Breaking Donatella (Leave Me Breathless) Read online

  Her sweet musk swirled around me, and I bit back a curse. I wanted to taste her so badly. Unfortunately, that was a reward she wouldn’t receive until she bowed to my will. I stood slowly, taking the opportunity to trace my tongue across her pink folds before I got to my feet.

  “Are you seriously thinking this will make me accept you as a husband?” she spat, twisting her body as best she could to avoid my touch. Her face flushed with anger and a vein pulsed in the side of her shaved scalp. What would she look like with proper hair? I’d find out in a few months. At worst, I supposed I could have a stylist fashion a wig for our wedding.

  “Good girl,” I said approvingly, tracing her spine with the dragon’s tongue. “I’m delighted you remembered that part.”

  She twisted again, her gorgeous body bowing to evade me. “Look, we both know this isn’t going to end well. Rossi and Moretti are kerosene and a lit match. You already know your people would rather see me dead, and mine won’t be any different.”

  “I thought you had nothing to do with your grandfather’s business.” I trailed my fingers up the back of her neck and played with the tail of pink hair at her nape.

  “I don’t, but I’m not stupid.” Her chin dropped, then she lifted her head, her blue eyes glistening, though no tears fell. “Moretti, please. Let me go. I’ll go back to America, you’ll find a nice Italian girl, and we’ll forget this ever happened.”

  On the surface, she wasn’t wrong. Together, we’d be incendiary, but she had to be brought to heel before we could rule the world.

  I lifted the whip and listened to the music of her cries as I painted a dozen fresh stripes across the pristine skin of her back.

  “You son of a bitch!” she screamed, writhing in her bonds as she lifted her feet from the floor, snapping the spring clip. Too late, I heard the creak of metal as the sudden shock of her full weight broke the bracket holding the suspension bar to the wood rafter above her head. My shock lasted a moment too long.

  Still shouting curses, she landed in a crouch and came up swinging the length of steel like a cricket bat. Dropping the whip, I ducked, barely missing her deadly blow to the side of my head.

  Baring my teeth, I caught the bar and slammed it against her jaw, then pressed it against her throat to cut off her air. Although she put up a good fight, I was far stronger. Soon, her struggles weakened and she went limp.

  As much as I wanted to strangle her, I had to remember the end game. Donatella was the key to riches beyond imagining. If I killed her, it would all be lost.

  She was unlike any woman I’d ever met, both in appearance and the sheer level of violence she was capable of. Object lessons were occasionally necessary with women, but I’d never been forced to go so far. It was both infuriating and arousing.

  “Fuck!” I tightened my grip on her neck and slammed her against the wall, then lifted her arms so I could secure the useless bar in a clamp. “Why won’t you behave?”

  Her eyes fluttered and she coughed, then jerked weakly against my hands. Although her voice was a hoarse whisper, her eyes were chips of frigid ice. “Get it over with and kill me, Moretti pig. I’m not marrying you.”

  “Fine,” I gritted out, tearing at the zipper on my pants with one hand, while I held on to her neck for dear life. “I don’t need you to marry me. All I need is a son from you, and I can get that from your unconscious body.”

  Her eyes squeezed shut and she whimpered, turning away from me. “Please, don’t do this.”

  I stared down at her tearstained face, then took a step back and zipped my trousers. As much as I wanted to bring her to her knees at my feet, there were some things I wasn’t willing to do. However, perhaps I could give her a taste of what obedience would bring her.

  “Remember what I told you to call me, Donatella. Say that one word and obey me in all things, and I promise you will live a life of ease and pleasure.”

  “For all of twenty minutes after I give you a son, right? Pass, thanks.”

  “I can give you joy,” I whispered, pushing my hand between her thighs. “Even when you don’t want it, I can make you come.”

  “No, I won’t. I… Oh, God.”

  Her head fell back against the wall when I found her clit and circled it, drawing wetness from her core to slick the turgid bud. Her hips bucked and I eased two fingers into her tight pussy, curling them to find the ridged flesh of her g-spot. When she gasped in pleasure, I lowered my head to her throat, giving her nipping kisses up to the sweet spot behind her ear. “Come for me.”

