Elsa
The car coming to a stop woke me up. I had fallen asleep as the ride to wherever he was taking us took a while to get there. I looked out of the window but there wasn't much to see as it looked like we were in an underground parking lot.
"Where are we?" I asked when he opened the car door. It was a little chilly down here and I shivered. I was only wearing an off- shoulder top that showed a little of my stomach and a pair of jeans, which didn't provide much warmth.
"You'll see." He pulled me into his side, providing me with some of his warmth as we made our way into the elevator.
"We are in a hotel." I observed when we stepped out and walked down the hall. I could tell this was a private floor as there was only one room here.
"I have an event to attend, and I want you to join me." I was a little surprised he wanted me to join him for an event. Did that mean we would be sharing a room? My question got answered when we stepped inside the hotel room.
We were definitely sharing, and something about it made me feel a little excited.
"So, what kind of event?" I asked and looked around. The room was large and much fancier than the hotel I had stayed in. Everything was super clean and neat it made me scared to even breathe in case I would dirty the air. I shouldn't have expected anything less. He was after all a man of luxury.
"Auction." Nicholas replied and went to the mini bar and poured himself a drink. His intense gaze rested on me, and I suddenly felt shy from his attention. Some golden light caught my attention, and I stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling window that covered the entire side and looked out.
The golden light came from a large lake with sprinklers going high in the air, moving around to a soft rhythm with lights at the bottom.
"It's beautiful." I smiled when hands wrapped around me. He rested his chin on my shoulder, feeling his breath close to my neck before I felt his lips on my skin. My body fluttered at the action, having me lean into him, enjoying the moment and the view. His tongue flicked across a sensitive spot, and I let out a soft moan, closing my eyes.
Nicholas made a low sound with the back of his throat, pleased with my reaction to his touch. His hands ventured down, unbuttoning my jeans before sliding down between my legs. I closed my eyes and let out a breath at the pleasure slowly building with the way he was touching me. My body was completely relaxed against him, not caring he was taking his time fingering me in front of the window where everyone could see if they looked up.
It felt too damn good to give it a single thought.
"Mnhm..." A shudder of pleasure showed when he nibbled my earlobe. Suddenly, he turned me around and lifted me to have my legs wrapped around him and arms around his neck. My back was pressed against the window, and for a second, I was scared we might fall out. The thought quickly left my mind with the way he was looking at me before leaning in closer until our lips connected.
It started slow and sweet until he bit my lip to gain access and deepened the kiss. I pressed my lover half into him, feeling his
already hard length and making him grunt in response when slowly moving against him.
I felt him move until my back hit the soft mattress of the bed, never breaking our passionate kiss. I pulled slightly away to get some air and looked at him. His beautiful blue eyes turned a shade darker as he looked at me lustfully.
His hands worked to get me undressed, leaving me in my bra and jeans. I wasted no time and pulled his shirt off, my hands trailing down his impressive, tattooed body and feeling his hard, defined. abs. The rest of my clothes got tossed to the side, leaving me completely naked and laid out for him. Nicholas took his time drinking in my body, and my cheeks started to feel warm at the intensity of his look.
"Beautiful..." His hands slid down my thighs, palm on each knee, and gently move them apart. My breathing was already, and my heart was beating faster in excitement.
"Fuck." His eyes snapped to mine with a subtle smirk before he went down.
"God..." I breathed out when I felt his warm tongue on me. My eyes rolled to the back of my head at the way he was working his tongue on me. I gripped the sheets, and my back arched when he inserted a finger. That pleasurable sensation was building faster than I had ever experienced in the pit of my stomach. He had a firm grip on my hips, holding me down when my hips went up. I was so close. I could feel it He went faster, his tongue working deliciously on my clit.
I looked down to where he was resting between my legs, only to see his gaze was already resting on me. There was something so erotic about the sight, making me moan, moving me closer to the edge, and having my legs tremble.
I fell back down on the bed, the explosive feeling of the climax taking over my body and having me cry out in pleasure. My entire body continued to tremble as he still held me down and continued to work with his tongue.
Nicholas pulled away, giving me a chance to get to my senses. He licked his lips while taking off the last piece of clothing he had on.
My eyes slid down his body, my eyes widening a little at the size of his length. I had been with guys before, but it was nothing like his size.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from it as he rolled on a condom. When I finally met his eyes, he had a slightly amused look, and I gave a small, innocent smile as if I hadn't just gawked.
Resuming his position between my legs and rested his arms on either side of my head before I felt him slowly teasing me at my entrance, sliding up and down my wet slit. Just as I was about to make a frustrated sound, he entered me, hard, stretching my walls with his thick length.
