A/N: Again, Liam Luciano is one person. {edited}
* * *
"That was the stupidest thing you could've done."
I groaned, my eyes fluttering open. My vision cleared and I found myself staring into two very handsome faces. Immediately, I recognized them. Not only were they the mysterious men that broke into my house, knocked me out, and kidnapped me; but they were also the total sweethearts – note the sarcasm – that introduced themselves to me in that concrete hell-hole.
Hell-hole. I frowned, my eyebrows furrowing together quickly. My hands shot out from under the silky white duvet and I grabbed at the mattress that supported my weight. I rolled my head to the right, sinking deeper into the down-feathered pillow that propped my head up. To my right was a nightstand; a digital clock and a lamp. The clock read 11:46am. To my left was another nightstand, an empty picture frame sat alone on its oak wood.
"I didn't think you'd ever wake up," Luis said. I rolled my head back over, staring at the both of them, my lips pursed closed. At times, his accent wasn't so noticeable, but other times it was thick; making it hard for me to understand him. I noticed both him, and William, stood above me on either side of the bed, their arms folded, frowns on both their faces.
"Where am I?" My lips cracked even more at my attempt to speak and my throat burned. I tried to prop myself up with my arms, but I gently fell back down, weak. William stepped back, combing a hand through his blonde locks. Luis did the same, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. With them out the way, I was able to analyze the room I was in even more.
The walls looks freshly painted, kissed with a beautiful cream color. The carpet matched the walls. The room was huge; all the furniture giving off a Victorian style look. A dresser sat in the corner on my left, right beside another door; one I assumed that led towards the bathroom. Directly across from my bed, two thick, oak wood doors sat cracked, more than likely leading into the hallway.
"It doesn't matter where you are," William finally answered, turning back to me. "You're just lucky to still be alive."
"Lucky?" I heard Luis breath, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips, "More like blessed; we need to have a talk, young lady."
"A talk?" I countered back, shooting up from my seat. The room spun for a few seconds, but I held my ground. No way was I showing them any signs of weakness. "Damn right we need to have a talk! Where am I? Why am I here? Who are you guys? Why did you kidnap me? Why don't I remember anything? And who the hell was the bastard that slapped me?" I raked a hand through my naturally red hair, my eyes shooting back and forth between them both.
They sighed, gave each other a look, and shrugged. "You're in Chicago," William answered first, smiling a bit. I stopped him right there.
"Chicago?" My mouth dropped, "Please," I breathe out, "Please tell me that there's a town in Maryland named Chicago that I am unaware of because I swear on everything that is holy, if that bastard--"
Luis held up a hand, and I clamped my mouth shut, still fuming. If I had the strength I would get up out of his bed and attack them both. No, I don't know karate; but I do know crazy. I motioned for them to continue.
Luis answered this time, "Look, I know you're confused, but we can't tell you why you're here."
"So I'm here for a reason?" My mind was already racing. If I was here for a reason, this meant my kidnapping wasn't for fun, per say; they needed me. It calmed me a little, knowing they needed me – meaning they wouldn't kill me; but what did they need me for?
I noticed William out the corner of my eye, slightly nodding, yet also shaking his head. He, too, didn't know how to respond to my question. Luis was stumbling over a way to avoid my question, but William answered for him. "Look, if we say anything, Luciano will kill us-"
"-but not before chopping off our dicks and water-boarding us," Luis added with a smile.
Luciano.
My stomach dropped. I felt the blood leaving my extremities, my feet and fingers slowly growing cold. "L-Luciano?" I stuttered, looking up at them, "You mean the man that practically runs the Mafia?"
"-He doesn't run it, per say," William chuckled; I saw him think for a second, choosing his words wisely. I waited for him to speak again, but he closes his mouth and refuses to say anything else.
I continued, "-you mean that-" I pointed out the door, as if he were standing right there, "-the-"
"The man you hacked on?" Luis added, smiling. William was nodding at this point. "Yeah, that was Liam Luciano."
I groaned, very, very loudly. Suddenly I felt nauseous and my head felt light. He was more famously known as one of the top three families in the Mafia; known mostly for killing anyone and anything that got in his way. I was educated thanks to my father. He had always been interested in mafia dealings – keeping articles, pictures, anything he could find on the criminal underworld. Every day people lived their lives, not aware that the mafia was still around. Law enforcement let them be; knowing if they got in the way, they would be killed to.
My head dropped to the pillow; all I wanted was for this bed to swallow me up – drop me into an abyss – and allow me to land safe and sound in my beautiful Maryland home. Again, I sighed and spoke, talking to myself, "I spit on the multi-millionaire--"
"-billionaire. Multi-billionaire."
William and Luis' heads whipped around; not out of fright or intimidation, but in acknowledgment. I sat up and pushed my back against the headboard. Luciano had a voice that could turn heads.