  She pushed against me, crying out as she abandoned herself to the passion flaring between us. Veins popped in her forearms as she squeezed the bar secured above her.

  Risking another bash to my forehead, I took her mouth in a feral kiss and swallowed her cries of pleasure as she bucked and spasmed against me. Her core tightened, squeezing my fingers like a vise. Squeezing her eyes closed, she shrieked and her pussy rippled around my fingers.

  “I told you, pleasure beyond imagining. This is only the beginning, and I will never, ever break my promises.”

  Ella

  This wasn’t happening. If I opened my eyes, I’d be back in a cheap extended-stay motel room in Miami. I’d wake up and laugh nervously at what had to be the bad dream to end all bad dreams. Normal people dreamed about falling. Mine were of faceless Moretti thugs filling my tortured body with bullets just because I existed.

  He removed the cuffs from my ankles and wrists, whispering in my ear. Although he probably intended the words to be soothing, they crawled over me like spiders. I couldn’t even fight back. He’d taken every last reserve I had when he touched me and made me like it.

  And oh, I’d more than liked it. No other partner before him had ever made me come so hard or so fast. Hell, I couldn’t get myself off so well. I didn’t know if it was the aura of danger surrounding him, or something inside me—some desperate need I hadn’t been aware of before. If that was the case, I was sicker than he was.

  Maybe I should’ve been thankful he hadn’t actually raped me, and stopped questioning it. Then again, I didn’t think the reprieve would last for long.

  “Donatella, look at me,” he said softly, lifting up my chin.

  Along with my freedom, the fuckwit even denied my name. I was Ella. Donatella didn’t exist anymore. She’d been left behind when my mother smuggled me from Italy dressed in boy’s clothes with dark sunglasses hiding my blue eyes. Another little girl rested under the headstone bearing that name.

  Maybe if I obeyed, he’d shut the fuck up and leave me alone to lick my wounds in peace.

  “Good girl,” he crooned, stroking a thumb across my swelling jaw. “Let’s get you on your feet.”

  He helped me up and wrapped an arm around my waist, then half-carried me to the door to the left of the bathroom. Opening it with a flourish, he pointed at a double bed covered with white linen and a red duvet. There was no headboard or footboard; it was simply a mattress and box spring set on the floor.

  A thick area rug covered most of the concrete, and I dug my toes in, appreciating the warm softness. A wooden nightstand was next to the bed, holding only a small crystal lamp. I supposed things were looking up if he planned on letting me sleep in a bed instead of the concrete floor.

  Sadly, the lamp was too small and fragile to use as a weapon. Not that I had the strength left to try it.

  “Sit,” he murmured, leading me to the bed. “I’ll get you something to eat. You must be hungry.”

  When he walked out, I dropped to the mattress, sinking into silk bedding. My nose twitched with an incipient sneeze, making me stand before my allergies took over. Hadn’t he ever heard of synthetic down? I tugged the top sheet, meaning to wrap it around myself, then let it go. As much as I needed the scant protection, I doubted he’d let me.

  He returned, carrying a tray wrapped in plastic, stemmed glasses, and a bottle of wine. Frowning, he said, “I told you to sit.”

  I shook my head and crouched in the corner, pressi
ng myself against the chilly concrete when his face darkened. He glanced back at the bed and smiled wryly.

  “Ah, I’d forgotten.” He set the tray on the nightstand, removed all the bedding and carried it out, then returned with a stack of folded sheets along with a dark blue cotton blanket and more pillows. To my shock, he made the bed himself, then unwrapped the tray and poured red wine into glasses.

  “Come,” he said, taking my hands. Lifting me to my feet, he escorted me to the bed, then sat and pulled me into his lap.

  He was so damned warm, but I couldn’t help stiffening when the fine wool of his trousers brushed against my sore backside. “What are you doing?” I croaked.

