, with Castello cracking me up with silly jokes. We soon pulled up to the Valet. There were two parking attendants waiting for us. One of them opened the door for me while I waited for Castello to round the car to stand next to me. He stuck his elbow out and I looped my arm through his.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He asked again. I nodded.


    We started strolling toward the entrance door. The moment we passed through the front doors, we were hit by loud music echoing throughout the building. The lobby was a bit dark with minute hazy lights as the source of lightening, making it possible to catch sight of the front desk.


    Castello nodded at the woman behind the desk and she greeted us with a warm smile, ¡°Good evening Mr. Castello, and to you too, Mrs. Genovese.¡±


    I smiled as we passed. Castello held out the door that separates the lobby from the main room, open for me. The room wasn¡¯t as crowded as I had anticipated, but I guess that¡¯s what to expect for an exclusive club like this one.


    ¡°Oh my god, Castello¡­ it¡¯s so amazing.¡± I said, holding my hands to my lips, mindful of my makeup.


    There was a mini crowd of people around the bar, and a DJ was ying at the stage. Dancers were busy on the poles and a few number of people were dancing in the middle of the dance floor. The private rooms I saw the other time were all open to the club members for use.


    It made me wonder if people were really going to have sex in the rooms tonight. If they would, then that would crazy stuff. Is that even legal?


    ¡°Castello,¡± a voice called from the bar.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    We both turned to see a blond heading our way. The blond turned to the side and pointed, ¡°that¡¯s Maxineing, but I guess we won¡¯t be seeing the Boss anytime soon.¡± She giggled and turned to me, ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry I missed you. You must be the wife, oh poor thing.¡± She said, just as Maxine walked up to us.

 Go fuck yourself

    ¡®Poor thing? Did this woman, whoever the hell she is, refer to me as a poor thing?¡¯


    ¡°U. U,¡± Maxine called, interrupting my thoughts as he walked up to us. He gave me a hug, and shook hands with Castello, ignoring the blond, who was staring at him, all smiles.


    ¡°Maxine,¡± the blond called. ¡°Surely, I¡¯m not that invincible.¡± She giggled.


    Maxine nodded and turned to her. ¡°Henri, It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± He said in a clipped tone.


    ¡®Henri!¡¯ The name struck me. She must be the one, the Henrietta Hollis had been speaking to days ago. ¡®you must be kidding me¡¯


    Henri turned to Castello, then to me. ¡°Mrs. Genovese,¡± she called in such aical voice. ¡°Pretty great to meet you in person.¡± She added, in a mocking tone and stretched forth her hand for a handshake.


    I stared at her stretched hand and shook my head. ¡°Go fuck yourself,¡± I told her and started walking away.


    Castello followed me right behind, pushing his arms behind me as a form of protection. But his hands never got to touch my body.


    Henri called after us, ¡°Excuse me, what the hell was that for? You don¡¯t think you can keep Hollis Genovese all to yourself because of the word, marriage. Are you for real?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    I stopped walking and turned to her, ready to give her a piece of my mind, but my Gentleman brother-inw, Castello, beat me to it. ¡°You heard the Queen, fuck off.¡± He warned Henri in the most icy tone I¡¯ve ever heard him use.


    She was about to say something else when Maxine cut her off. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say another word?¡± He warned. ¡°You¡¯d be doing yourself a great favor if you get your sorry ass out of here this minute.¡± He added.


    Henri looked at him, shocked. Her gaze traveled to Castello and finally rested on me. I smiled scornfully at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said to no one in particr and left for the bar.


    ¡°He¡¯s in his office,¡± Maxine called after us. He shed a small smile at me.¡±I have to go now. Gotta keep an eye on our customers.¡± He exined and turned away.


    ¡°Do you want to go see your husband?¡± Castello asked.


    I shook my head and pointed to the small corridor that led to those rooms I saw the first day at the club. ¡°I want to see those.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°This is your Club, you may do as you wish. Come¡­ I¡¯ll show you the entrance we¡¯ll be using to ess those rooms tonight.¡±


    We started heading to the other part of the room. ¡°Need a drink?¡± Castello asked as a server with flutes of champagne strolled by.


    I nodded and he grabbed two sses and handed one to me. As we continued walking down, I tuned-in my eyes more, letting it scan the dark room. I saw a woman holding a leash that was connected to the neck of a shirtless man beside her. A group of sophisticated young rich men were seated at one of the tables while a server rolled out cards for them.


    My eyes caught on a girl kneeling next to one of the gambling men. Except for a pink pant and nipple covers, she was naked. The man she was kneeling next to was stroking her hair while staring at his card while the girl appeared very content and even nuzzled her head closer to his leg.


    The image made me feel disgusted, wondering how someone would be so content with being petted on the hair. I took another look at the scene, while Castello stood and allowed me that moment. That was one of the things I loved about him; he always knew what to do and when to do it without making me feel terrible.


    I noticed we had stopped walking. But when I turned to Castello, he was speaking to someone in a hushed tone. My eyes caught on a pair of eyes watching me from across the room, stealing my thoughts away from the woman on her knees. He was a young-looking wealthy man, judging from his outfit. Probably in his early thirties.


    His gaze deepened, and even when he noticed that I was staring right back at him, it didn¡¯t make him stop. A slight fear settled over me at the thought that he could be someone I needed to be wary of.


    I gulped down my champagne and Castello took the empty ss from me, recing it with another one. Even though he was still speaking to someone, he still had his attention on me.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± Castello asked when I gulped down the second ss of champagne.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I told him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He took the second ss from me and handed it over to one of the servers passing by. Not bothering to introduce me to the man he was speaking with, we left the spot. The man he was speaking with bowed his head as a form of greeting when I passed him. Castello led me around the room, and we came to a long hallway that had different closed mini-rooms.


    The bouncer manning the entrance stepped aside for us to pass through. The long hallway was almost dark, but I was able to make out a few people, about five or six of them, standing in front of a man wearing a dark suit. We entered fully into a dark hallway that was so long that I had to stretch my eyes to see if it had an end at all.


    As we walked down, Castello pointed to the doors of each of the mini rooms we passed and exined, ¡°The doors lead to the viewing rooms.¡±


    He pushed one of the rooms open to show me more and I noticed a thick ss serving as a wall of some sort. But the ss offered a clear view of the rooms in front of us.


    ¡°You can see the people in any of the rooms, but they can¡¯t see you.¡± He exined.

 Your Husband

    There was a naked couple in one of the rooms and they were staring directly at me. I jumped, startled. But Castello shook his head,ughing.


    ¡°They can¡¯t see you.¡± He repeated. ¡°Once you enter a viewing room and close the door, it will be automatically locked from the inside and unless you open the door yourself, no one can gain ess into the room from outside. So if you want to be the only one in a viewing room, make sure to shut the door behind you. Leaving it open is an open invitation to others that you might need a partner.¡± Castello exined more and I kept nodding my understanding.


    ¡°Derek is one of the guards¡± He continued, ¡± and he¡¯s somewhere along the corridor outside.¡± He pointed to the door. ¡°He¡¯ll be around, just to keep an eye out. But he will be almost invincible. I have to go help Maxine. Will you be okay on your own?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be perfect. See you around. And don¡¯t tell Hollis that I¡¯m here.¡±


    He let out a smallugh and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to, he already knows.¡±


    With that, he disappeared from the viewing room. I shrugged, understanding that this was Hollis¡¯s Club. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t know that I¡¯m here. Turning back to the couple in front of me, I jumped back, seeing that the woman was  now pushed against the ss.


    It didn¡¯t take too much time to understand the reason for this new position of hers. Which is because the man was screwing her from behind.


    I left the first room and started heading forward, sinking into the darker end of the hallway, trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible, while at it. I shouldn¡¯t be here, but it was toote, my curiosity was far-peaked.


    I opened a door to another mini room, the view in front of me was dark to see much. But there was movement in the room.  A dim-blue light came on in the room, once I closed the viewing room door.


    Soon, sounds came rolling in, the moan from a woman and the steady pounding motion of her pussy being pounded.


    ¡®christ¡¯!T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    My throat constricted as I looked away and looked back again. My belly grew warm, but I didn¡¯t stop. I stared at the nerve-wrecking facial expression of the woman being banged.


    She smiled when the man pulled her hair back and whispered something into her ear. I could only imagine what he told her that made her light up like that¡­ and that filthy thought of mine only made me hotter.


    Looking behind them, I got a clearer view of the room. There were lots of sex toys hanging from the walls. Too many sex toys that I¡¯ve never seen in my entire life. I opened the door and left the room, going in search of the room I was looking at, the day I ran into Castello at the Club for the first time.


    After checking two more rooms, I finally found the one I was looking for. I stepped in and closed the door behind me. There were three people in the room. It was dimly lit from the inside, enough to make out the figures of the people in the room, but not their faces. I adjusted my stand and the wetness of my tong rubbed on my skin.


