Page 20 of Ludovico's Vengeance

I lean against the doorframe staring into the street as I respond. “As much as I appreciate Abel, he’s not quite as efficient as you are. Get it done.” I grin as I press the button to disconnect the call. With a quick glance at my watch, I realize I’ve been outside for ten minutes. I pull the door open toward me and step back inside.

Soft sobs are what greet me as I cross the large retail space filled with racks of clothes on either side of me. My heart crumbles into a million pieces when I reach the back where I left Nina. She’s cowering with her back against a wall tucked between a bench and a mannequin and curled into herself. Her knees are pulled tight into her chest like she’s protecting herself from something. I rush to her side; my palms cup her cheeks and try to lift her to look at me.

“Bella, Short Stack. I’m right here. What happened?” My words come out so quickly I can barely understand myself.

Nina’s inconsolable, she’s disassociated so badly I don’t know that she even registers me here. Rage, anger, and fury heat my blood to the verge of boiling when I turn to find Janelle standing on the other side of the room with a wicked smirk on her face. A vicious snarl passes my lips as I approach, my body crowding her space. I stand tall knowing my massive frame is intimidating as fuck to anyone, but especially a woman. Usually, I’d be respectful of a woman's space, but not this time.

“What the fuck did you do?” I growl at Janelle. My hands ball into fists at my side as I watch her stupid fucking face fight a smile. When she shrugs as if it’s no big deal, I lose what little composure I have left and move quickly. My hand wraps tightly around her throat as I slowly begin to back her up. “You’re going to tell me what the fuck you did or said to her, understand?”

Janelle rolls her eyes like she’s not in any danger.Oh, please bitch, give me a fucking reason.“I didn’t tell her anything untrue.” She scoffs with her response.

I can feel my lip curl like a goddamn wolf as another growl rumbles free. My grip tightens around her throat as the anger continues to surge through me, and I lift her just enough so that her toes are the only thing touching the ground. Her nails dig into my wrist and hand as I keep her in place.

“Care to share with the class, cunt? Because when I walked out that door, she may have been anxious, but she had a smile on her face.” My chest heaves as I snarl and spew obscenities at her.

Janelle's eyes go wide as she takes me in. Less than a minute later she’s whimpering against my still tight grip. I release her just enough so she’s able to speak.

“I told her that she was a gold digger and no man in your position of power would want her. She should just go back to her daddy.” Tears begin to fall down her flushed cheeks when I tighten my hold once again. Janelle’s nails begin to dig into the thin skin on my hand again, tearing it open as she tries to find purchase in my flesh. The rest of her admission comes out in pathetic gasps. “She doesn’t belong with you.”

I cock a brow at her, there is no way she could really be such a cunt. I know by the way her throat is responding to my grip, she’ll have bruises in the morning. I can’t bring myself to give a fuck.

“You know, I've made it a point in my time on this earth,” I begin. “–to not bring pain to or kill women. However, right now in this moment, you’re lucky you’re not chopped in pieces on this fucking floor.” I push her hard against the wall, an audible thud sounds when the back of her head bounces off the plaster. “Get the fuck out of here.”

My breath hitches when I turn back toward where Nina is still cowered, exactly where I left her. She looks so small and defeated; it only serves to piss me off even more. I cross the space to her and kneel in front of her.

“Short Stack, can you hear me?” I try. “Come on, Sweetheart. I need you to look at me.” When no response or reaction comes, I slide my arms under her small body and lift her into my arms. After I nearly stumble when I go to stand to my normal height, I straighten myself and hold her as close to my chest as I can. Nina manages to bury her face into the crook of my neck as I carry her to the car.

Nina’s entire body shakes as sobs tear through her. Every muscle in her body is vibrating with anxiety, sadness, and anger. I’ve had her in our bed for the last hour with no change of behavior or ability to respond to me. My arms wrap around her as I attempt to hold her tight and offer some comfort, yet I can’t pull her out of her own mind.

As I roll my stiff neck, trying to bring some blood flow back to the muscles, a box catches my eye that wasn’t there before we had left. I stand and pad over to the recent addition to our room. I kneel and flip the lid open to find the shoes I had asked Michael to get for her. With a smile tugging at my lips, I pull out my phone, sending a quick message with another request. I stand back to my full height and carry the shoes with me.

