Deadly Vows - Chapter 4 (Patreon)

One Week Later

I awake to the sound of the shower running. There is sunlight streaming in through the window, and the warmth is hitting my face. I roll over in the large bed and slowly open my eyes, beginning to stretch. The blanket falls revealing my naked form. I wince, a little sore from the night. Luca has woken me up three times throughout the night to have sex, each time pleasurable for both of us. But my body has yet to accommodate itself to him.

The door to the bathroom suddenly opens, and Luca walks out in a pair of boxer shorts and no shirt on. He is rubbing a towel through his thick dark locks. It is crazy to me how he can look so normal doing something so simple. I can’t help but admire his physique. His whole left arm is covered in tattoos. There are also some on his right arm, but it isn’t completely covered. It looks really good on him.

As soon as he emerges, his eyes makes a beeline for the bed, finding me. He drops the towel on the floor and runs his fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his face.

“Good morning,” I whisper.

I can feel the heat climbing up my neck as I remember those same hands on my body.

Luca doesn’t speak as he steps closer and closer to the bed. I subconsciously pull the blanket over my naked body. Luca’s eyes follow the movement, and he visibly darkens. He makes his way slowly over to the bed and crawls up the sheets to me. He is hovering right in front of me, his body still warm from the shower. He reaches a hand behind my head and threads his fingers through my hair, pulling me in, and roughly begins to kiss me. My mind is spinning, and I feel out of breath by the time he pulls away.

His eyes are digging deep into my soul. After a moment of silence, he traces a finger around my now-exposed nipple. I haven’t even realized in that heated kiss that the blanket has fallen off me. I shiver from the feeling.

“Don’t ever hide from me what’s mine. Understand?” He is not looking into my eyes, but at my naked breasts, as he speak. I nod hurriedly as my heartbeat skyrockets from the frigid tone of his voice.

After a moment, Luca finally gets up from the bed and heads into the closet.

We are both sitting at breakfast, eating in silence. It is a nice two-seater table that sits by the window in one of the dining rooms. Luca insists that we eat here and not in the grand dining room until I get accommodated to my new home.

Luca is watching me closely as he speaks. As if he is looking at each of my reactions. Reading me. I look out the window and let out a long breath. The yard is beautiful. It is more like a few football fields. I honestly wonder how Luca has lived here all this time by himself. Why not in a nice little bachelor pad? But Luca seems like the type of guy that likes to show what he has.

The first week I have arrived here has been blissful and peaceful. I actually, for a moment, believe that Luca will love me and come to care for me. But he has instantly changed, and now everything he does terrified me. He watches me like I am his possession. He never lets me go anywhere without him, unless, of course, it is around the estate. Lately, his fuse is getting shorter and shorter, so I try to keep quiet and stay out of his way.

Eventually, he leaves the dining room, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

As soon as he leaves, I make my way over to the practice room Luca has renovated just for me. I close the door behind me, pick up my instrument, and begin to play. I close my eyes and let the sanctuary I have built for myself build its wall around me. I spend the whole day in the practice room, only leaving for a quick lunch and coming back, not caring that my fingers are on fire. This helps me escape this marriage I have been handed into.

“Mrs. Pasquino.” The voice pulls me from my inner peace, and I open my eyes to see one of Luca’s men standing in the doorway. He is watching me with cold eyes and an emotionless expression. “Your husband has requested your presence.”

I only nod and set my violin down, ready to make my way to his office, but the man stops me.

“He asked that you bring your violin.”

I am a little unsure how to react to that, but I reach for my instrument and make my way to the office. Once I am at the massive door, I push it open gently to see Luca standing over a man. Two of his men are on either side of the man, holding his arms and keeping him in a kneeling position. My steps falter, as I fear what I have just walked into. At the sound of my entrance, Luca looks up, and my heart flutters.

The crazed look in his eye is the same look he held seconds before he pulled his gun on that girl that came to our engagement party.

“Ah, my beautiful wife has decided to grace us with her presence!” His loud voice echoes off the walls, and I don’t know what to do. Luca makes his way over to me, grabbing my elbow and pulling me over toward the man on the floor. He puts the tip of his shoe on the man’s chin and tilts his head up to look at us.

“Now, don’t be rude, James. Say hello to my wife.”

The man looks at us with a hate-filled gaze.

What the hell is Luca doing? Before I can think, Luca’s leg shoots out, slamming into the side of the man’s head, sending him sprawling on the floor. Luca leaves my side and grabs him by the shirt, thrusting him against the wall.

“Now, listen to me, you little shit. Don’t you dare disrespect my wife!” He pulls a hand back and punches the man across the face. I look away when he shows no signs of stopping, the sound of his fists colliding with the man’s head making me sick. “Now, fucking say hello!” I hear Luca’s voice grit out.

There is heavy breathing, and I look up, having to stifle a gasp. The man’s face looks awful. His once-hateful gaze meets mine. “Hello,” he quietly says out loud. Luca finally drops him and walks over to me. He grabs a fistful of my hair, pulling me in for a long, hard kiss.

“She is a beauty, isn’t she?” he says, holding my jaw in between his thumb and forefinger. After a moment of silence, Luca turns to the man on the floor. “Isn’t she?” he repeats.

The man nods, and Luca is satisfied.

He leads me over to a chair in the corner and begins to speak. “Not only is she a beauty, she is talented as well. She plays the violin, very beautifully, I might add. Unlike anything I have ever heard.” He sits me down in the corner, and my heart rate spikes because I don’t know where the hell he is going with this.

