Chapter 4

He practically lunged for her, pushing her closer against the wall and devouring her mouth.

Yeah, this was wrong in so many ways. He wasn’t even sure if Adelina even knew who he was or what would happen tomorrow, but right now he just wanted every piece of her.

He ripped off her sequined top in one fluid motion, and stepped back to admire her perfect body. She licked her lips again, but his eyes were drawn to something else. The jagged scar below her left breast. He traced it with the tip of his finger and she winced. Tattooed over it was a black outline of a heart. “What’s this for?” he asked.

She pulled he hand away from the scar and the tattoo. “Just fuck me, Lucian.”

He happily obliged.

“Theo!” her voice was raw from screaming. Her new, pretty dress was covered in dirt and her knees were scrapped and dripping blood. “Theo!” she screamed again. How long had she been here? Lost in the woods.

Theo and Vinny were racing through the woods with Adelina chasing after them. She knew they saw her, but still they had ran faster leaving her behind. Now she was lost. The tall trees were looming over her and her legs were aching.

“Theo?” she tried once more, tears tripping from her eyes.

“Topolina?” he called back.

Finally.

“What are you doing?” he asked, eyes scanning over her disheveled appearance.

She hiccupped a sob. “I got lost.”

“Come on.” He sighed. “I’ll take you home.”

He swung an arm over her should and led her back to path and back to their houses.

Theo always found her.

Adelina was positive the entire room was spinning around her. Her stomach threatened to expel last night’s alcohol and if she didn't know better she would have thought there was a knife stuck in her head. The version of herself she hated the most was definitely drunk Adelina. Or maybe hungover Adelina.

Her eyes slowly opened to reveal she wasn't in her dorm room. She was pinned to the king-sized bed by a heavy foreign arm while flashes of the night before hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Shit." She muttered.

Shamefully she crawled from the bed carefully extracting herself from Lucian’s grasp. She slid into her skirt, found her shirt out in the penthouse's living room and shoved that on too. She grabbed her purse and made for a quick exit.

Adelina was barely out of the place when her phone went off.

Vinny.

"Good morning dear brother." She semi-whispered as she pressed the button for the elevator.

"Where the hell are you?"

"In my dorm, just woke up." She lied easily.

"Adelina," his tone scolded. "Do not lie to me."

"I'm not." Her voice cooed, sugary sweet.

"Roberto is at your dorm."

Busted by the big jackass.

"I'm almost back." She sighed.

"As soon as your back Roberto will drive you home. Hope whatever, or whoever, you did was worth it because it's not happening again." He hung up the phone with annoyance.

Roberto was leaning against the black Escalade when Adelina’s Uber arrived in-front of her dorm.

For a second she thought about having the driver keep going but she knew better.

Roberto wouldn't even let her shower or grab fresh clothes before he tossed her in the backseat of his car for the trek back to the suburbs.

Vinny’s eyes filled with anger when she walked into their family home barefoot in a short skirt and tank with high heels dangling from her finger tips.

He didn't miss the opportunity to lecture her before releasing her to go shower. It was 10 am and she had a lunch date after all.

Vinny left her with one sentiment before they piled into the Escalade: "Don't fuck this up for me."

She made no promises.

A tall, buff, and extremely attractive man was already sitting at their normal table when Adelina and Vinny arrived at the restaurant. Mangia, was one of the best Italian restaurants in Providence and part of Vinny's inheritance from their father. Adelina stood slightly behind Vinny, his words playing on repeat in her head: Be a good girl Adelina, don't screw this up for the family.

The Family, Vinny referenced was the Italian Mafia. A family Adelina was born into, but wanted no part of.

“You can't choose your family.” Her father had once told her.

"Lucian," Vinny gestured to the man and Adelina immediately felt sick in her stomach. "I'd like you to meet my sister, Adelina."