Fire and Flame Pt. 4 (Massimo x Reader)

I’m so glad you guys liked the last part so much, please let me know what you think about this one, it really helps me when I see the comments. Enjoy!

Part 3Part 2Part 1

The summer breeze caressed (y/n)s bare arms and kissed her cheeks that were flushed due to the wine she had consumed. She looked at the garden smiling like only a drunk person could and raised her one leg so she could half sit at the marble of the balcony. Her feet were aching from the heels and she was kind of wobbly so she needed support. As she raised the glass of rose wine on her lips to take one more sip she felt a pair of eyes on her.

“Couldn’t resist?”

“Didn’t want to”

Massimo responded as he approached her. He didn’t make his presence known from the beginning cause one thing he loved was to observe her, she looked like a picture out of a fairytale, her beautiful pastel pink dress combined with her hair down caressing the exposed skin on her as she was bathed in moonlight perfected the image of a princess.

She smiled at him, her eyes squinting together in that cute smile he loved but so rarely saw, he liked seeing her like this, happy, carefree. He took a seat on the balcony as well right in front of her.

“You’re drunk”

“I’ve had more than I should but I’m not drunk”

Massimo nodded. She was slurring and her nose was red however he chose not to fight it, it was rare for her to look so…. Comfortable. He took her hand in his and just looked at her delicate fingers, her hand was so small compared to his, her touch was soft, warm, so different from his strong hold.

“Are you having fun piccolina?”

“I’m not small, I had to alter this dress in order to fit into it”

“I’m glad you are finally gaining some weight, I actually came out here cause I thought the wind was going to blow you off like a feather”

She giggled at his comment lightly. As she hummed to herself (y/n) leaned in and scouted closer to him so he could wrap her in his arms which Massimo immediately did. Her perfume engulfed him immediately, that sweet scent of jasmine and vanilla mixed with orange was causing him to think that this is what heaven smells like.

“How’s your new girlfriend?”

“She’s drunk and hugging me in the balcony”

“Smart but won’t fool me”

(Y/n) and Massimo were complicated to say the least. Since they met they had each other at an iron grip but they were always playing with fire, they never let themselves fully burn.

“Piccolina they are girlfriends, you will be my wife”

“I hate when you say that”

She mumbled in annoyance before she pulled away from him and fully got up, tossing her hair on one side. Massimo looked at her puzzled, she was irritated at his comment but he was just being honest with her. Their situation wasn’t the easiest, if something was ever to happen between them it had to be the end deal for both of them or else there would be a vendetta and that’s the last thing on Massimo’s mind

“Why are you playing games with me? Is this a way for our families to stay friends?”

“You insult me just by thinking like that, is that how low you think of me?”

“I- I don’t know what I think of you Massimo”

She tried to walk away from him but Massimo grabbed her wrist, preventing her from exiting and leaving him alone. (Y/n) met his gaze as her eyebrows scrunched together.

“Don’t leave me, I don’t want us to fight”

(Y/n) sighed before opening her arms and wrapped them around his waist so she could get lost in his arms. Massimo kissed the top of her head and she raised her head, resting her chin on his chest.

“You know that if this happens it will be like releasing two tigers from their cage”

“The fire with the flame”

“What if you leave me broken?”

She questioned him, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared at him with doe eyes, her lips barely open. He wanted to kiss her, rip that dashing dress off her and take her right on this balcony for everyone to see, for everyone to know she is his.

He resisted his animalistic urge and just left a small kiss at the nape of her neck, his lips tracing all the way up to her earlobe, making her heart flutter and her breath to get shallow.

“Then I give you permission to ruin my life”

“Please Massimo don’t make this harder than it already is”

She warned him, her hand going up to his chin to pull him away so she could look him in the eye. Her hues were darker than before due to the lust that had taken over her, Massimo’s fingers found her cheek and with his thumb he started to draw circles on her hot flesh as they stared at one another

“I feel like I’m burning”

“It’s your flame responding to my fire… amore”

-

That was the last time they spoke. That was his last words before they heard someone come in and pulled away from one another and (y/n) ran away to go look for her dad.

That night played in her head for a long time before she managed to bury it deep inside her memories. After his rude intrusion to her bedroom that memory was brought to the fighting front of her brain, she slept for only a few hours since all her dreams were about him.

When everyone started to wake up and come down for breakfast they were met by (y/n) sitting down at the table of Massimo’s garden with coffee in her hand.

“Good morning”

“Good morning gioia, I didn’t except for you to be up so early”

Mario said as he went to leave a kiss at the top of her head. He always felt like she was the daughter he never had, seeing her flourish made him puff his chest with pride, her father was a fair, smart man and she filled his shoes with such force.

(Y/n) smiled at him before she fixed her big sunglasses as Mario sat next to her.

“I wanted to check something about our new employees, specifically the gardener”

“What about him?”

“Nothing in particular, I just didn’t expect to have someone from Spain”

“(Y/n) don’t lie to me”

“He’s cute ok? Is that so bad?”

Mario laughed at (y/n)s little secret, earning a little smack at his upper arm from her.

“I’m sorry gioia, nothing is wrong, you are young and you work a lot. It’s just so… stereotypical, the rich girl and the gardener”

“I must agree, I expected better from you”

Massimo said coldly. He had lingered in the back in order to listen to their honest conversation and when he realized what it was about he was furious, he had no right to be but that didn’t stop him. (Y/n)s facial expression changed to match his and turned her head away from him and back to Mario

“You know what nonnino maybe Massimo’s right, it would be better if I kidnapped a tourist and made him love me, genius”

She responded sarcastically with a smirk. Mario held back his laugh but didn’t successfully hide his smile, Massimo looked at him and the older man went back to his poker face. Massimo just sat down on the opposite side of the table and served himself some water.

(y/n) on the other hand was boiling with rage, she couldn’t get over the fact that he just barged in her room in order to swoon her and now he thought he had a say in her love life. The icing on the cake was his wedding ring shining under the hot Sicilian sun. She bit the inside of her cheek and decided she had had enough, she shot up from her chair and walked away without a word. He was so full of arrogance that it made her want to strangle him

Once she got inside the house her eyes went to the table that was sitting at the entrance. Last time there was not a vase with chrysanthemums on it. She kept looking at it, trying to remember if there was even a vase on it before, at that cue a girl walked in the room holding another case with once again… chrysanthemums on it.

“Excuse me, where are you taking those?”

“To your room miss”

“Why?”

“I-i umm the boss told me to, should I not?”

The girl asked timidly. She was scared, you could tell about the immediate hunch on her back and her stumbling over her words, it was at that point that (y/n)s tone might have been a bit aggressive.

“No no I was just checking, hey one last thing, you mean Massimo right?”

“Yes”

“Just making sure. Run along then”

The girl rushed away leaving (y/n) with mixed feelings. This man was unbelievable, chrysanthemums were (y/n)s birth month flower, she remember telling him that she also felt like they were so misunderstood because in many countries they symbolized death.

She shook her head and started to walk up the stairs when she heard someone dry coughing behind her, she looked back and saw Massimo standing where she stood with his hands behind her back. She hesitated at first, thinking about what was the correct way to respond so she decided to just roll her eyes at him and turn back around and on to her room

“You are welcome piccolina”

Buy me a coffee

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Fire And Flame pt 3 (Massimo x Reader)

So since today is the official release of 365 days part two I’ve decided to give y'all a part 3 and I hope you enjoy it!

Part two part one

“Gioia, it’s time for dinner?”

“Just tell someone to bring me my plate, thank you”

Mario pursed his lips at the sight of (y/n)s nose buried in those papers, she walked in this office when the room was showered in sunlight and now the only source of light were the lamps. He closed the door and walked over to her, he had to admit that this situation was weird to him. She was so focused, determined to find the source, he was almost missing that young free spirit she had back then.

“(Y/n) you already caused quite a stir, it will be unwise for you to not show up for dinner”

“I have no idea what you are talking about, he asked for my help and I’m giving it”

“Yes and we are grateful, but your tongue was vicious and you are pushing your luck”

(Y/n) looked up at him. She was aware of what she had done and she was not regretting it one bit, he deserved to have a piece of her mind. Yet, Marios kind eyes made her rethink her decision, she sighed before she pushed back her chair.

“Fine, let’s get it over with”

(Y/n) decided to not go and change, her outfit was just fine and besides after that her mind needed some rest cause the numbers were starting to dance around in front of her cloudy eyes. Mario and her walked side by side towards the dinner room. Mario opened the door for her and let her walk first, she whispered a thank you and saw that Massimo was already sitting down at the one end of the table and on his side was a side of a young looking man who stopped talking once she walked in, in the room there was also two of her bodyguards. (Y/n) smiled as she walked to the chair that was placed at the other end of the table.

“Evening gentlemen… hello Massimo”

Massimo immediately sat up in his chair as he tried to hold back his temper that was challenged by her snarky comment. He watched her sit down at the chair and fixed her hair back. At that time a woman appeared and filled (y/n)s cup with rose wine. Massimo despised rose but he knew it was her favorite so he ordered the new staff to have full stock of it.

(Y/n) thanked the girl and reached for the cup to take a sip, the familiar semi sweet taste she adored hit her taste buds and she smiled in approval. For a woman like her it was unusual that she didn’t pay attention to why her favorite wine was being served, she was so tired she just blamed it on a blissful coincidence.

The silence that had taken over the room was broken by the door opening once more, a girl that was unfamiliar to (y/n) walked in, her hair was dyed blonde and cut to a short asymmetrical bob entered the room, she wore a black satin dress that reached her ankles and heels, she was rather short and skinny and her eyes were light blue.

The blonde haired girl approached (y/n), arrogance could be recognized by the way she walked while (y/n) remained calm as she looked at the girl.

“I’m sure this was just a mistake but this is my chair”

(Y/n) realized who the girl was and started to laugh at the scene. (Y/n) placed her hand in front of her mouth before she tried to recollect herself.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh, it’s just that you are so cute. Ah precious”

“Who are you anyway?”

“Babygirl, I was hoping you could sit by my side tonight, please?”

Massimo interrupted the conversation since he could tell it was starting to move over towards the fighting side. Laura looked at her husband with confusion as (y/n) stopped laughing and crossed her legs in order to get more comfortable in her chair as she watched Massimo standing up to extend his hand to Laura. Laura looked at him, clearly frustrated that this strange woman got her way but did as she was told. (Y/n) looked at Massimo with a devilish smile.

“Babygirl?… That is so pathetic”

“What did she say?”

“Oh you don’t speak Italian? Shame, anyway let’s eat, I’m starving”

“Come on just ignore her”

Massimo whispered, unfortunately for him (y/n) heard him loud and clear. That’s when her rage decided to take over her brain, the table was big and full of plates for them to choose. 

“Ignore? Is that how you treat your only source of protection? Well then, I’m going to just excuse myself”

She got up and turned away but what they didn’t see is that with her free hand she had grabbed a handful of the table cloth, as she walked away she started to slowly pull it making all the plates and expensive glasses fall and scatter around the floor and with one final pull everything was knocked off.

“Let’s see how you ignore this”

“You little stubborn b-”

Before Massimo could finish he tried to stand up but was stopped by (y/n)s bodyguards who pushed him back in the chair and pointed their guns at his head. 

“Good Night everyone”

(Y/n) said without looking back but made sure to slam the door behind her leaving everyone shocked and angry.

-

(Y/n) decided to take a nice shower after she asked the staff to deliver a dish for her in her room. (Y/n) was known for keeping her cool, for thinking first and acting second, hell that’s what made her different from her brother, yet she was acting like a brat every chance she got, causing chaos and was just overall unprofessional. That was the only thing she regrets, he got under her skin, made her act irrational and crazy.

She put her robe on and walked out of the bathroom while drying her hair with a towel. Her mind wandering around only one thing, him. The hold he had on her was still strong or else she wouldn’t be reacting like this, she wouldn’t even help him let alone get herself on a plane and offer her knowledge in order to find the source of evil.

“Feel better?”

