Property Of Vittore Martinelli ✓

46

"And who the fuck might you be?" I asked looking at the guy who was sitting all too comfortably in my couch.

That's right. I claimed it even though this is Vittore's penthouse.

"Just chilling love," the imposter answered and that's when I noticed the British tilt in his voice. He even had the audacity to wink one of his deep brown eyes at me. My eyes roamed over how his feet were placed on the coffee table and I scoffed.

"Name?" I asked and the guy grinned.

"King," he simply stated and I still kept my eye on him. His skin was a brown, much much lighter than mine, probably mixed and he had curly hair at the top of his head that was shaved at his sides.

My glaring was immediately put to a halt when a hand landed on my arm and pulled me towards the staircase. It didn't take rocket science to know it was Vittore and once we were up at the top level and out of King's view, he pushed me to the wall and got all up in my personal space.

"Who was that?!" I whispered harshly before he had a chance to talk.

"Why aren't you wearing your shirt?" Vittore asked instead, his eyes dropping down to my chest.

"Well I was giving our guest a fucking trip tease," I said in a mocking tone with a roll of my eyes. "For your information, I can be shirtless if I want to. You do it all the-"

"Don't fuck with me right now tesoro," Vittore growled, his hand wrapping around my neck as he pushed me more into the wall and stepped closer. My eyes widened at the position we found ourselves in.

"Maddox just spilled some juice on me and I came here to change jeez," I explained quickly but it didn't seem to do anything to diminish the rage that was rolling off the Italian.

"Listen to me carefully tesoro," Vittore said, his voice much deeper and scarier than I'd heard it. Weird thing, it just seemed to make me all the more flustered by the position. "L'unico uomo a cui è permesso vederti così esposto sono io. Inteso (The only man that's allowed to see you so exposed is me. Understood)?"

"Well I'm not like super sure about that because at some point I'd have to seduce some of our targets or go to the beach-" the hand around my throat tightened. "Or I could just say I understand and we'd move on from this."

"I don't like it when people test my control and trust me you do that every. Single. Day," Vittore said, his face getting closer to mine with each word. My chest heaved up and down from the heat that coursed through my body at his words.

I took harsh gulps of air through my parted lips because the fucker was restricting my windpipe. Vittore brought his face on the side of mine, his stubble brushing against my cheek as he took deep breaths, probably to calm down. I felt the hand around my neck tighten and loosen and completely froze when his other hand landed on my hip.

I could move from this position, I really could but I didn't want to. I almost wanted to say something that was sure to anger Vittore just to see what he would do.

"Go change," Vittore whispered in my ear and I nodded my head and that's when he let me go, letting me stumble on weak knees to my room where I closed the door and was sure to turn the lock.

"Holy shit," I whispered to myself when I was alone.

I run a hand through my curls, slightly tagging them that made pain spread through my scalp. Ok so that was not a dream. I was tempted to just avoid Vittore like I normally would when this kind of stuff happened but I really wanted to know why King was here.

Changing into a sports bra and over sized tee that fell off one shoulder, I walked back downstairs, slipping every trace of what happened in the area I just passed out of my face. I am cool. I am calm. I am in need of some meditation and therapy.

When I did make it back down, King was chatting away with Vittore who was mostly ignoring him.

"Oh look. The princess finally decides to join us again," King announced.

"Chi è e perché è qui (Who is he and why is he here)?" I asked Vittore instead, my voice cool and calm like I didn't just have him choke me against a wall.

That sounded wrong.

"Are you two both going to pretend like I'm not here?"

"He used to work for Sante," Vittore said.

"And? How is that going to help?" I asked.

"Well my British sister, I know where he is going to be in a few days," King said a smile on his face.

"Ti fidi di lui (Do you trust him)?" I asked Vittore.

"No but he'll betray Sante," Vittore answered me.

"For the right price of course," King added.

"How much are you paying him?" I inquired.

"Half a million baby," King cheered with a loud laugh, eating a grape. My eyes narrowed at the bowl in his hands. Where did he get those? They were mine.

I quickly pulled the bowl from his grip and he rolled his eyes at me as I took it back to the fridge and closed the door, standing a few feet protectively in front of it.

"So King... you're going to lead us to Sante?" I confirmed and the curly haired man nodded. "How do you know him anyway?"

"Sante has a thing for strays," Vittore said dismissively.

"That's not it," King said with a scoff, clearly offended. "Just picture this. A poor boy on the streets of Wales, pick pocketing, petty theft, you know the usual until one day, he swipes a phone from the wrong person. It's a damn good beginning to a life of crime if you ask me."\

"Yeah but well no one did," I said to him with a sickly sweet smile before it dropped and I turned to Vittore. "When is this all going down?"

"A few days. It'll be you, Lily, Peyton and King."

"Great," I mumbled leaning against the counter. "Well I have somewhere to be. I'll see you all later."

"Oh goodie can I come with?" King asked following me.

"No," I snapped but he continued to trail after me and I rolled my eyes.

Good Lord.