Deadly Vows Rewrite - Chapter 3 (Patreon)

Elise

I always knew the Pasquinos were a powerful family. But I've seen levels to their reach that I never could have imagined on my own. My family isn't nearly as powerful as the Pasquinos. The Trovolis specializes in money laundering and gambling, whereas the Pasquinos specialize in bigger things like arms dealing. To top their reign off, they have several legal fronts to their businesses including hotels and banks. Their reach expands to corners of the world we could only dream of. In their eyes, we are little flies begging for a piece of their success. And somehow despite all of that, I was chosen to be Luca's wife.

My new home is a plane ride and a few hours from the private airport. Our night was filled with love-making that tired me out into the late hours of the morning. And Luca being the gentleman that he is let me sleep in, missing our brunch with our family and my opportunity to say goodbye to everyone. Part of me is happy he took the initiative on such a thing. Another part of me feels like it was an unspoken power move.

I belong to him now. Whether my family likes it or not.

I silently watch him as the car pulls onto a private road. His eyes are focused on his phone screen. He's barely spoken to me since our night together, business already catching up with him. He spent most of the flight sending emails and most of the drive on the phone. And now that he is off the phone, he is busy texting. Maybe Ari was right. Maybe he won't have time for me now that our wedding day is over.

I look away from him out the window as the architecture of our new home comes into view. My eyes widen slightly. It's much bigger than I thought it would be. Luca seemed like the type to live in a penthouse apartment that overlooks the skyline, not a mansion that you can only reach through a private access road.

"Do you like it? I got it a few months ago with us in mind. It will be the perfect place to raise our family," he says next to me. I tense when he gently grips my hand, his eyes focused on the house.

"Don't worry though, I want you to myself for a little bit," he says, accompanying his words with a kiss on my cheek.

The car comes to a stop in the center of the stone driveway. There's a water fountain in the center, the marble matching the high walls of the house. There are also trees surrounding the area, but further in the back, you can see the overlook of mountains and neighboring houses. I bite back my chuckle at the realization that our nearest neighbor is literally miles away on another mountainside. I am completely isolated.

"It's beautiful," I say softly.

Luca is clearly excited about the prospect of living here with me. He even takes my hand in his as he leads me out of the car and up the immaculate steps to the double doors. He releases my hand, only to push open the doors and reveal the lavish interior. The center of the house has a double staircase, centered by a chandelier. The windows stretch to the ceiling on each wall, giving so much natural light that I doubt we'll need to use the ones overhead. I note that my heels echo off the floors as I step into the house, looking around at my new home.

I turn my attention to Luca who is watching me, gauging my reaction.

"You bought this a few months ago?" I ask. He nods.

"I had a few renovations done in the meantime, but I figured you would want to start our lives in a home. Not an apartment," he says, "This is your home now, Elise. It is yours to do with as you please."

I hide my shock, looking around the home in awe.

"Thank you, Luca," I say with a weak smile. It's overwhelming, such an elaborate gift. And I hate myself for not being able to see past the red flags of this elaborate gift. The isolation, the control of Luca choosing this place without my knowledge or consent. Each of these stands out to me, but I won't acknowledge them now. Not when Luca has yet to do anything other than be a kind and understanding husband. So, I swallow my fears, allowing my husband to dote on me.

Luca places his hand in mine pulling me towards the stairs with a grin.

"You'll have plenty of time to turn this place into a home. But first, let me show you my favorite room."

One Week Later

My husband is an entity that I don't quite understand. My first week in our home has been overwhelming. Luca gave me free rein to do as I pleased with decorating, but that's about it. Luca himself vetted the staff brought in. He hasn't allowed me to leave yet, insisting that I bring all the vendors here to choose what I would like to furnish our home with. And he hasn't allowed me any personal visitors. He hasn't even allowed me a phone to contact my family. He's completely isolated me, everything that he does making me fear for my future with him. He's completely changed from the gentleman that I saw our wedding weekend, treating me more like I am a possession than his wife. His temper is slowly rearing its head, so I've been trying to stay out of his way. But I know it's only a matter of time before the man I've heard rumors about shows his true colors.

I slowly open my eyes as the sound of running water pulls me from my blissful slumber. Sunlight streams in through the open window aiding in waking me up. I wince as I stretch, the soreness from our night bombarding me. Luca woke me up for sex, taking me several times through the night. Each time was pleasurable for us both, but my body has yet to grow used to his stamina. I have yet to have a day to let my body rest from him. But he is my husband, and this is my duty.

