The Mafia King Wants Me

Antonio Gennaro.   His name was spoken with fear and with the utmost respect. One wrong word and you ended up dead. He was the ruler here, not the government. He was the police, the lawyers, the companies and his word was law. How he managed to build himself such a kingdom no one knew. But he did it slowly and with the strongest determination. He ruled in a ruthless way.   Oh, and he owns the restaurant I perform in every night. And he's coming here tonight.   When the word had spread about him coming to this restaurant, chaos erupted. The owner, Jonathan, and a very good friend of mine had almost passed out when he called me to tell the news. First I wanted to stay home, but when Jonathan literally begged me to perform, I agreed.   There are other singers, but I was the favorite of many. But I'm sure Antonio Gennaro has no idea who I am. I wasn't even aware our small, but very fancy, restaurant mattered to him.   Nonetheless, he's coming. And I'm a bundle of nerves. No amount of people can make me this nervous. Performing was like breathing for me, but he was slowly cutting off my air supply. What if I sing wrong? What if my microphone stops working in the middle of the song? What if Antonio Gennaro hates my voice so much that he kills me? He certainly has killed for less.   Sitting in my lounge and staring at my reflection, I inhaled and exhaled deeply. My heart was beating like a hammer against my chest and my fingers were trembling. I had warmed up my voice for several hours and only drank tea.   Nothing can go wrong tonight.   The time flew by. And after what felt like minutes were really hours, the clock hit 7:25 PM. In five minutes I will step onto the stage and perform for Antonio Gennaro.   Everything must be perfect.   For the hundredth time I checked my makeup and hair, then I rose from the chair and searched for any crease in my dress. Luckily I found none in the black fabric.   Let's do this.   I drank the last sip of tea in my cup and took a deep breath. I left the safety of my lounge and wandered towards the stage through a narrow corridor. My heels clicked against the floor, but the sound was drowned by the noise of chatter and laughter. I was a tad surprised that Mr. Gennaro allowed other people in here. Perhaps he cancelled and isn't coming. I most certainly hope so!   The buzzing from the crowd somehow made me forget all about Mr. Gennaro. For a moment. I closed my eyes and listened to the people. I just need to think this is a normal night, I need to forget who will be sitting and hearing me sing like everyone else. I need to forget he is here.   "...the voice of an angel, Elena Hale!" I heard my name being called, applause echoed, and I knew it was time.   The calm and soft keys from a piano silenced the entire restaurant. The song I was singing tonight, Million Reasons by Lady Gaga, had a short intro and gave me no chance to feel the rhythm. But I knew the song by heart.   I raised the microphone, and when the words left my lips, I slowly started to walk onto the stage.   The dining hall was decorated with lights and candles. The windows were covered with red banners. Small rose petals were all over the floor. The tables were decorated with cream cloths and with the finest cutlery money could buy. But I knew it was nothing compared to what was on Mr. Gennaro's table.   Reaching the edge of the small stage, I stopped and let the words fill the silence. My voice echoed and I lost myself in the words that I sang. The piano to my right played along but was careful not to drown my voice. It had happened once before and the crowd had been beyond upset.   I tried to keep my eyes steady, or closed, but my eyes scanned the crowd, and eventually reached Mr. Gennaro's table. A man dressed in a black suit, with rich chocolate hair, stubble on his strong jaw and thick eyebrows that made his eyes shine, stared at me.   Never in my life had I seen such a man before.   When our eyes met, I felt a surge in my stomach. I knew that if I kept looking at him, I would lose my words. So I, with much difficulty, tore my eyes from him.   As I neared the end of the song and I saw the faces of the crowd, all affected with different emotions, I knew I had succeeded tonight. Well, partly succeeded. All that really matters is if Mr. Gennaro enjoyed it as much as the crowd.   The last word of the song clung through the hall, and when I slowly lowered the microphone from my lips, applause and cheers exploded. Some even rose from their seats to applaud.   A big smile decorated my lips as I watched them.   But it dropped when I saw the look on Mr. Gennaro's face. He showed no emotions, didn't clap or cheer, and only stared at me with piercing eyes.   Fear exploded in my stomach, and I almost tripped over my own feet when I walked off the stage. Didn't he like it? Did I do something wrong?   My mind was racing with possible reasons for his obvious resentment. I had done perfectly, and yet it wasn't enough. I never thought I would die because of my voice. But Mr. Gennaro will kill me, I'm certain of it.   I could run. I could flee from here and try to escape him. But I knew it was impossible. He owns the city and everyone in it. Fleeing would only result in a more painful death.   A sudden knock on my lounge door made me jump. I wiped the sweat off my brow and opened the door with shaky hands. It was Jonathan.   "Mr. Gennaro wants to see you, now." he said and bit his lower lip, eyes full of concern. A harsh breath left my lips and I closed my eyes. If he decides to kill me today, I will show him no fear.   "I'll leave immediately." I said, trying to mask my fear, and made my way towards his table. It was placed in the far end of the restaurant, in a more secluded area. He loves his privacy. But I saw that he wasn't alone by the table. A few men were sitting with him. Probably his most trusted advisers.   