The Mafia Dons Pet (Masha and Luciano) novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13: So Unlucky.

*Masha*

What I didn’t want to admit was that I was insanely attracted to Luciano.

I didn’t know when it happened, but it did. And that bothered the hell out of me.

He was my stepbrother. The head of the mafia.

He was ruthless and clearly didn’t care about anything but his orders being obeyed.

Still…

I was certain that the only thing he cared about was my

obedience‘ and his unreasonable orders.

But even when I knew all these about him, why couldn’t I stop myself from feeling this way? Why did this damned attraction keep growing?

Maybe I’ll never understand it.

I pulled out the camera Luciano had gotten, another unnecessary reminder of him.

I raised it up, focusing the lighting and trying to shoot something, anything to distract myself.

The first thing that caught my eye was a line of sailboats gliding away from the marina.

I turned my lens to the shoreline, where a cluster of ducks were busy hunting for food. I zoomed in, taking shots of their little heads, bobbing against the ground.

For the next couple of hours all I did was play around with some abstract shots.

It didn’t exactly solve my ‘Luciano problem,‘ but it was a welcome distraction.

I stayed there for the entire day, only stopping when the sun finally went down. I looked around and realized that I was the last one there.

Satisfied with all the footage I’d gathered, I packed up my stuff, and made my way back home.

Since I was still on a high from all the wonderful footage, I quickly ordered a burger to treat myself.

The food arrived in no time, and I basically devoured it in seconds.

After dinner, I made my way to the bathroom. All I wanted to do was soak in the bathtub and forget my worries. So, I turned

Chapter 13: So Unlucky.

on the faucet, and let steam fill the air.

I peeled off my clothes and eased into the hot water, feeling my muscles instantly relax.

I was surprised Matt and Tyler hadn’t noticed my absence all day.

Or maybe they did, or maybe Luciano had been watching me instead.

But I didn’t want to occupy my mind with thoughts of him. So, I took a deep breath, let the warmth settle over me and pushed every thought of him away.

Sunday lunch came quickly. Luciano’s house was just as I remembered it to be. Dark, ‘large, and unwelcoming. Just like him.

The whole thing wasn’t as torturous as I expected it to be, especially after our last encounter. I thought he’d give me a hard time again, or say something mean to me. He did neither. I sat across from him, catching my glancing my way. He had that familiar quiet look, and I almost expected him to say something. But he only gave a slight nod before focusing on his food.

“So Masha,” Emma’s voice broke the silence. “Would you like to go shopping with me next Saturday?

I paused, looking up from my plate. She smiled enthusiastically, and I remembered how she’d picked out that black lace dress last Friday.I was still getting to know Emma, but I like her and Kol.

So I shrugged and agreed at once. “Well, I’d love to.”

Emma beamed at me across the table. “Nine a.m. next Saturday?” she asked, her eyes bright. “We’ll have lunch afterward.”

“Sure, that sounds good” I replied, returning her smile.

I glanced at Luciano, and he was no longer eating. He was staring down at the glass of whiskey in his hand, the amber liquid swirling under the steady roll of his fingers.

His gaze was distant. There was a storm cloud brewing on his face as if his mind had traveled far away from all of us.

I wondered what it was like to be a Mafia boss.

It mustn’t be easy.

It was only now, seeing him like this that I realized how much of a burden it must be for him.

As the lunch draws to a close, the air keeped tensing, Luciano’s expression growing grimmer.

Chapter 13: So Unlucky.

The moment lunch ended, I said my goodbyes, pushed back my chair and practically ran towards the front door.

But before I could take another step, a firm hand caught my arm, stopping me.

Next thing I knew, Luciano was dragging me away from the door and into his study.

Shit.

A strong feeling of dread crawled up my spine the moment Luciano shut the door. I felt like a child caught sneaking out after curfew.

Did he find out how I’d snuck past his men? Did Matt and Tyler snitch? Or was this about the dress comment?

Or worse, did he find out I’d funneled most of my allowance to NGOs?

My pulse quickened. I’d been careless, and now I was going to pay for it.

Oh God, I’m in deep trouble.

Tilting his head, his eyes locked on my face with the intensity of a nuclear bomb. His jaw was clenched so tight, I could almost hear his teeth grinding. “Is this some kind of game to you?”

I shook my head quickly, words tumbling out. “No, I just needed some time to myself, that’s all,” I stammered. I tried to hold his gaze, but the intensity in his eyes made my stomach twist.

“I wasn’t in any danger. I…”

Before I could finish, his hand shot up, fingers wrapping firmly around my throat, silencing me.

My breath hitched, heart slamming in my chest. But instead of fear, a rush of heat shot through me, and I hated how my body reacted to him.

This wasn’t having the effect he thought it would have on me.

His eyes flashed, frustration etched in every line of his face. “You don’t fucking decide what’s dangerous!” he growled, his breath hot against my skin. “I do.‘

I pushed too hard. God.

I lowered my head. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

For a moment, his grip loosened, but his hand stayed at my throat. His fingers brushed my skin like he couldn’t decide whether to pull away or pull me closer.

“Your little escape stunt doesn’t put you at risk. It puts me at risk.

It almost sounded like his voice cracked, but I couldn’t dare believe it.

He looked away for a second, before turning back to me, eyes

Chapter 13: So Unlucky.

blazing. “My enemies don’t play nice, Masha. My enemies will use any of my loved ones against me. Do you fucking get it?” But I’m not really family, I’m not a loved one.

“I understand,” I tried my best to spit out those words.

Luciano kept staring at me as if he was going to kill me. My fear amped up, anxiety tightening my stomach into a hard knot.

‘The dead bitch can’t snitch.‘ Alice’s voice clawed at me, making everything a million times worse.

Luciano could kill me. He could hurt me just like Alice could.

LING Ficaych.

Chapter 14: Tastes Like Heaven.