INTRO

hello everyone!

welcome to Vittori !

just to add this now, this story has some serious content. this will be the only warning .

lucien is an asshole . keep this mind, please.

this story is not meant to glorify or romanticize the mafia!!

this story includes violence, consensual sex, sexual harassment, and explicit language.

without further ado…

and thank you, once again…

enjoy the story!

ciao!

ONE

DANIEL HARPER

Dear Daniel Harper,

This is the Student Department of Finance. I am emailing you today for a meeting about an urgent topic. You currently have an outstanding balance and must pay or you will be dropped from your classes. Please come by my office later today when you can.

Sincerely, 

Dr.

Gabriel Down

President of the Student Department of Finance

I read the email and knew immediately what it was about. My family warned me about attending a private university. And I just so happened to choose NYU, which is located in one of the most expensive cities ever.

After I got out of Physics, I went straight towards the Department of Finance. It took almost 10 minutes, since it’s located on the other end of campus. I kept shaking in my shoes when the elevator opened and I sat in the soft but uncomfortable chairs. 

“Mr Harper?” An old voice called. I turned to see Mr. Down holding his office door open. “Come on in.” He said. I walked in his office and sat down in the chair. I looked around, seeing his diploma from NYU and pictures of his family.

“As my email stated, we need to discuss your tuition cost.” He started.

“I know that I’m behind on payments, but I’m having trouble finding the money, sir.” I said. 

“I understand that you may be struggling, but unless you don’t pay by the end of this semester, not only will you be dropped from your classes, but you’ll be expelled from our institution.” He said. There was no sympathy in his eyes. 

“But sir, my family can’t afford this! They’ve raised as much as they could but that alone was barely enough for my freshman year.” My voice quivered. 

“Here’s what we can do. Here are some pamphlets for banks who offer loans to struggling students.” He handed me a few papers, each one of a different bank. “We can also look into some scholarships. I’ll email you a list that our school offers. I know you’re struggling, but you should think of your future, Daniel.” His voice sounded as if he didn’t care about me.

I looked down at the pamphlets. ‘Unsubsidized loans!’ ‘Low interest rate!’ ‘No government entanglement!’. That last one sounds sketchy.

Once I had left the Finance building, I walked far enough until I was able to breathe and calm myself down. I knew who I needed to call.

“Hey, auntie. I just got out of a meeting with the university’s finance person.” I said into the phone.

“What did they want? Is it about payments?” My aunt’s soft, caring voice asked. 

“Mhm. They say I need to pay the rest of my tuition for this year or I’m getting kicked out of school.” I told her. I picked at the bark of a tree and dug my shoes into the mud below me.

“How much do you owe?” She asked.

“They said 20K.” I sighed. I heard her also sigh into the phone.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Daniel. Do you not have any savings left?” She asked.

“No, auntie. Mom and dad didn’t leave me much. All of it and the money you and uncle raised only managed to pay for the first year.”

“Hmm…” She huffed. “I’m sure I can take out a second mortgage on our home-”

“No! No! Don’t do that! Look- I’ll find a way, alright? You and uncle Pedro have done more than enough to help me since mom and dad died. It’s time I solve my own problems…” I said.

“Alright Daniel. But don’t be too proud to ask for help. Just say the word and we’ll do everything to pay, okay?” She said into the phone.

“Okay, auntie. I’ll call you later.” 

“Bye, Danny!” And she hung up. 

I let out a huge sigh and rubbed my eyes from sleep. I knew I shouldn’t have stayed up all night binging Sex Education. 

Deciding not to focus on possibly having to leave school, I decided to people watch. Being that this school is in New York, there are a large array of colorful people. 

I’ll show you.

Right now, I see a woman wearing a pink coat and pastel pink beret with a snow white coat over and short pink plaid skirt. It’s 89° Fahrenheit right now.

Next is a group of guys wearing tight t-shirts that show off their muscles. The front of their shirts had Greek symbols. Probably in a fraternity. Two of them kept shoving each other and would give each other looks when the group wasn’t looking.

There were two girls walking by, one of them having a small Chihuahua in her bag. They also both held Starbucks drinks and wore designer clothes. They’re probably here just to have the college experience but don’t plan on going to any classes.

My eyes scoured to my left, where a dark alley was disguised away from everyone. I watched as a sketchy guy stood smoking a cigar. He had a grudge look to him. He would be more attractive if his hair wasn’t so oily and he didn’t have such a sour look on his face.

Something about how this guy was standing didn’t sit right with me. Like one of those people who are waiting for something bad to happen because they’re the cause of it. Similar to how bank robbers stand outside a bank, waiting for the right time to strike.

There was then another guy walking up towards the creepy guy. This other guy looked like your average college student. Messy hair and random clothes with a book bag. He approached this guy and the two exchanged less than 7 words before the normal guy pulled out a few bills and handed it to the creepy guy. Creepy guy in return handed him a small bag with what looked like pills.

I was in awe. I knew people did drugs here, but I never knew it was that easy to buy them. I stared too long because the creepy guy made eye contact with me. I turned away and pretended I was on my phone. 

It didn’t seem to work because I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Were you watching me?” His voice croaked. Probably smoked too much.

“Uh, no. I didn’t see anything. I promise!” I said. 

“I know you were watching me. Judging me also, I bet.” He said. I tried pleading with him that I wasn’t but he didn’t seem to care. “Look, kid. I don’t know why you were watching me. Do you wanna buy?” He asked.

“Buy what?” I stupidly asked.

“Squishmallows. What the fuck do you think!?” He pulled out a small baggie that had four light blue pills. 

“Oh, that. Nah, I’m good.” I responded. 

“Suit yourself.” He said and leaned on the tree to smoke another cigarette. That’s when an idea popped into my head.

“How much do you earn selling?” I asked.

“About 5 grand a day. That’s my cut. Some days are better. Frat parties are where I make the most business. Also days before finals when stressed out students come to me.” He said. I was intrigued.

“Isn’t it dangerous to sell in the open? Won’t you get caught?” I asked. He flicked his cigarette away and stomped on it.

“It’s not too bad. Been selling since freshman year. Never got caught.” His raspy voice responded. He ran his fingers through his hair.

“You’re a student here?”

“Yeah. I sell to pay for tuition. My parents don’t like that I’m a theater major so they won’t pay my tuition.” He responded.

“And it worked? Selling to pay off your tuition?” 

“Defo. I could easily drop out and live off my sellings. But I really wanna be on Broadway.” He smiled. He kinda looks cute when he smiles.

“Oh, okay.” I said. He saw me contemplating and thinking hard about something.

“You wanna sell?” He asked.

“Wha- no! I mean, not really…” But then I thought of it. I could earn enough money to pay off my tuition, like this guy said. It’s not certain that I’ll earn as much as him in a day, but it’s better than a loan.

“You look like a sweet kid. Always goes to class on time and has too much to live for. You’d be perfect. No one would suspect you of being a dealer!” He said. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a black card.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“If you change your mind, call the number on the back. They’ll hook you up. You gotta do a background check and you’ll be good to go. But just a warning, these people are serious. Fuck with them and they’ll fuck you back, and not in the good way.” He warned me. 

“I’ll keep that in mind…” I responded. The guy ended up turning around and going down the street to wherever he goes while I stood here with the card in my hand.

All my life, I’ve been a good samaritan. I never j-walked, never stole a candy bar at the store, or climbed a fence. And now I’m contemplating selling drugs to afford my education.

The things capitalism makes us do, huh?

I also can’t tell my aunt about this. She’ll be so disappointed in me. I’ll just have to fake a scholarship or internship.

I looked down at the card. It was matte black. The back had a phone number engraved in a silver color sans serif font. 

I turned it around and saw a cursive ‘V’ in red. The name ‘Vittori’ was underneath. 

All I could do was hold my breath as I typed in the number on my keypad.

---

<3

TWO

DANIEL HARPER

It’s been two weeks since I’ve started selling. And as of right now, it’s not enough. I’m not the only one in New York who’s selling drugs to pay for college. In fact, there’s about a hundred others like me who need to find a source of income. And you know what? I applaud them for deciding to not go the loan path.

The interview process to get this job was a bit weird. I had to meet with some sketchy guys in Little Italy and go through an interview process. Creepy guy from before was correct, and the suppliers really liked how clean my record is and my ‘twink-ish looks’. Said it makes me look innocent.

I ended up telling my aunt and uncle that I found an internship under my professor for computer science and I’ll be earning an extra income.

A few people found out I was dealing. I would carry it in my backpack around school and during my breaks I would set up on a bench in the quad and wait for people to come and buy. I got the occasional invite to some parties and made huge profits.

But it wasn’t enough.

I still got an email from my financial advisor that I was in danger of getting dropped from my classes. I talked to one of my few friends, Angie, and she expressed her sympathy for me. She wanted to pay for my education but I refused. I kinda feel like she’s taking pity on me since I have no one else here. But I still consider her my closest friend.

With no other options left, I felt like dropping out would be my best choice. I talked to my aunt and uncle, who supported my decision, and made sure to tell me that it wasn’t my fault. Though I do feel bad because they took out a mortgage on their home. Not to mention, I sold a lot of my parent’s stuff to raise money. And it was all for nothing.

Which then left me with a bag of MDMA in my backpack. Since I’m not planning on staying in New York and will have to move back home soon, I’ll need to talk to whoever is in charge and resign from my role.

Shouldn’t be too hard.

I looked at the card again and called the number and said that I need to quit. Rather than let me quit on the spot, they asked me to come to a certain location for an exit interview. The address given to me was not a townhouse or home, but a restaurant in Tribeca. An Italian restaurant to be exact.

I dressed nicely and had my backpack with the goods inside. My plan is simple: walk in and tell them that I’m quitting and I’m returning home.

I told the waiter my name and he left to the back of the restaurant and came back a few moments later. Rather than seat me at a normal table, he led me to a secret room.

The vibe here changed. It felt like I was entering a secret society. Velvet lined the walls, and a dark crimson color took over the interior. The dim glow of yellow lamps barely allowed you to see what’s going on.

In front was a set of double doors guarded by two strong men. The man who had been leading me here turned around. “Reminder. Don’t speak unless spoken too. Don’t offend him or his wife. If he offers you food, take it and eat it. But if he winks, it’s probably poison. And don’t try to attack him. There’ll be at least 10 guns pointed at you at all times. Got it?” He asked.

“Uh, no-” Before I could finish, the doors were opened by the guards and I was pushed into the private room.

I almost fell on the floor but managed to save myself. I finally came to see what was behind the door. It’s a private dining room in the shape of a circle. The room still had the dark red velvet walls but there were old photos lining the walls of people. In the center of the room was a table lit up by a light from above, similar to a spotlight. Sitting there was an older couple who were feeding each other. Behind them on the other side of where I stood was a curtain that probably leads to somewhere else I don’t want to know about. “Scusi?” Someone said. I snapped out of my trance and saw that the older guy was giving me an impatient look.

“Sorry, sir.” I muttered out.

“Just get on with it. I was told you were quitting. Why?” He asked. He never looked away from his wife. But even though he wasn’t talking directly to me, his voice carried a dominant aura.

“I started selling to pay for my education but it’s not enough so I’m dropping out and moving back home.” I replied.

There was a bit of silence. The only thing I heard was the sound of knives clanking and small giggles from the couple.

“Marco!” The guy yelled. “Bring me his file!” He yelled and quickly a bus boy from behind the curtain came in holding a manila folder. He handed it to the guy and soon left the room.

I kept standing here and kept looking around me. I looked at the buttons in the velvet walls and could see some of them were hollow. Upon further notice, I realized that many of them were empty and had something on the other side. It might be the guns the waiter told me about.

“I read your file.” He said. He finally turned to look at me and I got to see who he was. He had a muscular frame, with bright hazel eyes and gray slicked back hair. He kinda reminded me of an old Greaser. He wore a white button up with suspenders. If you’re into hot old guys, this guy would be perfect.

“You live in Phoenix, Arizona. Graduated top of your class. Both your parents died when you were 12 and your mom’s sister took you in. You’re in your sophomore year at NYU. And you joined my business two weeks ago.” He said. I don’t remember telling the suppliers all that.

“How do you know all that?” I asked.

“We like to recruit some of the computer science majors after they graduate to our workforce. By the way, you might want to stop using the same password for your Netflix and Disney+ account.”

“All due respect, Mr…”

“Vittori. Sylvester Vittori.”

“Right, Mr. Vittori. With all due respect, I just came here to quit.” I said. He looked at me like I had just disrespected him.

Suddenly, his wife leaned over to him and started whispering in his ear. I didn’t know what she was saying because it was so soft spoken but also it sounded like it was in another language. But as he listened, he began to pick up on what she was saying.

Sylvester then cleared his throat when his wife was done speaking. He stood up from his seat and easily towered over me. Despite his age, I could easily see he was over 6’. While I was only 5’10’’.

“Have you told the school you’re dropping out?” He asked.

“No. I was planning to after I finished here.” I responded.

“Right. So… I have a personal question to ask you.” He said. His wife gave him a nod.

“Go ahead, Mr. Vittori.”

“Are you uh… a backwards mechanic?” He asked. I stood confused.

“A what?” I said puzzledly.

“You like to roll in the mud?”

“Hmm?” I was even more confused.

“For crying out loud!” His wife said. That’s the first time I heard her talk. When she spoke, her husband cowered. “Are you gay, Daniel?” She asked.

My breath stopped. I stared at them in disbelief. Were they really asking that? Is there a wrong answer? I’ve known I was gay since freshman year of high school but never really came out. But people knew because I “gave off vibes” or whatever that meant.

“Y-Yes. I am.” I stuttered out. A smile came on both their faces, and they turned to give each a mischievous grin.

“Here’s the deal, piccolino. I have a son who is also into men. Came out a few years ago. I’m planning to step down soon and my son will be taking over.” He explained.

“I still don’t know what this has to do with me?” I asked. That’s when his wife stepped out from the table and walked towards me. She was a beautiful woman. She had black with strands of gray hair. Her lips were crimson red, and she wore a beautiful black dress.

“Mhm.” She said as she looked over at me. Her eyes scanned me from head to toe. I started to feel self conscious now. “Yep. He’s his type. Small, twinkish, baby face, and green eyes.” She said.

“It’s a match!” Sylvester cheered.

“Can someone explain what’s going on?” I asked.

“Right! I forgot, we need your consent. How silly of me!” He chuckled. His wife returned next to him, giving me a huge smile. “You’re gay…” He pointed at me. “And my son is also into men, especially your type.” He said.

“For sure his type!” His wife added.

“I’ll give you a deal. I’ll pay for your education for this year if you agree to go on a date with my son.” He said. My eyes bulged out of my head.

“Wha- you’d do that?!” I asked.

“Yeah. Why not? My son is a bit of a, no offense, bitch. He needs a kind person like you to tame him. You don’t even have to sleep with him. Just be with him and take him out. I’ll pay for your education in the snap of a finger.” He explained.

I stared at the ground, completely shocked. Here is a rich guy, offering to pay for my education, if I agree to go out with his son.

“In case you’re wondering, yes he’s well endowed. He got it from his dad.” Sylvester’s wife said. Sylvester blushed and kissed his wife on the forehead and slapped her ass.

“What do you say, Danny?. Go on with my son and leave debt free? Or drop out and return home empty handed?” He asked.

I watched the two and contemplated my decision. I know it’s wrong that they’re using money to find a date for their son, but at this time, I’m desperate. I’ve already sold drugs. And I had a draft on my laptop for a Craigslist ad where I would be selling my virginity.

I don’t even know what Sylvester’s son looks like. He could be a goblin!

This truly is a confusing situation.

---

<3

THREE

DANIEL HARPER

My eyes darted back and forth to Slyvester and his wife as they both stared at me, waiting for my answer. I mean, surely it can’t be that bad to date him. Yeah, these guys are kinda sketchy, which should be a huge red flag in itself. But what other options do I have? I can’t quit now! I’ve worked too hard to get here.

“I’ll do it!” I said. The two cheered and raised their red wine glasses and took a celebratory sip.

“Do you want some, Danny Boy?” The wife asked.

“I don’t drink…” I responded.

“Hmm. Well, just know that our family is full of drinkers…” Slyvester said.

“How will this work, Mr. Vittori?” I asked. The details so far have been pretty vague. All I was told was to date his son and get my education paid. Does this mean I have a sugar daddy?

“I’ll book a reservation to a nice place, where you’ll meet my son. Bit of a warning, my son can be arrogant with new people. Which he’s working on! But he might not warm up to you right now.” He said.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine, Danny. You’ve already charmed us!” Slyvester’s wife said.

“Actually, yeah! You’ll be fine! I’m sure my son will warm up to you!” He smiled at me.

“So what do I do with these?” I asked, pulling out the pills from my backpack.

“Marco!” Sylvester yelled. The guy who had brought my folder ran into the room from behind the curtain and walked to me and took the bag from me. He then ran back to behind the curtain. “You won’t have to sell anymore… although…” He said.

“Although what?” I asked.

“Probably should’ve said earlier. Your tuition won’t come free. You’ll be dating my son, but I’ll need you to offer your mind to us.”

“Meaning what?” I asked.

“It’s nothing too big. You’ll just have to be a part of my group, as a sort of strategist. You dig?” He asked.

“So, I’ll help you if you help me?” I asked.

“Precisely. I saw your file, you volunteered for Hands of America, you have great work in cyber security, and you have this whole soft look. You’ll be a great addition. What do you say?” He asked. He held out his palm for me to shake.

I suppose it makes sense. I almost thought it’d be too good to be true. Free money? And all I needed to do was date a guy? I owe Sylvester a bit of my knowledge.

“I agree to your terms!” I said and shook his hand. He had a firm grip, enough to probably squeeze my hand and all its bones.

“Perfetto! I’ll inform my son of this and to expect a date soon! Be on the lookout for a text that’ll tell you about the time and where.” He said. He looked down at his plate. “Would you like to stay for lunch?” He asked. I stared at his face to make sure he didn’t wink. He didn’t.

I left the restaurant after an amazing lunch with Slyvester and his wife. I stood in the tree where I was a few weeks ago, where I met the creepy guy. He was there, selling drugs like normal.

“I heard you’re going on a date with Vittori’s son. Tough luck!” He said, flicking away the ashes of his cigarette.

“As long as it pays the bill, I’m desperate at this point.” I replied. I leaned my back on the tree trunk and took in the time to breathe.

“You have no idea what you’ve just gotten yourself into, Daniel.” His voice was laced with warning.

“The Vittori are just a business, right? That’s the vibes they gave off.” I said.

He chuckled heartily to the point he needed to clear his throat. “Business? Seriously? That’s what you got from spending time with them? From selling for them?” He said.

“It is kinda sketchy. The whole process for me to get the job was weird. And they had a file on me about my personal life. No business does that…”

“That’s because they aren’t business, Daniel! They’re Italian. They sell drugs and probably do other things but hide behind a front. They know everything about everyone. And their meetings are secretive. Does that ring a bell?” He said. Then it all came together…

“Are they the mafia?!” I said out loud.

“Shhhhhuutttt the fuck up!” He covered my mouth with his hands. “Of course they are. They own most of New York and are basically untouchable. Their whole family is powerful.” He said. He removed his hand from my mouth.

“Am I gonna die?!” I quickly said and started panicking.

“Do you want my honest opinion?” Creepy guy asked.

“Sure…” I warily said.

“You might die. You said you’re going on a date with Sylvester’s son, right? Well that guy is high profile. He’s the Jesus Christ to God. And being just around him puts you at the top of every nearby gang’s hit list. I would suggest being careful around him.” He said.

“Fuck me!” I yelled.

“He might do that to you. I’ve heard that he’s a beast in bed.” He chuckled.

“It’s too late now to back out! I already shook on it with Sylvester! God! What have I done!?” I said.

“Look on the bright side. You’ll be debt free. And you might get some good dick!”

“I don’t really care about that! I might die and all you can think about is if I get laid?!” I said to him. He stared at me and then patted my head.

“You’re so adorable when you’re worried about your life. You should panic more!” He cooed.

“You’re fucking useless!” I seethed.

“If you do manage to get his son to fall for you, you might not even need to finish school. He could provide for you for life. All you have to do is cook and wear lingerie everyday. That sounds like the dream…” He smoothly spoke, as if he was dreaming of his own future.

“Just how powerful are the Vittori’s?” I asked.

“Mmmm, they came here during the early 1900s. They have influenced every presidential election. They have ties with some other powerful families such as the Lexingtons and McClairs. And they’ve gotten away with it all because they have the NYPD on their payroll. So, pretty powerful.” He told me.

Now I was second guessing the agreement. Now that I’m technically a part of the mafia, I’m a target. I’ve seen Goodfellas and The Irishman. I know that mafia business is nothing to joke about. People die in gruesome ways and disappear out of nowhere. And their families are also affected, even if they had nothing to do with it.

“If you were in the mafia, what would you do?” I asked him.

“Me? Hmm, I would probably go around killing child predators, and then cut the genitals off of rapists. I’d probably use my power to do some anti-hero shit. But that’s just me.” He said.

“That sound… interesting. I hope I’m just someone on the side. I don’t think I can stomach killing someone.”

“Yeah, you don’t look like you can handle that.” He said. I pretended not to be offended. Does everyone think I’m some soft person?

“I never got your name, by the way.” I said to him.

“Normally, dealers aren’t supposed to know each other’s names. But you aren’t a dealer anymore, so I’ll tell you. Sean Pauly. At your service.” He said.

“Nice to meet you, Sean. I think we’ll be great friends!” I said.

“Don’t count on it.” He responded.

“After speaking of him all day and soon meeting him, I don’t even know the guy’s name.” I said.

“Lucien. Lucien Vittori is your date. Next in line for the Vittori crown. New York’s playboy. Overall slut. And impossible to control.” Sean said.

“Lucien.” I whispered to myself. It’s a beautiful name indeed. A perfect one. It sounds strong and powerful. Sexy, some might say.

“Get used to saying his name, Daniel. Once he takes a look at you, his hands won’t leave your body. That is, if he doesn’t punch you as soon as he sees you.” Sean told me.

“Now I gotta find a good outfit for the date.” I said.

Sean patted my shoulder. “You’ll do great! I’ll be cheering you on spiritually!”

“Easy for you to say. You just sell. I gotta be seen in public with him!”

“Like I said, you’ll do great. But if you wake up with a horse’s head in your bed, consider dropping out and changing your name and moving to Taiwan.” Sean said.

“Right…” I chuckled awkwardly. “I’ll do great.”

Though by the tone of my voice, I don’t have high hopes.

---

<3

FOUR

LUCIEN VITTORI

I looked down at the small twink’s back as he laid on my bed, moaning over and over again. Everytime I thrusted deeper into him, a higher pitched moan would come out of him. I grabbed a handful of his curly hair and pulled his head up.

“Do you fucking like that?!” I grunted out.

“Mhhm! I fucking love it!” He moaned out. I let go of his hair and pushed his head into the pillow while I thrusted even deeper. My hand went to the back of his head, pinning him down deeper into the pillow.

I went faster, the bed creaking with every thrust. The small twink under me was clenching hard and that started to get me more excited.

I flipped him over and now he was on his back. One hand went to pin his hands over his head while my other went down to his dick and jerked him off. The curls on his hairline were stuck on his forehead from the sweat.

He looked up at me with his deep blue eyes. The same ones that were flirting at me at the club. The eyes that kept saying ‘Fuck me’ while he played with my hair. Getting him to come home with me was easy. Getting him to put his legs up was even easier.

Finally, I finished into the condom and he finished into my hand. I always make sure my lovers also finish. It’s how I get my reputation. We both gathered our breaths, as I let out a few more thrusts.

“Change and get the fuck out. I better not see you here when I get out.” I said to him. I pulled out and took off the condom and tied it and threw it away while I had tissues to clean my hand. All the while, the twink, whose name I didn’t even remember, was watching me.

“Can I have your number at least?” He asked in a soft voice.

“Listen, kid. Just leave. This is a one time thing. I probably won’t even remember you in an hour.” I said to him. His eyes looked hurt. He was tearing up.

“You were my first…” He whispered.

“Hope I was good.” I said and got off the bed. I walked into my bathroom and turned on the shower. “I’ll have you killed if you’re still here!” I yelled out. I heard nothing back and went on with my shower.

I got out and saw that the kid was gone. Beside the bed was a note where he had written his number. I grabbed it and threw it away into the trash. With only a towel around my waist, I went around to find my clothes.

I also made sure to remove the dirty sheets off my bed and put them in a basket.

The day was only noon. And already I was exhausted. My dad has really been getting on my ass, telling me that I need to step up soon. And while I am excited to eventually take over his “business”, the responsibilities will be a great strain on my shoulders.

Not to mention, dad has been trying to get me to settle with someone. He’s been telling me to stop hooking with randoms and find a person to settle down with.

But I’ve still got a few more months left.

A knock on my door knocked me out of my thoughts. My dad opened the door and stood there.

“There was a young boy in the lobby crying. I reckon you know anything about that?” He asked.

“I was his first and he became attached. He needed to go.” I responded.

Dad exhaled and shook his head. “Again, Lucy? When will you stop?” He asked.

“It’s my life, papa!” I clapped back.

“I found a date for you.” He said. He knows how much I hate it when he tries to arrange dates for me. Most of the time, they’re some crazy chick or gold-digging gays from Long Island.

“No thank you.” I responded.

“Lucy! Just take a look at his file. I think you’ll like him. Even your mother agreed he’ll be good for you.” He said. I do trust my mom’s judgment. Not because she’s my mom but because he knows me. Also she’s scary.

“Where do you even find them?” I asked.

“This one was a lackey. Sold at NYU. Just date him.” He said. He took a manila file and placed it on my bed.

“What did you offer him to get him to agree?”

“Pay for his education. I’ve paid more to the NYPD to not tell them about your crazy fights. You better appreciate it!” He said.

“So you’re paying a guy to go out with me?” I asked him.

“I could have told him that you were a sexual deviant who has fucked most of the West Village. Or that you’ve tried to push every single of your assistants off the Chrysler Building. Or that you’ve killed more people than most serial killers… combined. It’s hard to sell that kind of person!” He then tapped on the folder. “Just take a look.” He said.

“I’ll think about it.” I responded.

“Great! Your mother’s with her friends and I’ll be going to Syracuse for a meeting. I trust you’ll be safe.” He said.

“Mhm. The safest.” He gave me a skeptical look but seemed to believe me and left my room.

I groaned and landed face first on my bed. Deciding to ignore life, I took a nap and dreamt of the party I wanted to throw in the Hamptons.

When I woke up, I was hit with a small headache. After drinking a glass of water and aspirin, I remembered the folder and the date my dad has been trying to arrange.

I opened the folder and out came a picture and a document.

“Daniel Harper. 20 years old. 5’10’’. Sophomore at NYU. Peanut allergy. Parents: Deceased. Lived with his aunt and uncle until he moved out.” I read his information, including his Social Security number.

The document came with a picture of him. This looked like it had been taken from a random camera in the streets. The crystal clear photo had his whole frame.

I think mom and dad were right, he is my type. Skinny frame, messy black hair, and an adorable face. I’m already imagining how he is in bed. If he’s a top or bottom, not that it matters. Or if he’s into any kinks. I bet he is. Probably likes being tied up and told what to do.

Next was his ID photo. His features were more pronounced. He had green eyes. His doe eyes would probably stare up at me and watch me while I would say the most vulgar things to him. Or he’d be blowing me. And his shaggy black hair would get even more messy.

Now I’m too horny to relax.

I called up a few of my associates if they wanted to go out and drink. Mainly so I can find a guy to hook up with. Everyone was busy. I also remembered the phone number of the twink from earlier but based on how attached he became from the first time, I’d rather not go again.

“I guess you’ll have to do.” I said to my right hand.

I started jerking off and my eyes kept looking back at Daniel’s picture. I began to have a day dream of fucking him. Could tell it’s gonna be a good one, so I stripped off all my clothes and laid on my bed. My right hand jerked my dick while my left held the photo of Daniel.

“Of fuck! Fuck yeah! You little slut!” I panted out. It sounds weird that I’m so aroused at a photo, but this boy is too cute not to jerk off too.

I could feel an orgasm coming, so I brought down the picture of Daniel and came on it. And I didn’t regret a single thing.

My hands gave out and dropped down. I gained my breath and soon my energy came back. I looked at the soiled picture of my future date. I came to my decision and called my dad.

“Lucy, have you decided on Daniel?” He asked.

“I’ll do it. I’ll go on a date with Daniel.” I said.

“I was hoping you’d say that! I have reservations for you two at The Rooftop for Saturday in the afternoon. And don’t just try to get into his pants. Talk to him. He’s a sweet boy.”

“Mhm. Yeah! Sure! I understand! Thanks dad!” I said.

“I’m serious, Lucien! Have a normal date with him!” He said into the phone.

“Normal. Definitely!” I replied. Dad sighed into the phone.

“Ciao, Lucy. Order dinner for yourself. I’ll call you tomorrow about the deal with those Venetians.” He hung up the phone.

I looked at the picture and threw it away. I gathered all the documents and put them back into their folder.

My goal for the date is to just sit and let him talk until at the end when I’ll ask him to hook up. I have no intentions on getting to know him.

But I needed to make sure I looked nice for him and chose which clothes to wear. Something formal, yet sexy. Raunchy, but romantic.

Daniel Harper has no idea what he’s in for.

---

first four chapters! letssss gooooooo!

to access the next few chapters, download the app- jk. i’d never do that. new chapters every sunday!

bye!

<3

FIVE

DANIEL HARPER

Looking into the mirror, I saw a beautiful person looking into it. And next to her was my reflection.

“Relax, Danny. You look sexy!” Angie said. She brought out a blazer and helped me put it on.

“You think so. I kinda look like a fancy weasel.” I replied. She chuckled and brought out some perfumes.

“Guys love the smell of girl perfume! I’ll find the best one for you!” She said and searched into her bag.

I looked at my reflection again. My hair was somewhat stylized, but it’ll be messy no matter what. I wore a white button up and black blazer. And my shoes are my dad’s. I’m putting a lot of effort into this date.

It’s not my first date. I’ve been to a few. And by been to, a lot of those times I was stood up because the girls who asked me out did it as a joke. Since I was told the details of the date, I’ve just been expecting Lucien Vittori to say ‘Just kidding’ or something like that.

However, Angie told me that since he accepted, it means he wants to go out with me. So I should give him a chance. I’ve heard about Lucien’s sex past. And Angie has told me that if he tries to come onto me, it’s okay to say no to him. Putting boundaries on the first date is what sets the tone for a relationship.

“Here! This one! Men love the smell of vanilla! Trust me!” She said, spraying the perfume on my neck, wrist, and body.

“I do smell good.” I said as I sniffed my wrist.

“Told ya! This guy is gonna fall in love with you the minute he sees you! I just know it!” She squealed and joined me in the mirror.

“Should I really be doing this? Offering myself in exchange for money? It’s like prostitution but without the sex.” I said.

“If you want to back out, just text the guy setting you two up. I’m sure he’ll understand…” She told me, placing her hand on my back.

But then I thought back to how much my aunt and uncle struggled. The nights they stayed up working jobs to save up money. I also remember the tears I shed when I had to sell most of my parent’s things to save up. And the looks of failure when my uncle used to have to ask for handouts from his family. The bags under their eyes that formed.

“No! I’m doing this!” I decided.

“You sure? Now’s your final chance to back out…” She said.

“I’m sure. It’s like your grandma says: If you’re not using your body for anything, sell it!” I said. She bursted out laughing.

“Danny! That’s not what she said! She said: Don’t sell the parts of you that are worth the most.” She corrected me. I started blushing in embarrassment.

“Oh, right. That makes much more sense…” I chuckled to myself.

My phone rang with a notification. A text from the number that’s been sending me information about the text. It let me know that my ride was here for the date. Angie saw this and started gushing and shaking me.

“My baby is finally going on a date! Let’s go already!” She said, putting on her coat. I think she’s more excited about my date than I am.

At the lobby of the dorm building, through the windows, we both were stunned by a black limousine waiting in the parking lot.

“Oh. My. God! This guy must be rich! I should’ve let you borrow some of my panties!” She squealed out. I wiped a bead of sweat off my forehead and shakily walked to the car.

“I’m freaking out! I thought it was gonna be like an Uber ride!” I whispered to her.

“Guess they wanted to go all out!” She said. Her hand was on my back and leading me to the car. Standing next to the door was a tall guy with shades on, almost like a Secret Service agent.

“Um, excuse me?” I said to him. He looked down at me, his expression not changing.

“Are you Daniel Harper?” He asked in a deep voice.

“That’s him!” Angie answered for me. The guy grunted and opened the door for me to get in. “Wait!” Angie yelled before I could get in.

“Yeah, Ang?” I said.

“Some pictures first! Do you mind?” She said to the guy. The guy just gave her a glare before he stepped away from me.

Angie pulled out her phone and asked me to pose. I did some awkward positions and Angie had to come over and fix me. Even the driver cringed when I tried to do some pose. When Angie was done with all her pictures, she put her phone away.

“I’m so proud of you, Danny!” She kissed me on the cheek. I felt her hand go into my pocket and she pulled them out. “Good luck!” She said.

I gave her a final look and the driver closed the door. She held a thumbs up while I waved at her as the car started to drive. All that was left was me in a huge limo to myself. I checked my pocket and saw she had put a condom packet. XXL. This girl. The car came with snacks and drinks. I only ate a small bag of gummy bears to calm my nerves. If I ate anymore, I’d probably throw up.

The car slowed down after a 30 minute ride. I pulled out my phone and texted Angie that I was here. The door opened and the driver told me to exit. I did and I stood in front of a tall building. My knees started shaking. The beautiful dark sky allowed the building to shine in the dark.

“Right this way, Mr. Harper.” A new guy said. He dressed similar to the driver. The guy was then joined by his partner. They both walked side by side with me and led me into the building through the lobby.

A private elevator was in front of me. The doors opened and the security guys and I got in and began to go up to the highest floor. When the doors opened, I was met with a huge sign in front of me. ‘The Rooftop’ it said. Light classical music played on the speakers. I stood at the front of the entrance. The security guys didn’t do anything and were just standing there.

That’s when a waiter came by next to me. He was a little taller than me and wore a basic waiter uniform. “Are you Daniel Harper?” He asked me. I nodded yes. “Follow me.” He said. He started walking and I followed behind.

He led me through the dining room until we reached the farthest wall in the room. He pressed a button on his phone and the curtains opened to reveal a large window. The window allowed for me to see outside and look at the beautiful city. The chair was pulled out for me and the waiter told me to sit.

“What would you like to drink?” He asked me.

“Uh, water, please?” I said. He nodded and left. Now I sat alone at the table.

However, I felt a strange feeling. I turned around and looked for the guys who had been escorting me to The Rooftop. I noticed them sitting together as if they were a couple only a few meters away from me.

I then looked around more and saw similar looking men scattered all throughout the dining hall. Some were seated together as if they were on a date while others were alone at the bar or acting as servers. I could tell they were security by the way they would sometimes glance at me and then turn away quickly.

“Here you are sir.” The waiter brought my water glass. “Mr. Vittori will be with you shortly. You’re lucky you arrived before him.” He said. His nametag said ‘Marco’.

I chuckled awkwardly and sipped my water sparsely. There was an empty seat in front of me where my date would be sitting. The only thing to distract me was looking outside the window at the skyline of New York City.

The night coming in, the city that never sleeps began shining. Different avenues and streets full of people with their own lives walked among each other. And I wondered if any of them have ever had to do what I had to do. If any of them had reached a desperate point. Who am I kidding? It’s NYC. Everyone here has done things in a moment of desperation.

10 minutes passed by and still no sign of my date, Lucien. I started to get worried that he wasn’t coming and maybe I got stood up again. The pessimistic part of my brain began to imagine every possible worse scenario.

I think my brain went too far when it imagined me getting thrown off this building and falling to my death…

My blazer I had on began to feel constricting. I was contemplating taking it off but Angie told me that my outfit only looks good if all its parts are on. I wish I was in my dorm right now, sitting eating take out and watching Ozark. But I need my education paid off.

The whole dining room was quiet except for the occasional clink of utensils and the soft classic music playing. While normally this sort of atmosphere would make me fall asleep, I was shaking with nerves.

The silence was broken when a loud, booming voice could easily be heard from every corner of the room. I actually snapped and my legs began quivering as how deep this voice was.

My head turned slowly and there he was, standing in all his glory.

Lucien Vittori.

I couldn’t believe who was standing in front of me. There stood a tall guy. He wore a tight fitting suit. But his sleeves were rolled up and his left arm was littered with tattoos. He wore suspenders over a white button up that clutched his pecs and abs tightly. His light wavy brown hair was styled perfectly. His light brown skin shows signs of sun in his life.

And he was looking at me. He had a sort of cold demeanor on his face. Like he didn’t want to be here. Or maybe he did but is one of those people good at hiding their expressions.

He started walking towards the table, not even caring about the waiter to lead him here. This man knows what he wants and won’t listen to anyone else.

I decided to stand up and greet him. But Adonis here made me feel inferior to him. He hasn’t said a word yet and I’m already both turned on and scared of him.

Lucien Vittori is going to ruin my life and I might just let him.

---

<3

SIX

DANIEL HARPER

The terrifying but sexy man was approaching me. My breathing picked up as his dark eyes watched me. I stood up from my seat and tried to hide my shaking legs.

When I stood up, his hazel eyes began scanning my entire body. His eyes came full of excitement and a small smirk came on his lips.

After an eternity of walking, Lucien Vittori stood in front of me.

“You’re the Daniel Harper I’ve been expecting.” His deep voice said. My legs shook even harder. I had to bend my knees a bit to get them under control. He saw this and smiled at how he was making me.

“I-I am. You’re Lucien Vittori?” I shakily asked. He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving my eyes.

“Let’s sit, shall we?” He said. I nodded yes and sat myself in my seat quickly.

I was going to scoot in my seat but I felt his hard body behind my chair and started to push my seat in. His hands touched my shoulder a bit. Once my seat was in, his fingers rubbed on my shoulder and lingered for a few quiet moments.

He exhaled a bit and then went around to his seat. He sat down and placed a napkin on his lap. He watched me like a prey watching its next meal.

He held his hand up and Marco the waiter came over too quickly. “Bring me my wine, Marco. You know which one I like.” He spoke in a deigned voice. Lucien turned to me and pointed at me, making me flinch. “Do you want some wine, Danny Boy?” He asked. That nickname sent a shiver down my spine. It felt condescending but at the same time, very affectionate and caring.

“I don’t drink.” I softly said to him. He scoffed to himself and dismissed the waiter.

Both of us sat here with no words exchanged. His eyes watched me slowly, observing my every move. He was reading me and turning me into an open book.

“Are you scared of me?” He asked.

“Um…” I shakily said.

“It’s understandable if you are. In this room right now are over a dozen men who will kill you if I decide to with the snap of a finger.” He held up his right hand and signaled as if he was going to snap his fingers. “As long as you respect me, I’ll respect you. Understand?” He said.

I nodded and muttered ‘Mhm’. He smiled when I responded to him.

Marco came with Lucien’s wine and left the bottle at the table. “I’ll be back with your menus.” He said. He left and returned with two menus.

“Excuse me?” I said before Marco left. He turned back quickly. “Which options are peanut free? I have an allergy.” I said. The guy’s eyes widened.

“Go get him a peanut free menu right fucking now!” Lucien snapped at Marco. Marco quickly took my menu and ran and came back with a different menu.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Harper!” He kept apologizing. Lucien was watching the guy with a smug smile.

“It’s fine. I should’ve told you in advance!” I said to him. He gave me a short smile.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your order.” He said and left. I was stunned by how quick Lucien was to get angry. I wanted to get mad at him but then I remembered his warning.

Looking at the menu, I knew what I wanted and ordered while Lucien also ordered his own meal. The food came and throughout the whole time, Lucien and I never said a word to each other. Everytime I wanted to, his hungry eyes just backed me off.

“Where did you go to school?” I asked him. He was cutting into his steak a bit too aggressively and didn’t respond.

“Well, I go to NYU.” I responded. He bit off a piece of his steak from his knife. No, not fork. He held a piece of cut steak off his knife and was eating off it.

“Your mom and dad are very nice people. I’m thankful they’re willing to pay my tuition.” I said with no response.

“Any plans for the weekend.” I said. No response. I was growing tired because I would say something but Lucien would never respond. He just looked at me. His eyes kept scanning my body.

I remembered what Angie told me before I left. To unbutton the first button of my shirt. Apparently, if I show a bit of skin, it’ll get Lucien excited.

My hands went up to my collar button and unfastened it. Lucien watched this and his eyes got thirstier. Just a bit of my collar and upper chest got him riled up. He adjusted himself in his seat.

A few quiet minutes passed again. Lucien’s eyes never left my exposed skin.

He cut a piece of his steak and offered me his knife with the piece on it. “Do you want some of my meat?” He asked, a smug smirk on his face. I choked on my pasta and had to down it with water.

“No thank you, sir.” I squealed out. His nostrils flared when I said sir.

“You sure? It’s juicy and tender…” He replied. I got a bit excited. I’m not sure if he was just offering me steak or if it was a sexual innuendo.

“We should focus on dinner!” I told him. He slammed his knife on the table hard. The entire table shook and his wine glass fell on the floor and shattered. The wine spilled onto the carpet like blood.

The entire room became silent. The security guards became attentive and were all watching over here. The normal patrons were watching us too. The waiters had stopped their service. And I felt humiliated. Eyes were on me. I heard my heart beating and the blood rushing to my head.

“Fucking hell!” Lucien angrily muttered to himself. “What are you all looking at?!” He yelled to the whole room. Everyone quickly looked away and continued with their prior activities.

I, however, am left in a state of shock. All I told him was to focus on dinner and he snapped.

“D-Did I do something wrong?” I stuttered out.

“Danny Boy. From the moment I saw your picture, I’ve been fantasizing about sleeping with you! Let’s just finish dinner and I’ll take you to my apartment and I’ll fuck you like there’s no tomorrow. My dad’ll still pay for your education and we’ll go about our merry ways.” He said with the most certainty in his voice.

I stared at him in silence. He’s angry because I’m being difficult.

“Come on, Danny Boy. I promise I’ll treat you gently. But if you want it rough, all you have to do is ask…” He seductively said. I could feel his shoe begin to run up my leg. His foot slowly went higher. I gulped hard and tried to control my… excitement?

Why was I excited? Why do I feel so compelled to please Lucien? It’s like Lucien has a grip on me. He’s dominating me in my head. I want to please him so badly. He scares me, of course. But is it bad that I fancy him and want him. He’s the most attractive person I’ve ever met and who wouldn’t want to be with him?

But, I shouldn’t have to feel like I owe him myself. I’m a person and the moment I walked in here, Lucien as treated me like a sex doll he’s waiting to fuck. He treats me like this and will teat me the same afterwards.

“No.” I said to him. His fist balled and clenched hard.

“What?” He angrily asked.

“I said no. I don’t want to have sex with you. Can’t we just have a normal date?” I asked. I looked to my side and saw Marco and a few others begin to panic. Now I’m feeling like I made a huge mistake.

“A normal date?! Danny! I’m just here cause I wanna have sex with you! I’ll ask you again! Do you want to end this early and come home with me?” He asked. His eyebrows were angry. His face was a bit red.

“No thank you, sir.” I responded. He huffed angrily and slammed his fist on the table. Everything shook again and I started replaying my life in my eyes.

“If you were anyone else, there would be a bullet through your eyes right now. Your fucking lucky you’re beautiful. Too bad you’re hard to get! Keep acting like that and no one will want you!” He taunted. I felt a bit hurt by what he said. He called me beautiful but also said I’m unloveable.

I wanted to yell back at him that he’s unloveable too because he sees everyone as pawns for him to fuck or use. But I’m at a critical level right now. One wrong move or word and next thing you know #RIPDanielHarper will posted on the stories of my former classmates who never bothered to talk to me.

Deciding that I want to live, I slumped back into my seat. My appetite was gone. Lucien angrily stared at me. I guess when he realized I’d given up on this game, he went back to eating like nothing happened.

My legs kept shaking. I felt lonely here. If Lucien were to attack me, there would be no one on my side. I’d be dominated and kept silent. And I’m also wondering how this will affect the deal I made with Sylvester. Will he still pay for my tuition? Will he take pity on me? Or will Lucien tell him a fabricated story and thus, I won’t see any of that money?

My head started spinning. I felt like I was going to pass out. And no one would help me. I also held back my tears. I couldn’t cry now. It’ll add to my humiliation.

Marco came by soon and asked if we wanted dessert. I was gonna say no thank you but Lucien said, “No he won’t have any. We’ll get the check.” Marco took my half eaten plate and gave me a sympathetic look.

The bill came. I was going to offer my share but Lucien pulled out a few Benjamins and placed them in without saying anything to me.

He abruptly stood up and began walking out of the dining room. Everyone stopped talking and breathing when he passed by. He did a final look at me sitting alone and on the verge of tears and just rolled his eyes and walked out, followed by his bodyguards.

It all happened so sudden. Almost as if it didn’t happen. But I looked down at the wine-stained carpet, resembling blood. Nope. It did happen.

I went on a date with Lucien and it went as bad as you can expect.

---

<3

SEVEN

DANIEL HARPER

I was in the elevator going down after my disaster date with Lucien. What was supposed to be a normal date turned into Lucien storming out and me now worrying about my family at home.

The limo that had brought me here was outside the building waiting for me. The guy had a stoic look but when his eyes landed on me, he gave me a lopsided smile, like he was sorry for me.