The two oak doors that had once been cracked now banged themselves against the wall – the force of whatever pushed them open causing their loud reaction. Luciano stood under the doorway, his hands shoved deep into the pocket of his dress pants. He wore a grey Armani suit with a navy blue tie; a white dressed shirt tucked neatly beneath his suit jacket; he was dangerously handsome.
His dark hair was tousled to perfection; some would consider it the perfect 'bed hair', whereas I had a feeling he wore it that way for a reason. His jaw appeared to stay clenched, only defining his facial features even more. His five-o'clock shadow served him well, giving him more of a mature look; one I wouldn't be surprised he was going for. Yet, I don't think he needed one for intimidation; his behavior and the way he simply carried himself seemed to intimidate people enough.
Luciano strode towards the end of the bed, stopping a few feet away. I noticed movement behind him, and another man walked in. He was taller than William, Luis, and Luciano; but he didn't scare me. His hair was black, his skin color matching Liam's to the tee, and if my eyes weren't deceiving me, they looked slightly similar.
"I sent you both up here almost an hour ago," Luciano stated, cutting to the chase. That's when I noticed that he was the only one with a suit on. William wore a plain white t-shirt and ripped jeans. Luis had on almost the same thing, except a white hoodie, and black jeans. The new, Italian looking man behind Luciano had on a pair of red jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt; tucked between his arm and his torso, I noticed an iPad.
I turned my attention to William and Luis. They both nodded, acknowledging the fact that their chat with me had gone slightly over their bosses 'time-limit'.
"You know about me and my patience," He continued, his eyebrows connecting. William and Luis nodded apologetically. If Luciano had laser vision, Luis and William would've been disintegrated on the bedroom floor by now. I had to say something.
"It was my fault-"
That got their attention.
Everyone turned and looked at me, their faces sketched with a surprised expression; everyone, except Luciano. He stood there, his hands still in his pockets – his eyes boring holes into my skull.
The man I had never seen before stepped forward and extended a warm hand. He nodded respectively as I took it. "Miss Crawford," He greeted with a tilt of his head. "The name's Alex."
Miss Crawford. "Yes," I whispered reflectively, "Faith." That was my name. I closed my eyes for a second, a wave of emotion hitting me. I remembered my name.
Faith Crawford.
"You remembered," I opened my eyes, greeted by the demanding voice once more. Our eyes met, but only for a second, before he turned, already talking to William and Luis.
My mouth hit the floor. His Spanish speaking was fluent – his accent flawless. I watched as he had started to march his way towards the door; but he turned on a dime, his grey eyes piercing mine. The question he asked next was the definition of random, "Were you ever suicidal?"
The question danced through my head, flashbacks from high-school entered my mind; being pushed down the stairs, kicked, slapped...
I felt my face warm up and I lowered my head, lying straight through my teeth, "No," The room was eerily quiet, something I noticed that happened a lot, especially when Liam was in the room. I could feel his eyes still on me, studying me and my behavior.
"Will, keep an eye on her while she's in the bathroom; I don't want her dead-" He nodded towards his accomplices, and turned. He walked away with a chip on his shoulder, a certain level of confidence following him wherever he went. As he left, we heard him laugh at something Alex had said. Luciano replied, loud enough for the room to hear; for me to hear. "-I don't want her dead yet." He was accompanied by another laugh, before the doors slammed closed, leaving me alone with my two newly found friends
I turned to my two friends. "What did he say to you all?" I was referring to his previous Spanish-speaking antics; something I was not expecting. William and Luis joined each other on my left, pulling down my covers and each grabbing on to one arm. I attempted to stand, my legs felt like jelly and if it weren't for them, I would've been well acquainted with the floor.
Luis translated, "He said to get you something to eat, drink, and to find you something to wear. He also gave us permission to show you around the house."
"He also said you should take a shower-" William smirked, "I agree; you reek, Crawford."
"William," the tone of my voice came out playfully as they helped me walk, keeping me balanced. I held onto both of their forearms as they led me towards the bathroom.
His boyish grin made me smile, "Please," He spoke, "Call me Will."
* * *
The shower was refreshing and desperately needed. I was able to rush the dirt and dried blood from my arms, my face, and my legs. I soaked my hair in shampoo that had been left near the shower and I scrubbed my scalp for what felt like hours, rinsing the dirt from my head.
Once I was finished, I stood in front the mirror, running a hand through my locks, which fell just below my shoulders. Securely wrapping the plush white towel around my small frame, I opened the bathroom door.
William sat on the edge of my bed, his eyes scanning his phone. I clutched my towel tighter, praying it didn't slip.
"Oh," He looked up, "You're out."