Just as I sit up in bed, the door to the bathroom opens and Luca exits with a towel around his waist. He has another towel in his hand, ruffling it through his dark hair as he makes his way across the room. But he doesn't make it to his destination, his steely gaze falling on me. A smile finds its way onto his lips as he drops his towel, making his way towards the bed, his eyes heavy with lust. I then realize that during my stretch, the blanket fell around my waist, exposing my breasts.

"Good morning," I whisper as he approaches.

His gaze is so intense, that I slowly bring the blankets up, clutching them to my chest. Luca's eyes follow the movement, his mood darkening. He doesn't speak as he slides on top of the bed, hovering over me. His body is still warm from the shower, with some droplets of water around his neck from still damp hair. His hand reaches behind me, gripping my hair as he pulls me in for a kiss. The kiss is rough, his lips pressing against mine as he claims me. He finally pulls away leaving my head spinning and my cheeks flushed when he finally pulls away.

He studies me, his expression blank until he moves, tracing a finger around my now-exposed nipple. I hadn't realized during the heated kiss that the blanket fell from my grasp. I shiver as my nipples bead to his touch, my body reacting in the way he's trained it to over the past week.

"Don't hide from me what's mine." He isn't looking at me, but at my breasts as he speaks. His frigid tone sends a tremor up my spine. There's no sense of amusement as he speaks to me, his words laced with irritation. When I don't respond, he looks up at me, gripping my chin.

"Do you understand, Elise?"

"Yes," I squeak.

He studies me for what feels like a long time until finally releasing me, and I release a trembling breath as he gets up to go into the closet.

* * * * *

My mind is frazzled by the time I'm finished dressing myself for the day. When I finally sit down to brush my hair out, my mind is everywhere but on the task at hand. When I think about our marriage, it forces me to realize that Luca and I don't know anything about each other. We mostly just have sex and go about our separate lives. In my father's house, I wasn't allowed around the "family business", but I was hoping that with this new marriage, those old-fashioned ideals would change. Especially since not everything Luca does has to do with the darker sides of this business. Maybe, if I ask him, he'll let me have a lowkey job where I can contribute in my own way to the Pasquino business. After all, I am the new lady of the house.

"What has you so lost in thought you can't hear me calling you?"

I gasp softly as Luca's voice penetrates my thoughts. I didn't notice Luca in the reflection. His expression is unreadable as he adjusts the cuffs of his suit, his eyes studying me like they always do. He watches me, getting to know my routines, my habits, and my reactions. He's getting to know me in the same ways he gets to know his enemies,  waiting to use whatever information he has against me. I plaster on a smile in a pathetic attempt to show him I am not rattled by his presence or his mysterious gaze.

"I was just thinking about becoming more involved. I want to learn the business and more about the family that I've married into," I say softly. Luca scoffs, making his way to where I'm seated. He seems amused by what I said as he stands over me to interrogate me further on my decision. He also doesn't seem too thrilled with the idea, his gaze slightly narrowed as he studies me in the reflection.

"Oh?" Silence fills the bathroom. With one word, he's completely cut off my confidence.

I slowly nod. "It doesn't have to be anything big. Maybe I could start with secretarial work or something," I say softly. Luca's glare dampens my desire the longer he remains over me.

"You don't have to work, Elise. You're my wife. It isn't your place to be in my business."

"I know I don't have to, I just wanted to be more proactive than I was with my father," I say.

Luca places his hands on my arms, rubbing gently as he speaks, his eyes remaining lined to mine in the mirror.

"You have only been a Pasquino for a week. Don't overstep. One might think you were up to something." He doesn't wait for me to respond as he places a kiss on top of my head, leaving the room without so much as a backward glance.

* * * * *

As usual, my days are spent practicing. It's the only thing I was able to bring from my old life to this new one. It's also something that Luca admires about me. He admires it so much that he had a practice room put into our home. It was one of the many renovations he had done but only one of the few he has told me about. So I can hear nothing beyond these doors, and whoever is on the outside can hear nothing within. I let the music pour from my fingers as I play the music on the stand, losing myself in thought.

