Love Beyond Boundaries (man×man)

When the past haunts you

Let me know what you think of this chapter and this book over all till now. Your feedback is very much appreciated and welcomed. I hope it's worth your time. Enjoy!

The surreal emotions inside me made me giddy. Everything felt unreal. The forehead kiss, the hug, the date, the feeling, everything. I never thought that I'll ever share a feeling so intimate with Vincent Carson, the Italian Mob Boss. In my twenty one years of life, I've never met a person like Vincent. A person who intimidated the room full of grown up men with merely a glare. A person who didn't touch me without my consent. The only man in my dungeon room, who asked me about myself. The way his silver eyes melt me in a puddle, the way his gentle touch thumps my heart and the way his smile intoxicates me, is scary. 

When I first saw him in the dungeons, I was prepared for another abuse, another harassment. I thought of him as another dominating man but he surprised me with with his gentle gaze. He didn't touch me because I didn't wanted to and nothing else really mattered. The way he stood up against Dan and Evan. He supported me, it felt so intimate and close. Vincent felt so personal to me.

My mother always told me a real man always respects your decisions and fears. A man will never let his darkness swallows you. Even the demons smiles in love. She always preached that love is boundless, it's always gentle. There is no physical attraction and carnal in love. Love is all about respect, care and affection. Dominance, betrayal and uncertainty has no place in love. Love is all about equality. The one who fears to hurt another, always ends up hurting. Love is fearless, limitless. You never fall in love, you just rise from it, you soar so high that nothing can ever stop this flight. Love is seeing them in your eyes. 

"Elijah! Is Mr. Bianchi's truck repaired?" Lucia asked me from her seat. I nodded my head, raising a thumbs up, holding the car's hood. 

"I repaired it last night. Ask him to buy a new truck! This one's even older than his antiquated ass." 

"Ragazzo senza vergogna!" I rose my eyebrows and looked at her with my blank expression. 

"I wouldn't understand a s**t, even if you cursed me in your native tongue, Lucia!" She huffed, scowling at me. 

"Grande! At least, I could curse you and you wouldn't even know. And you shameless boy, Mr. Bianchi is my brother in law." I bit my tongue to stop myself from laughing. 

"Why did I even hire you, again?" I coldly glared at her, pointing at her garage. 

"To save your garage from collapsing down." She muttered something in Italian, slamming the papers down and I rolled my eyes, amusement hidden behind my cold gaze. She behaved so much like my little sister. 

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I ordered the pizza, logging in my laptop and started to study, once I was reached home. The couch was stiff against my aching back and I slumped lower to get a relaxing posture. I was copying the notes, writing down the formulas. After an hour and half, I logged out of my distance learning. 

I opened the f*******:, logging into my old account and clicked on my sister's profile. Holly Wright. 

I gaped at the pictures that flashed in front of me. For an eighteen year old, she looked too small, more like a sixteen year old teenager. The innocence in her eyes was sparkling as she was smiling at the camera. Holly had always been beautiful with a little darker skin and amber eyes. She looked so familiar to my features that it was so annoying back in childhood. I couldn't even tease her, how our parents adopted her. My mother was an African and my father was an Australian. They met in an office and fell in love. 

I scrolled through her profile to see more pictures, but one caught my attention, which was with our parents. It must be of previous Christmas because our house was decorated with lights and Christmas tree. My Ma was looking at Holly with an amused expression and Dad was laughing at something while Holly was pouting. I swiped through her pictures to find one with her boyfriend. She must have invited him to the Christmas eve. The boy was slinging his arm over her shoulder and she was grinning at the camera. 

I laughed, a tear rolling down my cheeks. How much I used to tease her that no one would date her. She would hit me so much as a child when I used to tease her, knowing I'd never hit her back. She always used the smaller sibling tag to get away with almost everything. Once, I remember, she tripped me in front of my crush and was laughing along with all my friends. She would hit me until I woke up in the morning. She even ate all the chocolates, I use to save for myself. The memories of past were overwhelming. Who knew I'd be missing this annoying little sister of mine. 

I scrolled more to find a picture of us together. It was the last picture we took before I got kidnapped. I was ruffling her hair and she was scowling at me. Now that I remember, all of our pictures were the same, she would be scowling at me for ruffling her hair or poking her side. She stood shorter and I was resting my forearm over her head. She uploaded the picture on Christmas. I read the caption and I lost every ounce of patience I had in my body. 

Dearest Eli,

I never thought I'll be saying this ever in my life, but I miss you. I miss my older brother who always annoyed me till no limits and always poked me until I snapped. It's been almost four years now, Eli. We thought you were pulling prank on us, like you always did. We waited every minute, every hour that night, roaming in the deserted streets to find you but we couldn't. 

