“Alessia! Come downstairs!”
I got off my bed, a heavy sigh escaping my lips as I yelled back that I was coming.
As soon as I opened the door to the hallway, my twin brothers raced past me, giggling and laughing, chasing each other and getting under my feet.
“Watch out!” I told them sternly, but I couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto my lips.
They were cute. Only six years old and they were already as loud and rambunctious as kids twice their age. My mom had her hands full with them, and I helped her as much as I could, trying to take on some housework. I’d just finished high school, homeschooled, of course. Daddy wouldn’t hear of me going to a private school, so I had lessons with tutors right here, at home. Not that I could really complain. They were all highly trained and always had an answer prepared when I had a question. But it wasn’t enough for me, this life.
Being locked in my whole life was making me restless.
I understood why Daddy was worried about me, of course I did. But I was such a good girl. I did everything I was supposed to, followed orders to a T. I just didn’t understand why he didn’t at least trust me a little. In all my eighteen years, I hadn’t let my parents down once.
But as they say, there’s a first time for everything. And I was more than ready for that first time to happen.
I made my way down the marble staircase, through the impressive lobby with lush green plants and into the kitchen, where my mom was making a cup of coffee. I caught her with Daddy, his arms wrapped around her waist and holding her with a passion I couldn’t understand. His mouth was on her neck and he kissed her gently, a sharp contrast to the way his nails were digging into her hips.
“Talk about PDA,” I said, and they broke apart, sharing a guilty glance as I got on a barstool and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the marble counter.
“Alessia,” Mom said placatingly. “We’re leaving now. The nanny is already here, and she’ll be looking after Massimo and Rafael.”
Not doing a great job so far, I thought to myself as I smiled innocently at my mother. Judging by my brothers running around like wild animals upstairs, the nanny was about as capable as the last one we’d had. They were always coming and going, one after the other. We’d never had one of them stick for longer than a couple of weeks at most. They were usually too terrorized by the twins to dare to stick around.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” I said to Mom, leaning down to kiss her cheek.
Dad gave me a tight squeeze as she applied a spritz of her favorite, Chanel No. 19. He passed me a hundred-dollar bill and grinned at me as he did it. I repaid him with a bright smile.
“Get some pizza,” he said. “For everyone. And you can keep the rest, tesoro.”
“Thank you, Daddy,” I beamed. “Have a lovely time tonight.”
I waved them off and the second the front door closed, I smiled wickedly to myself. Daddy’s money would be getting spent all right, but he had no idea what exactly I was going to be up to. I had quite the trip planned, and this time, I knew I’d get away with it.
Despite Daddy and Mom thinking I was a little goody two shoes, I managed to sneak out almost every weekend when they went on their infamous date nights. I’d gotten so good at fooling them they didn’t even suspect their innocent little girl of doing anything other than studying and listening to music in her pink princess bedroom.
I waited patiently until they were gone, and then a bit longer until I could hear the nanny yelling out after my brothers. Then, I fobbed her off with an excuse about feeling under the weather, saying I was going to go to bed early. I locked my bedroom door and got ready.
Electronic music filled the room as I pulled out my favorite dress. It was a black, tight little number with a fitted bodice and a leather skater skirt, and it made me look at least two years older. I paired it with a pair of red-soled stilettos I’d stolen from my mother’s closet and teased my hair, applying no other makeup but red lipstick.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, pleased with what I was seeing. My hair, which was a nightmare to deal with, looked good for once. I was a redhead, and my thick mane definitely spoke of my temper. At least my lashes weren’t red but dark and thick, just like my father’s. I didn’t even need mascara.
I smirked at my own reflection and grabbed the hundred-dollar bill Daddy had given me. Then, I climbed out of the bedroom window, using the oak tree growing in front of it. It was perfectly placed for my escapades, and I’d made good use of it plenty of times before.
I slipped back into my shoes once I hit the ground, and made a run for it. The first few steps were the most important because the nanny could see me through the window in the living area. But I ran as fast as I could, tottering in the too high heels and making it to the gated entrance. Kacey’s car was parked on the other side of the gate, and she waved at me impatiently.
“Come on,” she groaned. “Hurry!”
I was thin enough to slip between the bars of the gate, and I giggled with reckless abandon as I climbed into the Land Cruiser with her.
“Freedom!” I said with a big grin, and Kacey rolled her eyes. “Step on it, let’s go.”