(Y/n) yelped at the groggy voice that took her by surprise. She spun around and her eyes were met with Massimo sitting on the other side of her bed. (Y/n) clenched the cleavage of her semi open robe in order to hide her naked skin while he stared at her with amusement. He had been waiting for her for about 10 minutes, he also thought that she had heard him come in, lucky for him this was a way better situation.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“What am I doing at my house?”

“In my room I mean, don’t act stupid”

“No don’t worry, I’ll leave that up to you”

Massimo responded as he got up from her bed. (Y/n) laughed once again at his smart remark, the banter between them was always a part of their…. bond, that was the only thing that they still had, both of them liked to talk back to one another. Massimo started walking towards her slowly never breaking eye contact. (Y/n) took a small step back while her hand stretched in front of her to show him that he should stay put

“Don’t you make another step”

(Y/n) instructed him, surprisingly Massimo froze, he wanted to push her buttons although his goal wasn’t to make her uncomfortable, honestly he didn’t know what his goal was, he just knew he wanted some time with her alone, especially after he got an earful from his wife about why he lets her get away with acting disrespectful to them, he had to admit that Laura was right, (y/n) has only been here for less than 24 hours and she had already gotten away with so much.

Now they were just left looking at one another, eyes locked and silence filling the space between them. (Y/n) felt her chest get heavy and her hands immediately got cold, she was nervous around him which shouldn’t be happening anymore. She bit her lower lip making it disappear in her mouth and between her teeth hoping it would prevent her from saying something she shouldn’t

“Why are you here amore?”

“Don’t fucking call me that”

Massimo called her amore way back when, it was one of his nicknames for her and her favorite. Now he was married and had been out of her life for years, so the last thing she needed was him scratching a wound that took years to heal, if you can even say it had been healed.

She took a few steps back in order to rest at the vanity table for a moment in an attempt to think of what she has to say. She put her head down letting her damp her cover her face and shield her as she took a deep breath through her nose so she can decompress, she raised her head once more to take one good look at his face

“I came here to help you, cause unlike you I own up to my promises”

“What I did was wrong, I know that”

“You mean more of what you didn’t do and please be specific on Which one are we talking about? Ignoring me after your dad died? not picking up my calls? Not coming to my dad’s funeral? Not even inviting me to your… wedding?”

“How could I inv-”

“Why? Too embarrassed? Well I guess that makes sense why you wouldn’t want me there, it would be surreal to have me there clapping while you walked out of the church holding hands with your new wife”

“(Y/n) please let’s-”

“let’s what Massimo? Pretend like you didn’t fuck up, I have forgiven a lot but unfortunately for you I am not willing to talk anymore I’m talked out and I just… Jesus Christ this is insane”

She turned her back on him and took a few steps to look outside the window, it was one thing to see her yell at him but as soon as she felt her eyes get full of tears she had enough. Massimo heard the crack at her voice, he saw her eyes getting a bit more shinny, however he chose to not point it out, he chose to stay silent and let her have a moment since he too felt like he deserved the harsh words.

(y/n) took a few breathes and closed her eyes, she was a professional at hiding her vulnerability, it has been the first time in years that she felt so out of control and if she was remembering right it was Massimo that had caused her last crying fest.

She spun around to face him once more, her lips pursed at a thin line and her arms on her waist in a clear defensive stance.

“what do you want Massimo? Why are you in this room”

“I don’t know, I wanted to see you, I miss-”

“No, no don’t say that, anything but that… you know what just drop it Massimo. I’m here cause I… wanted to help you, once again I’m here for you in your time of need even though you don’t deserve my kindness or help, so take this as my last nice gesture and then I will be out of your life so you can live your happily ever after. Now, get out of my room and go play house with your shiny toy”

Massimo could tell she was hurt, her arms crossed over her chest after her rant and her chest rose up due to her heavy breathing, the best thing was that she was still looking at him straight in the eye, the difference was that instead of her arrogant and strong gaze, her eyes were soft, sad and here demeanor showed vulnerability, it almost reminded him of how she was that night, the only thing was that back then he was able to hug her, console her, now he wasn’t even allowed to be closer than 5 feet from her.

His heart ached for her and being the cause of her outburst was causing him so much more guilt than he already had,he clicked his tongue before he placed his hands In his pockets and walked away with his body facing the door. 

“Goodnight…. Amore”

Massimo was already at the door with it half opened when he said that and with a snap (y/n) was back to her usual tactics and grabbed a pillow to throw it at him, Massimo had enough time to get out of the room and closed the door so the pillow went straight to the wooden door.

“Fuck off Massimo”

(Y/n) said loud enough for him to hear from the other side. He smirked at her snapping at him, yet he kept thinking about what she had said, having her in this house brought back all the memories and emotions he had thought he had forgotten.

This was not going to be easy but it never was when it came to her she was always like this, stubborn, mouthy, prideful and relentless, its what made her… (Y/n)

Part 4

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Fire And Flame Pt.2 (Massimo x Reader)

I think I should let you guys know that this is going to be a slow burn so get ready for a lot of parts. Enjoy!

Part one

Mario knew better than to listen to (y/n) and leave right away, he decided to let her take a breather and stayed at a hotel, waiting to see how she reacts after she thinks about it in a more calm manner.

(Y/n) on the other hand felt like she was sitting on hot stones, sleepless nights and headaches became a daily routine. She should turn her back on him, he wasn’t there for her so why should she help him now? But what if something happened to him? She wouldn’t be able to live with that, she didn’t mind the blood on her hands but his blood spilled because of her pride would be something she would never be able to forget.

“Why are you even bothering with playing hard to get? We both know you will end up helping him”

Her brother said Gregor was never really interested in the details, he was there to recruit men and make sure everyone acted right, discipline and violence were his strongest points. One of his favorite things to do though was to annoy his little sister, of course she had “asked for his opinion” but really she was just hoping he wouldn’t want to work with them.

(Y/n) didn’t even bother to look at him, she just kept brushing her hair while she was sitting down in her chair in front of her vanity mirror.

“What makes you say that?”

“Cause it’s Massimo we are talking about, if you were actually mad at him you would have killed him by now”

He was right about that, (y/n) was never the one that showed mercy, their father had taught them that respect is the biggest blessing and what Massimo had done to her and the family was something people killed over. She put her brush down and kept looking at herself in the mirror, trying to hang on to any type of anger she could find.

“He was out of line”

“He was, but wouldn’t you feel so much better if you could rub it in his face?”

-

“Marios back”

“Alone?”

“The crew did not report any other passenger”

The feeling that rushed through Massimo’s body was confusing to say the least. He didn’t have to see her, he got away with having to phase the elephant in the room but on the other side not only was he unprotected to future attacks, he secretly hoped that after all these years they would meet again.

“Alright”

He simply said and walked away from the living room and headed to the front of the house in order to properly greet his confidant,if he was being honest he didn’t just want to welcome Mario back, he wanted to ask about her, make sure she is…. Ok.

What caught him by surprise is that it wasn’t just one car that pulled up, it was three. Massimo’s eyebrows furrowed in curiosity but chose to wait and see what this was all about. Mario got out of the first car, however he did not walk up to Massimo, he rushed to the third car and opened the door of the black Audi.

For the first time in years Massimo froze, he felt his jaw tighten at the sight of the woman that got out of that car.

(Y/n) took Marios open hand and got out of the car, she had caught up to him at the last minute but insisted she went with her own airplane and to not let Massimo know she was arriving. Her big designer sunglasses were covering half of her face and her hair was down, it was planned since she wanted some kind of protection when it came to her facial expressions.

“Thank you nonino”

She whispered to him with a smile. Mario smiled back and linked his arm with hers as the bodyguards ran around picking up luggage and driving the cars to their parking spots.

(Y/n) felt like throwing up, she was grateful Mario was not holding her hand cause she felt like the circulation of blood had stopped and now her fingers were ice cubes, as she walked up the steps she could see Massimo’s hesitation which brought her some type of comfort. He was nervous,maybe more nervous than her 

“Massimo look who decided to come along”

Mario joked in order to break the ice, unsuccessfully due to the fact that the tension between them was so intense that you could cut it with a knife. As they reached the top of the stairs (y/n) stood proud and tall, she would usually take off her sunglasses and greet the person with a handshake yet this time she flipped her hair back and her hands to herself. Massimo wanted to hug her, tell her how much he missed her and ask her how she is doing, greet her like he used to back in the day, before he betrayed her. 

She looked the same but also different, last time he saw her she was just starting to take her first steps to womanhood, her face was usually round but now you could see her cheekbones a little bit more, she didn’t have that pureness of a young girl, she was a woman and it suited her so well, (y/n) was always pretty but now she had the air of luxury, an aura that remained so untouched and unattainable.

“It’s always a pleasure to have you here”

“I wish I could say the same, I’m only here because my father taught me to always help a fr- someone in need”

She did that on purpose, she wanted to let him know that she was upset, she was sharpening her knives while on the plane, seeing him fidget was such sweet revenge but she wanted more.

Massimo smirked bitterly, it wasn’t her remarks that stung, (y/n) always had something to say and knew how to get under anyone’s skin, it was her demeanor that made him feel uneasy. (Y/n) always smiled at him, hugged him and placed her hands on his face to observe him, now she was as cold as ice and treated him like an enemy. That’s what sat with him.

“I think we should show (y/n) her room”

“Yes, right after you show me the office, I want to go through every transaction that happened 5 days before your…. Wife’s accident”

(Y/n)’s mouth felt like someone forced her to swallow a spoonful of vinegar, she hid it pretty well though for anyone that didn’t know her, which in this case Massimo and Mario saw right through it. It didn’t make Massimo feel any better though, quite the opposite actually it caused him to become even more upset with himself. 

Here she was, offering a helping hand even though he missed so many important events in her life, he thought and acted selfishly for so long and now she stood graciously next to him.

“Gioia we can assure you that we have looked through everything”

(Y/n) passed her designer bag to Mario and readjusted the fit of her white button up dress shirt that was neatly tucked into her well tailored pants before she dismissed the two men and started to walk past them and of course they followed her.

“And yet you still get attacked, so there’s someone in this house that knows your every move and my guess is that they get paid really well to run their mouths to your enemy. I assume the office is where it always was, in the meantime all the staff are fired, maids, butlers, drivers and chefs.”

“That’s ridiculous you can’t do that”

Massimo finally spoke up, he was sure that (y/n) knew what she was doing, her moves were always calculated, but this was her just stepping on his toes, she couldn’t just barge in and demand for everyone to just be replaced. 

(Y/n) stopped walking and smirked to herself “finally! A challenge” he had stayed silent for far too long for her liking, now she could finally show him what she is really made of. She turned around and took two steps to stand right in front of him, she took off her sunglasses and he felt trapped in her gaze. Those eyes were always so captivating, hypnotic almost like the perfect drug for him. 

“You failed to protect everyone in this house, they knew the route your driver took, they knew where you would be for lunch, they knew you would be at that vineyard, next thing you know they poison you, even if the staff was not the one that did it, they are not safe so you owe them as much as to put them out of their misery. Do I make myself clear?”

(Y/n) was spitting venom, her expression was harsh and her tone was dismissive, if anyone else talked to Massimo like that they would have never been able to finish their rant since he would have planted a bullet between their eyes. 

She stood there, unharmed, staring right into his eyes that made her swoon and giggle when she was young, she could still feel that summer night breeze that caressed her skin the last time they spoke. 

Massimo curled his hands into fists, his breathing got heavier and his nostrils widened making it clear how angry he was getting.

“Mario, let the staff know. I want new staff by the end of this day”

And with that he walked away, almost ran away from her in a desperate attempt to control his temper and to help himself so he could comprehend that (y/n) was going to walk around his house, lay on one of his beds, eat breakfast at his tables. She was going to be so close to him, yet so far

Part three

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Fire And Flame (Massimo x Reader) Pt.1

So I told you guys I want to start a series and honestly as soon as I started I couldn’t stop so I really hope you like it cause I have so many ideas for this. Please let me know if you liked it!