Sliding the phone in his pocket, he stood up and turned around, displaying the clothes on my bed. "I know they probably aren't the cutest clothes in the world...but..." I walked closer, my eyes running along the clothes that were sprawled out on the bed. "-Here's a couple pairs of sweatpants I found; I outgrew them a while ago, but I couldn't let them go-" He pointed at a pair of grey and black sweats. "-Here's a hoodie; they're all clean but-" I looked up at him as he spoke, and he smiled, "We're going to have to take you shopping, Ms. Crawford."
"You can call me Faith," I forced a laugh, "-but thank you, for, you know," I motion towards the baggy looking sweatpants, "parting with your beloved sweatpants for the time being."
He responds with a smile.
"Look," William made his way towards the door, "When you're finished, just take a left down the hall and come downstairs; your brunch will be waiting for you." At the mention of 'brunch', I shot a look at the clock. 12:53pm. He was beginning to close the door when I called him back.
"Wait! Will?" He turned around, eyebrows raised. "Two questions; what day is it and do you remember if I had a watch on when you guys . . ." I bit my lip. "you know . . . kidnapped me?" He seemed to smile at my nervousness.
"It's Tuesday, and yeah you did; a gold one?"
I nodded, that was the one.
"Yeah," He confirmed, "Liam took it when we stripped you down. I felt my face heat up at the thought. Oh God, they've seen me naked?! As if on cue, William held out his hands, "Not like that!" He laughed nervously, "As in of your phone... your watch... hair clips... things like that." I nod slowly.
"Is there any way I can get it back? My watch, I mean, it's important to me."
I watched him shuffle his feet. It seemed as though he wanted to tell me 'yes', but something was holding him back. "You would have to talk to Luciano, sorry Faith." A smile crept upon my lips as he said my name; Faith. I nodded. "Hurry up," He added, "Luis makes some bomb pancakes-" and with that, he strutted out the room, shutting the thick door behind him.
It took me about 15 minutes to get completely dressed. The grey sweatpants that I chose were baggy around my legs, forming a puddle near my feet; but I yanked the strings around my waist, securing their position there. Keeping my bra on, I swung the white hoodie over my head and pulled it down; it too, was baggy. The sleeves ended at about my knuckles, so I pushed them up towards my elbows. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to keep it as tamed as possible and after sliding on a pair of ankle socks, I stepped out into the hallway.
To say the hallway was "huge" would've been an understatement. The ceiling went on for another 10 – maybe more – feet. My feet sank even deep into the carpet and it felt like I was walking on air. I turned towards my left, investigating the hallway. There were three more pairs of double doors – all in a row – looking very similar to mine; probably bedrooms. To my right, a little farther down, was another set of doors; but these were much fancier than mine.
The base color was white; and they easily had the other oak wood doors by another foot in height. Painted gold rings were the handles, unlike the doorknobs on the room I had been thrown into.. I shrugged, it was probably Luciano's room.
I turned, remembering William's invitation to brunch. The smell of pancakes and maple syrup wafted through the air, and my stomach clenched, growling loudly. I took a step towards the direction of the stairs when a voice stopped me; when the voice stopped me.
It was coming through the white doors; and curiosity took over. Quietly, hoping the house didn't creak, I crept my way over to the doors, and listened.
"You have the girl?" A voice I didn't recognize spoke, a very thick Russian accent following. It sounded farther away, but I could definitely identify that it was a man.
"Mr. Corinelli, I told you I would get her before you – or the Costello's did." Luciano; I could recognize that voice anywhere.
"She's worth a lot of money, Liam-" The voice took on a whole new tone. I frowned. They were clearly talking about me; so why was I worth a 'a lot' of money? My curiosity in the conversation only deepened; and slowly I slid down the wall, getting in a seated position. My back was against the door, my legs curled up towards my chest.
"I-"
The Corinelli man cut Luciano off. "I can't let something like that go. If you think I'm going to let you keep that girl then you're damn wrong. I will pull out every trick in the book, Liam. The Costello's are going to try to get her too, and if you don't think they will, then you must be high. But that girl, that money, it's mine."
The empowering voice was heard once again; but instead of fear, I felt safe; even if it was only for a few seconds. "Well then, Corinelli, tell your buddies and while you're at it, tell Costello that you're both going to have to go through me to get her, and nobody has ever survived to tell that story." Pride seeped through Luciano's voice, along with confidence and a pinch of a boastful attitude.
A shiver rolled down my spine, my frown only deepening; fear entered my heart – and I knew this was long from over. Whatever I had been dragged into – it was only just beginning.
I hadn't even begun to stand when my back supporter gave way, and I fell backwards. I cursed when my bruised back hit the ground.
Liam Luciano towered over me, his hand still gripping the door. His eyes darkened, and the vein in his arm was beginning to stand out. He clenched his jaw tight, and he blinked. After what felt like eternity, he spoke.
"Ears burning, Miss Crawford?"
* * *
a/n: ya'll I'm re-reading this while I edit and I'm screeching like I don't know what's gonna happen.
| twitter ; tkxo_official |