"F*cking hell!" He grunted and continued to thrust into me at a fast pace and making me moan loudly. He leaned back, took hold of my hips, and went even faster and harder. The room was filled with our moans and the sound of our skin slapping against each other.
A finger found its way to my c*it, having me close my eyes at the intense pleasure building as he continued to pump inside of me. The tension in my stomach built up more and more, and it took me no time to reach the very intense climax that erupted through my body, making me cry out and my body trembling in immense pleasure.
Nicholas slowed down before coming to a stop to let me catch my breath.
"Don't think it's over yet." My eyes snapped open to look at him in shock.
"Wait, you didn't...?"
"I'm planning on f*cking you all night finally." I let out a small squeal when he flipped me onto my stomach, grabbed my hips to pull me up, and slapped my ass before filling me up again.
.
I woke up from my deep slumber, stretching and feeling just how sore my body was. It was the best sleep I have ever had in my life, and it was most likely due to all the bed exercise. Nicholas really meant it when he said it wasn't over yet. At some point, we had fallen asleep but he had woken me up during the night for yet another round. I wasn't complaining, he definitely knew what he was doing and made me realize just how flexible I could be.
I looked to where Nicholas was sleeping but was met with an empty space. When I heard the shower was running, I got up and made my way toward the half-open door. The soreness between my legs was going to be a reminder for a while of how rough he had been with me.
Nicholas was standing under the shower with his back facing me. A satisfied smile appeared on my lips at the sight of scratch marks I had left on his back. I wrapped my arms around him when I stepped inside and he pulled me around to face him. He looked at me with a lazy smile before tilting my chin up to meet his lips.
"Morning, beautiful." His voice was deeper and husky from sleep, which sent a delightful fluttery feeling.
"Morning." I smiled shyly when he called me that. He pressed me close into him, and I let out a blissful sigh as the hot water was helping my sore body. Nicholas buried his face into my neck, plastering small kisses while his hands roamed my body in a way that made my body immediately react to him.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and played with the nape of his hair. His hands trailed down my body, rested them on my a*s, and lifted me to him. I wrapped my legs around him when my back hit the cold tiles.
"Are you trying not to make me walk?" I chuckled when I felt his hard length teasing against my entrance.
"Maybe... Then I would know you would stay put." He touched me in ways that immediately sent a steady pulse between my legs. I let out a soft moan as he entered me, making me throw my head back as he continued to attack my neck. Luckily, he wasn't as rough as he had been during the night because I couldn't handle that type of pounding right now.
He moved at a pace I could follow, and I even moved my hips a little against him, making him groan in pleasure as he kept thrusting in me. I tightened my hold around him, resting my head on his shoulder when I reached my climax. Nicholas followed right after, pulling out before he reached his peak.
.
"I've slept a lot but I still feel like sleeping. But I'm also hungry." I complained and laid back on the bed. Nicholas stood at the end of the bed in nothing but a towel that hung dangerously low on his hips. He was a delicious hot sight right now and so muscular it was insane.
"Hmm, we could stay in and do something else." He lifts a brow, gesturing to the bed.
"No, I need a break." I laughed. I sat up to get dressed but then realized I didn't have any spare clothes with me.
"Maybe we need to stay in. I didn't bring anything with me." I sighed. I could wear the clothes I arrived in but I didn't have any
clean underwear with me, and going commando in jeans was not pleasant.
"It's in the closet." He slid the closet door open and sure enough, it was filled with clothes. He pulled out a white dress shirt and grey dress pants for himself. I walked up and looked at the many choices that were hanging out for me.
"These are brand new clothes." I looked through the clothes and the price tags were still on.
"When's the auction?" I asked. There were too many clothes for it just to be a short trip.
"Tomorrow. I had them fill up with anything you might like as we might stay for a few days." I raised my brows slightly at the information. Was this his way of a getaway weekend? So far, it was starting out right.
"Wear this." Nicholas choose something from the closet for me to wear. It was a light-colored, off-shoulder mocha dress. It was tight on the top and flowed out from the hips. It was actually a cute dress. I dropped my robe to the floor and put on the dress. Nicholas tilted his head to the side as he looked at me.
"Going commando is good for the body." I grinned.
"Hmm, easier access for me as well." He half-smirked.
"Have you not had enough?" I asked amused. He grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him, leaning down to meet my face.
"No. It's mine now, and I can't have enough."
His voice went into a low, deep tone that had my body flutter in an insane matter. I cleared my throat and had to look away to control the
overwhelming feeling and to hide my flushing face. But not before. earning a satisfied look from him at my reaction.
"Food now?" I had to step away from him a bit. I couldn't seem to think when he was this close to me and looking at me the way he just did.
"Whatever you want."