You heartless prick, I cried for you but you didn't even return. Mom goes to the police station every day for you but you have vanished in the air. I am writing this because I know you'll read this. You have to because I f*****g miss you, Eli. 

Come home. Poke me, ruffle my hair, irritate me. I promise I won't even hit you, I'll give you all my chocolates and snacks. f**k! I'll even dance wearing that embarrassing onesie you gifted me on my birthday. Just return back, you i***t! I love you, Eli. They all say you died, but I'll feel it, if you would've. I know you're alive. Maybe reading my caption.

Come home, Eli. Please. I miss you. We miss you.

Merry Christmas. 

I didn't even realize, I was crying until the tears were dropping on my phone's screen. I was contemplating to message her or to at least reply her but I stopped. What would I say? Hello, Holly, I'm your older brother and I recently got out of my slavery? Or that I've been getting raped for the past four years of my life? Or that I don't have the courage to come back in Australia because I fear facing the questions? 

My shoulders were shaking and the sob racked my body. I never felt so helpless in my life. I clutched the phone closer to my heart and wailed, cried so hard that I choked on my own tears. Men don't cry. Men are brave. Men can never be the victims. These stereotypes only made me cry harder. It's hard for people to believe that men can get harassed too. I hiccuped, stroking the phone as if stroking my sister's face. As much as I want to talk with them, meet them, hug them, cry in my mother's embrace. I can't. I don't have the courage. 

I wish, I could've embraced them enough one last time. I wish, I would've stayed the evening and never went out. I wish, I could die. I can, I still can. I looked around, spotting the tool, a knife. I stood up but then my phone rang. 

Vincent. 

He was calling me at two in the morning. My mind snapped out of my depressed state and my heart started to thump loudly. I was going to hurt myself. I shuddered, not knowing whether to receive his call or not. He saved me once again. We exchanged our numbers before we ended our date. Patting my face few time and I tried to smile before receiving the call. 

"Hello?" 

"You're awake." I rolled my eyes, slumping on my mattress and a small sad smile graced my face. I wish I wasn't.

"Great discovery, Einstein. Shall I recommend your name for the most intelligent person?" 

"Sass is a cover-up for sorrow, my dearest Elijah." His cool voice chilled my bones and my heart raced against my chest, my eyes blinking back the tears that involuntarily formed in my eyes at his words. Sorrow. Even the word felt small for what I was feeling.

"And what is the cover-up for being awake at this hour, Vincent?" He chuckled lowly, almost menacingly. I heard shuffling, before hearing the jingling sound of the keys. 

"Missing someone." I took a sharp breath in and shook my head. Tears now rolled down my cheeks and my mouth clamped shut, not wanting to let him know my state of weakness. I swallowed, tried to pull my lips in a smile only to fail.

"A lost person has no one to miss, Vincent." 

"Correct, a lost person has no one. But you're not lost. And have you been crying, darling?" I chuckled, almost venomously, shaking my head. This soft voice only made me cry harder but my voice didn't waver. 

"What do you think?" I heard the door snapping on the other side of the phone before hearing the jingling sound again. The pause felt so huge and pregnant that it hurt and excited me at the same time. 

"I think, I'll be seeing you soon, darling boy." My breath hitched hearing the car roaring. I wiped my wet cheeks, my heart hammering against my chest. He's driving at two in the morning for me? 

"You're coming here? At this hour?" 

"Certainly." 

"But it's two in the morning!" 

"And you're crying at two in the morning." He pointed out and I sighed, leaning back. He is making me get used to him. It's toxic how I want him to come for me too. 

"I'm not crying anymore. You don't have to stress out for me." I spoke after a long pause. 

"Elijah?" He called out and I hummed, my mouth dry at the intensity his tone held. "I always take care of  the people who're close to my heart. No one, absolutely no one can stop me from it. Are we clear?" 

I gulped, clenching my eyes shut. He is infuriatingly adorable and hot. His care, his affection, his dominance, everything just blends in my vein, pumping the blood in my heart, making me fall for him. f**k him! 

"Elijah?" I clenched my jaw, rolling my eyes. 

"I won't say like a second grade student that I understand." He laughed lowly, before I heard the car screeching to halt and he spoke again. 

"Open the door, dearest. Can't keep a Mafia awaiting now, can we?" 

The phone disconnected and rolling my eyes, I stood up, slipping the grey vest, lying on the floor. I took a deep breath, my heart beating loudly. I opened the gate and my heart stopped at the sight of the familiar silver eyes staring back at me. He was dressed in a white shirt and black pants. He must have been here directly from his office or something. His sandy hair were lying carelessly, making him look more gorgeous. My throat went dry at how delicious and appetizing he looked in his working outfit. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him and looked at me with same intense eyes, reading me and I suddenly felt timid. Kind of effects he had on me. 

One thing I knew for sure was this night was going to be long. Not that I minded, though.