Triggered by the loud thump of her banging on her door, Teresa's eyes sprung open, still able to see the redness of her tired eyes.
And then more.
Adriano lifted up, alerted and got up, looking through the blinds. He looked back at Teresa, "There is no car" He huffed. He walked back, grabbing his gun and she sprung out the bed, following him. What a way to ruin their sleep.
Walking downstairs, he stopped at the end, behind the wall and she tried looking through the window, but it was hard to see. Swinging the door open, her eyes widened and before she could react, she was jumped at, a loud squeal heard as arms squeezed her body.
Teresa stood there in disbelief and shock. Mostly confused.
Nina.
Nina pulled back with a wide, excited smile across her face. "I- Wha-" Teresa struggled to find words and saw that Nina's eyes weren't even on her, and they were glazed and wide. Teresa, confused, turned around to see what Nina was staring at. Or who.
Adriano. Adriano now behind Teresa on the high stair.
She turned around and Nina's eyes were shining looking back and forth between the two and Teresa slapped her forehead understanding the thoughts running through her forehead. She was just in a bra and loose shorts while he was wearing sweatpants that were hanging dangerously at his waist.
She squealed and ran past Teresa and Adriano up the stairs and they both heard "Oh my God!"
Teresa stared at Adriano only getting a nonchalant shrug from him. Rolling her eyes, she took his hand, walking up the stairs.
"Of course" She sighed, seeing Nina with a bowl of grapes in one hand and a cup of orange juice from the fridge. She set that down and then grabbed the pot of leftover spaghetti.
"Nina..." Teresa called and she hummed in response.
"How did you get here?" Nina walked past Teresa causing her to follow, hearing her speak at the same time.
"Well, I got a call from this man saying he knew where you were and invited me to stay with you for a bit." Teresa ran a little, to catch up with Nina who was walking curiously and with haste throughout the house, sticking her head in the rooms.
"Who was the man?" Teresa questioned.
"Um..." Nina turned around, Teresa halting before they bumped into each other, face first. "Rome, no Rose, Rosey?"
"Rossi" Adriano said from behind them and Nina nodded. It was a small silence due to Teresa and Adriano thinking, until Rolo barked and Nina's eyes and mouth widened, surprised. "You got a puppy?!"
She ran , Teresa huffing, following her. Rolo was barking at the door as they walked in. Adriano must've taken him out. She looked at Adriano who now picked up Rolo and she rolled her eyes that he still didn't put a shirt on. So she folded her arms and asked, "You're not going to put a shirt on?"
He looked up, staring at her amused, " Why?" He questioned, "I live here"
"Yeah" Nina bumped Teresa, "He lives here" She said, her eyes clearly drifting over his sculptured features. Adriano chuckled when Teresa pushed Nina. Nina went for Rolo and Teresa screamed no, startling Adriano, Nina and Rolo.
"Wash your hands first," She sighed.
Adriano walked out the room giving them time to speak and Nina took that chance to observe her bathroom, while Teresa freshened in her room.
"I can't believe you are living like this" She opened her closet door, walking in, pushing hanged clothes aside.
"I am taking half of everything" She squealed, while Teresa put a shirt on.
They walked back into the kitchen, Adriano now wearing a shirt making her feel much better. He offered coffee, Teresa accepting due to being awoken early and needing the much needed energy. Nina also asked for a cup saying her flight was long and crowded.
That only made Teresa wonder why Luciano didn't pick her up with his jet. She could have very well gotten lost or something.
She was surprised in general that he allowed her, more so invited her, personally, to stay with her for a bit. Even after he said no. Teresa thought Luciano was mad at her, or was unaffected. She was grateful and happy for what he did though. This time she didn't have to get angry for him to do something.
Instead, he was the one to get angry and yet he still made her happy. When she was the cause of his unhappiness.
Teresa and Adriano sat down on the stools while Nina stood in front of them, her hand on the counter, staring between them two while they all simultaneously took a sip of their coffee.
"So!" Ninia engaged, making Teresa sigh.