“This is the second time they were able to get to us”

Marios voice was stern, cold, angry some would say. Massimo leaned further back to his leather chair, his left hand reaching up to his temples so his fingers can gently rub in order to give some relief to this mild migraine. 

After Laura’s safe return his enemies were testing him, they found his Achilles heel and they would not stop unless one of them died.

“Why don’t you ask for her, the (y/l/n) family-”

“They won’t agree, she will not approve it” the last sentence was barely above a whisper. Massimo was in much need of an alliance, however he was smart enough to know that asking the (y/l/n) to protect his wife was disrespectful to say the least, he couldn’t possibly do that to her.

“Let’s just try, if they find out we have that type of protection they will retreat… let me talk to her”

Mario loved (y/n), how could he not? He was there for her birth, baptism, birthdays and any type of celebration. Her father- god rest his soul- was good friends with Massimo’s dad, she was the second child but she was the smartest, sure her brother was the muscle but she was the brains, her gaze was as sharp as a knife, the determination she had was written all over her face ever since she was a toddler.

Massimo huffed, questions racing through his brain, if Mario got through her then that would mean two things, one is that his problems will be over, second is that he will have to come face to face with her and that made his blood run cold.

“Fine, make the arrangements for your trip to Albania, leave today if you can”

“Already done, I fly in an hour”

Massimo smiled. Of course Mario knew Massimo would agree, at least he let him have the illusion of choosing which Massimo was grateful for.

“Let me know how it goes”

-

A knock interrupted (y/n)’s train of thought, she didn’t bother to raise her gaze from the papers scattered across the well polished wooden desk.

“Come in”

She spoke as she flipped through another page, she insisted on reading every single piece of paper for everything, finances, real estate, payments, whatever was written down had to be approved and signed by her and only her. Her secretary entered the room and made sure to close the door behind her.

“Mario is here to see you, says it’s urgent”

“Mario? As in Mario from Italy? My dad’s friend?”

The girl nodded, it was maybe the first time her boss looked surprised. (Y/n) let her pen down gently and spun her chair around, facing away from the door.

“Take him to the garden, take care of him for me until I come down”

“Right away miss (y/n)”

As the door shut (y/n) took in a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. He wasn’t hurt, the news would have reached her by now if he was harmed, Mario came alone so most likely it has something to do with business. So many possibilities of this unexpected visit came to her head, although she knew there was only one way to find out. She let out her breath slowly and got up for her seat and before she touched the golden handle she fixed her pastel pink button up silk shirt. As she walked towards the garden she felt like the belt from her pencil skirt tightened more and more.

“Mario, what a surprise”

“Gioia! Let me take a look at you”

Mario held her hands and stretched his in order to observe her. She was always beautiful but she was a woman now, it had been almost 7 years since he saw her, she was not the little girl full of happiness and ambition anymore, she was a delicate lady.

“My goodness you have grown such graciously”

“I can say the same about you nonnino”

She started calling him grandpa at a very young age, she never met her grandpa from her dad’s side, so in her young mind she thought that he was it, she would see him only a few times and he would always bring sweets and gifts just like her other grandpa so he must be one as well.

“Oh say that to my squeaky back, come here”

He said as he hugged her tightly. (Y/n) hugged back with the same energy, she adored him a lot and seeing him after such a long time felt so comforting. Mario rubbed her back before he leaned a bit towards her ear.

“I’m really sorry gioia, I should have been here for the funeral”

“It’s okay, I understand”

She said before she pulled away. Her father passed away about 4 years ago, of course someone had hired a hitman to take him out. At first she didn’t think anything of it, he had been shot before she was almost certain that he was going to be fine. Unfortunately she was wrong.

“Come on, let’s go for a walk, it’s such a beautiful day today”

She told him as she lead the way, her heels clicking against the shiny white marble floor, her father had made sure their house had a big garden, her mother almost demanded it since she grew up on the countryside, in order to please his wife her father looked through so many houses before he bought this one.

“How’s business”

“Excellent I must say, we finally made a deal with the Serbians. You know how difficult it was due to the politics of our countries”

Mario nodded and they stayed silent for a few more moments before (y/n) stopped to lean on the balcony and face him.

“But I know you are not here to just see me and apologize”

“Massimo send me”

“I figured that much, why?”

“We figured that maybe it’s time-”

“For me to help him? He got attacked two times in one month”

She started to get defensive, word gets around in this type of business and Massimo now looked weak and vulnerable, she was expecting him to try and seek for help yet she did not think he would come to help.

“You know how much he respects you”

“Really? Then why isn’t he the one that’s here? Like a man”

She crossed her arms in front of her torso and looked straight into Marios eyes. Mario knew that this was a delicate subject so he had to dance around on thin ice with her, it wasn’t just business between her and Massimo, it never was.

“You know him (y/n), he was too ashamed to come here”

“But he wasn’t ashamed to send someone? Let’s forget this for a moment, what will I gain from helping you?”

“The torricelli family has been friends with your family before you were even born”

“Exactly, so imagine my shock after none of you showed up for my father’s funeral, Lorik is probably tossing and turning on his grave as we speak”

She stood up straight and uncrossed her arms in order to express more emotion with the motions of her hands.

Mario took in a breath before he smiled at her once more.

“He fucked up, you are hurt and you have every right to do so, trust me he didn’t get away so easily from skipping such an important thing. Do this for the sake of his father, for my sake”

“I’m sorry Mario, but I can’t keep running whenever Massimo needs it”

(Y/n) started to walk away from Mario as she was desperately trying to control her emotions with all her strength. The nerve of this man to come and ask her for help, after everything that happened.

“He might die (y/n), they won’t stop until he is out of the picture”

She stopped dead in her tracks, if it was humanly possible her heartbeat would be heard around the mansion, the thought of Massimo being six feet under crushed her and Mario knew it.

“That’s none of my concern anymore, for me he died 4 years ago along with my father”

Part two

Fire And Flame (Massimo x Reader) Pt.1

So I told you guys I want to start a series and honestly as soon as I started I couldn’t stop so I really hope you like it cause I have so many ideas for this. Please let me know if you liked it!

“This is the second time they were able to get to us”

Marios voice was stern, cold, angry some would say. Massimo leaned further back to his leather chair, his left hand reaching up to his temples so his fingers can gently rub in order to give some relief to this mild migraine. 

After Laura’s safe return his enemies were testing him, they found his Achilles heel and they would not stop unless one of them died.

“Why don’t you ask for her, the (y/l/n) family-”

“They won’t agree, she will not approve it” the last sentence was barely above a whisper. Massimo was in much need of an alliance, however he was smart enough to know that asking the (y/l/n) to protect his wife was disrespectful to say the least, he couldn’t possibly do that to her.

“Let’s just try, if they find out we have that type of protection they will retreat… let me talk to her”

Mario loved (y/n), how could he not? He was there for her birth, baptism, birthdays and any type of celebration. Her father- god rest his soul- was good friends with Massimo’s dad, she was the second child but she was the smartest, sure her brother was the muscle but she was the brains, her gaze was as sharp as a knife, the determination she had was written all over her face ever since she was a toddler.

Massimo huffed, questions racing through his brain, if Mario got through her then that would mean two things, one is that his problems will be over, second is that he will have to come face to face with her and that made his blood run cold.

“Fine, make the arrangements for your trip to Albania, leave today if you can”

“Already done, I fly in an hour”

Massimo smiled. Of course Mario knew Massimo would agree, at least he let him have the illusion of choosing which Massimo was grateful for.

“Let me know how it goes”

-

A knock interrupted (y/n)’s train of thought, she didn’t bother to raise her gaze from the papers scattered across the well polished wooden desk.

“Come in”

She spoke as she flipped through another page, she insisted on reading every single piece of paper for everything, finances, real estate, payments, whatever was written down had to be approved and signed by her and only her. Her secretary entered the room and made sure to close the door behind her.

“Mario is here to see you, says it’s urgent”

“Mario? As in Mario from Italy? My dad’s friend?”

The girl nodded, it was maybe the first time her boss looked surprised. (Y/n) let her pen down gently and spun her chair around, facing away from the door.

“Take him to the garden, take care of him for me until I come down”

“Right away miss (y/n)”

As the door shut (y/n) took in a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. He wasn’t hurt, the news would have reached her by now if he was harmed, Mario came alone so most likely it has something to do with business. So many possibilities of this unexpected visit came to her head, although she knew there was only one way to find out. She let out her breath slowly and got up for her seat and before she touched the golden handle she fixed her pastel pink button up silk shirt. As she walked towards the garden she felt like the belt from her pencil skirt tightened more and more.

“Mario, what a surprise”

“Gioia! Let me take a look at you”

Mario held her hands and stretched his in order to observe her. She was always beautiful but she was a woman now, it had been almost 7 years since he saw her, she was not the little girl full of happiness and ambition anymore, she was a delicate lady.

“My goodness you have grown such graciously”

“I can say the same about you nonnino”

She started calling him grandpa at a very young age, she never met her grandpa from her dad’s side, so in her young mind she thought that he was it, she would see him only a few times and he would always bring sweets and gifts just like her other grandpa so he must be one as well.

“Oh say that to my squeaky back, come here”

He said as he hugged her tightly. (Y/n) hugged back with the same energy, she adored him a lot and seeing him after such a long time felt so comforting. Mario rubbed her back before he leaned a bit towards her ear.

“I’m really sorry gioia, I should have been here for the funeral”

“It’s okay, I understand”

She said before she pulled away. Her father passed away about 4 years ago, of course someone had hired a hitman to take him out. At first she didn’t think anything of it, he had been shot before she was almost certain that he was going to be fine. Unfortunately she was wrong.

“Come on, let’s go for a walk, it’s such a beautiful day today”

She told him as she lead the way, her heels clicking against the shiny white marble floor, her father had made sure their house had a big garden, her mother almost demanded it since she grew up on the countryside, in order to please his wife her father looked through so many houses before he bought this one.

“How’s business”

“Excellent I must say, we finally made a deal with the Serbians. You know how difficult it was due to the politics of our countries”

Mario nodded and they stayed silent for a few more moments before (y/n) stopped to lean on the balcony and face him.

“But I know you are not here to just see me and apologize”

“Massimo send me”

“I figured that much, why?”

“We figured that maybe it’s time-”

“For me to help him? He got attacked two times in one month”

She started to get defensive, word gets around in this type of business and Massimo now looked weak and vulnerable, she was expecting him to try and seek for help yet she did not think he would come to help.

“You know how much he respects you”

“Really? Then why isn’t he the one that’s here? Like a man”

She crossed her arms in front of her torso and looked straight into Marios eyes. Mario knew that this was a delicate subject so he had to dance around on thin ice with her, it wasn’t just business between her and Massimo, it never was.

“You know him (y/n), he was too ashamed to come here”

“But he wasn’t ashamed to send someone? Let’s forget this for a moment, what will I gain from helping you?”

“The torricelli family has been friends with your family before you were even born”

“Exactly, so imagine my shock after none of you showed up for my father’s funeral, Lorik is probably tossing and turning on his grave as we speak”

She stood up straight and uncrossed her arms in order to express more emotion with the motions of her hands.

Mario took in a breath before he smiled at her once more.

“He fucked up, you are hurt and you have every right to do so, trust me he didn’t get away so easily from skipping such an important thing. Do this for the sake of his father, for my sake”

“I’m sorry Mario, but I can’t keep running whenever Massimo needs it”

(Y/n) started to walk away from Mario as she was desperately trying to control her emotions with all her strength. The nerve of this man to come and ask her for help, after everything that happened.

“He might die (y/n), they won’t stop until he is out of the picture”

She stopped dead in her tracks, if it was humanly possible her heartbeat would be heard around the mansion, the thought of Massimo being six feet under crushed her and Mario knew it.

“That’s none of my concern anymore, for me he died 4 years ago along with my father”

Part two

Pairing: Massimo Torricelli x Reader

Warning(s): language, violence

Summary: Your entire world is shattered from the revelation and you wonder where it all went wrong. Massimo deals with his inner demons and Mario decides it’s time to have an overdue chat.