"So, why are we going to an auction?" I asked and sipped my latte. We found a cute, small restaurant, having a croissant sandwich for breakfast.
"Why do you think people go to auctions." Nicholas was entertained by my question, and I rolled my eyes a little.
"I know why people go to auctions. I'm just curious as to why WE are going." I elaborated.
"See it as a get-together."
"Like with a bunch of mafia people or normal people?" I realized how it sounded but luckily he was amused by my choice of words.
"It's a way to show off your power and wealth to others." He explained, and I raised my brows in surprise.
"So, mafia people. But why do you do that?"
"It's also another way of forming alliances between families and starting a business. You would only want to have the most powerful by your side." I was really intrigued by the information he was giving.
It made my heart just beat a little faster as I got reminded of what type of person Nicholas really was. I knew what he was capable
of. I had seen it with my own two eyes but still, I wasn't scared of him. A dangerous world I had stepped into, yet I was interested in what could happen.
"But, uh... should I be worried about going with you...?" I asked nervously. One thing was to be around Nicholas and his men, but a room filled with skilled killers who couldn't care less about me was a tiny bit worrying.
Nicholas leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, and looked at me with dead serious eyes.
"They have a death wish if they dare to touch you." He stated firmly. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine at his cold tone.
"How assuring." I gave a half smile. Truth was, I had no idea what to expect or what kind of people I was going to meet. I just hoped that it wouldn't go as far as where people would kill each other in the middle of an event. But then again, did these people really give a f*ck about anything? They were, after all, the biggest criminals to exist.
"Do you need to... I don't know, carry weapons to such an event?"
"You would be naïve if you didn't. I always carry at least one weapon anywhere I go."
"Even now?!" I gasped in a whisper, and my eyes widened a little.
"Even now."
"Where do you have it?" My eyes trailed down his body to see if I could spot anything. He lift a brow and leaned back in his seat.
"Why? Are you planning something?"
"Sure, because I have years of experience and I plan on taking you all down. I'm the next Queen, so be aware." I dramatically flipped my hair back. Nicholas looked at me to the point where he was actually smiling a little.
"Who knows? You might be hiding something. Pretending you have no idea what you're doing."
"hah! Sadly, I'm not that interesting. Nor am I skilled to do any of that. The only skill I have involves a pen and paper." I sighed. I was really boring compared to him.
"You're more than that. I have seen your work, and you're very talented." His eyes looked intently at me, and I squinted my eyes.
"And how would you know?"
"I have seen your sketchbook. You have a very creative mind." My jaw dropped.
"Wait, how much did you see?" He smirked at my reaction.
"All of it." I blushed as I remembered what I had in my sketchbook.
I always have my sketchbook with me wherever I go because it was my way of relaxing. When I arrived at the manor on the first day, I needed to distract myself because I kept worrying if they had been hurt. I sat outside on the balcony, intending to catch the sunset on paper, but turned out my mind had different plans and I ended up sketching him.
"Of course you have..."
.
We came to a stop in front of a tall building with massive double doors. Couture Du Vie was written on the doors in large gold cursive letters.
"You want to shop?" I turned to look at him.
"For you. You need a dress for tomorrow." Nicholas stopped and grabbed his phone from his pocket, frowning as he looked at the
screen.
"I need to take this. Go inside and see what you like." He picked up the phone and walked to the side to talk.
Shrugging, I went inside and stopped by the door to look around. The store was huge and bright. Almost too bright as I made my way down the aisle before coming to an open space. The interior was all white marble with gold patterns, and a few armchairs and small tables were placed around to create a lounge area. There were even a few artificial white trees with gold leaves on them.
This place screamed expensive.
I mentally cringed as I looked down at what I was wearing. I wasn't exactly dressed to be in such an extravagant boutique, and I just knew this place was one of those who judged you by the way your were dressed to assess if you could afford their clothes.
"Excuse me, can I help you with something?" I looked up and was met with a pale-skinned woman, with blonde page hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a tight white dress with red heels and of course, bright red lipstick.
"Yes, I'm looking for an evening dress. Can you show me where you have them?" I smiled.
"Sure..." She gave me a tight smile and led me to the back of the boutique, walking down a few steps to where racks of dresses were hung. I let out a small sigh when she just stood to the side and raised a brow, not making a move to help me out.
I went to one of the racks and started to look through the dresses. I smiled when I came to stop to a familiar dress.
"I think that might be out of your price range." I looked over at her only for her to look me up and down.
"And why do you think that?" I tilted my head to the side as I gave her a sweet smile. I hated people like her. She was the kind of person that will only help you if you scream money. Was she expecting me to come in a freaking gown before she would be nice?
"That dress is a limited edition by Jessica C. Very few boutiques were lucky to have her designs, and we're one of them. Not that I would expect you to know who she is."
