---------------------------
Angelo's pov:
My father looks up as I open the door, I sigh and frown. He seems annoyingly happy this morning. Which, inherently, will end up ruining my mood.
"What? You aren't excited to see your dear old dad?" He says, shaking his head in mock shock.
No, i'd rather rip my own eyes out of their sockets then engage in a lecture or listen to snobby comments with no substance.
"I didn't think you would be home this early... I thought you weren't getting in till tonight." I say exasperated. I close the door, and walk over to my desk, rifling through papers, looking for specific forms I need him to sign, now that he's here.
He shakes his head knowingly as I hand him packets of forms he needs to go over. "So is she hot?" He asks shamelessly, talking about Ruth.
I clench my jaw, careful not to show any annoyance. "Who?" I say, playing dumb.
"You know who." He narrows his eyes at me with a devilish smirk.
I focus my eyes on my desk. "Yeah, of course she is." I say playing into his game, giving him a smirk and slightly laughing.
He nods his head. "Ah, maybe I should go see for myself." My father suggest.
"We have a lot of work to do." I object a little too quickly for my taste.
He shakes his head agreeing to forget the subject of Ruth for now. "Tell me, did my son come up with a plan good enough to impress his father." He speaks in third person, almost annoyingly.
I explain my plan to him, as he nods his head approvingly. For a plan I just came up with last night he seems pretty satisfied.
"It's not often that you impress me, but you have exceeded my expectations. Well done." He grumbles. "So more importantly, how did the ceremony go, was our new bride compliant?" He chuckles.
"Not at first, but she quickly changed her ways." I say looking down at my files.
Fuck.
"Ah, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, it seems." He smirks, sharing a private joke with me.
I frown at his words. Do I really want to be like my father?
I brush those thoughts away, because of course I want to be like him. I only hope I can measure up to his status when I take over.
--------------------
Once my father and I finish work, he says he's going out, business meetings I assume. I'm happy to see him leave. I cant take his company for long periods of time.
I wander into the kitchen, feeling starved. Maria, my house maid, stands in the kitchen cleaning. "Has Ruth eaten yet?" I interrupt.
Maria smiles turning around with grace. "No Mr. Giuseppe, she hasn't come out of her room all day." She comments impassively. "She hasn't eaten." I ponder, bringing my fingers up to the top of my nose. The least I could do is feed the girl.
Once Maria is done making our food, I thank her and head to Ruth's bedroom. I lightly knock, then I step inside. When I walk in she's lying on her bed peacefully sleeping, she looks like she's been crying, she has mascara streaks all down her face. She still looks beautiful, I note.
I set the plate down on her side table and I stand there for quite some time, just looking at her.
It makes me angry that she was crying, angry at her. I don't know why I'm angry, I just am. I scowl at her even though she can't see my face.
I could say I don't know the reason for my anger all day, but I must face the facts, hurting Ruth made me regret things and I hate the feeling of regret. I hate feeling at all.
I see the bruises and get even more mad, why couldn't she just accept that this is what we had to do to form a merger? Why did she have to be so difficult?
Fuck. Why couldn't have I been calmer? More patient? I could have handled everything differently.
I rub my forehead, trying to push away my oncoming head ache.
She's just confused, stressed, and angry. I cant blame her, she's in a new element, of course she doesn't want to be here.
I storm out of that room before I do anything rash, and decide to call my father and see what club he's at so I can join him, so we can join him.
He tells me he's at club Babylon {BABA-LON}, one of the ones he owns. He's meeting with Ruth's brother Eric and a few of our men to discuss future prospects for this merger. I tell him we will be there in twenty minutes.
Ruth's pov:
Someone knocks loudly on my door, waking me up from the much needed nap I just took. I get out of bed, rubbing my eyes and try to fix my hair as best as I can.
I notice a plate of pasta and salad sit on my side table. Who brought me food? I didn't even realize I was this hungry as I sheepishly take forkfuls of Alfredo into my mouth.
Just as I'm about to venture out of the isolated room, I hear a light knock at the door before a well dressed Angelo appears at the door.
I cross my arms, a confused expression taking over my puffy face.
What did I do now?
"Get ready we're going out." Angelo roars at me. "What? why?" I protest in a throaty voice, from sleep.
He does a double take. "Because I said so." He says lowly. He glances in the direction of the food. "Finish eating, then we will leave." He declares in a final statement.
I bite my nails, suddenly remembering who this man is and what he can do to me. I'm all-of-a sudden cautious of him, "Where?" I say in a whisper feeling defeated.
