They Are The Monsters.
They Are The Princes.
. . .
Leyla Campbell, daughter of a corrupted politician, never expected her father to give her to them - two of the deadliest men in the world, for the sake of his reputation.
They don't seem safe.
T...
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Olivia grinned as she looked at me. She was glowing. She was dressed in a sweatshirt which was obviously not hers and a pair of sweatpants.
"How are you, Leyla?"
"I'm alright." I was. "You?"
"I'm good." She sat beside me on the bench. We were in the garden. I had woken up a few minutes before and decided to take in some fresh air. The sun was yet to rise. I rarely ever woke at this time.
"You wake up at this time every day?" I asked her.
She shrugged. "Sometimes. Really depends on mine and their schedule. If we can afford a nap in the middle of the day, we wake up early and go for a walk. Or for a motorcycle ride."
"That sounds cool," I said.
She smiled. "It is. We like travelling a lot, seeing new places and stuff, you know."
"It's nice seeing you happy. You always seemed miserable at Cali."
"I was miserable there," she admitted. "I hated my mother. I hated your father. I hated everything."
"How's Gabby?" I finally asked.
"She's in a safe house with mom and Astrid. She didn't want to stay with us."
"She should be a little grateful," I muttered.
"She has nothing to be grateful for," Olivia said. "She is just safe, something she always deserved. You always deserved it. I failed to act as an older sister back then, too tangled in my own problems, but I will do anything I can to make sure you three are safe."
I looked down at my hands. "I thought you knew," I whispered.
"What?"
"What they all were doing to me. I thought you knew."
She gently touched my shoulder. "I didn't. I'm so sorry I didn't."
I took in a shaky breath and looked at her, blinking the years away. "My mum would have loved you, you know."
She smiled. "I wish I could have met her."
I hummed. "She was strong."
"That's where you get it from."
I smiled bitterly. I was not strong.
We sat there for a while, watching the sunrise.
"How does it feel?" I asked her.
"What?"
"Being in love," I said. "How does it feel?"
She tilted her head, thinking. "It feels as if the whole world can be on fire and I'd still have a home," she said, looking down at her wedding ring.
She looked at me. "Being with them has not been a walk in the park." Her hand absentmindedly brushed on her ribs. "But I'd do it all again because in the end, I get them and there's no greater prize."
"You are in deep shit."
She laughed. "I've been in it quite a while."
"I want to meet Gabby."
"You'll have to ask your captors."
I sighed. "Things are going...well, for now. I don't want them to yell at me."
She frowned. "Yell back."
"Do you?"
"I usually cry." She shrugged, tucking a strand of her black hair behind her ear, her rings glinted in the sunlight. "Melts them real quick."
I could imagine her getting her way like that. She had changed a lot.
I heard footsteps.
Ashton Creed approached us, dressed in a dark sweatshirt and a pair of denim. His glasses were on his perfect nose and his blond hair was tucked away from his face by a metal headband.
He handed Olivia a phone. "Kylie demands attention."
She took the phone, gave me a quick smile, and walked away.
Ashton looked at me. "I believe we haven't talked yet, Miss Campbell." He extended his hand towards me.
"We haven't." I stood up and took his hand in mine.
He nodded, formal as ever. His eyes followed Olivia who was walking around while talking.
He looked back at me. "You are comfortable here, yes?"
I nodded slowly. "Yes." I was now. A little comfortable but I knew full well even if I said no he'd not help me.
He looked like he knew what I was thinking. Why were these people so good at reading emotions?
His eyes lingered on my hands which were slightly shaking. "I mean you no harm, Miss Campbell."
"I know." My body didn't.
He nodded and stepped back. "Breakfast is ready." He walked back inside the mansion and I let out a breath, body loosening. I sat down on the bench, covering my face with my hands.
God, he must think I was pathetic.
I went inside soon, convinced by my starving stomach. Now that I ate every meal, I craved every meal.
I entered the kitchen.
"That is not how you flip a pancake." Zavier Creed looked smug as he ate his perfectly made pancakes. His eyes flickered to mine for one second. He nodded his head in acknowledgement and returned his eyes to Giovanni who looked pissed at the world.
"Go die, Zavier." Giovanni looked to be struggling with the pancake, looking like he was ready to shoot it.
Fabiano approached me, pulling me closer to place a kiss on my forehead. "Good morning, baby."
"Good morning," I whispered. He looked to be in high spirits.
Maybe I could ask him if I could see Gabby and Astrid.
"Step away," Zavier said, standing up. "You're running all the batter and Olivia hasn't eaten yet."
"I haven't either," Xerxes, who was sitting on a stool, dressed in a black hoodie with black joggers, said.
"Who gives a fuck?" Giovanni muttered.
"My wife does."
"Your wife eats all your food."
Olivia entered the room. "You get ruder by the day, Giovanni."
The feeling of being an intruder came again. It was obvious these people were tight-knit, even Dante. I felt out of my element. I never had large friend groups. Just two or three people I let in.
We ate breakfast and the kitchen was loud. I stayed quiet. Giovanni and Fabiano and Olivia tried adding me to the conversation but I was filled with nerve too much to even attempt to do it. They gave up, eventually. But Giovanni and Fabiano kept their attention on me, letting me know I was not forgotten.
