The Mafia King Wants Me

Chapter 3: At His Mercy

The barista handed me the take away cup full with hot, and well needed, coffee. I didn't get much sleep last night. I was afraid someone would kick open my door and kidnap me.

But nothing had happened, and now I was wasting money on a drink I didn't even like. 

"Thanks." I said to the barista and tried to give her a thankful smile, but it must have come off as a grimace instead. The look on the barista's face said it all.

Yeah, I can never return here.

When I left the small coffee shop I took a sip of the bitter coffee and continued on my way home. As I walked along the busy road I glanced at every display window. I needed to buy a dress for tonight. But my hunt has been unsuccessful so far.

Everything was either too expensive or too much. I wanted to find something elegant and yet revealing for tonight.

How I came to the conclusion of still going was beyond me. But I wanted these creeps to stay away from me. And Antonio is the only one who can take care of them.

Antonio can, without a doubt, find the caller. He can find anyone. 

But I need to find a dress before I do anything. And at this rate, I have to ask Jonathan for one. Which I hated because I've already borrowed enough from him. Worst case scenario is to ask Antonio for something. But that would be super awkward.

"Excuse me miss?" someone suddenly asked me. Ripped out of my daydreaming, I looked to my side and saw a petite young woman standing next to me. Then I realized I had stopped in front of a display window and was staring at the clothes.

Wow, this is so awkward.

"Oh, sorry. I was lost in thought." I said and flashed her a quick smile.

"You don't need anything?" the kind woman asked. Well I do need a dress, maybe she has something.

I turned my head back to the display window and examined her wares. It was just as bland as the other stores. This is going to be a long day.

But then a white piece of fabric caught my eye. And when I saw it fully in the window, I knew I had found my dress. Finally.

I wonder what kind of car Antonio will drive. Obviously something luxurious, but what kind of car? A sports car? Or will he pick me up in a Limousine? That would be so cool.

With every second that passed I felt myself grow more and more excited for dinner with Antonio. I tried to tell myself it was just because I was curious where he would take me. But I have always been bad at lying. Something Antonio must be a master at.

Could all this be one big lie?

The questions circulated in my head non stop. Was this all a charade? But what would he gain to lie? It couldn't be just because he wanted me in his bed. He can easily pick any girl out there.

Was it because he found it fun? Or did he really like me?

I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure if he wanted something more than a one night stand, even if he said something like that last night. It was difficult to paint a picture of how he truly was. Why is my love life such a mess?!

I sighed to myself and continued to apply makeup. The dress was elegant yet sexy and I wanted my makeup to be modest. All the attention must be on the dress. I did pay quite a lot for it, but is there really a price for love? I think not!

Also I hadn't told anyone, not even Jonathan, about my dinner with Antonio. Jonathan would most certainly try to stop me, and I know why. The idea of going out with him is crazy and suicidal. He can kill me if I say something he doesn't like.

But with fear, I felt excitement and anticipation. I had never done anything like this before. My life was normal and boring. This little thrill will be a memory for life. If I live through the night, that is. But somehow I knew Antonio would never hurt me. Perhaps a naive thought, but I was convinced anyway.

The last thing I did was to fix my hair. I had tried to curl it earlier today but I failed miserably, so I pinned it up in a bun with some strands of hair framing my face. The look was complete, and I loved it. It was just perfect.

What I adored the most was, of course, the dress. It showed off my curvy figure and yet gave me an elegant look. A mix between sexy and elegant. Absolutely perfect.

Hopefully Antonio will like it as much as I do.

Speaking of Antonio, a car just honked outside my flat. It must be him, since it's exactly 6 PM. He really knows how to be on time.

Outside of my modest flat, a bright orange car waited on the street. And it made me drop my jaw just thinking about me sitting in it. The car was luxurious indeed, it looked like a car straight out of a magazine!

Even though I had no idea what kind of car it was, I instantly liked it. If I'd known the car would be orange, I would have picked a matching outfit. But what I'm wearing now is also perfect.

I grabbed my small black handbag and rushed out of the apartment. I was so excited. My heart was beating in my chest and I skipped down the stairs, almost breaking my feet. How I managed to not trip is and will always remain a mystery.

The excitement rushed through me like adrenaline and almost made me forget to lock my door. My clumsiness made Antonio chuckle as he leaned against his car. That pose made him look incredibly sexy.

I turned fully around, fixed my hair, and walked towards his luxurious car. It's unbelievable I will be sitting in that. But what really caught my eye was how Antonio stared at me. His eyes were gleaming with lust as he roamed my body, probably thinking of all the things he could do to me. The lustful gaze made me bite my lower lip.

Can someone fake such hunger?

"You look amazing, no, amazing doesn't begin to describe you." he said and bit his lower lip, like I did. Damn, he looked even more sexy doing that. Finding the will to push him away will be extremely difficult tonight.

"Thank you. You look decent yourself." I said playfully. Oh gosh, where did my playfulness come from? I'm out on thin ice already.

"Ow, my heart." he chuckled and opened the passenger door, gesturing for me to sit down. I gave him a small smile and took a seat, examining the car's interiors.