"Oh, I'm familiar with her." I looked back at the dress. It always made me proud of my mother whenever I saw one of her designs in boutiques, and she had worked so hard to get where she was today.
I remember working with her on finishing the dress. We had hundreds of different sketch ideas of how the finished product would look like if it was a short dress or a long dress with a long trail behind it. Eventually, we settled for something in between; the front of the dress would stop mid-thigh, in a curved shape, where the rest would continue into a long trail behind.
"Look, I think we're both wasting our time here..." She suddenly stopped when the sounds of footsteps could be heard. Nicholas showed up with the stone face expression he always wore and made his way towards us.
"Mr. Donavan! So nice to see you again!" I scowled when her whole attitude and posture changed as soon as she spotted Nicholas. A feeling of satisfaction filled me when he ignored her and didn't spare her a single glance as he walked past her with his eyes set
on me.
He frowned when he saw I was looking displeased.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing..." I muttered but quickly found a smile and pulled the dress out to show it to him.
"What do you think? I helped my mom make this dress. It even has my initial!" I showed him the label on the dress, pointing where it said E.C just under my mother's name. I wasn't looking for a response but he still gave a small nod. It was mostly just to show how she shouldn't be judging people when she clearly had no idea who they were.
"E.C for Elisabeth Celano." I gave a small wink to the lady, and she looked shocked. Her eyes were wide, and she was quickly turning into a bright red shade, matching her lipstick and heels.
"I - I'm sorry, your mother?" She stuttered.
"Where's Chloé?" Nicholas asked in a stern voice, his eyes snapping to her.
"Y-yes, I'll get her right away." She quickly turned around and almost ran away.
"What a rude b*tch..." I muttered under my breath as I looked at her retreating form.
"I'll get her fired."
"No, no." I quickly shook my head.
"She just needs to change her attitude." I gave a small smile. Sure, she was rude, but I couldn't have that on my conscience if she got fired. She probably worked hard to get where she was as it was a brutal industry.
"Nicholas Donavan!" A woman walked over to him and greeted him with kisses on his cheeks. She was wearing a long, off-white Versace corset-like dress, and her hair was up in a tight bun. She was also wearing red lipstick and red heels. I guess that was the dress code for working here.
My fingers were suddenly twitching a little when I noticed she still had her hands placed on his shoulders.
"...Elsa." I snapped my eyes to Nicholas and realized they had been talking to me. But I was too focused on Chloé's hands on him.
"Huh...?" I was confused and my cheeks heated up a little. I had totally been caught glaring at her hands. Chloé just gave a little laugh and stuck her hand out for me to shake.
"I'm Chloé, the owner." She was a little older and had a thick French accent.
"Oh, hello. I'm Elisabeth." I smiled at her and shook her hand.
"Nicholas tells me you need a dress for tomorrow, yes?"
"Something like that..." We followed her into a private room with a
Troucher small circular stage surrounded by mirrors. She asked me to step on the small stage and started to measure me.
Nicholas sat on the white couch close to the stage and watched me get measured.
"I have a few dresses in mind for you to try. Though I think they might need to be sewn in at the waist as you'll need a bigger size as you have quite a big bust. I'll be right back." She quickly walked off in the direction of the gowns.
after hours...
"This dress will do!" Chloé returned with a dress, and I tiredly got up, hoping this will be the last dress to try as Nicholas rejected so many dresses already. It was a long deep wine- colored, backless dress with lace petals around the deep v- neckline which showed a bit of my cleavage. The top was tight and the skirt flowed out from my hips with a double high, but the extra red transparent material on the outside covered my legs. It was really a beautiful dress but I already dreaded Nicholas's reaction.
I pulled open the curtain once again and stepped out. Nicholas's eyes scanned my body from head to toe, and I raised my brows in surprise that he didn't say no immediately. I stepped on the little. circular stage and did a little spin for him to see the whole dress.
"We'll take this one." He nodded in approval.
"fucking Finally!" I exclaimed and dropped my arms to my side
dramatically.
"I'll have it ready and send it to you as soon as possible." Chloé said relieved. I got dressed back in my clothes and Chloé took the dress to put it aside.
"Do you have a restroom I can use?" I asked.
"Just right down there and to your left." All the fuss with the dresses made me hot and I needed to splash some cold water on my face. Luckily, I had decided not to wear any makeup. It was too hot anyways and it might have melted right off my face.
I dried off my face when the door suddenly opened. I turned to see Nicholas had walked in and before I could say anything, he grabbed me and kissed me hard, tugging on my lip with his teeth to deepen the kiss.
