Chapter Four: Dinner

It takes an hour for his staff members to release me from my binds and clean me up. I blush as they run their hands over my body cleaning me from head to toe but I am grateful for one thing. There is no man with us, especially my captor. The female staff brush my hair as I sit close to the vanity looking at my features. My eyes look puffy from all the crying of last night before the auction and my hair is a bird’s nest after all my tossing and turning in the bed when I was punished. The thought makes a red tint creep up my cheeks as I remember what I had to do when I was in that man’s presence.

I wipe the thought from my mind and frown. I couldn’t forget that I was here against my will. I was bought for Christ’s sake. A fucking property to a mafia boss. My only concern now was how I would get out of this place without being killed rather than Luca’s eyes boring holes in my soul whenever he looked at me. I groan, racking my mind for a point of escape when the women steps away from me.

“All done.” One of them says, making me turn back to the mirror and look at myself.

My hair is no longer a mess. It sits on my shoulders in their signature and natural loose curls cupping my face and making me look younger than I actually am. The gown I have on is long and plain light blue gown for which I am thankful for because Luca wouldn’t think of touching me while I wore this.

“It’s time to see Mr. Luca now.” One of the women speaks, eyeing me through the mirror.

I sigh and pout. I didn’t want to do this. I wanted to go home. Home. A place that meant nothing to me now since my father and family betrayed me so blatantly, throwing me to the wolves to fend for myself. I scoff at the thought and stand up. According to Luca, all I need to do is obey and maybe I would be able to escape this place. If that’s all it takes then I’ll abide by his rules. For now.

With one last look at me, the women led me out of the room, towards what I assume is going to be the dining hall. With slow strides, we reach the room and the large oak doors open for me to enter. I walk into the room, marveling at how the dining room of this place is even grander than my former home.

Walls adorned with art and curtains trimmed with gold sit prettily in the massive room. The table itself, as I can tell due to my father’s old rantings, is made of pure grenadilla, African blackwood, one of the most expensive woods in the world. Just how rich is this man? I ask myself as I walk over to the table and take a seat opposite from him. Surprisingly, he didn’t sit at the head of the table like I thought he would. Still, I don’t want to be near him.

“Stand.” He commands me, his eyes not even on me as he goes through his phone.

I do as he says and stand up immediately, not wanting to incur his wrath. Luca drops his phone and watches me, making me feel self-conscious about myself even though I was dressed decently.

“The gown looks good on you.” He says shortly.

“Thank you.” I reply with my head bent towards the table.

“Come here.” He commands once again.

I freeze. I don’t want to go anywhere near him after what he did to me but I know that if I refuse, I would get punished. I struggle with the choice when he speaks again.

“Come here unless you want to get punished. Or do you?” He asks with a raise of his eyebrow, cockily teasing me. I swallow my pride and walk around the table to his side, my eyes not leaving the floor.

“Sit.” Luca says.

I move to sit on the chair next to him when he grabs my hand, stopping me.

“Not there.” He clarifies as he gestures to his lap.

My eyes widen. He wants me to sit on his lap. Why, though? Hadn’t he already embarrassed and groped me enough? I gulp when I see him stare at me, as if daring me to disobey him. I go to sit on his lap, not saying a word. As I do, his arms tighten around my waist pulling me further into his hold and also preventing me from escaping if he tries to do anything.

“Isn’t this nice?” He sarcastically asked me.

When I don’t reply, he loosens his grip on me and brushes my hair with his hands.

“You don’t need to feel uncomfortable near me. You’re mine now after all. You should feel right at home.”

I’m not sure when a scoff leaves my mouth at the word. Home. His. Never in a million years.

“What was that?” He questions in a steady voice.

“Nothing.” I quickly answer and mentally berate myself for my outburst.

“No. Explain.”

“It’s nothing.” I reply.

I feel him tense up while I speak. With one hand, Luca grabs my arm and lifts me off his body, causing me to stand on my own two feet. I turn to look at him when he points to the seat next to him. I take it as an invitation to take a seat. One which I take over sitting on his lap and contemplating the inevitable.

“You should understand that whenever you are in my presence, you are to be submissive. No talking back unless asked to and no refusal. You have to come to the reality that you are my property and no one in the outside world will help you escape me.”

I look up at Luca, his words resounding in my head. No escape. His face was serious while he looked at me, his once playful demeanor gone, making me believe that he was not joking. Is this my reality? Being forced to be with a man I want nothing to do with? I mean I know that technically it isn’t his fault since he didn’t drag me away from my family or even sold me out to gang members like my father did but I needed someone to blame for my misfortunes and he was right here. Who better than the man I could see sitting before me?

I frown, my blood beginning to boil and my defiance bubbling up in my throat, forcing me to speak up against him. Luca must have caught up to what I am about to do because he slams his hands on the table, causing me to flinch in shock.

“Submission Lia. That means no talking back either.” He warns.

I shut my mouth, gripping onto my gown and settling back down. Luca sighs and rubs his chin before he speaks again.

“I won’t be in the house for most of the day because of work. So, you’ll be watched by some of my men while I’m gone. You can ask for whatever you want to make your stay more comfortable but you will under no circumstance leave the house. Do you understand?”

I nod my head as an answer to his question.

“Speak Lia.” He prompts me.

“I understand.” I say to him, my voice unwittingly cracking.

I hear Luca sigh and then get up.

“Eat up and go to bed after.” Luca orders me one last time before he walks out of the room without eating a thing. As soon as the door closes after him, I feel the atmosphere of the room change and now I can breathe better. I look around and exhale.

Most people would be concerned about how they were now trapped with this man. That was my concern, yes, but I had other things on my mind. Like how I was going to escape when he left the mansion. When I was brought here there was little to no security around the mansion and even less in the house. For a mafia don there was really no form of protection around him which was weird but I didn’t bother to question it. It would serve me well. I mean with him gone, how hard could getting my freedom be?