It was all dressed in black leather. It felt a bit awkward to move, but the luxury made up for that. Not even my house was as fancy as this car!

Antonio took a seat behind the wheel and didn't waste one second, turning on the car and driving away from my street. I turned my head and watched him. I'm very interested in where he's taking me.

"Where are we going?" I asked eagerly. He chuckled.

"Don't want to spoil the surprise. Patience, baby." he said and used a nickname. I wouldn't mind him calling me that from time to time.

Goddamn it! FOCUS!

"Is it close by?" I asked, trying to pry something out of him.

"You are a curious one." he said but didn't answer my question, smiling as he drove along the busy streets. Well, I don't have a topic to discuss with him. What does a mafia king talk about other than business and which people to murder? I can't imagine him talking about the weather.

"So, when did you buy this car?" I said. I really had nothing else to speak about, and the silence was killing me.

But when he placed a hand on my bare thigh, all my lust to speak vanished. His hand was warm and sent orgasmic shivers through my lower body. Damn it.

"Relax, Elena. You have nothing to fear when you're with me." he said calmly, squeezing my thigh as if to make a point. But it only made me choke down a moan.

Safe with him? I'm much safer on my own. The phone call last night proves it all. I understand that he can protect me while he's with me, but when I'm on my own I will be a target. That's why I have to sever our connection tonight. I don't want my mother to bury me in a coffin.

"I would feel a lot safer if you told me where we're going." I countered while trying to stay strong. His touch was distracting me from what's important.

"Now you're only using my promise. It doesn't work that way, darling." he said and smirked to himself. Well, he's really amused.

"I'm just trying to establish some sort of trust between us." I huffed. He squeezed my thigh again and I swear I was losing focus. Does he know how his touch affects me? Because if he does, he's clearly using it against me.

"And telling you where we're going, that's trust?" he said while his smile was fading a little. Guess he didn't expect the resistance from me. Ehm, maybe resistance isn't the right word.

"Yeah it is, what kind of trust do you have with your people?" I said and quirked an eyebrow.

"A trust that they won't murder me in my sleep." he said like it was the most common thing in the world.

"Oh." was all I could say. I really wasn't expecting such a straightforward answer.

"But to answer your question, we're going to one of my own restaurants." he said and put that smirk on his lips again. Oh yeah, really helpful.

"You own all the restaurants, Antonio." I said and rolled my eyes. He laughed out loud and squeezed my thigh in the process. His laugh was warm and made me lean towards him, unknowingly of course.

"I do love your quick comebacks." he admitted and started to massage my inner thigh. A silent hiss left my lips when my legs automatically parted from his touch. Something that he noticed and only boosted his ego.

I will never be able to resist him! Not while he's touching me!

"Ah, we're here." he said suddenly and pulled the car over by the street. When we had stopped, he gave my thigh a final squeeze before stepping out of the car and walking around it. Probably to open the door for me. What a gentleman.

The short moment alone I used to calm down my raging hormones. But I was completely unsuccessful, and Antonio opened the door, most likely leading me down a new path of hormones.

As I stepped out of the car, I turned around to watch the place I was spending the evening at. And my jaw dropped.

The luxurious Paradise Street was right across the sidewalk. A red carpet led up the front door, with two doormen dressed in suits opening the door for entering guests. People wearing only expensive clothing entered the restaurants, and I know why! A drink here costs more than my rent!

Antonio chuckled behind me, and placed an arm around my waist to get me to move. I had been completely glued to the ground as I stared at the restaurant. Never in my life did I believe I would set foot in this restaurant. And now I'm entering it with Antonio Gennaro. Something I never imagined either.

When we walked up to the front door, the doormen widened their eyes a bit before opening the door for us. Everyone knew who he was here. I wonder if he dines here a lot.

The inside was even more luxurious than the outside. Most of the decorations were in gold and the walls were dark, giving it all a cozy atmosphere with dim lights. Candles were also lit in pompous candle holders. 

The price of all this is probably more than what I'll make in my whole life.

"Come, darling." he said and led me towards a stair leading up. Everyone else remained on this floor and waited for their tables, aren't we supposed to follow them?

"Um, the tables are that way?" I said and looked at his perfect profile.

"Yes, but I have something special, just for you, my songbird." he purred and pulled me closer. Feeling his strong body closer to mine almost made my legs turn into jelly.

The stair led us to a narrow corridor that then led us to a door, and when he opened the door my jaw dropped again.

It was a small rooftop with a table and two chairs in the middle of it. Rose petals formed a path towards it, with a champagne bottle standing in the middle of the table. The city, all lit up looking like another planet, almost blinded me.

It was so romantic, and somewhat personal. I'm sure Antonio didn't set this up himself, but it still felt personal in a way.

"Take a seat." he said when we walked up to the table. He pulled the chair out and pulled it in under me. Well, he has good manners. I didn't know manners existed in his world.

Antonio took a seat across from me, placed his elbows on the table and fixated his eyes on me. All of his attention was aimed at me. There was no way I could escape him.

I hated to admit it but..

I'm at his full mercy tonight.