"Prerequisite meeting at the club." He whispers, lingering for only a couple seconds more like he has somthing stuck on the tip of his tongue. But then he yanks the door shut and I plop back down on the bed putting my face into my hands.
Every single interaction with him makes me feel powerless and strangely, like i'm no longer in control of my own body or emotions.
I go to my closet after putting makeup on, and I pick out one of my favorite dresses, a burgundy velvet, spaghetti strap, dress, that extends down to mid thigh. It hugs my curves, just the way I like it.
I might as well enjoy this as much as I can.
I put on some last minute touches, like my black high heels, a necklace with a single pearl on the silver chain, and silver earrings with diamonds in them, gifted to me by my mother before she died.
I grab my black shiny purse with a gold chain as the strap, and head out into the living room. Angelo's standing near the coffee table looking at his watch, slightly irritated and hurried.
I want to roll my eyes, but I decide against it.
"Your new phone," He growls roughly, snaking his veiny hands into his perfectly curly hair and handing me the iphone. I still don't understand the dramatics of taking the first one. He's kind of a superstitious freak.
His driver opens the limo door for me, welcoming me with a warm smile, but it quickly disappears when Angelo glares at Enzo as if to claim me as his property. I clench my fist throwing an apologetic smile back at the nice driver.
There's 7 new text messages and 2 missed calls. Gracie texted me 5 times, probably wondering where I am and why I haven't answered her text for so long.
(One missed call from Gracie!)
(Gracie:) Hey, why didn't you answer my call?
(Gracie:) Hello?
(Gracie:) I'm getting worried...
(Gracie:) Pls text me back!!
(Gracie:) Are you ignoring me?
(Ruth:) No, I'm not ignoring you, I broke my phone and I just got a new one today. I can't talk right now, call me later?
I lie to Gracie, because she knows nothing about my real life. I was always going to tell her eventually, I just never really got around to it. Now I don't even know if we can have any kind of friendship anymore, due to my circumstances. I met Gracie at the all girls private school we both attended.
I scroll through my contacts and I see Angelo's name in it. I slightly cringe, he thinks of everything.
I shut off my phone when we arrive. Angelo holds the door open and I step out. I'm already wobbling in my heels, and I haven't even had one drink yet.
It's dark outside, by the time we get there the club has a line extending down the whole block. I can already hear the music from the outside. Angelo walks toward the front of the line and I follow. The bouncer removes the red rope allowing us entry, when he sees Angelo.
We step inside, It's unbelievably loud. There's flashing multicolored lights everywhere and spotlights circling the crowd of people on the dance floor. It smells of weed and sweaty people.
Angelo grips my wrist in his hand, pulling me through the crowd, I squirm and he grips tighter.
We make it to the VIP area and Angelo finally lets go. I rub my wrist.
There's five men sitting on the red velvet couches, on the right is a man I presume to be Angelo's' father, next to him sits my brother Eric, and in the middle is Louis, the man who came into my room the other night. On the left are two men I don't recognize.
"The prodigal son returns, and with arm candy." Angelo's father says. Angelo immediately tenses upon seeing him. The other men laugh, sucking up to Mr. Giuseppe. "Come, sit." Mr. Giuseppe says to us, almost yelling because of the loud music.
I hesitantly go to sit next to Angelo's father, but Angelo steps in front of me, taking his seat next to his father. I take my seat next to Angelo, as the men continue their conversations of small talk and business.
After a few minutes of boring small talk Mr. Giuseppe pulls out a small container of white powder, and a couple joints for the appetizer.
"Angelo, why don't you go grab us a couple drinks." Mr. Giuseppe says laughing, like he's sharing a private joke, rather than asking his son to do something for him.
Angelo looks at me and then looks at his father contemplating something in his head. He hesitantly gets up and makes his way to the bar, I watch him go.
Mr. Giuseppe laughs at his friends like they have a secret everyone knows, but me.
While Eric, Louis, and the others have their own conversation, no longer paying attention to Mr. Giuseppe. He looks at me and slowly slides his hand onto my inner thigh near my crotch, sliding up my dress.
My heartbeat speeds, and my breathing quickens.
He whispers into my ear, "I'm sure my son would be willing to share you." Slurring his words. I shiver as he slides his cold clammy hand further up my dress. He kisses my neck slowly, and then scoots away when he notices Angelo coming back with drinks.
I let out a huge sigh of relief.
Angelo sets the drinks down and slides into his seat, separating me and his father.
He notices my upset expression, my shocked expression, And he pulls out a joint from his pocket, perfectly made. He sticks it in his mouth and lights it, taking a big drag. Then he hands it to me while he blows out the smoke slowly.
