5. Never Bite the Hand that Feeds You

"I'll fight you. If you touch me." With indignation the words left my lips, but I knew I couldn't fight this man. Even he knew it, and as he stood towering over me - the smirk on his lips revealed he was aware of that little fact. I watched his muscles strain against the thin material of his black, button-up. He took his time rolling up his cuffs, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Hm..." His fingers played with the tie around his neck before he pulled it loose. "I won't force myself on you, Selena." My name rolled off his tongue with such suave, it was angelic to my ears. That was the only way he was going to do anything sexual to me. He would have to rape me. I wanted nothing from him. "But make no mistake, Bambina - you will beg me for it."

"Is that what all of you men think around here? Some of your henchmen..." I spat, as the memory invaded my senses. All I could smell was the sweat of Rod, my body recoiled in fear from the remembrance of his hairy legs in between mine. "Have a different idea." My arms automatically snaked around my body to suppress the shivers from the haunting memory. My thoughts drifted to Margo. I wondered if she was going insane looking for me. If she was with me now I would have more strength to stand my ground and fight. She makes everything more bearable.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Although his voice was low, it registered fear within me as if he had shouted. His eyes darkened, and his jaw clenched as he wrapped the tie around his fist.

"Rod... forced himself on me." I choked, as tears pricked in my eyes. I hated crying in front of people. It made me feel weak. Pathetic. Like a child who couldn't control her own emotions, but I was scared. Disgusted with myself. I had no protection here. None. Everyone who gave a shit about me was back home, and they were either clueless to my disappearance or going out of their heads with worry.

"He raped you." His voice was flat, void of emotion, and if it wasn't for his eyes narrowing a fraction I would've thought he was the least bit interested.

"He was about to. Thankfully you interrupted before he got the satisfaction of penetration." I replied petulantly, while waving my hand in his direction. "But it's fine." I sniffled, and wiped at my eyes angrily. No way in hell was I going to take pity from him. From someone who probably took satisfaction in my mental breakdown.

"Noted." He spoke through gritted teeth. "I expect you dressed by eight every morning. You'll be serving me breakfast by eight thirty. No later. Same goes for lunch and dinner."

"Why should I?"

"Do you value your relationship with family and friends?"

My brows knitted together with confusion. He scoffed and sat atop his desk. "If you disobey me. I will kill your parents, and you're little friend Margo? She can take your place." I felt like I was just slapped. My mouth fell agape, my eyes stung with another wave of fresh tears, as I glared up at this evil man.

"Y-you wouldn-"

"That's the mistake you keep seeming to make. You don't fucking know me, bambina." Nicolo pulled a pocket knife from his pocket and placed the edge of the blade against his bottom lip. "You see.." He began, nicking his lip on the blade. His tongue flicked against the blood, and a small smirk twitched at the edge of his lips. He offered the blade to me.

"If you don't do these things, then I have no use for you. You might as well kill yourself now." The temptation to swipe the blade from him weighed down on me. Now was my chance. Maybe I could stab his artery and make a break for it. Then again, I don't know the layout of this place and I could get even more lost.

"Take it!" He shouted. I flinched, startled from his sudden outburst and grabbed the blade he offered me. I angled it towards him, my breathing becoming erratic. My heart thrummed loudly in my chest, I was positive he could hear it against the eerie silence that overcame the room. His expression was absent of fear as I threatened him with the blade. My legs wobbled to stand.

He pushed his foot against the desk and arose. "You want to know the difference between you and I?" He waved his head in the direction of the knife. The area around his eyes wrinkled with humor as he grinned. He was definitely older. Wiser. Maybe in his middle thirties. Not much to go on, but I was sure the police would know who he was. I had a first and last name. Nicolo DeLuca.

"I don't let fear hold me back." He uttered before swiping the knife from my hand. He pushed the blade back into place before shoving it back into his pocket. He brought his finger back to his lip and wiped the remaining blood away before wiping it with a handkerchief he had tucked in his pocket.

"You know, my parents will look for me.. Margo will look for me. She'll alert the police."

"I own the police." He howled with laughter. "I take it you've never fully invested your attention into what your 'ex-boyfriend' did for a living?"

I shook my head. It hadn't ever interested me. He made decent money, and even got to have a social life, but he did get very stressed from the job. I remember that much.

"He was the manager of a floor in his building. I control the entire empire of the trade."

