Chapter 2

He quickly ducked behind the dining table as fear took hold of him. His eyes, wide with fear, darted all over the room until they settled on his mother.

She was on the ground, her hand clutching her stomach as blood began to form a pool around her. Vincent covered his mouth with his small hands to contain the cry that was about to burst out.

His eyes strayed to his father, who was also lying on the ground, his body limp and lifeless. Sitting next to him, with her eyes closed as though she was sleeping was his older sister. She was dead.

A bump on the road brought him back to reality as the tires screeched to a halt before crossing the region of the bump. He kept hearing his mother’s last words resounding in his ears as he approached his castle.

Arriving at his castle, he walked into the small room where he normally tortured offenders to see a man strapped to a chair, his head covered with a black sack.

"Remove it," he commanded. One of his men nodded and swiftly pulled off the sack, revealing a disheveled and bruised face.

"Oh wow... dear cousin," Vincent said, letting out a chilling laugh.

"Fuck you," the man spat out in a voice full of defiance. Vincent's laughter echoed throughout the dimly lit room, adding to the tension.

"How's your father?" He asked, stepping closer as his eyes gleamed with relish.

"None of your fucking business," the man retorted, trying to sound brave.

"Aaron, Aaron, Aaron," Vincent called, his voice dripping with mock affection as he caressed the cold metal against Aaron's head. "How would you feel about your brains being blown out?"

Fear gripped Aaron, his bravado crumbling. "You won't do it," he stammered. "I might change my mind on one condition," Vincent said, his tone suddenly businesslike. "What?" Aaron asked, desperation clear in his voice.

"It's not hard... I want all the information about your father's business. Every detail about his operations, shipments, contacts, everything," Vincent demanded.

"No... that's not possible. I can't give you that," Aaron protested, his voice wavering. "Well, we made a deal... except...." Vincent pressed the gun harder against Aaron's throat, his eyes cold and unfeeling.

"Fine, fine... I'll tell you," Aaron said, his will finally broken. "Wow... such a good boy," Vincent said with a smirk. "His weapons will be shipped next week Thursday," Aaron began, his voice trembling. "And he's planning a major deal with the Russian mafia. That's all I know."

He smiled, pulling the trigger without warning. The bullet ripped through Aaron's jaw and lodged in his skull, permanently silencing him.

Turning to one of his men, he signaled him to get the place cleaned up and the Colombo family properly investigated. Vincent's smile faded as he noticed a splash of blood on his pristine suit. His expression turned to one of disgust instantly.

"Eww," Vincent murmured, brushing at the stain. He hated blood stains so much. "Burn these clothes," he said, immediately pulling off his suit jacket and shirt.

"Yes, boss," one of his men responded, quickly taking the garments away. With a sigh, Vincent ran a hand through his hair as he fished out his phone that had just buzzed from his pocket.

Even though the message he had just read from one of his informants was unpleasant, the information he had managed to get out of Aaron was priceless. It would keep him ahead in the never-ending struggle for supremacy within the mafia and tip the scales in his favor.

"Get me a new suit," he ordered. "And ensure there are no more loose ends,” he added, turning to face the door that had just creaked open. "Boss," Bellamy said as he entered the room, his tone cautious but laced with urgency.

Vincent’s smile returned. He loved it when Bellamy entered the room—it meant news, and he had a particular fondness for news, whether good or bad.

"What's the news, Bellamy?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the gun in his hand. Bellamy hesitated for a second. "Your uncle is pissed," he began, but Vincent held up a hand to stop him.

"I'll correct you for the last time, Bellamy," he said, his voice dangerously soft. Bellamy’s head bowed slightly in submission. "I’m sorry, boss," he murmured. "Adone is pissed, and he said he’s going to come for you," Bellamy corrected himself, his voice firmer now.

Vincent burst out laughing, the sound echoing off the walls. It was as though the thought of dealing with Adone brought him a deep sense of pleasure. His eyes drifted back to Lipari.

"Lipari," he called. "Yes, boss?" Lipari responded immediately, his posture straightening.