"You really don't know the meaning of a break." I told him when stepped out of the boutique. One thing lead to the other in the bathroom, and before I knew it, my hands were on the sink and he was behind me, thrusting fast and hard inside of me.
"Your fault for being se*y." This time it was my turn to shoot him a blank look.
"Such a man thing to say. Men are always blaming it on women. when in fact you're the ones who can't control yourselves."
"I didn't hear you complain earlier. In fact, it sounded like you were very much enjoying it." He gave me a satisfied look while his eyes. started to trail down my body.
"So, what's the plan for today?" I changed the subject before it escalated to anything, and I couldn't handle another round of his rough f*cking right now.
"Whatever you want to do."
"Really? You don't have work or whatever to take care of today?" I was surprised because it seemed he always had something to do.
"I cleared the day." Nicholas gave me a small smile and I seemed to forget everything around me at the sight.
"I see. Who were you talking to earlier on the phone?" I asked as we walked through a park. It was full of people enjoying the good weather, and some were even having picnics and feeding ducks. It felt so weird to be walking around with him like this as if we were a
normal couple when in fact, he was a big mob boss.
"Antonio." He answered curtly.
"You always give me one-word answers." I sighed. I was curious and I wanted to know about things, but I also knew it was a long shot to getting a proper answer.
"Is something wrong?"
"You don't need to concern yourself with these things." Nicholas kept staring right ahead, his hands in his pockets as he glared at people who dared to come too close to us.
"You always say that, yet you drag me to an event full of dangerous people. Some info would be great actually."
"The less you know, the better." That thick head of his...
"Knowledge is power, did you know that? You can't keep me in the dark forever." I pointed out. He stopped walking and turned to look at me, tilting my chin upwards to meet his gaze.
"You're too innocent to be a part of this world. It f*cks you up in a whole different way, so trust me when I say the less you know, the better." He stated firmly to let me know this was serious talk. But still, for some reason excitement rushed through me as he looked at me with his serious eyes.
"Am I not already a part of this world? I mean look who my father is,and who I ma fucking is." I was confused. Sure, I was kept in the dark but I was not exactly a secret anymore.
"Not exactly." We started walking again and I waited for him to elaborate.
"Your father might be a mob boss, but that doesn't exactly mean you're a part of it just because you're his daughter. You have to take an oath."
"Omertá." I said as I remember reading about it. The code of silence and code of honor. If you broke that, you're pretty much dead.
"I thought it was made up, to be honest. Is it actually serious?"
"It's a blood oath. Once it is taken, there is no going back. Only death releases you from it." So, very much serious.
"How do you take it?" I rolled my eyes at the stern look he was giving me.
"Okay, so do you know anyone who has broken it?" My question had him go silent as we kept walking.
"I do." He said after a while. I glanced at him, seeing the blank expression on his face. As much as I wanted him to explain further about what happened, I knew it was a matter I couldn't press him into telling me.
"How many have you killed?" The question came out before I could realize what I was asking about.
"Don't even go there with me, Elsa." He warned but it was already too late as the next question came out.
"5, 10, 30, 100? Give me a number."
"Elsa." He gave me a harsh look and I clamped my mouth shut.
"I'm just curious, that's all." I sighed but knew I had overstepped.
"Your curiosity can get you killed." He replied firmly.
"Sounds a bit like an exaggeration."
"No more questions." He shut men down when I was about to ask him another question.
"Where is the fun in that...?" I muttered and we ended up walking in silence.
We came to an end that led us out of the park, and that was when I heard loud screams, laughter, and sounds of roller coasters going fast. My eyes widened and I looked in the direction of the sounds.
"No way! It's an amusement park!" I said excitedly. I haven't been in one in years! I let out a squeal of excitement, grabbed Nicholas' s hand, and practically dragged him toward the amusement park.
"This is awesome!" I felt like a child again as I looked around, the memories of spent in amusement parks rushed back to me. I turned to look at Nicholas and laughed as he looked like he walked to the wrong place. He raised a brow in question at me when I continued to giggle.
"Don't be so serious here, it's a happy place! Brings back childhood memories, don't they?"
"Hmm, I see." He simply replied.
"... Have you never been to an amusement park?" I asked, unsure. Everyone had at least once in their life experienced going to some kind of amusement park, right?
"No."
"What?! What kind of childhood is that?" I looked at him in pure shock.
"Busy surviving and learning how to kill." He stated casually. My
heart squeezed as I felt sorry for him. I pictured him as a child, forced to live in a world over which he had no control. A child, robbed of his innocence only to be taught how to be a cold- blooded murderer.
My heart ached for him.
"Don't look at me like that." His eyes softened a little as he looked at me. I didn't have to think twice and I went up to him, wrapping my arms tight around him. I could feel my eyes burn and I blinked a few times to make sure no tears were showing. I cleared my throat before looking at him.
