48 Hours

MARTINA

It was dinner time. I take the dinner I had plated for Alessio and go downstairs to the cellar.

“Need more light here?” I ask him, closing the cellar door behind me.

Maybe I am kinder than I thought.

“You still have me tied up. Prefer if the roles were reversed.” He gives me that smirk once more.

“Do not make me throw this soup on your face and dick. Very pleasurable to see someone captive groan in pain.” I place the tray on the table and bring my chair to sit next to him.

“Such a sadist, Ms. Lorenzo.” Alessio lets out a very deep chuckle.

I ignore his comment and turn on another light I have in the room and take a seat.

“How do I eat with tied hands?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Oh no. Who said you were eating? You are just going to watch.”

“Martina. You say things that take my mind to places. Three months I have been away from sins. I would still enjoy watching you though.”

Without a second thought, I send a punch to the left side of his face. Making his face even with bruises.

“Do you want to eat or not?” I ask and he nods.

I turn around to grab his bowl and spoon and I can feel him eye every inch of me.

I grab his bowl and make a spoonful of soup for him and I blow on it a little, placing one hand under his chin and he opens his mouth to welcome the flavourful liquid. I can’t help but look at his lips when letting the spoon slide out of his mouth.

For a few moments and a few more spoons of soup, it was just silence between us. Both of us sinfully taking in each other’s faces. His sharp jawline along with the perfectly trimmed beard, such luscious, full lips and some sort of dull sparkle in his dark green eyes.

I clear my throat and give him another spoon.

“For someone who says they are ruthless, you sure have a motherly side inside of you,” he says, breaking the silence.

I don’t say anything and put the soup bowl back on the tray and get the pasta.

ALESSIO

I watch her facial expressions, deep in thought.

“Tell me how you ended up in this position,” I say. Then, she puts a fork of pasta in my mouth.

I could watch this woman do that to me all day for the rest of my life.

“Surprisingly, my parents did not die in a car accident.” She lets out a sad chuckle.

I let her continue while I chew on the pasta.

Who made this? It’s perfect.

“It was a set up. On a boat. It sunk while they were on it for vacation,” Martina says while making another forkful of pasta.

“No one else with them?” I ask, then open my mouth.

I purposely let my lips slide more than necessary on the fork, I enjoyed watching her look at my lips.

“Only child. I was at my friend’s house for the week. They wanted a getaway for a bit. They ended up six feet under.” She clears her throat.

Martina grabs a glass of water and brings it to my lips and for some reason, her touch under my chin and her eyes boring into mine was one of the most calming things in the world.

She then grabs a napkin and dabs it on my mouth.

“Alright, starting tomorrow, your 48-hour mark starts.” She stands behind me and starts to untie my wrists.

“Why not tonight?” I ask, trying to look at her behind me. But she doesn’t respond.

She then comes in front of me, kneeling down to untie my ankles.

“Now that’s a sight,” I say with a smirk on my face. Martina looks up and notices her position, and my body decides to betray me. I watch her carefully as I see where her eyes land.

She also has a smirk on her face. She runs her fingers against my thigh and grazes my groin and leaves me with the tiniest bit of a satisfying feeling.

“The best way to kill a man, is through his ego first.” She whispers in my ear and suddenly she gropes me, then takes the rope away with her.

“You are evil.” I lick my lips and stand up, stretching.

“It is why no one messes with me, amore.” She smiles and opens the door, waiting for me to step out.

“You’re letting me into your house?” I raise an eyebrow. Not taking my eyes off her, I smile.

“Si.” I walk towards her and stand by the door.

“You’re being very hospitable.”

“It is my motherly side taking over.” She chuckles, using my words against me.

I smile at her and walk into the brightness of the house.

Martina comes next to me after closing the door behind her. I look around at where I am standing. Everything screamed ‘I am boss here’.

“Like what you see?” she asks.

“Guess woman are capable too.” Martina scoffs at my remark.

“Anything a man can do, a woman can.”

“Oh really?” I look down at her petite figure and smirk.

All she does is roll her eyes at me, and it takes every bit of willpower inside of me to not pin her to the wall and show her who is really boss here.

“This way.” She goes upstairs, making me follow her and I watch her sway right and left with every step she takes.

That makes me rub a hand across my face and hold back from wanting to smack her. Either she knows what she is doing, or she has no clue.

“For someone who taunted me about not walking with guards around, you sure are doing the same thing, Martina,” I say to break my thoughts about bending her over somewhere.

“Matteo stays upstairs most of the time. I need him to be near my office,” she says after reaching the top of the stairs.

“And the other guys?” I ask, wanting to know more.

“You are not really in position to ask about everything around here, Alessio,” Martina responds, while nodding at a man I assume is Matteo.

I don’t respond and just continue walking after her with my hands in my pockets.

“Mahone, can you ask Emelda to prepare the guest room?” she says to the man approaching her.

“You want him to be around you? Are you crazy, Martina?” The man, Mahone, speaks to her and it shocks me.

But not two seconds go by and I hear and see a hard slap, across Mahone’s face. He is taller than her but I can tell she has shaken him.

“You do not speak to me that way.” If venom was a voice, it was her’s. I look at Mahone’s face and I see how red it has turned. She was not gentle at all.

“Second, you do not address me with my name just like that without permission.” She continues and I can see the daggers she sends at him with her eyes.

I never expected Martina Lorenzo to be this… terrifying? It is no wonder my men were afraid of her once.

“Speak to me that way again, I will make sure that dick of yours is nonexistent and most probably six feet under along with you. Have I made myself clear?”

“Crystal clear ma’am,” he responds.

Martina bumps her shoulder very roughly past his arm and walks towards a closed door.

I do not speak a word of what I saw. I could end up in the same place as that guy back there.

“Sorry you had to see that,” she says to me, clearing her throat and turning on the lights of a very neat and fancy room.

“Well, I was threatened by you as well,” I say.

She makes no other comment. I see her walk to a closet in her room.

“The guest room will need some time to get ready. You may use my bathroom until it’s ready. Take a shower and I will ask my guard to get you some clothes.” She hands me a towel.

“So I am a prisoner in luxury?” I take the towel from her and push my hair back.

“Somewhat you are.” She gives me a small smile and turns her head to look at something.

I take that chance to put my palm against her cheek.

She turns her face quickly to look at me with flushed cheeks. I caress her warm cheek with my thumb. Locking eyes with her was something I have always wanted.

She clears her throat and takes a step back.

“I will be back.” She brushes her hair off her face and walks out the room.

Maybe my plan will work after all.