THE PROPOSAL
Italians knew something about big houses. When the sleek town car stops in front of Salvatore Manor I can't help but appreciate not only the size of the estate but the architecture as well. Tall stunning columns contrasted against the dark brick and dark wide windows. Vines crept up the sides of the house in a manicured kind of chaos — the house looked old, a sanctuary passed down through family and this particular family was incredibly old. The wide cherry wooden doors open and a man presents himself. He's tall, angular, everything about him is sharp and piercing. Eyes the color of sand, hair so dark that it could disappear into the shadows, and the largest nose I've ever seen.
Carter Donaldson opens the car door for me before I slip out of my seat. Cool summer air flutters across my face as I adjust my coat jacket, I did not know what was worse in this moment — the fact that I was about to tell a man that I was marrying his daughter without his permission or the fact that it was Nehemiah Salvatore's reputation to shoot people without a flicker of emotion in his eyes. The door slams behind as I wait for the man to meet me halfway down the grand entry way. Harvey and Adonis are so close to me that I can feel their body heat, their hands resting on their guns. The man grins at me but it is not as friendly as I believe he intends it to be. I do not smile.
"Darnell Davidson. What can I do for you, miss?" His voice sounds like gravel. Shivers roll up my skin and raise my hairs in alarm, somehow he was triggering my fight or flight senses.
"A meeting with Nehemiah Salvatore."
He scoffs, "and who are you to demand such a thing?"
I slip out a card from my jacket pocket along with the pretty Angel necklace that I had confiscated from Alana when I had searched her. The card has my gangs crest on it. I wrapped the necklace around the card and presented it to him. His eyes narrowed before widening.
"Where is she?" Darnell's voice becomes threatening and I have to wonder how long he has known Alana to know her necklace by glance. Before he can swipe the necklace away, I pocket it. "You are the leader of the Northern Dragons."
"You're so smart. Now that meeting or I text my friends and you can have the neck to match the necklace."
"This way." He turns swiftly and before I know it he is taking me through the maze of a house. Hallways after hallways and so many stairs that anyone could get lost and be discovered five years later. I didn't like the fact that he was taking me this way simply to confuse me, they had designed this house simply to leave people lost and hopeless — unaware how to escape. Surprisingly, I was not that dumb.
I could feel the eyes of my bodyguards on me as soon as I stepped into the dimly lit hallway, they were on high alert like me. We didn't like being cornered and though we had walked into this prison on our own accord, we were going to make sure that we would not get trapped. This hallway screamed old and important, it also gave off the vibes that it had experienced bloodshed and horror in the past. My feet clacked against the wood in the dead silence and each step felt closer and closer to danger. This place held secrets and a darkness that I have yet to known and a big part of me was scared to discover. Had this been the home Diana was terrified to return to that night? Flashes of rain and cries and promises that I have yet to keep hum in my ear.
The walls were decorated with a deep crimson patterned wallpaper with candles lining the walls, the floor was dark mahogany wood, and there were two wooden doors that seemed to be locked in place. Those doors reminded me of what I imagine the gates of hell would resemble. Things as simple as doors hold back the power of evil, twisted, men.
Doors do not hold me back.
The doors open slowly and in the middle is a man causally sitting in a black and gold chair that towered over him. It was a throne. It was not made of jewels or diamonds but it was a throne either way. As beautiful as it was, it was not the intricate details of the throne that made it a throne. It was simply the iron made man in it. A dark skinned man with tuffs of black hair trimmed and styled neat, eyes like obsidian, and an oval set jawline. He wore black suit and with tones of the deepest navy blue with a darkly floral tie — it didn't fit the room or his intimidating glaring aura that pressed against my body, but somehow it was exactly what was to be expected of a man like him. I just couldn't help but think that if you took the man from the throne it would be nothing but a stupid chair.
He didn't sit alone, the iron made man. A woman just as steel and iron as him smiled kindly but her eyes were sapphire daggers. Soft golden brown hair pinned to the back in a bun that unraveled some. She wore the same floral design as the one in her husband's tie.
The only thing is that it was a grandiose painting and not actually them. When we stepped deeper into the room three people sat around each other in much more casual wear — mid laugh as they sipped on alcohol. The scene splayed out in front of me was nothing like the domineering aesthetic of the house. It appeared to be three friends catching up after a long time.
"Darnell, it is tea time and I was not expecting visitors." It wasn't one of the men who spoke, it was the woman.
A hint of fear lined Darnell's face, he was in an impossible position. "I'm terribly sorry Mrs. Salvatore, but you have a pressing matter to absolve."
"Concerning?"