"How is he treating you?" She questioned and In her mind, Teresa said good, not thinking of Adriano, but Luciano.
Because so far since she came back, he has treated her well. Even though he banned her from the room, he made up for it with the dog. He's been much more affectionate than usual, they've been together physically and emotionally. And for once, he did open up, but she didn't realize she dismissed it.
Luciano did treat her good, it was her that treated him bad.
She heard her name being called, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Ask him" She smiled and got up, walking into her room. Grabbing her phone, she tapped it, biting her lip indecisive. Annoyed with her procrastinating, she clicked his name and held it up to her ear, hearing it ring. And not two seconds later, it was sent to voicemail, only meaning...
He declined it.
So once again, she tried and the same thing happened causing her to huff. Rolling her eyes, she walked back into the kitchen only hearing Nina's voice. Adriano had his hand on his face, his chin in his palm, his elbow supporting his stance, his 'Annoyed of her talking' stance.
"What are you guys talking about?" She questioned, wanting to save Adriano even though she left him there.
Just like she thought, she was being nosey. She had questions about Luciano, not realizing she had already met him. She said he had a deep voice and compared Adriano's voice as well. She was asking about when he moved in, supposedly, when they started dating and why did he take her away from Atlanta. All questions, he easily manipulated by flipping the subject and asking questions about herself, which she had no problem answering because that's all she likes to do.
Even Teresa began imitating the same posture as Adriano. Usually she would engage all the time, enjoy that Nina talked a lot, but being in Italy, she didn't have anyone who talked that much. Most of the time it was peaceful, quiet and even with Luciano it wasn't hype, they had good conversations and it wasn't long answers and over talking. She just got used to it. In a way, she was becoming less of herself.
"Teresa has a Maserati" Adriano suddenly said, cutting Nina off on the topic of herself, and she did stop talking, but her mouth dropped. "That was yours?!" Teresa nudged Adriano, disliking that he did say that. It only took the light off the both of them and put it just on her. He grabbed the keys off the counter, holding them up and Nina snatched them.
"Let's go!" She hollered, already downstairs.
With a huff, Teresa stood up, glaring at Adriano causing him to chuckle. "I had to. I apologize honestly, but people like that vex me." He held her face in his hands, his thumbs on her cheeks and briefly pecked her lips and she pulled him back down for a longer one, hearing the smack from their abandonment.
He turned her around, pushing her downstairs.
Out the door, Teresa snatched the keys from Nina, getting inside the car. She reached in her backseat with a grin and pulled her very expensive, red leather designer purse and set it in Nina's lap.
"Holy shit!" She hollered and pulled a stack of Euros out.
Teresa, looking behind her and reversing, asked, "Where do you want to go?"
Nina shook her hand with a sigh and Teresa giggled seeing her messed up nails, meaning she wanted them to get redone. She looked to the side, seeing Nina counting the stack of money.
At least she's quiet.
And it only lasted for five minutes. "Best friend! This Is 10,000 Dollars!" She hollered, excited and shocked and Teresa nodded laughing. "I am aware."
Nina started taking out stack after stack out the purse.
"This is 50,000 dollars! And it's more! Best Friend, do you not understand you are rich?!"
Teresa shook her head. Technically Luciano is rich, she's just collecting.
"Calm down Nina"
Nina got up in her seat, turning her head to stare at Teresa wide eyed. "Calm down?! How?! My best friend is living in a penthouse worth thousands, you have a Maserati! And you have a purse laying around in your car filled with over $50,000"
" Millions"
" Huh?" Nina asked, confused.
Teresa giggled, looking at Nina and back at the road.
" Penthouse isn't thousands, it's millions. Actually approximately 2 or 3 mil, without the furniture." Nina's mouth dropped.
-
After a lot of chirping from Nina, they finally pulled up to the nail shop. Teresa brought Luciano's card, and told Nina she could get whatever she wanted. That happened to be acrylics and a bunch of gems and crystals.
In the midst of her conversation with Nina and the nail tech about Italian men, Teresa's phone began to ring. The nail tech was nice enough to answer it and hold it to her ear because Teresa's nails were wet.