He pulls out a gun, aiming for the man. I can’t help the squeak that emits from my throat. All eyes turn on me, and I shrink back in fear as Luca’s intense gaze glares me down in warning. I bite my cheek, remembering what he said the last time I interfered. Interfere in my affairs again, and I will break your pretty little jaw. I shudder from the memory.

Luca begins talking again, pulling me from my unwanted thoughts.

“I want you to hear how beautiful my wife plays, James. So we’re going to play a little game. Elise is going to play a beautiful melody for us, and you’re going to guess what the song is. You get three tries. Only three.” He cocks the gun and looks my way, excitement sparking in his eyes.

“Okay, Elise, play me a tune. Any tune your heart desires.” Luca looks at me with a sadistic smile on his face.

My fingers are shaking, and my heart is pounding out of my ears. He is going to kill this man in front of me. He says if the man guesses any tune I play, he’ll go free. And I don’t want him to die because of a complicated melody I’m playing. So I do what any Good Samaritan will do. I play “Mary Had a Little Lamb.

I have done some dumb things in my lifetime, but this is up there at the top. The look that Luca gives me is enough to make anyone shit their pants and run screaming into the night. But I am his docile, obedient wife. So I have nowhere to go. A shot rings out, and I scream. The man hunches over in pain, but he isn’t dead. Before I can celebrate my good fortune, Luca comes storming at me with the intent to kill. He hauls me out of the chair and drags me out of the room.

Once we reach our bedroom, he turns on me, slapping me across the face. Hard. Stars dot my vision, and I fall to the ground from the force of his attack. Before I can even register the pain, I feel a rough tug on my scalp. Luca is literally lifting me off the ground by the hair. I scream in agony, and a hand closes around my throat, pushing me into the wall. My vision is blurry from tears streaming out of my eyes, and I take in Luca’s rage-filled face. He looks ready to kill. My chest is burning from the lack of oxygen, and I reach up, clawing at his hand. He slaps my hands away with his free hand each time. I am a fool to think I can even fight back. This man has been raised to kill. My attacks are probably nothing to him.

Just when I think he is going to kill me, he lets go of my throat and I collapse onto the ground, coughing and gulping in as much air as possible. He crouches in front of me and places a finger underneath my chin, lifting my face to meet his. Tears are still falling out of my eyes like a waterfall.

“I am Luca Pasquino, future capo of the North.” His grip on my chin tightens, and I wince in pain. But I know better than to pull away. “When I give orders, I expect them to be followed. If you ever try to outwit me again, you will not like the consequences, Elise. I swear to you, you won’t.”

I shiver from his cold tone.

Luca is a man not to be messed with, and I am the fool that has provoked him. I nod, choking on a sob.

Luca’s hand travels down from my chin to my breast. He cups it, giving a light squeeze, and I cringe from the contact.

“I have to admit though, Elise, no one has ever thought to cross me the way you did tonight.” His hand reaches underneath my shirt, caressing my bare skin. “I was shocked, to say the least, when I heard that silly song coming from you.” His hand travels down, and he lifts the dress that I am wearing, yanking my underwear down. My heart slams into my chest, and fear shoots down my spine. Oh, please don’t let him do this to me. Especially after he just beat the hell out of me.

I feel his hand thread through my hair as he grabs a fistful, jerking my head back at an uncomfortable angle. I can almost feel the smile he gives me as he leans into my ear.

“We’ll have to focus on your playing from now on.” He tosses my underwear aside and begins sucking on my neck.

“Luca, p-p-please don’t,” I whisper in fear. My voice comes out tiny and shaky. Filled with fear.

Luca suddenly stops, letting go of me and stepping back. A dangerous glint in his eyes.

“Fine. I will figure out a suitable punishment for you later.”

He seems to be thinking for a moment before looking down at me.

“I’m going to kill that man. Slowly and painfully. And when he thinks I’m going to let him have the mercy of death, I’m going to play him a little song that was his ruin. And begin his torture all over again.”

My eyes widen at his words, and I tremble from his choice of words.

“No, please, Luca! I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. Just don’t—ah!”

I am immediately cut off. Luca is holding my jaw in his hand; an uncomfortable pressure where the hinges meet is making me cry out in pain.

“What did I tell you would happen to your jaw if you interfered, Elise?” His voice is deadpan, making me want to piss myself right here. The pressure on my jaw increases. I cry out in agony.

“I really don’t want to see it, as I need your mouth for … other tasks.” A small smile worms its way onto his face. “So I’ll let it slide this time.”

He finally lets go and immediately grabs my face, trying to deter the pain. He is about to break my jaw. He really is going to do it. I hear rustling, and he leans down, giving me a kiss on top of my head.

“I’ll see you after I finish with my business.” He walks to the door, pausing to look at me before speaking again. “I really wish he had heard one of your beautiful melodies before I ended his life.” He smiles at me, a wicked, cruel smile. “Too bad. Good night, my wife,” he says, closing the door behind him.

I sit there on the ground, not knowing what to do. Too shocked and afraid to move. This is Luca Pasquino. The real Luca Pasquino. The man that is known for killing someone with his bare hands. This is the man that is feared by all. A sob rips from my throat as fear for my future enters my mind. Luca is crazy. A man not stopped by emotion or a conscience. A man ruled by pure desire. How can someone so cruel exist? I hold myself. I am petrified. I have no idea what my future with this sadist holds. And that is enough to scare anyone.