Claude

CHAPTER EIGHT

Mr. Angelis sighs into his hands and then looks up at me firmly.

"I'm being held hostage by the fucking mafia," I whisper to myself and that painful, familiar panic starts brewing in my chest.

"Diana, you have to understand that I couldn't tell you-" Nina says frantically but I can't hear her. I sit down on the floor and put my head in my hands, not crying but on the verge of breaking down.

"Miss Carmody, please get up from the floor. The cleaners polished it this morning and I don't want your tears all over it."

Nina and I look up in surprise and he stares at me unflinchingly.

With my head still spinning, I silently get up from the floor.

"You are in the Mafia. You became a part of the Mafia the second that you betrayed me," he holds his hand up when I start to protest. "You will continue to be a part of the Mafia until the day that you die. That, Miss Carmody, is your consequence for betraying me, if unintentionally."

"So one mistake has cost me my freedom?" I clarify and he shrugs.

"If that's how you wish to see it. The Mafia offers you protection. What more could anyone ask for?"

I could think of a lot of things to ask for. The stern look on his face told me that he didn't want to argue anymore so like the obedient little Mafia puppet I now was, I kept my mouth closed. My life is officially over.

"I still have some more work to do. If you'll excuse me I'll be in my office."

Closing my office door gently, I slide down it and put my head in my hands. This has to be some kind of sick joke. It was a mistake. I made a mistake and it had cost me everything.

Later that day, Claude knocked on my door.

"Time to leave," his deep voice travelled through the door and straight to my stomach in which an anxious,ugly had begun to form. I gathered all my stuff and trailed after him. Most of the staff had left for the day so no one noticed how glumly I was trailing behind him.

He, however, did.

"Stop dragging your feet. I need you to hurry up, I have things to do."

"Like killing people in your creepy basement?" I mutter under my breath. He stiffens and grabs my arm roughly and practically throws me into the passenger seat of the car. Before I can say fuck, he is sitting beside me with his hands squeezing my face.

His breath is warm and rapid as he leans down. "We do not discuss Mafia matters in public. That includes your pathetic jokes."

His hands move to my jaw and he tilts my chin up until it's painful. "You will learn quickly or I will have to teach you myself."

I bet you'd like that, huh?

He pushes my face away and turns on the car. The drive is silent just like I expected it to be but I don't have any energy left to be snarky. When we arrive at the house, I get out of the car and move towards the door when Claude stands in my path.

"You aren't a prisoner. You can be happy here. But I won't be the one to ensure that."

He looks at me as if I've done something to personally offend him, as if I confessed my love for him when he'd told me moments before about his cat dying. I simply nodded and he stepped aside. On my way, I ram into Raphael. He peers down at me in interest.

"Hello. Diana, is it?" he asks. His voice, unlike Claude's, is soft and careful.

"Yes. And you're Raphael. Like the angel."