Deadly Vows Rewrite - Chapter 5 (Patreon)

Elise

I've never cut my hair. I may have trimmed the ends if they were split, but I never purposely cut it to make it short. I've never even seen myself with hair shorter than my waist. But now, as I sit in front of the mirror once again, I can't stop running my fingers through the chin-length tresses. Luca has stripped me of the one thing left in my life I had control over. Now, it barely falls past my chin. It was the only way to salvage what was left because Luca had cut it so unevenly. Luca had a stylist come over, and I had to smile as she cut my hair shorter than its ever been.

I force my sobs down as I pull at the strands once again.

"No matter how many times you pull on it, it won't grow back."

Luca's voice pulls me from my brooding and I look to see him standing in the corner of the reflection with his arms crossed, watching me. He always watched me with that expression and now I know it's because he's studying me, getting to know me in the same way he knows his enemies.

I look away from him, standing to leave the room. I've heard nothing from my family between that day and now, and Luca no longer questions me about them. I barely speak now, especially when he is the one who attempts to strike up a conversation. He hasn't apologized for what he did to me that day. In his eyes, it was a punishment that was better than giving me death for what I attempted to do. Had anyone else been around when I did that, death would have been immediate. But for some reason, Luca has granted me mercy.

"You can't keep ignoring me, Elise."

Luca's voice carries behind me but I ignore him. It's the only form of retribution I've been able to grant myself. But instead of remaining like he usually does, Luca follows me.

"You're acting like a child. It's just hair. It will grow back."

I cry out when he grabs me by the arm, holding me firm as he looks at me. He smiles, gently pushing my hair behind my ear.

"You're still beautiful without it."

I wrench my arm from his grip, narrowing my gaze. It's the last bit of anger I can muster before fear takes over.

"I'm a child? You cut my hair, Luca. You cut it all off because-"

"You tried to kill me."

His expression is terrifying. He's eerily calm as he watches me, waiting for my rebuttal.

"I didn't try to kill you, I was only protecting myself you... You were accusing me and saying horrible things to me!"

Luca smiles, stepping closer to me to pin me against the wall. I gasp when I feel his erection pressing against me.

"I've never seen this side of you, Elise. You're turning me on with your yelling," he smiles.

My rage takes over, and my hand is flying toward his face before I can stop myself. He catches my hands before I can, the grin falling from his lips as his grip tightens.

"Never again."

I flinch, trying to pull my wrist from his grasp but he tightens it.

"I don't want to have to break your wrist because you can't control yourself."

We stand, silently glaring at each other in a challenge. I know I can't win this fight. He knows it as well. But we watch each other, expressing our emotions with a look before he gently releases me. I look away, my eyes burning as tears form from my miserable realization.

"Get dressed. We don't want to be late."

* * * * *

This is the first time since my arrival that I've been outside of our secluded home. It feels suffocating with Luca in the driver's seat next to me, his hand on my thigh. It would be nice if he wasn't such a wicked man. It feels like he's holding me, reminding me that I cannot escape this life. We've been driving in silence for about forty minutes when Luca decides to speak.

"You know, when my father told me about the arrangement, I was livid."

Luca breaks the silence with words I didn't realize I was dreading. I slowly look at him, but his attention is focused on the road. Of course, over the years I thought about Luca not wanting to marry me, but after our wedding, it felt like that wasn't the case. Now, it makes sense why he never bothered to meet with me from the moment of our engagement until the wedding.

Luca laughs softly pulling me out of my thoughts.

"You know, I actually told my father to go fuck himself. But eventually, I had to accept it. The arrangement was needed to mend broken bonds. Your father, the nuisance he is, was proving to be bad for business. So, my father figured to shut him up, we would accept his proposal."

Luca's smile drops and he looks at me.

"I wasn't expecting to feel the way I did when I saw you for the first time. I always kept an eye on you. I even came to a few of your performances to get used to the idea of us. I realized when I spoke to you our wedding weekend that I want this. I want you. I've never had this need for a woman before. To me, you are walking perfection. So pure and innocent. I only wish I could spare you from the mistakes of your father."

