My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 111

Ellie

He slid the sleek device across the kitchen counter toward me, a glint of mischief in his eyes. I stared at the brand-new phone, its screen reflecting the dim light, my heart skipping a beat.

"Is this for me?" My voice barely rose above a whisper, confusion knotting my brows. Why would Giovanni give me such an expensive gift out of the blue?

"Of course, it’s for you." He leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

I picked up the phone, its cool surface foreign in my palm. "Giovanni, why are you giving me this?" The words rushed out in a torrent, fueled by a mix of surprise and a nagging sense of unease.

He laughed, the sound rich and warm, filling the space between us. "Ellie, you act as if I’ve shackled you. You’re not a caged bird, you know."

"Stop trying to buy my freedom then," I said. "Well, if I’m not your pet bird, maybe stop throwing shiny things at me," I snapped, folding my arms tightly across my chest.

A chuckle rumbled from his throat as he pushed off the counter and sauntered closer. "Ah, but even free birds can appreciate a nice perch," he said, reaching out to tilt my chin up, forcing me to meet his playful eyes.

"Or maybe they prefer the sky," I retorted, dodging his touch and stepping back, my pulse quickening with our little dance of words.

"Perhaps," he conceded with a raised eyebrow, "but even the sky isn’t safe these days. You need a way to call for backup."

"Backup?" I scoffed. "What do you expect me to do? Call you to swoop in and save me? I didn’t realize we were in some sort of spy thriller."

"Who knows?" He took another step, closing the small gap I had created, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "With that quick wit, you could probably talk your way out of any situation."

"Damn right I could," I shot back, but despite myself, my lips betrayed me, curving into a reluctant smile.

"See?" Giovanni grinned, triumphant. "You’re already plotting your grand escape. Just remember to take your shiny new gadget with you."

"Fine," I huffed, the tension easing as I reached for the phone once more, unable to fully resist the charm of his challenge. "But if I find out this thing is bugged..."

"Then you’ll have earned the right to throw it at me," he finished for me, the corners of his eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Consider it your first warning," I warned, though the threat sounded hollow even to my own ears.

"Fair enough," he agreed, and for a moment, we stood there, just looking at each other, the undercurrent of something deeper pulsing beneath our light-hearted sparring.

"Truce?" he offered, extending his hand.

"Truce," I agreed, taking it, feeling the warmth of his fingers wrapping around mine.

"I put in my number already, of course," he said.

"Of course," I repeated. "I am afraid I don’t have any friends. So my address book will look sad." I looked down at the phone and frowned. "No one to call. No one to text."

Giovanni’s expression softened as he watched me, the earlier playfulness giving way to something more serious. "Ellie," he said quietly, "you have me. And your family. Aidan and Ivy. And now you have a way to reach them."

I sighed, tracing my finger over the sleek screen. "Thank you." For some reason, I felt like crying.

"By the way," he said, a note of something new threading through his voice. "Aidan’s thrown out an invite. His place. Ivy’s birthday party."

I paused, a ripple of surprise breaking through the calm surface of the moment. "Ivy’s birthday?"

"Tonight." He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, watching me closely.

"Really?" Excitement surged, unexpected and fierce. A party meant laughter, meant forgetting the tightrope walk of my life for just a few hours. "That’s... that’s great!" My words came out in a rush, stumbling over each other in their haste to be heard.

"Thought you might say that." There was a glint in his eye, a shared secret in the curl of his lip. "You up for it?"

"Definitely." I pushed off from where I sat, feeling a spark ignite within me. The idea of celebrating, of being part of something so normal, it was like a lifeline tossed into the stormy sea of recent events. "Can’t miss Ivy turning another year sassier."

He straightened, a silent laugh in his throat. "Then it’s settled."

"Settled," I parroted back, but before the word fully left my mouth, he was pushing off from the doorframe and striding towards me with purpose.

"However," he started, and I could feel the shift in the air, the playfulness giving way to something else. "It comes at a price."

I blinked up at him. He towered over me, close enough that I could see the faint lines etched at the corners of his eyes—lines that spoke of laughter and long hours squinting under the sun. The kitchen felt smaller with him so near, his presence an undeniable force.

