Psychotic Love (a mafia love story)

Chapter 51

ECHO'S POV

I've been outside all day. Val comes in and out of the house to talk to me. I've learned a bit about him. He's a lot younger than he looks. I thought he was about 23, but he's actually freshly 19.

He brought me some pain meds a couple hours ago. They did no justice for my body, but my head's feeling a whole lot better.

Night is falling. It's pretty late in the fall so the air is chilly, but I'd still rather be out here than inside that house.

"Echo, come in, please. It's cold out there and all you have is a blanket." It feels nice to be called my name instead of slut or pet.

"No, I already told you. I'm not going back in unless I have to," I say, staring at the ripples that move along the surface of the pool.

"You do have to. Now get your ass in here." Arturo. I know that tone apart from any other. I turn around to see him standing in the doorway before getting up and making my way towards him. The chain he never disconnected me from drags behind me.

Arturo grabs me by the collar and releases me from the chain. With Val gone, though I knew he'd never save me, I feel more vulnerable than ever. "Have you been eating without my permission, pet?"

A chill surges through my core, solidifying me. How does he know? Can he smell the peach? The one I ate hours ago? How?

"No," I shudder. I ball my hands into fists to keep them from trembling. I force myself to look into his deep, murky irises because he hates it when I don't.

Arturo brings his mouth so close that his lips brush over my bruised cheek. He loudly exhales. His hot breath fans over my skin and stiffens me. "Are you lying to me?"

"N-no."

His tongue glides over my cheek and lips. And I stay as still as possible, my teeth chattering behind my lips. The trail of saliva he leaves on my skin makes me want to vomit. "So why do I taste the sweetness of a peach on your skin?" Fuck. Something told me to go inside and rinse my face off. I just didn't want to be in there a second longer than I'd have to. "Why do I smell it on you?"

There's no way he can smell the peach. I did let a bit of the juice dry on my cheeks, so maybe he can taste it. But smell it? I can't even fucking smell it. Maybe he saw me on camera. "I-I didn't eat anything."

Arturo strikes my face with a hard slap. My head shoots to the side and a whimper manages to escape my lips. "If I have to ask you again, you're going in the meat freezer."

My heart sits in my throat, feeling like an enormous rock. He's terrorized me with the threat of putting me in the freezer before. He's never done it but I take him seriously every time he says it. The only reason he hasn't done it is because he'd always have something better to do with me. I'm sure he'd rather take me over his desk than have me harden in a freezer any day. I don't want to go in there though, so I break.

"I ate. I...I was hungry and your brother said it was okay." the words come out breathy as I try to stay calm.

His eyes dart back and forth between mine. Anger swirls in his irises, nearly showing me visions of the things he'll do to me. Arturo strikes me across the face again. My cheek stings like it's been pricked by a thousand needles.

"You only eat when I allow you." He slaps me again and I can't keep my sobs from escaping my throat. Why do I always have to cry? It doesn't matter how hard I try to hold back my tears, they always manage to evade. All I do is fuel Arturo with my fear. Like a wraith, he feeds off of it. And I can't help but allow him because I can't fucking control my emotions.