As soon as it was to her ear, she heard Adriano's voice loud and clear saying, "He's here" Her instantly knowing 'he' was Ricco.
"He followed you. I noticed when you left, a black car was behind you seconds after"
"Where are you?" Teresa asked, looking outside.
"I am here, I can see you, but I'm near. I didn't want you to be blind sighted" She nodded, since he could see her. She thanked the woman and she hung up the phone, setting it back in her purse, not even looking inside, which Teresa didn't know why, but expected her to do.
"You never told me who this Rossi person was," Nina said. "Just a good person, sort of friend" She answered and Nina didn't respond, she just nodded, slowly like she was thinking if it made sense. Suspicious.
Once again her phone rang, but she was able to see who it was and she looked up, seeing a black car along with one more pull in.
"I'm going to be back, stay here, my friends aren't exactly good with new people" In a way she spoke the truth. Nina didn't complain, she shrugged and Teresa got up, walking out the door.
She folded her arms as Ricco stood in front of the car. "I've been calling and texting you for days. I was worried about you. Why aren't you answering me?"
" You trust me?" She questioned, tilting her head showing that she had an attitude. It was too easy for her to get in character, meaning she was straying away from being a character, to being the person.
"Of course" He lied and she smacked her lip, his eyebrow raising. She shook her head.
"You trust me, yet you bugged the fucking gun you supposedly gave to me for protection when in reality it was so you could spy on me" She saw his eyes widened a little, before it was gone. Like Luciano. Only difference is it takes Luciano one second, like it wasn't there, Ricco's were easily seen through. Transparent. At least to her.
" Sweetheart I don't know what-" She scoffed, turning around knowing he was going to lie and he grabbed her arm, causing her to turn around and push him hard, his men getting tense, their hands on their guns and Ricco held his hand up, stopping them. She hoped no one saw that.
"You're a fucking liar. I asked one thing of you. Honesty. Yet you keep going behind my back!"
"You speak of honesty?" He scoffed and this time her eyebrow raised, wondering what he had to say. "How would you have known? As far as I'm knowledged of, you know nothing of breaking a gun apart"
Internally, she smirked since Adriano already prepared her for this. " Did you think I was that naïve to be with a Don and not think of what ifs? Your technology was cheap. Next time say keep it out of the water"
She turned around, her hair flipping and once again he grabbed her hand, but removed it quickly after she turned around, glaring at him.
He put his hands up with a sigh. "I can explain please"
She shook her head. "I have tried with you. Even after knowing who you are. You want my trust? I want yours and clearly I don't have it. We're done"
" No. " He quickly said like she expected. He took a step forward, apologetic eyes.
"Please tell me what I can do"
"Delete my number"
"Anything but that. Please" Hearing a man say please to her has become quite foreign and more meaningful. Luciano never said it, Ricco does because he is emotionally desperate for forgiveness and having someone begging you for your forgiveness, was something she didn't take as an evil Advantage, but something more. That they did indeed care. And they cared enough to want her forgiveness rather than not caring for it all.
She didn't have anything to say, so she turned around, walking away. And she almost made it to the building, but she was tugged hard into his chest and his desperate lips hard against hers. Quickly, she pushed him and slapped him, hard causing him to groan, Teresa not sure whether from pleasure, anger or frustration. He ran his hand down his face, stressed.
" I will do whatever you want me to do. I won't leave until you forgive me"
She stepped back," I'm sorry, what was that? Oh sorry, I guess you don't have a recording to play it back for me" She scoffed, walking away, back inside the building.
Adriano did call her again only to joke about the slapping and told her not to feel guilty about it, which she still did.
That only made her think about other things she was guilty of like the reason why her and Luciano weren't on good terms.
She had Adriano take Nina back home and told her she wanted to see a friend. She could tell Nina didn't like it, but she didn't say anything which made it better because she was going to go see Luciano either way. Rather not waste time arguing.
She got inside the car with one of the other men because Adriano, we're going home with Nina in Teresa's car, stopped Nina from asking questions about the other men.