A/N: There is still quite a few more chapters I’d like to add before concluding this story so don’t you worry! Enjoy!

 PART ONEPART TWO PART THREE PART FIVE PART SIX PART SEVEN PART EIGHT PART NINE PART TEN EPILOGUE

Fifteen days. 365 hours. That was how long you laid in bed, having ran out of tears about a week ago. You hadn’t seen or spoken to Massimo since he had revealed the source of your family’s wealth. You shuddered, burying your face deeper into the cool material of the sheets as your bottom lip trembled. Human trafficking. Your father had profited off and made his wealth through exploiting young women and children. Initially you refused to believe Massimo, chalking it up to another scare tactic or lie of his. That all changed when he dragged you to his office, manila folders and envelopes scattered around a large desk. Missing persons signs, transcripts, court documents. Photos. You vaguely remember vomiting when you saw black and white photos of your father overseeing large vans. The children. Massimo had shoved them all toward you, his face hard and unforgiving. Like the sight of you disgusted him. As you began hyperventilating Mario had tried intervening only for Massimo to order him out of the office, snarling like a rabid wolf as he slammed the door in Mario’s face.

‘There’s just one more thing I wanted you to see,’ he had told you.

You shakily took the photograph from his hands, gasping as the air left your trembling form.

It was clearly a posed photo, your father grinning and his hand up as if he were waving to the camera. He looked like the Devil himself. On either side of him were bodyguards, one holding a gun to Domenico’s head a he kneeled to the ground, hands raised in surrender. Behind them, a car set on fire. If you chose to, you could make out two forms in the backseat. Proof. Proof of what they had done. The only reason they had let Domenico live was to deliver their message, to make Massimo suffer further.

That had been where you passed out, and it felt like you hadn’t woken up since then even though you spent every night screaming and wailing like a banshee. You’d scream until your throat was raw. You cried until you fell back asleep only to repeat the process when you woke up. You hadn’t felt the sun on your skin in over two weeks, although both Domenico and Mario among a few cleaning women gently encouraged you to get up. Massimo wasn’t keeping you locked away, this was your own self-inflicted punishment. Your own choice, at long last you finally made a choice for yourself. Each time you showered you would wait until the water was scalding hot and would scrub away at yourself until your skin was an angry pink color. You curled into yourself further, scoffing. As if that could change who your father was, as if that could change the fact that you had the blood of a murderer, a monster running in your veins.

‘What did you expect? Stupid girl,’ you mentally chastised yourself.

‘’I don’t know,’’ you weakly responded.

‘You fooled yourself into thinking you could be in the mob and still be a good person. That you could escape without blood coating your hands. It’s nothing more than a child’s prayer, a hopeless fantasy.’

‘’I was so blind,’’ you whimpered.

‘Where you? All those years of humanitarian work, all those hours volunteering, charities. Maybe you knew this whole time. Maybe you were trying to reach atonement,’ that voice sneered in your head.

‘’No,’’ your hands pressed against your eyes until you saw disoriented shapes and invisible colors.

‘You can try running. You can try washing yourself until your skin falls off. Until you reach the bones. Nothing can change what has been done. Of what your family has done.’

You shot up when the door opened, eyes puffy with unshed tears as Domenico hesitantly stepped into the room. He raised a hand in an awkward, hesitant wave before straightening up.

‘’It’s a beautiful day, why don’t we have breakfast outside?’’ he offered a small smile.

Although your body screamed to tell him no, how your body longed to stay in your makeshift cell and waste away, you felt compelled to say yes. It was the least you could do for him. You shivered as the photograph was still burned into your memory. You would never forget the look of sheer terror on Domenico’s face for as long as you lived.

He had been right, though. It was a beautiful day. The warmth of the sunshine wrapped around you like a blanket as if it was attempting to coax you out of your deep depression. A plethora of fruits and pastries littered the circular table as he helped you into your seat and then took his beside you.

‘’Please, y/n. Eat,’’ he offered you an apple. You slowly nodded, eating but not really processing. Your movements were mechanical. Domenico offered you an encouraging smile, like you were a stray dog who had been beaten and it was his job to nurse you back to health. He himself poured a cup of coffee and began to sip.

‘’You have been through a lot, in a relatively short amount of time,’’ he began, causing you to deeply exhale.

‘’I could say the same to you,’’ the monotone voice was barely recognizable as your own. Domenico just nodded, eyes falling onto the rose garden nearby.

‘’It had been the most terrifying moment of my life. But I lived and for that I am grateful for every day I still have air in these lungs,’’ he admitted, hands tightly grasping each other. You knew he was reliving that moment and you had to look away lest you burst into tears.

‘’I-I…I don’t even know what to say. I am so, so sorry. If I had k-known I-I would h-h-have-,’’ you dropped your head, covering your mouth with a hand as a new wave of tears cascaded down your cheeks. You flinched when you felt Domenico’s warm hand grasp the one clutching your napkin.

‘’I don’t blame you for what your father and his men did. Not at all.’’

‘’Maybe you should,’’ you sniffled.

‘’Massimo’s father, your mother, Laura, her friend that was with her that day. Those women and children. What your father did to them, it wasn’t your fault. You had no clue,’’ he continued, thumb stroking the back of your hand.

‘’I could’ve done s-something.’’

‘’No, y/n, you couldn’t have,’’ you cried into his shoulder as his arms encased you into a hug.

He was patient with you as you mourned the loss of the man you once called father, for he was dead to you. You could never go back to seeing your idyllic childhood as you once had. It was marred by the faces of victims. Your mother, the numerous women and children, Domenico, Laura and her unborn child. Laura.

Massimo watched as Domenico gently encouraged you to finish your breakfast, helping you up as you strolled around the garden, talking about your thoughts and feelings. Bonding over your shared trauma. The bitter taste of jealousy gathering on his tongue. He knew Domenico was just offering a friendship, but the green monster inside of him still whispered thoughts of mistrust into his ear. After you had fainted the night he showed you your father’s crimes he had the maids bring you back to your room. He had spent all night pacing back and forth in that office, screaming, and throwing the folders around and smashing anything in his reach.

When he had finally processed what he had done, and the magnitude he must’ve hurt you, it had already been a week since you two had last spoken. He didn’t mean for it to go so far, so nasty and cruel. But, as always, his temper knew no restraint. He pushed himself away from the balcony, shaking his head as Domenico just laughed at something you said and retreated into his study. There had been days he stood outside your door, struggling with what to say. He didn’t know where to even begin to make amends with you. Was he meant to say sorry for filming the two of you making love without your knowledge, sorry for crushing your childhood, or sorry for purposefully hurting you by saying you’d never measure up to Laura?

He sighed, collapsing in his lavish leather chair, pinching his eyebrows together in frustration. He heard the familiar sound of Mario entering the study, waving him in.

‘’Go ahead, tell me that I messed up,’’ Massimo huffed, leaning back into his chair.

Mario shook his head, hands in his pockets as he walked around the study. His lips drawn into a firm line. He stopped, looking down at a photo of Massimo with his father, Mario dutifully in the background and watching over the two. Massimo couldn’t have been older than fourteen, a toothy grin plastered on his face whereas his father was attempting to remain stoic for the picture, but the hint of a smile graced his lips.

‘’I don’t need to tell you what you already know,’’ Mario began, eyes slowly falling back onto the mafia boss sulking in his chair.

‘’She was going to find out eventually,’’ Massimo sighed.

‘’And you thought it to be your job to be the one to tell her? After she was nearly raped, after being kidnapped and betrayed?’’

‘’Watch your fucking mouth,’’ Massimo’s voice turned deadly as he met the elder’s disapproving gaze.

‘’You know damn well as I do that girl had no idea of the kind of monster she was born to. You were wrong to put her through that, put that kind of guilt on her shoulders! She is the future of the y/l/n family, she could’ve turned it all around! But no, you threw away the chance for justice because you are still blinded by her!’’ Mario spat, his usually calm demeanor thrown aside.

Massimo hastily stood, lunging across the desk with his finger pointed at his advisor.

‘’Don’t. Don’t bring her up, not Laura. YOU DIDN’T KNOW HER!’’ tears rolled down his tan skin at this point, memories of Laura on the beach flooding his brain.

‘’NO, YOU DIDN’T KNOW HER!’’ Mario snarled back.

Massimo had never once raised his hand to Mario. He had been a surrogate father to him. He admired the elder man. He was family. But in that one instant, impulse outweighed familial relations as he decked him. Mario slugged back, holding his jaw as he stared at complete shock at his boss and surrogate son. He checked his fingertips for blood as he composed himself.

‘’You’ve lost your way, Massimo,’’ he sighed, turning on his heels and walked out the door.

Massimo sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He had never felt so lost, Mario was certainly right about that. The sound that escaped Massimo’s mouth was so melancholy, it was the sound of a wounded animal. He collapsed back into his chair, cradling his head in his hands and cried. The sobs that racked through his body were violent, similar to being stuck in a powerful riptide. He had searched for Laura for five years, truly believing she was heaven-sent. Five long years and he had finally found her. Nearly a year for them to fall in love. And it only took a day for that dream to be ripped out from under him. She’d never be properly buried. She’d never walk down the aisle, laughing as Massimo teared up. They’d never hold their child, cooing down at their sleeping form. They would never get their happily ever after together, and that was what Massimo mourned more than anything else.

After spending the day with Domenico, your spirits were lifted some. He comforted you, offering his friendship and advice on Massimo, on everything. ‘Just give it time, you don’t need to forgive right away. Nobody can make you do that,’ he had told you. The ghost of a smile graced your lips. It had been a good day. The ache in your heart would never fully heal, the wound of human nature would always be there. But perhaps, with time, it would only be a scar. A battle wound.

You sighed, sitting at the foot of your bed, hair wet from the shower you had just taken. The ivory Egyptian towel tucked around your body as you processed everything for what felt like the thousandth time. Your father had always told you that your mother’s death arose out of mob violence. You shook your head, rubbing your forehead at the realization that he hadn’t completely lied. You hated the mafia, more than ever. You hated your father, what he had done. You hated your last name. You hated Massimo.

‘No, you don’t,’ that same voice hushed in your ear.

You knew you didn’t hate him, at least not in the same way you hated your father and the mafia. You knew you didn’t love him either. You felt like you were trapped in limbo, a state of in-between as you struggled figuring out these complex feelings. Was it lust? You were undeniably attracted to the Torricelli leader, but it went further than that. Love, then? No. You couldn’t love someone you didn’t trust, and you most definitely could not trust Massimo after what he had done. The ache in your chest worsened as you thought back to his cruel words. ‘You could never be her,’ he had snarled in your face. Did you even want to be?

A knocking at your door made you jump. You sighed, throwing on a robe as you went to answer the door.

‘’Domenico, I told you I’m fin-‘’

‘’Hi,’’ Massimo’s voice almost sounded foreign to you.

His eyes were red and puffy, he had been crying. His hair was slightly disheveled as well as his shirt, the buttons left open to the point you could see the hair on his muscular chest.

‘’Hi,’’ you whispered, stunned. You didn’t know how to feel, torn between wanting to slap him and wanting to burst out into tears once more.

‘’I’m sorry to bother you,’’ he began. He was torn too, you could see it in his eyes. He was nervous.

‘’It’s your house,’’ you shrugged, looking at the floor. You could see him nod out of the corner of your eye.

‘’I w-wanted to know if you wanted to have dinner? With me? Tonight,’’ he awkwardly shifted his weight to the other foot. If it had been any other situation, you would’ve laughed at the powerful Massimo Torricelli being nervous in front of a girl. But this situation was unique, and you were no ordinary girl.

You sat at the long table decorated with elegant candles and a variety of fruits. You smiled slightly, it reminded you of the dinners you’d have back home. When you were kept in the dark of the atrocities occurring under the surface. The smile quickly vanished as you tensed up. Massimo looked dashing, as always. His black button up was crisp and you could smell his cologne each time the breeze hit just the right way. You looked radiant, despite feeling like you had been through a war.

‘’Y/n,’’ his voice brought you out of your dark thoughts.

He sighed, licking his lips as he struggled to get the words right.

