4 Chapter Three

  "The NGC is a non governmental organization led by your father Mariano hell bent on ridding the world of everything Mafia"

  His voice oozed raw confidence. He stood tall glaring down at me quivering form, nothing like the man I once knew.

  I was stripped down to my underwear the chilling atmosphere nipping at my skin. The gag muffled my pleas, he knew where I stood I made sure of that.

"Domnick Ciovelli trusted Mariano that was his mistake but I'm not my father and I'd be dammed if I make the same mistakes he did!" He growled ripping the gag off my face. The chair was tipped over a white towel draped across my face shielding me from him.

I felt it, the warm liquid drenching the towel. My lungs burned from the lack of oxygen, my arms and legs trashed wildly trying to break free of my restraints. I gulped down the flowing water trying to catch my breath.

  Water boarding, the same technique used on me by Mariano years ago during his investigation on Ciovelli's.  I had just met Toni on my way back home from another hectic day.

I knew he was trouble from the moment I laid my eyes on him, but I was hard headed and persistent.

Mariano spent all his life trying to wipe out the entire Ciovelli dynasty and everyone in it. He almost got away with it, Almost.

  But here stood Toni, who some how managed to build it all back up from scratch.

"Where is he?" I coughed up water choking on the intrusion, he gripped onto my arms tightly. I winced still dazed from the lack of oxygen to my brain.

  I wish I knew where he was but I didn't. He could never disclose his location to me I was the bait and he hoped Toni would bite. But this wasn't Toni not the Toni that I knew the Toni that loved me.

  I shivered against his touch his warm fingers gripped the locket in his palm twirling it. A glint of recognition flash through his eyes, staring into those beautiful chocolate brown orbs I felt my heart pounding against my chest.

  "Where is he?"  He asked again this time a lot calmer than before glaring at the locket dangling against my bare skin. I shivered from the intensity of his warm gaze. He glanced up at me arching a neatly groomed brow.

"I don't know" I mumbled looking away, there something odd about the way he looked at me. Maybe I was finally coming to terms with the fact that I was nothing more than a stranger turned enemy in Antonio Ciovelli's world.

  He tipped it over a lot quicker than before, I squirmed,my muffled gulps echoing through the room. He held me down by my shoulders pushing me against the hard metal of the chair. Tears threatening to spill.

I wish I knew Toni, I really wish I did.

He pulled me back up again but this time I didn't have it in me to gaze up at him, too exhausted. He waited this time for a response that I still couldn't give him.

"Gio!" He yelled stepping away from me, Goony walked in. His rigid posture looming over Toni. A lady in a red flowing dress with a plunging neckline trailing after him.

She was adorned with jewelry but what stood out the most was the diamond encrusted ring on her finger that she didn't pass up  a chance to flaunt. She marched right up to Toni pulling him in for a slow sensual kiss, he responded instantly,circling his arms around her waist pulling her flush against him.

He smiled down at her  tenderly cupping her cheek.

      Toni

It didn't take long for me to put two and two together. I glanced  away from their public display of affection a lone tear

simultaneously rolling down my cheek.

I was happy he was alive, Even if it meant loosing him to someone else. That look in his eyes, once upon a time he had that look in his eyes only for me.

They stepped out giving me room to breathe.

He was happy .

Just not with me. I turned to face Gio a zapping sound coming from the taser he held in his hands. He didn't smirk, laugh, smile or taunt me.he only glanced down at me drinking me in.

This long night had only just begun.

              __________

"Stai ancora parlando?" 

   [Are you still talking?]

He growled fisting my hair in his hands. Face white and blistering,my eyelids nearly swollen shut from the brutality of his blows. I glanced up at Gio whimpering.

Soft cries escaped me, my chest rumbling from the wave of raspy moans. He'd had enough of my tears landing another blow to my jaw the water works didn't stop so he hit me again and again till he heard a sickening crunch.

Satisfied, he stepped away glaring down at my busted lips. With the little strength I had left I edged backwards away from him. He seemed aroused by my battered and bloodied  form at his mercy.

"Solo un assaggio non farebbe male, vero?" 

    [Just a taste wouldn't hurt, would it?]

He purred eyeing me up. His finger traced the contours of my chest guiding his eyes downwards.

Inhaling sharply I put on a brave facade,the steady blood trail trickling down my jaw. He swiped it off my chin popping it into his mouth, I cringed at the psychotic glint in his eyes.

Gio was a man of few words and now I knew why. Toni,

his name just at the tip of my tongue but I knew better than anyone that I would be wasting my breath.

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