"I can't give you your childhood back, but I can make sure to give you a fun experience in an amusement park." I took his hand in mine and walked him in the direction of the different stands and roller coasters.
"And also, the best food is here. I don't know why, but it's like food in these places tastes a hundred times better." I grinned at him. The look of adoration showed in his eyes. Or so I thought. I blinked and it was gone.
.
"Nicholas, you can't do that!" I practically scolded him as I dragged him out of the horror house.
"He scared you." Nicholas scowled.
"They are supposed to scare you. That's their job! Not the other way around." I sighed. A poor guy, dressed up as Michael Myers showed up out of nowhere in front of me with a big-ass knife and scared the shit out of me. Nicholas took it way too seriously and slammed the guy to the floor, threatening him to the point he took off running, screaming for his life.
Maybe it was partially my fault. I should have known better than to take him to a horror house.
"Try and loosen up a bit." I smiled and grabbed his hand. I looked around to see what stands we could try, and my smile widened at a particular one.
"Perhaps this is more your area of expertise." I bit my lip to hold back a snicker as I led him to a shooting stand.
"You think you're funny?" A corner of his mouth turned up.
"Oh, I know I'm funny." I laughed and turned to the guy responsible for the stand and bought a round for us both.
"Wanna make it into a competition?" I picked up the rifle and aimed for the very small shooting mark that hung on the wall. It was a bit of a distance but I felt confident as I aimed with one eye open with a clear sight of the mark. I fired all of my shots and not a single one made it inside the circle.
I wasn't even close.
"Wow, that sucked." I huffed in annoyance.
"How am I supposed to hit that little mark when it's so far away?" I complained to no one in particular as I continued to scowl.
Nicholas glanced at me and picked up his rifle. He stood casually, aiming and firing his shots. My eyes slowly widened when I saw him hit every single shot in the middle.
Perfectly.
"You cheated!" I accused. ... Maybe I was a bit of a sore loser. So, what?
"And how did I cheat?" He raised a brow. My mouth remained shut as I couldn't think of how in the world he could have cheated.
"We have a winner! Pick your prize, sir." The guy interrupted us. Nicholas looked up at the choices and pointed to a big, fluffy, white teddy bear with big blue eyes, long lashes, and a pink bow around its neck.
"For you." His eyes softened a little when I gave him a warm smile and clutched the teddy bear into my chest.
He won that for me.
"Wait, I want to try one more time. I can feel a victory." I bought another round and picked up the rifle once again. I had one eye open as I aimed for the tiny spot on the wall. Just as I was about
I to shoot, Nicholas stopped me.
"You're holding it wrong." I felt my heart skip a beat when he stepped close behind me. He adjusted the rifle against my shoulder and slightly lowered my aim.
"Both eyes open." He whispered, and I stopped breathing when he pressed himself against me. Trying to concentrate, I followed his instructions.
"Now, relax your shoulders and breathe." I relaxed my shoulders and let out a breath, focusing on my mark before firing.
"Oh my God, I did it!" I jumped up and down in excitement. I couldn't believe I actually hit that tiny spot! It wasn't perfect like Nicholas's but at least they were all in the inner circle.
"That's my girl." He said quietly and kissed my temple. I gave a shy smile and my body tingled at his words. I picked my prize, a minion in a Hawaii skirt as I looked around for our next activity.
"Uh, have you had a snow cone before?"
"No. I'm not into sugary stuff."
"I can see that. There is not like an ounce of fat on you." I poked at his stomach and felt his rock-hard abs.
"I'll undress for you later." He winked and that was when I realized I had started to feel him up in the middle of the amusement park. With people around us. But I couldn't be blamed when he got one. hell of a muscular body.
"Sit here and I'll be right back." I pushed him down on a bench, well tried to because he wouldn't really budge but sat down anyway. I gave him the teddy bears for him to hold as I quickly turned in the direction where I saw the stand selling snow cones.
"Hi there, what can I do for ya?" The girl behind the stand smiled brightly.
"Can I have a blue snow cone, please? Oh, and one churro with sugar and cinnamon, thanks!" I smiled but she just stood there and stared at me. I started to feel uncomfort*ble to the point I shifted around on my feet when she continued to look at me.
"Are you okay...?" I asked, unsure of what was wrong with her. She shook her head as if coming out of a daze.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to stare like that. It's just that you're so pretty! Those green eyes are to die for!" She beamed.
"Oh, thank you. You're pretty too! I love your freckles." I chuckled a little, relieved that she was aware of her staring.
"You're being too nice. Right, let me just get you your order." She hurried to get me my snow cone and churro, her red hair in a high
ponytail swaying as she hurried.