‘’I am so sorry,’’ he whispered. That took you back. Massimo didn’t seem like the kind of guy to ever apologize. He was arrogant and brash. He acted before using logic and that clearly landed him into trouble more often than not.

‘’For telling me the truth?’’ you asked, sipping on the wine that was right in front of you.

‘’For everything,’’ you stopped, looking into his soft gaze. He was like a frightened little boy, behind the Broadway show he put on.

‘’You were wrong in how you went about telling me, about my father…but I wanted to thank you,’’ you said after a minute of silence, gathering your thoughts and the strength to speak them into existence. Not it was Massimo who was taken back.

‘’You are the only one who has been honest with me. Aside from the tape…honesty is a trait I admire immensely. So, thank you for telling me what I had been kept in the dark about for my entire life.’’

His eyes stared deeply into yours, you gulped under the weight of his gaze.

‘’I never meant to hurt you,’’ he spoke without blinking. He was telling the truth.

You nodded. ‘’People usually don’t,’’ your sad smile spoke volumes. You tinkered with the designer bracelet that adorned your wrist.

‘’When I said you could never be her-‘’ you held your hand up, cutting him off before you grew too emotional.

‘’Please. I don’t want to talk about that right now,’’ you said quickly, Massimo nodding in understanding.

‘’We can talk about anything you’d like, principessa,’’ he offered a small smile. You smiled back, slowly beginning to relax.

‘’Tell me about her.’’

Massimo’s eyes widened only slightly before he regained his composure. You saw his Adam’s apple bob as he struggled to reign in his own emotions.

‘’She was wonderful,’’ he began, a soft smile on those perfect lips of his.

‘’She was intelligent, like you. Stubborn, difficult at times. Impulsive like myself,’’ he chuckled, causing you to smile a bit as you listened to every word he spoke. He went on and on about her and you realized he needed this; he needed an outlet. As time passed you both laughed, loosening up as he reminisced. Occasionally it would send a dagger to your heart as he shared his memories of Laura. You felt some shame as you would become jealous at certain parts.

‘’She would’ve made a great mother,’’ he sighed, a sad smile on his face as he stared down into nothing.

You nodded, the photograph still haunting you and sending chills down your spine. You liked to believe it was a quick death, you refused to think too long on what went through her mind. You couldn’t afford to think too long or too hard on what she went through, it literally made you sick.

‘’I loved her. But…I didn’t truly know her.’’

Your eyes widened at his confession. He nodded, accepting the bitter truth. ‘’I didn’t. I thought I did, after all those years of chasing and searching for her, I believed I knew her. And I know it sounds silly, but I still loved her. It’s confusing and silly, loving someone you didn’t really know. Mourning them.’’

‘’It’s not silly at all,’’ you spoke up, voice soft but strong all at once. Massimo raised an eyebrow in question, silently asking you to go on.

‘’I didn’t know my mother very much either. But I loved her more than anything and not a day goes by that I don’t miss her terribly. She was my everything, and that was taken from me too,’’ you explained, smiling despite the lone tear that escaped your eye. Massimo smiled at you, nodding his head as the flames of the candles flickered, exposing his own tears.

‘’Tell me about her.’’

And so, you did. All through the night, Massimo and you managed to unfold years of grief and trauma. Between laughs and tears, you both slowly began healing each other’s wounds. Healing the wounds of human nature.

Tag list: @yolobloggers​​@mysticallandmaker​​@alicedopey​​@it-was-all-a-beautiful-dream​@anushkagoswami2692​@autumnsoidier​​@calirindo​​@allhalemccallthings​​@truly-insatiable​@tinystudentfirepurse​​@allaboardthekahnetrain​​@romewritingshop​​@buckyownsmylife​​ @lilmissemmaa @loula-coola​​@severewobblerlightdragon@smyfmj​ @tumble4u @hxjabae​@tantalizingcara​@lynne1993​ @irinabatsy @madilopez19 @waitingtobeimpressed​@justabeautiful-letdown​

Pairing: Massimo Torricelli x Reader

Warning(s): kidnapping, language, man-handling, violence, attempted assault, potentially triggering themes. Do not read if easily triggered.

Summary: You flee your kidnapper, but how far down the rabbit hole will you wander? Along the way, you uncover a dark family secret that changes everything.

 PART ONEPART TWO PART FOUR PART FIVE PART SIX PART SEVEN PART EIGHT PART NINE PART TEN EPILOGUE

Little bit of poison in me
I can taste your skin in my teeth
“I love it when I hear you breathing
I hope to god you’re never leaving”

You didn’t know how long you had been running, but it had been long enough to the point every time you inhaled your lungs felt as though they had glass shards embedded in them. Your body was coated in a thin veil of sweat and your body felt like it was on fire. Why, then, did you feel so cold? You managed to slip on a silk night gown that had been strewn across the room, the only thing that had been protecting your feet were thin slippers that you had abandoned long ago out of fear that they had been slowing you down. You were sure you looked completely insane, hair ruffled, feet dirtied by the ground and most likely cut up by uneven concrete streets and the occasional rock. You didn’t care, you wouldn’t stop until you were free. A distant hiss from a stray alley cat nearly led you to jump out of your skin, a hand on your racing heart. You leaned against a building, having ran god-knows-how-many miles from where you were imprisoned. You had no clue what town you were in, but it looked somewhat rural based off the architecture and distant pastures.

You laughed between your panting, wanting to scream out in both joy and utter disbelief. You had escaped, you had managed to escape Massimo Torricelli. The idea of him being pissed off and cuffed to his own bed, naked, made you want to giggle like a school-girl. The sound of a bottle breaking and perhaps the same alley cat from earlier hissing out filled you with a renewed sense of dread, however. You were currently safe from Massimo, but for how long? And what other dangers awaited you? You deflated at the realization. You weren’t out of the woods yet, if by chance you managed to evade Massimo, it did not guarantee that another family rival or random menace wasn’t lurking in the shadows.

‘’Dammit, dammit all,’’ you whimpered, crossing your arms and hugging yourself. The Sicilian night air suddenly nipped at your exposed skin. Still, you wandered further into this unknown town, praying to whatever divine figure that was listening that you would be safe.

You wandered down the empty streets, staying as close to the streetlights as you possibly could. You had decided that as long as you remained covered by light, you would be safe. If you closed your eyes, you were back home, listening to the waves crash into the shore as the sea breeze kissed your eyelashes. Papa would be downstairs right now, listening to some old records while sipping Campari or in the library reading Nietzsche. But you were not home, you were nowhere.

A sudden door opening drew you out of your longing, the figure of a young man, probably no older than fifteen was taking out some trash.

‘’Excuse me, sir please! Help me,’’ you cried out, startling the young boy who dropped the bag of garbage onto the curb.

‘’No please, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m hurt, I was kidnapped, I just need to call my family, please,’’ you pleaded, praying that this young boy wouldn’t think you were some crazy drunk or an escapee from an institution. The boy visibly calmed down, still on edge, but his brown eyes appearing more trusting.

‘’I-I have to sneak you through the back. Mi fratello, my brother, he’s not a good guy,’’ the young man nervously explained. Alarm bells were going off in your head, and you made a note to mention to your father that this young boy saved your life, hoping you could repay him back or at the very least make his home life easier. You nodded.

‘’Thank you, thank you so much,’’ you sighed shakily, wanting to hug this young man, your savior.

As the boy led you into his home, through the back entrance from an alleyway, you tried your best not to make a sound. You could hear what you assumed was his brother along with a few other males laughing and guffawing from another room as your savior led you to what you assumed was the kitchen, opposite side of the house from where the excitement was taking place.

‘’Wait here, I’ll bring you a cell phone you can use, lady,’’ the boy offered a small smile and turned to hurry out the kitchen door.

‘’Wait, what is your name?’’ you gently stopped him.

‘’E-Emilio, miss,’’ he blushed, but his smile didn’t falter. You offered a kind smile, nodding.

‘’I’m Y/n, thank you, Emilio.’’

As Emilio left you to your thoughts you stared at the wooden clock hanging above the doorway you had entered. It was nearly four o’clock in the morning and the weight of your ordeal suddenly felt suffocating. You sighed, sniffing as you leaned against the kitchen counter. The smell of alcohol and some other foreign drug invaded your nostrils and you frowned at the bitter stench. When Emilio had arrived back, your heart was pounding in your chest. It seemed too good to be true, you’d be reunited with your father. He would deal with Massimo, you could still have the life you always imagined you’d have. No further interruptions from mafia rivals or Massimo Torricelli.

Your delicate fingers rapidly hit the numbers on the screen, almost afraid that you had forgotten your father’s private number.

‘’H-Hello? Who is this?’’ your father’s tired voice made your heart clench in your chest.

‘’P-Papa? It’s me,’’ you whimpered, trying not to breakdown in tears.

‘’Y/n? Honey! Where are you? Are you hurt? Where is he?’’ your father’s voice drifted from shock to joy to concern to anger. You shakily inhaled as tears rolled down your cheeks. It had felt like an eternity since you heard his deep, comforting voice. You weren’t sure you’d ever get to hear it again.

‘’Papa, I’m ok. I don’t know where exactly I’m at, I’m in some town. Please, Papa I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I just want to come home,’’ you leaned against the counter, clutching at it as your knees buckled from underneath you. Home. How you longed to be back home.

‘’Honey it’s alright, it’s alright, principessa,’’ you winced at the nickname, thoughts immediately fleeing back to Massimo. You could almost feel his breath on your neck and his calloused hands on your hips. You were horrified that a part of you longed to hear his voice call you that one last time.

‘’Papa,’’ you exhaled, utterly exhausted. The weight becoming unbearable.

‘’Just stay on the line, bella. I’m having one of the boys trace the call right now. You’re doing great,’’ you could hear the ruffling and rummaging on the other line. A sudden thought crossed your mind, your knuckles white from gripping the kitchen counter.

‘’Papa…did you do it?’’

‘’What, honey?’’ you could practically see your father’s thick eyebrows furrowed in confusion, hands toying with the ruby family ring on his finger.

‘’Did you kill her? Did you kill Laura?’’

‘’Y/n…,’’ now it was your father who sounded exhausted. Dread filled your insides, heart dropping down to the bottom of your ribcage.

You opened your mouth to ask again, only for the phone to be wrestled out of your grip, a hand slapping against your mouth and pulling you into a firm chest. You screamed, struggling against the stranger’s hold as you watched your only chance of freedom flee as the phone call was abruptly ended and the phone itself smashed under the boot of a man you had never met before. Your eyes quickly surveyed the scene. Five men, ranging from thirty to pushing their early forties in age surrounded you.

‘’Emilio I owe you an apology, I didn’t know you were pulling tail as fine as this,’’ the man holding you, who you guessed was Emilio’s brother leered, hand gripping your jaw in an iron grip.

‘’P-Please fratello, stop,’’ Emilio whispered, attempting to intervene, but was easily smacked down by one of the other men. You were shoved forward, various hands pawing at you, groping you as they laughed at your frightened form. Emilio’s brother gripped your face in a bruising hold.

‘’Look at these lips, I bet they would look so good around my co-,’’ your teeth sunk into the man’s index finger, the sickening crunch and metallic taste of blood nauseated you but you didn’t let up. You bit down harder, refusing to let go even as he smacked your face. It wasn’t until one of his friends yanked you away that you had to let go, spitting out his blood and staining the wooden floor of the kitchen. You gathered all your strength, forcing a foot down onto the friend’s toe, enough to get him to yell and release you as you fled the home.