“I’ll take you to your dorm. Keep any snacks you like.” He told me and opened the door. I thanked him and got in.

The ride back to my dorm allowed me to finally breathe. I hated how I had to walk on eggshells around Lucien. He kinda felt controlling and dominating. While I liked the dominant aspect, the controlling part felt too much for me. And to find out he only wanted to sleep with me gutted me because he only saw me as a hole. Not a person.

The car parked in front of my building. The driver opened the door and let me leave. I stuffed my pocket full of snacks and gave him a final thanks.

I did the walk of shame back to my dorm. Everyone was either in their room studying or at the football game. Me? I just want to sleep and wake up in the afternoon tomorrow. I deserve a nice sleep after what I just went through.

However, I opened my door and saw Angie sitting on my bed, using a face roller. “EEH! You’re back! How was it?!” She eagerly asked. I could tell she saw my defeated look. “Yikes! Come on. Tell Angie what happened.” She said. She pulled me to my bed and sat next to me.

“He was an asshole!” I said. Angie could tell how serious I was by my angry tone.

“What did he do?” She asked.

“He just wanted to have sex with me! And when I didn’t want to, he called me difficult and said no one would love me!” I said, recalling Lucien’s words.

“Wow…” Is all she said. She placed her fingers into my hair and played with it. “I’m sorry, Danny. I thought maybe you two would click. Is there anything you like about him?” She asked.

“I don’t know if I should say. I’d rather keep my memory of him as just an asshole.”

“Come on! You should always look at the bright side of things. Tell me what you liked about him.” She asked.

“Well, he’s really attractive. Like, insanely hot. And he’s very seductive. He knew what to tell me and for a moment I was thinking of going home with him.” I said.

“What about his character? Anything about that?” She asked.

“His character is being horny or being angry. That’s all I got from him. Honestly, I don’t think I would go on another date with him. He’s too angry and threatened to kill me multiple times. He’s a huge walking red flag.” I said to her. She thought for a moment.

“If you don’t want to date him, that’s fine. You can date whoever you want and if he doesn’t meet your expectations, don’t settle for him.” She told me. She rubbed my back. I wiped my eyes and laid on my back.

“But what about my education? There’s no way I’m getting it paid off after my failure. Am I gonna have to drop out?”

“Uh-uh! No way I’m letting you drop out! We’ll find a way to get the money! Maybe we can have a bake sale or ask the fraternities to wash cars. I’ll find something for us to do! I got you, Danny!” She smiled at me. I hugged her and cried into her shoulder.

“What would I ever do without you?” I said. She hugged me back.

“It’s no problem. You’re my bestie!” She muttered out.

“Oh!” I gasped. I pulled away and reached into my blazer. “I got you these.” I said and pulled out all the bags of snacks.

“Fuck yeah!” She cheered. She opened a bag and offered me some and we both ate together and put on a musical on my laptop to watch.

At some point, we got bored and went into the boys bathroom to do face masks and joke around. I felt like I had forgotten about Lucien. He was yesterday’s news. Now, I’m focusing on myself. And I’m gonna be with someone who doesn’t just want me for my body but wants me for who I am.

“You know, I heard that one of the guys from the Gay Alliance Club is single right now. I could hook you two up.” She said.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“Uh, I think his name is Sam. Have you met him?” She asked.

“Sam Frisk? Him? You know he’s a bottom right?” I said. She was a bit confused.

“What about it?” She asked. I rolled my eyes.

“What are we supposed to do? Bump purses?” I jokingly asked. She gasped and her eyes widened. She went red in the face.

“Fuck! I forgot!” She started laughing, causing me to laugh.

Right as Angie was trying to convince me to paint my nails, my phone started ringing. We both stopped talking and turned to look at my phone on my desk.

“It’s an unknown number.” I said, holding up my phone. My phone kept vibrating.

“Answer it. You never know.” She said. I was hesitant to answer but maybe Angie’s right.

I pressed the green button and the call went through. There was silence on the other side.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Daniel Harper! It’s you!” A voice said on the other side. I recognized the voice as Sylvester Vittori’s. I just wanted these Vittori’s out of my life already!

“Mr. Vittori. What can I help you with?” I asked.

“I heard the date went bad. How are you, piccolino?” He asked. I was tempted to tell him how much I hated his son but held myself back.

“I’m okay. Mr. Vittori, I don’t think I can date your son. I’m sorry for letting you down.” I said. He sighed on the other side.

“No need to. I heard about how it went down. I’m sorry for my son just wanting to sleep with you. I knew when he agreed he sounded too excited. I should’ve seen this coming. But I’m here to convince you to go on another date with him.” He said.

I froze and Angie started shaking her head. “No thank you, Mr. Vittori. I don’t think I would feel comfortable with that.” I responded.

Sylvester went silent in the end. That was, until he spoke. “I know my son is a stronzo. I raised him and I’ll admit that. But I know you’ll be good for my son. You’re a sweet kid who lives by the right morale. That’s something not everyone has.” He said.

“Yeah. But your son is a horny bastard!” I clapped back. I covered my mouth quickly and was going to apologize.

“But Danny, did you like how he made you excited?” He asked in a deep and frightening voice. My face turned red. Angie was watching me with a huge smile on her face. “Did you?” He asked.

“Yes, sir…” I finally said. I felt like a deep secret had been exposed now.

“Lucien has a habit of being a bit… controlling. And he’ll be overbearing at times. It’s both a blessing and a curse for him. But if you can get it on his good side, I promise to you, he’ll make you the happiest person ever.” Sylvester said.

“What if I don’t like being dominated? Have you thought of that!” I asked.

“Danny, from the moment you walked in on me and my wife eating, I knew that you like being told what to do. And according to my staff who watched your date, you liked it when Lucien riled you up. Cut the bullshit and admit you like it!” He angrily said. I started to tear up a bit.

“What if you’re right!? Am I just supposed to forfeit all my control? Become a puppet for Lucien?” I said. Angie was shocked at all this but she walked over to me and started rubbing my back.

“No. Lucien knows his limits. He just likes being in control. But he’ll never make you feel less. He takes time to warm up to. But with time, he’ll see you more as an object. What do you say? Another date?” He asked.

I stood there thinking. I was actually contemplating on going on a date with Lucien again! What is wrong with me?

“Oh, and by the way. One of my informants is in Phoenix watching your aunt and uncle from a window. If you decline, I’ll have them both killed.” He said. That completely shook me.

“You can’t do that!” I yelled into the phone.

“Sorry, Danny. But my son needs someone by his side. You’re the perfect fit!” He said.

“Fine! I’ll give him another chance!” I said quickly.

“Great choice! I’ll send over some new details and get everything ready. As for your tuition, it’s already paid for. Once again, thank you Danny. I promise it’ll all be great. Ciao!” He hung up before I could get a word in.

Angie was quiet and just staring at me. “What the actual fuck!” She whispered.

“I thought I was free! Fuck me!” I groaned. My phone rang and I looked down to see an email from the finance department. I read the email, telling me that my tuition has been fully paid for.

“I’m sorry, Daniel. I thought it was over.” Angie said and hugged me.

I stood there, in complete disbelief. Somehow, Sylvester managed to get me to agree to go on another date with his son. He tapped into my inner parts and found the right strings to play to get me to agree.

Just when I thought my life was rid of Vittori’s, I guess they’re gonna be around for a much longer time.

---

<3 :)

EIGHT

LUCIEN VITTORI

Once my car got home, I stormed in and quickly went to my room. I completely took off all my clothes. These fucking clothes that I spent so much time picking to make sure that little shit becomes horny for me. I took them all off and stood naked in front of the mirror.

My anger came and I thought about Daniel. That little bitch dared to deny me! ME! Everyone wants to hook up with me. Danny Boy should be grateful that I wanted him in the first place. I didn’t plan on just throwing him away, I planned on having fun with him for a while.

But out of all of that, I did manage to get something. Danny Boy likes to be told what to do. He is afraid of authority and is submissive to people stronger than him. When I scanned his body when I first saw him in his outfit, it took all my energy not to pin him on the table and take everything off. When his legs shook when I talked to him, I swear I almost came right then and there. And the little slut had the nerve to show some skin halfway into the date. My mind began to imagine how his collar would look with hickeys.

Danny Boy was scared of me. And I liked it. However, he rejected me. And I can’t do with someone who disobeys me. He needs to be punished. Not that I’m a dominant, but I do like control. My whole life is hectic. I just want to be able to control something my own way.

I realized I was hard. I gripped my dick and started jerking it back and forth in front of my mirror. My mind went to Danny Boy and how he looked up at me. When my fingers lingered on his shoulder. When my foot rubbed into his crotch. The little bitch wanted me to fuck him, but he restrained himself.

And so did I.

“Fuck yeah!” I muttered to myself. I kept jerking and imagining Danny under me. Him begging me to split him in half. Him wanting me to tie him up and edge him for hours until he pleads for me to help him finish. And finally, him submitting to my every control.

“Everybody wants to fuck me!” I angrily said into the mirror.

“FUCKING BITCH!” I yelled and came onto the mirror. I panted and needed about five minutes to come down from my high. I looked at myself in the mirror and flexed my muscles.

Danny is an idiot for not wanting to come home with me. He would’ve enjoyed it. My only regret was not pulling out my gun and forcing him to come home or I would’ve shot him. I could done it. I had a gun under the table and grabbed it when Danny Boy rejected me. However, he wasn’t worth it.

I let him go and decided he wasn’t worth the risk.

I grabbed some tissues and cleaned up my mess. I slipped on some black briefs and laid on my bed and scrolled through emails until my door opened without warning.

“How was your date, Lucy!?” Dad asked. He saw how angry I was. He didn’t assume anything at first since I’ve been told I have a resting bitch face. But when he saw how my clothes were piled into a corner and not in the laundry basket, he could tell it didn’t go well.

“I got angry. It didn’t go well.” I said.

Dad sighed. “Lucy, what did you do?” He asked. I snapped.

“Me? What did I do? What about Danny, huh? You blame me and not him!? Why is it always my fault?” I yelled.

“Calm down, Lucy. First of all, I know it’s you because I’m your dad. I know who you are. Second, my assistant told me about how you yelled at Danny.” Dad said. I backed down and just tried to ignore my dad.

“I don’t even know why you want me to find a partner! I’m fine as I am!” I groaned out.

“Lucy. Lucy Lucy Lucy. Once you take over, trust me, your responsibilities will get worse. You know the saying. ‘Behind every successful man is a strong woman’. Or, in this case ‘Behind every successful person is a strong partner’.” Dad said.

“I could take on the load of two people.” I replied. Dad laughed, mocking me.

“I said that too! But trust me, even I wasn’t enough.” He said. I was shocked that dad was so open about how much he struggled.

“Did mom help you?” I asked.

“Hell yeah she did. I remember when I met your mother. God, she was a spicy woman from Monaco. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She approached me first and dominated me. That woman is where you get your controlling behavior from. Since then, she’s been by my side every step of the way. And you’ll need someone to be by your side too!” Dad said.

I began thinking.

“Oh shit, you’re actually thinking!” Dad said in shock.

“Do I have to settle for Danny?” I asked.

“No, you don’t. Take however long you need to find the right person. I just want to see you make an effort to find someone.” Dad said.

“Good! Fucking Danny was so difficult!” I said and rolled my eyes.

“He was difficult because you wanted to have sex with him on the first date. First, get to know Danny and then he’ll open up. Sex is much better when you do it with someone you like.”

“You really think Danny could give me a chance?” I asked.

“You have potential. Your mother absolutely loves him. She’s already been planning your wedding with him. Her Pinterest board is full of wedding ideas. Just be careful around him. It’s obvious he’s never been in a serious relationship before. Treat him like a person, kay?” Dad said.

I nodded.

“Plus, I heard about how dominating you were to Danny. You liked telling him what to do? Making him scared?” Dad asked.

“Fuck yeah. You should’ve seen him, dad. It took me every ounce of control to not pounce on him!” I told him.

“Yeah- I don’t need to hear that. I already saw what you did to his picture. You fucking animal!” Dad said. He stood up and walked toward my door.

“But I doubt Danny would go on a second date with me. I think I blew it with him.” I said.

“Nonsense. I got this! Just leave this up to me and I’ll convince him.” He smirked at me.

“And if that doesn’t work?” I said.

“Your cousin is in Phoenix on some business. I’ll have him go to Danny’s aunt and uncle’s house and do a little threatening…” Dad said slyly. “You just gotta promise me that you’ll actually date Danny and not get him in your bed.” He added.

“I promise, dad. I won’t lay a finger on Danny.” I said, obviously lying.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t lay a finger on him. Give him a nice pat on the back or small touches. Just, you know, don’t get him naked on your bed…” Dad said.

I knew what he meant by that and I started to have dirty thoughts in my head. I’m guessing dad saw me starting to get hard.

“I’m gonna head out now. Enjoy yourself.” He laughed at his joke and exited my room.

Looking at my bulge, I pulled out my dick and was surprised how easily I got hard at the thought of Danny Boy.

When my dad told me I could give Danny Boy some small touches, my mind went to dirty places.

For example, petting his head and rubbing his scalp. Smacking his ass and fondling it. Giving him hickeys all over his neck. Or rubbing his sensitive nipples until he orgasms. I’ll call him a good boy whenever he pleases me. I’ll reward him for being good and punish him for being a bad boy.

The memory of when Danny Boy unbuttoned his shirt in front of me came into my head! It’s so obvious he did that to get a reaction out of me. And it worked. I’ve never wanted to rip something faster than his stupid shirt.

I could feel my tongue moving around in my mouth, imagining running my tongue through his body. He would moan so hard under me. All because that slut wanted to show some skin to me. That’s when I confirmed he wanted me.

I jerked myself off and started groaning. Twice in less than an hour. My libido has always been high.

When I came, I started imagining Danny Boy and the fun we could have. Maybe I will try to date him. I will admit that he was a nice person and very respectful, an important aspect for me.

Normally, I would be at the club right now looking for any piece of ass to bring home. But tonight, I think I’ll stay home. I don’t need to relieve myself with a one night stand. I’ll wait for Danny Boy to be ready.

Because the wait will be so worth it! He’ll come to me when he’s ready and I’ll treat him like a king. A king that’s under my control. He’ll moan, beg, groan, cry, pant, and exhale when he’s with me.

I could already hear the euphonious sounds we’d make in the bedroom. His high pitched moans compared to my deep groans.

I relaxed into my bed and decided to just go to sleep, hoping my dad is able to get a way to make Danny go on a second date with me. I hope he says yes. Though, my dad is threatening to kill his family if Danny Boy doesn’t obey.

I just know that Danny Boy is going to be different than all the other people I’ve met.

---

<3 ciao!

NINE

DANIEL HARPER

Today’s French class was a pain in the ass. I had to recite a page of Romeo and Juliet from English to French in front of the whole class. I thought I was gonna piss myself but the thing about speaking in French is it’s mostly tongue. You just gotta pronounce half the words.

It had been three days since I went on a date with Lucien Vittori. And three days since Sylvester Vittori threatened to kill my only family left and agree to date Lucien again. I haven’t heard back yet. 

I’ve been looking at my phone every five minutes, waiting for the text to let me know when my next date will be. At least my tuition is paid off. I told my aunt that I got a generous donor from one of my friends. My aunt insisted she thank this friend. Now Angie is expecting a knitted sweater from my aunt in a few days.

The strangest thing that’s happened in the last three days are my thoughts about Lucien.

I thought I hated him. I thought that I never wanted to see him again. But it seems that both my mind and body have different reactions. 

Whenever I think about Lucien, my thoughts at first are about how much of an ass he was. How angry he easily gets and when he shuts me out because I didn’t want to have sex with him. But that’s when things change…

Because then, it changes. Cause then, Lucien would stand up and be next to my seat. He would hold out His hand and tell me to follow Him. And I would obey! He’d lead me away from where we were and take me to a secret room with dark lighting.

He would tell me to kneel in front of the bed while He walked around me, inspecting every part of me. I’d be looking at the floor and look up when He’d tell me to. Then, He would tell me to take off all my clothes. I would follow and would be naked in front of Him. 

His large hands and fingers would touch my warm skin. He would trace my skin and leave soft trails. He would then take His shirt off and reveal his beautiful chest. He would place his hand under my chin and make me look up at Him. His eyes would stare deep into me.

“Have you been a good boy?” He would ask me. I would nod yes and hope for a reward. 

“Good boy.” He would say. He would unbuckle His pants and let them fall while I’d be presented with His dick. No matter how hard I try to, I just can’t picture how His dick would look. The sheer perfection of it. 

“Here’s your prize, Danny Boy.” He would say, placing His hand behind my head and make me reach closer to his hanging dick. 

And then I would wake up. 

I’d be panting hard and wondering what I just imagined. I haven’t told anyone, not even Angie, about my dreams. Mainly because it’s kinda embarrassing. I love it when I imagine Lucien calling me a good boy. I love it when he commands me to do something. 

Which just weirds me out because I’ve never been the type who likes being told what to do. Maybe in high school when my teachers would be too harsh on me. Or when the football team used to tease me. Or perhaps the death of my father leaving a gaping hole of patriarchal authority and now I’m wanting to compensate for it with stronger men.

Either way, Lucien awoke something in me and now I really want him to touch me. But I’m scared of what he would do to me. And what I would do to myself.

I walked out of class and made my way to the quad. I had nothing planned for the rest of the day, meaning I was free to either go explore more of NYC or see if anything was happening on campus.

However, I stopped in my tracks when I saw who was in front of me. I froze, not expecting to see this person.

“L-Lucien…” I muttered out. He was a few feet away from me. There was a sexy man, leaning against his car and wearing a tight fitting suit. He was too encased in his phone to look up. Everytime a girl passed by him, they would stare at the tall hunk. And every guy that passed him would have their masculinity threatened.

And Luien didn’t notice. Or, maybe he did. But he didn’t care because he’s probably used to it. 

I wanted to run away or maybe hide myself. I could sneak back into the building and hide however long I have to. Maybe a car could come crashing and I’d be forced to go to a hospital. Anything to avoid him!

But Lucien’s eyes looked up from his phone, his deep, terrifying eyes pierced into me. I let out a small squeal but was frozen in place. Lucien began his walk towards me. Every step I felt caused the ground to shake. 

His eyes scanned my body. I wore a loose fitting sweater and gray sweatpants. Not the most flattering outfit. But Lucien seemed to not care about that. 

“I’ve been looking for you, Danny Boy.” His deep voice said. The same deep voice that has haunted my dreams for the past few days. The voice that sends chills down my spine.

“Hi, Mr. Vittori!” I quickly said out loud. He smiled at me, or smirked. “What are you doing here?” 

“I heard you agreed to give me a second chance…” He said. Yeah, I did so my family doesn’t get killed.

“Mhm. And I heard you’ll tone it down this time.” I responded. 

“To an extent. Walk with me.” He said. I was confused at first until he put his hand behind the small of my back and led me to the trail outside the building. 

My nerves went up. Lucien was leading me through the quad. I turned around and noticed one of his men following us. 

“Listen, Danny. I want to apologize for snapping at you at dinner.” He said. I looked up at him to see if he was being serious. He was. He didn’t laugh but looked genuine.

“It was humiliating, Mr. Vittori. You won’t do that again, will you?” I asked.

“I can’t promise I won’t. But I’ll make an effort with you. Truth is, I wanted to hook up with you cause I liked how you look. I still like how you look. Though I want to get into dating.” He said. 

We passed by the hippies smoking weed on the hill. “What about your anger issues? Am I gonna get you mad one day and you’ll beat me or kill me?” I asked.

“No.” He said. He stopped me and turned me around to look up at him. “I would never ruin your pretty face.” He rubbed his thumb on my face. He ran it over my cheek and rubbed it softly.

He became intense and started to rub his thumb closer to my lips. He furrowed his eyebrows, concentrating on what he was doing. His thumb was on my lips and he tried to force his way into my mouth. I grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm away.

“Lucien.” I softly said. He snapped out and cleared his throat. 

“Apologies, Danny. I got a bit carried away.” He spoke in a respectful manner. Though from the smirk on his lips, I’m guessing he knew what he was doing. Probably testing the waters to see how I would react to his touch. 

“I need to know that you’re serious about this. I’ll agree to some things but also you need to respect my boundaries. If you ever get too rough or too far, will you be able to control yourself?” I asked.

“I know I can. I also know I can take things too far, and I’ll work on it. I promise to respect you.” He spoke to me in a soft manner. 

“Also, I didn’t like that your dad was so quick to use my family as a bargaining chip to date you.” I said. I explained to Lucien how his dad had my family threatened. I left out how his dad pulled my strings and made me want to date him because I liked Lucien’s authority. 

“That’s something you’ll have to get used to, unfortunately. That’s just how our business works.” He said.

Not sure if I want to be involved in stuff like that. He saw my hesitation.

“I’ll make sure not to involve you in any of those things. Around you, I’ll be the most charming man you’ve ever met.” He added. I blushed hard.

“I guess we can give it a go.” I replied. A smile grew on his face. A genuine one.

“Perfetto…” He softly said. 

“Where’s the date gonna be at?” I asked

“We can go to The Edge. Or there’s this place in the Upper East Side where they filmed a lot of episodes of Gossip Girl at. Or that one bakery where those two Hollywood actors from the 40’s frequented.” He said. I stopped him from talking.

“How about a place you like? A place personal to you. Somewhere that has a close sentimental value to you. Do you get me?” I said.

“I don’t know any places like that…” He told me.

“I’ll give you time to think of it. Don’t rush it. I’m sure you have a special place. Mine is the backyard of my aunt’s house. I like to lie in the grass and create fake scenarios in my head.”

“I’ll think of it.” He said. His expression turned back to stoic. 

We did a lap and reached back to his car. The way back felt like I was talking to a good listener. Lucien didn’t judge. Didn’t interrupt. And didn’t make any sexual approaches at me. He just walked alongside and kept me at his side.

His car was ahead. Of course, there were some people trying to take a picture with his car. But when Lucien got close enough, he pressed his car button and it made a sound, scaring everyone off.

Even though Lucien is acting like a gentleman, I know that facade won’t last too long with me and soon his primal instincts will emerge again.

---

<3

TEN

DANIEL HARPER

I laughed a bit when everyone jumped out of the way of Lucien’s car. His security guards then began to shoo everyone away and let them scram. 

“I need to leave for business. But I’ll talk to you later. Right?” He said it like a child hoping they were still getting dessert.

“Right!” I responded. “I’ll give you another chance. Remember, choose a spot you like. And maybe I’ll like it too!” I said. 

“You’re so perfect, Danny Boy.” He said. I blush when he calls me Danny Boy. It’s not too demeaning but when he says it, and I call him Mr. Vittori, it leaves an imbalance of power. And Lucien knows he’s at the top.

“Thank you, Mr. Vittori.” I said. His hungry eyes came back. He looked at my lips. 

He cleared his throat. “I should get going.” He said. He stepped back from me.

“Oh, by the way!” I quickly said. He looked back up to me. “Can you get tested for any STDs?” I asked. Lucien was taken aback, probably offended I would ask such a thing.

“If you say so, Danny. But I know you don’t have to.” His words were poking at my virginity. “Ciao, Danny. I’ll contact you later. Yeah?” He said.

“Mhm. I’ll be waiting.” I said. He turned around and started walking to his car. He quickly turned back and gave me a wink before getting into his car and driving away quickly.

I honestly couldn’t believe that I had a normal conversation with Mr. Vittori. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t horny. He just talked and told me about his intentions. Which I’m grateful for because now I feel like I could also work and help him to reach his goal.

‘Walk, bitch!’ my brain randomly told me. I remembered I was standing and staring at the spot where Lucien’s car was just at. Turning in the direction of my dorm, I raced away and quickly pulled out my phone to dial Angie.

“Wassup, girlie.” She said in a chippy voice.

“Ang! Lucien just came to see me right now!” I quickly said into the phone.

“Fuck me!” She yelled into the phone.

“I just did.” A random guy’s voice said on her end. She shushed him quickly before I heard rustling. 

“Hold up, Danny! I’m on my way. Meet you in your room!” She quickly said before I heard the sound of stumbling and the call ended.

I’d rather not sit and think about what just happened. I needed to get to my room and try to process what I talked about with Lucien. I made a quick pit stop at Walgreens to get some snacks. As I was getting ready to pay and get my money from my pocket, I felt a weird thickness in my pants.

My hands reached into the pockets on my ass and pulled out a stack of money that had been placed there. There was a note attached. 

‘From Lucien. A small gift from me to you.’ it said. My legs started shaking again. Even when he’s not here, Lucien manages to find ways to get me nervous. The money was $500. Sugar daddy? Yes please.

When I reached my room, a frantic Angie was waiting outside with a bandage on her head.

“What happened to you?” I asked. She patted her bruise.

“Knocked into a desk as I was putting on my clothes quickly. Open the door quickly!” She said. I already had my keys out and unlocked the door. We both raced in. Before I closed the door, I took a glance at the hallway to see if anyone was watching us. 

“I got snackies!” I placed the bag on the table. Angie reached in and pulled out her Pocky. 

“Tell me now! What did he want?” She asked.

“He came to kinda set boundaries about us.” I said. She stared at me, wanting me to go on. “He apologized for how he treated me on our date. He then went on to explain that he wants to give it a go in our relationship.” I explained.

“Aww! If he wasn’t a scary dude, I would totally date him!” She said. 

“I really want to go out with him, but isn’t it dangerous to date a person like him? Involved in sketchy things?” I said.

“Probably yeah. This kinda reminds me of those mafia Wattpad stories. Imagine you get kidnapped by a rival gang and held captive and used as a bargaining chip?” She laughed. I laughed too.

“You read too many fanfics.” I rolled my eyes and pulled out my wafer cookies. “Should I buy a gun? I don’t even know how to use one…” I said

“Nah. Based off what I’ve heard, Lucien has, like, a crazy amount of bodyguards. And he also seems to be the overprotecting type so he’ll protect you. But maybe get pepper spray. Just in case.” She gave me a small wink.

My breathing was increasing when I pictured myself in bed with Lucien. The thought was so random. It just came into my head. 

I was on His bed, laying on my back with no clothes on. Lucien was staring at me with His dark eyes. His pupils themselves aren’t dark, but a light hazel. But the aura He exhibits gives His eyes a dark look. 

They stare into my soul, watching me while Lucien stood over me. 

Lucien only wore black pants. But they were pulled down so much you could see the start of Lucien’s dick. 

“Just stay there, Danny. I’ll be gentle…” His raspy voice would say. I would whimper, not knowing what this man would do to me. 

Would He be gentle, or would He be rough? And would I like either? Or both?

Lucien would unbuckle His pants and let them drop to the floor. He would be naked just as. His body would be the most perfect I’ve ever seen. 

Lucien would climb onto the bed and slowly crawl towards me. His hungry eyes watched me. I’d be a bit scared and scoot a bit back until my back hit the wall of the bed. 

By then, Mr. Vittori would be in front of me. His arms caged me and His legs on either side. His neck would bend down and He’d lick my neck and collar bone. 

My hands would begin to go up and try to touch Him until He’d grab both my wrist and harshly plant them onto the soft mattress.

“Uh-uh, Danny. You can only touch when I say so…” He’d say. My legs would close instinctively, trying to protect myself from him. But Lucien would move one of His legs. His knee would pry open my legs.

“I’m not gonna hurt you, Danny. I might be a little rough, but I’m sure you can handle it.” His fingers would brush all over my body.

As His hand would trail lower, ragged breaths would escape my mouth. A coat of sweat would begin to cover my forehead. His hand was now on my hip, and it trailed closer to my own dick.

Just as He was about to grab it…

“Earth to Danny!” Angie’s voice would snap me out of my daydream.

I cleared my throat and saw I’d been crushing a bag of Oreos in my hand. “Uh what? Sorry!” I said.

“You kinda spaced out there. Were you imagining Lucien?” She laughed but what she didn’t know was that I was. 

“Nah. I just remembered a really good diner I saw that I wanted to try out.” I made up an excuse. Angie gave me a skeptical look but let it go.

My phone began ringing. I looked down at it to see the caller had no ID. “Answer it!” Angie chanted.

I pressed the green button. “Hello?” I asked.

“Danny!” A cheery voice spoke. It’s Sylvester’s. I still remember when he threatened to kill my family.

“Hi, Mr. Vittori. What can I do for you?” I asked. 

“First of all, thank you for giving my Lucy another chance! Second, remember that deal we made when you first accepted the date?” He asked.

I shook my head but remembered he can’t see me. “No, sir. I can’t recall.” I said.

“In exchange for paying your tuition, you’ll have to work for me and give us your knowledge. Remember?” He said. It clicked and I remembered that conversation.

“Yeah, I do now.” I said.

“We have a meeting coming up soon. And I’ll need you there. I’ll send you the address or Lucien could take you. It’s your end of the deal.” He explained to me.

“Mhm. Got it!” I replied.

“Great! See you soon, Danny…” He said and hung up. I looked at Angie.

“Welp, looks like you’re a part of the mafia!” She said. I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t think so. They’re just using my knowledge.” I said. 

“To benefit them. Maybe get a pocket knife too, just in case.” She told me.

I chuckled and didn’t think much of it. Because why would anyone go after me? I’m just a college student trying to make a living. And I’m also going on a date with the mafia prince. Though… 

Being around Lucien is dangerous, and now I’m part of his danger.

---

<3 ciao

ELEVEN

DANIEL HARPER

Lucien’s car was waiting for me in the parking lot. I knocked on the window and he turned to give me a small smile.

“Hop in, Danny.” He said. I ran to the passenger side and hopped in his car.

“Where are we going?” I asked him. Lucien put the car into drive and made his way out of the college campus and onto Broadway street.

“You said you wanted me to take you somewhere special to me. Well, my parents own a home in the Hamptons. Figured I’d take you there.” Lucien said.

“See, that wasn’t so hard. I’m sure there’s other special places you remember.” I told him.

“Nah. My life kinda sucks. But I do hope to make some new special places.” Lucien said.

Lucien kept driving while I looked around and saw the city. I’ve never actually seen the entirety of New York City. Probably because I heard from somewhere that you’re more likely to get bitten by a New Yorker than a shark.

The radio was low and was playing classical music. It sounded like either Vivaldi or Tchaikovsky.

“You like classical music?” I asked Lucien.

“Definitely. Classical music can both convey perfection, heartbreak, anger, stress, psychosis, and sadness. Its range is large and anyone can relate to any song.” He explained.

I decided to ask. “Do you have sex with classical music on?” I asked. He let out a deep chuckle.

“I haven’t tried it. That does sound a bit fun though.” He said.

After a long drive to the Hamptons, Lucien began driving through a large set of gates. The surrounding property was huge, bigger than my university’s campus. The entrance to the home came. It’s as big as you would expect. A large mansion with high glass windows. It almost reminds me of Jay Gastby’s home.

“Woah…” I awed at the home.

“It’s a nice place. Let’s head in. We have lunch waiting.” Lucien said. He stopped his car in front of the large front door. He quickly hopped out, came to my side, and opened my door.

Lucien escorted me up the large steps and towards the front door. He handed someone who looked like his servant the car keys. “Take care of her.” Lucien said.

The interior of the home felt like… a home. Usually, large homes like this feel like empty shells, bought by rich people who never live in them. But this place feels like a place where you could raise a family. A place where you can host a dinner party.

“You like?” Lucien asked, watching me as I stared at the foyers and chandelier.

“It’s amazing!” I said.

“Mom designed this place. She insisted we use maximalism instead of minimalism.” He said.

“Your mom certainly has taste.” I said.

“Indeed she does.” I turned to see Lucien staring at me.

“Lunch?” I asked.

“Right. Follow me.” Lucien began walking through the foyer. He removed his blazer, revealing his tight fitting button up shirt underneath. I kept staring as his back muscles flexed everytime he moved.

I thought we were going to have lunch inside his home. But instead, Lucien opened the glass sliding door that led to outside. I walked outside with him and breathed in the air.

“It smells amazing here!” I sighed.

“That’s the Atlantic Ocean.” Lucien replied.

Lucien began walking towards a wooden platform extended from the verdant grass. The platform had wooden pillars leading up. I followed Lucien and looked up and saw the platform had a roof. But rather than it be more wood, the entire place was shaded by foliage. Large vines and purple lavender hung under.

“This is beautiful.” I said.

“There’s more to see. We have a small vineyard here too and a secret speakeasy built during the Prohibition. But that’s for another day.” Lucien said.

The center of the gazebo had a table and two chairs across from each other.

“Sit.” Lucien commanded me. I went to my seat, being pulled out by Lucien, and sat. He scooted my seat and just like last time, his fingers lingered on my shoulders.

Lucien snapped his fingers and a servant came by and held a bottle of wine.

“Danny. Do you want water?” Lucien asked me.

“Yeah, I’ll take a water.” I replied.

The waiter left and brought back a wine glass full of water with ice cubes in it.

Take two, starting now.

“You’re very beautiful.” He said to me.

“Thank you.” I replied. I wore khaki pants and a light blue button up. I felt like I was going to a wedding though Angie insisted it matches the rich atmosphere of the Hamptons.

The first course came. It was a simple side salad and stuffed mushrooms.

“No peanut, by the way.” Lucien said while I was carefully inspecting the food.

He remembered. Kinda the bare minimum, but he still remembers.

The appetizer was perfect. I could actually enjoy the food and not be scared.

The entre came, the main star of the date. It was almost similar to what Lucien had ordered at The Rooftop. Only this time, it was sliced wagyu beef with roasted potatoes and wine sauce.

“Who cooked this?” I asked.

“I hired a chef from Hell’s Kitchen. Real angry Polish guy.” He said.

“This is delicious.” I savored the meat in my mouth.

Lucien’s leg began to rub against my leg. His shoe went higher and higher until it was on my thigh. He made a point to rub it in and massage my leg.

“So…” I choked out, trying not to focus on his foot. “How’s your mother doing?” I asked.

“She’s doing good. Heard her and my dad having vigorous sex last night.” He smirked at me.

“Oh, that must’ve been awkward.” I sipped my water to moisten my throat.

“Nah. They’ve heard me have sex multiple times. It’s not too much of a bother.” Lucien said. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and sipped his wine.

“A-Are we having dessert?” I coughed and asked.

“Would you like something sweet?” He asked.

“Mhm. Yes, sir.” I replied. Lucien snapped his fingers and the waiter came back with two plates.

“This is a tiramisu. I’m sure you’ve had it before, right?” Lucien asked.

“Yeah. I did. But it has nuts in it. It’s how I discovered my peanut allergy, heh…”

“I can assure you, there isn’t any nut in here.” Lucien said, his eyes watching me.

I picked up the golden fork and took a stab at the cake and brought it closer to my lips. Once the food was in, my lips clamped around the fork as I pulled it out to get as much of the cake as I could.

The sweet but bitter coffee taste hit me immediately. I let out a small moan over how delectable the tiramisu was. And the whole time, Lucien never ate his. But instead, watched me with great intrigue.

“Wanna have mine? I’m a bit full from the meat.” Lucien said. I shyly nodded and he slid his plate over to me.

Lucien watched me eat dessert while he sipped on wine. His foot never left my thigh, just sat there and would twitch.

“C’mon. I wanna show you somewhere.” Lucien stood up and grabbed my hand. I left my phone on the table but Lucien didn’t seem to care. “You’ll get it later.” He said.

We reentered the house and went to a corridor where another set of stairs led to the second story. I admired the paintings on the wall and the beautiful carpet and curtains. A mixture of royal-everything and ivory and mahogany.

After Lucien let my hand go, which now had a red hand print, we stood in front of a large set of double doors.

“What’s in there?” I asked.

“My sex dungeon.” He replied. I gasped and turned to him only to see him let out a soft chuckle. “I’m only kidding, Danny Boy.” He ruffled my hair.

Lucien went to a small gray metal box on the wall near the door and opened a small hatch. A scanner was there and Lucien placed his hand on it.

A loud booming sound was heard and the doors began to open on their own. I was terrified as to what was on the other side.

“Relax, Danny. Nothing’s gonna hurt you.” He assured me. The room was only illuminated by the large opened window.

But automatically, a large set of lights turned on. The chandelier from above glowed and the whole room came to light.

That’s when I noticed what this room was. There was a large rectangular table in the middle with over a dozen seats around it. The head of the table was the most grand of all, with velvet and gold covering it. Beside it was a similar looking seat but not as glamorous, though it still conveyed high power.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“It’s a meeting room for our family’s business.” Lucien said as if I didn’t know what he and his family did. I walked around the room, which smelled somewhat rich.

My fingers traced on the table. The hardwood did not have any dust. Nothing in this room had any dust. It all felt clean and up to date. This room had surely been used multiple times within the past few weeks.

“It feels so…” I said.

“So what?” Lucien asked.

“Professional.” I added. It kind of felt like I was in an office building in the financial district. But I was in a mansion in the Hamptons.

Just as we were about to sit on the chairs, we heard a loud ruckus of noise coming from outside. We quickly ran to the window overlooking the entrance of the property and saw a long line of black cars lining into the front parking space.

“Oh, I see it’s time.” Lucien said. It all felt so quick. “My dad’ll get angry if he knows we came in here unauthorized.” He said. “We should hide.”

“But where?” I asked. But the time we make it out of here, everyone will see us.

“In there.” Lucien said. In the meeting room was a small door barely noticeable. When he opened it, it revealed a small closet full of cleaning supplies.

Lucien quickly shoved me in there and he entered and closed the door behind him.

Now I was left in a dark room, alone, with the scariest man I’ve ever met.

---

<3

TWELVE

LUCIEN VITTORI

My breathing was under control. However, Danny Boy’s was fast and beating quick. Which would make sense because the little one has no idea what’s going on. Poor thing. Maybe if he had his phone, he would’ve known that my dad called for a meeting and wanted us to meet here.

I saw this moment to be able to have Danny alone in a confined space. I used to sneak in here when I was child and listen to the things my parents and his work buddies would talk about. 

“Should we-” Danny said but his voice was too loud.

“Shhh!” I shushed him. He stopped talking but his breathing continued.

We heard footsteps from outside getting closer to the meeting room.

“Who already opened this place?” My dad asked.

“Who cares. At least I don’t have to do that God awful security check.” A guy whom I recognized as Lorenzo said.

A series of more footsteps got closer and soon I could feel that there were more people in the room. The greetings and chatter made it sound like it was a nice formal event. But once business starts, things take a turn.

“Lucien. I don’t feel-” Danny said but I put my hand over his mouth. I shushed him.

“Aye, Slyvy! Where’s Lucien?” Someone asked.

“You know him. He’ll arrive later probably.” Dad replied.

Danny was readjusting himself. But in his efforts, he squirmed and rubbed against my dick with his legs. I knew I was getting hard and it didn’t help that Danny was whimpering.

Danny was chest to chest with me, but I easily towered over him so his face was squished into my pecs and neck.

With the bare light that came from the crack of the door, I saw Danny looking up at me with his big beautiful green eyes.

I don’t know what came over, and frankly, I didn’t care, but my head bent down and I planted my lips on Danny’s. He was shocked and let out a small gasp. Danny was too scared to make a loud sound, so he went along with it.

The kiss was with no tongue, but it still felt amazing. My hands came up to his head and gripped his hair. I had him pinned to the wall in the closet and refused to let him go.

“Let’s get this meeting started.” My dad said.

I clenched Danny’s hair in my palms, not too hard. Danny let out another whimper.

“Shhh.” I shushed him. “There’s people outside.” I whispered to him.

“Hmm.” He groaned when my knee went to his crotch and rubbed him hard. 

“If they find out we’re in here, they’ll stop this. And you don’t want this to end, do you?” I groggily asked him. Danny leaned into my collar and bit my neck while trying to suppress his panting.

“Anyone want tea? I saw on Cosmopolitan that earl gray is good for you.” Dad asked the room.

“No. But where’s Lucien? He should be here?” Giovanni asked.

“Oh he is here. Marco?” Dad said. 

In a swift move, the door to the closet opened and everyone’s eyes were on me and Danny. Danny turned red and tried to hide his face while I stood there proudly.

“How’d you know?” I asked dad.

“I saw Daniel’s phone left on the table outside. Plus, the system told me it was you who signed in.” Dad said. He motioned for the seat next to his.

“Excuse, sir? But why is there an extra seat here? Everyone is here already?” Christiano asked. 

“Oh, that seat is reserved for our newest member. Come out, Daniel.” Dad asked. I stepped out the closet and finally Danny also. He was red in the face and was fixing his collar. I heard whispers around the room.

“He’s a child.” Lorenzo said.

“Ahh, yes. But don’t let his size fool you. He’s already been on two dates with my son.” Dad said. The room went into whispers again. I’m guessing dealing with me that long is a sign of mental and/or physical strength.

I took my seat next to dad and motioned for Danny to take the empty seat, located a bit far away from me. 

Danny took his seat. The little man was so out of place compared to the rest of the older, roughed up looking men. A chihuahua among rottweilers and great danes.  

“Alright. Back to business.” Dad said. He spoke about opening an exclusive club in the upper east side and what young people are into nowadays.

“We’ve had to bail out a few of our lackeys last week because the pigs busted them for drug possession. Security is tightening, sir.” A guy spoke.

“Yes, I heard about that. Anyone have any ideas on how to solve this?” Dad asked the room. Everyone was silent, either thinking or not thinking but trying to look like they are.

“Have you tried landing them via helicopter?” Someone suggested.

“Not too many places have helicopter pads. Plus, lackeys aren’t willing to learn how to use one. It’s too risky for them.” Dad said. Everyone went back to thinking.

I turned to look at Danny, who was sitting in his seat and looking around. He looked like one of those quiet kids who has the answer but is too shy to speak up. Dad noticed this too because he was also looking at Danny.

“Daniel.” His voice said and startled Danny. “You look like you have something to say.” Dad said. Danny was shocked that he’d gotten called on. Everyone was looking at him while he looked like he wanted to throw up.

“Uh,” Danny cleared his throat. “Where’s this chokepoint?” He asked.

“Inwood.” Dad said.

“What’s the security company?” Danny asked.

“The NYC Security Agency.” Dad responded. Danny went back to thinking.

“Have you tried creating your own security company?” Danny asked. Some people scoffed.

“No no, everyone shut up. I wanna hear this.” Dad motioned for Danny to continue.

“W-Well, if you’re having trouble with police, why not create your own police. You’ll create your own company with no links to you and replace the NYC Security Agency. You’ll “check” trucks but let them through, faking a thorough check.” Danny explained.

“So you’re suggesting we create a fake force to fake check our trucks and let them through into the island?” Dad asked Danny. Danny nodded adorably.

“It sounds genius.” I whispered to dad. 

“What I’m confused about is, why haven’t any of you in this room come up with anything remotely similar. You’ve lost revenue in the last quarter and now here comes a newbie with a plan in mind.” Dad angrily told the room.

Peoples’ faces were red, probably worried that dad would kill them all right now.

“Meeting adjourned. Daniel, type out your idea and send it to me via email. I look forward to executing your plan. The rest of you, I’ll be seeing you all next week during my visits.” Dad ended his meeting and everyone stood up and began stretching.

I quickly walked over to Danny who was standing in a far corner. 

“Danny.” I said, my hand reaching down to grab his. He looked up at me and a small smile came on his face.

Then he cringed. “Does it hurt?” He asked. He pointed to my collar, the place he had bitten on.

“Hmm? This? I’ve felt worse. Besides,” I leaned down to his ear. “It actually felt kinda good.” I told him. He turned red in the face.

“Are we gonna talk about it?” He asked.

“Talk about what?” I asked.

“The… kiss.” Danny whispered.

“Did you not like it? Should I have asked you?” I asked Danny.

“I-I don’t know. It was just out of nowhere and caught me off guard.” Danny looked like he wanted to say more but didn’t.

“You were quick on your feet today. Most people don’t say anything in their first few meetings. Let alone impress my dad. I think you’ll be a great asset to us, Danny.” My head bent down and admired the beauty in front of me.

My hand came up to Danny’s face and felt his soft skin on his cheek. My fingers rubbed over his cheek bone while my rings grazed over his skin.

One of my fingers began to trace lower to his lips and rubbed them. Danny exhaled and looked nervous, however, I noticed that he wasn’t pulling away. 

“Lucien…” Danny moaned. My finger pressed harder on his bottom lip, trying to get in. I grew more intense.

‘Open up.’ I said in my head.

“Lucie-” Danny spoke but my finger took the chance and entered his mouth quickly. Danny was shocked and kept his mouth agape. My pointer finger began exploring his warm mouth.

Danny closed his lips around my finger and stared up at me in shock. I wanted him to stop talking.

I reached my finger deeper into his mouth, trying to reach the back of his throat. I reached the back of his throat all the way until he started gagging. He grabbed my wrist and pulled out my finger as he continued gagging.

“Not bad.” I softly said to him. 

We’ll need to work on his gag reflex. I can’t have my partner not be able to take a finger all the way into his throat.

“Can we leave now?” Danny asked, red in the face and catching his breath.

“Sure, we can leave now.” I said.

I just lightly violated Danny, and the best part was, he didn’t object to anything.

---

<3 ciao!

THIRTEEN

DANIEL HARPER

The ride home, it felt like a tiny switch was turned on to Lucien. After getting a kiss and him violating me in the closet, Lucien has been a bit more promiscuous towards me. For example, as I was getting back into the car, Lucien stood behind me and I felt his hip nudge forward and hump me.