Nina is still curled into herself laying on the bed. I move back to her side and lift her into my arms without a word. The shoes are still in my hand as I carry her through the house and walk us to the gym she has spent so much time in. As soon as I enter the space, I carefully place her on a weight bench and remove one shoe at a time. I toss them out of the way before I slide the new sneakers on and tighten the laces. These will have better stability for what I’m about to try. Once I'm done, I rise onto my knees and take her face between my hands. My eyes bore into her soul as I speak.

“Bella, everything she said was a lie and deep down, you know that.” I say gently as I pull her into a standing position and guide her to where I want her. My back hits something and it pushes me back toward her, but I keep my footing. “I want you to see her face and let the cunt have it. You hear me? Show her you’re not to be fucked with.”

I step out of the way, dropping my hands to my side as I watch Nina. She finally glances at me; she’s got some life back to her. Nina half-heartedly swings against the punching bag, and I can’t help but let out a snort. She becomes irritated after that, but doesn’t direct her irritation at me. She focuses on the bag. After the third swing, she really gets into what she’s doing. She spins, landing a roundhouse kick on the bag, and it swings away from her farther than it had before. She squeals as she jumps in celebration, but she steps too close into the return path and the bag hits her square in the stomach and she lands a few feet away on her ass.

“Fuck!” I curse under my breath as I rush over to steady the bag before scrambling to get to Nina. I kneel next to her and take in the vision before me. Her eyes go wide for a moment before she’s laughing so hard she can’t catch her breath. It’s a wonderful sound that I could get lost in. She has a dimple on the left side of her mouth that she’s never smiled big enough for me to see before. Her amusement is contagious at this moment, and I can’t help laughing with her.

Before I can ask if she’s ok, she lunges forward. Her arms fold tight around my neck as she sits on my lap, her legs draped over mine. Her face is buried in the crook of my neck again, but this time, it’s not in sadness, it’s with a sense of peace.

“Thank you, Giovanni.” She whispers against my neck, sending goose bumps dancing across my skin.

I cup the back of her head; her beautiful strawberry locks feel like silk under my touch.

“Nina, I would do anything for you, even if that means spilling blood.”

Giovanni’swarmthfeelssogood against my body. My mind is still whirling with chaos after what happened tonight. I press my palms against his chest to separate myself from the comfort that he brings, still too anxious to allow myself to go there until I know how he feels. The moment my face is in front of his, Giovanni’s smooth hands cup my cheeks. His thumb swipes against my lips which makes me melt right back into him.

“Nina” My name is a whispered plea on his lips.

Our eyes stay locked on one another. I feel my chest and face become heated under his delicious brown gaze. My lips part in a soft gasp when one hand moves to the back of my neck, keeping me in place.

“Gio–” I begin, but I'm cut off when his soft lips press firmly against mine. The kiss is gentle, but so full of passion and heat. I can feel his hesitation when I go still, unsure what to do with my body. My legs are still draped over his. I lift my hands to grab handfuls of his hair as I rearrange myself. My knees rest on either side of his hips as I lower myself back into his lap. A guttural groan leaves him as he urges my lips apart with his tongue. I whimper when his tongue enters my mouth. Our kiss, which began as a sweet, soft moment, has escalated. I can feel him hardening under me. I like what I feel, but have no clue what to do with it. Giovanni’s tongue explores every part of my mouth as he savors my taste.

A slew of soft whimpers and moans roll past my lips. I can’t get enough of him. His hands grip my hips so hard I’ll have bruises in the morning. I can’t find a reason to care. Especially when he pushes me down and guides me back and forth, grinding against the rock in his trousers, which only makes the heat in my belly become molten. He pulls away gently with a growl reverberating deep in his chest. Giovanni presses a few more quick pecks against my lips as he takes me in. I can’t help but stare into those beautiful brown eyes once again as he presses his forehead against mine. Both of us are panting, trying to catch our breath.“Sei mio, Bella”his declaration makes my heart beat at a thunderous rhythm in my chest.

“Sì, tuo”I reply coyly, thankful that I'm a quick study. Though, I doubt I could say much more than that right now.

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