‘’Fucking bitch! Get her!’’ the brother screamed as you met the unforgiving crisp air, running as fast as your legs could carry you. You didn’t even notice you were crying until the salty tears stung the cut on your bottom lip from where he had struck you. You didn’t care, you just kept running. You hid behind a dumpster in an alley way a good couple of blocks from the home, shivering like a lone leaf on a decaying tree. You pressed your forehead against the grimy dumpster, trying to even your breathing and remain silent. You strained your ears to listen for any sign of your assailants. Suddenly, you wish you had stayed in Massimo’s arms. He, at the very least, never struck you like that. And any sex with him had been done with your consent. You let out a barely audible sigh, closing your eyes. All you could see was him. His warm eyes above you. The weight of him on top of you as you were intimate. It frustrated you to no end. You hated him for what he had done, but it wasn’t your father you immediately thought about as you were desperate for help. Even now as you huddled amongst the rubbish, you didn’t think of your father. You didn’t think about riding horses through the apple orchard, or even the smell of the sea breeze kissing you goodnight. It wasn’t home you found plaguing your mind; it was Massimo.

‘’Found you, bitch,’’ a dreadful voice made you cry out, screaming as you were dragged away from behind the dumpster and shoved against a concrete wall. The night gown you were wearing was torn, nearly exposing one of your breasts.

‘’Hold her down, I want her to remember this,’’ you kicked out your legs, clawing and attempting to bite at any flesh you could reach. Your exposed back was scratched by the rough concrete, your entire body fighting and refusing to submit.

‘’No, the other way. I’m an ass man,’’ the guy snickered, his goons laughing like the mindless baboons they were as they forcibly turned you over. You felt sick, the bile gathering in your throat, rough hands pawing at your night gown. You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to block out the feeling of your gown being lifted up.

‘’Mama,’’ you cried out, sobbing against the wall.

The firing of the bullets left you numb, your body shaking and broken out into a cold sweat as you crumpled to the floor. For a second, you wondered if your attackers had shot you before assaulting you. But it wasn’t your flood that splattered the concrete walls you were just pinned against. The men around you laid dead, the pools of blood quickly straining the asphalt beneath them. Some of them still twitching. You shakily pressed a hand over your mouth, too shocked to scream or cry this time. Domenico and Massimo stood a few yards away, smoke still visible from the barrel of their guns. You just sat there, not sure of what to do. Traumatized. Broken.

‘’Miss y/l/n,’’ the man you remembered as Mario hesitantly approached you. He was older, around the same age as your father if not a year or two younger. You let him help you up, him assessing you for any physical damage.

‘’She’s not hurt,’’ Mario called out as you crumpled into his chest, sobbing. He hesitantly embraced you, gently rocking you and letting you cry it out. He smelt of cigars and honey.

‘’Put her in the car,’’ Massimo’s thundering voice hissed out.

You had messed up.

The drive back to Massimo’s was draining, Mario had been kind enough to cover you with his suit jacket, allowing you to cover your nearly exposed form. Domenico’s eyes constantly flickered to your trembling form as he drove you all back to the mansion. Massimo sat diagonally from you, eyes set in a fierce glare. Like he hated you. You didn’t even pay any mind to the environment passing by the limo, whereas you would have mentally noted any familiar landmarks or streets to aide in your escape, you were exhausted in every sense of the word. You didn’t want to run anymore, running away was the furthest thing from your mind at the moment. You just wanted to lay down and sleep and forget the world. The cruel, despicable, unforgiving world.

The sun was barely rising over the hills, but you paid no mind. It meant nothing, just another day captured. But at least you knew Massimo well enough to know he would never rape you or beat you into submission. ‘Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t,’ you mentally scoffed.

You didn’t even notice the car pull back up into the entrance of Massimo’s grand mansion. Mario helped you up and out of the limo, your legs weak from your night of running. Your feet were most definitely cut up and at the very least sore. Your entire being was just tired, and you felt broken. You gasped when Massimo’s firm grip encircled your upper arm, hurrying you up the large stairwell despite Mario’s protests and shouts of disapproval. Massimo’s expression was dark, his eyes were unforgiving and he bit down on his bottom lip the same way he always did when he was furious.

‘’Massimo,’’ you weakly tried, only for him to clench his grip on your arm as he maneuvered down a hallway. You quickly realized that he was not leading you back to your room, and you became more and more frightened with each passing step. You halfheartedly struggled against his hold.

‘’Stop.’’

The way he spit out the word was like a dagger to your heart. He had never sounded more ruthless than he did right then. You froze and he took that opportunity to drag you to an unknown door. He shoved the two of you in and you expected your eyes to fall onto a dungeon of some sorts. A torture chamber, even. But nothing could have prepared you for what you saw.

Your eyes locked onto the warm brown eyes of Laura. Her smile knocking the air out of your body as your eyes fell on her perfect petal-pink lips. The painting was enormous, and there were dozens of others in similar fashions surrounding the room. It was Massimo’s own personal shrine to her. This was where he had hid away all memories of her.

She was beautiful, breathtakingly so. You didn’t know why that realization caused your heart to sink into your chest, but it did. It was easy to see now why Massimo had fallen so deeply and passionately for her. You carefully took one step toward the paintings, her long brown hair fluttering in the wind of one portrait. In another, her hair was chopped to a few inches above her shoulders and bleached blonde. No matter what color or length her hair was, she was gorgeous.

‘’Why are you showing me this?’’ you whispered, tears blurring your vision.

Massimo stalked behind you, the same way he did in the dress shop where you two had first met. Only this time, you felt your heart breaking for some reason.

‘’I wanted you to see one of the many lives your father has taken,’’ Massimo bit out.

You shook your head, eyes never leaving Laura’s. Your lip trembled as your hands clenched and unclenched.

‘’What my father did…was wrong. But you killed a handful of men tonight-,’’

‘’BECAUSE OF YOU!’’ Massimo snarled, shoving you around to face him and causing you to flinch.

‘’If you had never left they would all still be alive, their blood is on your hands just as much as mine,’’ he spat, eyes burning with complete anger.

‘’If you hadn’t kidnapped me then none of this would have happened,’’ you growled back, finding your voice as you pointed your index finger at his chest violently.

‘’No, if your father hadn’t killed Laura, none of this would have happened,’’ Massimo hissed lowly. You clenched your jaw, swatting tears away.

‘’I thought for a minute, we were getting somewhere. That this could actually be the start of something, that we could have been capable of caring for one another. I thought I knew you, knew your kind heart. But now I see you as you really are. I now see you could never be like her, and I don’t want you to even try to be. You truly are your father’s daughter,’’ Massimo sneered in your face.

That had done it. That was what had broken you.

‘’You preach about morals. About my father killing her, but you’re no better. You’ve killed men, Massimo! You kidnap women and you murder. You are no better! And I have no desire to be like Laura. I have no desire to pretend any of this is ok, that you are innocent. There is no desire to play pretend and live out a happily ever after charade. I don’t want to marry my kidnapper, I want no part of this, of you! I may have shared your bed, but I will NEVER share your family name!’’ you screeched. The look of hurt flashed across that beautiful face, but it quickly gave way to absolute anger and hatred.

Massimo laughed, but it was cruel laugh that filled you with apprehension. You took a step away from him, fearful of what he would do. Had he finally snapped?

‘’You’re right. I kidnapped you, I kidnapped Laura. I’ve killed men, but only those who deserved it. Child molesters, pimps, rapists. Just look at the upstanding citizens you ran into tonight. You think they were going to ask you out on a date and play Jenga? They would’ve ran a train on you, raped you until they had their fill, and left you in a pool of your own blood or sold you into human trafficking. I never killed innocents, no, only monsters like your father.’’

Your face paled at his harsh words, shaking. ‘’M-my father-,’’ you meekly began, only to be shut down by Massimo.

‘’Your father is the worst I have ever seen. My father saw him for who he was and that’s why your father had him killed. You don’t even know, do you? You have no idea what your father has built his empire on,’’ Massimo stood, eyes widened slightly in realization.

‘’W-what are you talking about?’’ you whispered.

‘’Your father is the head of one of the world’s most notorious human trafficking rings. He’s a murderer, a vile bastard who profits off vulnerable women and children stolen from their homes and sold to other sick fucks, and he is the one who had both my father and your mother killed because they saw him for the monster he is. She died by his hand. You think you got into a prestigious university on your own? Daddy made it happen through veiled threats and paying off some very powerful people who he has a lot of dirt on. Your father is a monster and everything you ever thought of him is a lie.’’

Grabbed my hand, pushed me down
Took the words right out my mouth
Tag, you’re it, tag, tag, you’re it

Tag list: @yolobloggers​@mysticallandmaker​@alicedopey​@it-was-all-a-beautiful-dream​ @anushkagoswami2692 @autumnsoidier​@calirindo​@allhalemccallthings​@truly-insatiable​@tinystudentfirepurse​@allaboardthekahnetrain​@romewritingshop​@buckyownsmylife​ @lilmissemmaa @loula-coola​@severewobblerlightdragon​

Pairing: Massimo Torricelli x Reader

 Warning(s): language, angst, violence, major character death.

 Summary: Like fire, tensions come to a head and the world around you is engulfed in its’ flames. Who will become the phoenix and who will be buried in the ashes?

 A/N: There will be one or two more chapters before this story concludes! Thank you! Also if you messaged me about being added to the Taglist, please send me another message because Tumblr deleted any messages I had saved!

 PART ONEPART TWOPART THREEPART FOURPART FIVEPART SIXPART SEVENPART EIGHT PART TEN EPILOGUE

He was absolutely unhinged, pacing back and forth as his words jumbled together. He was in a manic state as he snarled and cursed and spat. Like a rabid dog, spittle and animalistic grunts erupted from his throat. The gun would shift from being aimed at your stomach and then carelessly being waved around in the air. He alternated from discussing Massimo, your mother, your birth parents, and the child you were carrying.

‘’You’re a filthy fucking whore. Just like the worthless bitches I deal with every day. Just like your whore of a mother and the woman I took you from,’’ he spat, eyes flickering around madly.

You remained silent, for as long as he was livid and had the gun in his possession, it would be pushing the envelope too far if you provoked him.

‘’She left me. Can you believe that? SHE left ME! The moment she found out where I found you, she tried running. So I had to…I-I had to,’’ his fuming tone subsided as his thoughts trailed off. He paused, eyes searching the floors for an invisible variable.

‘’She tried taking you, tried running. Had she not been so weak she may have…faster…the bullet is always faster,’’ he chuckled, the hairs on your arms and the back of your neck stood stiff as he began laughing to himself as if a third party had made a joke. But that was the most harrowing fact of the matter. It was just you and him as he laughed over the details of how he murdered his wife for attempting to do what was right. For attempting to secure your freedom and hers’ before the mafia life had corrupted you the way it had her husband.

‘’And that other whore…Massimo’s first whore,’’ he panted between giggles. His hand that wasn’t holding the gun stretched out as if to mirror an explosion in the palm of his hand.

‘’She had no chance the moment Domenico told me their coordinates. She begged and screamed, not even for her life. F or her child’s. Just like my wife, just like the woman who birthed you. I thought for a moment about selling her off to a particularly violent ring in Serbia. But I don’t know what came over me, one minute I was standing there as this bitch wailed, the next I’m watching her burst into flames. It’s interesting, isn’t it? What lengths a mother would go to for her child?’’ his attention turned back to you, eyeing the nearly invisible bump of your lower abdomen.

You were shaking. Whether in fear or in disgust; you couldn’t even distinguish the two at this point. All you thought about was how much you hated this man. How you wanted to watch him suffer and watch the light leave his eyes. You wanted him eradicated from the face of the Earth for you, for your unborn child, for all of the women whose lives he ruined, and for your father. The glass that previously contained your orange juice flew from your hands like a meteor hurtling towards an unsuspecting planet. The way the man you once called ‘’father’’ screeched as the glass broke out into hundreds of shards when coming into contact with his face was chilling, absolutely chilling. Your body quickly fell to the floor as his finger instinctively began firing out shots in a blind fit of rage. You gasped when one bullet ricocheted off your vanity mirror and bounced to the floor, right beside your right shoulder.

When you glanced up you tensed. You would be lying if you had said the scene before you didn’t strike fear into your heart. Blood coated his face, dripping down onto his chest and forever staining that white suit of his. One of his eyes was shut tight as blood, tears, and another fluid which you could only guess to be vitreous gel seeped from the wound. Blinded. He aimed once more, only for his stomach to fall when the distinctive ‘’click’’ of an empty chamber echoed amongst the walls. From the distance you could hear the guards racing up the eastern staircase to see what the commotion was about.