"Keep a tab on Miss Escobar, I want to know all of her movement," Vincent said, his smirk widening into something darker and more dangerous as he climbed up to his bedroom to retire for the day.

~~

Eloise felt a wave of unease and anger wash over her. She demanded, trying to keep her voice steady but shaking slightly, "What are you doing here?"

Vincent had a calm smile that was infuriating. "Just enjoying the evening. It was unexpected to see you here, though. Quite a coincidence, isn't it?"

"This is a private room. You're not welcome here."

Vincent chuckled, gazing at her friends, who were now watching the exchange with rapt attention. "Relax, Miss Escobar. I'm not here to cause trouble. And besides, I own this place.

"Then I'm leaving," she said, dropping the cue stick and moving to walk past him when she saw Jeremy at the entrance of the gaming house talking and laughing aloud with a bunch of guys whom she hadn’t seen him with before.

“Could Jeremy be stalking me? He should lick his wounds and back out of my life for good”, she muttered to herself as she halted in her tracks. Jeremy caught sight of her and approached her before she turned to exchange more words with Vincent.

“After influencing the withdrawal of my father’s deal, you still stalk me?” he asked with a tone of bitterness as he pranced around her with gritted teeth.

“Who has the time to stalk a riffraff like you? Get your facts right!” she warned.

Jeremy looked at her with a smirk and taunted, “I see you are with a new guy. Just don’t suffocate him like you did me.” He said audaciously and walked away.

"Feisty. I like that. Especially in bed," Vincent said without acknowledging what had just happened. "What do you want from me?" she quizzed, her voice trembling with restrained rage.

"Let's place a bet," he said his eyes glinting with challenge. "What on earth would make me want to bet with you?" She snapped back, rolling her eyes with reckless abandon.

He moved in closer until she could feel the heat emanating from his body and said, "You might like it." Her heart pounded in her chest, a mix of rage and a strange attraction.

"What?" she questioned, attempting to sound unimpressed. He nodded to the snooker table and said, "Let us play a game."

"And what is the bet?" she inquired. "If you win, I will apologize for pouring my expensive drink on you," he said mockingly. "You believe I am not going to win?" She scoffed; her confidence boosted by years of experience.

"Why not find out?" he asked, a chuckle escaping his lips. His smirk widened. "If I win, you will be my pet for two months," he said, his gaze locked into hers. "Looks like little Miss Escobar is not so confident after all," he teased.

"Quit calling me that. "My name is Eloise," she yelled. "So, are you on board with my terms?" he asked, holding out his hand. She grasped his hand reluctantly and gave it a firm shake, her eyes narrowing. "Deal," she uttered, her tone oozing out determination.

Eloise became more confident as the game progressed. She was leading but Vincent's sudden comeback had thrown her off her game. She didn’t see that coming.

Their scores evened out, and Eloise felt her anxiety spike. The idea of spending two months at his mercy was too much for her to handle. She felt nervous as she lined up her final shot and took a chance at shooting but the cue ball bounced off.

Vincent approached her immediately with a smile on his face. His eyes shone with more than just a glimmer of victory and excitement.

"Well played, Miss Escobar," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "But it seems I'm the winner." He turned to his men, grinning mischievously, as he walked away.

A shiver ran down Eloise's spine upon realizing what she had gotten herself into. She was his "pet" and would do as he pleased for the next two months.

She looked at her friends but they were carried away by his masculine features. "I could see his abs through his shirt," Francesca blurted, her eyes still lingering on the door where Vincent had exited.

"Are you serious right now? Did you not hear what just happened?" she snapped. Lila shrugged. "Sorry, El. But you have to admit, he’s something else."

Eloise glared at them, clearly frustrated. "I am going home," she declared, snatching up her stuff and storming out of the private room.

It was an uncomfortable drive home. In a bid to calm herself, she inhaled deeply as her chauffeur arrived at her residence. Her heart raced with every step she took as she walked up to her father’s study room.

Giving the door a gentle tap, she pushed it open. "Can I talk to you, Daddy?"