    ¡®Fucking christ¡¯!


    Turning my attention back to my entertainers that were giving me a show without even seeing me, the urge to touch myself grew in me. I¡¯m obviously not going to do it. Not in this ce. I¡¯m a big girl, I can handle myself.


    ¡®Can you¡¯? The voice inside my head queried.


    As I stood there staring, I was at loss at what to do with my hands. So i locked them together, to curtail the urge. As the erotic scene before me unfolded, keeping my hands locked together, started looking like a tough battle.


    There was a woman sitting on the throne, her thighs spread apart, while a man sank on his knees, his face pressed in-between her thighs. He was definitely doing what I¡¯m thinking. My mouth went dry. It all felt so wrong to be watching such level of live pornography, but I couldn¡¯t look away, either.


    Another man stood behind the throne and bent his head, taking the woman¡¯s breast, rubbing her nipples and kissing her at the same time. I felt a pang of jealousy, imagining the level of euphoric pleasure she would be feeling.


    The intensity between my legs grew worse. So worse that I felt I was going to explode pretty soon. I squeezed my thigh together as I broke out in sweat, while wondering if I coulde without touching myself.


    With my thighs rubbing together, It felt like I needed to scratch throughyers of thin fabric for my pleasure.


    ¡°Are you having fun?¡±


    I let out a gasp and jumped to the side of the room, but only saw Hollis enter the viewing room.


    ¡°I thought no one can enter if the door is shut?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± He replied. ¡°No one but your husband who happens to own the club.¡±


    ¡°How did you know the room I¡¯m in?¡±


    ¡°There are cameras everywhere. That¡¯s the first step in running a Club like this. I have to protect my workers and clients and I can only do that when I know what happens behind some of these closed doors.¡±


    He stepped closer to me and wrapped his strong arm around my middle, hauling me against his body and easily turned me to face the spectacle in front of us.


    cing his lips close to my ears, he whispered, ¡°How are you?¡± I nodded instead of actually giving an actual reply.


    ¡°Rx Baby.¡± He murmured.


    I was feeling like I¡¯ve been caught masturbating or watching porn.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m supposed to be here.¡± I whispered without turning toward him.

 I haven鈥檛 been training for nothing

    He was still holding me in ce, so we were both watching the threesome taking ce. ¡°This is your Club, Mrs. Genovese.¡± He replied, caressing my finger.


    ¡°It feels so strange to watch.¡± I whispered again.


    ¡°They are putting up all that show to impress you. They want you to watch.¡± His deep velvet voice warmed me right back up.


    We stood in silence for a moment, watching the show while my body kept humming with arousal. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel liberating to know that that you can do whatever you want to do in here, and no one can see you?¡±


    My lips parted and I tried to force in a breath, even though my chest felt like it was weighing a ton. My body had tumed into a ticking bomb, ready to explode, and i wanted to scream with the intense needi was feeling


    Hollis¡¯s body was hard against mine and he was still holding me around my waist.


    In the dark room, the man standing behind the throne moved to the front and thedy sitting on the throne stood up. Her short red skirt flew down, covering her now naked ass.


    The men came closer, one of them opened her skirt and held one of her legs up, cing his arm on her back to support her since the position made her stand on one feet.


    Then one after the other, they entered her from the front and behind. I turned my head, trying to look away. But a strong hand held my chin gently, turning my head back to the view.


    ¡°Watch them, you know you want to.¡±


    Yes, I did. But I was also trying to run, because the ache between my legs were almost unbearable. My knees began to buckle and Hollis held me tighter, driving his hips into me. I took in sharp breaths as my vision grew blurry. Then I felt Hollis¡¯s boner, he was hard and was holding me against his erection.


    ¡°You feel that?¡± He whispered. ¡°That¡¯s what you do to me.¡±


    Did he just say I do that to him? Not the erotic show ongoing before us, the orgasm cries and sounds of bodies pping together? Hearing him confess that I had such effect on him drove me to shift my hips back and he responded with a deep growl.


    His hand glided down my arm until he caught my fingers in his hand. I was confused by what he was doing until his other hand gathered my dress, pulled it up until I was exposed, I can hardly breathe or think at that point, then he led his hand to the front.


    ¡°Touch yourself baby.¡± He said.


    A whisper escaped my lips. I resisted, trying to pull my hand away but he didn¡¯t let me go. Rather, he pressed my fingers further. When my finger reached my clit, over the thinyer of my thong pleasure radiated through me.


    So much that I couldn¡¯t pull my hand away anymore, even if I tried to.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he whispered, dulling my senses. ¡°I¡¯ll be here to cheer you on.¡±


    His lips touched my ears and I rxed against him, letting my head fall back onto his shoulder as he slide my pantie aside and pressed my fingers against my clit. I didn¡¯t even bother fighting anymore at this point.


    The men in the room had picked up speed, mming into thedy at a steady, uniformed rhythm. Their moans and cries were audible now, and it only urged me deeper and deeper in my steady current toward climax.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, Baby. Good girl.¡± Hollis¡¯s words spurred me on, sending bolts of lightning through my body.


    My own fingers rub my clit in fast circles, and it felt so good. it was a relief. Hollis¡¯s  hand was resting over mine, but he wasn¡¯t touching me. Instead, he gripped my hip with one hand and ground his erection against my backside.


    Any thoughts of this being inappropriate and me still being mad at him because of the Henri girl were now far away. Thrown right out of the door because at the moment, there was only one thing I wanted, and that was toe.


    ¡°You are so fucking beautiful.¡± Hollis said, making good his promise of cheering me on. ¡°Make yourselfe, Baby.¡± He went on, and kept pouring lovely praises on me like I was a rare gift to the world.


    As he showered me with praise, I kept coursing down, heading straight for a cliff. My eyes didn¡¯t leave the room for a second, and when my orgasm came crashing into me, I nearly crumble to the floor.


    My free hand gripped the fabric of Hollis¡¯s suit as he wrapped his arms around me.


    ¡°So perfect.¡± His lips brush my ear, then my cheek, and trail down to my neck.


    I couldn¡¯t hear any word he was saying at all. My ears were ringing and my skin, buzzing. The orgasm just kept knocking me down, wave after wave after wave.


    His hand found mine again, and I felt his fingers carefully brush my delicate skin. But he didn¡¯t stop. Instead, he ran them deeper into my panties, making me stiffen in his grasp when he reached the evidence of my orgasm.


    He moaned darkly against my ear. Then, he pulled his wet finger out and lifted it to his mouth. I turned to look up at him just as he slipped it past his lips, licking my juice off of his finger.


    ¡°Hollis,¡± I whispered, and our eyes meet.


    It was a long, heavy moment as we let everything that just happened swim in the tension between us. We have crossed that line, even I know that for sure. Do I feel bad for crossing this line? At the moment, no.


    Does he? I have no fucking idea. When I finally got myself to look back at the ss, the threesome in the room hade to an end.


    As soon as Hollis ushered me out of the dark hallway of iniquity, I scurried off to the bathroom. Suddenly, the dimly lit main room was just too freaking bright.


    I feel like everyone can see what I just did. That they all know that I just masturbated while watching live porn.


    The bathroom was also dimly lit, which was a blessing. I was afraid it was going to be too bright. I washed my hands at the sink and while rinsing them, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was so beautiful.


    Someone came out of one of the bathroom stall and took her ce at the sink next to me. When I nced up, I realized it was Henri and she was giving me the evil co-wife re. ¡®Amazing¡¯


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked impatiently.


    ¡°Hello, well, if isn¡¯t the infamous Mrs. Genovese. The one that the wind blew out of nowhere into the life of my Boo and she suddenly thinks the whole world would stop because she got the stupid title of a Mrs. Poor thing.¡±


    ¡°Have I wronged you before?¡± I asked innocently.


    She whipped her golden hair over her shoulder twice, and I wanted nothing more than to rip it from her head. She gave me a fake frown.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll tell you this know, Hollis isn¡¯t yours to keep. He needs a real woman in his life.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re that real woman?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She answered, so confidently. ¡°I am the real woman. I give him full pleasure and he begs at night for me. He makes mee over and over again while we make sweet, slow, and passionate¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, I grabbed her by her stupid blond hair and mmed her face against the bathroom mirror.

 Like Husband like wife

    She screamed, letting out a cry of pain as the ss shattered around her head. The dent her head made on the ss almost looked like a bloody spider web.


    I just had some good orgasm, and this woman thinks she has the right to ruin that euphoric feeling that was still buzzing in my veins?


    Pushing her face harder against the broken ss made her cry out again. ¡°Please¡­¡± She pleaded.


    ¡°I needed you to shut up. So this was a faster way to do that.¡± I whispered.


    Blood poured from the side of her face as I met her eyes. She whimpered, struggling against me, but I held her still, pulling on her hair. Tears spilled from her eyes and she opened her mouth to scream.