I was glad I managed to impress Sylvester. It was easy, really. I remembered in US History class in high school about how Al Capone managed to sneak bootleg alcohol into cities without being questioned.

“Don’t forget to type up your proposition and send it to my dad. I’m sure he’s going to want to implement it as soon as possible.” Lucien told me. He turned onto the street that leads to NYU.

“I was so terrified when he called on me. It reminded me of high school when teachers used to call on me in class.” I said.

“Expect more of that. My dad likes to call on people out of nowhere to scare them. You were just lucky that you had a brilliant idea.” Lucien said.

“You think it was brilliant?” I asked him. He smirked and looked at me, taking his eyes off the road.

“Oh, of course. I’ve never seen someone impress me that much. The look on everyone’s faces was priceless.” He said.

I noticed as he took a small turn and brought his car to an alleyway, far from the main street. The sky was dark and no one would see us here.

“Uh, Lucien? Where are we?” I asked.

I turned and saw Lucien looking at me with a smirk on his face. A grin was on his face. I was now a bit terrified and wanted to leave this place. I wanted to get away from both this dark place and Lucien himself. Something about him just did not sit right with me right now.

Lucien cleared his throat. “You were saved, you know that right?” He said in a deep, dark voice.

“Saved from what?” I asked.

“From… well, me.” He replied.

“I-I don’t know what you mean.” I told him.

“Had I had even one more minute with you in that closet, you would not be able to walk right now. It was by sheer luck that my dad found us there.” Lucien said.

“What if I didn’t want to?” I asked.

“I know I would’ve found a way to get you to spread your legs.” He said, his hand on my thigh now.

“So you would’ve fucked me in that closet where people would hear us?” I asked, shivering at his touch.

“Why do you think I wore a tie? I knew I would need something to shut that pretty mouth of yours.” He said, his thumb tracing my lips.

“Can we go to my dorm? It’s getting late.” I whimpered out.

“Oh, Danny Boy. We’ll go back soon, but I need something from you.” He said.

“What-” I asked.

Lucien firmly grabbed my wrist and tugged me towards him. My face slammed into the side of his chest. He brought my hand down to his pants and planted my palm on his dick. I felt the large length and gulped hard.

“Fuck! Your touch is amazing.” He groaned out.

I tried tugging my hand away from him. “Lucien! Lucien! Please let me go!” I pleaded.

“Am I hurting you?” He asked me, leaning into my ear and whispering into it.

“Mhm!” I groaned out. My wrist was burning by his firm grip.

“I deserve this, Danny Boy. After you bit me, and you tempting me all day, I need this from you.” He told me.

“Lucien! It hurts!” I yelled.

“Nah. I don’t like how that sounds. Call me Sir from now on, yeah?” He said.

“Lucien-”

“Sir!” He reminded me.

“Sir! I’ll do anything! Just let me go!” I pleaded. I felt my wrist be let go and thrown at me.

“Anything?” He asked slyly.

“Anything, sir.” I responded, lowering my head and rubbing my burning wrist.

“Alright. If you say so.” Lucien began to unfasten his belt and pulled out his dick.

“Holy shit…” I muttered. I saw the glorious ~9 inches of hard dick. It was even more perfect than I could imagine. It stood completely straight up and was a nice pink-tan color, similar to Lucien’s skin.

“I won’t be asking for a blowjob. You’re not ready for that. But your hands will be enough.” Lucien told me.

“I’ve never given anyone a handjob before.” I told him.

“Then I guess you’re getting a crash course tonight. It’s similar to jerking off, but it’s just someone else’s dick.” Lucien told me.

I gulped hard and stared at his dick. My hand came up and slowly began to make its way to it. Lucien watched every move I made. His eyes must’ve grown bigger as he watched me get closer to his dick.

My pointer finger touched the head. It was hot. My hand then clamped the entire base. Lucien grunted but didn’t stop me. I slowly jerked upwards and down again on his dick, doing slow and shallow movements.

“Spit on it.” Lucien grunted out.

“Spit on it?” I asked him.

“I’m not asking again!” He bellowed out. I leaned forward and gathered some spit on my mouth. However, I didn’t spit and just let it fall out of my mouth and let it land on his dick. I watched as my saliva rolled down his shaft and onto my fingers.

That’s when I started jerking him off faster. Thanks to my spit, it was much easier to do now. Lucien was groaning deep groans. He put his hand on my head and patted my hair.

“That’s a good boy.” He would grunt out.

The car began to feel cramped and steamy. I hated this feeling. I just want to go to my dorm. No, not even dorm. I want to go home to Arizona. But this is the only way to get out of this.

“Faster!” Lucien grunted out. My hand began to pump faster and faster. Lucien told me to spit on his dick again so I did. More moisture was added.

Lucien’s groans were turning me on too and I felt my dick get hard too. Had this been anyone else, I would’ve asked if I can jerk off too. But knowing Lucien, his pleasure comes before anyone else’s.

“Shit! Oh God! I’m coming!” He grunted out. I kept my pace the same. Stroking down to the base and up to the tip. When I reached his tip, my fingers got wet from precum escaping.

“Don’t stop!” Lucien grunted. I turned and saw his eyes looking at me. He was biting onto his beautiful pink lips and trying hard not to scream out.

“I’m coming!” He yelled. I felt his dick twitch and expand in my palm. His right hand went and grabbed a handful of my hair, hurting me a bit.

He finished and squirts were flying in every direction in the car. Some landed on his pants, some on the window. It was everywhere and I’d never seen anyone release so much.

When Lucien was all spent, he was catching his breath while I remained with my hand on his dick and doing small jerks. Lucien wiped his forehead of sweat and patted my head again.

“That was my biggest load yet.” He said.

“S-So, can we go home now?” I asked. Lucien pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping his load from everywhere it had landed.

“Yeah. We’ll leave now.” He replied. Once he was sure everything was clean, he tucked his dick, which was slowly going back down, into his pants. He handed me the handkerchief and let me wipe my hands clean.

I handed the wet cloth back to him. He rolled down his window and threw it out.

I heard him chuckle and turned to see him looking at me.

“What?” I asked. He pulled his hand towards my face and wiped my right cheek. He brought his hand and let me see what it was.

“Some landed on you.” He told me, holding out his thumb which had a bit of his load on it.

He then did the unthinkable. While I was still trying to grasp everything that had happened, Lucien lunged forward and stuck his thumb into my mouth. Before I could push him back, he pinned me against his car window.

It was too late since I swallowed whatever he had on his thumb.

“Soon you’ll be taking loads much bigger.” He said. His thumb swirled around in my throat and touched every crevice on my mouth. He pulled it out and wiped his thumb on my shirt.

He reversed out of the alleyway and went back onto the main street. I turned and looked back at the dark area in between the townhouses and shivered at the thought of what happened there. Where Lucien made me give him a handjob in order for me to go home.

I shivered in my seat and refused to look at Lucien.

After an awful silent car ride home, he parked in front of my dorm building.

“Here we are.” He said. I went to open the door but he locked it.

“Can I leave?” I asked, still not wanting to look at him.

“Sure, but look at me.” He said. I turned and saw him breathing hard. “Just remember that I didn’t force you to do anything. That was all on you.” He said.

“You didn’t want to bring me here unless I gave you a handjob.” I replied.

“But you liked it, didn’t you? Admit it.” He said. I didn’t reply.

I unlocked the door and quickly got out and closed it shut. The thing I need right now is a nice long fucking shower and forget about today.

I did one final turn and saw Lucien sitting in his car, window rolled down, staring at me. He gave me a final wink and drove away.

---

</3

FOURTEEN

DANIEL HARPER

I stood under the shower, letting the water hit my hair and clean me. Not only was I violated by Lucien, but I offered an idea that would be used in an illegal operation. I felt dirty, filthy, and stained with sin. 

The warm water turned cold quickly. I jolted at the sudden pain from the cold and turned off the water. I got my towel from the towel rack, dried myself, and tied it around my waist. I opened the curtain and stepped into the clearing where other communal showers were. 

Sitting on the sink was Angie. She had her foot on the edge and was painting her nails.

“Angie? Why are you in the boy’s bathroom?” I asked her. 

“The girl’s bathroom is full of girlies doing their 16-step skin care routine. It’s much calmer in here.” She said. She closed the bottle of nail polish and blew air on her toe nail.

“Can I change?” I asked her. Angie took a look up and down my body.

“Daniel, for a nervous wreck full of anxiety and stress, you’re pretty built.” She hopped off the table and walked towards me. “Can I?” She asked

“Sure.” I replied. She trailed her hand down my body and touched my skin. 

“Hmm, if you weren’t gay, I would’ve had the biggest crush on you.” She said and pulled her hand away.

“If I was straight, you’d be the girl I’d date.” I replied.

“Nah, I’ve decided to live a life without settling down. Anyways, how’d it go with Lucien?” She asked.

“It was…” 

“Oh, Danny Boy. We’ll go back soon, but I need something from you.”

“I deserve this, Danny Boy. After you bit me, and you tempting me all day, I need this from you.” 

“Soon you’ll be taking loads much bigger.”

“… okay-ish.” I finished. 

“What do you mean, “okayish”? Did something happen?” She asked. 

I wasn’t sure if I should tell her the whole story. The handjob I gave Lucien in the alley. Where he basically trapped me. She already knows that I’m doing sketchy things by associating with Lucien.

“Well, uh, he kissed me.” I shyly said.

“Is this a good or bad thing?” She asked. I could see she was excited and wanted to jump and cheer.

“To be honest, I’m not sure. He kinda did it out of nowhere. It caught me off guard.” I said.

“Did you enjoy the kiss?” She asked.

I thought about the kiss. It felt nice that Lucien would do something intimate, besides the handjob, without being told to. The date in itself was amazing. And when he was kissing my neck and grinding on my crotch in the closet, I felt cared for.

But those feelings were tainted when he drove into that alley. And now my emotions are all over the place. However, regarding the kiss itself, I did like it.

“I guess I did.” I replied.

“Aww! Wait? Is that your first kiss?” She asked. I nodded. “That’s kinda sweet.” She cooed.

“The date was nice. He hired a chef to cook for us. And he showed me around his childhood home. It was a fun day.” I said, remembering the amazing food and perfect home.

“It might be too early to say, but Lucien definitely has a keen interest in you.” Angie said. 

“Oh, yeah, for sure…” 

“Anyways, why are you taking a shower? It’s almost midnight.” She said.

“I kinda smell cause I was sweating so much, from the nerves.” I lied to her, not telling her about the handjob.

“Well, I gotta bounce. Don’t want my RA to find me here and write me up. I’ll see you tomorrow. We’re going to Rosie’s in Bowery, right?” She asked.

“As long as you’re paying.” I replied. 

“Of course, Daniel. Bye!” She hugged me and patted my back before running out of the bathroom.

I went to the small bench and gathered my clothes and changed quickly. I then went to my room and sat on my bed. 

I looked down at my hand and imagined me being in Lucien’s car again, jerking him off. The warmth of his dick, the thickness and length. How much he sprayed everywhere. It was so much. I can’t even grasp it.

Now that I think about it, something about that whole situation was kinda… erotic. The image of his perfect dick was now plastered all over my mind. 

I felt myself getting hard. Since I was alone in my room, I figured I could rub one out.

Laying on my bed, I pulled down my shorts and grabbed my dick. I spit on my hand and began jerking it. I daydreamed about Lucien. His amazing physique, his looks, his seductive nature, and his dick. 

Vivid images of me sucking him off or getting railed by it flashed in my mind and I quickly finished in my hand. 

A random shirt was used to clean up my mess. I stared at my ceiling, wondering what was happening to me. Why at first I’m so reluctant to do things with Lucien but proceed to have daydreams of him violating me. 

Since I couldn’t sleep, I decided to type up the proposal. I finished the document in under 30 minutes and sent it to Sylvester’s email. 

Now I was bored. I tossed and turned in my sleep and kept turning my pillow over. 

Then my phone started ringing. I checked the caller ID and saw it was a random number. Normally, you don’t answer a random number in the middle of the night. 

“Hello?” I said.

“Danny Boy?” That deep dark voice asked. 

“Lucien? How did you get my number?” I asked.

“From your file. Our past interactions have been orchestrated by my father. I figured it’d be easier if I just had your phone number in my contacts.” He said.

“That makes sense.” I said.

“How are you after earlier? I know we left on bad terms. I’m just checking up on you.” He said.

“I’m fine. I just took a shower.” I said.

“I bet you have the most amazing body. You fit so perfectly in my hold. Did you know?” He spoke in a romantic voice.

“No, I didn’t know. It was kinda hard to tell while your knee was rubbing on me and you were kissing my neck.” I replied.

“You enjoyed it, Danny Boy. You sounded like a whore under me.” His deep voice said.

“Please don’t call me that, Lucien. You promised, remember?” I asked.

“I promised my dad I wasn’t going to fuck you. But never promised I wouldn’t touch or call you things. I want you to come to my apartment tomorrow. We need some things to discuss.” He said.

“Tomorrow? But I have plans! Can’t we reschedule?”

“My needs are above anything of yours. You either come tomorrow, or you won’t have anything to come home to in Phoenix.” He warned me.

“You can’t just threaten to kill my family!” 

“I told you long ago, Danny Boy. This is just how it is. I have needs and your job is to look after them.” He spoke.

“What do I tell my friend? She’s been wanting us to go out.” I said.

“Tell her to reschedule. Think of something. Just bring that pretty ass of yours tomorrow. I’ll send you my driver.”

“Sure, Lucien. Whatever you say.” I said in a defeated voice.

“Good boy. Mom and dad really did make the right choice.” He said. He hung up the phone while I sat there trying not to yell at anything.

Lucien is really starting to take control of things. He basically pays my tuition, knows everything about me, and has the power to get me to drop anything just for him.

I hugged my Squishmallow in my hands and hugged it close to me. My phone lit up with a text. It was from Lucien, sending me a picture.

‘He says goodnight.’ and attached was a picture of his hard dick. It looked like he’d taken it in the shower judging by the water droplets on it and the floor.

I didn’t reply to him. I shut my phone off and felt the sleep starting to settle in.

Tomorrow, I’ll be anticipating something extreme from Lucien. My nerves are going through the roof, trying to think of what he could possibly need me for on a Sunday morning.

---

<3

FIFTEEN

LUCIEN VITTORI

“Sir, Mr. Harper is here.” Marco said into the speaker. I admired myself in my mirror, fixing my dark hair and giving it a final run through with my hands.

I exited my room and walked through the halls and down the stairs. Standing in the middle of the living room was Danny. He was oblivious and didn’t see me coming. 

I snuck up from behind him and watched him as he admired my home. That’s when I put my hands on his shoulder. He quickly flinched and tried to jump away but I kept him in place.

He turned and looked up at me and gulped. “Lucien!” He gasped out. “You scared me.” He said.

“Never leave your back unattended.” I said. My hands were rubbing his shoulder. I looked at his soft lips. The same lips that captivated me yesterday.

“I had to cancel a lunch date with my best friend. What do you need?” He asked with sass.

“Watch your tone, Danny Boy.” I warned him. “We’re gonna do some… practice… today.” I said with a hint of speculation for him to try and figure out.

My eyes began to wonder what Danny was wearing. He had an NYU sweater on and black shorts that reached to his knees. Meanwhile, I wore a white tank top and gray sweats. 

“Sorry, sir.” He muttered with his head down. Good to know he knows his place.

“My parents aren’t home. We have the place to ourselves.” I said.

Danny looked like he wanted to throw up. “So we’re… alone?” He shakily asked.

“It’s better this way.” I bent down and nibbled the skin near his ear. I felt his body shaking under my touch.

My right hand went down to grab his left hand. His soft skin makes me want to run my fingers all over it. 

“Follow me, Danny.” I said. I kept holding his hand and started walking. He was still standing there and almost fell on the floor when I tugged him hard. 

I led him up the stairs and through the hallway towards my room. I opened the door and pushed Danny in.

He stood in my room, looking around at my furniture.

“You sure like black.” He said, looking at my black bed, black marble walls, and dark carpets and curtains.

“Black is dominant. Of course I like it.” I said. 

I quickly put my hands on his shoulder and made him go on his knees.

“Sir?” He asked on the floor, looking up at me.

“Your hand was amazing last night.” I told him.

He gulped and started sweating while on his knees.

“Uh…” He gulped.

“I think we’re at the point where we can go a bit farther, right?” I asked him. He had slight tears in his eyes while looking up at me. “What do you think? Want the lights on or off?” I asked him. He scoured the room.

“I-I don’t know.” He whimpered.

“How about I close the curtains and dim the lights a bit. That’ll be nice, right?” I asked him.

“Mhm. Sure.” He replied softly. 

I grabbed my phone from off the desk and pressed a button to close the curtains. Then I adjusted the light settings and set it to be a bit dim. Not too dark where you can’t see but enough to where I can look at Danny.

“Advantages of having an internet of things home, right?” I asked him. He nodded his head, not sure what I just said. “You wanna take anything off? I reckon it’s going to get a bit messy in here.” I said to him.

“Maybe my sweater.” He replied. Before he could take it off himself, I bent down, grabbed the seam of his sweater, and pulled it right off him. 

He wore a simple black shirt. Nothing interesting. 

“Wanna take that off?” I asked him. 

“No, I’d rather keep this on-” I bent down and pulled off his shirt in an instant. I brought his shirt up to my face and smelled it. Vanilla. The perfect scent for Danny. Soft and simple, but hard and packs a punch.

“Wow…” I sighed when I looked down at Danny’s body. I never knew this tiny man would have somewhat of a defined chest. He’s no Adonis, for sure, but Dio mio is Danny even more sexy.

“I feel cold.” He shivered and rubbed his arms. I grabbed my phone again and adjusted the temperature.

“Anything you want, just ask.” I told him. 

Then came time for the main event. My hands went to the strings of my sweats and untied them. I felt my waist become loose.

I hooked my fingers on the seam of my sweats and pulled them down. I guess I should mention I was going commando.

As I pulled my sweats down, my hard dick jolted out and hit Danny in the face.

“Careful there.” I told him. He was rubbing his face from where it had hit him. “You can start now or I can help you.” I told him. 

Danny was awestruck by my dick. His eyes grew bigger as his hands came up shakily to grip my length. 

“What do I do?” He asked. I groaned.

“You give me a blowjob. You really are a virgin.” I replied. He had his mouth open. His cute, perky, small mouth with beautiful lips. 

However, Danny was taking too long. I grabbed his head with my hands and slid my dick deep into his mouth all the way down his throat. He started choking and trying to get me to push away. But my hands kept a tight grip on his head.

“Fuck! Your throat is tight as fuck!” I groaned out and began thrusting into his mouth. 

“MMGH!” He grunted out. I felt a sharp pain in my dick.

“Fucker!” I yelled and pulled out. “Did you bite me?!” I yelled at him.

Danny was gagging and trying to catch his breath while crouching on the floor. 

“Fine! I’ll go easy this time!” I said. I gave Danny a bit of time to get himself ready. By the time he came back up to his knees, his face was red and there was saliva running down his chin and chest.

He grabbed my dick with his hands brought it to his mouth. 

“No teeth or you’ll regret it.” I warned him. 

I slowly started to thrust in his mouth while he worked to get more in. He only took half my dick at first before he needed to breathe for air. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll take more of it soon.” I told him. 

He went back to sucking me off and I was reaching my blowing point.

“Fuck!” I groaned out.

I pulled my dick out of his mouth and blew my load all over his face. He was caught by surprise and closed his eyes quickly. I sprayed load after load onto his face and painted his face a misty white.

Looking down at him, my Danny boy with cum on his face looking up at me and him panting. 

“You look better like this.” I told him, pushing his messy black hair back. 

“Can I wipe this off now?” He asked in a shaky voice.

“Mmm…” I thought. “If you want to. Or you can eat it.” I said to him. 

I tucked my softening dick into my sweats and turned the lights back to its previous brightness. 

“There’s a bathroom over there.” I pointed to the door in the corner of my room next to the windows. “Clean up there. I’ll be downstairs.” 

I turned and walked out the room, leaving a cum-faced Danny Boy alone and shirtless in my room.

---

<3 ciao ragazzi

SIXTEEN

DANIEL HARPER

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. There I was, with Lucien’s cum dripping down my face and onto my chest. I brought my fingers up to my eyes and wiped off some. I now had a better view of the mess that I was. My hair was also messy from the hard pulling Lucien gave me.

Tears welled up in my eyes and were falling down my face, mixing with his load.

I turned on the water faucet, scooped water into my hands, and started washing away. I used some of Lucien’s face wash nearby and scrubbed my face hard. I even wet my hair. Next, I got a washcloth and wet it and began to clean my chest.

Once I felt less dirty, I fixed my hair and went back to my room. My shirt and sweater were tossed on the floor.

The hallway had a menacing feel to it. Unlike Lucien’s house in the Hamptons, which was full of paintings and gold encrusted furniture, this home was located in a penthouse in one of those pencil buildings in New York.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Lucien on the couch watching TV. His eyes turned to me and looked up and down my body.

“You’re here! Wanna join me?” He asked, patting a spot next to him.

“Can I go?” I asked him.

“Awe, come on, Danny! Join me! Please?” He asked. He said please, a word that sounds so foreign to him.

“Fine.” I muttered and walked to the couch he sat on. I planted myself on the spot to the right of him, but kept some distance between us.

“Hmm.” He grunted. I turned and saw him staring at the TV, not looking at me. I turned too and watched whatever he was watching.

I would’ve imagined Lucien would be into something like The Godfather or one of those mafia movies. Or maybe grim and dark movies like Silence of the Lambs or American Psycho. But no. When I turned to the TV, I saw him watching Phineas and Ferb.

“You like this show?” I asked him. He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Yeah? Is that an issue?” He asked me.

“N-No! No! Not at all! I just didn’t expect you to like cartoons.” I said, hoping I didn’t sign my death.

“It’s understandable. I would be confused by me too. But let me tell you something.” He put his arm over my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. “My life has so much darkness already. I never had a normal childhood. Sometimes, I just like to put some cartoons on and sit down and watch. You get me?” He asked.

I nodded. “Makes sense. Does anyone else know about this?” I asked.

“Only my parents. And… I guess you do too now.” He smiled at me like he didn’t just cum on my face a few minutes ago.

I know something about Lucien that no one else knows. Wow… I’m a bit speechless.

“Stay with me today. I’ll take you to your dorm later.” Lucien said to me. I visibly froze in my seat.

“Stay all day? I don’t know, Lucien.” I said.

“It’ll just be me, you, and this couch. Yeah?” He asked me. I began shaking.

“Please just let me go home! I have homework to do! And I need tutoring for French!” I told Lucien. I came up with any excuse to get out of here.

“But, you’re my boyfriend!” Lucien angrily blurted out.

Boyfriend…

Boyfriend!?

“Your what?!” I gasped out.

“We’ve been together for over a week. In my eyes, you’re worth the label. Come on, Danny. What do you say? Wanna be my boyfriend?” He asked. His hand was on my knee. Lucien was very close to me.

“Sure. I’ll be your boyfriend.” I replied.

Lucien bent down and started kissing my lips. His mouth moved and joined my lips. I started to reciprocate his moves. Lucien started to lean in harder and began to push me on my back. I layed back Lucien climbed on top of me, his lips never leaving mine.

“Mine.” He said and bent and started to kiss my neck. He left small marks and bits all over my neck and collar.

“Lucien!” I gasped out. He found the sweet spot, right under my ear.

Lucien’s hand started to rub on my chest. His hand slipped under my shirt and started rubbing my bare chest. He pinched my nipples and started rubbing them around. I moaned out. My arms went on Lucien’s neck and brought him closer to me.

Lucien’s right hand began to trail down. His hand was on the waist of my shorts.

“Lucien.” I moaned out.

His fingers danced on my skin. He slowly let himself into my shorts, past my underwear, and was now touching my dick.

I moaned louder when he grabbed my dick started jerking me off. His warm hand felt so fucking amazing. I need more. I needed to finish. I need to have Lucien.

“Tell me you love it.” He grunted in my ear as his hand pumped faster.

“I love it! I love it so much, Lucien!” I moaned out.

“It’s sir!” He grunted again.

“I love it, sir!” I moaned out.

His hand jerked faster. I told him I was close. That only drove him to go faster until I finished in his hand.

Both of us were panting and catching our breath. His face was so close to mine. I leaned and kissed him on the lips.

“That was amazing.” I said. Lucien slipped his hand out of my shorts.

“I always make my lovers feel great.” He brought his hand up and began licking my load off his hand. I stared both turned on and disgusted.

“Can I go home now? I actually do have tutoring.” I said.

“Why not stay? I’ll pay for a tutor. Please?” He asked. He batted his eyelashes, like it would work.

“Lucien. As my boyfriend, your job is to keep me safe and comfortable. Well, I want to go home.” I told him. He sighed and got off of me.

“Fine. You can go. But I expect you to call me when you get to your dorm. I need to know you’re safe.” He said. I nodded.

“Marco!” Lucien yelled. A voice on the speaker called out.

“Che cosa?” A voice from somewhere replied.

“Get a car for Danny. Take him back to campus.” Lucien yelled.

He turned back and looked down at me. He ran his fingers on my face, admiring my “beauty”.

“I’ve never felt like this for anyone before.” He said.

“Like what?” I asked.

“Like I actually care about you. I want you to myself. I want you to sleep over. I want to take you out and show you everything.” He gripped his hand into a fist. “But I’ll respect your wishes.” He said.

I reached up to push his hair behind his ear. “Don’t be so upset, Lucien. We’ll get there someday. Some people just need time to move forward.” I told him. He snuggled into my palm.

“Signor Vittori, la macchina è qui.” A voice called out.

“Your car is here.” Lucien said.

Before I turned around to leave, I pulled Lucien down by his shirt and kissed him. He kissed back and his hand reached down to grip my ass.

“Goodbye, Lucien.” I said.

“Ciao, Danny Boy.” He replied.

He let me go and enter the elevator. He gave me one last wave before the doors closed and I was on my way down.

---

<3 <3

SEVENTEEN

DANIEL HARPER

The black envelope sat on my bed with a red wax seal on it. I picked up the envelope and looked at it. How did they even get this into my bed? They’d have to have trespassed into the building, find my room, and break in. This whole family is insane.

The red wax seal had some sort of old family seal on it. It had all sorts of symbols and engravings. But one that stood out to me was the cursive V on the bottom.

I sat on my bed and started feeling sick for some reason. I broke the seal and pulled out a folded letter and read it.

Dear Daniel Harper,

You are invited to the annual Vittori Gala hosted at the Botanical Gardens. The two day event will feature a host of events such as auctions and a special 13-course dinner. The event is a white tie and you’ll need to match the dress code. No dress code, no entry.

Your invite has no plus one, please refrain from inviting another party. Please bring a change of clothes for an overnight stay at an exclusive resort nearby.

We’ll hope to see you there.

-Vittori Famiglia

Fuck me.

Which now leads me to where I am. I’m currently in the back of a limo with Lucien next to me as he types on his phone.

“Can this car go any faster?!” Lucien yelled at the driver.

“Calm down, Lucien! It’s not his fault you wanted to makeout with me before we had to leave.” I said.

“How could I resist? You were looking at me so cutely with your adorable suit on. I can’t keep my hands to myself.” Lucien leaned in and started breathing on my neck.

“Lucien! Not now!” I gasped and pushed Lucien away.

“Remember what I told you, right?” He asked.

“Yes, Lucien. If someone tells me that you’re looking for me, they’re trying to kill me.” I said.

“And what else?” He raised his eyebrow.

“Uh, right! Don’t sign anything or offend anyone!” I replied. He nodded in approval and petted my hair.

Once we reached the Botanical Gardens, we were escorted by security to a banquet hall that was made for these types of events.

I pulled on Lucien’s sleeves before we entered.

“Hmm? Everything alright?” He asked me.

“A little. I’m just worried cause everyone in here is a part of your family and your family is kinda terrifying.” I said.

“Don’t worry about anything. When people see us together, they’ll know to back away. No one will take you from me. Got it?” He asked.

I nodded.

“Good. Now, let the party begin.” He said. He signaled for the guard to open the door and reveal to us the large gala going on in the room.

The sight of everyone caused me to begin shaking in my shoes. Lucien reached down to grab my hand and started walking for us.

The room was full of several people, all dressed in nice and expensive looking clothes. I’m lucky that Lucien paid for my outfit tonight. The whole room was all older people with gray or graying hair. They look like your typical Italians, with slicked back hair and tanned skin.

“Remember, smile at them. The women give kisses on the cheek and the men take firm handshakes.” Lucien reminded me.

The walk we made towards Lucien’s parents was like walking through a red carpet: everyone giving us looks and whispering and wanting to get Lucien’s attention.

“Lucien! You actually made it!” His mom, a beautiful older woman with red lipstick and a black cocktail dress, greeted us.

“Where’s papa? Is he out smoking again?” Lucien groaned.

“He’s in the bathroom. He’ll be out soon.” His mom said. She leaned over to get a glimpse at me. “And you brought Danny! Come! Come!” She said, signaling for me to go towards her.

Lucien nudged me forward to his mom. I walked forward and she engulfed me in a hug and gave me two kisses on the cheek.

“You look absolutely stunning, piccolino!” She said.

“Thanks, ma’am. Lucien bought this for me.” I said. She smirked at Lucien.

“Don’t call me ma’am. It’s Elena.” She told me.

“Alright. Elena.” I said. “Thank you for inviting me. It’s a huge pleasure to be here.” I said.

“Of course. Anything for my Lucy’s boyfriend.” She nudges Lucien, who was busy drinking some champagne.

A huge symphony of chatter could be heard from a lot of men. They gathered around someone, swarming them.

“Can I get to my wife?” The voice yelled. That alone sent everyone to stop and leave this person alone. Emerging from the crowd was Sylvester Vittori in his glory.

The most respected man in the room.

“I see Lucy made it. Can this day be full of any more surprises?” He cheered. He went to give his son a big hug then went over to his wife. “Ah, you brought Danny! That’s good! Maybe you’ll behave if he’s around.”

Sylvester stepped forward to shake my hand. My hands were sweaty. I hope he doesn’t mind.

Sylvester grabbed me by the hand and brought me closer to him and leaned into my ear. “Lucien’s been acting much better within the past few days. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.” He whispered.

I turned to Lucien and saw him drinking a glass and staring off into space.

“Let’s go see the willows. I heard they’re nice this time around.” Sylvester said. Everyone started walking towards the exit. I had to tug on Lucien’s sleeve to get him to pay attention.

The outside of the venue was even more beautiful. The foliage was perfectly displayed. Colorful flowers everywhere. The whole party was scattered and either admiring the plants or talking with each other.

I went towards a nice pond and looked at the yellow flowers.

“Those are narcissus.” A voice said from behind me. I was startled and almost fell into the river until a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

I was pulled into the chest of someone. I grunted and groaned. The person pulled back and rubbed my arm.

“Are you okay?” He asked. I looked up and saw a guy looking down at me. He was one of the few young people here. He had light skin, brown hair, and a sexy face and suit that fitted him perfectly.

“I’m fine. You save me.” I said. He held his hand out.

“Marcello Romano Vittori. At your service.” He said.

“Daniel Harper.” I shook his head in return.

“Oh, you’re Daniel. Or, I guess everyone calls you Danny. You’re dating Lucien, right?” He asked.

“Yeah, that’s me. And you? What’s your relationship to Lucien?” I asked.

“I’m his second cousin. Our family is responsible for the southern part of Brooklyn.” He said.

“Oh, nice! Anyways, you pointed out the narcissus.” I said, looking at the yellow flowers.

“Yeah. I know about them because of the Greek legend.” He said.

“That one about Narcissus who stared at his reflection for so long he died and the flowers grew from him.” I replied.

“Exactly, finally someone who knows basic mythology.” He said.

“Right!” I laughed and we both made eye contact.

“I probably shouldn’t say this cause Lucien would cut my dick off, but you’re so beautiful.” He said, looking at my face.

“Thanks. And you’re right about Lucien. So watch your tone.” I laughed.

“You’re like a modern day Ganymede. Beautiful and attracting the king of everyone here.” Marcello said.

“Well, Ganymede was a handsome guy who was kidnapped and raped by Zeus. I don’t think that’s a good comparison.” I said.

“You’re adorable.” Marcello said.

We both started talking about Greek mythology. Different stories and our favorite characters. It felt amazing to talk to someone who agrees on so many things with me. I thought I was gonna be forced to talk to people who only talked about drugs or violence. But, I guess not.

Marcello placed his hand on my shoulder as we both laughed about something.

I felt a stinging sensation on the back of my head. Like someone was staring at me with anger.

I turned around and saw Lucien standing a few feet away from us, staring at me. He chugged a glass of champagne and threw the glass on the floor. He had an angry look on his face. A snaring look, like he wanted to kill someone.

I gave him a wave, hoping it would cheer him up. But instead, it made him angrier. He started marching on his way over here. Each footsteps felt like a huge earthquake.

“If they made Greek movies, I’d rather watch that than Marvel movies. It’s an idea I’m pitching-” Marcello was interrupted.

“Danny!” Lucien angrily said.

“Oh, ciao, Lucien! I was talking to Daniel and-”

“That’s nice! Danny, come on!” He started tugging on my arm aggressively.

“Wait! But I was talking to Marcello!” I said.

“Not anymore! We’re leaving!” He angrily spoke. His forehead was bulging from the anger. I gave a small wave to Marcello as he waved back awkwardly.

“Lucien! Let me go! My arm hurts!” I pleaded.

“Stop struggling, Danny!” He kept dragging me, not turning to look at me. I turned and saw the other members of the party just carrying on with their day like I wasn’t being dragged against my will.

“Lucien!” I said as he went to the valet.

“You’ve been a bad boy, Danny. And bad boys need to be punished.” Lucien sneered at me.

The car came and Lucien tossed me into the back seat as he told the driver to take us to the hotel to spend the night.

---

<3

EIGHTEEN

DANIEL HARPER

I followed behind Lucien as he angrily stomped through the hallway of the Ritz Carlton. I kept trying to talk to him but all he did was reply with one worded responses. I’ve seen Lucien angry before. But here, he’s furious. And I’m actually starting to worry for my life right now.

Lucien let the scanner scan his hotel key card as it blinked green. He swiftly opened the door, turned to look at me, and grabbed me by the arm. Before I could say anything, he tossed me into the room while I stumbled.

The sound of the door closing could be heard. I took a moment to admire the room. Room? It was basically an apartment. 

“Come on.” Lucien said as he grabbed me and began leading me through the furnished rooms towards the master bedroom. He locked the door.

Right as he turned, he leaned in and started making out with me. Not that I was objecting. He was a bit rough. His lips dominated mine. He was in control. He started sucking on my neck while I gripped his hair in relief.

“Lucien!” I moaned out. He slammed me on the wall and looked down at me.

“Why were you flirting with Marcello?” He asked me in a dark voice.

“Flirting with him? No I wasn’t! I swear! We were just talking!” I pleaded my case. His eyes were angry. 

“So why were you two so chummy with each other? Huh!?” He angrily asked.

“We were just talking about stuff! I swear, Lucien! That’s all!” I said, a few tears escaping my eyes.

Lucien grabbed me and pushed me on the bed. My back landed first. I turned to see Lucien looking down at me. His top half of his body was covered by a shadow while the bottom half was illuminated by the moonlight through the window.

“You’re mine!” He said angrily. “No one else’s.” He said.

Lucien began to move forward and caged me with arms. I looked into his amber eyes. 

“No one else’s.” I told him. He started to kiss down my neck. His hands roamed my body.

“Danny Boy. I need you.” He said in frustration. My knee went to feel his hard bulge.

“I’m here, Lucien.” I told him.

“No, Danny! I mean, I need you, badly!” It clicked what he meant. 

I started thinking about it. Lucien is a bit extreme, and from what’s happened recently, a very jealous person. I’ve witnessed the anger of Lucien up close. And the love he gives at times. He’s addicted to me. To my touch, looks, neck, lips. And he’s somewhat a bit toxic.

He’s a walking red flag. But red is my favorite color.

“I need your consent before we do this, Danny. It’s so hard to restrict myself from you. Do you give consent?” He asked.

I nodded. “Yes, Lucien. I give you my consent.” I said. His eyes lit up. 

“Then so it be.” He said. 

He got off of me and took off his jacket. He stared at me as he unbuttoned his shirt. He opened it and revealed his beautiful defined chest. I also got a better look at his tattoos on his left arm. 

“This works if you’re naked too, Danny.” He said. I also began to remove my top and stood shirtless in front of Lucien. He then started to unbuckle his pants. He slid them down.

I watched as his hard dick popped out. Guess he went commando tonight.

I stood up and also pulled my pants and boxers down. We both looked at each other, naked, admiring one another’s body.

“You’re even more perfect than I could imagine.” He said. He leaned in and started making out with me. My hand went down to grip his dick and started jerking him off.

We both landed on the bed, him on top of me. 

“Danny Boy. Are you ready?” He asked. I nodded yes, but wasn’t so sure if I actually was. Oh well, I was bound to get fucked some time in my life.

Lucien got off and went to his pants and pulled out a small tube of lube. 

“I always come prepared.” He said. 

He climbed back onto bed but kneeled in between my legs. He squirted some lube onto his fingers.

“It’s gonna feel a bit cold and uncomfortable. But we need to get your prepped.” He said. I nodded in understanding.

His fingers poked my hole before one finger slipped in. I grunted because it felt weird. His left hand kept rubbing over my skin while his right did all the work. I felt another finger slip in. I let out a much louder grunt.

“You okay, Danny?” He asked.

“Ngh! Yeah! I’m… okay!” I grunted out. He saw the pain I was in so he gripped my dick with his free hand and slowly jerked me off. The pleasure from my dick and the pain from my ass combined together.

Then I felt Lucien insert another finger. His fingers reached even deep. He hit a spot that made me moan in pleasure. He smirked when he did this and kept hitting that spot over and over again. The pain from my ass was now less.

“I think you’re ready, Danny.” He said. I gulped. 

“You think?” I asked.

“For sure.” He said. I looked and saw him pouring lube on his dick. 

“Are you sure it’s gonna fit?” I shakily asked.

“We’ll see.” He mischievously said. “Missionary or doggy?” He asked.

“Uh, doggy.” I replied. I figured it would be easier since he could enter easier and I won’t have to fold myself like a pretzel.

Lucien flipped me over. He lifted me up by grabbing my chest and let me get on my hands and knees. 

“Wait, actually, put your head onto the bed and lift your ass more.” He said. I did what he said and placed my head directly on the bed. My head was looking outside the window. 

He positioned himself in between my legs. I felt the head of his dick poke my hole. 

He didn’t ask and just began to insert himself in. I gripped the blanket with both hands as Lucien put the head first. 

“L-Lucien! It… It hurts!” I said. 

“Shh. It’s going to be alright. It’ll feel better soon. Open up and accept it. It’ll go in easier.” He said, his fingers rubbing my back.

I did what he said and began to loosen myself. He pushed further into me. I think he was halfway in. 

“You’re so fucking tight!” He grunted out. I felt sweat running down my forehead and back. He may feel good, but I was feeling like I wanted to die.

“It’s too big, Lucien! I don’t think I can do this!” I yelled. 

“Nonsense. You’re taking it like a champ.” He said. 

Then, Lucien, in a swift motion, slid himself all the way into me. I yelled in pain as he literally rearranged my guts. I had the sudden urge to go to the bathroom.

“Lucien!” I yelled in pain. 

“Ah fuck!” He moaned out. 

He started pushing in and out, his dick sliding all the way out before he would slam all the way back in. It felt uncomfortable. It was painful. I layed there just taking it while Lucien above moaned and told me to relax.

My hand went down to touch my stomach. Everytime Lucien pushed in, I felt a bulge pop out in my stomach. 

Lucien grabbed my dick and started to jerk me off. At least he provided me some relief. 

I felt Lucien’s chest land on my back. He leaned in my ear.

“You’re mine, Danny Boy. I get to take your virginity. I get to be your first. You’ll always be mine.” He whispered. I moaned in pleasure when his dick slid over that spot his fingers touched earlier. 

Lucien placed his hands on the side of my hips and thrusted in faster. 

He then hugged my torso and picked me up while staying inside me. He lifted me into the air and slammed into me. 

“You like that?” He asked me.

“Mhm! Fuck!” I moaned. 

“I always knew you were a slut.” He said. He slammed it up harder. 

“Lucien! Please!” I moaned out.

“Please what?” He asked me.

“Please jerk me off!” I pleaded. 

He placed me on the bed and flipped me over. I was staring into the eyes of a man in a lustrous rage. His hair was messy black over his forehead. God he’s so sexy this way!

He hand went down and furiously began jerking me off. 

I quickly came into his hand. I clenched on his dick and that sent him over the edge. And soon, he was finishing inside me. 

He finished and kept small thrusts. I was breathing hard, and he was grunting when he thrusted me. 

“You were perfect.” He grunted. 

He slipped out, leaving my hole open. His load slipped out of me. He stared at his work and smiled. Similar to an artist admiring their masterpiece. 

“Sleep now, Danny Boy. Get your rest.” He told me. He got off the bed and walked over to the bathroom. 

I wanted to see what happened next, but I passed out as a wave of black went over me and I collapsed into a deep sleep.

---

<3

NINETEEN

LUCIEN VITTORI

I looked down at my sweet Danny Boy as he slept peacefully. His legs would give the occasional twitch from most likely the pouding I gave him. But my sweet, sweet Danny took my dick like a champ. 

To give thanks, I cleaned him up after he passed out. Poor thing was covered in sweat and from my cum in his ass and chest 

I can only feel immense pride with having someone like Danny letting me be his first. He let me show him how it is to be fucked. 

I’ll admit, I did get pretty jealous when I saw Danny talking to Marcello and how much they were laughing. Marcello is a player. You may say “you’re a player too”. But to that I say, it’s a bit different since he never finishes his lovers. While I do.

Alcohol really makes you do things that you never expect. 8 glasses of champagne really sent me over the edge and caused me to snatch Danny and have sex with him. I needed to claim him as mine. Solidify our relationship. And I made sure to ask him. He gave his consent. 

I also ended up passing out right next to Danny. We both slept in the amazing sheets as the night passed us. Who cares about the gala? I certainly don’t.

When the morning came, I awoke and saw Danny still sleeping. I decided to order room service and all sorts of food for Danny. He’s going to be starving after last night.

There was a frantic knock on my door. I wrapped a robe over myself since I’d been walking around bare. I thought maybe it was room service coming to serve our food but instead on the other side was my parents.

“What’s going on?” I asked. Both mom and dad were looking relieved.

“Oh, thank God you’re okay!” Mom sighed and entered the room. Dad followed behind.

“Why? Did you think I was dead?” I asked.

“You went radio silent since last night! Your father and I thought maybe you were in trouble or fighting someone at DUMBO House!” Mom said.

“You guys always assume I’m getting into trouble.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

“Lucien. It’s you. We know who you are.” Dad said.

“How was the gala last night?” I asked.

“It was iffy. Lorenzo and Dante got into an argument over their mother’s house in Sicily. And there was the little ones who were screaming and pretending to shoot each other. They reminded us of you when you were little.” Dad said. He and mom awed at the times when I used to pretend to stab my cousin in the stomach.

“What about the auction? Anything good?” I asked.

“A trip to the Maldives and some shares in our Macau casino. Either than that, nothing else.” Dad said. 

The knock on the door let me go and get our food. I gave the servant a $100 tip and let them go on their way. Mom and dad saw the cart of food.

“That’s a lot of food.” Mom pointed out.

“I’m a big boy. I need food.” I replied. 

“Are you sharing with anyone?” Dad asked. 

“Yeah.” I said and put sugar in my coffee.

“Oh God! Is Danny here!” Mom yelled.

“Shhh!” I shushed her. She turned to look at the closed bedroom door. 

“Is Danny in there?” Mom whispered.

“Yeah. He’s sleeping right now.” 

Mom and dad leaned into each other and started whispering.

“You’re glowing.” Dad said. “Lucien…” He groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Please tell me you did not have sex with Danny!” He angrily said.

I stared at the two with a smile that clearly confirmed their suspicions. 

“Danny gave consent! I swear! You can ask him when he wakes up!” I explained to them. 

“Lucy, Danny is a very delicate boy. Even if you did have sex with him, I hope you went easy on him. You could easily bend him in half.” Mom told me.

“He’s fine. Poor little man passed out afterwards.” I said.

“We should head out and get breakfast too. Will we be seeing you today at the gala or do you plan on going home?” Dad asked.

“If it’s alright with you, I’ll take Danny back to campus. We’ve had a rough night…” I snickered.

“Fine. Ciao! See you later tonight.” Mom and dad exited our room.

I sat on the sofa and kept thinking about last night. I’ve hooked up with so many people but… Danny is different. Man, was that something else. I’ve never felt so incredible before. Dad was right. Sex is better when it’s with someone you like.

The sound of something crashing snapped me out of my thinking. It came from the bedroom. I got up quickly and checked to see if Danny was okay.

“Danny!?” I called out. I looked down and saw he was on the floor.

“Uh, can you help me up, Lucien? My legs hurt!” He groaned in pain. I reached down and carried Danny bridal style to the couch in the living room. 

“Do you need anything? Pain meds? Cream? An ice pack? Anything?” I asked him.

He chuckled and patted my shoulder. “Maybe a robe like yours.” He said. I realized he was naked in my arms. 

“How about you stay like that? You look much better.” I stared up and down his body.

“It’s cold, Lucien. I’d rather have something warm on.” He said. I left for the bathroom and grabbed a smaller sized bath robe for him.