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" I replied sardonically. I didn't give a rat's ass about what he did for a living. All I cared about was continuing to live, and by the looks of my diarrhea of the mouth, the odds were against me. I squared my shoulders, and with what little confidence I could hold onto, I leveled my gaze with his.

"The world is at my beck and call.. whether that impresses you or not doesn't matter to me. In fact, you don't matter to me. All I want, is the things your peace of shit boyfriend stole."

"Ex-boyfriend." I corrected.

Wordlessly, Nicolo picked up the paper weight off his desk and threw it at the wall. My mouth snapped shut, as I shrunk back in my seat. He spewed Italian at me, while running a hand through his hair. I shot up in my seat, and was shoved back down hard.

"Keep it up and I'll fucking gag you." The truth in his words conjured images of me tied and bound. Excitement and fear passed through me and I couldn't understand why. A gleam of uncertainty shined in his eyes, before he spun on his heel towards his seat. "Get out. Now."

I hopped up out of the seat and stumbled backwards towards the door. It opened and Hunter stepped inside.

"I expect you well mannered, tomorrow." He stated as Hunter grabbed my arm. I glanced angrily up at him, and attempted to wrench free from his grasp.

"Yes." I responded petulantly before I could control myself.

"Yes... what?" He boomed.

"Sir?"

"You'd be wise not to forget that." He snapped just as the door closed behind me.

***

"Rise and shine, princess."

My eyes fluttered open to find Rod leaning against the door. A grin was etched onto his face, and his arms were folded against his chest. I scrambled to sit upright in bed, pulling the sheet close to me. His eyes flickered to my hands, before traveling lazily back up to meet my gaze.

"That's not going to save you."

"What do you want?" I begrudgingly questioned. He took a step further into the room. The hairs on the back of my neck stood. Memories of him forcing himself on me paralyzed me. His eyes glimmered knowingly.

"To continue where we left off."

"Fuck you." I spat. I wasn't going to take this. I would fight until it killed me if I had to. The only way he was getting me is if he had a taste for nechrophilia. My fingers gripped the sheets tightly, turning purple and white from the force. Maybe I can strangle him with these sheets? The thought brought a sadistic smile to my lips. His grin faltered.

"Feisty. All the more fun." He took another step. I pointed at him threateningly.

"If you come near me, I will rip your dick off."

"As fun as that sounds, you're late." He commented. My eyes shot to the clock hanging on the wall. 8:30 - Shit. I scrambled out of bed and towards the bathroom. "DeLuca doesn't want you wearing your clothes from yesterday. The dresser is full." Rod called.

"Leave!"

"Our time will come." He mumbled before the heavenly sound of the bedroom door closing followed behind him. Fucking pig. I dragged fingers through my hair, trying to tame the wild mess. My eyes were clouded with sleep, and crusted. I wiped furiously at them, before pinching my cheeks. I could pass as a corpse in another life.

After turning the faucet on, I splashed tepid water on my face, and shook. Another day in hell. I didn't recognize the reflection looking back at me. After slipping out of the slutty dress, I hurried to the dresser and yanked the door open. Confusion clouded my expression as I pulled the garments from the drawer. These were expensive. Ridiculously expensive I noticed as my fingers brushed the price tag on one of the pair of jeans. I decided on a pair of jeans, and a tight blue shirt. Something harder to pry off, considering Rod's bad intentions.

After slipping my shoes back on, I pushed open the door, and recoiled as Rod spun around with a grin on his lips. The smell of cigarettes and sweat overpowered me, and I froze. He scratched at his shaved head, and gestured with a nod of his head.

I followed suit of him, keeping a safe distance. The dining room was vacant except for Nicolo. My eyes registered the palatial room. Grand light fixtures hung from the ceiling. Intricate paintings of different European cities hung along the walls in hand carved, golden frames.

Nicolo looked gorgeous. His hair was combed back out of his face. His jaw freshly shaved. His dark eyes were framed with thick black eyelashes, kissing his cheek with every blink. I marveled the way his muscles contreacted under his shirt as he brought the fork full of food to his pink lips. The same lips he had placed a knife against only yesterday.

His plate was half full, and in the midst of chewing he gave a sharp nod to Rod. I whipped my head in his direction, watching as he shot me a departing wink before slipping out of the dining room. A breath of relief passed my lips before returning my attention to Nicolo.