"Your daughter." I answer before traveling deeper into the room. Sunlight poured across my body as I dangle the necklace into view, playing with it as if I thought it was the most amusing thing in the world. As if I didn't know how threatening this simple act was, I sit in the fourth seating chair before beginning to pour a cup of tea.
She stood, a gun at my head in seconds. "Where is she?"
"Hopefully not dead." I said carelessly as I searched for the sugar. "Put down the gun, Mrs. Salvatore. To kill you would be most unpleasant. Where is the sugar?"
"Where is Alana?" She questions without wavering.
I press on the device in my other hand before setting it on the table before lifting the top of one of the miniature containers. "Sugar! I won't be greedy, I'll only take three cubes, I like sweetness."
"MY DAUGHTER! Where is she?" Elaisa demanded and I appreciated her audacity to yell at me when I was already overly stressed about my looming engagement.
"We can have a civil conversation over tea or I let my friends know to come in guns blazing."
Her gun wavers at that, "Is she alive?"
"As far as I know, she's alive but my friends can be a little rough." I shrug, "And you know how she has such a pretty little spitfire attitude"
A scrunch of the eyebrows, "What do you want for my daughter in return?"
I shoot her. She screams and falls to the floor and the men around me instantly draw their guns. Harvey and Adonis raise their own guns at the trio, I wasn't too concerned by the situation. They could kill me but how would they get Alana back alive? Plus, I shot her in the foot, she was going to be perfectly fine.
"What the fuck is your problem?" Green eyed man questions in shock and mild confusion. "Where is my niece?"
The dark haired man grins wildly but I can tell he's pissed off. It's not the kind of grin that gives you the feelings of happiness, it's the kind of grin that sends fear into your body. I like the way he's grinning at me, it reminds me of my smile whenever I look in the mirror.
"I hate shooting people but my time is limited so please don't bore me with questions like where is my daughter." My questions were far more important, "Where is Nehemiah Salvatore?"
The dark haired man says. "My brother is on a business trip."
I chuckle, "No doubt sitting with Scotty Fraiser at Fraiser Manor planning my demise."
The three of them look at each other anxiously. So they knew who I was and what I was capable of doing to their daughter. Even more so, they knew what Elasia Salvatore's daughter had been up to for her to be in such a position. There was no confusion of the situation and that made me even more annoyed.
"She was just doing what her father told her to do, let her go." The green eyed man said as Elaisa wrung her hands nervously.
I take a croissant and sink my teeth into to it. I can't help but moan as a coat of honey tingles across my tongue. "This is amazing, are they always this fluffy and flakey?"
"Yes." Elaisa responds.
"Are these store bought?"
Teeth gritted, "No."
I smile after taking another amazing bite and swallowing, "Good greatness, I'll have to steal your cook, they're truly fantastic."
I talk to them as if we're great friends and from the burrowing of their eyebrows and setting of jaws I can tell they're not the greatest fan of this. Nevertheless, I wasn't too worried about their anger, because they knew what killing me meant and they were not as stupid as they looked.
"What do you want for my daughter?" Elaisa huffs out, she looks extremely pale, so I reframe from shooting her again at the stupid question.
"Her hand in marriage."
The look of shock over their faces was quite amusing, "What?"
"For her life, I want her hand in marriage."
"She's already promised to Richard-"
"Unpromise her." I reply before sipping on the hot eucalyptus tea.
Elaisa shakes her head at the idea. "We can't do that."
Setting down the cup, I wave over Harvey. He sets the two cases of cash by my side. "I'll pay you twice the amount that Scotty Fraiser is paying."
"Scotty Fraiser isn't paying anything for her hand in marriage." Elaisa says.
"No dowry?" I sit back, "then why marry her off?"
"Survival." The dark haired man said. "There is a war coming, tell me you don't feel it?"
My mother's words come back to me, "I can't say I do."
"Something big and bad is going to happen and we all have to do what we need to do to survive."
"Yes, I agree." I nod to his words. "Very well, I can promise you survival."
"Not like Scotty and Richard, they have connections far wider than yours. You may have a domineering reputation, Ms. Grey, but you are still a child." Elaisa says sincerely and for a second I think I remind her of someone. It's the way she is looking at me that sends chills down my spine and I have to contain myself.
"I can promise you survival if you approve her hand in marriage to me but I can also promise destruction if you don't. Starting with her neck being ripped apart from her body and delivered to your doorstep." Empty threats, I knew that's what it was but they didn't, and the absolute malice in my voice aided that.