    ¡°If you scream, I will scoop out the contents of your skull and serve them to you. Do you hear me?¡± I asked, shocking even myself.


    ¡®Where the hell did thate from¡¯?


    I red at her, and her eyes widened in fear. ¡°I¡¯m so¡­¡±


    I squeezed her head and she shut up immediately. ¡°My husband is off the market. Do you understand that?¡±


    ¡°Y-ess. I¡¯m s-sorry. I j-j-just¡­ I just love him.¡± she sobbed.


    She was an idiot, for sure. I wanted to take her head and bash it in further, but I¡¯m not a killer. I might have learnt a few tricks from Maxine, but killing wasn¡¯t one of them.


    Pulling her face away from the mirror and grabbing another fistful of her hair, I threw her against the room wall. She gasped out and slid down onto the floor, sobbing.


    I knelt in front of her, making sure she could see me clearly.


    ¡°Seven days ago, on the 16th of this month precisely. My husband called you on the phone. What did he speak to you about?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you! You demonic cold blooded bitch. I¡¯m not telling you shit.¡±


    ¡°Henrietta.¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask again nicely. What did you discuss with my husband when he called you?¡±


    ¡°He told me toe suck his sweet dick.¡±


    ¡°Wrong answer,¡± I replied, shaking my head at how dumb she was.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hollis already said he wasn¡¯t cheating and he would never cheat on me and I believed him. But he didn¡¯t say why he needed Henrietta. And for some reason, I never asked him.


    Grabbing Henrietta¡¯s head, I pulled her up and pushed her through one of the toilet stalls in the room. My strength and stamina were so thick from my rigorous training at the Dojo. But not thick enough for the likes of Hollis, I guess.


    Getting into the stall, I shoved Henrietta¡¯s head into the toilet. Her arms swung around like a mad woman, but I pinned them down quickly with my other hand just as Maxine once taught me. She screamed into the bowl before I let her out.


    Giving her a moment to cough up water, before I asked my question again. ¡°Now, Henrietta, did my husband really ask you toe suck him off or are you trying to piss me off?¡± I asked her, sweetly.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± she started.


    But that wasn¡¯t the answer I wanted, so I dumped her head back into the water again, and this time, she struggled hard, yet I held her in.


    After a few seconds, I let her go and she hurriedly tilted her head back from the toilet, falling back onto her ass as she coughed and cried.


    ¡°Henrietta, I really need an answer to my question, please.¡±


    ¡°When news broke that your husband was getting married, I confronted him and he said it was true. He said he wanted us to put an end to what we have. I didn¡¯t want that. So, I pleaded. But his mind was made up. I recently started hanging out with someone else just to spit him. Now, he wants me to gather some information for him from my current boyfriend.¡±


    She hesitated. I noted her hesitation. So, I pestered. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Two days ago, I told him all I found out and I tried seducing him. I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to. It¡¯s just that I am still in love with him. But he didn¡¯t want me. So that made me bitter and mad at you. He yelled at me to stay away from him if it¡¯s not business rted or next time he would kill me.¡±


    ¡°If he told you not toe close to him again, why did youe here then?¡± I asked, stepping up slightly.


    She slid across the small space on the floor to get away from me. Tears streamed from her eyes as she shook, covered in toilet bowl water and blood.


    ¡°I love him,¡± she sobbed. ¡°And I didn¡¯t know you were¡­ I thought you would be a princess-like Barbie. Please don¡¯t kill me.¡±


    I chuckled. That was honestly funny. ¡°Find a new man to love, Henrietta. If youe around him again, I will snap your neck and bury you somewhere nobody would be able to find you.¡± I warned.


    Even though my threats were really empty, they sounded authentic enough to scare the living daylight out of the poor girl. Yes, tables are turned. She is the poor girl.


    Stepping over her, I walked out of the stall, looked myself over in the cracked mirror and cleaned the little trace of blood on my neck. Then I fixed my hair before washing my hands once more.


    ¡°It was nice meeting you officially, Henrietta. Maybe we should do this again.¡± I said to her before leaving the room.


    Opening the door, I came face to face with Castello and he gave me that scolding look. ¡°Really? Did you have to?¡± He asked and I realized that he probably saw what I did.


    ¡°You guys have cameras in the toilets too?¡±


    ¡°No. Just in the restroom. Not inside the toilet stalls. You don¡¯t think it would have been best if you gave her a warning of some sort?¡± He asked.


    I shrugged. ¡°She came at me first,¡± I told him.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I saw.¡±


    ¡°Verbally,¡± I exined.


    He nodded. ¡°Like husband, like wife.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her, Hollis is looking for you.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°thank you.¡± I whispered and left for the main room.

 Fuck me sideways

    ¡°Are you going to tell me why you fought someone today?¡± Hollis asked me.


    We were already done at the club and were in the car heading back to the Garden. Nero was driving, while we werefortably seated, with a privacy demarcation already in ce between us and Nero.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fight anyone,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t? So, what was it then? You beat someone to a stupor. Does that sound better?¡±


    ¡°She asked for it,¡± I replied in defense. ¡°She disrespected me and talked down at me because she¡¯s your goddamn fuck-mate.¡±


    ¡°Was. She was. And I ended things already with her. I would never tolerate anyone disrespecting my wife. You should have told me instead of picking a fight.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of myself. I don¡¯t need to run to you withints that are nothing.¡±


    Hollisughed softly. ¡°You are so rebellious. You do know that you gave her a cut on the nose, right?¡±


    ¡°I had no idea,¡± I replied honestly.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go around fighting people¡­¡±


    ¡°Says someone that battered a man¡¯s face because of a woman.¡± I interrupted.


    He burst intoughter. ¡°Because of my wife.¡± He corrected me. ¡°Not just any woman. I think you¡¯ve had enough of that training with Maxine at the Dojo. I shouldn¡¯t have let you start in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°So you think you have the right to tell me what to do and what not to do because we¡¯re tied to this thing called marriage?¡±


    He kissed my cheek and smiled. ¡°You look cute when pissed. But yeah, I don¡¯t just think so, that¡¯s actually what¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    I wanted to say something. But the kiss left some sweet, tingling sensation on my cheeks. Since I didn¡¯t trust my voice toe out clear enough, I kept quiet.


    ¡°We¡¯re visiting my parents tomorrow. They¡¯re proposing a family dinner. I¡¯ve tried making excuses for us, but they won¡¯t hear it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said. I wanted to see Nana and Cordelia anyway. Plus, I could do with a little change of environment.


    He stretched out his hand and took mine in it. Then he shed me a smile. ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡±


    I shrugged and told him. ¡°Let me know when you think of something.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    HOLLIS


    My beautiful wife stalked up to me, slowly giving me that cute stare. We were at the Genovese vi, in my old room that had been kept exactly as I left it as a young boy.


    Nothing had been changed and everywhere was sparkly neat. I pulled open my wardrobe and saw all of my old clothes, neatly folded with no speck of dust anywhere. The housekeepers were doing a great job and I was impressed.


    From the corners of my eyes, I watched Ugo angle closer toward me. I must admit I seem to be rubbing off on her the wrong way, actually. Because how the hell did she manage to beat a fellow woman to a stupor all by herself?


    A fierce Queen for a fierce Boss. It would have sounded so perfect if there was no possibility of her leaving me ever. Even though I¡¯ve been working so hard to have her for keeps, it¡¯s wise to always keep it at the back of my mind that she might still want to leave after our agreement.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the n, are we here just for dinner with your family?¡± Ugo asked, taking a seat on the old king-size bed that my parents got for me when I turned twelve.


    ying down memoryne, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the bed had served for some many years, yet still as good as new. I stepped away from my wardrobe and turned to her.


    ¡°You look stunning,¡± I said to her.


    ¡°This is the same outfit I wore from the Garden. I haven¡¯t changed a thing about my look since we got here.¡± She said, smiling beautifully.


    ¡°I know.¡± I nodded. ¡°I wanted to remind you of how good you look.¡± She blushed and turned her face to the side. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re having dinner and I¡¯ll discuss a few things with my Father. Then we¡¯ll go back home.¡± I added.


    But she shook her head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like Nana is going to let us go home today.¡± She told me. ¡°She¡¯s already filled my ears with endless stories and suggested we pick up after lunch.¡±


    ¡°Do you want us to spend the night then?¡± I asked her.


    She shrugged. ¡°That won¡¯t be such a bad idea.¡±


    This woman¡­ She really has me on a leash. I¡¯d do anything she wants, because why not. I don¡¯t even have a choice.


    ¡°How about having dinner with the whole family? Is that going to be easy for you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with that,¡± she said and spread her lips in a thin line.


    She stood up and walked over to me, swaying her hips gently and taking her time like we had the whole day. Hell, we do! She held my gaze and lifted her dress, slightly. Then she pulled her pant over her legs, and handed it over to me.