She sped out of the street and we both laughed out loud as we drove over the speed limit, towards a seedier part of town. I sure as hell didn’t want to risk running into my parents in the more upscale part of town. They would ground me for life if they knew I’d snuck out like this.
We arrived at our destination about fifteen minutes later, and Kacey parked the car a street down from the club we wanted to get into. She was twenty-one already, but I’d barely turned eighteen. Luckily, Kacey hooked me up with a fake ID, and the knowledge of having it in my purse—a YSL clutch, also stolen from Mommy dearest—made me feel a little more secure.
Strolling out of the car, I pulled my dress down past my ass and ignored the catcalls of some passersby, even though I was half-hoping we’d run into them inside.
Tonight was the night. I could just fucking feel it in my bones. It was time.
I was eighteen, after all. Whoever fucked me now wouldn’t face any consequences. I was free to do as I pleased. Not as far as Mom and Daddy were concerned… but tonight, I didn’t give a shit about either of them. They could punish me for what I was about to do another day.
Kacey and I walked down the street, and I loved the attention we got from people that passed us. Their eyes were on us, but mostly on me, and for once, I felt like a fucking grown-up. If only Daddy knew the little sinner he’d raised, right under his roof… He’d never let me leave the house again.
I saw the snaking line at the front of the club, and my heart sank a little. How the heck were we going to get inside with a line like that?
“Don’t worry,” Kacey winked at me. “I know the bouncer.”
Once again, I was thankful to her for knowing all the right people. She’d finished the private Christian school I went to a couple of years before me, but I’d always looked up to her. She was so rebellious, so gorgeous, and so very bad. And I wanted to be just like her.
Our dads were close, but Kacey had always looked down at me—that is until I grew tits and an ass over the summer. Then, she was all over me, just like anyone else. And it didn’t take long for me to flip from geeky little nobody to sexy fiery bombshell.
At least that’s what I told myself. I wasn’t quite all the way there yet. But as Kacey had assured me, tonight was the night I’d finally do it. Lose whatever shred I had left of my childhood and join her in the big league. It was the night I was going to lose my virginity, and I couldn’t fucking wait.
“Come on,” Kacey said impatiently, pulling on my arm.
We made our way to the front of the line while all the people waiting to get in groaned and protested. There were two bouncers, one tall and smiley, and the other with a face like thunder. My body responded to him right away, and our eyes connected for a second. He frowned even more.
Kacey strolled right past them, but when I tried to follow her, the thunder-faced bouncer stepped in my way.
“Wait,” he said roughly, and I looked up, my big green eyes filling with fear. “ID.”
I pulled my bag open with shaky fingers and handed him my fake ID. He stared right down at me, and I could imagine he saw straight down my dress from his vantage point. The electricity between us was sparking, threatening to erupt in a wildfire.
“Come on, Derek,” Kacey whined. “Just let her through, she’s with me.”
The bouncer handed me back the ID, one last scorching hot gaze resting on my tits and then my eyes again. He gave a small, barely perceptible nod, and I let out a breath of relief. Just as I was about to move, he wrapped his fingers around my arm and pulled me back forcefully. It hurt, and I yelped in pain.
“I want to see you later,” he barked at me, still looking just as angry as he did before. “Meet me inside for a drink after my shift.”
I nodded wordlessly, and he finally let go, making me stumble away. My arm hurt. I knew I’d have a bruise from where his fingers touched me. I just hadn’t known how much I’d fucking love it.
Following Kacey into the club, my senses were assaulted and overwhelmed in seconds. I blushed at the realization that this was really it. Maybe, in just a few hours, my V-card would be no longer. Maybe Derek would be the one to pop my cherry.
We went straight to the bar and Kacey flirted with the bartender until he gave us drinks on the house. We sipped on our Mai Tais, and I tried not to grimace at the taste. Kacey barely paid any attention to me, and I tried not to resent her for it, but it was hard when this whole outing was supposed to be all about me. It seemed like she was doing her very best to make everyone notice her, not me. I was in the background yet again.
Not even ten minutes after we arrived in the club, Kacey caught the eye of a tall blond guy with floppy hair and a crooked smirk on his face. She thrust her drink into my hands and I glared at her as she made off with the stranger, leaving me completely stranded.