Luca doesn't trust me. But there's more to his distrust than me being a new presence in his life, it stems from my family name. I always knew other families looked down on ours. My father has not only made a name for himself as a man who wants power but has none, but nasty rumors surrounding the lengths he has gone to get it has tainted our name. It once again makes me wonder why Luca agreed to this marriage when he obviously has a distaste for my family name.

"Mrs. Pasquino."

I tense, almost dropping my instrument at the sound of a voice entering my sanctuary. I turn to face the owner of the new voice to see a man that I recognize. He was with Luca the weekend of our wedding. He told Luca about the woman who showed up to crash the engagement party. His eyes remind me of the clearest sky, holding a disturbing look to them as he watches me.

"Your husband is asking for you," he says.

I hide my confusion. Luca is usually doing business at this time. And he made it very clear he didn't want me to be part of it. My mind shifts as excitement blooms in my chest.

Maybe he actually heard what I had to say this morning.

I stand, moving to put my instrument away when the man stops me.

"He wants you to bring that with you."

Once again, I hide my confusion. I don't know why Luca would want me to bring my instrument with me, but I am not in a position to ask after the way he reacted this morning. So I nod, allowing him to lead me to my husband.

I haven't been in Luca's office since arriving at our new house. I know where it is, and I've heard some of the terrifying things that go on behind the doors, but I've never been in it physically. It feels taboo. I was only ever called into my father's office to be alerted of my upcoming marriage. And now that Luca has asked for my presence after our conversation this morning, I feel like maybe things between us could be different. Maybe our relationship won't be so black and white after all.

Luca's man opens the door to his office, and my excitement immediately vanishes.

There's a man, beaten and bloodied on the center carpet, heavily breathing. Luca stands in front of him, his arms crossed as he looks down at the man in irritation. Two of Luca's men stand on either side of the victim, their stances relaxed as they watch their handiwork, waiting for a command from their boss. And upon my entrance, Luca's crazed gaze falls on me.

"My beautiful wife has finally arrived."

His tone sends a chill up my spine as he pushes himself off of his desk. He roughly grips the man's head, turning him to face me.

"Don't be rude James. Say hello to my wife."

James doesn't speak, though. He spits bloodied saliva onto the floor at my feet, earning him Luca's rage. Luca releases him, gesturing to the men in the room. They don't miss a beat as they begin raining down a beating on the man. Luca watches in satisfaction, a smile on his lips. And once again, with only a gesture, he commands the men to stop.

The sound of James's heavy breathing fills the air.

Luca approaches James again, placing his foot under his chin.

"I won't ask again. Say hello."

Luca shoves him with his foot, and James collapses, his battered face lifting to meet mine as he struggles to find words to speak.

"Hello." His voice is gravelly, and trembling.

Luca steps past him, coming to stand over me. He gently grabs a fistful of my hair, pulling me in for a kiss. He holds me tight, letting me know without speaking not to pull away. And I don't. I kiss him back until he releases me. His gray eyes study me intensely before he turns back to James, his grip on my hair remaining.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Pride laces his voice.

"Yes."

Luca chuckles, leading me to a chair as he speaks.

"Not only is she beautiful, but she is talented as well. Extremely talented. She's been in many recitals, all featuring her talent. She plays the violin, very beautifully. Unlike anything I've ever heard."

Luca makes me sit as he speaks, his eyes twinkling in excitement. He gently tucks my hair behind my ear before turning to face James.

"You know what discipline it takes to learn such a difficult instrument? And to make it come out so beautifully yet effortlessly?" he asks, "It takes discipline that you don't have."

Luca pulls out a gun, aiming it at James. Out of instinct, a squeak leaves my throat, forcing all eyes to turn on me, including my husband. I immediately shrink away from Luca's gaze, biting the inside of my cheek as I remember what he said to me the last time I interfered. Luckily, he turns back to his victim.

"Would you like to hear her play?"

Silence fills the room. No one knows where Luca is going with this. He laughs, though, bringing us all back to the present.

"Oh James, I think you're going to want to say yes to this."

James can barely lift his head at this point, but he nods, appeasing Luca enough for him to continue.

"Perfect. Elise is going to play a melody for us. And you're going to guess what the song is. You get three tries. Only three, like the number of times you were caught leaking information." Luca cocks the gun, looking my way.

"Go ahead, Elise. You said you wanted to be part of the business, did you not?" Luca has a sadistic grin on his lips as he studies me. This is his way of threatening me. I crossed the line this morning without being fully aware of it. There is no place for me in his business.