    ¡®Fuck me sideways¡¯!


    I must be on another because what the hell is happening? I caught the pant and squeezed it tightly, hoping the muscle strain would help keep me calm. But no, it did nothing of that sort.


    ¡°There you go.¡± She said, ¡°Now, you¡¯re going to have to sit through dinner thinking about how I have nothing under this dress, about how you could easily slip your hand underneath it and reach in me.¡±


    ¡°Mmmm,¡± I groaned painfully.


    ¡°But¡­¡± She shook her head and turned her back to me, giving me a good view of her ass, knowing how wild my imagination was running at the moment.


    ¡°I think I will sit opposite you during dinner.¡± She started backing away.


    I quickly felt like I¡¯d been awakened by cold water from the very short distance she managed to put between us. And the fact that all the blood in my body was rushing to another part of my anatomy didn¡¯t help matters. ¡®Damn her¡¯!

 Carloz Genovese

    ¡°You¡¯re going to sit next to me,¡± I demanded as she walked toward the door.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Unable to help it, my eyes settled on her ass as she swayed. I would have pulled her back, seduced the hell out of her and bang her senseless. But the family dinner can¡¯t wait.


    Aside from the fact that the whole family wasing together for dinner, I seriously wanted to be present when my Uncle Carloz arrived in the dining room. So yeah, I have to calm down.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not sitting beside you. What are you going to do about that? Force me?¡± She giggled and turned around to gauge my reaction, probably.


    ¡°If you¡¯re good and I¡¯m in a great mood after dinner, I¡¯ll give you a showter today.¡± She made me the best promise ever. ¡°If not,¡± she continued. ¡°Best believe that I¡¯ll sexually frustrate you.¡± She told me before opening the entrance door, leaving me aching for her.


    ¡°This woman is going to kill me,¡± I muttered, trying my best to remain calm.


    She pushed her head through the door with a smile. ¡°How does a strip tease sound?¡±


    ¡°Christ,¡± I whispered. ¡°I will be a good boy.¡± I found myself swearing to her.


    ¡°Good,¡± she walked back into the room. Standing right in front of me, she kept her gaze settled on my face.


    ¡°I owe you a good show if you keep your word. Now we gotta go.¡± She took the panties I was still holding on to and pushed it into my pant¡¯s pocket.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The moment we stepped out of the study, Castello was already waiting at therge veranda. Ugo waved at him and walked off towards my mom, who was alreadying to get her for whatever reason.


    ¡°How long have you been out here?¡± I asked Castelo.


    He smirked. ¡°Not too long. Do I need to toughen up security?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s just a family dinner. Let¡¯s make it look as harmless as possible. Is heing, have you confirmed?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Max just gave a confirmation, he¡¯ll be here pretty soon,¡± Castello replied.


    That was good news to me. Maxine had already given me all the information I needed, and whatever we decided to do today, it was certain that my father, whom I¡¯d opened up to about my uncle¡¯s intentions, would never let his brother go free without teaching him a hard lesson not to mess with any of his sons.


    ¡°Your wife seems to like it here. She was smiling when the both of you appeared from your room. You should bring her here more often.¡± Castello teased me and Iughed at such insane belief from him.


    ¡°That woman scares and bewilders me all at the same time.¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Bewilder you, I agree to that. But scare you? No fucking way man. But it¡¯s good to see you trying so hard to be a great husband. Never thought you had it in you.¡± He told me.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I consented. ¡°Being with her has really been the most challenging thing ever. But, I¡¯m d to be doing it.¡± We started walking towards the living room. ¡°She makes me happy. So, why not.¡±


    ¡°You love her?¡± Castello asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I don¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°She¡¯s a lot of work. One minute, she kisses you, and the next, she has a dagger to your throat.¡±


    Castello¡¯s eyes widened at me before he broke outughing. ¡°Literally?¡±


    ¡°No. But she might pull a dagger if she sees one lying around.¡±


    Heughed even louder. ¡°One day, she may just kill you, Ace, I swear it.¡±


    ¡°One day, she just may.¡± I sighed.


    Truthfully, I wasn¡¯t even sure if Ugo liked me for any other reason than the fact that I was trying to save her life. To her, we are just a couple in a fake union and it shouldn¡¯t have bothered me as much as it did, but I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she wasn¡¯t going to change her perspective about us¡­ that she would never care.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing I¡¯ll be taking her back to the Garden while you handle Carloz the betrayer?¡±


    ¡°Nah. She wants to spend the night here.¡±


    ¡°Told you she loved it here, but you thought I was reaching. Is there something else you¡¯ll need me to do?¡± He asked, right as we stopped outside the living room door.


    I could see it in his eyes, his own bloodlust. Castello wasn¡¯t as much of a killer as myself and Maxine. He had always been, and would always be, the one with the managerial skills. The one that knows the best time to make a business move and the one that can easily get information from anyone without physically assaulting them.


    He¡¯s always been the calm one and even when he lost his parents and moved in with us, he never lost his calm. But he was so damn smart when it came to handling businesses. But when it came to Carloz Genovese, a man who once slept with and murdered his girlfriend, Castello wanted blood.


    Even though there was no physical proof that Carloz killed the girl, we all knew it was nothing but the truth. He was such a corrupt and power-hungry Don. A character that has caused an evesting rift between him and my father for as long as I can remember.


    ¡°If things get messy with Carloz, you can personally clean it up,¡± I told him and saw him lighten up.


    He nodded, and the dark look in his eyes disappeared the moment we stepped into the dining room. I walked over to my Ugo, kissing her on the cheek softly. She melted into my embrace. ¡®Pretender.¡¯


    ¡°Hey, baby,¡± I said, trying to be polite while being just loud enough for everyone to hear.


    Most of the family was present. My parents, brother, a few cousins, two of my uncles, including Morello¡¯s father. There were my Aunts and two of my first cousins. Instead of the usual small dining table, a bigger one that almost went the entire length of the room was set.


    Just as myself and Castello settled down, Carloz casually strolled in. He smiled at no one in particr but took his seat beside my father¡¯s immediate younger brother. Being the eldest, my father was seated at the head of the table.


    A prayer was said and dinner was served. I tried to focus my attention on Ugo. However, she seemed lost in her own mind. A mind I would give anything to read.


    ¡°Ugo chike,¡± Carloz croaked with that tobo-ridden voice of his.


    He looked directly at my wife and I felt like plucking those pitiful eyes of his from their socket. He is the third son of myte grandparents. But somehow, his careless addiction to drugs, alcohol, and women seems to have made him appear twenty years older than his elder brothers.


    ¡°Thest time I saw you was on your wedding day. You were looking so skinny. But you look better now. No doubt, the Genovese money looks good on you.¡± Heughed at his own stupidity.

 An Attack

    Ugo frowned. I felt her body twitch in anger, and I tapped her gently on thep below the table. ¡°It¡¯s nice seeing you again.¡± My wife said instead and faked a smile.


    I was about to let out a sigh of relief when I realized she wasn¡¯t done talking. ¡°Aside from being a good wife, I do spend my time doing a lot. And history has it that I don¡¯t take too kindly to being talked down on. Thest person that tried it is still at the hospital.¡±


    The room fell quiet. My father¡¯s lips twitched into a smile and my Mom took a long gulp of her juice. Carloz swallowed whatever he had in his throat before replying.


    ¡°Of course, duly noted.¡± He responded.


    ¡°He was only paying you apliment. But it¡¯s obvious you¡¯re too defensive to understand that.¡± Britney, my cousin said out of nowhere. ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with being told that you¡¯re enjoying your husband¡¯s money? Isn¡¯t that the purpose of marriage, or do you think you¡¯re too big for that?¡± She asked as she drank her wine while the servants brought her food.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Ugo said, ring at Britney. ¡°Nothing at all, especially when you do nothing else other than make yourself look pretty and shop.¡± Maxine smiled at me.


    Ugo was going to set the room on fire and we all know that. I said nothing, simply cutting into my steak.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re better than me?¡± Britney snapped, causing Ugo tough and me to stuff my mouth with meat.


    ¡°Barbie, I know I¡¯m better than you,¡± Ugo said, sipping her red wine. ¡°I am the standard and my body is pure and original, none of it is made in China.¡±


    It took all my might not tough, but Cordelia did, and so did my uncles and most of the people seated in the room, aside from Carloz and Britney¡¯s brother and Mom, both of whom kept telling her to keep shut.


    I did grin like a fool, and in the corner of my eye, I could see my father smiling as well behind his ss.


    ¡°You bitch,¡± Britney spat, rising from her seat.


    ring over at her, I met her brother¡¯s eyes. ¡°Control your sister, Gusto or else she will need new parts,¡± I warned.


    Britney turned to me and immediately stumbled to her seat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said and sat back down. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡± She apologized.