In truth, Alana Salvatore is mine. I would be damned if I let her marry anyone but me. I would be damned if anyone but me every laid a hand on that perfect body of hers. It was easy to say that our connection was just physical, but a very strong part of me didn't quite believe that. She was more than her body to me, I just didn't exactly know what she was yet.
"Connections or not, Richard Fraiser will be the end of your daughter, she will be nothing but a doormat to him. She will not be a doormat to me, when she marries me she will be my queen." I present the piece of paper that solidifies this agreement. "Do you want to be the mother of a doormat or of a queen?"
__________
I don't knock when I enter Alana's room. In hindsight, it would've been the respectable thing to do for my future wife but alas this house was mine and she was also mine. I know that I'm glad I didn't knock, I wouldn't have got to watch her finger herself and that would've been a tragedy.
The door closes shut and Alana jumps at the sound. I can tell she's mortified when she looks at me but once she sees that's it's just me, mortification turns into seduction. Her fingers slow as she looks up at me intensely. She throws her head back and I watch her ease onto her elbows and spread her legs wider.
Alana smiles, "Can I help you?"
"We have to get ready, the ball will be soon." I force out the words as I try not to focus on my raising body temperature.
She slinks off the bed, "I don't have a dress to wear."
"Didn't I just give you my credit cards?" I say amazed how she didn't think to buy a ball gown. "Clary went with you. You spent ten thousand dollars."
Alana shrugs, "I didn't think to buy a gown or a fancy dress and I was interrupted, remember?"
"It's a good thing I bought one for you, then." I say with a half laugh. "It should be here soon."
"Like the ball will be soon or sooner?" She jokes and I can't help but crack a smile.
"Sooner."
"I don't have shoes."
"I have those for you." I raise them so she can see and she glances at them.
"They're cute." She responds and for a second I worry that they're actually not very cute. "How much time do we have until the ball?"
"Two hours."
"It only takes me an hour to get myself pretty."
"Okay." I step back, she steps forward, and a smirk flutters to my lips.
"Did you see what I was doing when you came in?"
Nodding, I take a small step forward. "Yes, I interrupted, my apologies."
"Did you like it?"
I stare back at her, "Of course, Angel."
"I've been thinking about when we fucked." Alana says as she grabs me by my hand and places it on her waist. "As much as I hate you, I really can't deny how good of a fuck you are."
"Right back at you." I pull her against me.
"Fuck," she moans as I slide my hand over her ass.
"You gotta ask," I whisper against her ear."
"Ask what?"
"You gotta ask me to fuck you, Angel."
She pulls back to stare at me, "I don't ask, I take what's mine."
Alana kisses me hard. There's no control in this kiss and suddenly I'm on my back in the bed and clutching at her body as she grinds into me. She parts my legs with her knee before pressing it deep into my core. She wants me to feel the pressure, she wants to feel my pleasure. It'd be no surprise if she could feel the throbbing. It'd be no surprise if she felt how wet I was. My hands push her skirt up to her hips before slipping my fingers between her legs. She stops and pulls my hand away before taking off her shirt.
Her simple black bra cups her boobs perfectly. I had never seen someone so gorgeous: shirtless, skirt pushed to her hips, and leaning over me like she was ready to devour me. We kick off our shoes as we move to a better position. I lift my hips for her to pull down my pants and cool air hits my core and I know I am screwed. This girl has me soaked and by the way she bites her lips, she knows it to.
She moves away my boxer briefs before she presses her thumb into me. "Who gets you as wet as I do?"
I move into her thumb but she takes it back. She stares me in the eyes as she brings it to her lips and sucks. I suck in a deep breath, I would let her control me at any time.
"Tell me, baby, who else gets you as wet as I do?"
No one. That's the truth, no one gets me as wet as she does. I look away but she takes my jaw into her hand and stares down at me. "I don't know."
She pushes her middle finger inside of me without warning and begins to fuck me. She curls it inside and I buck forward to get closer — for her to go deeper. When she spreads me open and her mouth comes in contact with my aching core, the world spins and I moan. She hums against me and I have to bite my lip to keep from answering her.
I want o tell her that she's the only one, but this is the only power I have. My hands fall to her head as I get some control to grind into her; my legs are shaking and I am so damn close. She wants me to know that I'm hers even when I'm not. But I already know this as she takes me closer to heaven. As she sucks on my clit hard. I close my eyes and moan loudly. She already knows that I'd go through hell to feel one second of bliss from her.
I moan again as she works her magic. As that special pull in my stomach gets tighter and tighter. When her fingers are bringer me closer and closer to the edge and I feel everything about to explode into pure agonizing bliss, she pulls away. Cold air slaps me and suddenly I am empty.