Without hesitating you charged at him, landing a powerful kick to his left knee and didn’t even cringe when the sickening crunch shortly followed as he collapsed to the floor in agony. You panted, quickly grabbing the steel poker from the fireplace as well as a mop the maids had left as a makeshift barrier to temporarily keep the guards out.

Your father, through his screams and gasps of excruciating pain, thrashed on the floor like a fish clinging onto life. Through your own labored breathing, you kept your attention on him as you knelt to the ground beside him.

‘’You fucking cunt. You won’t make it out of here alive. You and that fucking bastard in your belly will burn,’’ he spat, blood and saliva falling to your cheek. He broke out into maniacal laughter, looking like the devil himself.

You brought one shaky hand to your face, wiping off his blood and spittle before reaching into his pant pocket before acquiring what you were looking for. His laughter stopped when his one good eye recognized what you were holding.

‘’No, you will. Your legacy will burn along with you. This estate, your men. It all ends with you,’’ you coldly responded before you began pouring the concoction of cleaning materials over his body, nearly waterboarding him in the process. The odor of the bleach quickly enveloped the room. The voices of his guards steadily grew louder as their footsteps drew nearer.

You rose from the floor, ensuring every bottle of bleach, spray, and scented oils was dumped onto him before clutching his lighter. You could vaguely hear him cursing you, cursing your child, cursing Massimo and everything under the sun as he desperately moved around the floor like some sort of slug.

‘’I’ll see you in Hell!’’ he roared, the flame easily taking hold of one of his drenched arms and rapidly growing thereafter. The entire room illuminated into a burnt orange glow as smoke quickly began flooding it.

‘’You will, but you be sure to tell them who put you there,’’ you responded, eyes reflecting the haze as you watched him burn. You didn’t even blink as the smell of charred flesh filled your nostrils. And as he burned, you prayed with all your might that he thought of the pregnant woman he burned in the backseat of a limo two years ago.

The sound of the door banging broke your trance as you grabbed the steel poker from the door, readying yourself as the fire quickly became fiercer. You turned on the gas for the fireplace, mentally prepping yourself for what was to come. The flames lapped at your curtains and you knew it would only be seconds before the room would explode into a wildfire.

Domenico nervously bounced his leg, repeatedly calling the y/l/n estate to no avail. In the background, Massimo gathered with his men as well as his cousins and their men, locating the weak spots of your family’s estate. Taking out the guards would be an easy enough feat, but securing your safety and drawing you away from your father while dodging snipers and bodyguards was another matter. Massimo ran a hand down his jaw as his closest cousin, Luca, set a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

‘’It’s going to work, primo. We’re going to get her back.’’

Domenico clenched his jaw, cursing your father as his private line went directly to voicemail. He had to think fast, he had to play his cards right if he had any hopes of getting out of this alive.

‘’Domenico.’’

He jumped, turning to meet Massimo’s confused gaze.

‘’Sorry, personal issues,’’ Domenico smiled anxiously, quickly shoving his phone back into his pant pocket. Massimo’s deep eyes felt like they were seeing right through Domenico. As if he could see right into his soul and uncover every lie and betrayal with one glance.

‘’I’ll ride with you,’’ Massimo muttered, tightening his bullet proof vest and ensuring he had a full chamber.

‘’Great.’’

The two exited the mansion, hurrying alongside a dozen of the most ruthless and well-known assassins within the Torricelli family. Domenico suppressed a gulp when he caught Luca loading a Beretta with such ease. With shaky hands, not unseen by Massimo, he opened the car door for his lifelong friend and boss and promptly took the driver’s seat. Domenico felt Massimo’s gaze in the rearview mirror as he started the car, eyes moving around wildly while attempting to give the impression that all was well.

‘’You seem tense, Domenico,’’ Massimo noted. His voice was unnervingly calm.

‘’What makes you say that?’’ Domenico laughed it off, foot still on the break and hand still on the stick.

Massimo shrugged, looking out the window onto the pastures.

‘’Did she say anything when you took her back?’’ he continued with his jaw clenched. Domenico tapped at the stick, wracking his brain around for any possible options.

‘’Did she? Did her father? Did your banksmen gasp when they saw the two million wired to your account the day she left?’’

Domenico’s eyes widened in sheer terror, finally meeting Massimo through the mirror. His mouth opened and closed but the only sound that could come out were tiny, high-pitched gasps.

‘’Why did you do it?’’ Massimo sighed, tired and the hurt clearly evident on his chiseled face. With a gulp, Domenico felt his entire body shake.

‘’Mas…it was…it was just business.’’

Massimo nodded, sniffing the air as he bit his bottom lip in an almost nonchalant manner. ‘’Not to me.’’

Massimo lunged forward, the wire wrapped tightly around Domenico’s throat as he thrashed around, kicking at the windshield, the steering wheel, anything he could. He gagged and gasped, trying to claw at Massimo’s face. Massimo didn’t let up, using all of his might to pull tighter while dodging Domenico’s flailing fists.

‘’It was never business! Not when they burned Laura alive! Not when they caved Mario’s face in!” Massimo roared to the point the windows of the car shook and vibrated. All the while Domenico squealed and huffed as his lungs felt as though they were burning to a crisp. His usual olive skin rapidly turned a bright purple as he shook violently against the driver’s seat. ‘’Mario began the investigation the day Laura died, I didn’t want to believe him,’’ Massimo growled, fresh tears blurring his vision. ‘’But he was always right.’’

‘’It wasn’t business when you involved Y/n,’’ he hissed lowly in the same manner a cobra would before going in for the kill. Massimo kept grunting, pulling and yanking until finally the thrashing and gasping stopped. Domenico laid rigid against the leather seats, limbs and face contorted in a gruesome manner as Luca then opened the driver’s door and tossed the body onto the graveled driveway. He took the previously occupied seat and began driving away. Massimo sighed, fixing his hair and undoing the safety of his gun. He inhaled, exhaled, and repeated the action to recollect his thoughts. He prayed you were unharmed, that you wouldn’t meet the same fate as so many before you. He was well-accustomed to loss at this point, but he knew he could not go on without you. Because if any harm had come to you, he’d set the whole world on fire and bury himself beneath the ashes.

Taking out the two guards had not been an easy task, the wound on your shoulder where the bullet had nearly gone straight through had been proof of that. But you had done it, you were covered in their blood from when you had shot one and bludgeoned the other with the fireplace poker, but you were alive. The blood soaked through your once ivory nightgown and matted your hair. ‘’Please just hold on a bit longer,’’ you prayed, hand over your stomach as you crept through the halls, clutching the rifle that had only moments prior belonged to an ill-fated guard. You could hear men frantically yelling throughout the halls as you hid among the shadows. The flames had quickly spread from your room throughout numerous others and a veil of black and gray smoke began wafting through the mansion. One of the cooks from below had been so startled by all of the commotion that he had fled, the wine used to sauté the chicken meant to be tonight’s dinner had been forgotten and led to a second fire burning downstairs. Thus, your childhood home had steadily, yet increasingly became eaten away by the parasitic flames.

‘’Sir we have numerous cars approaching the estate.’’

‘’I have eyes on the tar-‘’

Silence. The walkie talkie on the security detail went dead silent. Then a familiar sound of bullets raining down outside. You didn’t even care as random staff ran frantically up and down the halls, too terrified to approach the blood-soaked woman who eerily walked through the orange glow of the burning mansion among the blackened air with a hauntingly calm aura. You recall forgetting to breathe every now and then in a subconscious effort to keep as much ash and smoke out of your lungs. You briefly remember a guard staring at you in shock and perhaps even rage before you shot him dead, the bullet piercing his left cheek. You didn’t even pay attention to the barrage of bullets and yelling outside, the crackle and hissing of the flames quickly becoming louder by the second.

Whatever was happening outside, bullets managed to pierce through some of the windows of the mansion, the flames quickly growing in size and in fury. You knew you had to get out, and you had to get out this instant unless you would be swallowed alive by the fire. You you found yourself slowly coming out of your daze, out of the traumatic events unfolding and revealed before you. You took a sharp right, maneuvering amongst the broken glass, ashes, and bullets that littered the steps. Your fists clenched, jaw tight as the hairs on your arms and neck stood up as you felt eyes on you. Raising the rifle promptly, shocked at how easily you were prepared to take another life, you let out a gasp as you met deep brown eyes.  

Massimo could’ve sworn he was dreaming, or that he died and woke up in hell. He remembered the assault on your father’s estate, his cousins and loyal men effectively taking out the security one by one. When he caught whiff of the smoke and the sight of the angry red and orange flames, he threw caution to the wind and barged into the kitchen door that had been tucked away on the side of the house. He hissed when the influx of air had breathed life into the flames’ chest, running out of the inferno that had been formally the kitchen and great dining hall.

‘’Y/N!’’ he screamed, eyes squinted due to the smoke that clouded his vision.

His nostrils and lungs stung from the unbearable smell. He stalked the burning building, ignoring the maids and cooks who were in hysterics and searching for a way out. He didn’t care, only firing once at a guard who stepped into his line of vision.

He found himself by the front entrance of the estate, not yet charred by the approaching flames, but certainly torn apart by the attack and the ashes that circulated in the air. A body or two littered the background. He allowed the thick air to fill his lungs, only for it to leave when he looked up the grand staircase.

‘’Massimo…’’

You looked like some sort of war goddess. A Valkyrie sent to deliver him home. A siren calling out his name. Amongst the rubble and bloodshed, among the dead and the living. He didn’t care. All he saw was you. You froze, the rifle falling to your side and slipping from your grasp onto the steps as your mouth slightly opened. Massimo breathed heavily, the tears smearing the blood splatter and ash from his cheekbones.

‘’Principessa,’’ he practically whimpered.

‘’You came back,’’ you whispered, half to yourself and half to the bloodied man standing before you.

He nodded, his legs carrying him towards the stairs as you slowly made your way down, still in shock. Like the very foundations around you, the world faded away. There was no logic, no violence, no loss. Only love. Even as he held you in his warm embrace, even as you both cried and gently caressed each other, nothing else mattered other than the man standing before you. His thumbs wiped away your tears and smeared the blood on your face in the process. Your hands cradled the sides of his chiseled features. Whimpers and sighs passing between both of your lips.

‘’You’re ok…you’re ok, principessa… you’re ok’’ he kept repeating, holding you and kissing you, eyes glazed over with tears as he noticed your shoulder that the bullet had grazed. He gulped, choking on his words as you kept reassuring him.

‘’You’re ok,’’ you couldn’t tell if Massimo was reassuring you or himself or asking you, but you nodded up at him, offering a smile through your tears as he held you close to him. Your hand drifted to your stomach. His body tensed as his eyes tore away from you to look at where your hand pressed.

‘’We. We’re ok,’’ you kept nodding, taking his hand and pressing it to your tiny bump.

His jaw fell slack as his eyes stared down. He hadn’t known. He hadn’t known about the baby and sent you away. Had he known, he would never have let you out of his sight. But he loved you, loved you enough to let you go to protect you. Loved you enough to show you the most vulnerable parts of himself, the parts he feared were too gruesome to love. And he wanted nothing more than to have this moment engraved into his memories and to live his life with you.

‘’I’m tired of pretending that I do not love you, because I do. I’m tired of running. I’m so tired of running,’’ you let the words fall from your lips, finding it extremely freeing.

He finally tore his eyes off your abdomen, meeting your eyes as the hand that was not pressed against your small bump cradled the side of your face. You leaned in further against his touch.

‘’Then stay.’’

You nodded and let the tears fall freely as your lips met in a passionate kiss. You clutched at his vest, crying tears of relief and complete happiness as he led you out of the only home you had ever known. His thick arms clutched you to his chest, shielding your face from the ashes and smoke as you inhaled his scent. The sunshine blinded you as you left the confines of your birdcage, being placed into a truck with Massimo still clutching you and looking you over for injuries. He sighed, the exhaustion and relief evident in his eyes as he and his men began heading out. You refused to look back as the estate burned to the ground, only an exoskeleton of brick and steel would eventually remain, like the bones of a great beast.

