The Mafia's Pet: Pawn Of The Ruthless ( A Dark Romance)

Chapter 21

EVANGELINA

Damn!

It felt like something was swimming inside my stomach as I walked through the dark walls of the house. Maybe it was hunger? I had not eaten a thing all day, and I just needed a morsel.

Could it be so hard to get into such a home?
I sighed as I touched my stomach before entering the kitchen.

No one was here, so I reasoned it would be easier to get things done without Erico finding out about it. He had warned me that he didn't wish to see me take a morsel today. But I couldn't continue with such rules. I may be his plaything, as Amelio had instructed, but there was a limit to everything.

Quickly, I walked over to the cabinet, taking out some of the cereals in it. If I took this first before preparing rice pizza, it would be beneficial. I ignored the pain in my foot and limped over to the kitchen shelf, taking a clean bowl. Placing the bowl on the table, I poured the cereal in it, only for someone to hold me from behind, making me go still.

"Let go," he said softly.

Erico?

I turned around swiftly and noted that Erico was glaring at me coldly. His eyes were so stiff as he looked at me, and I could feel a pinch of fear in my veins. He was not supposed to be here! My hands shook lightly, and before I could utter a word, he flipped the cereal over, scattering it around. I was filled with immense fear at that moment, and I couldn't breathe.

I took a step back from him as I stared at the mess. "Why did you disobey me?" He asked slowly.

"No, I was..."

Erico placed a finger on his lips, silencing my words. He looked dirtier than ever today, and it made me incredibly nervous. I chewed on my lip as I watched him. I had no idea why he scared me more than Raimundo did, but he did, and I couldn't deny that fact.

Combing a hand through his hair, his face turned into a playful smile. "I hate being disobeyed. So, when I leave, you have to promise me you won't eat a morsel."

I swallowed hard as I gave a soft nod. "I..."

"Promise, Evangelina?" He whined.

In my silence, he slammed the plate against the counter, causing a scream to tear from my throat. "If you don't promise me, then I will tell Aemelio to punish you. I'm sure you don't want that."

"I promise," I whispered.

Erico laughed as he slid over to me. He raised his left finger, which seemed covered with some red substance. "Pinky promise?"

I blinked. "What?"

His smile died almost immediately. "I need you to swear that you wouldn't eat. Come on, do it," he whined.

I stared at his finger in panic before finally doing as he said. Immediately after I did it, he went back to brooding and slipped out of the kitchen like he had not been there previously. I stared at the mess that he had created, not understanding what to do.

"What the hell happened here?"

Quickly cleaning off my tears, I watched as the maid, Veronica, who was new, stared at me in confusion and anger. I tried to smile to soften the way the whole thing seemed, but I couldn't bring the muscles in my face to move.

She flicked her wrists angrily, walking to me. "I'm asking you something! Why did you have to make a mess of everything?"

I touched my throat a bit. "I'm sorry. I just wanted cereal, but I'm not hungry anymore."

"You wanted cereals?" She asked, puzzled, looking around the mess.

"Are you going to eat it on a broken plate, with most scattered all over the floor?"

I didn't need this right now. Quietly, I stepped backward as I avoided stepping on the broken pieces. "I don't wish to eat anymore. Please, I apologize," I said as I walked quickly out of the kitchen.

I could hear the maid curse as she went to work, cleaning up the mess I had left behind. I felt so guilty, but I wasn't stupid enough to pick the cereal. What if Erico was out here? He could do something crazy to me. I looked behind me, but there was no one there.

Turning back, I quickly walked to the pack and sat clumsily on the bench. My heart was still pounding, and everything hurt. It didn't help that my stomach rumbled every other minute. I was going to be okay, though. I'm going to make sure of that.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

I looked up to see Bruno looking at me with worry. What should I tell him? I was not sure if I was fine most of the time, but I knew that there were some things that I couldn't divulge. He might never be able to understand and make my life even more hellish than it was before.

Slowly, I straightened up, trying to act like my life was perfect. "You shouldn't be here, Bruno. I mean, Don doesn't like it when you speak to me, and the last I want is a scene like the last time.

He shrugged. "We aren't doing anything wrong, so there is no need to be worried about that, Evangelina," he pointed out.

My smile dimmed, and I rose to my feet, leaving the park. "Well, I don't like taking chances; unlike you, I have much to lose if anything goes wrong."

"But..."

I placed both hands on my ears, and his voice droned out. Everywhere I turned in this house, something or another was after me. Why couldn't the men leave me for once? Why should I keep going through the same thing every damn time?

***

"10 pm?"

Where has the time gone?

I sighed as I raised my leg, placing it on my thigh. There was blood around the band-aid, and it made me cringe lightly. I had to clean it up, but Erico had taken the first-aid box from me. If I went back to his room and requested it, he could repeat something awful, and how would I handle it?

My eyes slid back to the wound, and I pulled at it a bit, hoping to make it stop. But the more I drew, the more the blood seemed to rush. "Ugh!" I cried in pain, letting go of it at last.
I can't continue like this.

Slowly, I rose to my feet, careful not to place too much pressure on the wrong foot. It still hurt like hell, and I was still so hungry, making the pain intensify by hundreds. The adjacent door suddenly felt like it was too far away from where I was.

"I can do this," I whispered to myself.

Taking slow breaths, I was able to move forward. The memory of how Erico had treated me in the kitchen came back to my mind's eye. He had been so frightening with the way he alternated his personalities. I could only hope that he was in a good mood this time around. I couldn't allow myself to be ridiculed that night when I was in so much pain.

I finally reached the door, and a weird smell hit me hard. That was the same smell when I pecked him last night. It felt like blood, but this time, it seemed to be much worse. There was also the scent of something else, and I couldn't pick it up yet.

Maybe I should go back?

I slowly touched my chest, trying to keep calm. "No, I needed the first-aid box. The scent may be from my injury, too, and I was projecting." I whispered to myself.

With that thought in mind, I quickly turned the doorknob and peered through the door. My heart caught in my throat as I watched Erico's hands move quickly. What was he doing? Slowly, I stepped into the room, and I noted that he was slicing the throat of a cat.

I gasped in shock as I stared at the manic way he moved, and just as he was about to look up, I bolted and ran. I couldn't see a thing in the hall, but I couldn't stop running. The pain I felt on my foot was pale in comparison to the horror of what I had just witnessed.

"I must get out of here!" I cried to myself as I got to the elevator.

For the first time since I got here, I stepped into the elevator. It was just in time to see dark shadows far from where I stood. It was Erico, and there was no fucking doubt about it.