The people were still buzzing and eagerly ate the food cooked for them. I tried to stay out of sight and moved gracefully between the tables. The distance between me and Mr. Gennaro decreased with every step I took.   Around his table sat four more men. They all wore suits from expensive brands and chatted with each other. But Mr. Gennaro was silent, and watched me with cold eyes.   I wanted to turn around and run away. His eyes made my knees tremble with fear. It was no easy task to hide it, but I was sure Mr. Gennaro saw right through me.   "Ah, the songbird! You truly have the voice of an angel!" one of the four men said. He was younger than the others, and had no beard or stubble like the rest. Compared to the rest, he looked like a young boy.   A young boy who I should fear.   "Thank you, sir. You flatter me." I managed to choke out and nervously threw glances at Mr. Gennaro, who was still staring at me with emotionless eyes.   "And a charmer! I bet you would be feisty in bed." he said and smirked at me. The comment disgusted me and I really wanted to slap him right across his smug face, but slapping him is a death sentence.   "Leave, all of you." Mr. Gennaro suddenly ordered, his voice harsh and his eyes shooting daggers at the young boy. The sudden distaste for one of his own made me raise an eyebrow, mentally of course.   But without question they did as he said and left the table, the young boy smirked at me and roamed my body with his eyes before leaving me alone with Mr. Gennaro.   I'm alone with Antonio Gennaro.   Fuck.   He placed his elbows on the table and watched me with cold eyes. A glass of wine stood in front of him, but he had not taken one sip.   "Elena Hale." My name rolled off his tongue with a strong Italian accent, making it sound exotic and mysterious. If I hadn't been so afraid I would have shivered.   He tilted his head and watched me. I bet he can see the fear inside of me, even though I tried to conceal it.   "You truly have the voice of an angel. Please, sit." he said and gestured for the empty chair next to him.   Relief washed over me. He did like my voice. That means he won't kill me! Right? But his proposition, more of an order, of sitting next to him could still mean that he was planning to kill me. Goddammit.   Too scared to disobey, I did as he said and sat down beside him, my hands in my lap. Mr. Gennaro eyed me, never letting his eyes falter for one second.   "It's rare to find such a beautiful voice," he said.   "T-thank you, Mr. Gennaro," I said, almost too quickly. His eyes were staring so intensely at me that I couldn't meet his gaze. Hopefully he won't take offense.   "Call me Antonio, for I will call you Elena." he said and slowly grabbed one of my hands. That made me turn my head and watch him. Which was clearly a mistake because his pale eyes, reminding me of liquid silver, mesmerized me.   Any woman would die to be in my position. Even if he was feared, women couldn't resist his extremely good looks and charm. And I was starting to falter too.   "As you wish, Mr. Genn- Antonio." I choked out when his plump and smooth lips kissed my hand, making a blush decorate my cheeks. When his name left my mouth a silent growl emerged from his throat. It almost sounded.. possessive.   "My name sounds so sweet from your tongue, Elena." he said and stared up at me. I was close to telling him how incredibly turned on I was when he mentioned my name. But the words couldn't find their way off my lips, probably for the best.   "I.. I'm not sure how to.." I said but stopped myself when he suddenly leaned in closer to me, placing his sweet lips on my neck.   Oh my God!   My stomach exploded with butterflies that sent beams of warmth throughout my whole body, and the strongest ones traveled straight to my womanhood. A small moan slipped out from my mouth and made me blush even harder.   "I can only imagine what lovely noises you would moan when I make you squirm of pleasure." he said seductively against my neck, making me shiver from delight. My whole body was burning and my womanhood was pulsating.   Only words and a kiss to my neck made me feel like jelly and extremely turned on. I didn't care who he was, I wanted him very badly. He was seducing me, and it worked.   Suddenly I felt fingers travel up my thigh, closer and closer to where I needed him the most. A shaky breath left my lips and my legs spread automatically. I heard him chuckle before he kissed my neck again.   I was in such bliss that I didn't notice the growing bulge in his pants.   "Mr. Gennaro!" a voice called. It made me jump and widen my eyes. Antonio growled of disappointment and leaned back, still with his hand resting on my thigh.   One of his four men, clearly older, with grey hair and equally grey beard, rushed towards our table. To say Antonio was not pleased was an understatement. I could feel him trembling with anger.   "What?" he hissed through clenched teeth and gave the old man a death stare. Even I felt afraid, and his anger wasn't even aimed towards me.   "We have a situation." the old man said and threw a glance at me. I bet he understood what was going on between us.   Antonio sighed and clenched one of his hands into a fist.   "Damn it. Tell them I'm coming right away." he said and waved the man away, who nodded and left us alone again. I was staring at Antonio as realization of what just happened washed over me.   "Don't worry, I'm not done with you yet." he said, squeezing my thigh and placing a hungry kiss on my neck, and then he rose from the chair and left me with a trembling body.   What in the world have I gotten myself into?