  “Seeing to my future wife’s needs, of course.” He held the glass to my lips. “I hope you like this. It’s from our private vineyards here on the island.”

  Tipping it up, he forced me to swallow or let it run down my chin. I wasn’t much of a wine drinker, but it was sweet with a surprisingly crisp afternote of apple and spice that eased the dryness of my throat.

  The abrupt change in his attitude made my senses reel. Kidnap, beatings, forced orgasms… Now he wanted to treat me well? I opened my mouth and nearly choked on the fat, fragrant olive he pressed between my lips.

  “I wish to show you how it could be between us,” he murmured, giving me a bite of focaccia laden with herbs and garlic once I’d swallowed the olive and let him take the pit from the tip of my tongue. “When you remember what I asked you to call me, you’ll have free run of my entire property. I’ll move you upstairs into my bedroom where you can greet the sun every morning after a night of passion. No responsibilities, no worries or cares. You’ll be my cherished wife with all the power of both our families behind you. Together, I promise we will build an empire like none the world has seen.”

  Twisting me into knots, his devil’s voice was a tease of pleasure with all the power of dark enticement. A chill crept down my spine, atavistic dread in my brain stem warring with heat shooting through my core. He offered decadent corruption, the theft of my will. And God help me, I was tempted. Would it be as he said if I gave myself up to his mastery?

  Speaking the word to myself, I finally remembered. I’d been so drugged out, it almost escaped me. He wanted me to call him Master.

  Not for all the orgasms in the world, Moretti. Kiss my entire ass.

  Brain firmly back where it belonged instead of between my legs, I relaxed in his lap and let him feed me. As much as his touch repulsed me, I’d need the energy.

  Finally, the plate was empty. He gave me the last of the wine in the glass, then kissed me, his tongue tracing a line across my lower lip. Cupping my sore jaw, he said, “I’ll let you rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  I nodded and slid from his lap, then hid a shiver when he covered me with the sheet. Forcing myself to speak, I said, “Good night.”

  He stood and dimmed the light, then leaned down to steal another kiss. “Sleep well, Donatella.” His muted footfalls echoed, then I heard the creak of wood as he ascended the stairs. When the door shut behind him, I let out a relieved breath and held myself still.

  Sooner or later, I’d have to risk a peek to see if he’d really gone, but I couldn’t wait too long. I had no idea what time it was. It had been daylight when he’d brought me here. Was it dark yet?

  Working my way back, I tried to estimate. The derby ended at ten, and it was a good twelve hours to Italy from Miami. I added in the time difference and sat up. It had to be dark, or close to it. I’d have to figure out a way off the island, but that could wait until I was free of the Moretti compound. Swimming wasn’t going to be an option. The ferry ride to the mainland took at least three hours, and the water would be barely above twenty degrees Celsius this early in the year. Even if I could have swum that far, it was too cold.

  Go for it, Ella. No ID, no money, no clothes. It’ll be just like creeping through occupied France during World War II!

  My inner voice was a bitch. Grabbing the blanket from the bed, I draped it over my shoulders like a cloak, then crossed my fingers and peeked around the door frame. The only illumination came from the bank of switches at the base of the stairs, but it was enough to see I was alone.

  Letting out a sigh of relief, I went to the bathroom and took care of business, then washed up. The door at the top of the stairs wasn’t an option. It would either be locked or guarded. Probably both.

  This was just like one of those escape room games, meaning there had to be an out. No windows and an inaccessible door. What else was there? I paced, considering my options and what I remembered about those puzzles, then looked up and grinned.

  Game on, motherfucker.

  5

  Cristian

  “How is Donatella?” Tomas asked, handing me an ornate humidor, along with a cutter and a lighter.

  I selected a cigar from the neat row inside the box, then prepared it and lit up. The sweet tobacco swirled over my tongue and I exhaled, blowing bluish smoke skyward. “I fed her and put her to bed. She’ll be fine.”

  “Good.” He tapped the end of his cigar, then set it aside to fill our wineglasses. “I’ve selected guards for her. They’re men I trust.”