"Here you go! So sorry again. This one's on the house." She gave me an extra snow cone, and I thanked her as I was not one to turn down a free snow cone.
I made my way back to Nicholas but stopped to readjust the things in my hands when I felt them almost slip. I suddenly got this. chilling feeling of someone watching, having me glance to the side. It was the girl who had just served me, talking to another woman while looking at me. She noticed me looking at them and she quickly smiled at me. I gave her a tight smile back and hurried towards where I knew Nicholas was sitting.
I didn't like the way they were looking at me. I didn't know what it was but it sure as hell gave me a strange feeling.
"You took too long." Nicholas walked up to me, meeting me halfway. I lightly chuckled at how funny how a big and dangerous man like him was holding two teddy bears in his arms.
"It was five minutes."
"Five minutes too long." His eyes narrowed.
"So impatient... Here try this." I gave him a snow cone as we took a seat on a bench nearby. He held it and just stared at it.
"I didn't poison it." I joked.
"I know."
"Then have some." I encouraged him and started to eat the shaved ice. I guess it was a long shot with the snow cone as he just ignored it and watched me eat mine.t i gaze was intently fixed on my tongue as I licked the ice.
"Well, at least try the churro. It's covered in cinnamon and sugar." I held it out for him to try, but he just shook his head.
"Your loss." I shrugged and took a big bite. I even did a dramatic 'mmhh' as I ate to tease him. I stopped chewing when he suddenly leaned in, close to my face. I felt myself stop breathing when he slowly licked my lip where some sugar was left.
"Sweet, indeed."
We kept walking around, trying different types of food, and playing different games. I was a competitive person and I would challenge Nicholas at any chance. Though I wasn't as successful as I had hoped but in return, he won a few more teddy bears for me.
The sky had turned dark and we were still at the amusement park. I kept glancing back every now and then as the feeling of someone watching us increased. I didn't know if I was being a bit paranoid after the girl and that woman had looked at me. Still, I squeezed the teddy bears closer to my chest and stepped closer to Nicholas for comfort.
"Urgh, my feet are hurting." I winced. We had been at the amusement park for hours now, and I wasn't exactly wearing footwear that was comfortable for this kind of activity.
"Want to head back?" Nicholas asked and I nodded tiredly. I couldn't wait to get off my feet and was already thinking about soaking in a hot bubble bath. The room we were staying in had a huge bathtub placed in front of a large window with a view of the massive lake with golden lights.
We changed direction to get to the exit and that was when I noticed the same man, who we had walked by a few times, suddenly changed direction too and followed us.
That couldn't be right...
My heart started to pump faster. His action set me off. It could be coincidental I tried to tell myself, and that it was easy to get los here. But now thinking about it, he had still been in the background when we tried out the games.
"Nicholas..."
"I know." He said calmly. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him.
"I was trying to distract you." He sounded serious yet he was talking in a soft voice to me.
"W-what's going on?" I couldn't help but stutter a little as I felt my heart start to pump violently.
"I haven't seen them before." Nicholas kept staring straight ahead but his eyes were discreetly analyzing the crowd.
"Them?!" I shrieked in a panic. There was more than one?
"Don't look." He stopped me when I was about to look around.
"So far, there are six of them. If you look around now, they'll know I' ve spotted them and then they might attack sooner than planned when we get out. They won't do anything now. There are too many people around." He softly explained while still keeping a firm grip
on me.
"Breathe, Elsa. I won't let them hurt you." I hadn't even noticed that I had stopped breathing.
"O-okay." My voice wouldn't stop shaking and I could feel my knees giving up on me a little.
We had now exited the amusement park, and the music and laughter were slowly getting out of hearing distance. We went through the park we had come from, but this time, it was extremely dark, only the lamp posts providing some light.
"Talk to me." His tone was still soft but my knees still felt they would buckle at any second.
"I'm scared." I hadn't felt this kind of fear before, and I had no ideal what to do other than to press myself into him for some kind of protection.
"I know." His thumb caressed my side as we continued to walk. Nicholas walked us to a darker and more isolated area in the park. I couldn't see much as it was too dark for me, and the tall trees blocked any lights from the lamp posts. He suddenly stopped and pulled me in front of him and pressed me up against a tree.
"Listen to me, Elsa." I looked up at him and his brows were slightly furrowed as he looked at me with a serious expression.
"No matter what, you keep your eyes on me. You don't look anywhere else but at me." He ordered firmly. I couldn't say anything than just nod at him and stare at him wide-eyed.
"You'll hear gunshots, but they won't be too loud." Nicholas continued to instruct as he leaned closer to me. I could feel his hands moving around. And then I felt it.
His gun.