    ¡°Are we done?¡± Nana asked, making the whole room fall into absolute silence. ¡°I¡¯m d you spat out the whole venom you¡¯ve been holding inside you, Britney. Now, I believe your heart has been purged of all the hatred in it. And for your sake, I pray it is, because this is thest time you¡¯ll be permitted to speak to my daughter in such a manner.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°No one is allowed to speak to my son¡¯s wife condescendingly ever again. I¡¯m d we¡¯re having dinner together as a family. If you have your grievance, you should speak to me or my wife about it. I¡¯d like to know if I¡¯m understood.¡±


    Everyone nodded, including the stupid Carloz. I held onto my wife¡¯s hand under the table and ate with my left hand instead. I wanted to reassure her that my family wasn¡¯t always crazy. But they can be sometimes.


    Ugo rubbed my hand with her fingers. Her silent way of telling me that she understood and my heart swam with absolute joy. Then we heard the sudden sound of loud gunshots from outside.


    It happened so fast that I pulled Ugo up and pushed her behind me before Carloz could direct his gun to her. Maxine and Castello were fast enough to kick the gun out of his hold.


    A loud sound of p sounded in the room; I knew who it was from and who was on the receiving end. My father had pped Carloz. ¡°Max, your brother needs you.¡± My father¡¯s voice sounded.


    I was almost outside the dining room door with my wife flung over my shoulder when I heard Maxine shout. ¡°No, this way.¡±


    I turned and followed his direction. We exited down the narrow hallway we usually used while we were kids. Bursting out to my father¡¯s study, we moved one of the bookshelves and stepped into a walkway that led to one of the underground rooms no one else knew about aside from my immediate family.


    ¡­¡­..


    UGO¡¯S POV


    It happened too quickly. One minute, I was fuming at Britney, and the next minute, Hollis pushed me up from the chair and threw me behind him with a gun pointed straight at us.


    I was shaking in fear as I hid behind my husband. Then he turned and flung me over his shoulder. For the next few minutes, we were walking down a narrow passage. We came to a study and Maxine pushed a shelf aside, opening up a hidden passage that I could swear no one would have thought existed.


    I was still fidgeting when Hollis put me down. My gaze shot to his face and I noticed his jaw was tight. He pulled out a gun from his pants and pushed it to me. ¡°Here,¡± he said. ¡°Nobody knows about this ce and nobody would daree here. But in case it turns out different.¡± He pushed the gun closer.


    ¡°No. You need it,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    Even though I¡¯ve had several shooting lessons, I still can¡¯t im to be superfortable with guns. Sure, I¡¯ve improved with my range and targets, thanks to Maxine. But I¡¯ve always been thankful that I would never use one in reality.


    ¡°Ugo, you need to take this. Seat on the floor, behind any of the chairs. Stay away from the doors. And if anyonees in that isn¡¯t me, my parents, Castello or Maxine, shoot them, got it?¡± He asked in amanding voice.


    ¡°Your shooting is still good right?¡± He asked for confirmation.


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± I said, nodding a little frantically, the surge of adrenaline was making my insides shaky.


    ¡°Good. Now go down behind the chair. Don¡¯t you dare hesitate to use the gun if you need to? And, Baby, if anyone gets in here past me and the other people I mentioned, you need to use it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Behind the chair.¡± He demanded, his voice taking a softer tone. ¡°Now,¡± he added, his tone firmer because he knew he needed to get out there, had to see what was going on.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed, and broke into a little run, hiding behind one of the chairs.


    I overheard him closing the door. Time slows down when one is scared. It is one of nature¡¯s cruel jokes, I guess. It drags out the suspense and the uncertainty, giving your body a chance to really get worked up. And mine did.

 Terrified to the bones

    See, I¡¯d lived a rtively safe life. Being born as an only child to loving parents. Get the best of education, pursuing my dreams of bing awyer. My life before now was bliss. But then Hollis happened. Even though I had been initially upset with everything that happened in the beginning.


    Presently, I can¡¯t imagine myself living without him anymore. I was suddenly kicking myself for spending thest couple of months being pissy, distant and ying silly games when I really should have been spending it trying to get to know more about him and the Genovese Family that I was now a part of for a while.


    Right now, there is a possibility of losing him to a gunfight out there, and I am super terrified.


    ¡®What if he doesn¡¯te back for me¡¯? ¡®What if I lose him to a gunfight¡¯?


    So many what it¡¯s running through my head. The fear of losing Hollis made me teary. All this while, he¡¯s been nothing but kind to me, and I¡¯ve been pissy and irritable instead of reciprocating his kindness and getting to know and understand what he has to face every day.


    What threats he might face as a Boss, how often they could be expected to take ce, and what the risks were to me now that I was married to him. But even this particr one looked personal. A gun was pointed at me. If Hollis hadn¡¯t pushed me behind him when he did, maybe I would have been dead by now.


    He was willing to take a bullet for me. ¡°My god¡± I gasped.


    And all I¡¯ve been doing all this while was shopping and creating a nuisance everywhere while trying to provoke the hell out of my husband.


    ¡®Smart. Really smart.¡¯


    And now there might very well be a serious threat, and I was hiding away in this underground living room like it was any sort of protection against an invader bent on hurting the Genovese Family. Maybe because of me.


    I looked at the gun in my trembling hands, I was terrified! Hollis had ordered me to use it as long as it was necessary. But even if I did, even if I killed one guy who shows up to hurt me, what were the chances that I could get away.


    I mean, like Hollis said, if anyone showed up other than him and his immediate family, I needed to shoot my way out. So, if they get past Hollis, that means he¡¯s dead or taken. As would his guards, and immediate family.


    So even if I killed the one guy, there would be others. A low whimper escaped me. I hated myself for it, but I couldn¡¯t seem to keep it in, either.


    I¡¯d been scared the first time I got attacked at Fairview. But the fear I felt back then, paled inparison to the fear that was gripping my system as Iy behind a chair with my mind running away with me.


    If something happened to Hollis and his family, even if I managed to get away from the infiltrators, I would be all alone in a city and environment I know nothing about, with no friends or family nearby. My cell phone was in our room and I had no idea how safe it would be to even go back there. I have no cash on me nor cards.


    Maybe I will have to run to the police. But I had no idea where that was. I had a vague memory of passing it while running errands with Castello over thest couple of days, but I won¡¯t be able to retrace the streets in my head.


    If I survive this, I am going to demand for a map of the whole city and to have Maxine and Castello show me around the area until I couldmit some important ces to memory. I ced the gun down on the floor right at my side, and dried my sweaty palms on my dress before reaching for it again.


    It felt like it was taking entirely too much time for Hollis toe back to me. Worst still I was in an underground living room, so I was hearing absolutely nothing from the outside.


    But then, I heard a horrific sound. Gunshots. The steady pop-pop-pop followed by an eerie silence. I sounded too close to my hide out. Someone wasing this way, and more terror set in.


    Barely a few minutester, I heard footsteps approaching. My stomach twisted into a painful knot, and my breath seemed to shake through my chest as I pinned my body so tight to the floor, terrified of being seen.


    If the approaching footsteps belong to Hollis, he would be calling for me, right? That way he¡¯ll ensure that I won¡¯t shoot him when hees in, right?


    Who the hell is going to offer me an answer? ¡®Shit. Shit shit shiiiiitttttt!¡¯


    The door to the living room swung open. I was pretty sure my entire body was shaking violently at this point before I heard the opening and closing of drawers.


    ¡®Drawers. Were  they  looking  for something?¡¯


    What the hell would Hollis keep in the drawers? Well, I guess, it was a ce most people wouldn¡¯t look. So the infiltrator is looking there. If an infiltrator is in this room, then it means that Hollis and his immediate family are either dead or incapacitated.


    And we are going to go ahead and pretend that the thought of that didn¡¯t make my stomach twist painfully, hard enough that my free hand moved there, pressing against my belly like I could rub away the ache. I didn¡¯t have time to analyze that right this moment, though.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I heard a door open and a ssh of water. Maybe the infiltrator doesn¡¯t even know that I¡¯m in here.


    If something had happened to Hollis and his brothers and his parents and his men, that was out of my hands. What was in my hands, though, was my own life. And I was going to do whatever it took to make it out of this situation. If that meant shooting my way out. Whatever it took.


    I¡¯ve been through just enough shit beyond my will. I would be damned if I endured anything else. Decision made, I rose slowly, silently. Taking a slow, deep breath that burned through my chest, I raised my arm, aimed the gun and took slow steady walks toward the sound of the rushing water.

 Heat

    I gently pushed the door open only to find freaking Hollis flicking off the water. My gaze slid to his hands, watching as blood swirled off of them and into the sink, getting diluted to pink before it slid down the drain.