My fingers are trembling as I bring my violin up to play. He is going to kill this man in front of me. There's no way this man could guess any of the tunes I could play. As a matter of fact, I don't think even Luca himself could. And that's the point. He wants to torture this man in the final seconds of his life. It's something that Luca is looking forward to, but I don't have the stomach for it. So I do something incredibly stupid.

I begin to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb".

Luca's face shifts as a myriad of emotions play over his expression. Shock, amusement, and finally, rage.

A shot rings out and I scream, lowering my instrument. But it is James who hunches over in pain. Luca isn't done with him though. He shoots him again, this time in the arm before putting his weapon away, his eyes focused on me.

"Wait, wait-Ah!" Luca crosses the room in three quick strides, snatching me up from my chair, and drags me out of the room. He drags me whimpering through our home until we reach the bedroom. He slams the door seconds before turning on me, slapping me across the face. I cry out, stumbling from the force of his blow. He snatches me by the hair before I can find my footing, holding me firmly around my throat as he pushes me into the wall. My vision is blurry as tears pour down my cheeks, but Luca is blinded by his own rage. He easily swats away my hands as I claw at his grip around my throat.

Luca abruptly releases me, letting me collapse onto the floor. He watches me silently as I gasp for air, clutching at my throat to ease the pain of his grip.

"You knew going into this marriage who I was. You know I will one day head the Pasquino family."

He roughly grips my face between his palm, pulling me in close as he speaks.

"When I give orders, I expect them to be followed. If you ever attempt to outwit me again I swear to you Elise, you will not like the consequences."

I'm trembling in his grip as I try and compose myself. Luca is not a man to be messed with. And I provoked him over the life of someone who obviously wronged Luca.

"I'm sorry," I whimper.

Luca's expression doesn't change, but he releases me, standing.

"I have to admit. No one has ever thought to cross me in the way you did." He scoffs, eyeing me with intrigue. "I was shocked when I heard that silly song coming from you."

I flinch as he kneels, placing his finger under my chin. He uses his other hand to reach under the hem of the dress I wore today, his fingers brushing against my panties. My eyes widen as terror grips me.

"I guess you're more than just a pretty face."

Luca watches me, taking in my reaction with glee. He grips a fistful of my hair, bending my head at an uncomfortable angle. His lips close over my throat to place gentle kisses along the sensitive flesh. I loved it when he would do this during sex, but now it only fills me with terror, the malice behind it unmistakable.

"I don't think you're quite ready for the family business. Maybe you should worry about your playing from now on."

Luca releases me, standing. He makes his way to the door, pulling it open. He doesn't leave immediately, standing in silence before turning to look at me.

"I'm going to kill him. Slowly and painfully. And just when he thinks I am going to give him the sweet mercy of death, I am going to play him the last song you decided to grace him with before I start his torture all over again."

Nausea washes over me at the thought of Luca using me to implement torture. It's the whole reason I didn't want to play a difficult tune for the man in the first place. I don't have the stomach for it. I quickly stand, my legs trembling as I attempt to plead with him.

"Luca, please. Don't—hck!"

Luca cuts me off, snatching my jaw roughly in his grip. He's angry, adding an uncomfortable pressure on my jaw, forcing me to whimper in pain.

"What did I tell you would happen if you interfered?" He increases the pressure of his grip, and I cry out, my hands flying to his in a panic. I am weak compared to him.

Luca pulls me in close, his eyes dropping to my lips.

"I really don't want to have to follow through seeing as I need your mouth for... other tasks." He releases me, scoffing as he looks at me. "Stop pissing me off."

He doesn't say another word to me as he leaves the room, leaving me alone. My legs feel like mush, and I am no longer able to hold myself up. I slowly fall to my knees, my breathing in a panic as I grip my chest in an attempt to calm myself down. This is Luca Pasquino. The real Luca. The man who is known for killing someone with his bare hands. The man who is feared by all.

I choke back a sob, covering my mouth with my hand. My reality has finally reared its head. Our simple honeymoon phase has ended with this night, and Luca has finally crossed the line no longer resembling the man I met at our wedding. He is a man not deterred by emotion or conscience. He is a man ruled by desire alone. I squeeze my arms over my chest, holding myself in the middle of our bedroom. I don't know how long stay, silently sobbing to myself as any clear vision of my future immediately disappears.