THE MAFIA’S CAPTIVE ANGEL

I was feeling devastated, and I couldn’t help but blame myself for what had happened to Mani. If only I had not gone out this morning, if only I had kept to my routine and brought her meal up to her room like I usually did these past few days, then she wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped. especially not when she was pregnant.

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None of this would have happened if only I had given her the chance to explain when she first pleaded with me. Maybe then we would have figured out who was betraying us, and now we had to work faster at finding her before something bad happened.

Sighing, I swing my legs, which were deep inside the pool water, while wiping the tears from my face. I couldn’t remember the last time I had cried this much. Was it those times when I struggled to stay alive as my father carried on with his assault, or the time he…

Shaking the thought off my head, I try not to think about the past, knowing it would bring nothing but pain and nightmares.

“You have been in here for quite some time; are you okay?” Alexander’s voice boomed off the walls, causing my attention to shift from the pool to him.

“Of course not. Not until Mani is found,” I answered, and the air filled with awkwardness.

There was no doubt that I was one of Sin’s men and have worked for him for a long time. I probably met his family on one or two occasions, but I have never been alone with any of his family members, especially not his younger brother Alexander.

My eyes wandered around his features, taking in every detail. Just like his brother, Alexander Violenta was graced with a flawless face, one that was bound to capture the attention of women. Just like Sin, he was blessed with a great height, standing tall and powerful, and his eyes spoke about nothing but danger and mystery.

Yet unlike Sin, he has a bit of warmth, making him look less intimidating, but I knew better than to let my guard down. He was, after all, a violent man. And the Violenta men weren’t ones to be missed.

“Nothing is going to happen to Mani; Sin will find her; that, I’m very certain of,” he says after a few seconds have passed.

“I want to keep an open mind, but I can’t help but worry, given the condition she is in.”

“What condition?” He asked, giving me a puzzled look-that was when I realized my mistake.

“Uh, you know, she had been downcast and depressed since her argument with Sin.” No one but Sin Luca and I knew about the pregnancy, and I wasn’t sure if Sin had already told his brother or not, but one thing was for certain: It was my place to tell him the news.

I wasn’t really sure if he bought into my lie, but if he didn’t, he wasn’t saying anything about it. Instead, an emotion I didn’t recognize flickered in his eyes briefly before his stern gaze reappeared.

“You should go back in; the weather isn’t friendly. The last thing I need is for you to catch a cold.” The way he said it and the concern in his eyes made me squirm in my spot, sending down emotions I didn’t realize I was capable of feeling.

Get a hold of yourself, Samantha.

This is Sin’s brother we are talking about.

The last thing I needed right now was to miss any form of pleasure in business or even feel any form of attraction for this man.

Besides, he was Zoey’s ex-boyfriend. They may have broken up, but that doesn’t mean she was over him. They almost had a child together; having any form of feeling or attraction would mean betraying her, and I could never do that to a friend.

I sighed, returning my gaze back to the pool. “I don’t mind the cold; beside, it feels relaxing.”

“Then you won’t mind if I keep you company.”

“I’m being graced by the mighty presence of Alexander Violenta; why in the hell would I turn down such company?” I joked sarcastically, and surprisingly, he smiled. Granted, it was a half smile, but it was still more breath-taking than I imagined it would be.

“It’s good to see you haven’t lost your wit,” he says, taking a step closer to me before plopping down beside me, his legs deep in the water.

” You know you don’t need to beat yourself up for what happened to Mani. My brother is already on the guilty train, blaming himself for what has happened. The last thing I need is for you to do the same, because what happened wasn’t your fault.” His voice was soft and somewhat comforting, which brought me some relief.

“Yeah, that much I know.” I stated this with a sigh. “I know it wasn’t my fault, but I can’t seem to register it up here,” I replied, pointing to the side of my head. “I’m stuck with those what-ifs, and I know I won’t be able to forgive myself if anything happens to Mani. I feel so useless not being of help; it’s been a long time since I felt this pathetic.” I whispered the last part, feeling breathless.

“Take a deep breath, Samantha. I know half of this is about Mani, but I don’t think that is all. What really is the problem?” He asked me softly, and I found the feeling of nervousness beginning to take control.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” I said, fudging my nose with my fingers.

“I’m sure you do. I know we don’t see eye to eye, but trust me, I’m good at listening.” He says, nudging my shoulder with a smile on his face.

“With everything happening, I can’t help but think back to the past. I’m scared of losing someone dear to me again; the one reason I joined the mafia was because I never want to feel this weak again. I thought if maybe I became stronger, I could protect the people I care about. Right now I’m reminded of what my mom had to go through in the hands of my father, what i had to go through. I….” I was suddenly on the brink of a full-blown meltdown, and I tried shaking it off as I wiped the tears that had escaped.

I could hear him calling my name, but I couldn’t bring myself to answer him. He took both of my hands into his large, warm hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.

“Breathe, Samantha. in and out. You don’t have to talk about it if it’s too hard for you.” I slowly caught my breath and nodded. Hearing him call me by my full name somehow made my heart flutter.

The way he said it was soft and sincere, like he actually cared. I know I was wrong, but I couldn’t help but feel butterflies when he looked at me.

“Why do you suddenly care about how I feel?” I asked, puzzled. “We’ve known each other for years, and never once have you looked my way or spared me the time of day, so why now?. Do I look so pitiful to you?”

“Is that what you think?, That I never once looked you sideways or spared you the time of day, Samantha.” He asked, his eyes holding nothing but seriousness. “Do you really seriously think I’m doing this all out of pity?”

“Then why, Alexander…” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Alexander’s eyes closed for a while as he took a calculated breath before pulsing them back open and staring directly into my eyes with so much intensity and emotion that I couldn’t discern.

“Because I care. I care for you, Samantha. I really don’t know when I began feeling this urge to protect you and keep you safe, but the thought of seeing you hurt does something in me. and not in a good way.” His fingers caress my cheek. “Non hai idea di quanto controllo ci vuole per non rivendicarti come mio. (You have no idea how much control it takes not to claim you as mine.)

My eyes widen at his words, and the tingle in the pit of my stomach intensifies. I wasn’t sure who was the first to lean in-was I the one to make the first move, or was he the one?

All I felt was the intensity with which our lips collided with each other. Fireworks exploded as my lips moved in sync with his. Alexander grabbed my hips and pulled me closer to him, deepening the kiss while doing so. Our tongues were battling for dominance, but I wouldn’t give it up that easily. when he tried to gain dominance in the kiss, but I would fight back just as hard. He moved one hand from my waist and around to squeeze my butt cheek, which caused me to gasp, which only gave him the upper hand. I submitted to him and let him dominate the kiss.

My heart was racing a marathon inside my rib cage.

When we did break apart from our kiss, we were both panting for air. It’s like we both forgot to breathe while we were lip-locked.

“Um….” I stared at him, speechless, not sure what to say.

I have never been rendered speechless by any man before, especially not with a simple kiss, and Alexander Violenta managed to do just that.

“I know Bambina; I have been told to have such an effect on ladies.” He smiles, and his thumb caresses my lips.

I know his words were a joke in a way to ease me up, but instead it felt like I had been thrown a bucket of cold water.

Fuck

How the hell did I forget Zoey?

I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be kissing Alexander and feeling this way.

This was wrong.

I pushed back away from him, watching his brow furrow in confusion.

“I’m sorry, this was a mistake.” I hurriedly said, raising myself to my feet as I raced out of the pool, ignoring Alexander’s call.

It was best to kill whatever feeling I had going on. I should have focused instead on Mani, yet despite the zeal to forget, I felt my heart break into a thousand pieces.