“Anything else?” I asked.

“Is there breakfast? I’m hungry.” His stomach growled at the exact moment he said that. I fetched him a toothbrush that came free with the room and helped him in the bathroom to brush his teeth.

I then carried him to the dining table and brought over the food. “I ordered food for us already. I kind of just got one of everything.” I said. 

We dug into our food and ate. Danny was chowing down on his food fast.

“Careful, Danny. You’ll get a stomach ache.” I told him.

“Sorry, Lucien. I’m just so out of energy cause of last night…” He said. A blush came on his face remembering last night.

“Did you enjoy last night?” I asked him.

“Uh, erm, well… yes.” He softly said. I smiled knowing I did a good job. 

“What do you think? Second round today?” I asked him.

“I heard from somewhere that you should wait a few days after having sex for the first time, especially anal, or else it can damage you permanently.” He explained.

“That’s reasonable. When you’re ready, just say the word.” I said.

It was then quiet and I saw him looking conflicted.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Why did you accuse me of flirting with Marcello last night? Surely you can’t be that jealous that any guy talks to me.” He said.

The image of Danny and Marcello laughing and talking came into my head. It quickly angered me. My firsts clenched the utensils and started bending the metal.

“Because you’re mine, Danny! You should be talking and laughing with me! Not someone else! I’m supposed to be the one you rely on for that!” I angrily said.

“Not only were you aggressive, but you forced me to come to the hotel with you! I would’ve loved to get to know your family more! But that changed when you dragged me away! You didn’t even bother to talk to me right then and there!” He clapped back.

I stared at Danny, not able to believe he’s talking back to me.

“If I wasn’t there, would you have gone to bed with him?” I asked. He was shocked and quickly became angry.

“Gone to bed with him?! I barely met the guy! It took us two weeks to sleep together! I gave you myself because I trust you to take care of me! And you think I would open my legs for someone whose last name I don’t even remember?! How could you, Lucien?!” He snapped. He got up and started walking back to the bedroom. His legs shook the entire way.

I sat at the table. It all happened so quickly. One minute, we were talking about last night and next we’re fighting.

“Fucking bitch!” I yelled, throwing a ceramic plate against the wall. 

I raced towards the locked bedroom door and knocked. “Danny! Open up!” I knocked hard.

“Go away! I need a minute!” He yelled back.

I kept pounding my first on the door. But then I remembered what mom and dad told me. To take it easy on him. He isn’t used to this sort of lifestyle. A hectic home where violence and screaming is the only way to get something. 

Once I had calmed myself, I took in a deep breath and knocked softly on the door.

“Danny, whenever you’re ready, I’d like for us to talk. I’ll be waiting here.” I said.

Five minutes passed as I stood outside the door. Everytime I wanted to knock harder or kick down the door, I stopped myself and imagined Danny standing on the other side, waiting as he thought about what to do.

Right when I was prepared to knock again, the lock turned and the door opened. 

I was met with a teary eyed Danny who was clutching himself in his arms.

---

<3

TWENTY

DANIEL HARPER

Behind the door stood an upset Lucien. He was looking at me with guilty eyes. The nerve of this guy to actually accuse me of wanting to sleep with Marcello. I can’t believe him. After I gave him my virginity and he assumes I’d slut myself out for someone I just met.

“Can we talk?” He asked me.

“Sure.” I replied. He grabbed my hand softly and walked me to the couch. I sat on one end and he on the other. At least he recognizes I want space.

“I said some shit I never meant to say.” He told me. Lucien’s stance was once of vulnerability. Usually, he’s standing tall and proud. However, he’s crouched, slumped.

“Why did you overreact like that? What if Marcello was a girl? Would you have reacted the same way?” I asked him.

He stood there, thinking about it. “Probably.” He replied.

“Why, Lucien? Am I not allowed to talk to others?” I asked.

“I can get a bit… jealous at times.” He said.

“Jealous to the point it makes you want to claim me as yours by having sex with me? Most people when they get jealous act a bit controlling, but you? It’s just extreme.” I said to him. Lucien exhaled.

“I grew up around people who never could control things. I saw first hand when my dad lost his brother and sister in law. And when we had to flee our trip to Milan because some of dad’s enemies were threatening us. I’ve seen things that make me wonder if I would ever have a grip on my life.” He said.

“Your excuse?” I said.

“It’s not an excuse. But when I saw you talking with Marcello, I panicked. In a split moment, I was afraid that I’d lose you. You’re the one thing in my life that I know for certain. I know that I can wake up and see a text from you. And that you’ll be somewhere in class or in your dorm while I’m away.” Lucien said.

I stared at him. It wasn’t angry. Lucien has seen so many things that he is afraid to lose me.

“You could find other ways to express your worry, Lucien.” I got up and went to sit next to him. “I don’t know what your childhood was like, but I do know that it made you the way you are.” I said.

Lucien leaned his head on my shoulder and started sobbing a bit. His tears landed on my shoulder. I’ve never seen Lucien cry before. He never lets sad emotions get to him.

“I’m so sorry, Danny!” He cried out. “I was an asshole to you! I treated you like a piece of meat! I tried so hard to keep you to myself that it drove you further away!” He hugged me, his face in my lap.

“Shh, it’s alright, Lucien. Let it out.” I soothed him and rubbed his hair.

“You’re the only person who ever has patience with me! Who is happy to see me! And I don’t want to lose that!” He cried.

“I’m not going anywhere, Lucien. I’m staying for the long run.” I told him.

He kept crying in my lap. The big scary man that everyone is afraid of is in my lap crying his eyes out because he’s scared to lose his boyfriend.

“All better?” I asked him when he lifted his head from my lap. His eyes were red and puffy.

“Definitely. You’re a great person to cry on.” Lucien said.

“I hope you’ll be able to open yourself up more in the future. It’s fine to show your emotions once in a while. It makes you human.” I said.

“I’ll work on that from now on. And I’ll work on communicating with you more.” He said. He hugged me close to him. “And I’m sorry for basically saying you’re easy. I never meant it. I was just insecure that you’d choose Marcello over me.” He added.

“I’d never choose Marcello. He’s never even read both the Iliad and the Odyssey.” I told him.

“I’ve never read them either.” Lucien said.

“But at least you don’t act like you did.” I replied.

Lucien kept hugging me and refused to let me go. I was a bit exhausted and fell asleep in his arms. When I woke up, it was noon. Lucien was underneath me, still hugging me close. I watched him as he snored and made cute faces while he slept.

“Fuck me.” I groaned. I stood up and remembered the pain in my legs.

“I could if you want to.” Lucien said from behind me. I turned to see Lucien looking at me with a smirk.

“My ass hurts. Are you sure you didn’t break something?” I asked jokingly.

“I can check if you want.” Lucien said. My face turned red.

“I need to shower! I’ll be back!” I said.

I waddled my way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. I used the free shampoo and soap the hotel provides and cleaned myself up. That’s when I remembered I didn’t have spare clothes.

“Lucien!” I called out from the door.

“Yes, Danny?!” He called back.

“I didn’t bring any clothes!”

“I told you to bring some but you didn’t want to!” He called.

“Do you have anything I could borrow?” I asked.

I heard silence. I thought maybe Lucien was gonna leave me naked all day. I bet he wants that so he can have easy access to me.

“Here. That’s all I have extra.” He appeared from the door and handed me a shirt.

“It’s just a shirt! I can’t wear this!” I said.

“We’re staying in all day. My parents paid a fortune for this room and we’re staying the whole two days.” He told me.

I rolled my eyes. I saw the Marina and the Diamonds shirt and noticed it was way too big for me. But I decided to put it over myself. It reached my mid-thigh. It was similar to a nightgown.

I entered the living room and saw Lucien looking at me with his lusty eyes.

“Enjoying your outfit?” He asked.

“I feel exposed.” I replied. I sat next to him, pushing down the shirt so it doesn’t roll up too much. I took a look at Lucien, who only wore tight briefs. I also saw his semi-bulge and its growing size.

Lucien sighed and put his arms under my knees and back and lifted me up. He put me on his lap, like I was a baby he was carrying.

“Lucien!” I giggled.

“You’re too adorable to not carry!” He tickled my chest.

“No! Lucien! The shirt!” I yelled as it began to reveal my crotch. He didn’t seem to care, and actually encouraged it.

“My sweet Danny. What did I do to deserve you?!” He said. He looked down at me. His amber eyes stared deep into my soul. He’s giving me the look. The one that says it all.

“Danny.” He said my name.

“Lucien?” I asked.

“Danny. I… I lo…st my watch at the gala last night! I’ll be back!” He said. He placed me on the couch and ran to the room, closing the door behind him.

For a minute there, I thought he was going to say those three words. Maybe he was but got scared. It is a big thing to say. But would I say it back? Honestly, I’m kinda thankful Lucien didn’t say it. I’ll need more time to say it.

I sat on the couch and watched TV while Lucien did whatever. He opened the door and came back out.

“Called my parents. They found it near the magnolias in the gardens. Heh…” He awkwardly chuckled.

“What do you wanna do today? I don’t wanna stay here all day.” I told him.

“We’re in the Bronx. What do you want to do?” He asked.

“Everything…!” I said.

“Slow down, Danny Boy. Let’s do one thing at a time.” He told me.

“Then let’s go to the Bronx Zoo. I’ve always wanted to go.” I said.

“Sure. Let’s go right now!” He held out his hand.

I eagerly got up and grabbed his hand and began leading him to the front door. I was so excited because I’ve always loved zoos.

“Uh, Danny?” Lucien said from behind me.

“Yeah?” I turned to see him looking me up and down.

“You can’t go out like that.” He told me.

I looked down and saw I was only wearing Lucien’s large shirt.

“Right. I need clothes.” I said.

Lucien chuckled and rolled his eyes. “I’ll go to the gift shop and get you some. Then we can go to the zoo.” He said.

I cheered as Lucien walked out the room while I sat on the bed thinking about the animals I would see.

Lucien and I definitely had an interesting morning today. But in the end, I managed to get Lucien to open up and express his feelings.

---

<3

TWENTY-ONE

DANIEL HARPER

The limo driver drove us back to my campus after a long, but very entertaining, weekend. I was back in my tuxedo because it’s the only decent clothes I have. Lucien sat next to me on his phone doing some “business” talk. 

“Listen, Tommaso, just get the guy and talk to him. I’m sure he has a reason.” Lucien said. His eyebrows were angry and his face was a bit red. 

I looked down and saw he was starting to clutch my hand hard. His anger is starting to hurt me. 

“Lucien! Lucien!” I repeatedly said. He snapped out his phone call. I shook my hand and he saw how he was clutching it. He quickly let go of my hand. My hand was a bit red.

“Mi dispiace, Danny.” Lucien apologized. He turned into his call, said something in Italian, and hung up. He brought my hand up to his face and observed my hand. “I didn’t mean to.” He said.

“I know.” I smiled at him, trying not to yell from the pain.

“By the way, my dad’s birthday is coming up.” He said.

“How old is he turning?” I asked. 

“49.” Lucien replied.

“How old was he when he had you?” I asked.

“He was 25.”

“When is his birthday?” I asked.

“November 24.”

“Oh, Thanksgiving week. How fun!” I replied.

“Yeah. Papa likes to joke that he was born during that week because he was a form of thanks to the earth.” Lucien said. 

“I could definitely picture him saying that.” I laughed. The car finally pulled up to my campus. Lucien hugged me close to him tightly. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“I need a few more seconds with you!” He replied. His arms were wrapped tightly around my torso. My back was up against his hard chest.

“Sir, we’re here.” The driver said. Lucien tucked his head into my shoulder and kissed my shoulder.

“Please don’t go.” He said. I love his attachment.

“How bout we go to your apartment today?” I asked him. He perked up and kissed my cheek. 

“Come on! Let’s go!” He eagerly said. 

“But…” I said. “First I need to get some clothes.” I told him. He let go of my body and stroked my hair.

“I’ll wait for you here.” Lucien said. I opened the limo door open and hopped outside. I walked into my dorm building and went up the elevator, with a shopping bag in hand of my spare clothes and some free shampoo from the hotel that I stole off the maid’s cart.

As I entered my room, I saw an envelope of my bed. I was a bit sketched out and started to panic thinking it was a bomb. But when I got closer, I realized it wasn’t anything metallic. When I opened it, I peeked inside and saw stacks of money. All Benjamins. 

I gasped and almost dropped the money on the floor. Where did this come from? Why is there so much? Is it from Lucien? Or Sylvester? Or Elena? Or maybe even Angie? Regardless, I set it aside and went around changing into casual attire. I got an empty tote bag and filled it with spare clothes and then added the stack of money.

As I reached down to the elevator, I bumped into a random guy.

“Whoops!” He said. I dropped my bag and everything spilled out onto the floor.

“Shit!” I muttered and bent down to grab everything. The random guy also bent down and helped put my things into my tote bag. He held up the envelope of money and examined it.

“Why does a college student have this much money?” He asked. I snatched it off his hands and stuffed it into my bag.

“It’s counterfeit! For theater! We’re doing uh… Moulin Rouge!” I blurted out. I finally got a good luck at the guy I bumped into. He had dark hair, dark brown eyes, and fair skin. He had a shaved face and when we stood up, he was a few inches taller than me. 

“Huh? Alright. Well, don’t let me stop you.” He moved to the side and let me pass through.

“Thanks! Sorry for bumping into you!” I began speed walking away.

“Don’t mention it!” The guy called from behind me. I ran into the open limo door and saw Lucien standing there with a face of attitude.

The door closed behind me and as soon as it did, Lucien grabbed me and began making out with me.

“Lucien!” I gasped as his teeth sunk into my neck lightly. 

“Mine!” He muttered in my neck.

“What is this about?” I moaned out.

“That guy! I don’t want you going near him!” He kissed my neck and collar bone. I lightly pushed him away.

“Again, Lucien? What did we talk about?” I told him.

“I can’t help it, Danny Boy. I want people to know you’re mine!” He resumed kissing my neck. I returned the favor and also kissed his neck. My hand began to unbuckle his hands and I soon held his hard dick in my hands.

“You naughty boy!” He groaned. I started jerking him off slowly at first.

I stared into his eyes as he groaned and grabbed my hair tightly. This man becomes like putty in my hands. 

“Faster!” He grunted. 

“Please?” I teased him.

“Faster, please!” He moaned out. I started jerking him off faster and watched him struggle under me. Then the car stopped.

“Sir, we’ve arrived.” The driver said. I pulled my hand out of Lucien’s pants and left him while he became upset.

“Danny!” He whined. 

“Come on! Let’s go in.” I told Lucien. He fixed his pants and grabbed my bag for me and we both exited the limo. I turned and saw a red faced Lucien staring at me.

“Where did all that come from?” He asked me. 

“You started it!” I said. 

As we entered the elevator, Lucien pinned me on the wall and his knee rubbed my crotch.

“And you’re gonna finish it too.” He smirked down at me as I blushed hard. 

“Wait until we reach inside!” I tried pushing him away playfully.

“Nah.” His hands reached down and he pulled off my shirt. 

“We’re in an elevator!” I gasped, trying to hide myself. Lucien put my shirt in my bag that he was still carrying. 

“Get on your knees.” He growled at me. I did what he told and got on my knees.

“Lucien!” I began to panic. Knowing that even though this was a private building, anyone can get on and see us.

“I told you, you’re finishing this.” He looked down at me with ice cold eyes. He unbuckled his pants and his dick popped out and almost hit me in the face.

“Are we really doing this in here?” I shakily asked.

“Of course.” He smiled down at me. The tip of his dick began prodding on my lips. “You look so beautiful with my cock in your mouth.” He lamented. 

After taking one last look at the elevator door, I opened mouth and Lucien quickly started face-fucking me. I slobbered all over his dick and took him down my throat. I slowly had to learn to breathe through my nose.

Then, my worst nightmare came. The elevator door dinged and I heard the sound of footsteps and someone gasping. I tried to pull Lucien away but he planted my face onto his torso directly. 

I wanted Lucien to stop but he was in his zone. His lust zone. Nothing can stop him now. And all I could do was sit here and take his dick.

My face was sweating and I worried that I might get arrested. I still didn’t know who the other person was on the elevator. It was definitely a man since I could see their legs.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened.

“You’re really overworking him, Vittori.” The other person said.

“Fuck you, Andrea!” Lucien grunted out. The other guy, Andrea, chuckled deeply and soon got off the elevator. 

I turned to look up at Lucien. I wonder how I look right now. Red-faced with all sorts of fluids on my face. Based on how Lucien is looking down at me, it must be an erotic sight to see. 

“Fuck! I’m coming!” He grunted. Unlike last time where Lucien pulled out and came on my face, he came in my mouth directly. 

I started panicking because there was so much coming out. I had to swallow some quickly to make more room. I bet Lucien is enjoying this.

A bit of his load dripped out of my mouth and landed on my chin. Lucien used his still hard dick and pushed it back into my mouth. 

“Yeah, that’s right. Swallow it all, Danny Boy.” Lucien panted heavily. He adjusted his messy hair and slicked it back.

I collapsed on the floor and was breathing hard. 

“I’ve never done something like that before.” I said while breathing hard.

“You sure? You were a natural.” Lucien said. He bent down and his fingers roamed my sweaty chest. “How are you feeling?” He asked.

“Like I ran a mile.” I panted. 

“You’ll feel better soon. We’ll take a nice bath and cuddle all day.” Lucien told me, playing with my hair.

“Can I have my shirt back?” I asked. He shook his head.

“Danny Boy, ask for your shirt back and I’ll force you to walk to my room completely naked.” He teased, pulled on my sweats slowly. I grabbed his wrist tightly.

“Please stop, Lucien!” I begged him. He stopped what he was doing and just looked at me. 

Just then, the elevator door opened. I recognized the floor as Lucien’s penthouse. 

“Want me to carry you?” He asked.

“Please…” I grunted. Lucien bent down and carried my bridal style in his strong arms. 

Lucien is a weird person. One minute, he’s making me give him a blowjob in an elevator. The next, he’s talking about taking baths and carrying me.

---

<3

TWENTY-TWO

DANIEL HARPER

The elevator doors opened into a small cubicle-like room that had a door into the penthouse. Lucien carried me in arms. His body is so hard and warm. I snuggled into his pecs.

“Getting comfortable, are we?” Lucien asked.

“I deserve this.” I replied. The door opened and Lucien carried me in. He then set me on his couch and walked around, checking everything.

“I’ll get the bath started. Stay here.” Lucien told me. He walked away into his, what I assume, bathroom and left me on the couch. I sat up and looked around his apartment.

Getting up, I decided to explore a bit of this place. I walked over to the kitchen and admired the marble countertops. The huge windows allowed for much natural light to enter. I opened a random drawer and saw a gun right there.

We’re just gonna pretend we didn’t see that.

I moved on to the pantry. I saw so many snacks in there I thought I might cream myself. It would be rude of me to just take some. I left that place before my mind went wild. That’s when I remembered the stack of money.

My tote bag was placed on the couch where I was put to rest. I dug in and pulled out the envelope of money. I thought for a minute about putting my shirt back on but figured Lucien wouldn’t like that.

Remembering my way, I walked towards Lucien’s room. When I entered, I saw the place where I had given Lucien a blowjob. I still get shivers about that. The sound of running water attracted me to his bathroom. I walked over and peaked inside.

“Lucien?” I asked. On the otherside was a shirtless Lucien, adding rose petals into the bathtub. The bathtub was placed in front of a huge window, letting us see a view of Central Park. But that’s not what I cared about. I cared about a hunk who was flexing his muscles while gracefully doing a task.

Lucien looked up from his work and turned to me. His eyes scoured up and down my body, admiring my chest. “Hey beautiful.”

“Hey, Lucien…” I shyfully replied. His lustful eyes were on me until he looked at what I held in my hand.

“What do you have there?” He asked. I walked forward directly to Lucien. He stood up and towered over me. I caught a glimpse of his hard chest.

“I found this on my bed earlier today. D’you know what it is?” I asked. I held up the envelope and he took it from my hands.

“Oh, this!” He chuckled like it was obvious. “This is your share.” He said. I stared at him confusingly.

“My share of what?” I asked him. He ruffled my hair, messing it up.

“Remember your proposition my dad asked you about? Well, I’m guessing it was a success. You get 10% of profits because it was your idea. So congrats.” He smiled at me. “My boyfriend is a fucking genius…” He awed.

I looked up at his face. “Is this clean money?” I asked.

“Would you really take me as the type to do that?” He asked me. I blankly stared at him. “Yes, Danny. It’s clean money. The FBI is not going to hunt you down.”

“Oh, o-okay.” I replied. Lucien handed me the money back.

“You might wanna save it. Or not.” Lucien told me. He turned and returned to spreading petals in the steaming water.

This money kinda has no purpose. I don’t really need it. I think I’ll go to the bank and put it in an account. Or sent it to my aunt and uncle.

After standing there, thinking what to do, Lucien spoke up from the tub. “Strip.” He said. I looked up at him and saw he was already naked.

I obeyed him quickly and pulled down my sweats, briefs, shoes and socks. Now I was also standing naked with him too.

“Good boy, you obeyed me quickly.” Lucien said. He walked forward towards me, his dick swinging like a pendulum. It was hypnotizing me. His arms reached forward and grabbed my shoulders.

He began rushing me towards the tub until I stood next to it.

“Get in.” He said. I checked the water with my foot. The water was warm and I entered and sunk myself in. Lucien did the same but on the other side.

“I need this so badly.” I moaned. My hands played with the petals in the water. Lucien was watching me carefully.

“Do you like the view?” He asked. I turned to my right and looked outside. We were so high up it sometimes scares me of how easily we could fall off. Not to mention, these buildings are super thin! Anything can happen.

“It’s amazing.” I awed outside. The view of Central Park during the fall is one that never gets old.

Lucien’s hand began to roam across my legs. His large hands landed on my feet and he began to massage them. “I’m not a feet person, but God are yours beautiful.” He said. His hands rubbed into my heel, rubbing the tender spots.

I laid back in the tub, admiring the view and the massage. This is the life I could live with. Having a caring person by my side who’s protective over me.

“Lucien?” I asked. He was entranced on my foot but grunted, acknowledging me. “I know that you have a high body count. But out of all of those, why me?” I asked.

He looked up at me with the deepest affinity. “I can’t explain it. But I think that part of the appeal was that you didn’t throw yourself at me. You kept boundaries even on our first date.” He said.

The memory of our first date came to mind. When I yelled ‘No!’ to Lucien after he tried sleeping with me.

“Normally, a guy would throw themselves at me and we’d go home where I’d fuck them. However, you didn’t want to sleep with me. You wanted to form a bond.” Lucien explained.

“A bond…” I told myself. “And that’s why you’ve stuck around? Because you have a bond with me?” I asked.

“Precisely. And when I fucked you for the first time, it was truly the most euphoric moment I’ve ever had. No one ever has made me feel the way you do.” Lucien said. He moved forward in the tub, nearing me.

Lucien was laying on top of me, in between my legs. His left arm went on my back and held me with his other hand went under the water. His hand was then poking my hole. His fingers were encircling it.

“Tell me, Danny Boy, how was I?” He asked in a deep voice.

I knew what he wanted me to say. “You were perfect.” I grunted.

“Yeah? Because you were perfect too, Danny.” Lucien said. His finger began prodding into my hole.

“Lucien!” I groaned out. His thick fingers hurt as he was going in.

“Don’t worry, Danny Boy. I’m not gonna fuck you today.” He said in my ear. My foot touched his hard dick.

“Sir…” I moaned out when his finger began to enter me.

“You’re still a bit loose.” He said. He began to reach deeper in me. He hit that spot in me. I moaned out loud and put my hands around Lucien.

His pointer finger slid in and out of me. Lucien watched me as I became flustered with emotions. My dick was hard. I so badly wanted to grab my own dick and jerk myself.

“Lu… Lucien!” I moaned out. I kept scrunching my face. He added another finger in me. Now I feel much fuller.

He was thrusting his fingers in me continuously.

“Please, Lucien!” I moaned out.

Lucien leaned closer into my ear. “Go ahead, Danny. Touch yourself.” He said. My hand went down to grab my dick and I began jerking myself off quickly. I was at the edge.

My orgasm came quickly. The sensation left me pulling Lucien closer to me using my legs. His fingers remained in that sweet spot, pressing on hit. The perfect ending.

“I love you, Lucien.” I grunted out.

The hunky man above me turned stunned at my words. He pulled his fingers out of me and just looked down at me in disbelief.

“You- you… love me?” He asked in surprise.

Might as well just say it.

“Mhm. I love you Lucien. I know it’s quick, but I can’t help myself.” I said with tears in my eyes. I wondered what Lucien would say. Would he say it back or close up?

To my surprise, Lucien leaned down and kissed me on the lips. “I love you too, Danny.” He cried and hugged me. I patted him on the back as he snuggled in my neck. “I swear, I’m gonna protect you, Danny.” He muttered in my ear.

“Am I your first love?” I asked him.

“Yes. You’re my first love. And I’m never letting go.” He grasped his hands on my torso.

“That’s adorable!” A voice called out. We both turned and saw Lucien’s mom and dad watching us from the bathroom door.

“Mom! Dad! Boundaries!” Lucien yelled. He moved his body in front of me and blocked me from his parents seeing me. I was in shock and began to get the rose petals from the water and use them to cover myself.

“Didn’t mean to be voyeuristic. All we saw was your monologue! That’s all!” Sylvester said.

“Get out!” Lucien yelled.

“Our son had his first love!” His mom cheered. Lucien got out of the bathtub and stood naked, dripping in water with a rose petal stuck on his beautiful ass, in front of his parents.

“I said get out!” He angrily yelled at them. His mom and dad exchanged a glance and looked at me.

“Bye, Danny.” His mom said. I waved back nervously and the two quickly exited and closed the door. Lucien huffed and turned back around. His dick was hard, standing straight up.

“Sorry about that.” He chuckled awkwardly. I held my hand out for him. He grabbed it and I pulled him back into the tub.

“The water’s still warm.” I said. He leaned back on his side of the tub.

“Come over here.” He said. I moved towards him, placing my back on his chest. He hugged me and put his head on my shoulder. “I love you.” He muttered. We swayed in the water peacefully. I breathed in, grasping the fact that Lucien loves me.

“Your parents seemed shocked.” I said.

“They’ve been waiting for me to settle.” He replied. “You’re basically family at this point.” He said. I brought his hand up and kissed it.

This is some major character development. I’ve managed to get Lucien Vittori to fall in love with me.

---

<3

TWENTY-THREE

LUCIEN VITTORI

“Dude! I’m serious! I have no idea who he was! I swear!” The man yelled at me. Though, to be fair, I couldn’t really hear him because of the plane propellers behind him.

“I’m gonna ask you one more time, Jordan. Who did you send that money and file to?” I asked, looking into the pleading man’s brown eyes.

“I-I don’t know his name! All he said was that he worked for a large group! That’s all I know! I swear!” The man desperately yelled.

I stared at him without a single care. This piece of scum didn’t deserve to live in this world.

“You still betrayed us and possibly put a person close to me in danger. I’m afraid I have no choice.” I said.

Slowly, I placed my foot on the chair and began to push him backwards. He yelled, pleading for his life.

“Shut up already.” I said. I kicked the chair and the man fell backwards directly into the plane propellers. His agonizing screams run through the empty tarmac. My suit was getting stained with chunks of blood and flesh.

Once he had succumbed to his fate, I turned to my men who were watching. “Get this cleaned up.” I said. One of them called into his earpiece, requesting a clean up crew.

I pulled off my black leather gloves and began walking in the opposite direction. I pulled out my phone and called Danny.

“Hey, Lucien!” He chirped into the phone in his enthusiastic voice.

“Hey, baby. I just finished some work. How’s classes?” I asked.

“Bio was tough today. OH! Guess what? So, I went to Target and found this new shampoo and I tried it today. It smells sooooo good!” Danny rambled on about his day while I continued to listen.

Once I got in my car, I pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping some blood off my face.

“So, that’s what happened. What about you? How was your day?” Danny asked.

“It was good. I did some stuff. The usual.” I said, not waiting to tell him about our traitor.

“Are we still on for dinner tonight? You sound exhausted. We don’t have to go if you don’t feel like it.” Danny said. I blushed a bit, imagining Danny worrying about my well being.

“I’m fine, Danny. I’m sure a quick nap will fix me right up.” I said.

“Oh, right.” He chuckled. “I gotta go! Angie wants me to watch her participate in a wet t-shirt contest.” Danny said.

“Go be a supportive friend. I’ll see you later.” I said.

“Kay! Bye! I love you!” He said.

“I love you too.” I said with a huge smile on my face. Danny hung up and I was met with a reflection of my sexy face on my phone.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. Ever since Danny told me he loves me, I’ve been panicking and becoming more self conscious about myself.

Sometimes, I’ll worry if I truly am being a good boyfriend. If I’m doing something right or if I’m fucking up. I’ve spent hours reading articles and watching rom coms to see how people act when they’re in love.

Because in the end, I want to be the best boyfriend I can be for Danny.

Every morning, I make sure flowers are delivered to his dorm. I’m also planning on setting him up in my bank account. Giving him unlimited access to my money so he can spoil himself. And taking him on dates.

But currently, I have this thorn on my side that I feel like it might grow. It was brought to my attention that a lackey had stolen a personal file and some money and took off with them. I just thought it was a hustler for dad who needed those things, but dad never ordered those files.

It took a few days, but the guy, Jordan, was caught trying to leave New York. We had him… shaken up a bit… and asked him about the file and money. And who had ordered their retrieval.

I have my suspicions on who it was.

My phone rang. I checked and it was dad.

“Dad.” I said.

“Anything?” He asked.

“Nothing. But I think I have an idea.” I said.

“Who are your suspects?” Dad asked.

“Possibly the Lombardis. They’ve been a real pest recently. They’re probably trying to get some leeway.” I said.

“And the boy? Do we tell him or keep him in the dark?” Dad asked. I bit my nail and looked at myself in the rearview mirror. Blood stained my forehead. I looked like a maniac.

“Keep him in the dark. I promised to protect him. This is the only way. Get some more security to follow him. Have them stationed around him at all times.”

“Understood. Come home when you can. We need to discuss my birthday.” I could hear the slight happiness in his voice.

“On my way.” I said. I hung up the phone and resumed cleaning myself.

What I didn’t mention was that the file Jordan had stolen and given to a third party was everything about Danny. His address, his family, phone number, peanut allergy, everything. It was clearly taken with the intention to gather something on him.

I facepalmed myself. How could I be so stupid? Of course Danny would become a target the moment he started dating me. His life is in danger and at any chance, he could be taken away from me.

I refuse to allow the one good thing in my life to be taken away.

The ride home, I thought about what I need to do to protect Danny. While also not panicking him and him eventually leaving me.

Once I reached my apartment, dad was watching TV on the couch.

“Lucy!” Dad called. I sat in the recliner and crossed a leg over the other. Dad looked at my face and I think he spotted some blood. “Oof! Guess he wasn’t much help.” Dad chuckled.

“Nothing. What about your birthday?” I asked.

Dad gave me a mischievous smile. He has something big coming up.

“I didn’t want to spend my birthday this year in a boring way. So…” He added theatrics.

“Dad, just say it.” I told him.

“We’re going to Rome!” He cheered.

“Cool.” I said and turned back to the TV.

“Lucy!” Dad whined. “Can’t you be more excited. Your cousins miss you.”

“Those same cousins who tried to get me to drink rat poison? No grazie. I’m good.” I said.

“How about this? You can bring along Danny.” He said. I turned to him and he knew he hit the jackpot. “Think about it. It’ll be yours and Danny’s first romantic getaway.” Dad explained.

I thought about it. I’d need to have a conversation with Danny about whether or not he wants to go. I don’t think he’s ever visited another country before.

Then the images came up in my head. Danny talking with my cousins and getting to know them. Him helping the moms cook. Us getting gelato at my favorite spot. And going to a winery we own.

Yes, it’ll be a perfect vacation.

I was smiling to myself when my dad knocked me out of my thoughts. “Already going crazy, huh?” He asked with a smirk on his face.

“Just thinking about stuff.” I said.

“So, pink or champagne?” Dad asked.

“Huh?” I asked him.

“The roses, for your wedding. You should know, Lucien. Vittori men settle down quickly. I imagine in three months you’ll propose to him.” Dad said.

“How long did it take you to propose to mom?” I asked dad.

“Met her in Monte Carlo and we were engaged two weeks later.” He said. I gasped.

“That was quick.” I muttered. It took two weeks for me to fall in love with Danny. I’m already protective of him. But marriage? That seems like a fast move.

My phone rang. I pulled it out and saw a notification from one of Danny’s guards.

‘He’s showering right now. He’s getting ready for the date.’ The text said.

“I have to go shower. I’m meeting Danny later.” I stood up from my seat and walked to my room.

“I think Danny’ll look good in white!” Dad yelled from behind me. He laughed at his own comment while I rolled my eyes.

I hopped in the shower and began washing everything. Pieces of flesh were in my hair that I had to wash off.

I’ll never tell Danny what I did. Partly because I feel like he’ll be angry at me and leave me. He’ll be ashamed of me and possibly be scared of me. Having Danny be scared of me rather than love me is my worst nightmare.

The restaurant I was meeting Danny at is an exclusive place with a four-month long waitlist. And there is a dress code. I wear a suit wherever I go because dad taught me to be professional in any place.

Danny was actually upset at me because I had a tie on when we visited the Bronx Zoo. He claims that it makes me stand out too much. But… that’s kinda the point. Everyone needs to know that I’m superior to them.

I also didn’t feel like driving, so I had my driver take me. The quick ride there was me worrying if I chose the right place for us. Would Danny like the place or is it too poshy? Should I have chosen somewhere more… civilian-like?

Is that offensive?

Maybe I should also get flowers. What kind? Roses? Sunflowers? Definitely not daffodils.

“Sir, we’re here.” The driver said. I focused out of my thoughts and sure enough, we were parked in front of the place.

I stepped out of the car and made my way in. The staff recognized me and didn’t hesitate to escort me to my seat. I sat down and waited for my Danny to come.

When he walked in the place, I wanted to pass out at the sight of him. He’s so fucking beautiful. His beauty is something that always stuns me. Sometimes, I can’t even believe that such a beautiful person is mine.

How much luckier can a guy be?

I snapped to a waiter and had Danny brought over to me. Danny wore a simple gray button up and black slacks. His ass was perfectly cupped in his pants nicely. My dick was in there a few days ago.

“Lucien?” Danny asked. I snapped out and realized I had been staring at him.

“Let me help you!” I got up and pulled out his chair. He sat in his seat. I grabbed a napkin and placed it on his lap. “Don’t want to get dirty now, do we?” I asked in his ear.

“Thank you, Lucien.” He softly said with a smile on his face.

Like I said, how lucky am I to have Danny as mine?

---

<3

TWENTY-FOUR

DANIEL HARPER

Lucien and I both were eating our food in the exclusive restaurant. This whole place feels like it’s made out of money. Even the air smells rich.

“You should really give Cyrus a break.” I told Lucien. He stopped cutting his steak and just turned up with a confused look.

“Who the fuck is Cyrus?” He asked.

“The driver. The one who drove me here. He’s cousins with Chet.” I replied. He was still stumped.

“Cyrus is the guy who drove me here. Chet is the guy who drove you.” I explained. He nodded in understanding. “How do you not know the name of your own driver?” I asked.

“It never occurred to me to ask.” He replied. I wanted to punch him right now. Jokingly, of course. He could easily dominate me.

“Well, you should learn their names at least.” I said. The drivers are actually cool people. Nice people to talk to.

“Maybe I should give them a break.” Lucien said with a weird tone. I looked up and saw him eating a piece of steak.

“What d’you mean?” I asked.

He had a cheeky smile. “What are you doing next week?” He asked.

“My teachers canceled their classes next week cause they’re tired. And I don’t have school on the 24th through 27th. So I basically have the whole week off.” I said.

“How would you feel about going on a trip?” He asked me.

“A trip? To where?”

“Mmmm… how about Italy?” Lucien replied. I stared at him in shock. Did he say Italy?

“Italy?” I asked in disbelief.

“Our family is going to Italy for my dad’s birthday. It would be really splendid if you came with me.” Lucien said.

I’ve never been overseas before. I’ve gone to Mexico for my uncle Pedro’s family. But not another freaking continent!

“What about my aunt and uncle?” I asked. “I can’t leave them.” I said.

“I’m sure they’ll understand. You’re a grown adult. They’ll let you go out of the country.” Lucien said. My knees shivered at the idea of going out of the country.

If I go out of the country, I’ll need to rely on Lucien for everything. Because he’ll know more, I’ll have to entrust my safety onto him. He’ll be in charge of me. Also, I’ll be meeting his extended family.

Part of me wonders if Lucien gets off knowing that I rely on him for protection.

“I’ll call my aunt. I’ll talk to her.” I said. Lucien smiled and his legs began to rub on my leg.

“Excellent…” Lucien said in a terrifying manner.

I gulped hard.

Cut forward and now I’m in a private jet sitting next to Lucien. Luckily, my aunt understood and let me go out of the country. I was tempted to tell her about Lucien and him providing for me. But she’ll worry too much about it and become obsessed. I’ll tell her about Lucien some other time.

“Amore mio…” Lucien said. He grabbed my face and turned me to look at him. “You need to calm down. Your leg shaking is moving the entire plane.” He said. I stopped shaking my leg but then started clenching my fist.

“I’ve never been on a plane before.” I shakily said. Lucien told me to get up and sit on his lap. I did so and he hugged me close to him.

“You made it through the drive to the airport. That’s statistically the most dangerous part.” Lucien said. I was still nervous and struggling in his lap.

“Careful, Danny. Lucien might get excited.” Sylvester said, who sat in front of us. He sat alongside his wife.

My ass grinded on his lap. I could easily feel Lucien’s dick hardening. I sat still while the plane was getting ready to land.

“Look outside, Danny.” Lucien said. I turned to see out the window as the beautiful city passed by us. “This is where we’re gonna stay for the next few days.” Lucien said.

“It’s beautiful.” I said in awe.

“Nah. It’s kinda trashy.” Sylvester said. I was all giddy and wanted to jump out of my seat and run everywhere.

“Where does your family live?” I asked Lucien.

“Not in the central part of Rome. But more in the outer parts. Away from the tourist parts.” Lucien explained.

After we had landed on the tarmac, we all exited with bags in hand. There were several men waiting for us on the ground, who took our bags and put them in a car.

“Lucien!” Sylvester loudly groaned. I turned and saw an aqua colored Vespa next to the parked car.

“Sorry, dad.” Lucien said, not sounding apologetic.

“You do this every time! I don’t trust you on this!” Sylvester angrily said. Lucien didn’t seem to care and hopped on the Vespa.

“Danny is going to join me.” Lucien replied. Sylvester’s face changed to a smile.

“Oh, well, I trust you then.” Sylvester went back to talking on the phone. I watched as Lucien tinkered with the Vespa while walking over to him.

“It’s hot.” I told him.

“It’s always hot in Italy. That’s why I told you to wear shorts.” Lucien said. He had warned me that Italy is a bit hot. We all wore knee-high shorts and short-sleeved button ups. Elena wore a nice yellow sundress.

“Am I really gonna ride that?” I asked.

“You’ll be in the back, holding onto me.” Lucien said.

“Alright, boys! We’re leaving now! Lucien! Don’t make too many stops! We want you over there to greet everyone!” Sylvester yelled. Elena had gotten into the car and Sylvester soon joined. The car began driving away while Lucien and I stood here.

“Hop on, Danny Boy!” Lucien eagerly said. I hopped on the Vespa and soon heard it turn on. “Hold tight!” Lucien said. I hugged Lucien and joined my fingers together on his chest.

“Please don’t kill me!” I muttered. The Vespa started driving slowly at first. It was similar to riding a bike but… like a motorcycle.

Lucien drove out of the airport and soon joined the busy streets of Rome. My head was leaning on Lucien’s back and my eyes were closed. But once the fear settled away, I lifted my head and got a look at the scenery. Every place I turned, I saw loads of people. The architecture was perfect. Just like I had seen in history books.

“We’re heading to our family’s home in the countryside!” Lucien said. I looked at the back of his head and saw his beautiful hair blowing in the wind. The glow from the sun made his skin look shining and radiant.

“Lucien!” I yelled as he almost drove into a car.

“I got you, Danny. I got you!” Lucien replied. He slowed down a bit when he felt how tense I became behind him.

The scenery began to change as Lucien drove towards the coast of Italy. He drove on a coastal road, where there were fewer cars. I looked towards the Mediterranean sea and wanted to jump in the water so badly.

I feel like Jennifer Coolidge in The White Lotus.

“Wanna take a dip somewhere?” Lucien asked.

“Now? But your parents are expecting us!” I said. Lucien turned the Vespa and entered a dirt path that led towards a secluded beach. He slowed the Vespa and parked it on the side of a tree.

“We’ve got about 10 minutes. Let’s cool down.” Lucien hopped off the Vespa and began walking towards the bank of the ocean. The trees offered some shade from the blazing sun.

“But we don’t have extra clothes!” I protested. Lucien pulled off his boat shoes and was then pulling down his shorts.

“We’re in Europe, baby! Who cares?!” Lucien unbuttoned his shirt and was standing stark naked in front of me. Deciding to ‘fuck it’, I began pulling off my clothes. Once I was naked, Lucien picked me up in his arms and began walking towards the water.

“Lucien! Put me down!” I laughed.

“Nope! Remember, Danny…” He leaned into my ear. “You’re mine.” He threw me into the cold water. I then heard him also jump in the water. I swam to the surface and was looking around, worried because Lucien hadn’t resurfaced.

Lucien then jumped from under the water, and hugged me.

“You ass! You scared me!” I yelled at him.

“I’m sorry, Danny. But did you really think water could kill me? It’ll take a lot more than that.” Lucien began kissing me and grabbed my ass from behind.

He would pick me up and throw me into the water like a rag doll. Everytime I thought I might drown, Lucien would reach for me and pull me up to the surface.

“I love you, Lucien.” I said as he held me in the water, letting the current sway us slowly.

“I love you too, Danny.” Lucien replied.

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” I yelled and hopped out of the water and ran to the surface. Something grazed my leg.

“It’s a piece of seaweed, my love.” Lucien held up the seaweed in his hands while laughing at me.

“I thought it was a shark or something.” I sighed in relief. I saw as the sun was noon. “I think we should leave now.” I said.

“Are you sure, Danny?” He asked.

“Yeah. I don’t want to worry your parents.” I told him.

“Because my family is a bit… crazy. Just want you to be prepared when you meet them.” Lucien said. I stared at his body as water droplets fell from his skin.

“I’m sure.” I said. Lucien walked out of the water and stood in front of me. He bent down and kissed me for a long time.

“Fine. Let’s go.” Lucien pulled away and went to our clothes. He threw me my stuff and we started changing. It felt a bit uncomfortable because we were still wet, but I’m sure during the ride back the sun’ll dry us.

We hopped on the Vespa and pulled away from our secret oasis. Lucien entered the road and began driving farther from Rome.

Once the place turned more green and like a countryside, I knew we were getting closer.

“We’re almost there, Danny.” Lucien said. He finally slowed down when we came up to a huge villa. He rode up the gravel driveway and parked the Vespa near the other cars.

“It’s beautiful.” I said, looking at the villa. I noticed a water fountain in front of the doors.

“I’ll show you around.” Lucien grabbed a hold of my hand and began leading me towards the front door.

Before we could walk on the steps up, the door opened and out came a guy similar in age to Lucien.

“LUCIEN!” He angrily yelled.

“MATTEO!” Lucien yelled back.

In a quick move, Matteo jumped on top of Lucien and the two began to wrestle on the floor. A minute into our trip and Lucien is already fighting with someone.

---

<3

TWENTY-FIVE

DANIEL HARPER

“Lucien!” I yelled as I saw him pinning Matteo down. Matteo was obviously struggling and thrashing around. 

“You fucking bitch!” Lucien grunted at the guy. 

“Fuck you, stronzo!” Matteo spat out. Lucien slammed the guy into the ground hard.

“Keep testing me!” Lucien grabbed Matteo’s arm and began twisting it back. The guy yelled in pain. I wanted to stop him but he’s in his anger zone. No one can stop him.

“Alright! Alright! I give!” Matteo yelled. Lucien stopped twisting his arm and got off him. He held his hand out and Matteo grabbed it.

The two embraced in a hug and were smiling. “Nice to see you, Matteo!” Lucien patted his back.

“You should visit us more!” Matteo said. I stared in disbelief. One minute they were fighting, the next they’re greeting like old friends.

“Guessing Matteo is buying us all drinks!” A female voice said. I turned around and saw several people who had probably been watching their play-fight.

“Fine! But no expensive ones!” Matteo replied. Matteo and Lucien were chatting like normal, meanwhile I stood on the side, unsure of what to do. 

“And who is this?” The female voice from earlier asked. I turned and saw a woman in tight khaki pants and red blouse walking towards me. She was a bit older than Lucien, but still had their families signature dark hair and tanned skin.

“Aria, famigilia Vittori, meet Danny.” Lucien went to stand behind me and nudged me forward. 

“Daniel Harper.” I added. I looked at the woman, Aria. Fuck! She has the same sinister dark eyes as Lucien and Sylvester. 

“OH!” She gasped. She lunged forward and engulfed me in a hug. “This is the Danny we’ve all heard of!” She was shorter than me so her head was on my neck. “Everyone! Come!” She singled to the people still in the house. 