    He must have seen a movement in the mirror or simply sensed me there because his head turned toward me, eyes dark and intense.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he said, nodding at the gun pointed at him. ¡°You do what you gotta do,¡± he added, looking back down at his hands as he scrubbed at the blood.


    ¡°You were just going to let mey on that floor, sick to my stomach that I was going to be raped and murdered while you washed your hands?¡± I hissed, lowering the gun to my side, realizing I was somehow shaking harder than I¡¯d been behind the chair when I was scared for my life.


    Hollis ignored that as he left the water on, but brought his hands to his shirt, flicking the buttons open. I felt an involuntary spasm of anticipation before he was shrugging off his shirt, tossing it to the side, and I realized what was more pressing than him telling me I was safe before washing off.


    There was a bullet wound in his side. ¡°Oh, my God,¡± I gasped, momentarily frozen as I stared at the wound. ¡°Oh my God,¡±  I hissed, my gaze shot up to his face, finding his gaze on me.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, Baby. There¡¯s another bathroom opposite this one. Take a bath and change into some clean clothes. You¡¯ll find some in a wardrobe in the bedroom. The bedroom is the door to the right. Then you can get to bed.¡±


    ¡°You must be kidding me. It¡¯s nothing serious?¡± I queried, waving a hand toward his body. ¡°A bullet hole in your body is not fine. You need to go to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°No hospital, Ugo. This is nothing, believe me. Hospitals will give rise to questions that we can¡¯t answer right now.¡±


    ¡°Someone attacked your family home. That¡¯s not in any way a tough answer.¡±


    ¡°My family home, Ugo, where we have cers that we pack drugs and have them shipped across the country. Committing federal crimes,¡± he reminded me.


    ¡°B-but but don¡¯t you have, I don¡¯t know, doctors that work for you. Like the one that attended to me back then?¡± I asked, putting the gun down, feeling a little queasy as my gaze slid down to the wound again.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s bing such an expert.¡± He said, smiling and shaking his head.


    ¡°How are you so calm right now? You have a bullet wound in your body, Hollis.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve been shot,¡± he told me, shrugging it off as though past experience with pain meant he couldn¡¯t possibly be in pain currently.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t stop you from hurting,¡± I insisted.


    ¡°Worried about me, Baby?¡± He asked with a devilish smirk toying at his lips.


    ¡°More worried than I¡¯ve ever been my whole life,¡± I grumbled to myself, forgetting that Hollis had the hearing of a dog.


    ¡°I took a bullet protecting you tonight, Ugo,¡± he told me in a low voice.


    ¡°You took a bullet to protect yourself, your family, and your drug empire,¡± I shot back at him.


    I guess whatever control he had over himself to stay so calm snapped at that moment, because he stormed across the space between us, paying absolutely no mind to the wound in his torso that had to be killing him. Coming right up to me, and grabbing the back of my neck hard, almost yanking me up against him.


    ¡°I am willing to take a bullet for you and I know you know that much. So, make no mistake,¡± he growled in a voice that had no right to be sexy when it was so clearly pissed at me.


    ¡°I protect what is mine, Ugo. And you are mine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your fucking posse-¡± I didn¡¯t get to finish that sentence.


    Because I suddenly found myself yanked firmly against him as his lips crashed down on mine. Powerful, needy, persuasive and coaxing, his lips brushed into mine as his fingers kept my head in ce.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    And what did I do? Absolutely nothing. My traitorous body sang at the contact. A damn shudder moved through me at the feel of my soft curves crushing against his firm lines. A low whimper escaped me, a sound that had Hollis¡¯s hand softening on the back of my head.


    The urgency of his kiss softened as well, but only a bit, going from being persuasive to passionate as he bent my head backwards, and pressed his lips over mine again and again until my whole body flooded with desire, hummed with the need for more of him.


    Hollis¡¯s teeth gently nipped my lower lip, asking, demanding entrance. With no choice, I granted it to him, and his tongue slipped inside to im mine.


    ¡®imed¡¯.


    That is the exact word because that was exactly how I felt at that moment. It felt like every bit of my desire, every inch of my body, belonged to him. I lifted my arm and slid one hand behind his neck, holding on as his lips pressed over mine.


    His hand left the back of my neck, and slipped down my spine, sinking into my ass, his grip remained firm and possessive, sending a jolt of desire between my thighs. A moan moved through me as my back arched, pressing my breasts more firmly against him, a move that had a growl ripping through Hollis¡¯s chest as he turned us and walked me backwards until my legs mmed into the bathroom counter.


    His greedy hands roamed up my stomach,  grabbing my breasts through my dress. Feeling my nipples turn into hard pebbles at his touch, he rolled them between his thumb and forefingers until I was whimpering and arching into his hands.


    On an impatient growl, his hands left me, and went under my dress, pulling my bare skin.


    ¡°I still have your thong, right here in my pocket. And I believe I was an absolute good boy today.¡±


    His lips broke from mine long enough for him to lean down and grab the backs of my knees, lifting me off my feet and dropping my ass down on the cold bathroom counter.

 Letting go

    I could barely even adjust to the new position before his hand was slipping between my thighs, sliding up my cleft, then working my clit with just the right amount of pressure.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve earned this.¡± He said.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I moaned powerfully.


    Without telling my hand what to do, my free hand moved down the center of his chest and abdomen, feeling the muscles twitch under the contact as I zed a path downward.


    My fingers impatiently worked his button and zipper free before caressing my palm on the bulging length of his hard cock that was straining against the material of his boxer briefs. A rumbling noise moved through Hollis¡¯s chest at the contact, making his fingers thrust inside me in response.


    My mouth broke from his own with a low moan as I leaned back, snapping my fingers away and offering a bnce to my body by cing my arm on the counter behind me, and angling up to look at him.


    His dark eyes were heated andden with his desire. Inside me, his fingers hooked and stroked against my wall with expert precision, engaging the exact spot that was at this time, driving me over the edge.


    At the sound of my needy whimper, a ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He gave me a little encouraging nod when my hand went back to his boxer briefs and this time, started moving up toward the waistband.


    I hesitated for the barest of seconds and got to watch as an impatient muscle ticked in his jaw. Encouraged by his slipping self-control, my hand slid inside to close around his velvety soft, straining cock. A shudder moved through me as my hand didn¡¯t quite close around him, realizing just how perfectly full he would fill me.


    ¡°Thinking about me in your tight pussy, baby?¡± Hollis asked, his voice sounded so smooth that it slithered across my nerve endings, making another involuntary tremble move through me.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to feel so good. Something better than this,¡± he said, adding another finger inside me and tugging at my spot.


    He started slowly at first, then faster and faster as my walls tightened around him.


    ¡°Tell me, do you like what I¡¯m doing to you?¡± He demanded as his fingers started to twist inside me while he continued to thrust.


    My finger swiped over the head of his cock, feeling the wetness there. ¡°Yes,¡± I whimpered, taking a slow, deep breath as he drove me closer and closer to that edge.


    ¡°No, Ugo,¡± he rumbled and continued to fuck me with his fingers. ¡°Tell me¡­,¡± he demanded.


    When I looked up at him with eyes full of pleasure and pure need, his head tipped to the side, watching me as one more finger slipped inside me, filling me even more.


    ¡°Tell me you like what I¡¯m doing to you and you want me to fuck your tight pussy,¡± he demanded as he moved his fingers in circles inside me.


    ¡°I¡­ I love what you¡¯re doing to me¡­ Oh my god.¡± I gasped. ¡°And I want you to fuck me,¡± I shamelessly said.


    There was no denying it. There was time to think about what that meant, what the repercussions of this would be, some other time. Right then, I needed him inside me with the same sort of urgency that I needed my next breath.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he murmured. Grabbing my chin with his fingers, he pulled my head up higher and lowered his head down, his lips sealed over mine again as his fingers continued with the magic they were doing inside of me.


    My hand moved up and down his cock, driving him up with me, wanting him as far gone as I was. Yanking his mouth away from mine, he slipped his fingers out of my hole, and I felt like I¡¯d lost a most prized-possession.


    But it was soon reced by something more filling and more promising. Hollis urged my thigh upward as he pressed closer to me. His cock stroked up and down my cleft several times, massaging my throbbing clit, and a needy moan escaped me.


    The sound seemed to be his undoing because his cock slipped down and mmed inside me, one hard, deep thrust, filling mepletely, stretching me with just a pinch of difort.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Hollis hissed, his fingers sinking into my hip as he froze inside me, buried impossibly deep.


    He was looking for some sort of control. But at that moment, I didn¡¯t want him to have that. I wanted him as desperate for release as I felt. My hips started moving in impatient circles, making me acutely aware of each thick inch of him.


    Hollis¡¯s head pulled back, watching me with those intoxicated eyes. I watched as his eyes closed a bit each time my hips rolled and my walls tightened around him.


    ¡°Hollis please,¡± I whimpered, needing him to move, needing release from the aching desire inside. ¡°Please,¡± I begged again.