  “Thank you.” I leaned back and sipped my wine. “What do you think about her?”

  He stood and walked to the wrought iron railing surrounding my private outdoor sitting area overlooking Elba’s northern shore. It was full dark, with clouds scudding over a waning moon. Although it was still early, I was exhausted.

  “She’d make anyone a fine wife,” he finally said.

  “Anyone?” I frowned, wondering if he had interest in my future bride.

  “Of course.” He straightened and grinned, then laughed softly.

  I joined him at the railing, curious about what had caught his attention and provoked such an odd response. A flash of white appeared and disappeared in my vision. I leaned forward in an attempt to see, then flinched at a sudden chime from my phone. Awkwardly retrieving it from my pocket, I swiped it awake.

  “Fuck,” I breathed, watching the red signal dot from Donatella’s collar track across my phone toward the perimeter fence. “How did she get out?”

  “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” he replied, settling himself in his chair. He lifted his glass and tipped it in Donatella’s direction, then drank. “The fence will probably stop her, but you might wish to catch her before the guards wake up and actually do their jobs.”

  “You’d better hope it does,” I growled. “Keep the guards here. It’s time Donatella and I had a little chat.”

  I’d thought to remove her bonds as a reward, and this was how she repaid my kindness? It would be a long time before she saw generosity again. Although I was furious, I couldn’t help but admire her tenacity and strength of will. Those qualities would make breaking her even more entertaining.

  Muttering curses, I detoured to the cellar for her shackles and a heavy rattan cane, along with a special treat from the refrigerator, then shoved everything into a small satchel.

  Walking out, I heard the sound of shouting. Tomas had every last man on the property in front of him and castigated them for their carelessness. Good. They deserved it. She should never have gotten as far as she did. With luck, she’d have already reached the fence, but who knew what Donatella would do?

  No one had ever escaped the cellar—at least not in my memory. People who went down there came out in body bags. I’d left her alone though, and she hadn’t been restrained. It was a mistake I didn’t plan to repeat. I almost wished there was a camera that could have told me how she’d done it, but having the ability to record what usually went on in the cellar wasn’t wise.

  Alert for danger, I kept an eye on the phone app tracking her movements as I entered the woods surrounding my property. I wouldn’t have put it past her to set up a booby trap for me. I heard her before I could see her.

  “God damn it, stupid son of a bitch. Come off!”

  Creeping silently, I peered
around the tree and smirked. She’d obviously already come in contact with the invisible fence meant to keep her confined. Wearing nothing but the blanket from her bed wrapped around her like a cloak, she knelt in the dirt about five meters from the fence line and sawed at her collar with the edge of a rock. Tossing it aside with a disgusted curse, she sat on her bottom and bent her knee, then peered at the sole of her foot and picked a piece of gravel from a deep cut.

  Poor baby.

  Slipping my phone in my pocket, I walked toward her, clapping my hands slowly. “I’m very impressed. You’ll have to tell me how you managed to get out.”

  Groaning softly, she fell to her back. “Fuck me. This damned collar has a GPS tracker, doesn’t it?”

  “Of course. A wise man tags his property. If it was possible, I’d have one inserted under your skin where you couldn’t reach to cut it out.” Ignoring her shudder of fear, I knelt and helped her sit up. “Now, be still, or what you felt from the invisible fence will be the least of your worries.”

  Working quickly, I snapped the cuffs back on her wrists, but used a threaded quick link to connect them instead of the chain. I wouldn’t give her another chance to use it against me. Knowing Donatella, the quick link wouldn’t hold her for long, but it would be sufficient until I found something more permanent.

  Her ankles got the same treatment, but I’d loosen them before I took her back. If she was willing to walk on her damaged feet to escape, she could certainly carry herself home on them. But first, we had unfinished business.

  Hauling her up with me, I stood, enjoying her cry of pain when her feet took her weight. Without a word, I tossed her over my shoulder and walked to a large fallen tree probably too close to the fence line for her comfort. To my satisfaction, she jerked in my arms, her limbs twitching.