Her loud voice attracted everyone in the near vicinity. Suddenly, a large group of people were surrounding me. They were all talking simultaneously while touching me.

“He’s so skinny!”

“He’s pale! You need sun!”

“E perfetto per Lucien!” 

I looked for Lucien and saw him talking to Matteo while pointing at me. 

“Enough!” A loud voice yelled. Everyone stopped and made way for an older woman as we walked towards me. Like everyone else, she had tanned skin but her hair was white. The wrinkles on her face defined her long life. 

Her deep dark eyes were set on me. She walked, moreso limped, her way over to me. She reached her hand out and placed it on my cheek. I stared at her while she observed my face.

“Beautiful.” She muttered. Lucien’s face became happy as he heard this. His eyes beamed and he winked at me. “E ora di pranzo.” She told everyone. The group dispersed and entered the villa while I stood there confused.

Lucien walked over to me and kissed my forehead. “You’ve got my nonna’s approval.” He said.

“Is she the head of the family?” I asked.

“Yep. The elders have the decision whether or not a partner may marry into the family. If she approves, you’re Vittori. If not, you get booted.” Lucien explained.

“Wait? Marry?!” I asked in shock.

“They’re getting lunch ready. Andiamo!” Lucien ignored my concern and grabbed my hand and led us into the large villa.

As we entered, I looked around and noticed the sandstone walls and large open windows. I could vaguely hear the sound of children playing. It was hot, yes, but it felt so peaceful here.

“Let’s go to our room and wash up. We’re covered in sea water.” Lucien said. He climbed up the stairs and walked down a hallway until we were in front of a wooden door.  “Welcome to your home for a week.” Lucien opened the door and we entered the room.

“This is better than the Ritz Carlton.” I said. I spun around and landed on the bed. Lucien climbed on top of me and began kissing my neck.

“Want to shower together?” He asked.

“Sure.” I said. Lucien picked me up, he really likes doing that, and brought us to the shower. He stripped both of us and we showered peacefully. 

When I walked out of the bathroom naked, I jumped at the sight of Matteo sitting on our bed. 

“What the fuck?!” I yelled. Lucien came running out the bathroom, also naked, and saw Matteo. He stood in front of me and shielded me. 

“Only I can see my Danny naked.” He said. 

Matteo chuckled. “Relax. I’m not gon’ take him from you.” He said. “Your mom asked me to bring you two down.”

“Let us get changed first.” Lucien said. Matteo got off the bed and walked out our room, closing the door behind him. 

Lucien went towards the corner of the room. I hadn’t realized our luggage was there. He pulled out clothes for the both of us and we changed. We met Matteo out of our room and walked the way to the first floor.

“There they are!” Aria yelled, sitting on the table and peeling potatoes. 

“Lucien! Your dad is outside. Danny, please join us.” Elena said. Lucien gave me a kiss on the head.

“I’ll be right outside. Call me if you need anything.” He said. I could hear Aria squeal from behind us. Lucien walked out the large door and towards a backyard. 

I walked over to where all the women were standing. 

“What are you good at?” Elena asked me. I stared at all the ingredients on the table and tried to not panic. 

“I don’t know.” I muttered. 

“Let’s get you to knead the dough.” Elena said. She made me stand next to her and showed me how to knead the dough. Her skillful hands were much more advanced than mine. 

“Am I doing this right?” I asked. Elena turned towards me and looked at my work.

“Not bad for a newbie. You’ll get better with time.” We resumed our work. The women would talk in Italian and sometimes in another dialect. I could barely understand some of it. My uncle Pedro taught me Spanish. And Spanish and Italian have similar words. 

As I kneaded the dough, I looked out the window to observe the men. They were all sitting and watching the kids. Lucien was chatting with some guys, chuckling sometimes. 

He’s so handsome. His tight shirt fitted his muscles perfectly. His hair swayed in the breeze. His tattoos on his left arm. 

Lucien turned and looked at me through the window. He waved at me. I waved back with a flour-covered hand. 

“Danny.” A voice called. I turned and saw the elderly woman who had inspected me earlier, nonna. She stood next to my work and looked at how I had cut the pasta. 

She picked one up and inspected it in her hand. 

She put it down and grabbed my face with her hand. 

“You’ll make pretty wife.” She said in a thick accent. 

“Nonna. E marito. Non moglie.” Aria explained to her.

“You’ll make pretty husband.” Nonna reiterated. 

I smiled at her. “Grazie.” I said. She nodded and walked towards a woman and helped her cut some basil.

“You’ve gotten her approval twice. Expect Lucien to propose soon.” Elena winked at me.

“Propose? But- but, isn’t it too early?” I asked.

“Slyvester proposed to me two weeks after we met.” Elena explained. “When Vittori men settle, they settle hard and fast. They have this thing where they’re able to determine the love of their lives.” Elena said. 

I looked back outside and saw Lucien sitting there with a blank face. Could he really propose to me? Would I want to marry now? It seems too early. I love Lucien. Truly. But…

“Want one?” Aria asked me, holding out a bottle of aranciata. I took it and opened it. “We never officially met. I’m Aria Russo Vittori. I’m Lucien’s cousin.” She said.

“Daniel Harper. Lucien’s boyfriend.” I said.

“Don’t say that.” She said.

“Say what?” I asked.

“Introduce yourself as Lucien’s boyfriend. If you introduce yourself like that to everyone, people will think you’re his property.” She explained.

“Got it.” I said. “Are you dating or married?” I asked. She pointed outside to where the men were.

“You see that guy smoking a cigar?” She asked. I saw a guy with brown curly hair who sat a few seats away from Lucien. “That’s Tommaso. My husband.” She said.

“How long did it take for him to propose to you?” I asked.

She chuckled. “Are you worried that Lucien might ask you too soon? Because if you are, trust me, it’s worth it.” She said. She took a sip of her drink. “And in case you were wondering. It was a month after we met.”

I’ve known Lucien for about two months! I’m overdue for a ring!

“Let’s go outside.” Aria said. I walked outside and saw how beautiful it was. There was a large pool to the side where all the kids were jumping around. There was a botanical garden and old fountains. 

“Ragazzi!” A woman yelled to the kids. I turned and saw all the women holding food and drinks. The kids all ran over and the food was placed on the table. Everyone began to take their seats.

“Danny!” Lucien called for me. I noticed that I was the only one left standing. Lucien had saved a spot next to him. I walked over and sat. As soon as I sat, everyone began eating. 

“Is there peanut?” I asked.

“I warned everyone about your allergy. Relax.” Lucien rubbed my back. The plates began to be passed around. 

“I feel out of place.” I whispered to Lucien.

“Everyone likes you. Just be yourself.” Lucien said. He filled my plate with pasta and bread first and then served himself. 

While we ate, I was asked questions by some people. They asked me about my education, life in Arizona, and my parents. Normally I would feel weird about these personal questions. But these people are very personal down-to-earth people. I really don’t mind.

“Danny. Want to join us in the pool later?” Aria asked me. I turned to Lucien. He nodded for me.

“Sure. I’ll come with.” I replied.

“This is gonna be fun.” She squealed. 

I tried not to eat too much because nonna insisted I eat more because I was too skinny. Throughout the lunch, Lucien’s hand would wander to my ass and he would rub it. 

“We’re going to go into town, Danny.” Lucien said.

“What will I do?” I asked.

“Stay and hang out with my family.” He kissed my cheek. All the men proceeded to stand up and say their goodbyes to everyone. 

“We’ll be back soon!” Sylvester said. They all waved and exited the backyard through a side gate. 

Now I was left alone with the children and women. 

“You got water clothes?” Aria asked.

“Uh, yeah.” I replied.

“Then go change!” She got up and ran into the house.

“That girl is too energetic.” A woman pinched the bridge of her nose. I just laughed.

So far, this trip has been going better than I can imagine.

---

even lucien’s extended family calls him danny and not daniel.

<3

TWENTY-SIX

DANIEL HARPER

“How’s the water?” Aria asked me. I was in the deep end trying not to drown.

“It’s nice.” I replied. I chose to be in the deep end because the kids are in the shallow part. And I don’t really do well with kids.

“You’re so beautiful. I love your eyes.” Aria said.

“Really? I always kinda hated them.” I said.

“Why? Green is such a nice color.” She said. I leaned back against the edge of the pool.

“Lucien always says he likes my eyes.” I said.

“You should hear him when he’s calling us. He would not stop talking about how much of an amazing person you are.” Aria said.

“He talks about me?” I asked.

“A lot. He even-” She stopped talking and turned her head away. “Doesn’t matter. The point is, Lucien was never the type to date. He was always with some new hookup. Imagine our surprise when he finally finds a boyfriend.”

“How was Lucien like growing up?” I asked.

“He was… an interesting person. Because of his dad, Lucien was sometimes busy. It all changed when his uncle, Sylvester’s brother, and his wife were killed. He became closed off then.” Aria explained.

“Killed? I didn’t know that.” I muttered.

“It was tragic. Sylvester was depressed for months. Rumors were that he hunted down their killers and did unspeakable things to them.” She shivered when she said that.

“I didn’t know Sylvester had a brother.”

“He doesn’t talk about them much.” Aria said. She reached behind her and grabbed a glass of lemonade and took a sip. “Want to come tomorrow to pick olives?” She asked.

“Yeah! That sounds fun!” I said.

“We have an olive orchard here. It’ll be fun!”

Just then, we heard loud noises coming from the house. Both Aria and I turned and saw that all the men had arrived home. Lucien had walked out into the back yard and looked around. His eyes landed on me and a smile came on his face.

“He’s coming.” Aria whispered to me.

Lucien stood at the edge of the pool and was watching me.

“Mind if I join?” He asked.

“Sure…” I said softly. Lucien treated me to a strip tease as he took off all his clothes until he reached his boxers. He then climbed into the water and swam towards me.

“Hey, beautiful.” He said as he stood next to me.

“Lucien…” I muttered. I felt his hand go down and touch my thigh.

“Oh, gross! Not in here! There’s children!” Aria whined.

“She’s right, Lucien. Not here.” I took his hand off. He pouted and turned away from me angrily. “Are you okay?” I asked Lucien.

“You’re really gonna let her cockblock me?” He asked.

“What does that mean? Cockblock?” Aria asked. I blushed and turned to her.

“It means nothing! Don’t worry about it, heh…” I chuckled awkwardly. “Lucien. Don’t act like a baby.” I told him.

He turned around and leaned into my ear. “Then let me fuck you right now.” He whispered. He grabbed my wrist and brought my hand to his dick, which had gotten hard.

“R-Right now?” I asked.

“We can go somewhere more private if you want.” He said. I turned and saw Aria taking in the sun with her eyes closed. The adults were off inside and the kids were distracted.

“Just this once.” I said.

“Perfect.” Lucien hopped out of the pool and held his hand out for me. I grabbed his and put my sandals on.

“I’ll be right back.” I told Aria. She gave me a smirk as if she knows what we’re gonna do.

Rather than walk inside, Lucien led me through the backyard, deeper into the trees. I didn’t know this place would be much bigger. But it’s the countryside. The nearest neighbor is miles away.

“Right here’s perfect.” Lucien pointed to a thick tree.

“I’m nervous, Lucien.” I said to him.

“That’s part of the thrill.” Lucien said. He dragged me to the back of the tree and pinned me on the trunk. I only had shorts on, which were easily able to be pulled off. Lucien lowered my shorts and left me naked.

“What about lube?” I asked.

“Spit will do fine.” I felt his hands lower his boxers and heard the noise of him spitting. Then I felt his hands spread my ass open. He thrusted forward and his dick penetrated me deeply.

“LUCIEN!” I yelled in pain. He put his hands over my mouth.

“Just take it, Danny.” He grunted out. He thrusted himself in and out, hurting me.

“It- It hurts! Lucien!” I muttered through his hand. Lucien kept grunting. He placed his hands on my hip and began to fuck me quickly.

“I’m coming!” He groaned out. I felt his dick swell inside me and then shoot his load in me. He placed his head on my back and took deep breaths. “You were even tighter today.” He said.

“Can we go back now?” I asked tearfully while trying to hold myself up on the tree trunk.

“Yeah. Let’s go back now.” Lucien pulled out of me, giving me great pain. He helped me pull up my shorts and grabbed my hand. There was a wet feeling in my ass. I was walking but began to stumble. Usually I have some time to get my energy fast.

“Lucien!” I pleaded for him to slow down. He let go of my hand and turned around. Right as he did, I began to collapse and almost fell onto the floor until a pair of hands grabbed me.

“You alright, my love?” He asked. I started to cry into his shoulder. I didn’t have a chance to at least stretch my legs after he finished.

“No! I’m in pain, Lucien!” I angrily yelled at him. He had a sad look on his face. He bent down and picked me up in his arms.

“I’m sorry.” He said. He carried me and began walking back to the villa. The pain was still there. I cuddled into his pecs and felt my world go black.

I had fallen asleep in Lucien’s arms.

When I woke up, I had this urge to drink water. I looked around and realized I was back in our bedroom. I turned to the balcony and saw the sun was setting.

“Lucien?” I asked. I turned to my side and didn’t see him there. When I sat up, the pain in my ass returned.

Right… Lucien did that to me.

The door opened and Lucien walked in. He held a cup of water in his hands. He had a look of guilt on his face.

“I brought this for you.” He handed me the glass, not looking at me.

I chugged down the water. “How long was I out?” I asked.

“Three hours. We’re getting ready for dinner soon.” Lucien said.

“You hurt me, Lucien.” I told him.

“I know…” He muttered.

“I wasn’t comfortable having sex with you in the first place. But you still wanted me to.” I said.

“I know…” He muttered again.

“What went through your head when you did that?” I asked.

“I guess I let my excitement take over. I thought with my dick and not my brain. I did something that hurt you.” He had his head down in shame.

“The next time you do that, Lucien, I’ll leave you. I can’t be with someone who constantly makes me feel uncomfortable.” I told him.

“I’ll do better. I promise Danny.” He leaned forward and embraced me in a tight hug. “I fucked up!” He sobbed. I patted his back and shushed him.

“You did. And you’ll never do it again, right?” I asked.

“Never. Hurting you will be the last thing on my mind.” He said though now I wasn’t sure if I believed him.

He definitely needs more to grow.

“I’m starving.” I said. Despite what he did, at least he has the decency to understand what he did was wrong. A normal psychopath would only regard their pleasure. Lucien, on the otherhand, realized what he’d done and felt guilt.

“Let’s go down stairs. Everyone is getting prepared for dinner.” Lucien said while wiping a few stray tears. He pulled away and went towards my luggage and began to pick out clothes for me. “Put this on.” He threw me some new clothes.

“Where are my wet ones?” I asked.

“Nonna is washing them. You’ll get them back tomorrow.” He said. I began to change while sitting down. Once I was done, I now had the problem of getting up and walking.

“Uh, Lucien?” I asked. He turned and realized I needed help.

“I’m on it!” He picked me up again and slowly he began walking us towards downstairs.

The chatter of people talking stopped when everyone turned to us.

“Lucien! Danny!” Sylvester said. He looked awkward, along with everyone else. I thought it was because of Lucien carrying me but something felt off. Like something was happening.

“What’s going on?” Lucien asked.

“N-Nothing! Everything’s swell! Right, Elena?” Sylvester nudged his wife.

“Oh, right! Yeah! Everything’s nice.” She replied. I knew something was going on. But seeing as how their family’s whole business is sketchy, I figured it’s best not to think about it.

Still, this gut feeling wouldn’t leave me. Something was going on and me and Lucien were being kept in the dark about it.

“Let’s get the table set! You two must be starving!” Aria announced. Quickly, everyone scattered and began to place the plates and cups. It’s almost as if they wanted to get out of this intense aura.

“They’re hiding something.” I whispered in Lucien’s ear.

“I’ll find out what it is and tell you.” Lucien replied. He carried me to the table and sat me down on a seat. I winced in pain. “You’ll feel better later after you eat.” He said.

“I sure hope so.” I replied.

I looked up and saw Sylvester looking at me. When we made eye contact, he turned away and acted like nothing happened. Yep, they’re acting off.

---

<3

TWENTY-SEVEN

LUCIEN VITTORI

Throughout dinner, I could feel the sneaky glances that were given to us. I thought I might’ve been having a mental breakdown or become paranoid. But when I saw Tommaso and Giovanni staring at us then away, I knew something was up.

“And a toast, to Lucien and Danny. May they have a long and beautiful relationship.” Dad said as we all held up our glasses.

“Salute!” Everyone cheered and sipped on their glasses. Danny didn’t drink alcohol so he sipped on orange juice and I made sure to only drink a small amount.

“Tomorrow is my dad’s birthday.” I told Danny.

“Do I get him a present?” He asked.

“If you want to. Personally, my dad’s gift from me is not to get into another bar fight for the next few months.” I said. Danny went into thinking mode.

“I’ve got nothing.” He said. I hugged his side.

“It’s fine.” I told him. I leaned down and kissed him on the head. “Let’s go outside.” I said. I had noticed people began to go outside and get some fresh air.

“Hey, Danny. Come with me.” Aria came by and took Danny by the arm away from me. I wanted to smash her face into the wall for taking my Danny away but calmed myself down.

“I’ll be back, Lucien.” He said. I watched as the two began to walk towards a side garden, out of view from us.

“We need to talk, Lucien.” I turned and saw my mom standing behind me. Her tone indicated it was something serious. I followed her and she took us in the opposite direction of where Danny and Aria went.

When I turned the corner, I saw dad, Tommaso, nonna, and two other guys. One of them I immediately remembered as Lorenzo, one of dad’s associates who specializes in secret operations.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Something serious has come to our attention.” Dad said. I thought they were going to be upset about the fact that I had sex with Danny earlier near the olive trees.

“It’s about Danny.” Mom said.

Now they really had my attention and full panic.

“He’s doing good. What’s with all the worry?” I asked. Lorenzo stepped forward.

He cleared his throat. “One of our lackey’s was on the west side and overheard a conversation. According to him, the main topic was Daniel Harper and his connection to us.” He said.

“What did their conversation say?” I asked.

“Something about keeping a watch on him. They called it Operation AH. We don’t know what AH stands for. But we do know that Daniel may be in danger.” Lorenzo said.

“It’s the Lombardi’s, right?” I asked.

“It was in their territory. I would assume so.” Lorenzo said.

“Is this what you guys were talking about earlier when we walked in?” I asked. They all nodded.

“I’m putting some protection on Danny. And you already dealt with the guy who stole his file.” Dad said.

The Lombardis for a long time have been a thorn in our side. They own small pockets of places in New York. It used to be worse but got better when my dad forced their hand into a peace treaty. We sort of just keep out of each other’s ways.

“Will this possibly affect my plans?” I asked.

“You’re safe, Lucien. Keep up with your plans. But keep in mind that Danny is in a far dangerous position now. He can’t just walk anywhere and hang out with anyone. Keep a closer eye on him.” Dad said.

Nonna walked up to me. “Danny is handsome boy. You protect him like treasure.” She said in a thick Italian accent.

“Sì, signora.” I replied. She stared into my eyes and kissed me on the cheek. My mom proceeded to gently grab her by the arm and slowly began walking nonna back inside.

“Were you able to track down those guys?” Dad asked Lorenzo.

“We got one of them and found his address. They’re interrogating him right now but if it gets out, this could start some conflicts with the Lombardis.” Lorenzo said.

“Find out everything you can.” I said. “Try to give him an offer for his cooperation. Then tell him to get out of town.” I added.

“Got it, Mr. Vittori. I’ll call them right now.” Lorenzo stepped away and quickly got on his phone.

“Don’t worry, Lucy, Danny’s gonna be safe.” Dad said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

“The one thing I didn’t want to happen. Danny being used as a bargaining chip.” I muttered.

“He has the whole gang behind his back. No one’s laying a finger on his soft, messy hair.” Dad told me.

“I sure hope not. Only I’m allowed to grab his hair any way I can.” I said while tightening my fist.

“You should go to bed.” Dad told me. “I’ll finish up here.”

“’Kay. Buonanotte.” I said.

“You too.” Dad replied. I yawned and began walking towards the doors. At the same time, Danny turned a corner and spotted me.

He wore a daisy chain crown on his head, something Aria is very fond of making. His face brightened up when he saw me. A blush came on his face when he noticed me observing me.

It’s such a great feeling knowing that you can make a person smile the biggest.

“Lucien.” Danny walked over to me and gave me a tight hug. “Where’d you go?” He asked.

“Something dad needed to talk about.” I said.

“Was it about them talking in secret? Did you figure it out?” He asked. I can’t tell him the truth. It’ll scare him too much.

“Yeah. Don’t tell them I told you, but they plan on taking us to get gelato tomorrow.” I whispered to him.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it then.” Danny pretended to zip his mouth closed. We both giggled in secret.

Who could ever hurt such a precious creature?

“Hey, you two! It’s getting late! Get inside!” Aria yelled. I crouched down in front of Danny and signaled for him to jump on my back. He jumped on and I stood up and began walking us to our room.

As I laid him on my bed, he extended his arm for me and grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t go.” He said.

“We need to brush our teeth first.” I told him.

After we did our night routine, we were able to go to bed. It was a pain to stop Danny from attempting to put on a night time face mask.

“Goodnight, Lucien.” He said.

“Goodnight, Danny Boy.” I replied. I hugged him from behind and kissed his temple. Then, sleep fell over us.

The sound of a door opening quickly scared both of us and I jumped and pulled out a knife I’d hidden under the bed. In walked my dad holding a cupcake with a lit candle and a birthday hat on.

“Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday dear me-ee. Happy Birthday to me!” Dad sang. Both Danny and I looked at each other and gave a ‘Seriously?’ look.

“Shouldn’t we be singing you that?” I asked.

“It’s more fun when I do it!” Dad said. He blew out his candles and tossed a handful of confetti at us. “Get changed! We’re going into Rome later!” Dad cheered. He set the cupcake down and skipped out the room.

“What the fuck just happened?” Danny asked. I went over towards him and tried to kiss him but he pushed me away. “No! I need to brush my teeth first!” He said.

“We’ll do it together!” I held out my hand. We brushed our teeth together and made silly faces in the mirror while doing so.

After changing, we met the family downstairs. Everyone was ready and waiting for us.

“Going on the Vespa again?” Mom asked me.

“Yeppers.” I replied. She sighed.

“No distractions this time. Got it.” She leaned in. “Who knows if the Lombardis have eyes in Rome right now.” She whispered.

“Understood.” I said. “Oh, Danny!” I called out to him. He turned and saw me standing next to the aqua blue Vespa we’d ridden on earlier.

“No skinny-dipping this time, right?” He asked.

“Just going to get gelato. That’s it!” I said. He seemed hesitant but ended up hopping on the Vespa. Everyone had already left in their cars. It was just me and Danny.

The ignition turned on. I stared out into the road and got ready to drive.

“Hold on tight!” I said. Danny hugged me close.

I started driving for us and led us from the countryside into the urban center of Rome. The salty air from the sea opened my nostrils. I was able to take in the amazing scent of Italy.

“Is this gelato place good?” Danny asked.

“The best! Trust me, you’ll like it!” I said. I slowed down the Vespa and slowly entered the parking lot of a gelato shop. Everyone’s cars were already here and inside. “I’m paying. Remember.” I told him. I parked the Vespa near one of the black cars and we both hopped off. We began walking towards the entrance.

“But, I converted some of my money into Euros.” He protested. I stopped him and pinned him against the wall. He grunted when his back hit the wall hard.

“Listen to me, Danny.” I lowered myself to his ear. “When you’re with me, I’ll provide for everything. I don’t want you worrying about anything. Not when you’re with me. Got it?” I asked.

He whimpered. “Yes, sir.”

“Good boy. We’re on the same page then.” I said. I let go of him and grabbed his hand. “Let’s go. I’m hungry.” I said.

I turned and saw Danny flustered. His face was red and he was breathing hard.

Inside the shop it was cold. I looked around and saw my family sitting near a window, all eating their gelato.

“I’m ordering for us.” I said. Danny didn’t protest and just told me what he wanted.

So far, a good start to my dad’s birthday.

---

<3

TWENTY-EIGHT

DANIEL HARPER

Lucien kept hyping up the gelato. I at first thought that maybe he was over exaggerating. Lucien is a hard to please type person. Meaning that this gelato must be gold. But when I tried, he was right. He was so fucking right.

“Enjoying it?” Lucien asked me. 

“It’s so fucking good!” I moaned. I devoured my gelato entirely. When I looked up, I noticed everyone was looking at me. “Uh, sorry.” I muttered. 

“We all did the same thing when we first tried this place.” Slyvester replied. 

“Uh, Danny?” Lucien said next to me. I turned and saw him handing me a napkin. “You’ve got cream on your lips.” He pointed to the corner of my mouth. I stuttered and Lucien handed me a napkin.

“Is it gone?” I asked as I wiped it away. 

“It’s gone. But you’ll have some more later…” He teased me. Lucien handed me his gelato. “You can have mine.” He said. I stared at it.

“You sure? I know how much you’ve wanted to come here. You’ve been dying to come here.” I said. 

“I insist. Anything to see you smile like that again.” He said.

“That’s so fucking adorable!” Aria gushed. 

I took his cup of gelato. “I’ll owe you back.” I said.

“You already have.” He replied. I ate my gelato and occasionally offered a spoon to Lucien. It was similar to feeding a baby. 

“What’s next?” I asked Lucien as I threw away my cup.

“Ever been to a vineyard?” He asked.

“Kinda. Not sure if the one near your home in the Hamptons counts.” I replied.

“This one will blow your mind.” Lucien said. We walked back into the parking lot and hopped on the Vespa once again. 

The ride was similar to the Vittori’s villa in the country, only this time we drove in the opposite direction. The scenery changed. Instead of flat lands, the landscape was more mountainous. Large hills and peaks overlooking the sea.

We went uphill for a long time. I kept panicking that we would fall off the mountain. But I trust Lucien to keep me safe. He drove until a dirt path led us to a winery atop the hill. Everyone was already here.

“Ever drank authentic Italian wine?” Lucien asked.

“No. Remember, I don’t drink.” I told him.

“Just a sip. You’ll like it.” Lucien said. 

“Maybe.” I replied. We were escorted into a private room. It was a VIP room with a large table and cushioned seats around. 

“We’re going to taste a few different wines. You don’t have to drink it all. At the end, whichever one you like, buy it. It’s on me.” Sylvester announced to the whole room.

“What about the kids?” I asked Lucien.

“They just sit around and eat grapes and cheese. They’re fine.” I turned to see the kids all sitting around and eating better food than I ever ate in my entire life. 

I would’ve just been given chicken nuggets and fries and apple juice.

The first few wines were quite… sublime. Or whatever those words food critics use that sound overly complicated. Oakey, fruity, a bit savory. Every type I could think of was served. I only took about two sips. But Lucien would chug the entire glass.

“Lucien. Don’t drink too much!” I scolded him. 

“Relax. I’m a functioning drunk.” He said.

“Last time you were drunk you kidnapped me and we had sex for the first time.” I replied.

“That was different. Because I’ve always wanted to do that. The alcohol just gave me confidence.” He said. I jokingly pushed Lucien away from me. 

In the end, I ended up not getting a bottle of wine. They were all nice but where would I even put such a bottle? Definitely not in my room. The alcohol had gotten to everyone. They all played in the couches and either slept or ate some of the kid’s snacks.

“Pssssst, Danny Boy…” Lucien teased.

Oh no, That’s his ‘I need your hole’ voice. 

“Lucien! You’re drunk!” I said.

“Aw, come on, baby. You know I’d never hurt you.” He sloppily slurred out. The top two buttons of his shirt were opened, revealing tanned skin underneath.

“Lucien. Just drink some water and sober up.” I stood up and went to get him some water. He grabbed my wrist and turned me around.

“Let’s go check out the vineyard. Yeah? You’ll like it.” He said. I turned and tried getting some help from anyone else but they were all passed out. Even fucking nonna was out of it!

“Sure. But no funny business.” I said.

He just looked down at me with a sinister smirk. I know I’m playing a dangerous game right now.

Lucien grabbed my hand and led me out the private room, out the lodge, and into the large fields of grape vines. 

“Isn’t this nice? Look! It’s all so beautiful!” He said. He was stumbling a bit but managed to hold himself up. 

“Yeah. It is.” I said. Lucien kept walking us towards the more farther and secluded part of the land. A gut feeling came in that I should probably walk away from this. Afterall, the alcohol hasn’t hit me yet. 

I could still make a run for it.

Just as I was about to turn around and go back, Lucien grabbed me by my shirt.

“Alright, Danny. Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re gonna blow me and then we’ll go back inside.” He said right in my face.

“No! Lucien! Not here!” I pleaded.

“Just this once. And besides…” He leaned into my face and gave me a haunting look. “You like the thrill, don’t you?” He asked. 

“Sir!” I pleaded.

“On your knees!” He growled. I didn’t want to face his wrath in the grape fields, high five for my joke, so I did as told. “And good job calling me sir. Nice to see you still understand your role.”  

Lucien turned and scouted the area before deciding it was safe. He unzipped his pants and let his dick loose. 

“Get on with it! I don’t have all day!” He said. I grabbed his dick and felt it harden in my hands. I gave him a quick blowjob.

“Lucien! I don’t think I can do this!” I said, releasing my mouth off his dick. 

“Is my Danny worried? Will it make you feel better if I buy this place?” He asked while grabbing my hair and making me look up at him.

“Buy this place?” I asked in a soft whimper.

“I’ll fucking do it right now! I’ll buy this place and then no one can tell us what to do!” He growled. 

“N-No! That’s insane!” I said.

“So what’s stopping you from giving me a blowjob?” He asked. I gulped hard, turned around and gave a final scout, and grabbed his dick.

“You’re drunk…” I muttered. I quickly gave him a blowjob. It’s a surreal experience. Giving a blowjob to someone is a vineyard. But I can’t say that I didn’t expect something similar to happen. Especially with Lucien Vittori. 

Lucien held my hair in his fist and thrusted into my mouth. I’ve gotten a bit used to his size. Compared to our first time, it’s easier to take him in deeper. But his girth is too much sometimes. And I still have a few ways to go before I can entirely take him. 

Though, I don’t think Lucien cares. He always mentions how much he likes every aspect about me. For all my perfections and imperfections. Giving him a blowjob is just a bit of my reparations to him.

Lucien came in my mouth and forced me to swallow it. “Good boy. Nice you see you’re learning.” He said.

“L-Lucien…” I groaned. I think I could feel the alcohol hitting me.

“Is my Danny getting sleepy?” He cooed. I held myself on his legs. My fingers were rubbing his bare legs. 

“So fuzzy.” I giggled. I quickly hugged his legs like a koala and felt my body become limp.

“That’s just adorable…” Lucien said. I felt him releasing my hands on his legs. “Upsy daisy.” He hooked his arms under my armpits and lifted me up.

“Lucien?” I muttered.

“Yeah, Danny.” He began carrying me bridal style back to the rest of his family.

“Your nonna said I would be a good wife.” I said in a light drunken state. 

“She isn’t wrong.” He continued walking and didn’t look down.

“Are you gonna propose?” I jokingly asked. Lucien turned red and began stuttering. I’ve never seen him become so awkward before.

“Uh… you’re drunk, Danny!” He ignored my question.

“I- I onlyyy had…” I counted in my head. “12 sips. Huh!” I hiccuped. 

“Just take a nap, Danny. I’ll watch after you.” Lucien said.

“Nooo… I’m not… sleepy.” I yawned and snuggled into Lucien’s pecs. 

“Uh-huh. Sure you aren’t.” Lucien continued to walk. The sun was out of my eyes, meaning we were back in the lodge. 

I dozed off in Lucien’s strong arms. I didn’t care that I was asleep in a different place. Lucien said he would watch over me. I can trust him. 

I have no idea how long I slept for. Maybe it was hours. But when I awoke, I saw that I was back in our room at the villa, I knew Lucien brought me here. 

“Lucien?” I called out. I heard the bathroom sink running. Then, a shirtless Lucien walked out. 

“Ever thought about wearing a jockstrap?” He asked me.

“A what? No. I haven’t. When did we come back?” I asked.

“Three hours ago. Everyone passed out. I had a driver take us instead of the Vespa.” Lucien crawled onto the bed and began making out with me. “Do you remember the question you asked me earlier when you were drunk?” He asked.

I tried remembering. “No. I don’t. Was it something important?”

Lucien had a look of relief. “No. Nothing important.” He replied. “Do you want to shower? We’re going to dinner.” He said.

“Sure.” I grunted and got off the bed. I stretched my arms and legs. When I looked down, I realized I was naked and stretching in front of an open window. “Lucien!” I called out to him. 

“You spilled wine on your clothes.” Lucien said quickly. I ran into the bathroom to hide. “Come on, Danny. It’s nothing I haven’t seen yet.” He said.

“Can you get me some spare clothes?” I asked.

“Yes, my love.” Lucien said.

Something about the way Lucien was relieved about my alleged asked question didn’t seem… right. Why was he so relieved that I forgot? Could it have been something important?

Whatever it was, he’ll probably tell me one day.

It’s not like he’s holding any secrets from me.

“Dinner in 10.” Lucien announced.

“Coming!” I yelled back.

I fixed my outfit and got ready to join dinner with some of the scariest people I’ve ever met.

---

<3

TWENTY-NINE

DANIEL HARPER

The week in Italy was one of the best experiences I could’ve ever had. I got to meet so many people, try such fantastic cuisine, and explored a new country. And I did it all with Lucien VIttori, my loving boyfriend.

“Promise you’ll visit again, Danny! Promise me!” Aria kept insisting over and over again.

“Yes, Aria! I’ll be back again!” I replied.

“Great!” She gave me a tight hug. “I’ll see you next summer!” She said.

“Summer?” I asked.

“Oh, nevermind…” She chuckled awkwardly. “Take care of Lucien. Lord knows he needs someone like you in his life.” She said.

“I’ll look out for him.” I said.

“Let’s go, Danny! The plane’s ready!” Lucien called out for me.

“Ciao, Aria!”

“Ciao, Danny!” We gave a final hug before I ran towards the Vespa and hopped on behind Lucien. I quickly hugged him from behind as he began to drive out of the country and back into Rome.

When we were inside the plane, I turned to Lucien and asked him a question.

“Why did Aria say she’ll see me next summer? Is it another trip planned?” I asked. He pulled me in and kissed me.

“Yeah… something of that sort.” He said with a sly remark.

“There’s something you’re not telling me! You’ve been acting weird ever since we got here. What’s going on, Mr Vittori?” I asked as my hand began to go up his thigh. He got incredibly flustered.

“Nothing, Danny Boy! I just missed my family, that’s all!” He said. I turned to his parents and they both were looking away.

Yep, I’m not going crazy.

As the plane finally landed in New York, I just wanted to pass out and go to sleep. But Lucien kept me awake.

“I think I have jetlag.” I yawned out.

“Me too.” Lucien also yawned. “Do you want me to drop you off at your dorm?” He asked.

“I have one more free day.” Let’s go to your home.“ I replied.

“Sure. Oh, I’ll need to ask you something tomorrow. It’s… something huge. I hope you won’t mind.” He said.

“Okay.” I replied. I yawned and made sure to stay up until we reached Lucien’s apartment. He was happy enough to lift me all the way to his room and help me get settled in.

“Wanna watch a movie or something?” He asked as we both undressed down to our briefs.

“Ooh! Can we watch Purple Noon?! Please!” I begged.

“I don’t know what that is, but I can’t say no to those eyes.” He shook his head and chuckled. We sat back as he put the movie on.

The movie began playing. I sat next to Lucien. His head was on my chest. He would occasionally poke my stomach to get a reaction out of me.

“Uh, Danny? This movie isn’t in English.” Lucien pointed out.

“It’s French. I think I’ll be able to understand most of this cause of my French classes.” I said. Lucien just squeezed my torso.

As I watched the movie, Lucien slowly began to fall asleep. I don’t think the movie is that boring. Though, it would make sense for Lucien to doze off since he can’t understand the language. When he started snoring, I realized I should probably turn off the TV and go to sleep. So as I turned off the TV and covered us, I turned outside and saw light specks of snow falling.

Winter is coming. My favorite time of the year.

The smell of coffee awoke me from my sleep. Lucien wasn’t in bed. He’s probably off in the kitchen. Speaking of which, I’m starving. A quick brush of my teeth and borrowing Lucien’s sweater was my morning routine.

“I’m going to ask him right now. He should be up. I hope he takes it well.” I heard Lucien speak to someone. I stopped walking and stayed behind a wall, trying to hear more of his conversation.

“I think it’s time. It’ll be the first step. Yeah, I do love him. He’s my everything. I’ll let you know what he says.” Lucien ended what was most likely a phone call.

I stood thinking about what his phone call might’ve been about. It didn’t sound like anything nefarious. He expressed his love. And who would kill someone they love? He mentioned yesterday when we landed that he needed to ask me something.

So what could it be?

Deciding to face the music, I turned the corner and walked to the kitchen. Lucien heard me and turned. He wore gray sweats and a tight tank top. The biggest smile came on his face. He raced over to me, hugged me, and picked me up.

“How was your night?” He asked while peppering kisses on my face.

“It was amazing. I got to sleep with you.” I chuckled back. He set me down and walked back to the stove.

“Sit. Breakfast is ready.” Lucien said. I obeyed and sat at the island. Lucien walked over with two plates in hand. “Orange juice for my baby?” He asked.

“Yes, please.” I replied in a soft tone. For some reason, the word baby just makes me act smaller around him. Lucien brought a glass cup and a carafe of juice over to me.

I just realized that Lucien cooked for me. He actually cooked for me. I’ve seen him have cooks over before and make meals for him. However, he made food for me. He went out of his way to prepare this.

While I ate breakfast, Lucien was obviously nervous about something. I think it’s about the question he has for me. Part of my just wants him to blurt it out already.

“So…” Lucien began. “When are you going to cook for us? I imagine nonna gave you some tricks.”

“Oh, definitely.” I replied. Yeah, nonna gave me a lot of tips. She gave me a small copy of her cookbook. Something that according to Aria she never does on a first-to-meet basis.

“I can only imagine how good your cooking would be. I’d love to wake up one morning and just see you cooking for me.” Lucien said.

“That sounds like a dream…” I replied.

“Yeah, well, some dreams are meant to come true.” Lucien said with a hint of teasing. I turned to him and saw him look a bit more nervous.

“Lucien…” I placed my hand on top of his. “I know you want to say something. So just spit it out.” I said.

Lucien stuttered a bit before taking a deep breath.

“Danny. We’ve been dating for a while now. And I know you’re the one for me. So I wanted to ask if… if… if you’d move in with me!” He blurted out.

“Move in with you? Like… as a couple?!” I asked. I stared at him as he nodded.

“Mmhmm! As a couple. I love you so much Danny. It would mean the world to me if you moved in. Waking up to you and sleeping at night with you. It sounds like a dream.” He said.

I wasn’t sure what to say. Moving in? That’s a big deal. There’s so many factors at play. College, for example. Getting to and from school. And then there’s the whole actually living with Lucien. I love him, but I’m not sure if this is the correct step or if I’m ready.

“I need some time to think.” I said.

“I understand. I’ll give you time. In the meantime, just hang out here all day. I need to take care of some business.” Lucien kissed my lips and stood up. He grabbed his phone and walked to his room.

Lucien left and reminded me to think about it. He didn’t want to feel as if he was forcing me to accept his proposal.

So I called a person who gave me great advice.

“Hey, bitch!” Angie said.

“Hey, Angie! Still at your grandma’s?” I asked.

“Just got back. I’m on campus. You still in Italy?” She asked.

“No. I got back last night.”

“Was it fun? I bet it was. Did you and Lucien have sex in the Vatican? Wait, I can’t say that!” Angie rambled on.

“Ang, I actually wanted your advice on something.” I said.

“Is it about Lucien?” She asked.

“Mmhmm. He uh… asked me something today.”

“What was it?”

“He asked me if I could move in with him.” I said. Her line went silent.

“What do you want to do?” She asked.

“I don’t know. That’s why I asked you.” I said.

“Hmm. Usually, this is a fast move. But Lucien is the type to love hard. Honestly, do you trust him?”

“With my life.” I replied.

“Would you trust Lucien in the same home? Living together?”

“Yeah. I trust him.” I said.

“What about financials?” She asked.

“Well, Lucien kinda forces himself to pay for everything. Even when I protest. And I have some stream coming in because of… their business.” I said.

“Here’s my consensus. You and Lucien are basically already living together. You kinda just use campus as a place to sleep. And you spend your weekends and days at Lucien’s. I think you two are ready for the next step.” Angie said.

“You’re right! Oh my God! We’re practically already living together.”

“Then that’s your answer. Just tell Lucien and you two will be in the same place. And if you ever need space, I’m sure you can find a place in his apartment to spend time by yourself.”

“Thank you so fucking much, Ang! Where would I be if it wasn’t for you!” I replied.

“You’re welcome. Your aunt’s sweater came in. She should open an Etsy shop. This shit mad comfy!” She said.

“That’s her. I’ll tell you more about my trip later. First, I gotta have a talk with Lucien.” I said.

“Sure! Talk later, babe.” She said. We said our goodbyes and hung up. I stared at my lock screen. A picture of me and Lucien in his bathtub. One of my favorite memories of us together.

The elevator dinged and in walked Lucien. He wore casual attire and had a bag and wine bottle in hand.

“My parents gave me this from the vineyard in Italy. Do you want to give it to your friend?” He asked as he extended his arm and held out the wine bottle.

“Yeah. I’ll give it to her.” I said and took the bottle. I saw the bag in his hand and asked what it was.

“Oh, this? I got us some Thai food. You hungry?” He asked. I nodded yes.

We sat at the counter. Even though we ate breakfast an hour ago, I was still starving. I checked the receipt and saw a customer note.

‘No peanuts! Absolutely no peanuts or I’ll fucking kill you all!’ the note in the receipt said. That definitely sounds like Lucien.

“So, have you decided on my question?” Lucien asked, looking up from his food.

“Yeah. I called my friend for advice and she helped me decide.”

“So?”

“Yes, Lucien. I’ll move in with you!” I told him. His face lit up. He reached over the table, grabbed my face, and tongue kissed me.

“I’m so fucking happy to hear that.” He said. Our foreheads were touching over the table as we looked into each other’s eyes. “Especially because I already had some guys pack your things.” He said.

“You what?” I gasped out.

“Probably should’ve asked you.” He said. He dug into his pocket and pulled something out. “Here. It’s a keycard. Scan this and it’ll take you up here. And you can download the app and it’ll do the same thing.” He said. I was expecting a key but seeing as how this building is for rich people only, a keycard makes more sense.

“Guess this is us officially moving in as a couple!” I said in excitement.

“Let’s hurry up and have some moving-in-together-sex.” Lucien said.

Lucien carried me to the room and set me on his bed. Or, I guess, our bed now.

---

<3

THIRTY

LUCIEN VITTORI

“No.” I said.

“Lucien…” Danny Boy warned.

“I said… NO!” I planted my face in his neck and made my grip on his torso harder.

“Lucien. You agreed to this. This was one of the conditions for us moving in. Now, let, me, go!” Danny said. 

“One more kiss.” I said. Danny turned around and kissed me on the lips.

“There. Happy?” He said with sas.

“Careful, Danny. Watch your tone…” I leaned into his ear. “Or I’ll have to punish you.” I said in a deep voice. Danny shivered in my arms.

“I have Physics in 10 minutes, Lucien!” He wiggled in my arms. I loosened my grip on him until he was able to free himself from me.

“I’ll see you later? Or are you going to meet your friend?” I asked him. Danny picked up his tote bag and put it on. 

“I’m meeting Angie. And then we’re heading off to some improv show. I’ll text you when I’m ready to come home .” He led out that final word.

Home. That’s what it is for us now.

“I’ll come by and get you.” I replied. He hopped out of the car and gave me a last glance before he exited the car.

I watched as Danny walked and noticed some guy watching him. He didn’t say or do anything, but he gave me sinister vibes. Something was off about him. Most likely, Danny didn’t notice this suspicious guy because he’s on his phone. 

I might need to keep an eye on him. For now, I need to get to Little Italy and meet my dad for a quick meeting. I entered the underground parking lot and exited, making my way into the back entrance of the restaurant. 

“Papa?” I asked loudly. I turned around the private room and saw my dad sitting with a few other guys. He signaled for me over.

“Lucy! Welcome! Sit with us!” Dad said, scooting over in the booth. I saw next to him.

“You got Danny’s email about his new proposal, right?” I asked dad.

“Received. I’ll read it later. But for now, we have some news you might be interested in.” Dad said. 

“You have my attention.” I replied. Dad slid over a folder towards me. I looked at it, then at him, and opened it. First thing that I saw was a picture of a frightening looking man. “Who is this?” I asked.

“Giorgio Lombardi. Leader of the Lombardis.” Dad explained. I looked at the picture of Giorgio. He had tanned skin, white hair, dark brown eyes, and a white beard. But the most outstanding part of him was a large scar on his left side that extended from his forehead, over his eyes, and to his cheekbone.

“This is the stronzo that’s been bothering us?” I asked.

“That’s him. Recently, his crew have been trying to take over outposts all over the island. We’ve sent Giorgio a warning to back off but we don’t think he’s taking it seriously.” Lorenzo explained.

“If he’s not taking your threats seriously, it’s because he might have an ace up his sleeve. Some advantage that he hasn’t pulled off yet because he’s waiting for the right moment.” I said.