-
Pulling in, she opened the door and looked at the man. "I'll wait" He nodded, saying and she smiled, closing the door and running up to the house. As usual, it was unlocked simply because no one would try to mess with Luciano at his own home.
The first place she thought of was his office and her smile dimmed when she saw he wasn't there. Passing by her room, to go upstairs, she paused, noticing her Canvas above her bed was gone. She backed up, walking inside her room, her mouth dropping and her and coming up, seeing that her closet barely had anything in it.
Walking in the bathroom, confused, she opened her cabinet, looking at the back and also noticing everything was gone. Opening her closet, she slammed it shut, nothing in it.
Everything he bought her was gone and he only left the scraps.
Originally, she came to apologize and thank him but now, she was pissed and all she wanted to do was rip his face apart.
Angry, she barged into his room, hearing the shower running and without care, she stomped up to him, who had his back turned to her, until it wasn't when she pushed him on the wall, he was a little startled by it but he didn't show it. Instead he let his eyes settle onto her, registering what was and what did happen.
"Where is my shit?"
"Excuse me?" He folded his arms, grinning and the nakedness and wetness of his hair made him incredibly irresistible, but for now she had to take that challenge.
"Where is my stuff Luciano?" Her voice rose and it only made his grin wider as he tilted his head, watching the water drip rapidly onto her now soaked clothes.
"You're wet" He smirked, reaching his hand out, brushing her hair to the side and she smacked it away, not wanting to play his games.
"My money, my things" He said and she scoffed. "Unless you wear women's clothes then it's not yours. Why would you do that? Why would you take my stuff?"
He ignored her words altogether, his eyes drifting down to a soaked, and now transparent lavender colored shirt. No bra underneath, perfect view. He ran his hand up her waist and she grabbed his hand. Expecting her to he turned her body, slamming her against the wall, hearing her loud gasps and seeing the rapid heaving of her stomach as he traced her bare breast with his thumb. "Are you happy Tesoro?" He whispered, her breath shaky as he began tracing her nipple.
"No." She answered and he sighed. He raised his head, his eyes finding hers. "I thought you would be happy. After all, I did what you asked of me. Didn't I?" His eyes searched hers.
"Maybe I should have left her where she was . Send her back where she came from? That is why I brought her here. To make you happy. And Tesoro, that's all I've been doing, trying to do lately. To makes you happy, even when I am not. But you knew that didn't you?" Her heart was constricted out of love and out of hatred by his words. And she didn't know which her heart was going to pick.
"I-" He raised her shirt up, his hand around her throat, lifting her head back. He stepped in close, his breath against her cheek, his lips placing a kiss there before he whispered, "Does my Capo touch you like this?" Teresa's eyes widened as his hold tightened and she grabbed his arm, only for him to grip it, placing it over her head, groaning.
" I wouldn't try if I were you. I've been known to have a deathly grip when I'm... excited"
" You're jealous" She stated and he chuckled.
" No Tesoro, Possessive is accurate"
" So you take my things to what? Control me? " She scoffed, turning her face.
He smirked, shaking his head. " To control you?" His voice sounded as if he were offended and her eyes met his, until she saw the mischievousness buried within him.
"I don't need to take anything from you to do that Tesoro. You'll do whatever I want you to"
She giggled, his face never changing, because he was serious, but she didn't think so. "You're so confident about that aren't you?" She teased, tilting her head.
Now Luciano was intrigued because she played along with the little confidence she had, but made it seem more than what it was. He let out a breath of air, pulling her hard by her throat to him. "You want your things Tesoro?" He tilted his head, grinning as his face got closer to hers. He hooked his thumb in her pants, her heart racing as he closed his eyes and then it was over when his lips touched hers.
She tried hard not to give in, to not let him influence her. But it was impossible, when his tongue darted out against hers and she cupped his face, tilting her head. Luciano pulled back little by little until she was breathless and staring at him wanting what he wanted.
What both truly wanted to happen. But Luciano wasn't going to give her what she wanted, give in to her because even when he wasn't, he always was.
