Page 4 of Property of Benvolio

My temper surged. Daddy and Mr Abruzzenesa had no right to decide my future. No right to commit me to Benvolio Abruzzenesa as if I was nothing more than an expensive vase. I wondered how Benvolio felt about the agreement, I couldn't imagine he was happy either.

Curious about the man I'd been promised to, I researched him online. There were dozens of images of the man, rumoured to be a mafia boss, attending one charity gala or another. The events were no doubt the perfect diversion for his criminal activities. In every image, there was a tall, stunning blonde on his arm. I was the exact opposite of his preferred type, or so it seemed.

I had to admit, Benvolio dressed in a tux was devastatingly handsome. His dark hair looked to be always perfectly styled—shaved at the sides and long on top. He sported a neatly trimmed stubble on his jaw that added to his allure. In every image, his deep brown eyes assessed the person behind the camera, or was it the camera itself? His skin was unblemished with barely a wrinkle, making him appear younger than his twenty-nine years. I'd read many articles about the man which hinted at his family's control of the city, but no one ever brought forth evidence to put him and his goons behind bars. Pity. If they had, I wouldn't now be involved in the fight of my life.

My thoughts drifted back to Benvolio's looks. He was tall, and without heels, I'd be pushing to reach his shoulders. His chest was wide and there was no doubt in my mind that hard muscles were concealed beneath his clothes. A trim waist led down to slim hips and ridiculously long legs. His slacks couldn't conceal thick muscular thighs that tested the limits of the fabric. In any other circumstance, I'd give the man a second look, but I wasn't interested in having him forced on me—Ever.

Slowing the rate of my strokes, I started a warm-down, so I had time to shower, dress, and leave the house before Benvolio's scheduled arrival.

One final lap and I set my feet on the bottom of the pool at the shallow end before leaving via the steps. Water dripped from my body as I crossed to the chair where I’d left a towel. After drying off, I removed the swim cap and damp hair cascaded down to my arse. When I sensed someone watching, I lifted my eyes to find Daddy standing on the deck sipping at a mug of his morning coffee. He lifted the mug in a salute which I ignored before making my way inside the house.

***

A knock sounded at my bedroom door at the same time I slipped my feet into a pair of white sneakers.

Daddy pushed the door open and stepped into the room, not waiting for me to give him permission to enter. Things between us had become more and more tense, the closer it came to my leaving.

Well, the day had come, and I was leaving, but I wasn’t going where he wanted.

Shock washed over me when I noticed two huge men from the casino standing in the hallway. I grabbed up a light sweater, the keys to my Ferrari, and the suitcase I’d packed.

“Benvolio won’t be here until ten.”

"I don't give a fuck what time he'll be here. I've warned you for years...I'm not going with him. I won't be owned by anyone."

The goons stepped forward, blocking the doorway, but I brushed past Daddy ready to confront them. They moved their legs apart and crossed both arms over their massive chests effectively blocking my path.

I turned back to face my father. “Daddy.”

He shook his head. “You’re not going anywhere. I’m a man of my word and you will go with Benvolio. I will seek a compromise but if he refuses, I have to honour the deal.”

I dropped the suitcase to the floor and tossed my keys and sweater onto the bed. “You can lock me in here until he comes, but I’ll tell him the same thing. It’s not my deal. It’s never been my deal and I will not be leaving this house with him.”

Daddy sighed loudly. I knew he was frustrated with me, but I didn’t care. It was as if we were a faulty recording stuck playing in a loop.

“Get dressed in something decent.” Daddy turned away, nodding to the other two men, and left the room with them on his heels.

The key clicked in the lock, and I resigned myself to the fact that the next time I left the room, it would be to go downstairs to meet the man who had come to claim me for himself. The man who thought he owned me was in for one hell of a shock.

***

"Miss Ashe, your father is ready for you." One of the goons stood in front of the other. I pushed my back against the pillows and crossed my arms. I was still dressed in a pair of cut-off shorts and a tube top which I knew would piss my father off.

“Tell him to get fucked.”

The two men shared a glance, and the larger of the two shrugged before crossing the room, leaning over, and scooping me into his arms. I fought like a wildcat, but it had no effect on the man as he carried me downstairs. He was built like a Mack truck, and I weighed no more than a sheet of paper.

“Put me the fuck down. You have no fucking right to manhandle me like this, arsehole.”

“Nikita!” My father roared, causing me to still.

I was lowered to my feet in the doorway leading onto the deck and Daddy grabbed me by the upper arm, gripping hard enough to leave bruises. I attempted to pull away, but my father was a solid man, and I was unable to break his hold.

“Take your fucking hand off me, now!”

“I told you to get changed,” he hissed before dragging me onto the deck.

The man I recognised as Benvolio Abruzzenesa stood and my heart skipped a few beats. The images I'd seen did not do the man justice. He was drop-dead, knee-weakening gorgeous and for a moment I almost forgot he believed he owned me now...Almost.

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