“True. But it’s not like we have any weaknesses. Except for…” Dad turned to me.

“That’s right! Didn’t we get two guys talking about Lucien’s boyfriend? What did they say?” Stefano asked.

“Unfortunately, those two weren’t high on the hierarchy, so they only got crumbs of ideas. All they said was that Mr. Harper was a person of interest for Giorgio Lormbardi. And as for where they got this information, they were never given a name or even a face. It was all anonymous.” Lorenzo explained.

“So nothing at all?!” I angrily asked.

“Mi dispiace, Mr. Vittori. But if you want more information, you’ll have to talk to one of their high ups. Two lackeys are essentially worthless.” Lorenzo said.

I clenched my fist in anger. My Danny is in danger. Giorgio-fucking-Lombardi is aware of his existence and his closeness to me. 

“Dad? What do we do?” I asked him. He turned to me.

“What do you want to do, Lucien? You’re taking over soon. I’m putting this on you.” Dad said. “In the meantime, we’re ending today’s meeting. Lorenzo, keep digging for more information. Any piece of information is vital. You’re all dismissed.” Dad announced.

People began leaving the booth and talking with each other. I sat in my seat and refused to move until I found some plan to keep my Danny safe. 

“Lucy.” Dad called for me. “It’s time to go.”

“Can’t. I’m thinking.” I said. 

“Don’t put too much stress on yourself. You can’t possibly be everywhere at once.” He said.

“But I have to! I can’t let him out of my sight.” Dad sat down next to me and rubbed my back.

“Do you want to know how I protected your mother?” He asked. I nodded. “Well, truth is, it’s a bit old fashioned, but I forced your mother to stay home 24/7. She quickly became a stay-at-home-mom.” He said.

“But I don’t want to trap Danny. He goes to college. He has a family in Arizona. I don’t want to trap him for so long that he begins to resent me.” I said.

“I understand. I regret forcing your mother to stay home all day. That’s why I’ve been looser with her. Because she’s allowed to have friends and have fun. But of course, I’ll always have people following her.” 

“Normally I would probably say that’s overboard, but after seeing what happened to Uncle Niccolo…” I stopped talking and realized what I said.

I had just mentioned dad’s dead brother.

“I’m sorry, dad. I didn’t mean to bring them up.” I apologized to him.

“It’s fine, Lucy. But yes, use your uncle as an example. Niccolo wasn’t weary enough and got him and his wife killed. It’s better to be safe than sorry before something dire happens.” Dad patted my back and gulped down a shot of whiskey.

“Do you ever think of them?” I asked. Dad’s eyes got misty but he fought back tears.  

“Sometimes.” He said. This is odd. Dad never talks about his brother. “When he was little, he loved to pretend he was in the mafia. He was so excited when he was officially in. He took his job serious. And in the end, his dream killed him.” Dad said. 

“Part of me wonders if he was happy that he died like that, in a sort of fucked way.” I replied. 

“I think you might be right. Niccolo would’ve liked to have died that way. But I still feel bad for my sister in law. She just wanted to live a normal life. But she was swept into this world due to association.” Dad said 

“Just like Danny…” I muttered.

“Exactly. Poor boy doesn’t know how this life is. Are you sure you want to go through with your plans? Once he’s in, he can’t ever leave.” Dad told me. I looked at my thumbs, twirling them around. 

“That’s my biggest dilemma. I love Danny, and I want the best for him. But by being with him, and carrying out my own plan, I’ll be throwing him into more danger.” 

“Well, I won’t be getting into your relationship because I’m not in bed with either of you. My advice, however, is for you to do what you think is best. That’s all I’ll say. What you do, I’ll support. But just make Danny a factor in your thinking.” Dad said. He stood up from his seat and put his coat on.

“I’ll think about it.” I said.

Dad nodded and left the restaurant, leaving me alone in the booth. I sat, pondering about everything. Danny has become my world in just two months. I never want to let him go. Yeah, I’ve fucked up sometimes, but Danny hasn’t pushed me away. He talks to me, lets me know when I push boundaries. 

With the possible incoming threat from the Lombardis, Danny is like a golden opportunity. He’s my weakness, the thing that can make me lash out. I don’t even like it when people touch him. He’s mine and it’s very obvious to everyone. 

Just as I was thinking about implanting a chip in Danny’s arm, my phone began ringing. I was receiving a call from him.

“Hey, my sweet boy! How was class?” I jovially asked.

“Class was… okay. Some girl in our group didn’t do her work and tried to take credit for our whole project.” He replied.

“I could do something about it, if you want?” I replied.

Danny chuckled on the other end. “Oh no! That’s okay, Lucien! We resolved it. We all pulled out drafts of our project and showed the professor that we did do the work. She got an F.” He said.

“Good. Don’t let anyone take credit for your work.” I replied.

“I know, Lucien. But now Angie has an issue herself with her sorority.” 

“I didn’t know she was in one…” I said.

“She just joined. But apparently, one of the girls in the group drank from the sacred Goblet of Sisterhood and got really drunk and defamed the Marie Curie statue. They’re calling it an all out attack against feminism.” Danny said.

“I need a minute to comprehend what you just said.” I told Danny. “How is Angie planning on tracking this person down?” I asked. I don’t really care about girl business but I like the sound of Danny’s voice.

“Well, according to Angie, they’re gonna find more information by interrogating the weaker members of the group. Since they don’t have much to lose, it’ll be easy for them to spill the beans. Then, with all that info, they’ll start to piece everything together.” Danny explained.

An idea popped in my head.

“I have to go, Danny! But I’ll see you later, right?” I said.

“Of course, sir.” 

“Kay, bye! I love you!” I said.

“I love you too!” Danny quickly said. I hung up the phone and called up Lorenzo.

“Mr. Vittori. What can I do for you?” He asked.

“Do you still have that list of the Lombardi’s lackeys? All their dealers and shadowmen?” I asked.

“Yeah, I have it. Why?”

“I want you to assemble a small team, track all of them down, and start questioning them. One of them is bound to reveal something that’ll bring us one step closer to Giorgio and his plot.” I said.

“Got it! I’ll get on it ASAP!” Lorenzo said. He hung up while I sat at the booth alone. 

Great! This is great! We now have somewhat of a plan that will give us some data. And we’ll get one step closer to ending this. 

Winter has arrived. The cold season. Probably my favorite time. Spending time indoors in the warm. And this year, I have someone special to be with me.

It’s nice to know that I won’t entirely be alone. For a long time, I thought I would never find someone so perfect for me. But Danny came along and brought me back to earth. He reminded me that I’m human too. I deserve love and attention. 

I have found the perfect one for me.

So once I find Giorgio and get him off Danny’s back, I’ll enact my special plan. There’s another reason why we went to Italy. Why I talked to nonna. 

All for a special surprise for Danny. 

---

<3 ciao!

THIRTY-ONE

DANIEL HARPER

I walked alongside Angie as she talked to me about her sorority girls that she’s met. Class was canceled for me and I didn’t want to bother Lucien or his drivers. And besides, I haven’t hung out with Angie in a while.

“Any plants for Christmas?” Angie asked.

“Mmm, not sure. I think Lucien wants me to be with him during Christmas.” I replied.

“You okay with that? Spending the holidays away from your family from Arizona?” Angie asked.

“I mean, I’m already on good terms with Lucien’s family. They see me as part of them already. And I’m a growing boy. I’m sure my aunt and uncle will understand that sometimes I’ll have to spend days away from them.” I said.

“Well I’m going to Norway to visit my family there.” Angie said.

“Norway sounds fun! I bet Christmas feels different over there.” 

Angie’s phone began ringing. We stopped by a tree as she took a call. 

“Seriously? Now?!” She gasped. I turned and saw her covering her mouth with her hand. “I’ll be right there!” She said and hung up the phone. 

“Is everything okay?” I panicked.

“Hell no! There’s an emergency at the sorority! Are you busy right now?” She urgently asked me.

“No, I’m free-”

“Good! Come with me!” She grabbed my hand and began to drag me through the quad. I stumbled a bit but managed to match Angie’s speed. She walked us towards her sorority house. As she entered, I saw a bunch of preppy girls all panicking.

“Sister Angie!” A girl called out. I saw a blonde haired girl run over to her. “Thank God you’re here! It’s bad! She might die if we don’t do something!” She began walking through the halls of the house while Angie, who still was holding my hand, followed her. 

We reached the front of a bedroom door with a glitter sign that read ‘Jessica’. 

“She’s in there. Can you help her?” The blonde girl asked. 

“I’ll do my best.” Angie said. She knocked on the door and opened the door. Immediately, the sound of a girl crying, no, wailing, could be heard. Angie entered the room while I stayed at the door.

“Who the hell are you?” The blonde girl who brought us here asked me.

“Daniel Harper. I’m friends with Angie.” I told her. 

“Oh, you’re Danny!” She squealed and for some reason hugged my torso. “We’ve heard so much about you!” 

I watched as Angie went to the bed and kneeled on the floor. On the floor was a girl who was sobbing. She wore a pink hair net and was bawling.

“Tell Angie what’s wrong.” Angie said to her.

“I’m dying! Look!” She pulled off the hair net and her brown hair was, if I’m being honest, absolutely terrifying. The ends of her hair were coarse and split. It was all frizzy. 

“Yikes!” Angie said. She turned to me. “Danny, do you have scissors?” She asked. I nodded and dug into my tote bag and found my scissors and handed them to her. “Let’s go to the bathroom? Yeah?” Angie asked the girl. 

They both left while I stood wondering what I was doing here. A few minutes passed and the girl, who was once crying, finally came out of the bathroom. She had a smile on her face. Her hair was now shorter but looked better.

“Better?” Angie asked.

“Much better! You’re a savior!” 

It took a while, but Angie managed to explain to me that Jessica, the girl who had been crying, has a date with a guy she met. But she used a new shampoo that didn’t match with her conditioner and her hair was ruined. 

It’s better than standing in the quad and doing nothing I suppose. At least I got to watch some interesting drama.

“Can we go now, Angie?” I asked her. 

“Yep! We’re done here!” She said. We walked into the foyer and I could hear the sound of a guy talking. I turned and saw a guy who looked familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He turned to me and we made eye contact. We were in a locked gaze, trying to figure out where we had last seen each other.

He stood up and walked over to me. “You!” He said.

“Me?” I asked.

“Stack of money! When you bumped into me! Remember?” He asked. It took a while but then I remembered him. He was the guy I had run into a few weeks ago. The one I had lied to about the money.

“Oh, that’s right! I’m sorry for bumping into you. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” I said.

“It’s all good. I never got your name.” He said.

“Daniel Harper. But people call me Danny.” I said.

“Edward.” He replied. But didn’t give me his last name. Fair enough. A lot of people I’ve met don’t like their last names.

“Nice to meet you, Edward. Let’s hope the next time we meet we don’t bump into each other.” I said.

He let out a deep chuckle. “I doubt it.” He said. He brought his hand up to my face, specifically over my right eye, and traced down.

“I have to go. I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.” I said, wanting to get out of this weird tension.

“We definitely will. Bye, Danny.” He waved. Angie returned from her quick pitstop and grabbed my hand and walked me outside.

“Who was that guy?” Angie asked.

“Just someone I met a while ago.” I said. She had a sour look on her face. “Do you not like him? Is there some past beef?” I asked.

“No. It’s just… that guy gives me the creeps. Something about him is off.” 

“How exactly?” I asked.

“I know I’m gonna sound crazy right now. But it seems like he’s trying to get close to you.” She said. I stared at her more, wanting her to elaborate. “I’ve been seeing him a lot in places that you go to. I don’t tell you because I didn’t want to freak you out. But sometimes, he would stand outside your classes and watch you. And he recently started dating one of my sorority sisters.” She said.

“Have you tried finding his social media or anything?” I asked.

“I tried. I only got his name. And my friend that’s dating him has his number but he isn’t even registered in the NYU database.” Angie said.

“That means that he isn’t even a student. So why is he even hanging around a bunch of students?” I asked.

“I don’t know. But if I were you, I’d tell Lucien to keep a watch on him.” Angie told me.

“I’m definitely doing that.” I replied. 

I got a text from Lucien telling me that he was picking me up where he always picks me up. 

I told Angie this. “Alright. I’ll see you later then, Danny.” She gave me a hug. 

“Bye, Angie.” I said.

“Goodbye, Danny. Talk to you later.” She let me go and went down the street with a skip in her step. I walked my way to the parking lot where I saw Lucien’s car waiting for me. Lucien leaned on the hood of his car, typing on his phone.

“Lucien!” I called out. He looked up and a smile came on his face. He ran over to, picked me up, and swung me around. He kissed my face several times.

“How was my sweet boy’s day?” He asked.

“It was… interesting.” I said. He could tell the tension in my voice. He put me down and looked me sternly in the eye.

“What happened? Did someone do something to you?” He asked.

“Let’s get inside your car. I’ll explain.” I said. He got in the driver’s seat and I got in the passenger’s seat. 

“Okay. Now tell me Danny. What happened?” Lucien asked, not taking his eyes off the road but I could tell he had his whole attention on me.

I proceeded to explain everything regarding the guy, Edward, to Lucien. I explained meeting him a while ago and how he’s making a weird appearance in my life. 

“Angie told me that I should tell you about him. It’s nothing, right?” I asked Lucien. Lucien’s hands were gripping the wheel tightly. His knuckles were red and he was seething. I placed my hand on his thigh. He looked at me and extended his right arm to mess up my hair.

“I’ll handle it, Danny. But from now on, if he approaches you again, just walk away. Yeah?” He asked.

“Got it! Stay away from him.” I said.

“I’m going to handle this, my Danny. Don’t you worry.” Lucien leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “What are we thinking? Want to cook tonight?” Lucien asked.

“Ooh! Yes! I have a recipe that nonna gave me that I want to try!” I said. 

“Let’s pass by the store and get some things.” Lucien said. He pulled into a parking lot of a grocery store and we exited the car.

“Hey, Lucien. What are you doing for Christmas?” I asked him as he bent down to pick up a basket. 

“Just going to spend time with the people I love.” He said.

“Who does that include?” I asked.

“Me, of course. My parents. My family. And… you.” He said. I looked at him as he had a smile on his face.

“Would you like me to spend Christmas with you guys?” I asked Lucien.

He quickly nodded. “It would be the highlight of my year! Would you like to stay with me for the winter?” He asked.

“Hell yeah! That sounds fun!” I replied. Lucien planted a kiss on my cheek.

“So what do you need from here?” He asked, grabbing my hand and leading me into the produce section.

While Lucien was getting the things I needed to cook, I began thinking of a good gift to give him. This is my first time celebrating the holidays with someone beside my family. I’m a little rusty at gift giving. I literally have no idea what to give a person like Lucien. What would he even like?

Knowing Lucien Vittori, I could guess that he’d just want me . Maybe I should buy some lingerie and wear it for him.

The thought of that just sends shivers down my spine. The good kind of shivers.

---

<3

THIRTY-TWO

DANIEL HARPER

“Fuck! You fucking like that?” Lucien asked as he thrusted in me.

“Mhm! Fuck yeah!” I moaned back.

“God, I fucking love you, Danny!” Lucien reached and placed his hand on my neck. “You’re mine!” He grunted. He leaned forward and kissed me on the lips.

Lucien kept thrusting into me over and over again. Steadily, I could feel his climax approaching. Lucien kept his hand on my neck, lightly choking me. I stared into his eyes and that alone told him what I wanted.

With a final push, Lucien thrusted in and finished. His free hand went to my own dick and a few jerks, I also climaxed. We were left in a sweaty mess, catching our breaths.

“I could do that all day…” Lucien said. He slipped out of me and went to lay down next to me. My legs remained open as they let out small twitches from the pouding I received.

“Lucien…” I whispered.

“Shh. It’s okay, Danny. Just close them slowly.” He rubbed my torso and lowered my legs to the position I wanted them. I whimpered and Lucien hugged me close and comforted me.

“It’s been months and I’m still not used to it.” I said.

“You’ll probably never get used to it. You’re not the first who’s complained.” Lucien said.

“I know I shouldn’t ask, but, why did you hook up with so many people back then?” I asked Lucien.

“I don’t really know. It was the only way I was able to feel pleasure. Drugs were just never it for me. And spending money doesn’t have an appeal when you have everything. So the only thing I found something pleasurable in was having sex with other people.” He explained.

“Did you ever feel disgusting afterwards?” I asked.

“Plenty of times. Especially when I would pay people for it. It made me wonder if all that work was worth it for a few seconds of euphoria.” 

“So what changed?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“A small twink who refused to hook up with me.” He kissed me on the head. “The moment I met you and knew I wanted you, all other forms of pleasure were irrelevant. Not even the best drug in the world could make me feel the way I do when I’m around you.” 

“I love you so much.” I said. 

“I fucking love you too, my sweet boy.” Lucien hugged me and spooned behind me. He breathed into my neck and nibbled my ear.

“I think I’m going to come out to my aunt and uncle.” I said.

“Do you think they’re going to take it well?” He asked.

“I sure hope so. But, they’re open minded.” I replied.

“Let’s hope so. I have big plans for us and I want your family to be there with us.” He said.

“Like what?” I asked. I turned to face Lucien. His face was red and he didn’t make eye contact with me. 

“Nothing special.” He awkwardly said. “It just would be nice to meet them.” He said. 

“Sure. I’ve met your parents, and extended family in another country.” 

I cuddled in Lucien’s pecs and we both fell asleep. In my dream, I imagined myself in my aunt’s dining room, eating some of my uncle’s cooking. Next to me was Lucien, who was smiling and talking with my family. 

I woke up with the bright sun shining into my eyes. I watched Lucien do his morning stretches naked in front of me.

“Like what you see?” He asked. 

“Fuck yeah.” I replied. 

“There’s another stretch we can do. This one requires two people, though.” Lucien said, crawling onto the bed and making his way towards me. He straddled my lap and his rands ran over my bare chest.

“Maybe later…” I said. Lucien had a sad look on his face. “You’ll get this later. I have class.” I said. Lucien hesitantly got off me and continued his stretches while I took a shower and was soon joined by him.

“I’m driving you to school today. No questions.” Lucien said. He held my hand and walked me to his car. 

After he drove to campus and pulled into the parking lot, he pulled me aside.

“Hey, Danny. From now on, there’s going to be people who will be following you around. They’ll be hidden away. This is for your safety. Are you okay with this?” He asked.

“Yeah, I trust you.” I replied.

“Good. And about Christmas, do you want matching pajamas?” He asked.

“That sounds amazing!” I said. I leaned into Lucien and gave him a kiss on the lips. “I’ll call you later.” I said.

“I’ll be waiting for it.” He replied. I exited the car and watched Lucien drive off. With a bag in hand, I turned and walked into the campus. I stopped at a tree and turned and saw a man who was blending into the crowd. But he had his eyes on me. I’ve seen him before. He’s a close guard to Lucien.

So I know that I’m being followed.

I entered the building and got on an elevator. As the door was closing, a hand stopped and someone got in. I looked up from my phone and was met with Edward. The guy Lucien told me to stay away from.

“Thank God I got here quickly.” He said, panting after most likely running to the elevator before it closed.

“Oh, hey, Edward.” I said, trying not to show my disdain.

“Hi, Danny.” He said. He stood next to me, with some space between us. I finally got a good look at him. 

His right arm was in a white cast. He had a black eye and a couple stitches on his lip. And there was some swelling on his forehead. He’s been beaten. Not saying it was him, but this has Lucien written all over it. 

“Are you okay?” I asked. Even if he isn’t the most trustworthy person, I’m still a person and care for others.

“Oh, I’m fine. Just some crackhead in SoHo who wanted my watch. Nothing big.” He said. But his tone indicated he was lying.

“Well, I hope they find the guy.” I replied.

“Oh, it’s not a big thing. I’m a believer in karma. Trust me, those people are getting what’s coming.” His voice scared me. 

Can this elevator go any faster?!

“Even though we just met, can I have your number?” He asked.

“Oh, I don’t know-”

“Come on. Just your number. Trust me, I have some good memes I could send you.” Edward said.

I reluctantly handed him my phone as he typed his phone number in my phone. He then called himself so my number was on his phone.

“There. I’ll text you.” He said. The elevator opened on my floor and I quickly got off.

“Uh, goodbye.” I said. 

“See you soon.” He said. The doors closed, the last thing I saw was his smirk. 

Then I realized something. This is the top floor of this building. And he didn’t get off. If he had a class here, he would’ve gotten off on any one of the floors. But he didn’t. That means that he only got on this elevator just to talk to me.

I went on my phone and blocked his number. I didn’t delete his contact in case I could give it to Lucien so he can trace it back somewhere.

After my lab ended, I left and raced back to the parking lot. I didn’t want to stick around any longer. Even with the so-called guards Lucien has, the fact that Edward managed to trap me in an elevator scares me.

Lucien’s car was waiting for me. I quickly got in and locked the door behind me. 

“Is everything okay?” Lucien asked, reaching his hand into the glove department and pulling out a gun I didn’t know was there.

“Uhh, no.” I said. Lucien handed me a boba drink that I like. I explained to him my recent encounter. Just like I guessed, Lucien asked for the number and I gave it to him. 

“I’m sorry, Danny.” He said.

“For what?” I asked.

“I’ve brought you into all of this. You wouldn’t have to deal with this if you never met me.” He said. I placed my hand on his cheek and lifted his face.

“Look at me, Lucien. I love you. I’m not letting some stalker ruin what we have. Honestly, nothing can ruin what we have. I’m here because I want to be. Understand?” I said.

Lucien nodded. “Mhm. I understand. Let’s get you out of here.” He said. Lucien turned on the car while I sipped on my drink. 

I meant everything when I said I would never leave him. Not even death holding a gun to my face would make me leave him.

Just like how Lucien is with me, he’s mine. No one is taking him from me.

---

<3

THIRTY-THREE

LUCIEN VITTORI

No traceable location. No identifiable ID. Not even the name can be found on those dark web lists. Edward’s number is a true enigma. It’s like some force that hides itself. And the number does work. Edward sent Danny a picture of himself sitting in a tree smiling. 

“So what? Nothing? Is that all we have?!” I angrily said. 

“Calm down, Lucien. We’re trying our best.” Lorenzo replied.

“If you were trying your best, that son of a bitch’s head would be on this table right now!” I yelled.

“We do have something…” Someone said.

“What is it?” I asked.

“We know that the Lombardis seem to be expanding their territories. At first, we thought it was maybe a mistake. But when we talked to a few of their people, they were told that it’s not a mistake. The leaders are telling them to position in our spots.” Lorenzo explained.

“What places have they taken?” My dad asked.

Lorenzo pulled out a folder and took out a piece of paper. He slid it over to us as we looked at the map of New York.

“As you can see, the red is us. The blue is the Lombardis.” Most of the island was red but some spots were blue. “If you look at the yellow, that’s where they’re taking.” 

The spots in yellow were mainly just streets. But the spot that was the most frightening was the large blocks of yellow. 

“And if you can tell, the spots they’re mostly taking are areas near the campus Mr. Harper attends.” Lorenzo said. I looked at the map and saw that, surrounding the NYU campus, were several places highlighted in yellow. 

“They’re trying to take spots near where Danny spends most of his time…” I muttered. 

“This means that we know they’re efforts are focused on Danny. And with the holidays coming up, he can spend all his time in your residence and won’t be out of sight.” Someone explained.

“True. Danny only has a few more days of school left.” I said.

I’m not letting him out of my sight. Once school ends, he’ll be in my arms 24/7. Not even God can pry him off. And the few weeks will give us a bit more time to figure out what to do about Giorgio Lombardi. All I know is I want him dead. 

I quickly sped back to campus in my car. I entered the parking lot and quickly got out. I raced towards the library, where Danny told me he was at. Despite my objections because it’s almost night, Danny insisted on being here. Luckily, Danny was also walking out of the library.

“Danny.” I called out to him. He rubbed his eyes and turned up to look at me. 

“Lucien!” He said. He walked into my arms and planted his face on my chest. “I’m tired. Can you take me home?” He said. 

Home…

“Sure, Danny. I’ll take you home.” I said. He yawned and started walking but he was walking very slowly. 

He’s basically begging for me to pick him up.

“Want me to carry you?” I asked him. He looked up and nodded.

“Please?” He asked. I picked him up and walked him back to my car. I opened the back door and carefully put him in there while I went to the driver seat and took us to my apartment.

When Danny mentioned that finals week was stressful, I didn’t know it was this bad. Danny almost had a mental breakdown a few days ago because of his French class. After finals are done, I plan on giving Danny the best fucking of his life. 

I carried my Danny up the elevator and placed him on our bed. I removed his clothes and joined him in bed, spooning up behind him.

“I love you, Lucien.” Danny muttered in his sleep.

“I love you too, my Danny.” I hugged him and kissed his face. 

This was the routine for the next few days as Danny did all of his finals. No matter what I was doing, I always made sure to take him home and make him feel as comfortable as possible. And today, after we had mind-blowing sex, Danny was able to relax.

“You know what I’m craving?” Danny asked.

“Hot chocolate?” I asked.

“Fuck yeah!” Danny replied. 

“I have the best recipe.” I said.

“Uh, no offense, but mine is better.” Danny said. I gave him a glare.

“Are you testing me, Danny?” I asked him.

“Kinda.” He blushed. “Let’s have a competition! We’ll both make hot chocolate and whoever has the best wins!” He said.

“What does the winner get?” I asked.

“If I win, you have to buy me a gift everyday from here until Christmas.” He said.

“And if I win?” I asked.

“Well, you know those pajamas that have a flap where the ass is?” Danny asked. 

I began to get intrigued. I nodded.

“If you win, I have to wear one of those for the rest of the holidays.” He said. The thought of Danny wearing that, his beautiful ass so easily accessible to me, just drove me mad. 

“You have yourself a deal.” I said. We both changed into some comfortable clothes and went to the kitchen. “We both have 15 minutes to make the best hot chocolate. The person who will decide will be… him!” I pointed to the guard standing near the elevator.

“Perfect!” Danny said. The guard looked flustered, probably not knowing what was going on.

I spend my minutes making simple hot chocolate that I’ve made growing up. It’s nothing complex. But that’s the secret. If you make something simple, it’s not overpowered by other flavors. I didn’t dare look at what Danny was making. He’s doing his thing, and I’m doing mine. 

“I’m done. You?” I asked Danny. 

“Mhm! Ready?” He asked. We both turned around and showed each other our hot chocolate. I underestimated Danny. Mine was a simple hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. His had a wafter on top, a toasted marshmallow, and chocolate shavings.

“How did-”

“I’m pretty good at these things.” Danny said, smiling and holding up his hot chocolate. Danny called the guard over, who reluctantly walked over to the kitchen counter.

“Good evening, Mr. Vittori and Mr. Harper.” The guard said. I wonder if he heard us earlier while we were having loud sex?

“Hey, Rico!” Danny said, calling him by his name. Little shit is sucking up already. “We both made these and want you to figure out which one is the best one.” Danny said.

“Uh, sure… okay.” Rico said. I slid over my hot chocolate first.

“Try mine first.” I said. He sipped on his and added a small nod of approval.

“Now try mine!” Danny slid over his cup. Rico’s eyes widened when he saw his cup. He took a sip from it and judging by his eyes, Danny’s is the clear winner.

“Woah…” Rico said.

“Now, Rico. Which one was the best?” Danny asked. In front of Rico were two cups. He needs to chose one. 

When Rico looked at me, I opened my robe and showed him my gun that I stashed in the inner pocket. 

“I-I chose Lucien’s!” Rico said.

“Fuck yeah! I win!” I said. Danny looked defeated. 

“You cheated!” Danny accused me.

“Awe, come on, Danny. Don’t be such a sore loser.” I said.

“You threatened him. That’s cheating! Rico! Tell him you were threatened! Rico?!” Danny asked. We turned and saw Rico had returned to his post and was refusing to get involved with us.

“We never said cheating was off the table.” I said, leaning into Danny. My hand went down to his ass and cupped it. “I can’t wait to fuck this every day.” I said.

“A deal is a deal.” Danny said, lowering his head in shame.

“Don’t worry, Danny. I’ll still spoil you.” I said.

My eyes looked over to the can of whipped cream I had used earlier. My hand went down and unbuttoned Danny’s shirt, exposing his chest. I reached over and grabbed the can of whipped cream.

“Stand still.” I said. Danny looked up and watched as I squirted some cream on his left nipple. I could feel his body shiver.

I leaned down and licked off the cream and started sucking on his nipple. Danny gripped my back and moaned into my neck.

I transferred to his other nipple and sucked on it too. Danny’s hand went down to my dick and gripped it. 

“Come on. Let’s go to bed.” I said. 

“Are you taking that?” He asked, referring to the can of whipped cream.

“Yup. Let’s try something different today.” 

I grabbed his hand and dragged him back to our room, where I slammed Danny onto the bed harshly.

---

<3

THIRTY-FOUR

DANIEL HARPER

“Aunt, uncle, I need to tell you guys something important.” I said into the phone. 

“You’re getting married?” My uncle asked, chuckling.

“No, not that.” I said.

“Well, I hope it’s something good.” My aunt said. I took a deep breath in and exhaled.

“I’m gay!” I blurted out.

Tears formed in my eyes as I wondered what my aunt and uncle would say. Now that I think about it, I’ve never actually came out. People just assumed and went with it. Lucien’s parents were the only ones who have ever asked me. Angie just figured it out when I wore a cardigan. And people in high school just spread that rumor around.

“Danny?” My aunt asked. I had zoned out for a while and forgot I was on the phone with them.

“I’m sorry…” I muttered.

“For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.” My uncle said. 

“I’ve made your lives so difficult. You took me in after my parents died. You had to sell almost everything to pay for my education. Then I go and become gay! I’ve been a burden to you both.” I said.

“Danny? Do you believe that?” My aunt asked.

“Mhm.” I said.

“We could never be mad at you. Danny. Listen to us. We love you, no matter what. Your life is none of our business to check. You’re your own person, and if the opinion of others destroys you, you’ll never reach your best. We love you so much, Daniel Harper.” My aunt said. 

I sobbed and tried to stop crying. “Do you think my parents are disappointed?” I tearfully asked.

“No, they aren’t. I bet they’re happy that their young boy is brave.” My aunt said.

“Thanks. I’ve been wanting to tell you guys for so long but I was scared.” I said.

“It’s not a problem. Next time, if there’s anything you want to tell us, don’t be afraid. We will never push you away.” My uncle said.

“Thanks, uncle Pedro.” I said. 

“We have to go, Danny. We have to go to Home Depot! We’ll talk to you later!” My aunt said.

“Okay! Take care! Bye!” I said.

They both said their goodbyes but forgot to hang up.

“I told you!” My uncle said. “No straight person uses a tote bag!” He said.

“Calm down, Pedro! At least he told us!” My aunt replied. I muted myself and let out a small chuckle and hung up. 

At least I’ve taken that load off. I locked myself in the bedroom and it took me 10 whole minutes hyping myself up to call them both. And they took it well. I was expecting them to lash out at me and call me slurs. I should’ve known they were always going to accept me.

I turned on my phone and scrolled around on apps, trying to decide what to do. Lucien was out for some business and I stayed home. I checked on the messages that Edward had sent me in the past. 

When I opened the chat, he had sent me several pictures of him doing normal things. I never responded to a single message.

Talk about taking a hint. 

I observed the pictures and saw it was him in several places. He took a selfie in each one, his face smiling at me and weirdly looking into my soul. I could tell that his smile wasn’t genuine. 

The first picture he had sent me was of an old meme that only boomers would find funny. Then he sent me links to some TikToks. Most of them were weird compilations.

Then there were the selfies.

The first one was at a boba shop. The one that I like to go to.

The next was overlooking the city. The bottom of the picture had a white table with a napkin that said ‘The Rooftop’. The place where Lucien and I had our date.

The following picture was taken in the restaurant where Lucien told me about going to Italy. 

Then he sent several pictures. Most of these places I remember as where I would be walking with either Lucien or Angie. The routes I would take to and from class.

This surely can’t be a coincidence, right?

Lucien came home a few hours later and gifted me a bouquet of roses. I smelled them and gave him a tight hug. 

“I… missed… you.” Lucien said between kisses on my face.

“Well, I’m here now.” I replied.

“And you’re never leaving me, right?” He asked.

“Never…” I said. 

“My parents want us to visit them in the Hamptons. Want to go and visit them?” Lucien asked.

“Let’s go! I miss that place.” I said. 

That was the place Lucien and I had our first official date, excluding the first time where he tried to sleep with me. Lucien let me know that I needed to wear comfortable clothing. So I wore sweats and a puffy sweater. 

“Can we make s’mores?” I asked.

“S’mores? Ew.” Lucien replied. 

I gasped. “You don’t like s’mores?! How dare you!?” I said in an over exaggerating tone.

“I just don’t find the appeal. It’s a nasty cracker with cheap chocolate and the marshmallow tastes disgusting when burnt. It’s just an overall disgusting combo.” Lucien said. I stared at him and pulled my hand away from his thigh.

“I don’t think we’re going to work out.” I jokingly said. Lucien pulled over and grabbed my face and kissed me.

“I’m not letting a fucking s’more ruin my relationship.” He said and attacked my lips. “Fine! If you like s’mores, then I’ll like them too! Does that feel better?” He asked.

“Uh, sure. Fine. You know I’m kidding, right?” I asked. Lucien kissed my face and started driving again. His enthusiasm is a big turn on for me. 

When Lucien reached his home in the Hamptons, he lifted me up and carried me to the front door. “The ground is icy. I don’t want you falling and injuring your perfect ass.” He said when I asked him to put me down.

The inside was warm and toasty. The home was still similar to how it was a few months ago. Lucien took off my jacket for me and led me to the living room. 

“Mom! I’m home!” Lucien called out.

The sound of footsteps alerted us to the foyer, where Lucien’s mother came down the stairs.

“OH, there’s my sweet boy!” She held her arms over for a hug. Lucien also walked towards her but was shocked when she ignored him and made her way to me.

“Mom?!” Lucien asked.

“My Danny Boy is here! Oh I missed you! You need to come over more often!” She said while hugging me tightly. 

“Uh, I’ll try, ma’am.” I said. I turned and saw Lucien pouting like a child. 

“Come with me! I’m making dinner for the boys.” She said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me to the kitchen. She made me knead the dough. She claims that nonna told her that I’m the best dough kneader. 

There was the voice and a powerful male voice that echoed through the walls. It was Sylvester Vittori.

“Something smells good!” He said. He entered the kitchen and went up to his wife and kissed her.

“Dinner’s almost ready. Go tell Lucy to set the table.” She told her husband.

“On it! Ooh! And Danny’s here! We’re going to have a family dinner!” He said. He almost jumped and skipped out of the room.

I rolled my eyes and finished cooking. Both Elena and I brought out the food to the men sitting at the table and let them dig in. 

Lucien called me over and made me sit next to him. He already served me a plate of food and a glass of water. 

“So, Lucien, any big plans for the new year?” Sylvester asked.

“Yeah, I got something in mind.” He replied. He reached his hand and grabbed my left hand, running his fingers over my ring finger. 

“Gotcha! And you, Danny? Any plans?” He asked me.

“Well, I want to try learning Italian. And maybe travel a bit more. I’ve always wanted to do that.” I said.

“Those plans sound amazing.” Sylvester said.

We continued to eat dinner until the sound of a car interrupted us. The tires of the car could be heard forcing a quick stop. Sylvester and Lucien stood up and grabbed their guns from under the table (didn’t know those were there). 

“Elena! Take Danny away!” Sylvester said. Elena quickly got up and gently grabbed my hand.

“What’s going on?” I asked, trying to comprehend all the action that’s starting.

“I don’t know. But it’s better to be safe!” She tugged on me and I followed her.

I could hear the front door opening and some quick shouting until it calmed down. Both Elena and I were confused so we checked the front door and saw Lorenzo standing there talking to Lucien and Sylvester. But next to them, kneeling on the floor, was a bloodied guy with a bag over his head.

The men were chattering with each other and I could hear them say my name.

What have I gotten myself into?

---

<3

THIRTY-FIVE

DANIEL HARPER

Lucien tugged on my arm and started to talk to me while I couldn’t take my eyes off the bloody guy kneeling on the floor. His clothes were ruined and barely hanging on. Any exposed skin was red and bruised. 

“Danny!” Lucien made me snap out.

“Lucien?” I asked.

“Come with me. Lorenzo, bring him down to the chamber.” Lucien said. I turned and saw Lorenzo and Sylvester pick up the guy and begin to drag him. 

Lucien grabbed my wrist and began walking us through a hallway. I haven’t been down here before. We encountered a set of wooden doors which were locked by a thick chain. He unlocked it with a key he had in his pocket. 

There were a series of stairs that lead downwards, into the basement. Lucien turned on the lights and it felt less scary. He walked me down while the two other men dragged the guy down. I could hear the creak of the stairs under our feet as we descended. 

“Lucien. Where are we?” I asked him.

“You know how our business sometimes has a darker side?” Lucien asked.

“Mhm. Yeah…” I replied.

“This place is used for those things.” He replied. 

The walls were lined with thick metal. It was soundproof. There was a chair against the wall. The floor was covered in footsteps. Where the chair was, I saw small amounts of blood.

“Place him there.” Lucien pointed at the chair. 

The two men threw the guy into the chair and removed the bag over his head. His face wasn’t that damaged up. He just had a cut lip and black eye. Either way, the guy seemed normal. He looked like any other guy you would find working at Wall Street. Just an ordinary looking citizen.

“Look! I told you everything I know!” The guy pleaded.

“You laced our supply with high doses of fentanyl! You knew exactly what you were doing!” Lorenzo angrily said. “And because of you, not only did we lose profits, but you caused the death of 5 people!” 

“I-I didn’t mean to! I was paid to do it!” The guy pleaded.

“Who were you working for?” Lucien asked.

“Lombardi! That’s the one who told me to do it! They told me to go to a shipping dock and contaminate the supply!” The guy said.

“How much were you paid?” Lucien asked.

“6 thousand! I needed the money! My wife lost her job and our child needs medical help! Please don’t kill me! I swear! I’ll do anything!” He pleaded. His eyes were filled with tears as he pleaded with us to show him mercy.

“If you had come to us, we would’ve given you double. I checked your file. You live a cushy job in Manhattan. You have a nice income. But even that wasn’t enough when your daughter was diagnosed with a heart condition.” Lucien said.

“Please don’t kill me! If you let me go, I’ll swear my loyalty to you!” He pleaded. His eyes turned to me. “You!” He quickly said, his eyes bulging out when he saw me.

“Do you recognize him?” Lucien asked.

“I’ve seen him before! His picture! The guys who told me to do the job! They had his picture on their wall!”

“What else? Did they say anything?” Lucien angrily asked.

“They just said that he’s important and they needed him! That’s all I know! I swear!” He said.

Lucien sighed and pulled out a gun. “I’m sorry. But you’ve done too much damage already.” He said while pointing the gun at his head.

“No! Please! My family! They can’t live without me!” He pleaded as tears escaped his eyes. 

I turned to Lucien and placed my hand on the wrist that was holding the gun.

“Lucien!” I said. He turned to me but the anger never left his eyes. “Please don’t shoot him!” I said, my eyes getting misty.

“I have to do this, Danny! He knew what he was doing! This doesn’t concern you!” Lucien said. I tugged on his wrist harder.

“Don’t shoot him! Please! Maybe cut his arm off! Or gouge his eye out! Just don’t shoot him!” I pleaded with Lucien. 

“Please don’t shoot me!” The guy pleaded. “Who’s going to support my family!” The guy was trying to move but the rope that had his arms tied behind his back.

“Lucien! Don’t do it!” I told him. 

Lucien looked at me in the eye, in the fucking eye, then turned away. In a quick move, Lucien shoved me away and got full control of his arm. He pulled the trigger and a shot blasted next to me. 

I covered my ears and shut my eyes. I waited a few seconds after the ringing disappeared and opened my eyes. Where the guy once stood was now a wall covered in blood. The guy’s body was slumped on the floor, a hole between his eyes.

I was breathing heavily at the sight of blood and brain matter painting the once dull gray walls.

“Get someone to clean this.” Lucien told someone. I looked at Lucien, who had a blank expression like he didn’t just kill a man in front of me.

I can’t be in the room any longer. I turned and ran up the stairs. I heard Lucien calling out from behind me but I ignored him. I ran and went up the stairs again to the second floor. I searched and found a random room, where I entered and began sobbing. 

My legs gave out and I kneeled on the floor, crying. I can still see the guy’s face in my mind. His tearful eyes as he begged for us to save him. 

“Danny.” Lucien groaned from behind me. “It’s not a big deal! Stop acting like he was your brother!” Lucien said. 

I snapped. I stood up and walked over to him.

“Not a big deal?! You just shot a guy! I may not have known that guy! But I’m a human who has empathy! Of course I’m upset!” I yelled at him.

“Are you saying I’m not human!? This is how it is! You need to put your feelings aside when it comes to business!” He yelled back.

“That’s different. Not when a person’s life is on the line! You’re a monster!” I yelled. 

Lucien’s face turned red. “You’re just a weakling! You can’t even handle blood! That guy deserved to die!” 

“Die? Are you insane?!” I said. I shoved Lucien aside and tired walking out of the room. I didn’t want to be near him at the moment. 

As I walked past him, Lucien grabbed my wrist tightly. I looked down and saw that there was some blood on his hand that now stained my skin.

“Let me go!” I said.

“No!” Lucien replied.

“I said… LET ME GO!” I tugged on my arm but his grip got tighter.

“I’m not letting you go!” He said and pulled me towards him. 

In a rash moment, I brought my hand up and slapped Lucien in the face. I realized what I had done and stood there shocked. The place where my hand landed was now red. Lucien was speechless. He looked at me and then pushed my arm away.

“Alright then…” Lucien muttered. He placed his hands on my shoulders, his nails digging into my skin. “Here’s what we can do, Daniel.” He said, not calling me Danny.

“I’m sorry, Lucien!” I brought my hand up to touch his face but he jerked his head away.

“I can shoot you right now.” He said. “Or spank you.” He said.

“What? You can’t be serious!” I shouted.

“Choose!” He ordered me. No way I’m choosing to get shot.

“Spank, I guess.” I muttered. 

“Good boy.” Lucien said. He moved me to the bed. He sat on the bed and then pointed to his lap. “Over my lap.” He said. I kneeled and draped myself over his lap. My ass was sticking out for him. I wasn’t sure if Lucien was being serious. Is this some sort of sexual ploy or an actual punishment. He wouldn’t hurt me, right? He did just shoot a guy. And I’ve never seen Lucien this angry before. To be honest, I’m not sure of Lucien’s next actions.

I could feel my sweats and underwear being pulled down. When it was down, Lucien rubbed my bare ass with his palm. 

“I’m giving you 20 spanks. I want you to count each one. If you miss a single one, we’re starting all over again.” Lucien said. 

“Wait, wha- OW!” His hand came down and he gave me a hard slap. “One!” I groaned out. 

Lucien brought his hand down again until we counted to 13. On the fourteenth slap, I couldn’t mutter the word and he started all over again.

Another 17 slaps went by. And again, I struggled to say eighteen. So Lucien started all over again. By this point, my ass was burning. I could feel the hotness from it as he would sometimes rub my ass to soothe the pain. 

The third time, I managed to finish all the way to twenty. But it was mainly because by this point, the pain was numb. I sobbed and wiped my tears while Lucien would grunt everytime he would slap me. 

“Good job. You managed to make it to 20. It took a while. But you did good. Did you learn your lesson?” Lucien asked.

“Mhm!” I sobbed. Lucien pulled up my bottoms and then made me stand up. I couldn’t look him in the eye.

“You’ll need to get used to this kind of stuff.” Lucien said. He stood up and walked to the door. “I’m going to deal with some stuff. Stay here. We’re spending the night.” He said and closed the door behind him. 

I tried to sit down but the pain was too much. I went to a mirror and pulled down my sweats. Both of my cheeks had hand marks. Though you could barely make them out because they all blended together in some red mess. There were even some cuts that were bleeding. 

The blood alone began to remind me of the dead guy. 

Why would he do this? I slapped him, sure. But he killed someone in front of me. It doesn’t matter if I’m weak or haven’t gotten used to it. It’s inhumane. And today, I saw a part of Lucien that I never want to see again. A side that is making me rethink everything that we’ve been through.

When he said he would never hurt me, was that a lie? Did he mean that he woulnd’t let anyone hurt me? Or only he could?

And the sight of that guy! The hole through his head! The blood and brain matter on the wall! I feel sick just thinking of it. I want to throw up and forget everything that happened. Get away from it all.

The intensity… I don’t want this. I couldn’t even look at Lucien. I pulled out my phone and checked for the next flight to Phoenix, Arizona. Luckily, there was one in three hours. 

I called an Uber and as I was leaving, saw Elena looking at me from the foyer. She most likely heard Lucien spanking me. She nodded in understanding and let me exit. I didn’t even tell Lucien I was leaving. 

I made a quick stop at our apartment, where I gathered a backpack with clothes. I made sure to write a note, letting Lucien know that I need some time away from everything. I also let him know that I was disappointed in what he did and that, for the first time in our relationship, I was disgusted with him.

With a final look, I left the apartment and entered back into an Uber.

Next stop, JFK Airport for a flight to Arizona.

---

<3

THIRTY-SIX

LUCIEN VITTORI

As I reached the basement, I checked the wall where I had shot the guy. The body was gone, and most of the blood was cleaned off. There was a smell of disinfectant in the air, letting me know that the chamber had been wiped down.

