Chapter nine
“Keep that in mind,” Sandro smirked, his tone dripping with his usual arrogance. With that, he made his way to the door.
“Ciao,” he called, turning back to blow her a kiss accompanied by a wink.
As soon as he was gone, Arabella sighed in relief. She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Her neck still throbbed from his forceful grip, and she couldn’t help but wonder why he didn’t just end her life then and there. It would have spared her from the undeserved suffering he had inflicted upon her, and she could have joined her father wherever he was now.
Her thoughts shifted to Blaze. He was part of a gang- the mafia, an undeniable fact. The realization was surreal, and she struggled to believe it.
Had she not seen him here, she might have dismissed it as a lie. But now, she was caught in a whirlwind of uncertainty. Her feelings were a jumble of confusion. The person she had been harboring a crush on, the one she had watched from her office window, was a bona fide gangster. It was mind-boggling!
She sat up abruptly as the door swung open.
“Hey!” Janice rushed in, her concern evident as she approached the bedside. “I heard what happened.”
“Hey, Janice,” Arabella murmured a faint greeting, fully aware that Janice was probably already privy to what had happened. She could bet that by the end of the day, the entire gang, courtesy of Janice, would know about her ordeal.
“Well, it seems the news is spreading fast,” Arabella remarked, rolling her eyes. “And if Sandro sent you here, let me tell you, I don’t want anything from him. I’d rather-”
“Hush, girl,” Janice interrupted, holding a finger to her lips. “I wouldn’t advise saying that aloud. You can be furious with him, but there are ways to channel your anger without inviting more punishment.”
Janice continued, her tone softer, “By the way, Blaze was the one who informed me about what happened. He told me you were awake, and I rushed here immediately. He seemed really upset.”
“He definitely was,” Arabella muttered. She recalled the heated exchange and shouting match she had had with Blaze before Sandro’s intervention. She could have sworn she detected a glimmer of anguish in his eyes.
“He said I should look after you,” Janice said.
“He did?”
“Of course,” Janice affirmed. “I told you he looked pissed. Did something happen? It’s only your second day here, and have you met him before?”
“Yes, we’ve met,” Arabella mumbled.
“Really?” Janice arched her brows. “Come on, spill it. Did he say anything? Are you two going out or something?”
Arabella opened her mouth to respond, but her stomach grumbled, interrupting her. She grimaced and patted it.
“I didn’t eat much last night, and it’s past breakfast time,” she mumbled, glancing at the wall clock.
“Don’t worry; I’ll arrange something for you. But promise me you’ll tell me everything about Blaze. He’s always grumpy, and I’ve never seen him care this much. I used to think he was a self-centered jerk until now.”
Arabella tilted her brow as Janice’s shoulders sagged. Janice wrapped a lock of her curly hair around her finger and twirled it while staring at nothing in particular. She bit her lower lip and let out a soft gasp.
“So mysterious and broody. He’s soooo my type,” Janice sighed, crossing her arms and closing her eyes.
Arabella rolled her eyes. She didn’t blame Janice for acting lovestruck-Blaze was undeniably good-looking. Heck, he looked even better than she remembered him from the last time she had seen him. Any warm-blooded woman would swoon over him. He was that perfect.
But not her. She wouldn’t fall for a man like him. She might have been somewhat interested earlier, but knowing what he was had changed all the perceptions she had about him. She doubted if he wasn’t hiding anything at all. He seemed like someone burdened with numerous secrets. Being Sandro’s second-in-command, she didn’t expect much from him.
“How about you get me some food, and we can talk about it later? Right now, I feel like I might die sooner if I don’t eat anything.”
“Of course,” Janice agreed.
She grinned and moved toward the door, then glanced back at Arabella. “You can freshen up. I brought some clothes for you to change into. Not sure if they’ll fit, though. They’re my old clothes.”
Arabella shrugged. “Anything should fit me.”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
“Okay,” Janice replied, rushing out of the room.
Arabella climbed down from the bed and walked to the door. She locked it and drew the curtains shut before returning to the mirror beside her bed.
Undressing from the hospital gown, Arabella winced as she observed the angry marks lining her back. She noticed two or three stitches and swallowed down the lump forming in her throat.
“God, I hate him,” she muttered, her eyes welling up. Sniffling, she blinked back the tears.
Rummaging through the bag, Arabella retrieved a gown instead of the jeans placed next to it. She didn’t believe she could fit into anything other than a gown. She wondered how long the wound on her back would take to heal and how much longer she would remain confined by Sandro.
For the time being, she couldn’t envision herself leaving anytime soon, and planning an escape seemed futile. She was clueless about her current location, and considering their past success, they would easily recapture her if she attempted to flee. She was exhausted from running. All she could do was hope for a savior, someone to rescue her.
After freshening up, Janice arrived promptly.
“Who’s eating with us?” Arabella asked, surprised.
“No one, just you.”
“Me?” Arabella snorted. “I can barely finish all of that.”
“Blaze filled all the plates and said…”
“Blaze?”
“Yes, he made me promise to ensure you eat everything,” Janice mumbled with a sigh. “He’s surprisingly caring.”
“There’s nothing caring about that. It’s an invasion of privacy, and we hardly know each other. He has no right to dictate what I should do,” Arabella rambled, crossing her arms.
“Whether he has the right or not, he seems to care about you genuinely. If I were you, I’d be intrigued by that.”
“That’s not something to be intrigued by. I never asked for his help.”
“Well, he volunteered,” Janice pointed out. “So, let’s eat. You need your strength.”
She nudged the tray in front of Arabella and smiled.
The toasty, nutty aroma of the waffles wafted into Arabella’s nostrils, making her mouth water. Her stomach grumbled once more, and she let out a breath.
“I suppose I do need my strength,” she mumbled, picking up a waffle.
“How does it taste?” Janice inquired, her brows furrowed.
“This is amazing,” Arabella mumbled, savoring the taste as the flavors burst in her mouth.
She devoured half of the bacon, nodding along with everything Janice was saying before focusing her gaze on her.
“You’re not really listening,” Janice pouted.
“This food is so good that it’s stealing half of my concentration.”
“Stealing it all,” Janice corrected her.
“I suppose I know what will take up all your attention then,” Sandro’s voice cut in.
Arabella winced as he entered the room. She stared at the half-eaten waffle in her hand and placed it back on the tray. Her voracious appetite vanished, replaced by the urge to spit out what was in her mouth on his face.
“Signore,” Janice greeted with a slight bow.
“Pack this up,” Sandro ordered, gesturing to the food tray. His eyes never left Arabella’s. “Take it to the master suite.”
“Yes, Signore.” Janice nodded quickly. With trembling hands, she packed everything and hurried out of the room.
Arabella glared at Sandro, crossing her arms over her chest. “What do you want?”
“You, nestled between my thighs, darling,” Sandro asserted, a smirk playing on his devilishly handsome face.
“W-what?” Arabella stuttered as he moved closer to her side.
“I want you screaming my name as I delve deep into your moist warmth. I want to fuck you, Tesoro Mio.”