But you didn’t look back, you couldn’t. Your eyes gently closed as your face rested against Massimo’s chest, his hand holding yours as if you would disappear if he let go. You felt him press a kiss to your temple as his arm wrapped around your body, his hand protectively covering your bump as he allowed himself to take it all in. As the vehicle began driving past the pastures where you would ride horses, past the cliffs and ocean where you had spent endless days as a child and where you had your first kiss, the sun felt like a blanket over your bodies in the backseat. A sigh escaped Massimo as his body also began to relax once he was able to comprehend that it was over. That he had found you and you were both now free. The dirt road gently rocked you both to sleep, hands still tangled together. Leaving the past behind, heading towards your tomorrow.

 ‘’I love you, principessa,’’ Massimo whispered aloud. And to himself, before sleep overcame him he gave thanks to his father, Mario, and Laura for watching over the two of you today. And he would’ve liked to think that all three were finally at peace, smiling as they headed towards their own tomorrows as the two of you headed towards yours’.

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Pairing: Massimo Torricelli x Reader

Warning(s): language, angst, violence, mentions of miscarriage, kidnapping, depression.

Summary: Finally, everything is revealed. The reader’s past, as well as the truth about your parentage and your secret is finally unveiled during a fatal and long overdue sit down with your father.

A/N: This is a very important chapter so I hope you enjoy! Only a few more chapters before this series is finished!

 Part OnePart TwoPart ThreePart FourPart FivePart SixPart Seven Part Nine Part Ten Epilogue

You didn’t keep track of time in the days that you had spent locked away in your room. You avoided mirrors entirely, having no desire to look at the dark circles that embedded themselves under your eyes or the way your eyes had lost any sort of light in them. Your lips were chapped, but the headaches had ceased a day or two ago. You were sure that you had cried yourself out the day Massimo had sent you away, that there were no longer any tears that your weak body could muster. A part of you felt incredibly selfish, given your condition, but you couldn’t think clearly. Every waking moment was spent thinking about Massimo. You weren’t eating nearly enough nor drinking enough water to fuel your body. Sleep evaded you, though you didn’t desire that either. All you really could think about was how you would never see the man you loved again.

‘’Honey?’’ your father’s throaty voice called from behind you as you sat against the large window of your room.

Guards were stationed everywhere, at least two of them always present at your door. In short, running away or even jumping out your balcony simply weren’t options. Your hand twitched at the sound of your father’s footsteps, sucking in a deep breath when his meaty hand gently clasped your shoulder.

‘’Honey, the maids have been telling me that you haven’t been eating much,’’ the way his voice gave the illusion of genuine concern baffled you. The way this man, this monster, who kidnapped and sold thousands if not millions of women and children could go to sleep every night and be free of guilt stunned you. How easily he could attempt to continue this charade of being the loving, doting father that you had foolishly believed all of these years filled your insides with revulsion.

‘’I…I’m not hungry,’’ you croaked, your throat dry as a tendril of your hair (which that itself seemed to lose its’ shine) fell in front of your face.

Your father reached out to brush it away, stopping short when he noticed the way you cowered and flinched. He let out a sigh of frustration, turning his attention to the door.

‘’Leave my daughter and I alone, we have much to discuss,’’ he barked at the guards, who dutifully did as their boss ordered and went on their merry ways.

A lavishly hand carved wooden chair scraped along the tiled floors as your father took his seat a few feet in front of you. He leaned forward, creasing his expensive suit and the way his gold Rolex glistened caught your attention for a brief moment.

‘’Y/n, what happened to you?’’

You barked out a laugh, shaking your head as your hand ran itself through your locks. ‘’You cannot be serious,’’ you chuckled,  your father’s bushy brows pinching together in both confusion and dwindling patience.

‘’As the plague,’’ his tone took on a more serious bite, causing your faux grin to melt away and be replaced with cold, angry eyes. Those terrible eyes. You couldn’t help but think those terrible eyes had been the last thing many people had looked into before they died.

‘’My entire life has been a lie. Everything I thought you stood for, father, has been a lie,’’ you shifted your weight to look him dead in the eye. His thumbs nervously twitched.

‘’You had a great childhood,’’ he tried deflecting. ‘’You never wanted for anything.’’

‘’At what cost, father?! Human lives?? Innocent people everyday suffer because of you, because of this family! Families torn apart, lives ruined. And you didn’t even care!’’ you snarled, arms waving around wildly.

‘’I did what I had to in order to ensure we were on top! It’s time you grew up and knew what reality consists of, young lady! It is survival of the fittest, eat or be eaten, kill or be killed!’’ he spat, hands doing all sorts of manic gestures. You scoffed, shaking your head.

‘’I have been kidnapped, used as leverage, nearly assaulted in an alleyway, beaten and nearly shot by YOUR men. Don’t you dare sit there and attempt to lecture me about reality or the real world. I’ve SEEN the real world, and it is an ugly, decrepit, dark place because of men like you,’’ you hissed. For a split second you swore you saw your father cower back from your words. At the very least he was unnerved by your changed personality. You were no longer the innocent child calling him excitedly about your acceptance letter to Harvard, nor the sweet little girl picking apples in the orchard. You’ve changed into something else entirely.

‘’And you think Massimo Torricelli is any different?’’ his voice terrifyingly composed and stoic.

You were at a loss for words as you sat back into your chair. You gazed at the bronze door handle just yards away. ‘’I know he’s different.’’

Your father laughed, shaking his head at you in the same manner he would when you were young and had said something out of childhood innocence. It made your blood boil.

‘’Now I am convinced you truly live in a fantasy, y/n,’’ he chuckled, taunting you. Baiting you.

You leaned forward in your chair, forearms resting on your knees as you met his cold gaze.

‘’So set me straight.’’

He arched a brow, any implication of humor immediately evaporated from his face. ‘’About?’’

‘’Everything. Laura, Mario, my mother, everyone and everything. Set me straight. Release me,’’ you demanded without blinking. He gulped at the mention of your mother, rubbing his hands on his pants and looking down at the family ring.

‘’No, look at me. I want you to look at me as I finally hear the truth in your own words,’’ you ordered. He clenched his jaw, but did as you wished. Your gaze softened only slightly as you increasingly grew desperate.

‘’I need you to release me.’’

He sighed, glancing once more at the ground before meeting your gaze.

‘’Twenty-seven years ago…your mother and I had been married for nearly ten years. Seven…seven miscarriages and one stillbirth later and we still had no children. You know as well as I do that in this life, a family needs a legacy. Children are that legacy. Without them, the family dies out and leaves its’ head vulnerable.’’

‘’We had visited numerous doctors from all over the world. The words ‘sterile’, ‘hostile womb’, ‘low chance of conception’ quickly became accustomed to us. It took a heavy toll on her. She lost weight, her smile, even some hair and above all she lost the will to live. And the family became weaker because of my inability to produce an heir to the y/l/n throne. At this point I had been in the business for quite some time. I had done everything my father and grandfather failed to do; create an empire. I succeeded in establishing my throne, but I had failed miserably at producing an heir. One day, as I was overseeing normal operations, I saw something.

This woman, a spitting image of your own mother in her youth screamed wildly. Had her health not deteriorated from the depression and numerous treatments, I could’ve sworn it was my loving wife, but no this woman was fiercer, younger. The wails that erupted from her mouth were inhuman, like a fox caught in a trap or a mother wolf crying to the moon. She caused a great disturbance that day, work seemingly ceased as I made my way over to see what the commotion was about. I gripped her arm and saw she was carrying a small bundle tucked under her breast. The men and I finally ripped it from her and there you were…this small, beautiful child. Truly beautiful. Too beautiful to be in the hands of clients and sold off like livestock. It made sense why this woman fought tooth and nail to keep you two together; refusing to be separated and sold off. She kept screaming for her husband, and she kept wailing your name over and over as I took you. She was sent away…somewhere far down South…Australia or New Zealand rather. And from then on you were our little y/n.’’

You froze in your chair, mouth dry as the ground beneath your feet crumbled right from under you. One could hear a pen drop at the silence that plagued the room.

‘’W-what was my name?’’ was all you could think to ask. Somewhere, somehow in the deepest part of you, you knew. The name was on the tip of your tongue, yet you prayed that you were wrong. But you knew. You knew. He pondered a second or two, searching the archives of his mind before he finally answered:

‘’Alessia.’’

Your father rushed to your side as you collapsed onto your knees, sobbing and wheezing for air. ‘’Y/n! Y/N breathe!’’ he yelled, holding you to his chest as you let out a blood curdling scream, echoing off the walls and throughout the mansion. With everything in you, you screamed. You clawed, kicked, pounded your fists on any surface within your proximity. Begged. Begged to make it stop. Begged for him to tell you that he lied. That it wasn’t true. That he hadn’t ripped you from your birth mother’s arms and ripped away your identity. That you were y/n y/l/n, daughter of y/f/n and y/m/n. But he never did. He never would. And you were forced to face the dark, haunting reality of your tragic past.

Your name was not your name. Your home was not your home. Your mother had not been your mother. And your father was not your father. It had been Mario all along. So close, yet now forever out of reach. How cruel it had been.

Hours must have passed. You weren’t sure how you ended up back in your bed with a towel draped over your forehead, forcibly given water and orange juice. After the maids had assured your father that you had only suffered a panic attack had he dismissed everyone. In their urgency, the maids completely abandoned their cleaning supplies by the door to your father’s annoyance but said nothing and had taken a seat at the foot of your bed.

‘’I am so sorry. Truly y/n,’’ was all he could say, avoiding your eyes.

‘’Don’t. Don’t call me that,’’ you shook your head, tears brimming your eyes.

He huffed, shaking his own head in annoyance. ‘’You have cost me enough trouble as is. Over 80% of my produce is gone. Most of my men, dead! I have to rebuild this family from the ground up. All for your fucking fairytale romance, all because you spread your legs for that fucking bastard!’’ he snarled, finally showing his true colors.

A slight smirk threated to tug at your lips as you saw him begin to unravel, but opted to meet his deadly glare with your own as you sat up. He must’ve noticed this because he took a deep exhale and collected himself, slowly deteriorating into the role of the caring father.

‘’That said, you are ready to begin overlooking things as well. You are still my daughter, still the one to inherit this business. You will work to rebuild, restore, and expand this family’s name. And in time this will all be forgotten,’’ he rose, turning to exit.

‘’You’re wrong.’’

He visibly froze, fists clenching at his sides. He swiftly turned back around to face you.

‘’Y/n,’’ he hissed through a locked jaw.

‘’I told you, that’s not my name. It never was. And I am not going to help you rebuild this fucking family, I’m going to use the foundation of this house brick by brick and stone by stone to build my own funeral pyre if I have to. But I am done. I am done being afraid and scared and lied to. I’m done being a pawn.’’

‘’What makes you so sure you can walk away from this? You think he’s going to save you? That he’s just going to waltz right in here and take you back and you’ll live happily ever after?’’ he scoffed, face turning purple from his rage. You shook your head in disagreement.

‘’I’m saving us,’’ a protective hand placed over your stomach. It took him a moment before it finally sunk in. All the dots became aligned and, for once, it was he who was finally brought to the light of realization. You nodded.

‘’You said it yourself; children are that legacy. Your legacy will die with you while his will live on.’’

‘’You’re…’’

‘’Pregnant.’’

The air went frighteningly cold. He reached into his back pocket and you broke out into a cold sweat. The thudding of your heart beating in your chest was the only noise that seemed to matter. Now or never. He steadily rose his hand, pistol in plain sight and glinting from the evening sun shining through the sheer curtains. Now or never. The slender glass cup that you had drank from rested in your iron grip. Now or never. The abandoned cleaning supplies just feet away from the man holding a gun and aiming at your stomach. Now or never. The sound of his index finger clicking the safety off echoed in your ears as the world seemed to move in slow motion.

‘’If you think this story has a happy ending then you, my dear, haven’t been paying attention.’’

Now or never.

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