My stomach dips as Luca pulls off the main road onto a private drive. It leads to what looks like a warehouse.

"I'm telling you this because I want you to know my feelings. I want you to know anyone who jeopardizes this marriage will not live to see another day. And anyone who puts your life on the line is threatening mine as well. And I won't let them get away with it."

I don't know what to say or even if he expects me to say anything. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like this has something to do with my family. It has something to do with his interrogation, and whatever reason we are at this warehouse can't be good. Luca is serious about this marriage, regardless of my actions. And I can't shake the feeling my father has done something to offend him.

Luca steps out of the car, walking around to my side to open my door. I want to stay in the car but I know that isn't possible. Especially now that Luca's outstretched hand is expecting me. I place my hand in his and he helps me out of the car, a smile on his lips as he looks at me. He pushes my hair away from my face, emphasizing his next sentence.

"What is all I ask?"

"Obedience," I whisper.

His smile widens and he presses a kiss on my cheek.

"Good girl."

My hands are shaking as Luca leads me into the warehouse. There are men on either side of the doors, awaiting our arrival. They watch us silently as we approach, continuing to follow Luca into the dark. Upon our entrance, the lights flicker on to reveal an empty hangar. There are no windows in this particular hangar, so the cemented walls and floor feel suffocating as we approach the chairs in the center of the room. I also notice a cylindrical hole in the ground a few more feet away. My grip on Luca tightens as we reach the chairs and to my shock, he rubs my hand comfortingly.

He then guides me to one of the chairs.

"Sit," he says releasing me from his grip. I eye the men behind him before looking back at him in fear. But he isn't one to ask more than once as he glares at me expecting his command to be followed. Once I'm seated, Luca kneels in front of me. He doesn't speak, his arms on either side of my own. His eyes remain on mine, the intensity making me tremble as he smooths his hands down my arms until he has both hands by my side near the legs of the chair.

Click.

My heart stops. He cuffed me. I'm cuffed to the chair. Luca doesn't bat an eye as he watches my distress. I quickly begin to panic, pulling on the cuffs. The deafening echo of metal against metal covers the room as I frantically pull at them.

"Luca, what—"

"Shh, Elise." He accompanies his words with a soft kiss on my cheek. He then walks away from me, pulling a gun from the holster beneath his suit jacket.

"Bring him in." His voice sends a chill down my spine as all the compassion has been replaced with an authority that I fear. I look up as another door opens and Luca's men drag in my father. My eyes widen as I take in his bloodied form. His face is swollen and blood drips from his lips as he stumbles in, his hands cuffed in front of him.

A panicked squeak leaves my lips.

"Papa?"

My tiny voice carries across the chamber and my father lifts his head. No emotion enters his eyes as he takes me in. But when he is dropped in front of Luca, rage appears. He attempts to stand, but the men roughly shove him back to his knees, holding him firm as Luca looks down on him, ready to pass judgment.

"What are you doing?" I scream.

Luca continues to watch my father, ignoring me. He looks angry, his entire body tense. He finally turns to face me, no emotion on his face as he approaches, pulling a blade from his holster

"What did your father tell you the reason for our marriage?" he asks.

I shift my attention to my from Luca to my father. But he won't look at me. His eyes are glued to the ground, his brow furrowed in anger.

"Don't look at him, look at me," Luca snaps.

"That it would be good for our family... it would help establish us and our future." I'm barely able to force the words from my lips under Luca's murderous glare. Surprisingly, he laughs.

"That sounds like him, doesn't it? But what he didn't tell you was that you were nothing more than a stepping stone to get to what he truly wanted."

Luca's eyes drop and he grips my hand, plunging the tip of his knife into the soft skin of my forearm. I scream, trying to pull from his grip but I can't, not with my arms bound like this. Luca twists the blade, earning a wail from my lips and all the while, my father never once speaks up to get him to stop.