So he thumbed her lip softly, and whispered, "Tell him to buy them for you" His eyes hardened, revealing just how angry he was truthfully at her and she saw it all. And she wished she didn't. He released her, walking away, Teresa staring after him, her eyes watering.
That wasn't the Luciano she was in love with. This Luciano despised her and everything she stood for. And the tears ran down and so did she, against the wall, bringing her knees in. She laid her head down, and cried.
Luciano didn't want her. She cried because he was right. She would always defend everything he did. He could take everything away from him and still she would give in to him as she did now. She cried because she hurt him and even then all he thought about was her happiness, but sometimes happiness wasn't enough. She cried because she heard from his own mouth that he himself was not happy because of her. Because of what she did, what she did.
She cried because she could see that she and Luciano had manipulated each other from the start, without knowing it. Used each other's feelings to benefit the other.
Her to get what she wanted and him to hurt her. He never used her feelings to get anything from her as she did him. He used it because she hurt him and he wanted to hurt her back in the only way he could.
And it wasn't fair to him. Because she knew, that wasn't his character and she knew he hated doing it even more than she did, but his mind wouldn't allow him to think like that because the way things go to him, was if he gets hit, so do they.
Luciano put his face in his hands, closing his eyes, ashamed of himself, disappointed and most of all disgusted. Because he did not do what a man should have. Because he did not show an example of what a good man was.
He manipulated her. He took advantage of her. Of her love, of her weakness.
Of him.
Because he knew that's what he was. Were to her. He knew it the day she allowed him to come back into her arms like he never left.
And he used that because he was hurt. Because he was angry.
But it didn't matter anymore, he couldn't dwell on the past. He wasn't going to, but he knew he wasn't the Luciano he was before he met her.
Too addicted to loving her, too addicted to love itself, too addicted to her. An entrapment he couldn't escape.
An entrapment she couldn't escape.
Removing his hands, he sighed, standing up and clearing his mind. And when he did, everything else came back clearly. And one thing only stood out, her cries. Her sobs. And he told himself don't succumb to her tears, but every time he thought about it, he imagined her face puffy, eyes red from the pain and he couldn't stand it.
Walking into the restroom, he realized the shower was still on and he huffed, hating that he did just put onl clothes. At least sweatpants count as clothes. Turning the shower off, he stared down at her, trying to seem impassive. "Teresa, get up" He demanded, incorrectly showing that this was not affecting him.
He took it too far.
She stayed where she was and he wrapped a towel around her, crouching down and coming back up with her in his arms.
She didn't move when he set her on the dresser or took her shirt off and dried her off. She didn't even move when he took her shorts or underwear off.
Luciano grabbed one of his dress shirts, buttoning it up on her and put a pair of his boxers on, and still she was crying, just not as hard. Her head was still down, her eyes closed.
Not being able to handle it anymore, he gave in, raising her face softly with his finger, wiping her tears away with his thumb. "Tesoro" He whispered softly, apologetically.
He huffed, when her eyes stayed down.
" Look at me" He demanded and her eyes went up and he wished they didn't because she just started crying even harder.
And that crushed him.
" Does seeing me make you cry? If your things mean that much to you Tesoro, I will give them back, just stop crying." Unexpectedly, her arms went around his neck, pulling him forward between her legs and laid her head on his shoulder, rubbing the back of his neck.
Luciano didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her. He picked her up, sitting down on the bed, enjoying the feel of her, although he wasn't sure why she was doing what she was doing but he got his answer when she stopped crying and all he heard was her steady breaths.
Comfort.
He was her comfort.
He rubbed her back softly and his eyebrows furrowed when he heard the quick change in her breathing. It was too quick, unstable.
He pulled back and his eyes widened when she began turning red. " Tesoro what's wrong?"
She put her hand on his chest, coughing and wheezing, frightening him.
She pushed on his chest and he saw her pulling on his shirt like she was trying to get off, but couldn't because she was trying to breathe.
And as fast he could, he unbuttoned it, snatching it off, and she ran on his patio, slamming the slide and he could hear her coughs.