I looked down quickly and saw that he was twisting something at the muzzle of the gun. It must be a silencer. I gulped and looked back at him.
"They are close." Nicholas pressed himself against me, his face so close to mine I could feel his hot breath on my lips. On the outside, we looked like a normal couple, having a romantic about-to-kiss moment up against a tree. But it was in fact, a matter of a life-or- death situation. I didn't dare to look anywhere else and kept focusing on Nicholas's eyes that I have come to care so much for.
In a blink of an eye, Nicholas's eyes hardened and went cold, his eyes snapped to look over my shoulder. He moved so fast that I could barely comprehend what was going on. I jumped at the sound of shots being fired from right beside my left shoulder. There were groans before I heard their bodies drop to the ground with a thud, having me swallow hard.
He was right about it not being too loud but still loud enough to hear as we were the only ones in the park, but still, very distant noises from the amusement park could still be heard.
My body tensed, even more, when I could see two muzzle flashes from different directions out of the corner of my eye. But I did as he said and kept looking at him, my eyes never leaving his face. My hands were in tight fists on his shirt when I heard the rustling sound of someone moving toward us.
That was it. We were going to die.
My lip wanted to tremble so badly in fear. Nicholas looked back at me and put a hand on my cheek and lightly caressed it with his thumb.
"Antonio and Logan." He told me quietly. But it was like I couldn't understand what he was saying. I only realized what he meant when Antonio and Logan came out from behind the trees.
"Breathe. You're going to pass out." As if on cue, I gasped for air as if I had been underwater for so long, and finally came back to the surface for air. My lungs were hurting from the harsh intake of breaths, and my heart was going so crazy that I was afraid it would jump right out of my chest.
"I - I can't feel my legs." I whispered to him in a shaky voice. I wasn't sure what I could and couldn't feel. I was shaking so much and my knees finally gave up on me. Nicholas moved his arm around my waist and the other behind my knees to carry me.
I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, closing my eyes as I buried my face into his neck. It was silent. The only sounds. coming from their light footsteps on the path. I heard the sound of a car door opening and Nicholas slid in with me on his lap.
He still held me tightly, his hand caressing my back as the car drove off. He moved to reach for something and I felt a blanket being wrapped around me. I kept my eyes closed and focused on his calm and steady heartbeat.
We were back in our hotel room and Nicholas placed me down on the couch and walked over to the window. I pulled the blanket tighter around me as I wrapped my arms around my legs with my head resting on my knees. A bottle of water entered my view and I looked up to see it was Antonio. They all seemed to wear this blank expression, never allowing anyone to see what they were thinking.
I gave him a small smile and thanked him. I was still shaking, but this time it was from suddenly being cold even though I had the blanket around me. I struggled to twist the cap open as my hands were weak and wouldn't stop shaking. Antonio took the bottle out of my hands and opened it for me before giving it back.
All three of them were by the window, talking in hushed voices so I wouldn't pick up what they were saying. I tried to listen if I could just make sense of some words but failed to do so as my own thoughts were all over the place. I was scared and confused. I had so many questions about what had just happened. I looked over at them and saw that they were already looking at me. Damiano said something to them before they walked out of the room.
"What's going on?" I asked when they left us alone. Nicholas sat down next to me on the couch before taking hold of me and placing me on his lap
"How are you feeling?" I frowned a little.
"What's going on." I pressed on when he tried to change the subject.
"You don't need to worry about it." He dismissed.
"Don't say that to me when I was in the middle of it!" My voice raised a little. I was freaked out about the whole situation. He just looked at me, giving nothing away.
"Please, tell me... I need to know." Nicholas looked around my face as if pondering if he should tell me or not.
"We don't know who they are. They are not carrying anything to be identified with in any way, which only led to one answer."
"What?" I dreaded the answer but I also knew I would never get any peace if I didn't know.
"Human traffickers." He answered. My heart stopped beating for a second and my eyes went wide in shock.
"And they were after..." I trailed off, already knowing the answer. Yet I couldn't get myself to finish the sentence.
"They were." I just nodded, still in shock. I looked down at his shirt and started to nervously play with the buttons. I never thought something like this would happen to me. I kept thinking about why they would want me, and then I kept thinking about how many girls
they had managed to snatch at the amusement park.
It made me sick.
"What about their bodies in the park?" I decided to ask.
"They are being taken care of." He spoke to me softly.
"Okay." The last thing I wanted on my mind was to think about children finding dead bodies in the park. They would be traumatized for life.
Nicholas gently grabbed my chin and made me look at him.
"I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe." His grayish blue eyes were full of promise. He slowly leaned in, and I closed my
eyes when he kissed me softly, having me melt right into his arms.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
untill next part...
══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══