COLD TRAP

MIRABELLA

I’m home alone, I might as well put a call across to my associate and handle my own business.

Exactly three days ago, about two hours after my very thoughtful husband violated me with his eyes and walked out of the room, I decided to go to the kitchen and help myself with something to calm my nerves.

While I made my way down the hall, my ears picked up on some inaudible chatter and being a curious personality that I am, I decided to listen in.

The closer I got to where the sound was coming from, the clearer I could hear what was being talked about. Matteo and his father seemed to have been in a heated argument about me?

“Father, I already told you many times before that I do not trust her father. This marriage is just an illusion; he’s playing a game with us and

we don’t even know it.”

Well, I didn’t think I’d ever say this but my husband is a smart man.

“She’s your wife regardless,” Matteo’s father had voiced.

“Only on paper!” Matteo snapped and silence ensued amongst them. “I do not see her as anything other than another human being living under the same roof as us, and I’ll not introduce her to my business partners as my wife because she’s not.” Matteo had declared in a this is

final tone.

“I understand how you-” his father tried to speak but Matteo made sure to cut him off.

“You understand nothing father. You’ll never understand because it wasn’t you,” Matteo let out a shuddered breath.

“The best decision you could ever make for that girl is to get her far away from me as possible or I’ll ruin her. I’ll break her soul piece by piece until she’s begging for death; and then I’ll give her the worst kind of death. You don’t want that for your daughter in law now father, do you?”

Cold shivers had run down my spine when I heard Matteo utter those words. It hurt so bad that my husband harbored those dark thoughts

toward me.

And to think I was starting to look at him differently.

“Careful now, Matteo, you have less than twenty four hours before you’re declared the head of this fagmilia but I can change all of that if I will it.” His father had threatened.

Matteo’s laughter was hysteria when his father was done threatening him. “You can keep your Don title father. You might be the Don, but I run this business and I hold more power than you could ever fathom.”

re for God knows what reason. And I

“Still son, there’s a certain kind of power that comes with that title; a power you so desperately desire promise you, that title will never be handed to you if you do not get your head out of your

Matteo and his father continued their argument while I stood there frozen. I was confused about what to do or why Matteo agreed to this

union if he hated it so much.

In that moment, I hated myself more than have ever done and it pained me to the core.

Matteo pushed open the door and froze when he saw me standing on the other side. He remained silent while his eyes did all the talking. His eyes were heavy on mine and mine on his as we continued looking at each other in utter disgust.

“Get to your room Bella and stop wandering about like a mad fucking woman. We don’t need you stumbling into places you’re not needed,” Matteo’s voice was stern as he walked away from me.

That was the last I heard from him and three days later, he still hasn’t come home.

I pick up my burner phone and dial Ares. “Jesus f**g Christ, Mirabellal” Ares’s voice echoes loudly and I chuckle. Always so f**g

dramatic.

“You’ll get us killed at this point,” he snickers and I heave out a sigh.

“I have ten years worth of supplies ready, what seems to be the problem sweetheart.” I match Ares’s playful tone and he mirrors my sigh.

“Your father?” Ares asks in a whisper and I hum. The line goes silent for a minute and he tsks, “we should take the deal.”

“Ares,” I warn.

“What? We need the money and the connections. How else are we supposed to keep ourselves safe if we don’t do this!” He yells.

“Getting into business with them will get us into more trouble!”

“We’re already in business with them, only we’re not exclusive just yet. How long do you think it’d take before their patience runs out? Do you think we have a say in this? Come on, Mirabella, we’re already one leg in, why don’t we just go all the way.” Ares sighs.

“That’s your greed speaking.” I counter, Ares huffs and laughs slightly. A humorless laugh. “You think me a greedy person? You should look at you for a second, Mirabella.”

We both go silent for one minute, two? Five perhaps before we burst into laughter. “Jesus Christ, I was about to throw hands but I realized you’re not wrong. We’re both f**g greedy! But there should be a limit, no?” I chuckle.

“I know. But the moment those men pitched their business idea to us, we lost every right to say no. We’re nothing for now but we can become something if we chose to and this is an opportunity. An opportunity we should take now that we can do so on our own terms,” Ares whispers slightly and I hum.

I completely understand what he’s saying but I find it extremely difficult; making deals with men like that.

Hypocritical much. I already made a deal once and I wonder why this is so difficult for me to come to terms with.

“Shall we give it time? Just a little time.”

Ares hums, “I just realized, Mirabella, you never call from the burner except the situation is bad. Tell me what is going on with you and that psycho father of yours.”