“Fuck!” I grunted. I brought my right hand up and rubbed it.

“Lucien…” Dad said. I turned and saw him standing there with a sad expression.

“What?” I replied.

“Why?” He asked.

“Why what? Stop being cryptic!” I snapped.

“We heard what you did to Danny…” Dad said.

“All I did was punish him for slapping me. He needs to learn his lesson.” I replied.

“Remember what we talked about when you first decided to date Danny? He’s not used to our lifestyle. He grew up living a normal life. We all know that you didn’t have a normal life.” Dad said.

“Are you saying he’s allowed to hit me?” I asked.

“That’s not what I’m saying. But I know how you are. We could hear you getting angry at him and refusing to let him go. And you spanked him like he was a child.”

“It wasn’t even that hard!” I said.

“Oh really?” Dad asked. He walked over to me and grabbed my hand. “Look! You still have your rings on! Do you know how much that hurts?!” Dad was getting angry.

“It’s my business what I do with Danny!” I yelled back.

Dad just gave me a disappointed look. “I raised you better than this, Lucien. Yes, you do horrible things. But only to people who deserve it. And Danny didn’t deserve that.” Dad said. He huffed and walked away, back up the stairs.

I stood in the basement, looking down at my hand. I saw my rings had blood in it. It was Danny’s blood. I turned and looked at the place we had been standing at, where I had shot the guy in the head.

I could still hear Danny pleading with me not to shoot the guy. His teary eyes looked at me as he begged for me to spare that guy. However, I didn’t listen.

And the sobs from Danny as I spanked him over and over again. When we would start over and he would break down. I could still feel his small hands gripping my legs every time my hand struck down on his bottom. The red my hands left painted a horrid picture on his skin.

Danny has always been the caring type. He once couldn’t look away from a mother bird as she fed her babies food. Danny once spent 15 minutes looking for an ATM to give money to a homeless guy. He even knows the names of my workers, whom I’ve never taken the chance to talk to.

It was at that moment that I realized what I had done. I broke down and cried into my hands at the realization that I had hurt the man that I loved. I vowed to protect him and instead hurt him physically and emotionally.

I knew what I needed to do. I needed to apologize. Apologize and hope that it’s not too late and Danny will see my flaws. I don’t expect him to accept my apology. My flaws are an explanation but not an excuse. I hurt him in a way that I never should have.

Wiping my tears and putting on a brave face, I climbed up the stairs and ran to the room I had left him at. I opened the door and walked in but he wasn’t here.

“Danny?” I called out. No response. I checked the ensuite bathroom but it was empty. I exited the room and checked all the rooms on the second floor.

But he wasn’t anywhere to be found. I went down stairs and looked all over the first floor. My parents asked me what I was doing but I ignored them. I even checked outside but couldn’t find my sweet boy.

“Lucy!” Mom shouted for me.

“Mom! Have you seen Danny?” I asked. She gave dad a look.

“He left…” She said.

“Left?” I asked.

“After you… hurt him… he left and got inside an Uber.” She said.

“And you didn’t tell me?!” I yelled at her.

“No! I didn’t! You treated that poor boy like a play thing!” She said.

“I’m not hearing this!” I said. I turned and walked to the front door. My parents tried calling for me but I ignored them.

My car was parked in the gravel driveway. I hopped in and made the quick trip to downtown Manhattan to our apartment. The moon was already out. When I checked the time, it was 10 pm.

The apartment had a lonely feeling to it. I checked our bedroom first but he wasn’t in there. The thing that broke my heart was his drawer. It was left open and empty. I also noticed his backpack was gone.

I tried to hold it together but tears escaped. I sat on the bed and wondered why I had to hurt him. I found a t-shirt of his that he had worn earlier today and smelled it. His sweet vanilla scent was still on it.

I checked the kitchen and on the counter saw a note. I rushed over to it and picked it up. The curved handwriting let me know that this was written by Danny.

Lucien,

I’m leaving NY for a while. I know I said I would spend Christmas with you, but after today, I need space. I trusted you to not hurt me. You said you’d never hurt me. I’m going to Arizona. I don’t want you to contact me for at least a week. I just need time to think about everything. Then we can talk.

Daniel.

I gripped the paper tightly and tightened my fists.

My phone started ringing. I thought I might’ve been Danny, calling to let me know how it was. But it was my parents.

“Lucy? Are you okay? Is Danny there?” My dad asked.

“He’s gone.” I mumbled.

“Gone? What do you mean? Where did he go?” Mom asked.

“He’s gone! He left New York and left for Arizona! He’s fucking gone!” I sobbed.

“He needs time, Lucy. Let him think everything over. I’m sure he’ll call you again.” Dad said.

“I’ve never gone a day without talking to him ever since I met him! I miss him! God, I fucked up!” I said.

“Lucy, just calm down. Don’t try to reach out. If he doesn’t want you to contact him, don’t do it. Let him think about everything and then you two can talk about it.” Dad said.

“I’m an asshole.” I muttered.

“We’ll be here if you need us. Just come on over and we’ll talk, yeah?” Mom asked.

“Mhm. Sure.” I said.

“Take a deep breath, Lucy. Just take this one step at a time.” Dad said. They hung up and I was left in our kitchen alone.

Earlier today, we were having a competition on who could make the best hot chocolate. We were having fun and not caring about the world.

I stumbled to our room and planted myself on our bed. I tossed and turned but couldn’t find the right position to sleep in.

That’s because the position I had gotten used to was Danny cuddled up next to me. His small body would be up against my chest. Sometimes, he would face away and he would grind his ass on my dick. But when he faced inward, he would snuggle his face into my pecs.

My arm would reach over to see if Danny was there. I would hope that I was dreaming and Danny would be laying next to me asleep. But when I felt nothing but the comforter, it let me know that it wasn’t a dream.

My Danny was gone. He left me and it’s all my fault.

I brought up his shirt and cuddled it close to me. I sobbed into it and wished that he would be back soon.

I cried so much that night. I only got two hours of sleep and by the time I woke up, my eyes burned at the sight of any light. I got up and when I turned next to me, I remembered what my tears were for.

I sat on my bed for an hour, just thinking about everything. I had no energy to get up. I had no motivation to do anything productive. I just wanted to get my Danny home.

I need my boy to come home. I miss him.

But I knew I had to better myself. For Danny. So that when he sees me next time, he’ll be proud of me.

Everytime I wanted to give up, I glanced at my phone and saw the adorable picture of Danny as my wallpaper. His smiling face is what I strive for to see again.

A week passed. I went to the gym. Began searching for a therapist. And began to see all my flaws.

On the seventh day, my phone started ringing in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Danny’s name. I started to panic, wondering what I should do.

With a deep breath, I pressed the green button.

“Danny?” I asked, trying not to break down.

“Lucien…” He muttered back.

HIs voice alone made me break down.

Here I was, in my kitchen, breaking down over the sound of my boyfriend’s voice. All he said was one word to make me fumble.

I sucked it up and placed the phone back on my ear, ready to hear him out.

---

<3 ciao

THIRTY-SEVEN

DANIEL HARPER

I stared out the window of my childhood bedroom, watching the sun beam down on the ground below. It’s not like New York. New York was cold, frigid, and snowy. Arizona is warm and sunny. Complete opposites.

Before Lucien, I was more reserved. Less confident. Less experienced. Now, I feel like I’m finally alive. After the death of my parents, it was as if my life was put on pause. I just lived with no development. 

But then came along Lucien. Stubborn, quick to get angry, extreme, loving, handsome, and protects me like I’m his world. He’s shown me so much. He was my first everything. First time having sex, first time visiting a foreign country, first time living in an apartment. First time falling in love.

There’s good things that come with Lucien. But he’s a packaged deal. If you want his good, you’ll also have to get his bad.

And I had to take his bad. It was small moments. His possessiveness at times. His ability to quickly choose violence. And when he laid his hands on me, he didn’t even stop. He continued. Despite my cries.

So I did what the old Danny would do. I ran. I ran away and chose to ignore the problem and put it off for a later day.

The knock on my bedroom door alerted me. My aunt stood there looking at me. 

“You okay, Danny?” She asked. She got closer, her green eyes on me. She looks very similar to my mother. She has her green eyes, black messy hair, and fair skin. 

“I miss him…” I muttered, placing my head in my arms and crying. 

After I returned to Arizona, I explained to my aunt and uncle a small bit of what happened. They were shocked to learn that I already had a boyfriend. But I didn’t explain to them that he was a dangerous person. Nor did I explain that he had literally spanked me a few hours earlier. 

They just think that we got into an argument. 

“It’s been a week already. Why don’t you try calling him.” My aunt said.

“What if he’s too angry? I’ve ghosted him for a week. Would he still want to talk to me?” I asked.

“By the way you described this guy, I bet he himself is dying on the inside waiting for you. You’ll never know if you don’t try.” She said. She rubbed my back and kissed my head. “Just call.” She said.

“Okay…” I muttered. I heard her walking out of my room, closing the door behind her. 

I got my phone and was met with my wallpaper, a picture I took of me and Lucien. I pulled up his contact and, with a final breath, clicked on the call button.

The phone rang for a while. Until he finally decided to answer.

“Lucien?” I asked, already feeling myself wanting to break down.

“Danny…” He said back, his voice also sounding strained. 

“I-I miss you.” I said.

“I miss you too, my Danny.” He said. “I miss you so much.” He added.

“I want for us to talk.” I said.

“Me too.” He said.

“But I think we need to talk in person.” I said.

“I know.”

“I’ll try to get a flight to New York as soon as I can-”

“No! I’ll travel. I’m the one who hurt you. I should do everything.” He said.

“Okay, Lucien. I’ll see you soon.” I said. 

“Wait!” Lucien said before I hung up. “I love you.” He said. There was a moment of silence as he waited for my response.

“I love you too.” I said. 

“Okay, bye, Danny. We’ll see each other soon.” 

“Soon… bye.” I said and hung up. I set my phone said and planted my head on my desk. 

Now all I have to do is wait.

I waited for 5 hours. I sat at my desk and kept looking outside, waiting for Lucien to come. As the sun began setting, a black car drove down the street and made a stop in front of our home. My head perked up as I watched who came out.

The door of the car opened and out came Lucien Vittori. He wore a suit, like always, and had his hair gelled back. In his hands was a large bouquet of flowers and a baby blue bag in his other. My heart began racing as he walked to the front door of our home.

The doorbell rang and was opened by someone.

“Danny! Someone is here for you”! My uncle called. I got out of my room and carefully walked to the front door. 

Standing at the front door was Lucien, my boyfriend. His eyes began to water as soon as he saw me. 

“You know what, I just realized something. Pedro and I need some heirloom tomatoes from Trader Joe’s.” My aunt said.

“But that’s on the other side of town!” My uncle said. My aunt gave him a look, which told him to listen to what she said. “Right!” He said. They both put their coats on and walked out the house, my aunt giving me a wink.

I was left alone with Lucien. We both stood on opposite sides of the living room, never taking a step forward but never taking our eyes off the other. 

“Hi.” Lucien said.

“Hey.” I replied.

“Can I get closer?” He asked. I was scared at first. But Lucien’s genuine smile was an affirmation that he meant no harm. 

“Mhm.” I nodded. Lucien took small steps forward until he stood a foot away from me. I looked up at him, into his dark eyes. There were tears in his eyes that wanted to escape.

“These are for you.” He said. He held out the bouquet of red roses and Tiffany’s bag.

“You shouldn’t have.” I said, grabbed the gifts.

“I definitely should have. You deserve it.” He said. I looked at the items and back at Lucien.

“I missed you.” I said.

“I missed you too. I forgot how to live without you.” Lucien said. 

“I think it’s time we talked about it.” I said. 

“Yeah, it’s time.” He said. I told Lucien to sit on the couch while I went to put the roses in a vase. Afterwards, I sat on the couch along with him, but on the other side.

“Kay, it’s been a while since we’ve done this.” I said.

“I should start! First, I’m sorry, Danny! I’m sorry that I hurt you. I should’ve stopped quickly! Hell, I shouldn’t have even done that to you! I’ve realized that I’m quick to anger.” Lucien said.

“I think you need help.” I said.

“I know. I’ve been looking for a therapist. I have anger issues.” He said. 

“My ass still hurts, y’know.” I said. Lucien looked like he wanted to break down.

“I’m sorry…” He muttered, lowering his head. I got up and went to sit next to him. I reached over and grabbed his hand.

“I know you’re sorry, Lucien. I just need to know if you’re actually willing to change.” I said.

“Of course I am! I’ll do anything to be a better man for you.” He said.

“I need to know that you’re fully committed to changing.” 

“I am! I promise!”

“Tell you what. I’ll give you one more chance. Just one more. I’ll give you two weeks. If I see that you haven’t changed, then we’re done!” I told him. 

He had a shocked expression. “Okay. Deal. I’m not fucking up this time, Danny. I’ll love you always.” He said. His hand squeezed mine.

“I know you can change. I love you, Lucien.” I said. Lucien brought his hand up and wanted to touch my face.

“Is this okay?” He asked, before touching my face.

“Yeah, it’s okay.” I said. His warm hand touched my cheek and his fingers rubbed my skin. 

“Can I kiss you?” He asked. I looked at his lips then his eyes.

“Please do.” I replied. He leaned in and softly planted his lips on mine. I leaned into the kiss, forcing him to go deeper. 

We slipped our tongues together in our mouths. I missed him so much.

The door opened and my aunt and uncle walked in.

“Shit!” I said. I pulled away and quickly stood up. “Uh, we weren’t doing anything!” I said. Both my aunt and uncle looked between us two, looking at our red faces.

“Seems like things went okay in here.” My aunt said. 

Lucien cleared his throat and stood up, walking towards my aunt and uncle at the front door. 

“Nice to meet you. My name is Lucien Vittori.” He said.

“So you’re the guy who hurt my nephew!” My uncle said. 

“No! He’s good! He apologized!” I said. My uncle backed down. 

“What do you think, Cassie? Should we have dinner and invite Danny’s boyfriend?” My uncle asked my aunt.

“I think that’s a good idea. We can show him some of Danny’s baby pictures!” My aunt said.

“Yeah! Join us for dinner, Lucien!” My uncle asked Lucien.

“It would be my pleasure.” Lucien said.

I covered my face. This isn’t the way I wanted them to meet Lucien. 

Lucien walked over to me and enveloped me into a tight hug.

“From now on, I’ll be the best boyfriend.” He whispered.

“It’ll take a while for you to gain my full trust back. But seeing how you admitted what you did was wrong, then I’ll give you one more chance. Still, you’re on thin ice, Vittori.” I replied.

He kissed my head. My aunt called me over to help her in the kitchen while both my uncle and Lucien sat in the living room, sharing a beer together.

Not a bad day.

---

<3

THIRTY-EIGHT

DANIEL HARPER

I spent the whole day after Lucien came with the two of us cuddling in bed. He got to meet my family. The people that supported me my entire life. 

Lucien got out of the small bed we shared and stretched in the middle of my room. 

“Morning.” I said.

“Morning, my Danny. How was your sleep?” He asked.

“Amazing. Though, I did wake up in the middle of the night to someone kissing my neck.” I said. Lucien winked at me. Sometimes, Lucien will wake up in the middle of the night and leave hickies on my neck.

“I couldn’t help it. You were so adorable sleeping. I needed to mark you up.” He said. He crawled on the bed towards me, kissing me. 

Lucien’s eyes trailed over to my desk. On my desk was a framed photo of my parents. It was taken a few days after I was born. Both my mom and dad stood there, with bright smiling faces, holding a baby me.

“Do you miss them?” Lucien asked. 

“Yeah, I do. Sometimes I wonder how my life would be if they never died.” I said. I reached over and grabbed the picture frame.

My mother had her black hair. Just like me and my aunt, our hair is always messy. No matter what we put into it, it just never worked. And my mother’s hair was slightly messy in the picture. Then there was my father. He had light brown hair, and he was styled to what I remember as 1940’s actors. He himself had brown eyes and light brown skin. He was much taller than my mother. I got most of my traits from my mother, in terms of looks. As for attitude, I got my father’s. He was more introverted and my mother was extroverted.

At twelve, when they were on their way back from their date, they were hit by a drunk driver. They both died on impact. I was told it was a quick death. Though, that doesn’t make me feel better. Since my aunt was next of kin, I was given to her.

“If you could, would you want them back?” Lucien asked.

“I’ve wondered that for years. Maybe talk to them, yeah. Just once. Tell them about how I am. But I wouldn’t wish them back. Everything that has happened to me has led me to where I am today.” I said.

“You still have your aunt and uncle.” Lucien said. “Your family isn’t all gone. There are still people who love you.” Lucien said. He brought his hand to my face and wiped a loose tear.

“You’re right. I bet they must be happy at where I am. I went to NYU because that was my father’s dream school. But he couldn’t go because he didn’t have that much money. I think of this as following his legacy.” I said.

“I’m glad you went to NYU! It’s how I met you.” Lucien said, hugging me. “Best decision I ever made was going on a date with you.” He said.

“I love you, Lucien.” I kissed his cheek. 

“I’m hungry.” Lucien said.

“Let’s get something to eat. I think my aunt is up already.” I said. Lucien grabbed my hand and pulled me off the bed.

He opened the door and on the other side stood my aunt with a tray of food in her hands. She was going to talk until her eyes trailed down. Mine did too and I had forgotten we were both naked. We were so used to walking around naked in our homes that he had forgotten who else lived here.

“Lucien!” I panicked. I shut the door and threw Lucien his briefs as I slipped on some clothes. “Did you forget?!” I asked.

“Nah. I didn’t. Why should I hide?” He asked. 

“Put some clothes on!” I told. He hesitantly agreed and put on a few clothes. 

I reopened the door and this time, my aunt was facing away.

“Are you two decent?” She asked.

“Yep! We are!” I said. She turned and sighed in relief. 

“Let’s go have breakfast. You two must be starving.” She said. She walked down the hall while I tried to hide my embarrassment. Lucien on the other hand had a smirk on his face. 

We all sat at the table and drank coffee. My aunt and uncle asked Lucien some questions about his “career”. We decided that we’ll sugar coat his answers. Rather than say they sell drugs and weapons, he’ll say that he sells medications and tools. 

The only bad thing about today was that Lucien now had pictures of me as a child. Some embarrassing and some others cringy. He’s not going to let me live this down. 

“Danny. Can you come with me? Pedro built something in the back that I want to show you.” She said. I stood up and gave Lucien a look, he waved at me.

I followed my aunt to the backyard. She showed me a roofed spot that my uncle had built. There were chairs underneath that made it into a space for people to chill at. 

“Wow! This is nice!” I said. 

“Took your uncle a while. He wants to have a barbecue some time.” My aunt said. 

“Would you guys be willing to meet Lucien’s parents?” I asked.

“Hmm. Yeah. I’d like to meet them. Let’s make it happen.” She said. She turned to the door and saw both Lucien and uncle Pedro walk out.

Lucien’s face was red. I wondered why he was like that. But then I remembered that he was with my uncle. I hope he didn’t say anything threatening to Lucien.

“Let’s go get ice cream! My treat!” Lucien said. 

“Fuck yeah!” I accidentally yelled. “Sorry.” I said when my aunt gave me the stink eye.

When the day was turning into night, Lucien stood at the front door, getting ready to leave.

“You sure you don’t want to come with me?” He asked.

“I want to spend a little longer with my aunt and uncle. I’ll see you again in a few days.” I said.

“Okay. I’ll send a car over and private jet. Then we’ll spend our first Christmas together.” He said. He bent down and kissed me. 

“Bye, Lucien.” I said.

“Bye, Danny.” He said. He waved to my aunt and uncle as he walked down the driveway and got into his car. He waved at me one last time before driving down the street. 

Fuck! I already miss him. 

But those next few days passed by quickly. It was time for me to leave. Lucien had already called and let me know that a car was on the way. He let me know that there was a surprise waiting for me when I got home.

With a final hug to my aunt and uncle, I left down the driveway. I had a suitcase in hand and saw the black car waiting for me.

The driver had the door opened. I nodded at him as he took my bag and placed it in the trunk. I entered the car and sat in the seat. The windows were tinted from the outside, making me feel like I was in a luxurious car.

“You Daniel Harper?” The driver asked.

“Yep! Is this the ride to the airport?” I asked.

“Yeah.” The driver said. He began driving while I sat back and waited for my return to New York. There was a Caprisun juice and I grabbed one and drank it. 

Then, the car stopped. The driver had only been driving for 10 minutes. The airport is on the other side of town. We can’t be there yet. 

The door opened and in walked a random guy I had never seen before. I began to wonder who he was. Was he another guard? Or maybe he got in the wrong car.

He sat next to me. I got a good look at him. He wore a suit, like Lucien and Sylvester do. He was much older than Sylvester. He had white hair and a white beard. But he had tanned skin. The most intriguing part of him was his face. On his left side was a large cut that went from his eyebrow, over his eye, and to his cheek bone. The eye that was scratched was misty.

“Excuse me? Who are you?” I asked, sliding a bit away from him. 

“I’m Giorgio.” He said, a sinister smile coming on his face.

“I think you have the wrong car, sir.” I said.

“Oh no, I have the right one.” He said. He brought his hand to my chin and lifted it up. I started to panic and reach over to get my phone. Luckily, I have Lucien on speed dial.

“Nope!” He said, reaching behind me and grabbing my phone. The car window rolled down and he threw my phone out the window.

“WHAT ARE YOU-” He slammed his hand over my mouth. The car window rolled back up.

“Don’t try screaming. No one will hear you.” He said. 

My arms began to feel tingly. My legs began to go numb.

The guy pulled out his phone. “Hey, yeah, I have him. Operation: Achilles Heel is on!” He said. He hung up and turned to me.

“Get- Get away from me!” I said. I stood up and stumbled over to try and get out. He grabbed me and pushed me back into my seat.

“Finally. I can destroy the Vittori’s and you’re my ticket to get there.” He said.

My vision began to blacken. I looked at him as he stared at my face.

“No way you actually drank it.” He chuckled and picked up the empty Caprisun pouch. “I thought I was going to have to inject it.” He held a needle in his hands. “Eh, who cares.” He stuck the needle in my arm and injected whatever was in there. I wanted to pull away, but I was too weak.

“Lucien…” I muttered.

“Take us to the tarmac. We need to get to New York quickly.” Giorgio said to the driver. 

Everything began to slowly darken. I tried one final time to crawl away but my arms and legs didn’t work. I layed on my back, looking outside as the world passed me. 

I want Lucien. I want him to hold my hand. I want him to kiss me and wake me up from wherever I’m going. 

I could hear Giorgio laughing as he ran his filthy hands over my bare legs, rubbing my skin.

With a last look, I hoped that Lucien would find me, like he always does.

---

<3

THIRTY-NINE

LUCIEN VITTORI

After months of planning, today was the day. There was another reason why we went to Italy those months ago. When we were young, nonna had made all the men in the family custom rings. These rings we would get when we were ready to propose to someone. But before we can propose to someone, nonna needs to make sure that they are a good suit. As both a member of the family and as a wife.

Luckily, Danny passed with flying colors. He even got the honor of getting some of her recipes, something that she only does to people she really likes.

I held the ring in my hand. The ring was made of platinum. A ruby was on the top. The Vittori seal was plastered on the inside, to make sure it’s known as a Vittori ring. 

I waited in the center of the living room. As soon as Danny walks in, I’ll be on my knees and proposing to him.

So I waited. And waited. And waited. My knee was starting to give out. I grabbed my phone and began calling Danny. I called him over 20 times and he didn’t pick up.

Okay, don’t freak out. I’m sure there’s some delays. Nothing to panic.

But fuck it! It’s been too long! Where is my boy?! 

I called the pilot of the plane. 

“Where is Danny?!” I angrily asked.

“I don’t know, sir. He never arrived!” The pilot said.

“What do you mean never arrived?” I asked, clenching my teeth.

“The driver never picked him up. He was waiting in front of Mr. Harper’s home. But his family told us that he already got into a different car.” The pilot explained.

I hung up and went on the tracking app I had for Danny. I saw that his phone was on a random street in Phoenix. I sent the coordinates to the driver and told him to investigate. Meanwhile, I called my parents over. Luckily, they were in SoHo and came quickly.

“Lucy!” Dad said. “What do you mean Danny isn’t here yet?” He asked.

“He never got in the car! He got in a different one! And he hasn’t answered his phone!” I yelled with a panic in my voice.

“Calm down, Lucy. Maybe he took a detour. Let’s just wait.” Mom said. I sat on the couch, shaking my knee and trying not to throw something.

“Were you planning on proposing to Danny?” Dad asked.

“Mhm. Figured it was time.” I said. 

“Aww. That’s sweet.” Mom said. Her face changed when she saw the handcuffs and lube on the table. 

I waited for a few minutes. That’s when the driver called.

“Where is he?!” I quickly asked.

“He isn’t here. His phone is here. The screen is cracked. Whichever car he got into must’ve thrown it out.” The driver said.

“Now can I freak out?” I asked my parents.

“This is odd.” Dad said. He pulled out his phone and began texting a few people. 

“Mom! What do we do?! I miss him so much! I need him!” I said. Mom sat on the couch and rubbed my back. 

“We’ll find him. He’s bound to turn up eventually.” Mom said.

My nails dug into my palm. I wanted to smash something. But I promised to not resort to violence. I sat and waited for something to happen. My Danny has gone MIA. This isn’t like him. He would call me and tell me where he was going. 

My phone rang. It was a text. I picked up my phone and saw it was from a random number. The text was a picture. 

I clicked on it and my heart shattered. The picture was taken in a dark room. On the table was my Danny, asleep. He was stripped down to his underwear and his shirt was off. The only thing he wore was his boxers.

’ Look who I have!’

The text said. I quickly tried calling the number but no one answered.

Another picture came in. The person holding the phone had their disgusting hands on my Danny’s thighs. There were indications of scratches on his soft skin.

’ His skin feels nice. You don’t mind if I leave my mark.’

The text said. 

“MOTHERFUCKER!” I yelled. I once again tried calling. 

“Lucien! What’s going on?!” Dad asked. I showed them the pictures and they were horrified. 

“Who would do such a thing?” Mom asked. 

“I think I know who!” Dad replied. 

The person began calling. I stared at the screen and pressed the green button. 

“TELL ME WHO YOU ARE! IF YOU LAY ONE FINGER ON HIM, I’LL FUCKING RIP YOUR ARMS OFF!” I yelled.

The person on the other end shushed me. “You don’t want to wake him up…” They said.

“FUCK YOU! WHO ARE YOU!?” I yelled.

The person wanted to facetime me. I accepted and I was met with a dark room, with only a single light on. The camera then began to lower. 

I fucking knew it! It was Giorgio Lombardi. His hideous face took up the screen. Dad quickly got on the phone and began calling whoever he could. 

“Ciao, Lucien.” Giorgio said.

“Asshole! Give me back my Danny!” I snapped.

“Nah. If you want to see your precious boyfriend, then you’ll need to accept my terms.” He said.

“I refuse to work with a rat! Unless you want your eyes ripped out, give me back my Danny!” I yelled.

“Calm down…” Giorgio said. He lowered the camera. “You’re waking him up.” He said. He showed me as Danny began to move his head. I could hear him groaning. 

His beautiful eyes opened up. He was shocked and began to look around. He looked at Giorgio and began to thrash around.

“Aww. Look how adorable he is.” Giorgio said. He shushed Danny down but my Danny refused. 

“Let me go!” I could hear him yelling.

“Let him go!” I yelled, not wanting to cry.

“Don’t be a buzzkill, Lucien.” He said. He placed his hand on Danny’s bare chest. “I’ll ask you again. Want to make a deal?” He asked.

“Let him go!” I yelled.

Giorgio huffed. “Thought so.” He said. “I tried to be reasonable. You leave me no choice.” His fingers trailed up to Danny’s nipple. He pinched his and began twisting. Danny began crying as a few tears left his eyes.

“Stop!” I kept yelling. Giorgio let go, Danny’s nipple red.

“When you’re ready to make a deal, call me. But don’t be too late. Or else we’ll get out of hand with him.” He said, his hand trailing all over Danny’s stomach.

“Danny! I promise I’ll get you out!” I said. Danny turned his head and looked at the phone.

“Lucien! Help me!” Danny yelled. His voice hurt to hear. I’ve prayed that I would never hear that pain in his voice. 

“Danny!-” I yelled but Giorgio hung up the phone. I threw my phone and cried in my hands.

“Lucien! I called some guys. Don’t worry! They’re on it!” Dad said.

“I just need him in my arms! What if they hurt him or worse?!” I began to panic. The world began to spin. My parents were trying to talk to me but I couldn’t hear anything. I just heard a ringing noise.

My poor Danny has been taken from me. My fear came true. He’s being used as a bargaining chip. I knew the possibility of it happening. I just never imagined it actually happening. Giorgio Lombardi actually went as far as going to Phoenix and kidnapping my Danny.

“Lucien!” Mom snapped me out of my haze. “We need to go to the Hamptons! We’re having an emergency meeting!” Mom told me.

“Okay…” I muttered. I stood up and made my way to the elevator. 

I pulled out the ring from my pocket. I was going to propose. We were going to take the next step in our lives and solidify our love. 

“I’ve dispatched people to start a manhunt. We’ll check any warehouses and abandoned buildings on the island. Don’t worry, Lucien. We’ll find him.” Dad said. 

But I couldn’t understand anything. 

He’s supposed to be in my arms right now. We’re supposed to be in our bed as a newly engaged couple. 

I refuse to break down and cry. I refused to allow Giorgio to have the last laugh.

I’ll get my Danny. I’ll find him and protect him. And I’ll swear revenge on anyone who dares to try and hurt him.

Danny. I’ll find you. Even if I have to sacrifice myself for him. I’ll do it. As long as it ends with Danny safe, consider me a dead man.

---

<3

FORTY-ONE

DANIEL HARPER

My eyes opened up and I slowly woke up. I thought for a moment that I was back in Lucien’s room. Where he has his warm sheets and wide windows where I can look over Central Park. But as soon as I felt the cold metal of the bed I was strapped in, I began crying.

The pain began to settle in. I was sore everywhere. I felt myself slowly losing morals. At first, I was waiting for Lucien to burst through the door and save me and take me in his arms to be my Superman. Save the day for me. 

Instead, when the door opens, a random guy would come in. 

I’ve lost track of how much time I’ve spent here. I was taught a long time ago how to determine the time by keeping my focus. The last time I saw sunlight I guessed what hours have passed. But now, I only can tell when the men were about to walk in because of a cycle.

“Good morning, Danny!” Edward said, walking into the room with a tray in his hands. 

At least I know it’s morning right now.

“Edward?” I softly said, crying. “Please! Just let me go!” I pleaded

“When are you going to understand? I don’t plan on letting you go. We need you, Danny.” Edward said.

It’s no use pleading with him. Whenever I ask him to let me go, he will always reject my offer.

We both heard my stomach grumbling. Edward placed his hand on my stomach and rubbed it. 

“Is Danny hungry?” He asked in a condescending tone. “Lucky for you, I brought breakfast.” He said. He pumped something from under the table I was laying on. Half of the table began to move upwards and made me sit up straight. It reminded me of those chairs you sit at when you go to the dentist.

I was sitting as while Edward sat on a chair next to me with the tray of food in hand.

“I brought you some fruits and oatmeal.” He said. He got a spoonful of oatmeal and traced it to my mouth. I leaned away from it and refused to open my mouth. “If you’re worried, it’s peanut free.” He said.

My stomach began to grumble again. I was hungry. I had to eat if I wanted to see Lucien again.

“There we go, that’s good.” Edward said as I ate the oatmeal. 

He would feed me food while I sobbed quietly, not wanting to make too much noise. He would throw in some fruit and watch me eat.

“I have a question, Danny.” Edward said. I hate it when he calls me Danny. Only people close to me can call me that. My aunt and uncle, Angie, Sylvester and Elena, and most of all, Lucien. 

“Hmm.” I replied, letting him know that I was open to his question.

“Did you honestly ever expect that something like this would happen? Where you would get kidnapped and used against the Vittoris?” Edward asked.

“Maybe…” I replied.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m sure when you first started working for the Vittoris that you pieced together that they weren’t just a business. And when you started dating Lucien that would put a target on you.” Edward said.

“I figured that would happen…” I replied.

“I bet you feel stupid for thinking that you and Lucien would live a dandy sweet life. Everyday you would wake up with you in his arms. And your day would be full of you doing housewife things. Lucien would come home and you two would eat dinner, have sex, then go to sleep.” Edward said.

“Please stop.” I whimpered out. 

“Honestly, I would have also figured that Lucien would’ve figured out that you were in danger. But despite all the security he placed around you and that tracking device on your phone he had, it wasn’t enough.” Edward placed his hand on my leg. “And now, here you are. All because Lucien was too proud to protect you more. Idiot that man is.”

“Shut up! Don’t call him that!” I snapped. 

“What? An idiot? It’s true. Lucien is an idiot who let the one thing he loves slip away from him. If he truly loved you, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

“He loves me! You know nothing! Shut up! Shut up!” I yelled and cried out. 

“Watch your mouth, Danny. We can always sow your mouth shut. Then you won’t say no.” Edward had a sinister smile on his face. For the best of me, I shut myself up and just looked at my lap. 

The door opened and in walked Giorgio, a man who throughout the past few days has been smiling.

“Everything is set.” He told Edward.

“Did the Vittoris come to an agreement?” Edward asked.

“Agreement? What’s going on?!” I asked. They both ignored me.

“Sort of. It’ll be a talk that I’ll have with Sylvester and Lucien. We’re going to negotiate and come to an agreement.” Giorgio said.

“And the bitch?” Edward asked. The two looked down at me. 

“I’ll never forgive Sylvester for what he did to my Annie.” Giorgio said. “Kill him. But do it in front of Lucien. I want to see the pain in his eyes when he sees his whore get killed.” Giorgio said. 

I began to whimper and sob upon hearing of my imminent death. I’ll never get to say goodbye to my aunt and uncle. I’ll never have late night talks with Angie. I’ll never get to hold Lucien’s hand. 

“Should we put him in the cage?” Edward asked.

“Yes. Gag him.” Giorgio gave me a final wink and walked out of the room. I sobbed to myself with Edward rummaging through something and placed something on the floor. He went behind me and placed a ball gag into my mouth. Forcing me to not be able to talk.

“Hey!” Edward snapped his fingers in my face. “Get in!” He said. I felt him loosen the restraints on my wrists. I could attack him right now. But with the table of weapons that’s behind him, it doesn’t seem like a good idea.

Edward then released my torso and ankles. I dropped onto the floor and limped towards the cage. 

“Here. Put this on.” He threw to me my briefs which I slowly put on. I had sores all over my body. I slowly climbed my way into the cage, which was wide enough to have me but not high enough for me to stand up. 

The metal door opened and three men walked in. By this point, I just layed on the cage floor and closed my eyes, hoping to escape this prison. I felt the cage being lifted and carried out the door. I opened my eyes to get a better look at where I was.

The first thing I saw was a large tinted window above us. I then began to smell salt. And I could hear the horn of ships passing by. My head sprang up as I looked around and saw I was inside an abandoned shipping dock. The derelict place has rust and trash everywhere. This is where I have been the entire time. And based on my knowledge on the city, a Vittori main post is only 10 minutes away from here.

There was a large truck parked where the parking lot was at, inside the dock. The back was opened and the men who were holding me threw me in. I hit my head on the bars of the cage. 

“We’re going to see your boyfriend, Danny. And it’ll be the last time you see him.” Giorgio said. He closed the side doors of the truck and I was left in the dark. A few minutes later, the truck began moving. I wiped my tears away and held my knees close to my chest.

After what felt like an eternity, the truck stopped moving. I waited and the doors to the truck were opened. Standing there were a few men who hopped into the truck and lifted my cage. 

I once again took a look around me and took in my surroundings. I saw that we were in what seemed to be an abandoned warehouse. It reminded me of the docks from earlier.

“Alright, Danny. We’re going to have a meeting and talk about grown up things. We’ll bring you out at the end and then I’ll shoot you. Are you okay with that?” Giorgio asked. I shook my head and cried but the gag muffled my words. “Good boy. I knew you’d agree.” He said. He removed my gag. “Scream and we’ll shoot.” Giorgio said as he walked away.

I was forced out of the cage and made to kneel on the dirty floor. My hands were tied behind my back. I was shivering from the cold and wanted at least a sweater or blanket. There were four men guarding me, all of them with guns and scouting around.

My ears were able to pick up the sound of tires on dirt. It grew louder. It sounded like multiple cars were driving towards the warehouse.

Then, silence. I waited for something. 

“WHERE’S MY DANNY!” A loud voice echoed off the walls of the warehouse. It knew who that voice belonged to. I’ve grown used to that voice. My ears have developed to the point where I can pick up that deep voice from a loud crowd.

It was Lucien. Lucien is here! And he’s going to save me!

“Calm down, Lucien.” I could hear Edward say.

“I knew I should’ve killed you!” Lucien replied. 

“You two! Stop fighting! We’re here to negotiate. Right. Sylvester?” Giorgio asked.

“Just tell us your demands, Lombardi! Then give me back my son-in-law.” Sylvester said.

Son-in-law? But, Lucien and I aren’t engaged. Unless he’s planning to…

“Woah! Engaged? Fine. Let’s start.” Giorgio said. I could hear the sound of chairs being pulled out and quiet murmurs. 

“All good?” Edward asked.

“What do you want?” Lucien said. I could feel his anger from his voice.

My only goal right now is to avoid death. Lucien doesn’t know that they plan on killing me in front of him. I’ll need to find a way to stop my death and then get back to Lucien.

---

<3

FORTY-TWO

LUCIEN VITTORI

Across from me sat Edward. I knew he was sketchy. I knew that there was something nefarious about him. I should have ordered my men to kill him rather than just jump him. The smirk on his face just makes me want to rip off his lips.

I turned to my dad, who sat next to me, as he put on an expressionless face. But on the inside, I know that he’s on edge.

“First things first, we want some of your territories handed over to us.” Giorgio said.

I saw dad clench his fists. “Which territories?” Dad asked.

“Let’s see… Manhattan, Upper East Side, Washington Heights, Brooklyn, Harlem, the Bronx, and Staten Island.” Giorgio said, sounding like he was reciting a list.

“All that?” Dad asked.

“Of course. I’ll let you keep some pockets. They’ll mainly be street corners or slums, but at least you get something.” Giorgio said.

“Fine.” Dad said. I was shocked that he would accept without questions. But on the way here, dad told me to trust him and that he has something he calls retribution in the form of a folder that he has in his hands.

“Next, you and the rest of your group will disband. The Vittori line will end with you. If you want to continue your business, you will do so under covers. You’ll be an appendage, with most of your income being redirected towards us.” Giorgio added. I could feel my dad’s anger emanating off him.

“Fine! Whatever! Just give us back Danny!” Dad said.

“Before we do, Lucien,” Edward turned to me. “You should do a better job protecting your bitch.” He said. I lunged forward and tried to attack him but dad grabbed the back of my shirt and held me back.

“It’s not worth it, Lucien.” Dad told me. I seething with rage. But I know that if I hurt any one of them, Danny will get hurt.

“Just bring me my Danny.” I muttered as I sat back down.

Giorgio whistled and from a wall faraway, turning the corner, were two men who walked. They both were dragging someone under their arms. They stepped closer until they reached the visible light.

Coming from the light was my Danny. My sweet Danny. Immediately, he looked up and made eye contact with me. My eyes began to tear up upon seeing his green eyes staring right back at me. How I’ve long to see those wonderful eyes.

“Lucien?” Danny muttered.

“Danny!” I said. I stood up and tried to go to him but the two men who dragged him over here pulled out their guns and pointed it at me.

“Lucien!” Danny cried out for me. I stared at Danny as he kneeled on the floor with nothing but his briefs on. I took a look at his body and saw a few bruises. Some of them I recognized as body sores, most likely he was forced to lay down for a long time.

“It’s okay, Danny. I’ll get you out of here!” I yelled out.

“Now hold on. Before you get ahead of yourself,” Giorgio said. “I have a question for you, Sylvester.”

“What is it?” My dad asked.

“Do you remember Annie Lombardi?” Giorgio asked. I turned to dad and saw him looking at Giorgio. Judging by his eyebrows furrowing, I think he knows who Annie is.

“Dad? Who is Annie Lombardi?” I asked my dad.

“I see you haven’t told your son about my precious Annie. Annie was my wife, Edward’s mother. And she was killed by you, Sylvester. The police ruled it a suicide. But I think we both know who killed her.” Giorgio said.

My dad didn’t look taken aback. Sort of like he expected Giorgio to bring up his wife.

“She committed suicide, Giorgio. Deal with it.” My dad said.

“You shut up! I know you killed her! I know you were the one who ordered her execution! And because of you, the mother of my son is dead!” Giorgio yelled. Edward also began to get angry as his pale face turned red from anger.

I turned to Danny as he cried softly. I saw him tracing on his thigh with his fingers.

Giorgio calmed down from his rage and then snapped his fingers. The guns that were once pointing at me were now pointed at Danny’s head. I saw Danny begin to sob.

“Don’t you fucking shoot him!” I yelled.

“I want you to look him in the eye, Lucien. I want you to see the person that you love die in front of you! I want you to feel a bit of what I felt when I lost my Annie! This is for her!” Giorgio yelled. The men clicked their guns and were getting ready to shoot.

They stopped when my dad yelled, “STOP!”

Everyone stopped and we all turned to my dad. My dad had pulled out the folder that he brought with him and placed it on the table. We all looked as he pulled out a MacBook and a USB drive. He placed them on the table.

“I told you, Giorgio. Annie committed suicide.” Dad said. He opened the laptop and put in the USB. He clicked around and then spun the screen around to make Giorgio and Edward look at it.

The screen was dark until a voice could be heard. It sounded like dad’s. The screen came on and in front was a woman. She had pale skin and black hair. She was the embodiment of Edward, but a female version. But she looked disheveled. There were bruises on her face and arms. Her hair was messy and coarse. She had a busted lip.

“So, Annie Lombardi. What brings you here?” Dad asked. He wasn’t on screen but most likely on the other side.

“I’m here to give you information on the Lombardis.” The woman’s weak and frail voice spoke. I saw Giorgio as he began to tear up.

“And why should I trust you?” Dad asked.

“Because I can’t take it anymore.” Annie said, sobbing.

“Can’t take what anymore?” Dad asked.

“Giorgio! I can’t stand him anymore. I never wanted to marry him! He forced me to be with him or else… he was going to kill my family. He- He forced me to have his child! I just can’t do it anymore!” Annie cried out. She was handed tissues and wiped her tears.

“So you want to rat him out as an act of revenge?” Dad asked.

“Yes, Mr. Vittori, I do. Giorgio is a horrible person. New York will be in better hands under the Vittoris. Not the Lombardis.” Annie said.

“Tell me then, Annie, what do you have for us?” Dad asked.

Without hesitation, Annie spoke up. She proceeded to spill several secrets about the Lombardis. Information such as hideouts, paths used for smuggling, and where their arsenals are at. And the entire time, Giorgio and Edward remained silent.

At the end, Annie looked relieved.

“That’s all I have.” She said.

“Thank you for this, Annie. Don’t worry, your sacrifice won’t go in vain.” Dad said.

“I trust you.” Annie said.

“So what will be your plans after this, Annie? Do you need us to set you up in the upstate. We can give you a house and some money and get away from everything.” Dad said. Everyone watched as Annie shook her head.

“I’ve faced too much in this life to continue living. I’ve seen things that will haunt my nightmares if I continue to live.” She sounded defeated.

“I won’t be able to change your mind, huh?” Dad asked.

“Sorry, Mr. Vittori. But my mind is made up.” She wiped her tears away. She gave the camera one last look. She tried to give a smile but no matter how hard one tries, their brokenness will glimmer through.

The video turned black. All that could be heard was footsteps until the video ended. I watched as Giorgio covered his face and grabbed his white hair tightly. Edward on the other hand was shocked and did not move from his seat.

“I told you, Giorgio. She committed suicide. And guess what? In the end, it was your fault after all.” Dad said. Giorgio’s red face turned up to look at my dad.

“Enough!” Giorgio yelled. He turned to the two men pointing their guns at my Danny. “Shoot him! Then kill them all!” He yelled.

I turned to Danny as he panicked. Dad saw this and within a few seconds, several of our men came out from the shadows and drew their guns at the Lombardis. Other men from the Lombardis came out of the shadows and drew their guns at us.

I pulled out my gun from my back pocket and pointed it at one of them.

“Your move, Giorgio.” My dad said.

Giorgio never took his angry face away from dad.

We were in a stalemate. No matter what happens, people are going to die. Someone will die in a few minutes.

I turned to Danny as he drew on his thighs. I saw him draw a 1 and 3. 13. Is he telling me there’s 13 people from the Lombardis? I nudged my head towards the men holding the gun at his head. Danny nodded yes.

My dad watched my back as I held my hand behind me and held up a 1 and 3. I saw my dad blink twice, meaning he understands. We have 23 people. We can easily take them on.

Though, right now, I need to try to find a way to get Danny out of here before he gets shot.

I turned back to Danny as he tried hard not to cry. I gave him a small smile, letting him know that I’m going to pull through on my promise and protect him.

---

<3

FORTY-THREE

DANIEL HARPER

I looked up and turned to my left then right. I observed the two men. I remember once that Angie told me that she once was about to be jumped by a guy. She managed to kick him in the knees and he fell on the floor. I turned back to Lucien. My fingers were on my knees and I turned my pupils to both the men beside me.