"Price?" My eyebrows knitted together, suspicion threading through the single word.

"Uh-huh." A half-smile played on his lips, but his eyes held mine with an intensity that made my heart skip unevenly. "A kiss."

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "A kiss?"

"Yep. If you want me to drive you there. I want a kiss." He leaned down, his breath fanning my face.

"Extortionist," I accused, but even to my ears, the word lacked heat.

"Opportunist," he corrected, and his lips twitched as if holding back a full-blown smile.

"Fine," I relented with a huff that wasn’t entirely feigned. "One kiss."

His grin broke free then, triumphant and devilish. And before I could contemplate the cost of such currency, his lips found mine. It was a brief contact, a brush really, but it sent a jolt through me, like a spark catching dry tinder.

"Payment accepted," he murmured, pulling back just far enough to study my face.

"Happy now?" I managed, trying to ignore the way my own lips tingled, betraying my attempt at indifference.

"Ecstatic," he replied, the word heavy with unspoken promises. And for a split second, I allowed myself to wonder what it would be like to stay with this man forever.

"I...I will go get dressed," I said and hurried away from him.

I rushed inside my room and rummaged through my clothes.

I didn’t have much, so I had to dig to find something nice to wear to Ivy’s party. Suddenly, flash of emerald green caught my eye, causing me to halt abruptly.

It was the dress Giovanni sent to me, along with things for my children.

The emerald green dress lay in a perfect, folded heap at the bottom of the bag, untouched since the day Giovanni had left it for me. I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the soft fabric.

And then, I stripped off my everyday clothes and slipped into the dress. The emerald silk cascaded down, hugging my curves in a way that made me feel both vulnerable and powerful. I stared at myself in the mirror, surprised by the woman looking back at me - a woman who could still feel desire despite all she had lost.

I took my time doing my hair and makeup then I stepped out of my room to find Giovanni waiting by the door, his eyes widening as they met mine. For a moment, we simply stared at each other, both aware of the unspoken tension crackling between us.

"Wow," Giovanni finally breathed out, his gaze flickering over me.

"I...uh...thought it would be appropriate for Ivy’s party," I stammered, suddenly self-conscious under his intense scrutiny. "Is it too much?"

His eyes burned into mine. "You are breathtaking, Ellie."

The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard, melting some of the walls I had built around myself.

"Thank you," I murmured, feeling an unexpected flush rise to my cheeks.

I quickly averted my gaze, feeling his eyes boring into my face. Giovanni’s expression shifted, a flicker of something primal sparking in his eyes as he took a step closer, his proximity making my pulse quicken.

"You know," he began, his voice low and husky, "you are a dangerous woman, mio amore. I feel like losing all control when I am near you."

His words sent a shiver down my spine, and I tried to maintain my composure.

"Giovanni, we should head to Aidan’s house for Ivy’s birthday," I managed to say, attempting to steer the conversation away from the dangerous path it was veering toward. But Giovanni wasn’t easily deterred.

Leaning in closer, his breath ghosting over my ear, he murmured in a tone that made my knees weak, "I can’t stop thinking about ripping this dress right off your body." His hand slid around my waist, pulling me flush against him.

I could feel the rapid beat of my heart against my ribcage, the heady scent of Giovanni’s cologne enveloping me like a cloak.

Despite the warning bells ringing in my mind, I couldn’t deny the undeniable pull between us, the magnetic force drawing us closer with each passing second.

"Giovanni," I managed to whisper, my voice barely above a breath as I tried to push against his solid frame, attempting to regain some semblance of control over the situation. His gaze bore into mine, dark and intense, stripping away any pretense or facade I had carefully constructed around myself.

"I am counting the days until I can have you in my bed," he rasped, his lips hovering dangerously close to mine.

I swallowed hard.

Before I could form a coherent response, a sharp knock on the door broke the spell that bound us together. Giovanni’s grip loosened slightly, allowing me a fraction of space to gather my thoughts. With a final lingering glance, he released me reluctantly, stepping back as if creating a physical distance could temper the emotional storm brewing within us.

I took a deep breath to steady myself before moving towards Lucas’s room.