    Luckily, the second time was a charm as that seemed to break through his haze because he went from beingpletely still to fucking me in the span of a single breath. There was nothing slow or sweet about it.


    He fucked me. Hard. Fast. Deep. Taking every inch of me with each thrust. My arms went up, wrapping around his shoulders, holding on as he fucked me harder and harder, the sounds of my moans, his groans and curses, and our bodies mming together filled my ears.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t stop,¡± I cried, feeling pushed right toward that edge, and dying to be shoved over, to experience my building orgasm. ¡°Please don¡¯t stop,¡± I pleaded again as my face pressed into his chest.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to beg for it. That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for, baby. To make all your dreams and fantasiese through. In every aspect of your life. Nowe for me, baby.¡± He demanded in a tight voice. ¡°Come,¡± he urged, just as my walls started to spasm, and the pleasure got a tight grip on my system.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I was pretty sure it was his name I cried out over and over as the first waves crashed through me, the intensity of which I wasn¡¯t even aware existed before.


    ¡°Fuck, Ugo,¡± Hollis groaned, thrusting through my orgasm, dragging it out, making itst, before finally mming deep, his whole body jerked hard as he came.


    I couldn¡¯t tell how long I clung to him as the unexpected aftershocks racked my system, but by the time my brain seemed to kick back in. Everything seemed toe at me at once. I just fucked Hollis.


    Which absolutely would have an impact on our dynamic.


    ¡®Fuckkkkk¡¯!

 The Next morning

    I couldn¡¯t im I didn¡¯t want him anymore, because I do. I couldn¡¯t keep throwing this forced marriage in his face if I clearly enjoyed being with him. Secondly, I just let him fuck me without protection. Without protection!


    I¡¯ve always been insanely careful about things like that. I had to get an imntst year because I couldn¡¯t help forgetting to take my pills. I always made use of condoms. Always! I¡¯ve never in my entire life, even as a young girl, let someone have this level of intimacy with me before.


    Not only was it a huge deal to me, but Hollis¡¯s sexual life before now was something to worry about. Which meant I could get an STD. Oh, God. But even as these important thoughts were crossing my mind, so was another one.


    Hollis was shot. He was shot, and I could feel the hot, sticky blood from his wound moving down my side and soaking my dress. My hands pressed into his chest and pushed him backwards.


    ¡°Jesus! We are definitely crazy. You¡¯re bleeding,¡± I told him, pointing to his torso, feeling a little overwhelmed and, well, kind of horrified.


    ¡°And you¡¯re dripping with my cum,¡± he said, making my whole body jolt at his words.


    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole,¡± I snapped, shoving him back a step so I could slip off the counter.


    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re the one who wants to fuck me,¡± he agreed as I waddled toward the shower.


    Thankfully, he was busy getting his cock back in his boxer briefs and pants, so he wasn¡¯t looking. Reaching in, I turned the shower on full tilt before ripping off my dress, and moving inside.


    Looking down, I could see his blood spread all over my stomach and my dress on the floor. I looked like a freaking crime scene. I went right to scrubbing at the blood on my skin with the soap until all traces of it were off me before I even let my gaze slip back toward the rest of the bathroom.


    And there was Hollis, bent forward, looking down at his wound. One hand was ced over the top of it, stretching his skin, while the other hand reached for a long tweezer, and started to dig inside his wound.


    My stomach roiled at the image, making my gaze slip away. But even with my gaze averted, the image stayed in my mind, forcing me to take slow, deep breaths, while trying desperately to fight back the bile that rose to my throat. I was vaguely aware a momentter of a slight ringing sound, like the bullet dropping into the sink. Which only managed to make another wave of nausea move through my system.


    The shower door swung open and Hollis moved into the space and stood under one of the sprays. The bathroom was built just like the one in our home at the Garden. The difference was just the colors and quality of things used.


    As I stood under the spray, it felt like Hollis was sucking up all the air in the space. Or maybe that was just because I was starting to feel a little woozy from the whole fishing of a bullet out of his own body.


    ¡°Is it the blood?¡± Hollis asked a momentter in a serious tone.


    Swallowing hard, I nodded. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I struggled to find the words, pressing a hand to my neck, practically tasting the bile that must have risen to my throat.


    ¡°Go to the bedroom,¡± Hollis said in a kind, worried and soft tone. ¡°Go to bed,¡± he added.


    ¡°You have a bullet wound in your stomach.¡± I insisted.


    ¡°I will have Maxine stitch it,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± I whispered, not even bothering to turn off the shower head I was standing under as I rushed out of the enclosure.


    I grabbed a towel and went into the bedroom, then found my way to the bed. I sat down and took deep breaths while trying to get myself together. As soon as I was sure I could move around without getting sick, I slipped into some of Hollis¡¯s shirts and pants I found in the wardrobe and threw myself under the covers in the bed.


    That would have been my chance to overthink having sex with Hollis, to question why his uncle pointed a gun directly at me, but my mind was upied with something else. It wasn¡¯t long before I heard Maxinee up and went into the bathroom. Where I knew he was going to stitch Hollis¡¯s wound without making use of any local anesthesia.


    The thought of that kept me upied with my nausea until, eventually, I passed out from all the events of the day.


    ¡­¡­.


    I woke up the next morning in Hollis¡¯s room. I was no longer in the bedroom underground. I had no memory of leaving the underground room. But I knew without doubt that Hollis had a hand in it.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    I turned to the side of the bed, it was empty. Breakfast was alreadyid out on the mini dining table at the farther end of the room.


    I threw the covers aside and climbed out of bed. Then I saw a note on the bedside table. I brought it closer and read through it.


    ¡°I¡¯m with my father and Max. Eat some food. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    I stared at Hollis¡¯s handwriting. It was so primal, so male, authentic, not sure I¡¯ve gotten the right word to describe it yet.


    I went through breakfast, had a quick bath and changed into a in shirt and three-quarter-length shorts I saw in Hollis¡¯s wardrobe.


    Not sure of what else to do, I pushed the door open a little at first. Then I pushed my head to check for safety. I saw Ro standing a few feet away from the door.


    ¡®Oh great, I have a bodyguard. So it¡¯s kinda safe then.¡¯


    I stepped out and waved at him. He shed a smile and remained standing, still. I walked down the Veranda and he followed behind, maintaining a safe distance.


    I was curious, I wanted to visit the dining room to see what finally became of the ce when we left for safety yesterday. But to my surprise, the dining room was sparkling and well-arranged.


    If I wasn¡¯t presentst night, I would have doubted that utensils and furnitures got broken and tossed around in that same room. As I turned to leave, I saw Britney walk past the room.


    She must have seen me, because she turned back and stopped at the door, smiling cheerfully.


    ¡°Good morning, Ugo.¡± She greeted me.

 Spilling Tea

    I¡¯ve never been good with pretense, so I nodded instead. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried about you. Thank God you¡¯re fine.¡± Britney continued, but I didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m sorry for my outburst, yesterday. That was very stupid of me. Please forgive me.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure her apology wasing from a ce of absolute genuineness. So I just nodded again.


    ¡°Are you free, we could go to the garden and spend some time¡­ With Ro of course.¡± She offered.


    I wanted to say no, but I thought about it. What could possibly happen? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She wouldn¡¯t dare try to upset me again. Not after the warning from Don Genovese and his wife.


    ¡°Okay, time in the garden sounds nice,¡± I replied.


    Brittney smiled happily and looped her arm around mine.


    ¡®Surprise.¡¯


    We ended up sitting on one of the benches in the garden. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about yesterday. Not just because of what I said, but the interruption and all. We¡¯ve never had such an episode in the Vi for a very long time. Who would have thought Uncle Carloz would dare threaten the life of a family member.¡± Britney continued.


    That line of conversation piqued my interest immediately. ¡°What really happened?¡± I asked, hoping for some tea.


    Although I know Cordelia would have given me the whole details if I¡¯d seen her. But I had no idea where she was, and I needed to know what exactly happened.


    ¡°It seems Uncle Carloz wants to overthrow Don Genovese. How pathetic of him. A total wretch, killer and bloody womanizer. He wouldn¡¯t even be able to secure the support of any member of the family.¡± She told me.


    ¡°He pointed a gun at me.¡± I croaked, feeling dizzy as I recalled the swiftness at which he pulled his gun.


    ¡°Yeah, you bruised his little ego.¡± Sheughed. ¡°But it¡¯s not just about you though. He already nned on attacking the Vist night. The gunshot from the entrance was an attempt from his miserable crooks.¡±


    ¡°Where is he now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Obviously at Don Genovese¡¯s mercy. The whole family is against him, even his kids. I don¡¯t see himing out of this alive.¡± She exined. ¡°You don¡¯t look rattled-up though.¡± She added, nudging my shoulder.