Half an hour later, Teresa was still on the patio after her breathing stabilized from the fresh air. Luciano however wasn't at all calm, his fists were balled, his teeth were tight, his veins popping, he was raging inside. And the second she slid the door closed from coming in, he let it loose.
"Why didn't you tell me you have asthma?!" She stepped back, scared of his anger. Never been this angry before. She looked down, averting her eyes as she lowly said, "I had it under control"
Which she did, she never had a problem with it till now.
"Have it under control? Then what was that Tesoro? If I knew I would have never worn a new cologne" It was true that's what triggered it. His old cologne wasn't as strong and it didn't bother her, but this one was unfamiliar and caused the small attack. But she was able to control it.
"It's okay" She sighed and jumped, when his fist slammed down on the dresser, yelling,
"It is not okay!" He removed his fist and she saw the little blood from his torn skin.
"What would have happened if I didn't get it off? Would you have been able to control it as you say? Would you have passed out from the lack of breath? What would have happened?"
She found his eyes, hers watering as she said, " Stop"
She walked past him, but he wasn't going to let her get away, so he pulled her arm back.
" Why wouldn't you tell me?" And his eyes began to look glossy. And yet again she felt guilty for another thing.
" I haven't had any issues before. It is not bad Luciano"
" I don't care, I need to know every single thing about you. And I didn't find it in your record"
She nodded, " When I moved to the US, no one could find my medical records in Brazil. I didn't have any attacks around that time so there was no need to tell them I had it." He dropped her arm, despising that she would withhold that information. Important information.
" What else do you have Tesoro?"
" Nothing"
He turned his head, glaring at her.
" I promise"
After a short silence, she looked at him. His eyes focused on something on his dresser and she followed his eyes to see the picture frame of her. And she looked back, seeing his eyes watering.
She sighed, grabbing his hand," Luciano... I'm-"
Luciano snatched his hand from her, walking out and slamming the door behind him. He slammed his office door, locking it and the first thing he did was flip his entire desk, hard, breaking one of the legs. He laid his head on the wall, a sniffle heard and his tears trailing.
What would have happened, Is what he thought of.
What ifs, what haves, what couds, what woulds.
Her asthma may have not been bad, but all asthma has the ability to be life threatening and it could have been. The way her face was reddening from the lack of oxygen, her harsh coughs from the inflammation of her lungs. And the pulling of his shirt because she couldn't get it off quick enough, were cruel visuals now embedded into his mind.
It's okay, She said. How could she have thought that was okay? It's never okay when you see someone you love in pain, in a life or death situation. Surely she could have just passed out, but he didn't care. He's known too much death to take her potential one lightly.
He didn't know the one thing that could take her away. It only made him remember about the staged kidnapping. They used chloroform and that could have very well triggered her asthma and he wouldn't have known because he wasn't there. They wouldn't have known, and she could have died by it.
He couldn't lose her.
Teresa worked up the courage, heard the door slam and she jumped away from the door hearing the loud crash.
And minutes later it seemed to have calmed down and she wasn't sure if she heard sniffles, because Luciano didn't cry.
"I'm sorry" She sighed.
Luciano raised his head, his jaw clenching hearing her apology, let alone her voice.
"You didn't know and that's my fault. I'm sorry, can you come out?"
"Go home Tesoro" He huffed, laying his head back on the wall hearing her say, "I am. Right here with you"
Hearing those words relaxed him a little, that she felt he was home. Her home.
Luciano wiped his face and opened the door, seeing her take a step back, her eyes full of woe, displaying her heartache for him.
"Go home to Adriano" He said, walking past her and she grabbed his hand, halting him.
She walked around him, one standing in front of him as she raised his hand on her face, holding it there with her hand.
"I love you and I'm sorry" Luciano was submitting, as he brushed his thumb against her face , until his eyes found the bruising of his skin from the punching of the dresser and the visuals cane back. His eyes hardened as he dropped his hand.
"Go Home"
____________________________________
Literally, every day is never a fully good day. One of them is always hurting or making the other mad. They act like they're married already. SHEESH!
Anyway if you liked this Chapter vote please and thank you.