But luck was on my side, and I saw a dark figure approaching me, recognizing the hooded eyes and furrowed brow that belonged to the bouncer. His eyes zeroed in on me and he came towards me with intention in his motions.
He stopped in front of me, his hand flying up and grabbing my arm, his fingertips gliding along the spot he’d hurt earlier.
“You want a drink?” he barked at me, and I nodded, even though I hadn’t even finished my Mai Tai.
He ordered me something bitter and strong, and I tried not to grimace as I downed it in one.
“You like it?” he asked me with a grin, and I replied with a noncommittal shrug. “Come on, let’s go outside.”
“Outside where?” I asked shakily, but he probably couldn’t hear me over the sound of the music.
Instead, he grabbed my arm and pulled me after him, heading for the back exit of the club, which was only supposed to be used for emergencies. But Derek didn’t look like he gave a shit about any of that. Nobody argued with him as he pulled me outside, and the heat and noisiness of the club were replaced by the chilly evening air and complete silence except for a running engine.
“Well, well, well.”
I didn’t recognize the voice. I turned in the direction of it, but when I turned back to Derek, he’d disappeared in the shadows of the alley. My heart started to pound, and fear seeped out of every pore of my body. I was terrified, so fucking scared I felt woozy.
“Hello?” I said.
Nothing but the echo of my own voice in the alley answered.
And then suddenly, he stepped out of the shadows, a smirk on his face.
The man was tall and broad-shouldered. His body was ripped with muscles in places I didn’t even know existed. He was like a sculpture, like cool, chiseled marble. He had dark hair and dark stubble, dark eyes and tanned skin. He was painfully handsome. So much so I averted my gaze and blushed deeply when he looked at me.
“What do we have here?”
His voice was raspy and rough. Not like he was a smoker, but like it was naturally like that, deep and rough, made for whispering obscenities and calling women anything but their actual name.
“Who a-are you?” I stuttered, the wooziness returning.
I felt a stirring in my stomach and tried my best to ignore it. The man had a strange effect on me, and suddenly, I didn’t care about Derek anymore. He made every cell in my body react.
“Your worst nightmare,” he growled at me, and I felt goosebumps erupting all over my body. “Now, come with me.”
“Come where?” I asked, shaking at the sound of his voice.
He smirked, taking another step closer and making me instinctively take a step back.
“Don’t fight me,” he growled. “You’re coming with me either way. Right now, you have three sleeping pills coursing through your system. If you try to fucking fight me, I’ll make sure you go to sleep even faster. I could knock you out flat in a second, sinner.”
“W-what?” I gasped, trying to grab onto something to steady myself. I really was dizzy then, the bile rising in my throat. “Why did you call me that?”
He approached me with calm, measured steps. In a swift motion, he grabbed both my arms and I hissed at the contact. I could see it affected him too, but he didn’t acknowledge it. Instead, he raised my hands to his throat and made me unbutton his shirt.
I stared in drunk surprise at the collar under his shirt.
“You’re…” I whispered, my knees buckling. “You’re…”
“I told you already,” he rasped, grabbing me as if I weighed nothing. “I’m your worst fucking nightmare.”
He picked me up in one swift motion and threw me over his shoulder. I screamed as loud as I possibly could, but no sound came out. That’s when I really started to get scared, and as he carried me down the street towards a waiting car, my heart pounded in fear.
I was being kidnapped.
It was because of Daddy, that much I knew.
Mom called Daddy’s business unsavory. Daddy called it work. Me? I was just enjoying being a spoiled little mafia princess.
“My-my father will pay,” I mumbled against the stranger, electricity shooting through my body when our skin touched, his hands dangerously close to my ass. “He’ll p-pay anything y-you want.”
“He’ll pay alright,” the stranger growled, tossing me in the trunk of the car.
I whimpered, and he stared down at me. He was a lot older than me, probably by at least fifteen years. He was so handsome he looked dangerous, all sharp edges and stubble and eyes filled with absolute hatred.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I begged, and he laughed in my face.
“You fucking want it,” he told me. “You’ll be fucking praying for me to hurt you in a few days, sinner.”
“Please!” I cried out, but the dizziness was getting the better of me, my eyes heavy. “Please, let me go, sir!”
“Sir?”
He leaned down and tipped my chin back, the motion surprisingly gentle. I started to drift away but I heard his last words, almost as if it were in a dream.
“You’re only allowed to call me… Father.”