"You're late." Those two words twisted my stomach. Nausea clung to my belly, as he averted his eyes to me. Those eyes that seemed to peer into my soul. The urge to cover myself fell over me. What could I say? Argue? Make excuses? He didn't seem like one to listen to that anyways.

"I'm sorry." I stated.

"Take off your clothes."

"What?" I gasped. Was he being serious. "N-no."

"Take them off now." His fingers gripped the fork in his hand. His voice was low and menacing. My trembling fingers lifted to my shirt, dragging it up my torso slowly.

The sound of his plate crashing on the floor, startled me and I faltered with my shirt. The food was everywhere. My eyes examined the mess.

"P-please?" I begged as his chair scraped against the floor. The shrieking from the chair made me cringe.

Fuck...

"I-I..." I stuttered. My voice cracked on the sobs stuck in my throat. He was in front of me in seconds. Peering down with agitation. Like I was a child he didn't want to deal with.

"Strip!" He yelled. I flinched and pulled the shirt off my body, discarding it onto the floor.

"No..." He mumbled to himself. "Porca Miseria! Not fucking fast enough." He worked swiftly with his fingers to unhook my bra, before ripping it from my body. I cried out and fell against him as my nipples stabbed at the air now cold from his violation. He stepped backwards, and I stumbled to the ground.

I unbuttoned the jeans quickly, kicking them off my legs. Hesitantly, I slipped my fingers in the waist band of my panties but I couldn't drag them down. I glanced up to see Nicolo regarding me with eyes so dark they resembled onyx. His head tilted slightly as he took in every movement of my body as I shuddered.

"Ti farò a pezzi con il mio cazzo ..." He spewed before bending down towards me. He placed his hand on my shoulder, causing me to hold my breath briefly in anticipation before I was shoved onto my back. The cold floor settled over my skin, and I shivered as his fingers skimmed the bare skin of my stomach.

I didn't move. I couldn't move. I was too scared. Looping his fingers into the lace, he tore the fabric from my body - his smoldering gaze still burning into my skull as he tucked them into his pocket.

I was completely exposed. Displayed out in the open for him to have his fill. My arms shot down to cover myself but his raspy voice ceased the movement.

"Don't." His eyes swept over the folds of my pussy, traveling up the small jut of my stomach and the curve of my hips before circling around my hardened buds.

"Get up." He ordered, and without rebellious thought I hurried to stand. I felt humiliated. Inhuman. Just an object being abused. "Clean that shit up." He mumbled.

I stepped forward before peering back and forth from the mess to him.

"So this is what you wanted? To humiliate me?"

His jaw twitched before he grabbed my arm and hurled me towards the mess. My hip banged off the edge of the table and I curled in agony.

"Humiliate you?" He chuckled mirthlessly, while his footsteps resounded as he went to the door. My attention remained on the mess on the floor as I kneeled and began picking up shards of glass, setting them onto the table.

I snapped my head to the door when I heard a group of people enter. Rod, Hunter, and two unknown men stood in front of the door watching me. I could've died. Nicolo stood quietly off to the side, with an arched brow almost as if to say "humiliated now?"

"Do you all mind watching Miss Morales clean? She needs a little outside perspective."

A chorus of "yeahs" echoed. I swallowed, my throat now more dry than a desert. He really is a heartless piece of shit. I imagined running them all over with a car as I placed the last bits of plate onto the table.

"Here." Nicolo said as he tossed a handkerchief at me. "To clean up the food." He relinquished. It was the most degrading thing I've ever felt.

"Is this humiliating enough, or shall I kick it up a notch and tie you to the roof of my car and drive you down the highway?" Nicolo jeered. His words sliced through me like a whip. I remained silent, scraping egg off the floor with the cloth.

"I'd like to see that," Rod laughed. I'm sure you would, fucker. I tensed at his words. Maybe I would die from the embarrassment so I wouldn't have to endure any of this shit.

"No one is to touch her." Nicolo announced. "I'm leaving. I won't be back until seven. You're to remain here unless I otherwise direct you. They will make sure you get every spot."

"S-so they're going to continue to watch me, Sir?" I stammered disbelievingly.

"Yes. When I return I will dish out a punishment fit for your crimes."

"A.. a punishment?" I gestured frantically around me. "Isn't this one?"

"Nope. More like a warning." He shot back before brushing past the small crowd of people.

If this was a warning, I didn't want to know what a punishment was.