CHAPTER TEN

"Tie her up," the man growled. "NO!" I shouted on top of my voice. But it was nothing new for them. The buff man ordered, "hold her hands in place while I shut this bitch up."

The other man holds my arms tightly, with my legs kicking everywhere. The buff man comes closer and puts a gag on my mouth. I tried to shout, but the ball gag enabled me to speak. Tears rush down my cheek, and slowly the strength of my body drains in every minute.

The two men held me upright as I'm sure if they moved away, I would fall on my knees. They take my hand one after the other and put a leather cuff on each side. Then attach the leather cuffs to a cross kept on the side of the wall. My breathing becomes shallow of thinking of all the things the man was about to do. Tears were falling from my eyes without pausing.

My heart was aching, I gulped. It was the end. I was never going to see my parents, Leo, and anyone ever again. I shut my eyes close because I was exhausted from putting up a fight. I couldn't do it anymore. With a staggering breath, I patiently waited for my end.

A whip sound comes from across. I trembled with fear while keeping my eyes tightly shut. "Open your eyes!" The man ordered.

"No..."

As soon as the words slipped from my mouth, I felt a sting on my right butt cheek. "Aghh!" I howled with pain. It was unbearable. Even with the clothes, I could feel the ache.

I opened my eyes with a blurry vision to find the man smirking at my reaction. In silence, he begins to move again. I shut my eyes and wait for the impact.

"STOP!"

I open my eyes and gasp. A very deadly-looking Arcadio is facing the man. Roger has twisted the man's arm behind his back, forcing him to bend in front of Arcadio.

Arcadio's eyes travel from the man then towards me, and I shiver at those stone-cold eyes. "Free her this instant!" He roars at the two buff men. They scramble instantly at his command, open the bounds from my hands.

Arcadio caught me before my frail body could fall on the ground. His scent invades my senses, and the hammering of my heart calms down. I couldn't hold back anymore. The dam of emotions that I was keeping at bay broke.

I came crashing in his arms while crying and the echoes of my scream filled the room.

His soft voice whispered in my ear, "quiet, Amore Mio. I'm right here." I cried harder into his chest. My breathing was ragged, and all I could think was to get out of this place.

"Tak....take...me away," I pleaded to him.

In response, he held me tighter and spoke in a stern voice. "Roger, I'm taking her away. Make sure you have prepared these bastards for repentance."

"We're sorry, boss," I heard one of them cried but didn't raise my head to see whom. "We didn't know she was yours!" The other wailed.

"Shut up, creeps." Roger's voice sounds even deadly. Arcadio picks me up and walks me somewhere. I drift off from the exhaustion.

"NO!" I shout while waking up. The scene from the room was flashing in front of my eyes made my heart clenched then sinks. If it weren't for my hurting side, everything would've appeared to be a long nightmare. That is when the realization of my naked self hit me. The only thing that was covering me was the silk sheets. I winced when I accidentally tried to move from the bed.

"Doctor said you have to rest," a horse voice comes from the side of the bed. I panicked.

"Calm down, Amore Mio." I sighed at the command. I peered at him, sitting on a chair. His body looks far from relaxed. His right ankle is on his left knee, his right hand holding his chin while his eyes stare at me.

"You...You stopped him?"

"Why so surprised, Mia Bella?" He asks with a narrowed gaze. "You didn't want me to stop him?" His clipped voice comes.

"No, I thought you would be happy about it," my words came without remorse.

His knuckles turned white and paused under his chin. "You think it gave me pleasure knowing someone was hurting you?"

"Am I not right?" Pulling the sheets closer to me.

"Why do you even have that thought?" He asks, scowling at me.

"Weren't you the one who caged me in this place?" I questioned him loudly.

His eyes turned dark. "Darling, if you were caged, you wouldn't have been able to step foot in that bloody place. Now when I think about it. I should trap you. It's better than letting you run all over this place."

"Why did you stop him?"

He stands up and sits on the bed beside me. I pull the sheets tightly to my chin, not wanting to expose my nakedness to him. However, his aura was oozing with anger and disappointment. Was he mad because of me?

Moving his fingers closer, he tucks the strand of hair behind my ear. His one-touch sent Goosebumps all over my body. He leaned closer, ignoring the fact of what his presence was doing to me. He leans further, and I shut my eyes.

A gentle kiss flutters my eyes open. "Rest, Mia Bella. I've got some unfinished business to attend." His words take me by surprise.

Suddenly his words to Roger come into my mind, and I hold his arm. "What are you going to do to him?"

His face becomes cold again. I hate when that happens. "He made a mistake, and he will pay for it!"

My insides go numb hearing it. I knew Arcadio meant that he murder him, and a part of me was crazy enough satisfied with it. But the other knew how it was wrong in every way.

Listening to the other side, I blabbered, "Arcadio, you can't kill him!"

His face became grimmer, "you don't want me to hurt him? Why? Did you like what he did, Mia Bella? Did you enjoy the pain? You are playing this blame game with me, but I'm not going to let you." He leaned further, his lips almost touching mine. His hand cupped my cheek, closing the gap little by little.

I gulped at the closeness. At how Arcadio appeared to be so dangerous, yet somehow he made me yearn for him at the same time.

"Arcadio," I gasped.

"Just say yes, Amore Mio." He whispered enough for me to hear. "All I ever wanted from the first day was to feel those soft lips against mine. End this suffering for both of us." It was more of a plead than a sentence.

"Yes..." It was one syllable that fell from my lips, yet it meant so much more at that moment.

His lips touched mine, and I almost blacked out from the emotions that rushed through me. His hands moved on top of the silk sheets, yet I wanted him to touch my bare skin.

His teeth nipped my bottom lip, and I moaned, giving his tongue access to explore my mouth. I moved closer to him, needing more of his touch. His lips made their way to the nape of my neck, making me arch my back from the things that I was feeling.

Suddenly he pushed both of us on the bed and hovered me. He smirked and wetted his lips. The act alone sent shivers down my leg. I felt like a meal for him to devour.

He kept kissing my face, mouth, and neck but never once his hands moved to remove the silk sheets or his lips went to below.

"You have to understand, Mia Bella. The taste of your lips is driving me crazy." His hoarse voice comes, and I melt into his arms. I panted harshly as his lips left mine. I've never in my life felt such raw passion with someone.

I gazed at him and gasped. In front of me was not Arcadio but the man from the brothel. I shrieked and tried to move far away from his grasp, but he held me more tightly.

It was when someone shouted my name I calmed down. "Mia Bella, are you alright?"

Arcadio hugged me tightly and whispered in my ears. "You are safe with me. No one will ever touch you."

I didn't care about his chest pressed into mine with only a piece of silk sheets between us because there was a horrifying image of that man still hovering on my mind.

"I'm going to kill him now."