I begin narrating every single thing that has occurred so far to Ares and he makes sure to listen carefully: One of the qualities I appreciate the most about him; such a great listener.

“Let me get this straight, you’ve been buried alive, drowned, flogged, locked up and pushed out in the freezing cold, and you’ve had to endure because your father wants to become the Don?”

“Bingol Smarty pants.”

Ares giggles, “your life has suddenly become interesting. I’m to jealous.”

an is insane and I wonder how we’ve been able to remain friends this long. “Ares,” I warn

This man is

“What?”

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“I need your help. Matteo is planning on doing more damage to me and I’m in desperate need of a way out.”

“Exactly why we need to seal that deal,” Ares grits his teeth.

“Ares! Stop with the deal for a moment and help me out here. I’m in desperate need of saving; the man I’m married to is a mad man. And he acts impulsively,” my voice cracks up and I sniffle. “How long do you think it’d take before I’m dead if this continues?”

“Your husband is one of the most powerful men in the underworld. If you run, he’d find you and if he’s unable to find you, trust your father will search the ends of the earth until he gets hold of you.”

“Yes Ares, you think I haven’t thought about all of that?”

“You need to gain his trust and support. And that cannot happen until you’ve gained access to him on a very personal level,” Ares affirms and I sigh.

F**g finally, his brain is up and running.

I and Ares spend the next hour going over series of ideas. F**d up ideas that’d make me cringe if I think too much on them. “How about i

tell him the truth?” I ask.

“That might work. Except he’d look at you differently. You after all played along with your father’s plan until now,” Ares tsks as he taps his fingers of whatever surface it is on the other side..

“Your body, Mirabella,” Ares breathes out.

“What about my body?”

“Powerful men like your husband, they’re obsessed with the idea of owning things or people especially their women. If you made him feel as though he owns you, that could work.”

“I don’t understand, Ares.”

“Use your discernment Mirabella, some things are better off not spoken about.”

“God, Ares, that’s so disgusting! And I don’t have a great body. Even if I did, Matteo would never look at me longer than two seconds.”

“You have the most breath taking body, sweetheart, don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. You’re a woman, Mirabella, use what you have and bend your husband to your will; he’s a man through and through is he not?”

I go silent for longer than five minutes. My bottom lip caught between my teeth as I rack my brain as to what to do. “F**k nol I’m not offering my body to that a**e! Why the f***k would you even suggest that? So disgusting Ares.”

Ares and I go back and forth, arguing and going at each other’s throat as though we’re sworn enemies. I’m even more angry at myself for seeing reasons with him. I could never let Matteo see or touch me in the way Ares is suggesting.

The thought of it alone is nerve racking.

12:29 Fri, 21 Junio

I end the call after cursing at Ares for trying to make me into one of Matteo’s whores.

Shit!

Why’s the thought of this exciting?

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I jerk my head up from the loud talking and commotion outside my room. “F**k,” I stretch myself with a loud groan after waking from a well deserved nap.

This has to be the first time in a long while since I slept peacefully.

I walk downstairs to grab something to eat and find the guards running around the whole estate; taking their stance. “What’s the commotion about?” I ask my personal guard.

“Don is back in Sicily and will be headed for the estate soon. We’re increasing security, standard protocol ma’am.” He answers in a stern and

direct tone.

“Don as in Matteo? My husband?”

“Yes ma’am,” he nods once.

Well, F**k your Don.

I don’t say another word and walk back into my room. I feel somewhat nervous about Matteo’s return but I shake off the feeling, reminding myself that there’s little or no chance we’d ever meet.

I take my top off and lie on the cushion by the open window as the cold breeze of the night sweeps across my skin. It is simple things like this

that makes me the happiest.

But of course my happiness is cut short.

The door is pushed open and Matteo walks in.

I’m f**g bare; again.

I have no top on and my legs are almost completely exposed because I chose today of all days to put on the shortest shorts there ever has

been.

Thankfully, I have my contact lenses on, else I’d be screwed.

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Matteo’s eyes dart from my eyes to my exposed breasts and then to my bare thighs. And for a second there, I see what Ares talked about flash in his eyes. Possessiveness, Ownership.

And it’s sick that I want him to keep his eyes on my body. How my skin is lit on fire just by the way he unravels me with those gorgeously intimidating eyes of his. F**k.

I snap out of my trans and make a run for the bed. I hurriedly grab my robe but before I can slip it on, Matteo’s deep octave voice reverberates in my spine.

“Drop it.”

12:30 Fri, 21 Jun Elo