    I smiled and looked up at the garden. ¡°You were so brave yesterday; that¡¯s what I meant to say.¡±


    She was trying to make small talk and amends. Her voice was hushed and somehow pleading. ¡°Thank you.¡± I shed a smile and she let out a rxing breath.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw a smileing to her lips. ¡°How have you been holding up?¡± Her voice wasced with deep concern that I fell for it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been good,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Sorry about my family¡¯s threat to your life. I heard what my cousin Morello did and I want you to know that I do not support him in any way. I¡¯m sorry for the way I came at you yesterday.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve apologized so much already.¡± I tapped her gently on the arm.


    I noticed that she kept a distant eye on the loitering guards in the garden. Ro was at a reasonable distance too. She smiled at him, artificially. He nodded her way in acknowledgement.


    ¡°I thought Hollis was just trying to protect you, all of us thought the same, actually. We thought he felt guilty and was trying to keep you safe as a way of his redemption. We never envisioned a weddinging into the equation.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been friends for a while. We are in love.¡± I replied, not ready to create any room for doubt amongst Hollis¡¯s family members.


    That would be the only way to be sure of my safety. But I was curious to hear more of what she had to say, so I asked, ¡°Why do you think my husband would marry me out of guilt?¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡­ Nevermind.¡± She concluded, refusing to offer an answer. ¡°The truth might be hard to swallow.¡± She added.


    That got me rattled-up, really. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± I insisted. ¡°You need to¡­¡±


    She interrupted me by turning her attentionpletely to me and leaning in very close. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what I know, not here.¡± She whispered. ¡°But, between us, are you really okay? Have they hurt you in any way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I answered awkwardly. ¡°Has who hurt me?¡±


    She shifted ufortably. ¡°Hollis, for one.¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I immediately said.


    With a wield of the hand, she shushed me and nced around erratically. When she was reassured of our seclusion, she brought her beautiful eyes back to me.


    ¡°Hollis has been nothing but an amazing husband,¡± I whispered, trying to find a word to describe him generally.


    She paused, then said, ¡°Hollis is handsome.¡± She ventured with awareness, watching my expression.


    I went back to looking around the garden. Britney was terrifying me, but I didn¡¯t want her to think I was desperate to hear whatever it was that was getting her worried. Because I felt she might want to take advantage of my desperation.


    She exhaled very deeply. ¡°Ugo, you need to be extremely careful around Hollis. He¡¯s not a total saint when ites to your matter.¡± There was a resentful edge to her voice.


    ¡°He¡¯s working so hard to impress you and make you happy, but he¡¯s not everything he¡¯s painting himself to be. When he gets bored, bad things start to happen.¡± Britney added.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    She seemed rushed. ¡°Am I making any sense?¡± She asked.


    I shook my head because she was really not making any sense. ¡°He¡¯s not like that,¡± I assured her confidently, even though my voice was the squeak of a mouse.


    She put her hand on my shoulder, willing me to look at her. ¡°Most of your loved ones knew about this arrangement even before it happened.¡± She cooed. ¡°Don¡¯t go raising dust yet. I¡¯ll gather all the information and proof you need and then I¡¯ll bring them to you.¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡± I remained calm, pushing her usations away.


    Wasn¡¯t she the same person that talked down at me during dinner yesterday? She was clearly in support of her miserable uncle, who wanted me dead. So what¡¯s my assurance that she isn¡¯t trying to mess up my mind by creating doubts to ruin my rtionship with Hollis?

 Vulnerability

    I tried to find the words to exin to her that Hollis wasn¡¯t evil as she was trying so hard to paint him, but she wasn¡¯t done.


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered so far, Hollis has wanted you in his bed from the moment he ventured into Fairview and I think it¡¯s not for genuine reasons. You indirectly have in hand in the death of a Genovese. This marriage might be his own way of getting back at you. Maybe with time, he¡¯ll start dishing out the punishments.¡±


    ¡°Stop making crazy assumptions, Britney. My husband¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re like a new to this type of life, you¡¯re like a new toy to him but this won¡¯tst. I¡¯ll help you get out if you¡¯re in. But I¡¯ll have to get all the evidence you need to get you on the same page. Then you tell me if you want to leave or not.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Hollis would never hurt me. His family have been nothing too kind and amodating. They all love me.¡± I found myself sounding so weak and defensive, even though I could tell that I was beginning to believe the possibility of what she was saying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by the disy. A cow is well-fed before it gets ughtered.¡± She paused and watched me.


    Maybe she wanted to know if herst words sank in because they actually did. I felt them in the core of my heart.


    ¡°While I¡¯m gathering evidence, I¡¯ll find a safe ce for you and your family. Somewhere they can¡¯t find you. You need to keep Hollis happy until I cane get you out.¡±


    ¡°Britney, really, I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t need saving. I¡¯m not a hostage.¡± I insisted. ¡°Everyone has been nothing but nice to me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing nice about these people.¡± Britney interrupted.


    ¡°Britney!¡± A stern voice sounded from behind us.


    We simultaneously turned around. Castello was standing by the garden doorway, ring.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word of this to anyone,¡± Britney told me while shing a terrified smile at Castello.


    She got up and strolled toward Castello. ¡°Hello, cousin.¡± She called.


    But Castello¡¯s mood did not improve. ¡°It was very nice to meet you, Ugo. And I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Britney said and disappeared into the house, closely followed by Castello, who didn¡¯t as much as spare me a nce.


    ¡®She¡¯s wrong¡­¡¯ I murmured.


    She¡¯s only assuming things and trying to rattle me. Everybody knows how amazing Hollis is. Even Cordelia said it. So, why would I pay attention to Britney, who detests me?


    By the time I made it back to the house, Britney was rushing out of the veranda with a paper bag in her hand.


    ¡°See you around, Ugo.¡± She whispered intently as she passed by and sped away.


    Castello, who still hadn¡¯t said a word to me nor spared a look my way, followed her out, maybe to make sure she didn¡¯t stop and turn back to speak to me again.


    At the exit, he turned and nodded to me before disappearing from the veranda. I stood on a spot, staring down, speechless and confused. I turned back and saw Ro still standing guard behind, at a reasonable distance.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Hollis?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°He¡¯s in a meeting with the Don.¡± He replied.


    I walked back into Hollis¡¯s room and slumped on the bed, letting the thoughts of all the events from the very first day I stepped foot in the garden to this moment lude my thoughts.


    ¡®What the hell is Britney getting at? Am I really in danger? Did my loved ones really betray me? Is all of this a n of some sort?¡¯


    ¡°No,¡± I said out loud. ¡°Britney is wrong,¡± I added.


    ¡­¡­..


    We were on our way back to the Gardenter in the day. Ro was driving, while I sat at the back with Hollis.


    ¡°Something is bugging you.¡± He said to me, caressing my arm.


    Isn¡¯t it really obvious that something should be bugging me, though? After what happened during dinner yesterday, I should be bothered a hundred per cent.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± I asked him.


    He took a breath and sat up. ¡°Carloz is¡­ he¡¯s trying to overthrow my father.¡± He said inly.


    ¡°Your father or you?¡± I asked. ¡°Because from what I see, you are the one in charge, not your father.¡±


    He looked at me closely before replying. ¡°My father is still the head of the Genovese family. While he¡¯s still alive, it¡¯s his responsibility to ensure that the family remains in order. In other words, he calls the shots. And Carloz wanted that power.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s your father¡¯s brother, right?¡±


    Hollis nodded. ¡°They are four brothers. He¡¯s the third.¡±


    ¡°Well, even if your father dies, he wouldn¡¯t take up the mantle of leadership. There are other people to put into consideration.¡± I said.


    ¡°He can, if he takes it by force.¡± Hollis shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s a story for another day.¡± He added when I arched my brow in question.


    ¡°So he wanted to shoot me, because¡­¡±


    ¡°His ns flopped,¡± Hollis said. ¡°The attack started earlier than nned. The guards discovered his n early enough. So, I think he knows his time is up. So he just wanted to¡­ You know¡­¡± He trailed off.


    ¡°Get back to me for talking back at him?¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied, but there was a hint of doubt in his voice.


    ¡°So where is he now?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Your uncle,¡± I replied.


    There was a pause, I knew what that could mean but I wanted him to say it. Yet he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Is he dead?¡± I finally said the word.


    He tapped my arm gently and brought my fingers to his lips. Then, he kissed them. ¡°The less you know, the better.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me to answer my question?¡± I queried.


    Hollis faced me squarely and I noted the sadness in his eyes. ¡°Baby, you seeing me in this way and knowing this other side of my life makes me feel sick.¡±


    He took both my hands in his. ¡°I trust you, and you can ask me anything you want. But please don¡¯t ask me that.¡± He said.


    A moment of wordlessness passed between us. I looked at him, and I realized that I already knew the answer, and that I wished I didn¡¯t.


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