She wipes at her mouth before moving away from my body to stand up. "What the fuck?"
Her hands fall to her hips and she smiles at me. "Who makes you as wet as I do?"
"Are you for real right now?"
She pulls down her skirt and goes to grab for her shirt but I grab it before she can. My hand grips her wrist and I let her fall into me and then I'm on top. Her hands pinned down and my lips inches from hers.
Her breathing has changed completely. It's rapid and her eyes have a glinting smile that I know all too well. I nuzzle her neck before kissing it softly.
"I'm not done."
She licks her lips as I press my fingers into her and a gasp I didn't know she was capable of is released from her. I hook her silk panties by my pinky finger and the wetness that oozes onto my finger is a welcomed feeling.
"Are you?"
She gulps and the girl that was just in control is now a slave to my touch. I bring my pinky to my mouth and lick it slowly. "I'll stop if you want me to? All you gotta do is say so."
"Fuck me."
Two words that I needed to hear. I kissed her softly at first, bringing out the hungry beast in her that I knew was waiting to come out, but the longer I kissed her slowly, the more she deepened. I licked her lips and she opened up to me, my tongue rolling over hers and massaging it. She moaned into my mouth as my hands found her body like it was a treasure never to be seen.
Her bra and underwear were practically ripped off and soon her beautiful body laid underneath me completely bare. I can feel her hard nipples through my shirt and I want so badly to suck on them but I focus on the less sensitive spots of her body, I want her begging to for me kiss the sensitive spots, I want them to ache until I give them much needed attention.
"Fuck, Francesca, please." Alana moans and my lips float over her nipples and she arches into my mouth. My teeth graze over her chest and she gasped as I slowly begin to suck.
She guided my hand to her throbbing pussy and it was instantly drenched as I palmed her. Alana rocked against it while moaning before I slipped my middle finger into her. She was so fucking tight and she was already pulsing.
"More baby." Alana moaned as I began my trail down her body. My blood was soaring through my veins, I was getting a high from just this. "Please."
Another finger slipped into her tight hole. A pleasured whimpering came from her mouth as her breathing labored even more. I rubbed her clit with my thumb and it seemed to drive her even more crazy. She fucked herself with my fingers as I thrusted in and out. When my tongue finally flicked across her clit, I knew she was already so sensitive.
She pulled at my shirt and when I dragged my tongue down her slit, she gripped it tighter. I can imagine her eyes rolling into the back of her head and her body thrusting forward into my mouth and into my fingers. My hand slid over her body to cup her boobs. My fingers twisting and tugging her nipples to drive her even more crazy.
Her orgasm seemed to come slow. It was like being on a roller coaster, I could feel it coming as I gripped her hips with both hands and began to fuck her with my tongue. I pushed her legs onto my shoulders and pulled her as close to my mouth as physically possible. Alana fought against my hold as her hands pushed my head deeper into her. I wasn't going to let her win, I was going to make her cum.
I was going to fuck her and fuck her I did. She stared down at me as her body relented to me, our eyes making contact. Alana looked truly sexy with her hair wild around her head, lips parted, and chest rising and falling rapidly as she attempted to catch her breath.
Alana moaned and screamed loudly and chills ran down my body every time. She gasped and thrusted and I could hear desperation in her voice to orgasm. I could feel it coming, I see where she would all become undone. I slowed down and then when she was getting used to the calm of my tongue, I went crazy with it. I let go of her and my fingers replaced my tongue as I sucked on her clit. This is what Alana needed to finish and soon she was riding closer and closer to the top of the ride.
I lifted my head from her core before whispering against it, "Cum for me, Angel."
Alana gasped when my fingers hit her perfect spot and then her whole entire body shook. Her breathing cutting in out around her moans. Every muscle tensed as I still fucked her hard at the peak of everything. The pulsing going through her was one of the most beautiful things I've seen. She clenched so hard around my fingers that I had to moan from the pleasure of that. Then her head lulled back and every muscle settled into jello. I swallowed the cum in my mouth and on her legs easily before licking her clean.
When I settled my lips onto her hipbone she looked down at me. A misty look in her eye that told me she was thinking about something. Her lip was pinched by her teeth and she closed her eyes and moaned softly. I settle beside her body before I pull her close to me and kiss the top of her head. She rolled into me like she didn't hate me, this could be ignored for now, the physical connection overrode her hate for me in this moment. I enjoyed this moment more than she could imagine.
This moment was a little piece of heaven before I had to go back to hell.
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The most unedited chapter I've done, but it's okay because y'all were inboxing me so heeeeereeee!