I put the joint in my mouth, sucking, inhaling the warm smoke, welcoming its familiar taste. Then I blow the smoke out slowly.
He watches me, I hand him back the joint, "You don't have to sit here with us, you can go have fun." He gestures to the bar and the dance floor. I nod my head in agreement. "Just put it on my card." His expression has softened from earlier. He hands me his card.
He's so hot and cold, its giving me whip lash.
Once at the bar I order a cranberry vodka spritz. A women sits next to me at the bar, she orders a pina colada. She gets up to leave her seat and when she does, she bumps into me, spilling her drink on the side of my dress.
"Oh my god! I'm such a klutz. I'm so so sorry" She yells over the music. "Can we get some napkins over here." She yells to the bartender. He hands her some napkins and she blots the areas where the drink was spilled.
"I swear to god, I always do stuff like this when I'm drunk. I'm so sorry, did I ruin your dress?" She rambles out.
"It's totally fine, it will definitely wash out. And if it doesn't I have the same one in black." I say laughing, while she blots my dress with the napkins.
"Oh my god." She says for the second time tonight. "You're so chill."
"I'm Angela by the way." She says in a peppy tone of voice.
"I'm Ruth, It's nice to meet you." I say.
"It's pretty dry now." She says after blotting for a couple moments. "I will SO pay for dry cleaning." She exclaims.
"No really, it's fine." I say laughing.
Angela has long curly brown hair and blue eyes, she's wearing a tight black dress that hugs her body. She has a really pretty serpent tattoo on the side of her neck.
"So why are you sitting at the bar alone?" She asks. "I'm sorry, is that too forward? My boyfriend is always telling me I'm too forward." She laughs. I laugh along with her.
"I'm just waiting for my husband to get done with his meeting." I answer, pointing to Angelo. She looks over at the group and nods her head, with a look I can't decipher.
It's so weird to call him my husband, when I've only known him for two days.
"Wow, you seem really young to be married."
"Yeah I agree." I say laughing at my own joke.
"It was really nice meeting you and i'm so sorry again for your dress!" She exclaims, walking away from the bar.
"It was nice meeting you too!" I yell over the music.
I sip my vodka spritz looking through my phone, there's a missed call from Gracie. I should call her, I decided. I really need my friend right now, after what happened with Angelo's dad.
I leave my spritz by the bar taking one last gulp.
I exit out of the door that has the big glowing red exit sign on it. It opens to an alleyway, the Miami heat floods my body.
I scroll through my contacts trying to find Gracie's number.
I hear noises from the end of the alleyway and I look up. There's a bunch of men coming toward me, some dressed in suits and some in casual attire. And Angela? What is she doing out here, and with them? I back further away from the men coming toward me, further away from the door I came out of.
They walk faster, coming closer, I'm backed into a corner and there's nowhere to run. Before I know it, I'm surrounded.
"Ah, what do we have here," One of the men says, laughing.
"I- I don't want a- any trouble," I trip over my words. They all laugh.
"Are you sure this is Angelo's wife?" One of the men asks Angela. "Yes, I'm sure. She told me herself." Angela says with a cold smirk that will haunt my dreams.
One of the men grabs me and pushes me up against the wall. "Should we take her for ransom?" He asks the man in the suit. He's holding my arms up against the wall tight enough to leave bruises, I struggle against his grip, "Please, don't do this!" I plead.
"Shut up." He slaps me across the face so hard my head whips to the side.
I'm so terrified. His nails dig into my skin, and I scream. Tears rush down my hot cheek.
The other man with a suit comes up to me and pulls out a knife, and holds it up to my neck. I stop struggling immediately, if I move the wrong way it could slice my neck open. I notice a serpent tattoo on the side of his neck just like the one Angela has.
"Tell us how they were going to steal back the shipments, and we won't hurt you." The man with the serpent tattoo stares blankly.
"I don't know anything! I swear!" I say crying. Which is true. I know nothing about what this man is talking about.
He lightly slices the skin on my neck making blood slowly ooze from the cut. I cry out in pain, tears falling down my cheeks. I slowly close my eyes, accepting that this is how I'm gonna die.
But then I hear gunshots, time slows down and everything feels blurry.
The man that held the knife against my neck, lets go of the knife, while the life drains out of his eyes and he slowly slumps down at my feet.
Angelo stands in front of me with a bloody knife in his hand. He just stabbed the guy exactly where his serpent tattoo was.
Angelo drops the knife, and I run into his arms crying. He reluctantly puts his arms around me, smearing the serpent blood all over my back.
——————————-
Hi my baby's!! 🤎
like and comment!