When Luca finally pulls his knife from my flesh, a small chip comes with it. My eyes are filled with tears as I study the chip. I've never seen it in my life. Panic washes over me and I look at my father, but he still won't look at me. Luca, however, is in a mood to explain everything to me.

"You were being used, Elise. And not in the way that you think. You remember James, right?" he asks. My heart leaps into my chest as he brings up the man that I tried to save with my simple song. Luca picks up on my expression, laughing.

"Yes, the man you tried to save. I only realized after the fact that it wasn't because you knew him, but because you are undoubtedly a kind person. I doubt you would try and save the man if you knew he was there to kill me."

Nausea washes over me but Luca continues.

"Your father had you implanted with a tracker to locate my family. He attempted to have us killed and according to his man, you as well. Wouldn't want a widow standing in the way of absolute power." Luca watches my father as he speaks.

"That's not true," I whimper with tears in my eyes.

Luca turns to look at me, his irritation evaporating as he takes me in this pathetic state. The pity lasts for only a second, replaced with anger as he looks at my father.

"Tell her."

Instead of complying, my father spits at Luca's feet. Same as James did, and just like with James, it sets Luca off. He approaches my father, his eyes lighting up in a rage as he begins to kick him repeatedly in the face. My father is too weak and battered to fight back.

"Luca! Luca stop! Please!"

Luca hears me, grabbing my father by the collar to drag him to my feet. He pulls out a gun, pressing it against the back of his head.

"Fucking tell her."

My father groans in pain, blood pouring from his mouth. He still refuses to look at me, his eyes focused on the ground. He chuckles, looking at Luca, directly up the barrel of his gun.

"You kill me then what? All she'll have is speculation. I won't be able to tell her anythin-Argh!"

A shot goes off as Luca fires a bullet into my father's arm. My father hunches over in pain and I scream. He is inches from me, blood soaking the shirt he's wearing. His breaths are heavy as Luca motions for his men to grab him, hauling him away from me.

"Bring me a first aid kit," he says kneeling in front of me. The pain in my arm is nothing compared to the pain in my chest. This is just a torturous way of Luca letting me know my father doesn't love me. His words in the car make perfect sense now. He was preparing me for this. It is also where the hostility over the past few weeks came from. My father crossed the line and Luca thought I was somehow in on it. But somehow he found out otherwise and has now decided to punish my father for it. And if he really means what he said in the car, my father won't be leaving here alive.

Luca's eyes remain on the bloody wound he inflicted as someone approaches with a first aid kit. My father's chuckle fills the room as he finds the strength to provoke Luca one last time.

"You can patch her up all you want, but as soon as you kill me, they'll be coming for her. She was a failed attempt at something bigger than her life. She means nothing to us now, just a waste of what could have been our chance at a higher level. Enjoy her, she is good for nothing else but keeping your bed warm at night until my people come to take her from you in exchange for my death."

Luca's body stiffens as my father speaks. Rage pools within his steely-colored eyes, the muscle in his jaw twitching as his rage takes over. My father is only a few feet away as Luca stands, pulling his gun out.

"Then I guess I'll just have to wipe the Trovolis from existence, Eh?"

My father chuckles, looking death in the face.

"See if she'll want you then, Pasquino."

Luca, no!"  I scream so hard, that my throat burns from the effort. Luca fires a shot, right into my father's skull.

Nausea hits me and everything I had eaten prior to this moment comes out of my mouth from what I just witnessed. Luca looks from me to my father's slumped body, shoving him with his foot.

"Look what you made her do."

I hang my head, my body vibrating. I don't know what to feel. I don't know what to do. He murdered him, right in front of me. I look around the room to see a mixture of fear and pleasure in the eyes of the men who follow this madman. And when I look at Luca, I see excitement. My eyes shift to my father. He never loved me, I know that. But today solidified any doubts I had and any chance at closure. If what my father said before is true, then Luca just rang the bell for an all-out war between our families.

And according to my father, I am no longer part of mine.