Thankfully, because of how long we’ve dated and the communication we have, we can almost speak without talking using signals.

I took in my surroundings. There’s more Vittori men than Lombardis. The Vittoris can easily take them down. But then there’s me. I have two guns on my head. I turned back to Lucien. He held his gun to one of the men above me.

The best plan I can come up with is attacking the guy to my right and Lucien can shoot the guy on the left. I looked to Lucien and moved my head to the guy on the right of me. I then made a small gun with my fingers and signaled it to my left. Lucien saw this and he turned his gun to the guy I instructed him to.

“Stand down, Giorgio.” Sylvester said. “Just admit your defeat.”

“Never!” Giorgio yelled. “Shoot him!” He said to the men.

It all happened quickly but for some reason, my mind registered everything slowly. I felt like Quicksilver in those X-Men movies where he does everything in slow motion but in reality it’s because he’s incredibly fast.

Despite the sores on my body and low energy, adrenaline kicked in. I ducked as I heard two gunshots ring out near both my ears. I lowered my head and stretched out my right leg to kick the guy on my right. I looked to my left and saw that Lucien had managed to shoot him in the head.

The guy on my right was sprawling on the floor. Then, there was a bullet hole through his eyes.

Something that I now was able to hear after the ringing subsided was the sound of other gunshots around me. I looked and saw that the warehouse had now turned into a battlefield. Men were hiding behind boxes and walls and shooting.

I was disoriented and felt two hands grabbing me and picking me up. I was thrown over someone’s shoulder and they ran. I felt the person’s chest and immediately knew it was Lucien who was carrying me.

“Don’t worry, Danny! I’m keeping you safe!” Lucien said. He ran behind a metal wall and threw me on the floor carefully. I finally got a closer look at my Lucien. He had dark circles under his eyes. It looked like he had been crying for the past few days.

“Lucien!” I excitedly said. Lucien looked down at me with tears in his eyes. He leaned forward and planted a deep kiss on my lips.

“My Danny!” He cried. “I’m not leaving you ever again!” He said. We kissed each other and split apart, remembering where we were. Lucien grabbed his gun and turned the corner, fired a few shots, then turned back.

“What’s the plan?” I asked Lucien.

“I don’t know. But our main objective is to eliminate the others!” Lucien pulled out his phone and tapped on it a bit. “Dad! Where are you?!” Lucien asked into the phone.

“I’m near the exit! I lost sight of Giorgio and Edward! If you see them, shoot on sight!” Sylvester said. He quickly hung up. Lucien shot some more then pulled out a new magazine.

“How are we getting out?” I asked.

“The plan is to force the Lombardis away from the exit, making a clear path for us. All our men are either taking them out or forcing them away from the exit.” Lucien explained.

I nodded as I began to check my surroundings. All the commotion was going on on my left. The right was clear, with a few walls and boxes scattered around. Lucien turned the corner where he had been shooting.

“It’s clear! Come on!” Lucien grabbed my hand. I seethed in pain because of the fact that I had been strapped onto a table for so long. Lucien let go quickly. “I’ll carry you!” He said. He scooped me up in his arms and began to run, avoiding all the scattered boxes.

We stopped behind a wall and listened to where the shooting was happening.

“Just a few more feet! We’ll get to the car and get out of here!” Lucien said.

My feet were touched the cold floor. I was shivering and needing some sort of warmth. Lucien removed his blazer (not sure why he would wear a suit to a shooting) and put it over me.

“We’ll get you some clothes when we get to the car!” Lucien said. I smiled at him, knowing that he was still caring for me, even if his life was on the line.

Lucien once again scouted the area. When he felt the coast was clear, he once again picked me up and ran. From the distance, I could see the large exit, opening to the outside. I saw sunlight and longed to be in the sun, feeling its warmth on my skin.

My boyfriend set me down on the floor. I heard the sound of gunshots nearby.

“We’ll wait a bit for the shooting to dissipate!” Lucien said. I held his hand in mine. For a moment, I thought that he wasn’t real. But I knew he was real when I could feel the warmth of his hands.

I smiled at him as he looked into my eyes.

Then, the sound of a gunshot behind me. And then there was a sharp pain in my left arm. I flinched and grabbed my shoulder. I could feel a wetness and when I looked at my hand, I saw blood. Lucien’s eyes began to fill with rage. He grabbed his gun and pointed it behind me. I turned just as Lucien fired. Standing there was Edward, a gun in his hand and a hole in his chest.

He collapsed slowly on the floor, as he had a wicked smile on his face. Lucien slowly removed the blazer off me. I saw that the bullet, while it didn’t shoot be directly, still grazed my skin badly and left a large gash.

“Fuck!” Lucien muttered. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Danny!” He cried. I couldn’t feel the pain. Most likely because of the adrenaline.

“Lucien!” I called out to him. He stopped crying and I held his face in my hand. “It’s not your fault! Let’s just get out of here!” I said.

Lucien wiped his tears and scooped me up in his arms. We listened as the gunshots were now farther away from us. Lucien ran and ran and ran as fast as he could. There was a look of determination on his face.

Finally, we reached outside. I looked around me and saw that the warehouse was located in the outskirts of New York, somewhere in the woods. Lucien carried me to his car. He opened the passenger door and put me in. He then quickly went to the driver’s side and got in, turning on the car.

He stepped on the gas he began driving down the road, away from the warehouse.

“What about your dad and the other men?” I asked Lucien.

“They’ll be fine. Our main mission was to get you safe!” Lucien said. He pulled into an empty road and began to drive down. He set the car to auto-drive, a feature that I never liked him using.

Lucien reached behind him and pulled a bag. “Come here, baby.” Lucien said. He pulled out bandages from the bag. He examined my wound. “It looks like the bullet grazed your skin pretty bad.” He whispered. He patched up my injury.

“I missed you.” I muttered out.

“I missed you too, Danny. Don’t worry. We’ll get you help. For now, put these on.” He handed me some sweats, a shirt, and some shoes. I put them on quickly and felt more human with clothes on.

I leaned back on the chair and closed my eyes. I sighed in relief, knowing that I was back in Lucien’s arms.

“Did they hurt you?” Lucien asked.

I nodded my head. Lucien placed his hand on my thigh.

“It’s all my fault.” He whispered.

“No, it’s not! You didn’t kidnap me. You never meant to hurt me. Like I once said, I trust you with my life.” I said. Lucien held up my hands and kissed my fingers.

“I’m going to make it up to you! I’ll never leave your side. I’ll buy you whatever you want. Just name it and I’ll get it.” He said.

“I just want to go to sleep with you.” I said.

“Deal! Let’s get you checked up. Then we’ll go home and sleep.” Lucien said. His cheeky smile brought back all the memories that I have of us together. Both good and bad. But no matter what, even the worst days with Lucien are still some of the better moments of life. I took those days for granted and realized how much I loved Lucien when he wasn’t next to me.

“I love you, Lucien.” I said.

“I love you too, Danny.” Lucien grabbed my hand and held them close. “More than I can ever say.”

“Can we get out of New York for a bit?” I asked.

“Of course. We’ll go anywhere you want. But what about school?” Lucien asked.

“I think I’m going to take a semester off. I don’t think I’m ready to go back to normal life yet.” I replied.

“I understand, Danny. We’ll take it slow.” He said. He rubbed my hair and twirled a lock of my hair between his fingers.

“What did your dad refer to me as his son-in-law?” I asked Lucien.

Lucien’s face turned bright red. “Oh, you see… I was uh… before you got kidnapped, I was planning on…” He reached his hand into his pocket.

He slowly began to pull something out until a loud bang could be heard from behind us. We both were startled and Lucien put his hands on the wheel. We both turned and saw a car following us. In the driver’s seat was Giorgio Lombardi, driving with one hand while the other held a gun at us.

“Get down!” Lucien yelled. He pushed my head into my lap. His hands rummaged through the glove compartment and he pulled out another gun. “Remember when I taught you how to shoot?!” He asked.

“Yeah! I do!” I responded, remembering when Lucien taught me how to shoot just in case.

“Good! Shoot only when necessary!” Lucien began to speed up the car. “Shit!” He grunted. I looked at the rearview mirror and saw Giorgio gaining on us.

Lucien turned off the road and entered what looked like a dirt road into the forest. Giorgio still remained on us, not slowing down.

I heard a few more gunshots.

“Motherfucker!” Lucien yelled. “One of the tires blew!” He said. I could feel the car slow down. Lucien let go of the wheel and aimed the gun behind, shooting at Giorgio.

“The wheel!” I yelled. I leaned forward and placed my hand on the car wheel. I only have little experience driving, and this wasn’t an empty Walmart parking lot. I have no idea what I’m doing.

I tried to drive but with the gunshots and my lack of knowledge, I lost control of the car. I watched as we got closer to a thick tree ahead of us.

The next thing I remember is the car coming into contact with the tree. I hit my head on the wheel while Lucien bumped into my back.

My vision went black. I couldn’t feel the pain I’m due to feel. I felt warm, and safe.

I slipped in and out of consciousness. As I opened my eyes, the mess in front of me brought me back to reality.

And I soon realized that Lucien isn’t anywhere near me.

---

<3

FORTY-FOUR

DANIEL HARPER

I touched the back of my head and felt bleeding. My entire body was still trying to grasp everything that had just happened. There was a sharp ringing in my ear. But despite my pain, there was one thing that I had to look for.

Lucien.

I turned to where Lucien sat and saw that his seat was empty. I did see that his gun was also here. Lucien can hold himself with his strength. But a gun is always a better advantage.

Slowly, I began to pick myself up and climb out of the car. I took in my surroundings. The car was a complete mess. At least the front. We had crashed into a large pine tree. My fingers were covered in blood and dirt. And my clothes that Lucien had brought for me are dirty too.

As I looked around, I tried to find where Lucien went. Due to the crash, my legs were hurt so I limped over to his side of the car. He was gone but something didn’t feel right.

It all came back to me in a flash. We were being chased by Giorgio. I turned around and saw that his car was parked away. My hands slipped into my pocket and I remembered the gun I was given. I pulled it out and held it, pointing it at Giorgio’s car.

Where the driver’s door was at, I saw the car door was opened. I scouted around the car and saw that no one was here.

I wanted to call out for Lucien. However, I’m still not sure whether he’s safe or not. I crouched a while and made wide steps to avoid all noises. The gun was still in my hand and made sure to point it ahead of me.

Finally, after a few minutes of walking, I came upon a small clearing. I ducked behind a bush and poked my head, checking to see if anyone was there.

There, in the middle of the clearing, was Lucien on the ground, clearly injured. Above him was Giorgio, pointing a gun at his head. The two were in a heated argument.

“Shut the fuck up!” Giorgio yelled at Lucien. “I don’t give a shit about you or that whore of yours! This is revenge!”

“Just let me say goodbye to Danny!” Lucien said. I saw as he was crouched on the floor. His arm was positioned in a way that let me know that it was sore and he couldn’t move it right. Meaning that without a gun or the ability to use his strength, Lucien was a dead man.

“Fuck no! Be quiet so I can kill you then Danny!” Giorgio yelled.

Lucien hung his head down as if he was prepared to meet his fate. I remembered the gun in my hands and stood up, slowly walking towards the clearing behind Giorgio. Giorgio didn’t hear me and I managed to stand behind him. I cocked the gun and held it to his head.

Before I shot him, I thought back to what I was doing. Here I was, holding a gun and getting ready to shoot a mob boss who is also getting ready to shoot my boyfriend. I never expected myself to get into something like this.

Am I really going to shoot someone? Kill a person in cold blood and watch as their last moments are spent with their killer? Taking the life of another person was something I never saw myself doing. I believe I am a good person with morals and ideals. A virtuous saint, as Angie once called me.

I couldn’t hurt a fly. But some people deserve to die. Especially ones like Giorgio Lombardi.

I pulled the trigger. My finger pulled back and a loud bang rang out. The power from the bullet knocked me back. I landed on my behind and dropped the gun next to me.

The ringing in my ear didn’t let me hear anything. I looked ahead of me and saw Giorgio standing there with a bullet hole in his head and blood and brain matter spilling on the sides. Giorgio then collapsed onto the floor, face first.

Lucien, who has been crouched on the floor, turned and first looked at Giorgio as he fell dead on the floor. Lucien then turned to me and his eyes bulged out of their sockets. He stood up and ran towards me.

“Danny?! Danny?!” Lucien shouted, though it sounded muffled.

“Lucien…” I said. He stared down at me, holding me close to his body and rocking me back forth.

“I’m getting help!” I managed to hear Lucien say.

“I’m sleepy…” I muttered. I began to close my eyes as everything that has happened in the past few days caught up.

From getting kidnapped and violated, to getting in a car crash and shooting a person in the head, I just wanted to sleep. I smiled at Lucien as my eyes began to close and quickly I fell into a deep sleep.

Darkness and warmth are all my senses can feel at that moment. There was no taste of anything. No touch of any surface. Nothing to hear. I might as well have been a ghost trapped at the end of time, wondering when I’ll see the next speck of light or sign of life.

A small light could be seen in the far distance, breaking through the sea of darkness. I began to feel myself gravitating towards it, making it my desired goal. The light slowly got bigger as it began to surround my entire skin. Slowly, the warmth felt cold. And the light at the end was all I could see.

White light. Blinding my eyes.

I blinked my eyes to get rid of the disorientation I felt all over me. The first thing I could feel was something on my arm. Instinctively, I lifted up my left arm and saw what looked like an IV drip attached to my arm.

Next thing I noticed was the walls of the room I was in. It had a light beige color. Attached to the wall on a nail was a clipboard. I looked around more and saw medical equipment around me. The beeping from the heart monitor could now be heard.

There was a tight grip on my right arm. I slowly turned my head and saw Lucien on the side of the bed. He was in a chair, with his hands gripping my arm. He slept on the bed with his head buried close to my torso.

“Lucien. Lucien!” I whispered. Lucien groaned and moved his head around.

He groaned out. “Five more minutes, baby.” He said.

I giggled as I watched Lucien. “You’re so silly.” I said.

Lucien let out a small chuckle. “All for you, love.” He muttered. He stopped laughing, his hands gripping my arm. He jolted his head up and looked into my eyes. “Danny!” He yelled as he lunged forward and trapped me in a tight hug.

He hugged me close to him, not letting go of me. He sobbed into my shoulder while muttering apologies.

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, Danny. I never meant to bring you into this.” Lucien whispered in my ear.

“Lucien. I’m okay.” I said. He stopped hugging me and stared into my eyes. “I’m okay.” I said again to stop him from crying.

“You’re the bravest person I know, Danny.” Lucien said.

“Not as brave as you. You’re my hero.” I said.

“You’re my hero! You saved me!” Lucien said.

“We both saved each other. Let’s call it even.” I told him.

“That sounds fair.” Lucien said.

I scooted over in the bed and let Lucien lay down with me too. He hugged me while I placed my face in his chest. I took in his cologne and let a few tears escape, knowing that the danger was over.

“I love you so much, Danny.” He said.

“I love you too, Lucien.” I replied.

“I love you too much, Danny.” Lucien said. I looked up and saw Lucien staring at the wall behind me. “After what happened today, I’m scared that something like that would happen again. And I don’t want to be the cause of your death. You’re too innocent for this life.” He said.

“What are you saying, Lucien?” I asked.

“I want to give you an out.” He said, trying hard not to cry. “If you don’t want this, me and this life, you can leave. I’ll help you transfer to a new school and pay off your tuition. We’ll stop being together. You can live a calm life without feeling the worry of having your life taken.” Lucien sobbed but never made eye contact with me.

“You want me to break up with you?” I asked.

Lucien nodded slowly. “We’ll part ways. You’ll do your life and I’ll do mine. But I’ll never stop loving you.” He said.

I sat thinking for a while. The past few days have been… crazy. There were times when I wanted to not be in this life anymore. I wished that my life was different and I never went to New York and I never got involved with this.

But one thing that I never regretted was Lucien. He was the reason I continued to go through the pain. His smile and looks and the way that he loves me. How could I ever let that go.

“No.” I replied. Lucien looked up in shock. “I’m not leaving you!”

“But Danny! I don’t want your life to be in danger because of me!” Lucien tried to persuade me.

“Shut up, Lucien! There is no life if you’re not with me! I don’t care if I get killed today, or next week, or in a few years! At least I got to spend those minutes with you!” I said.

Lucien stared at me for a moment until he pulled me into a kiss.

“I’m never going to leave you, Danny.” He said.

“You better not.” I replied.

I hugged Lucien as he hugged me into his chest. Everytime I snuggled into his chest, Lucien groaned and rubbed his crotch on me.

“How long has it been since you’ve relieved yourself?” I asked Lucien.

“Ever since I left Arizona.” Lucien replied. I began to slip my hand down his torso towards his pants.

“Sounds like you need to release some pent up desires.” I said seductively.

“Danny…” Lucien warned. “Be careful with what you might start.” He said.

“I know exactly what I’m doing.” I replied. My hand reached the seam of his pants. My hand began to climb into his pants.

We pulled apart when the door to the room opened and Sylvester and Elena walked in.

“Where’s Danny!” They both yelled, panting while zooming their eyes onto me.

The both sighed in relief while Lucien sighed in anger after being blue-balled by his parents.

---

<3

FORTY-FIVE

LUCIEN VITTORI

Despite what my parents were telling me, I refused to hop off the bed. Everytime they told me to give Danny space, I pulled Danny closer to my body. It got to the point where he was sitting on my thighs.

“Syl, let the boys be together.” Mom said to my dad.

“Fine! They might as well just fuck each other with they’re at it!” Dad replied. He let mom sit in the chair I previously sat in while dad got the doctor’s chair and sat on it. 

“How long was I out?” Danny asked.

“Two days. After you shot… Giorgio… you passed out. I panicked that something happened to you, maybe some internal bleeding from the crash. But luckily, it was just exhaustion.” I said.

I wasn’t sure if I should bring up the other thing the doctors saw when he was examined. According to the doctors, Danny had signs of forced penetration. I broke down crying when I heard that. I never wanted this to happen to Danny. It’s why I let him choose to leave this, because of how much he was hurt. 

“What happened to the Lombardis?” Danny asked.

“As you know, Edward and Giorgio were killed.” I said.

“After the death of those two, the remaining Lombardis surrendered. Some of them were killed during the ongoing shootout but some are imprisoned in secluded places.” My dad said.

“How many men did you guys lose?” Danny asked.

“Nine.” I replied. Danny looked like he wanted to break down. Tears filled his eyes.

“They died because of me.” He muttered. 

“No they didn’t, Danny.” My mom said. She reached forward and grabbed his hand. “They knew what they were doing when they went into that place. They agreed to sacrifice themselves for you.”

“Did any of them have family?” He asked.

“Some of them did.” My mom replied.

“Is it possible we can give them some money?” Danny asked.

“Of course.” My dad said. “We’ll give them compensation. We’ll talk about it later. Yeah?” Dad asked. 

Danny nodded. So caring, he is.

“And what about my aunt and uncle? Do they know I’m in the hospital?” Danny asked.

“We called them and told them. Don’t worry. We sent a plane to pick them up.” My dad said.

“So Danny, where do you want to go from here?” My mom asked.

Danny looked at me then back at my parents. “I just want a break. Take a break from school and fix myself.” He replied.

“That’s completely fine. We want you to be in the best shape mentally. Take all the time you need.” Mom said. “And Lucy, take care of Danny. Don’t let him out of your sight.” 

“Yes, mom.” I replied.

There was a knock on the door. We all turned and saw the door open. Angie, Danny’s best friend, walked in. She had a few tears down her face as she held a balloon and a teddy bear in her hand.

“Danny!” She yelled. 

“Angie!” Danny yelled. She ran towards Danny and hugged him tightly.

“Don’t ever fucking be close to dying, you son of a bitch!” Angie said.

“I missed you, bitch!” Danny said. The two hugged each other while I watched as Danny smiled.

“Lucien called me and told me what happened. Is everything okay? Are you hurt badly? Do I need to kill anybody?” Angie said.

“No Angie. It’s all good. Right, Lucien?” Danny asked me.

I nodded. “Yes, my love. It is.” I replied.

“Here! I got you a teddy bear and balloons! I was going to get some of those croissants from that bakery you like but they were closed!” Angie handed the things to Danny.

“Thanks, Ang.” Danny gave her another hug.

“And you!” Angie pointed at me with her finger. I thought she was going to be angry at me but instead a small smile came upon her face. “Good job protecting him. I mean, you fucked up in the beginning, but now, he’s safe.” She said.

“Thank you, Angie.” I replied. 

Angie turned around and saw my parents sitting and watching her. 

“Woah! Danny! There’s a MILF and DILF in your room!” She said.

“Those are Lucien’s parents, Angie. Be respectful.” Danny said, hiding his face in shame.

“Ohhhh! Mr. and Mrs. Vittori! Well, pleasure to meet you both!” Angie extended her hand out and shook both of my parents’ hands.

She’d make a good aunt.

Angie stayed with us for a while. She and Danny talked about sorority stuff and about her trip to Scandinavia. That was, until she brought up a name that I didn’t ever want to hear.

“And then there’s Alexis. Remember the guy she dated, Edward? He sort of ghosted her after knocking her up.” Angie said. The room went quiet. I was no longer talking with my parents. Danny looked uncomfortable and I held him close to me.

“Oh, she’s pregnant?” Danny asked, a quiver in his voice.

“Yeah. She’s been trying to call him but he hasn’t answered.” Angie explained. I never told her that it was Edward who was partially behind Danny’s capture. All I told Angie was that he was taken by a rival gang and held hostage. But she doesn’t know it was Edward. 

“Well, I hope Alexis makes the right choice with whatever she feels comfortable with.” Danny said. His hand grabbed mine, interlocking our fingers.

“She’s thinking of an abortion. But based on how it is right now, she might have to go to Europe for it.” Angie said. 

A few minutes later, Angie left, with the promise that she would be back soon. 

“Lucien, come with me. We’re getting Danny some food.” Dad said, though his tone indicated he wanted to talk about something else. I stood up, sadly splitting away from Danny.

“I’ll be back, Danny.” I said.

“I know you will.” He replied. My mom gave me a reassuring smile, letting me know that she isn’t taking her eyes off him. 

I followed dad to the hallway. He shut the door behind us and turned to me.

“Are you still proposing?” He asked.

“Of course I am! But I’m putting it off for now. Danny needs help. He needs a therapist and can’t be too stressed out for the upcoming few weeks.” I replied.

“Is it true what the doctors said?” Dad asked.

“What?” I asked.

“That Danny was… sodomized?” Dad asked. I lowered my head in shame. If I was there, Danny wouldn’t be hurt. He must be pushing it down right now.

“Yeah, he was.” I replied. 

“We interrogated some of the Lombardis we caught and some of them confessed to doing those things to Danny.” Dad said.

“Have they been dealt with?” I asked.

“Yes, they have. I got a nail gun and punctured a nail in each of their testicles and through their penis. They won’t ever be able to use those things again.” Dad explained. 

I turned to the window that looked into the room. There was Danny, sitting on his bed in a hospital gown and IV dripping in his arm, and he was smiling and laughing at something my mom told him. Despite what he went through, he still managed to put a smile on his face.

“Let’s let Danny rest for now. He’ll decide if he wants to do anything in the future.” I said.

“Agreed. Now let’s get him some food.” Dad said. I nodded and we both walked down the hall to the cafeteria.

As we began to walk back with a bag in hand with everything Danny likes, I heard angry yelling. Both dad and I walked to where the front desk was at.

“I don’t care about a fucking list! I want to see my damn nephew!” A woman shouted. I got a good look at her and immediately knew he she was.

“Cassie? Pedro?” I called out. They both turned and quickly walked over to me. Cassie looked like she had been crying while Pedro just looked like he wanted to go to sleep.

“Lucien! Thank goodness! They won’t let us in to see Danny!” She said. I turned to the receptionist and gave her a nod. The receptionist understood and unlocked the doors for the ICU.

“Come on then. Let’s go see Danny.” I said. Cassie breathed a sigh of relief. She grabbed her husband’s hand and we all walked to Danny’s room.

As we entered, Danny saw his aunt and uncle and bursted into tears. His aunt and uncle ran to Danny and hugged him close, crying together and murmuring sweet words into one another’s ears.

When they pulled apart, Cassie and Pedro turned to look at both my mom and dad, who were still in the room.

I knew they were going to have to meet at some point. Especially before the wedding. But a hospital room is not where I expected my future in-laws to meet my parents.

---

<3

FORTY-SIX

LUCIEN V

ITTORI

Danny’s aunt and uncle and my parents were staring at one another. It wasn’t like they wanted to kill each other. But Danny’s aunt has a tendency of staring people down to see what kind of people they are. Just like she did to me in Arizona.

“Nice to meet you,” Danny’s aunt said. “I’m Cassie Harper, Danny’s aunt. And this is my husband, Pedro.” She nudged Danny’s uncle.

“Huh? Oh, that’s me!” Danny’s uncle extended his hand to my dad. My dad looked at Pedro’s hand and instead leaned forward to shake his hand, he pulled him in to hug him.

Forgot how much of a jokester my dad is.

“I’m Sylvester. This is my lovely wife, Elena.” Everyone greeted each other while Danny and I sighed in relief that they’re getting along.

I brought in two chairs for Danny’s aunt and uncle to sit. I then climbed back onto the hospital bed behind Danny and hugged him close to my chest. I saw Danny’s aunt with a huge smile on her face whenever I kissed his face or hugged him tightly.

“So did they catch the robbers who held you hostage in that bank?” Cassie asked. Danny was confused and looked at my dad.

“Yes! They did! They’re going away for a long time!” My dad quickly said. 

I leaned into Danny’s ear. “It’s a lie. We can’t tell them the truth.” I explained to him. 

The food was brought out. Danny eagerly jumped because he can finally eat something that isn’t bland or forced down his throat. He didn’t even care that it was hospital food. A fucking cheeseburger and crinkle cut fries with a diet Coke has never taste better before to him.

“I also got you a cake.” I said. I opened the container and pulled out a slice of chocolate cake. He ate it down and offered me some. But I never ate it, insisting that it was for him and only him. 

I saw Cassie looking at Danny’s left hand. She leaned over to my mom and whispered something. The two talked, looking at me.

“When am I getting discharged?” Danny asked.

“Since you have no broken bones, which is a miracle, and you were mainly dehydrated and exhausted, you just need an exit checkup. Then you can leave.” I explained.

Despite the hospital not being the best place to feel relaxed, I simply couldn’t care less. My family, boyfriend, and everything I could need was with me. I knew that I and Danny were safe now and could relax.

After a final checkup, Danny was finally discharged from the hospital. I had some clothes brought over, since the ones I gave to him after the rescue were destroyed. My dad had a car brought over to us in the parking lot while Cassie and my mom talked.

“Where are you two staying?” My mom asked Cassie.

“A small motel. It was the only one available that we could get.” Cassie replied.

I turned around to her. “We have extra rooms in our apartment. Come over and stay with us.” I said.

“Are you sure, Lucien? We wouldn’t want to intrude on you and Danny’s life.” Cassie replied.

“Nonsense! Danny needs all the support he can. It’ll be amazing if you stay with us.” I said.

“Okay. I’ll get taxi and get our bags from the motel-”

I cut her off. “Where’s the motel? I’ll send a person over to get your things.” I said.

A car rolled up in front of us and parked. Dad came out from the back and told us all to get inside. I carried Danny in and made sure he was all comfortable. I didn’t care if I was being overbearing. I’d rather Danny be annoyed by my kindness than not even being around him.

“So, do you guys live in a townhouse or apartment?” Cassie asked.

“Something like that.” Danny replied. He leaned into my ear. “She doesn’t know that we live in a multi-million dollar apartment.” He whispered.

“I guess she’ll have to get used to it.” I replied. 

The car pulled up to 57th Street and drove through the busy street, reaching our apartment building. Both Cassie and Pedro were awe struck at the huge buildings around us and couldn’t take their eyes off them.

“Danny. Don’t tell me you live here!” Cassie said to Danny.

“Well…” Danny blushed and just looked away. The car pulled into the parking lot of our building and parked in our reserved spot. We all got out and I picked up our bags. Danny’s aunt and uncle walked behind us, checking out every spot of the building.

“Are you two okay?” I asked them. “You both look a little sick.”

“No, I’m good. Just a little sick cause of how tall this building is.” Cassie replied.

“Fuck that! I’m fucking terrified!” Pedro replied. We all chuckled, entering the elevator and pressing the button to our floor. I scanned my pass and the elevator began moving. 

“You’ll get used to the height.” Danny assured his family. 

“How high up are we?” Cassie asked. 

“About 800 feet.” I replied. Cassie looked like she wanted to pass out. 

The elevator doors opened after a long time of hearing Cassie talking about wanting to throw up. I held our bags in one hand and in the other held Danny’s hand. As soon as Danny saw our apartment, he began to tear up. 

“I fucking miss this place!” Danny said. Mom escorted Cassie and Pedro to the guest room while I leaned against the wall, watching my boy as he rubbed his hands all over the furniture.

He touched the counter where we ate our breakfast. He sat on the couch where he had watched cartoons. He even admired the modern painting that hung on the wall, which he hates because Danny isn’t fond of modern art.

“Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you anything?” I asked my boy. 

“Could you? It won’t be a bother?” Danny asked.

“Not at all. You could never bother me.” I replied. “You just sit your pretty ass down and I’ll cook for us.” I said. 

“I think I’m gonna go shower.” Danny said.

“Don’t take too long.” I said.

“Well, it’s gonna be an everything-shower. So I’ll probably take an hour at minimum.” Danny said. I sent him on his way while I grabbed the things I needed to cook. 

I began to do my cooking duties, making a pasta dish for my Danny. Even though he was still in the apartment, I missed him. It felt like he was miles away from me when in reality he was upstairs. 

But just to be safe, I pulled out my phone and checked the cameras. I saw Danny getting ready to shower. Quickly, I put my phone away to not get excited. 

“My–my, this is one beautiful kitchen!” A voice said from behind me. I turned and saw Cassie sitting at the island and admiring the kitchenware.

“You should see ours in the Hamptons. It’s much bigger.” I said.

“You have another house?!” Cassie asked.

“We have a few. We rent most of them out. The others are vacation spots like in Sicily, Macau, and Dubai.” I said. Cassie was shocked.

“O-Okay then! Has Danny gotten used to all this… wealth?” She asked.

“I don’t think he knows the full extent of it. He’s only seen this, the Hamptons, and went to Rome with us.” 

“Have you proposed yet? I didn’t see a ring on his finger.” She said.

“I wanted to but after what happened to him, I don’t think it’s a good idea right now. I want to wait a bit.” I said.

“That seems like a good idea.” She replied. “I was skeptical about you when I first heard about you. I didn’t know that Danny was dating anybody, let alone a guy that he had moved in with. All I saw was a crying Danny who had gotten into a fight with his boyfriend. But when you came to our house with flowers and gifts, I knew that you were something special.” She said.

“I’m glad I was able to get your approval. I know it means a lot to Danny.” I said.

“Your mom told us you plan on taking Danny out of the country to a trip.” She said.

“I figured he deserves it after what he went through. He’s going to take a semester off school. I hope that’s okay.” 

“Of course it is. Just keep him safe. But I know you’re capable of that.” She said. She patted my back and returned upstairs to her room. 

I finished cooking and waited for Danny. He finally came downstairs in a loose shirt and some shorts. I walked over to him and picked him up in my arms. I smelled him and could catch a whiff of his vanilla scent that I’ve missed. 

“You smell amazing.” I said.

“It’s the shampoo and body scrub.” He replied. I sat him down at the island where his plate was prepared next to mine. 

“Dig in!” I told him. I watched as Danny devoured his plate in a few seconds. I stared in shock, since I hadn’t even taken a bite yet. When Danny realized he had guzzled down his food quickly, he blushed hard. “Seconds?” I asked.

“Yes, please.” He bashfully asked. I stood up, grabbing his plate and making my way to the stove and serving Danny another portion.

“There’s more. Don’t be afraid to ask.” I told him as I handed him his plate. 

He ate his food, this time more slowly. I watched him eat, admiring how cute he was when he took huge bites and wipes his mouth with a napkin.

“I love you, Danny.” I said. 

Danny took a moment to swallow his food. 

“I love you too, Lucien.” He said back. 

Eventually, everyone else came down and joined us for lunch. Our families got along, talking to one another. All the while, my hand held Danny’s. I refuse to let go of him. I’ll always keep him with me.

---

<3

FORTY-SEVEN

DANIEL HARPER

Lucien held me in his arms in our bed. My aunt and uncle were in their room, Elena and Sylvester were out doing business, and I was watching TV with Lucien.

“Danny?” Lucien asked. I looked up and saw him staring at me.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“I’m fine.” I replied.

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“Yes, I am. Why?” I asked. Lucien placed his hand on my head and rubbed his fingers into my scalp.

“Please don’t hate me for this, but I know that they did things to you when they took you. I just need to know if you’re okay or not. Please be truthful so I can help you.” Lucien said.

I was still for a minute. Then it all came back to me. The harsh touches, the horrible words I was called, the things those men did to me. I began to feel myself pull away from Lucien mentally. My mind wandered into a dark abyss as the haunting memories began to paint into my head.

I wanted to forget what happened. Live in ignorant bliss and pretend that what happened to me wasn’t reality but merely a dream. A horrible dream that was created by my fucked up brain. But it wasn’t. It was very much real and sadly, I very much remember it.

Lucien tried to speak to me but I hugged my knees to my chest and sobbed lightly into them. I sat away from Lucien, facing the wall not wanting him to look at me. I felt disgusted and tainted. Even though it wasn’t my fault, I still feel guilty.

Maybe if I had put up a stronger fight. Or maybe if I never got in the wrong car, then I wouldn’t be here today, on the verge of breaking apart and knowing if I could have the strength to pull myself together again.

Lucien spoke to me but I shut myself out. I spent a few minutes sobbing while Lucien let me get my feelings out. After my cries began to slow, Lucien sat back in bed, with some distance between us.

“Danny, if you’re guilting yourself, it’s not your fault.” Lucien said.

“Are you disgusted with me?” I tearfully asked.

“Never! You could never disgust me! No matter what, I will still love you Danny! I just can’t let you live ignoring that problem.” Lucien said. I grabbed Lucien’s hand and held it tightly.

“Promise you won’t leave me.” I said.

“I promise, Danny.” He replied.

“Are the men who hurt me being dealt with?” I asked.

“Yes, my love. They are. Trust me, they won’t ever see the light of day.” Lucien said.

“I feel so dirty.” I muttered.

“But you aren’t. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen before. If anything, I’m disgusted with myself because I didn’t protect you like I said I would.” Lucien said. He hung his head low in shame.

I scooted over and placed my head on his shoulder. Lucien extended his arm and placed it on my shoulder.

“Is this okay?” He asked.

“Yes. It is.” I replied. He placed his hand on my shoulder and brought me closer to him.

“I’m going to therapy for my anger issues. Just like I said I would.” Lucien said.

“I’m happy to hear that. I think I need therapy.” I replied.

“I’ll find one for you soon. Just remember this, Danny. I’ll be here for you always. When you need to cry on someone, when you need to vent to someone, or when you need a punching bag, just come up to me. I’ll give you whatever you need.” Lucien said.

“Of course, Lucien. I know I can trust you.” I said. Lucien turned to the TV and yawned.

“I think it’s time we go to sleep.” He said. He turned off the TV and snuggled up next to me. I turned onto my side and let him spoon behind me.

“Everything is going to be okay, right?” I asked.

“It will. I don’t know how, but I know it will.” Lucien replied. He kissed my neck and slipped his hand under my shirt. My legs felt around and brushed up on his hard prick, poking my leg.

“Lucien. How long has it been since you’ve relieved yourself?” I asked.

Lucien groaned as my legs continued their assault on his dick. “Too long.” He moaned in my ear.

I turned over to Lucien. My hands slipped down his torso slowly until they reached the edge of his boxers.

“I only trust you.” I muttered.

“I trust you too.” Lucien grunted out. My hands slipped into his boxers, my hands grabbing his shaft. I tugged on it slowly, wanting to get him to react.

I kept up my antics until Lucien had enough. He grabbed me and made me lay on my back. He first attacked my lips then his lips got lower and lower.

During the entire time, Lucien made sure that I felt comfortable with him. Before he did anything, he would ask if I was okay. And like always when I’m with him, I was. His gentle touches contrasted to his rough moves. I’ve never felt more loved than when I am with Lucien.

We gasped for air as we finished and laid back in bed. I closed my eyes and felt Lucien hugging me close to him. He muttered a good night as my eyes shut and I had the best sleep I’ve ever had.

I woke up the next morning and felt around. Lucien wasn’t in bed. I slowly got up and walked to the bathroom where I brushed my teeth and had a quick shower. After changing, I left the room and headed downstairs to the living room.

The sound of laughter and chatter alerted me that everyone else was awake. I stepped into the kitchen and saw my aunt, uncle, Lucien’s parents, and Lucien himself sitting at the table and drinking coffee.

“Danny! Come join us!” My aunt said. I went and sat next to Lucien, who kept a spot open for me.

There was a cup of coffee in front of me with milk in it, just how I like it. I sipped on it and ate a croissant from a bakery I enjoy. Lucien’s parents talked with my aunt and uncle and were starting to make plans on visiting Arizona.

“And how about you, Danny and Lucien? How was your night?” Uncle Pedro asked me.

“It was good. We were tired though.” I said.

“Oh, I bet you were.” My uncle said. I looked up and saw everyone exchanging knowing looks. Oh God! Were we that loud?!

“I never knew you could scream that loud, Danny. I almost thought it was a banshee.” My aunt said, giggling to herself.

“Oh, you should hear them in the Hamptons! It’s non stop screaming and moaning from the two of them. I’m surprised Danny isn’t pregnant yet!” Elena said.

I wanted a sinkhole to just swallow me up right now. I softly slammed my head onto the table and covered my red face. Lucien on the other hand stood tall. I’m sure he is basking in the glory, knowing that everyone knows that he’s able to get me to make noises no one else hears.

“Danny, I have a surprise for you later.” Lucien said.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s for later. But I think you’ll like it.” Lucien said. I sat in my seat and waited for everyone to finish. Once everyone had eaten their food and we cleaned up, we all went our separate ways. Lucien grabbed my hand and led me to his office, a room that I usually never go in.

Lucien opened the door to his room and let me in. Sitting on his desk were a few bags of several brands. Most of these were unknown brands; the type that you only know if you’re in the know.

“I wanted to get you a few things. Consider these gifts. And you do not have to pay me back! You already pay me back everyday by being my boyfriend!” Lucien said. He walked to the table and first handed me a white bag.

“What is this?” I asked. My hand reached into the bag and pulled out a somewhat small white box.

“It’s a new iPhone. Your last one was destroyed. We recovered it but figured it’s better to give you a new one.” Lucien said.

I looked at the box and saw it was one of the newest ones that came out last year. “It’s amazing, Lucien! Thank you!” I jumped into his arms and hugged him.

“It’s no problem! Next is this. I got you some clothes. You don’t have to wear them. But they’re amazing quality and you deserve to feel comfortable.” Lucien handed be a few bags of clothes that I had to set some of them on the floor.

“And that?” I asked, pointing to the small black box on the desk.

“It’s a watch. You don’t have to wear this but it’s something you can have in your disposal. And finally, this.” Lucien grabbed an envelope and handed it to me.

I opened it and pulled out two plane tickets. The tickets were a round way trip to Malaysia. “We’re going to Malaysia?” I asked.

“We’re going to Malaysia!” Lucien repeated, turning my question into a confirmation.

“When? Are you sure that’s okay?” I asked.

“I’m sure, Danny. I want to be there with you. You need a break. We have a spot at a nice hotel. Our days will be filled with spas, going to the beach, and having the best sex we could ever have.” Lucien kissed me and his hands roamed to my behind.

He gave a small squeeze as I planted my face in his chest.

“Thank you, Lucien.” I said, making sure that my tone meant more than just the gifts.

“Anything for you, my Danny.” Lucien replied. I have one more gift. But that one will have to wait until after the trip.“ He added.

“I can wait.” I said. Lucien picked me up and walked to the door. “Wait, the gifts!” I said.

“Leave them baby. We need to go pack!” Lucien said as he carried me to our room.

I hugged Lucien, feeling his warmth on my skin as he kissed me and covered my face with smooches. I touched his face and knew he was here to stay for good.

---

<3

FORTY-EIGHT

DANIEL HARPER

So far, Malaysia has been amazing. Never before have I seen such a surreal place. Honestly, sometimes I can’t even render that this place is real. It feels like something out of a fantasy book, where only the most beautiful flora grows and the best weather exists.

“Lucien!” I called out to him. He walked out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist, putting on moisturizer. Finally after months of convincing him, he finally has a somewhat normal skincare routine.

“Yes, my love?” Lucien asked. Ever since everything that happened, Lucien has been more caring. He’s attended a few therapy sessions and I can definitely see the changes.

For example, there was a mix-up when we first arrived because the hotel had given us white wine instead of red. Pre-therapy Lucien would’ve yelled at someone and threatened their life. Instead, Lucien just called the front desk and let them know of their mistake and it was resolved quickly.

“There’s a group going on a hike! Can we go?!” I asked.

“Of course, Danny. Anything you want to do, we’ll do it.” He replied.

Thankfully, I packed clothes for everything that I could think of that we might do. So it was a matter of putting on my clothes. I also threw Lucien’s clothes at him and he put them on too. We almost didn’t make it out of the room because I couldn’t stop rubbing Lucien’s body since the tight shirt fitted on his torso ever so perfectly.

The hike, which led us up a mountain side and gave us a panorama view of the jungle canopy and Andaman Sea, took a few hours. We were joined by a tour guide who was charming, but Lucien made sure that I didn’t stare at him. Along were three other couples. One of them was from Los Angeles and were on their three year anniversary. The other was an older couple, the husband being diagnosed with cancer and them wanting to spend their last moments having fun. And the third couple was on trip, with the guy confiding with Lucien that he was planning on proposing to his girlfriend soon.

There was also another guy on the trip who mainly kept to himself. He held something in his hands that, until later, I recognized as an urn. During a part of the trip where we sat on the cliffside and took a break, I sat next to the older guy. After talking to him, I learned that his lover, a young gentleman a few years junior of him, had died a few months earlier. This guy had lived his whole life desolate and found the one that he wanted to settle with but ultimately, he passed. And he was here to spread his ashes in the place where they confessed their love.

My heart broke when I heard that story. I sobbed in the arms of Lucien that night, retelling the story. Lucien later would invite that guy to spend our vacation with us, with us getting to know him more.

That’s when I truly cherished what I had with Lucien. I was lucky that we were both still here and that we haven’t lost each other. Even if Lucien was broke and was a worm, I would still love him. There have been times when we both would have lost each other, either with our own actions or someone else’s.

Still, we persevered, not letting our love die. It’s a dream that not many could experience. Unconditional love. No matter how much I may hate Lucien some days, the love that I have still prevails.

“Danny boy, have you seen my shorts that make my dick look bigger?” Lucien asked, walking into the room wearing nothing but a white button up shirt with red flowers on it.

I stood up and walked to one of the drawers. My hand reached in and pulled it out quickly. Lucien stood flabbergasted.

“I swear I checked in there.” He said.

“I know where everything is, Lucien. Just say the name and I’ll know where it is.” I said. Lucien listed off a few things, such as the first aid kit and check book, and I correctly told him where it was. Needless to say, I’ll be the one to come to when something is lost.

We both trekked out of our room and walked to the first floor of the hotel. We walked around and admired the architecture of this place. There was a restaurant that we stumbled upon. Since we were hungry and had worked up an appetite because of… earlier activities… we figured lunch was in the works.

It’s difficult trying to eat when a hunky Italian is rubbing his leg on you and trying to get you to take off your trousers for him in the middle of lunch. It’s like training a dog in heat, just pure horniness and for some reason, a lot of saliva.

Lucien had heard from one of the couples during the hike about an adult pool in the resort. So of course, Lucien took us there. Upon entering, there were a few women who had no bras on. Some guys walked around bare. Lucien handed a guy our key card and we were escorted to a private cabana.

At first, I didn’t want to remove anything. But Lucien was quick to remove his clothing. I watched him enter the pool, his sculpted ass facing me. He entered the water and teased me into coming in. Some of the women nearby also watched Lucien, but knew that they could never have him because he was taken.

In the end, I gave in and also shed my clothing. We only stayed for thirty minutes because we forgot sunscreen and I was already burning up. Lucien didn’t have much of a problem since his skin is naturally tanned, but my paler skin was sensitive to the sun.

“When do we go back?” I asked Lucien. I had just finished putting on him a face mask and we reclined in our chairs that overlooked the resort.

“We have one more week. Don’t forget, your Zoom therapy session is tomorrow.” Lucien reminded me.

“I know. It’s in my calendar.” I replied. Lucien grabbed my hand and rubbed his fingers on my ring finger, and action he’s done. I’m not an idiot, I know he’s planning on proposing. Like I said, I know where everything is. And I just so happened to find a ring in a box of condoms. It was already strange because we don’t use condoms.

“I love you, Danny. I know I say it everyday, but no matter how many times I say it, it’ll never deeply say how much I love you. You’re the best thing and the world is brighter with you in it.” Lucien said.

“You don’t have to say I love you. I can tell by the way you smile when I see your face or when your eyes focus on me, even if you don’t know what I’m talking about. I guess we sort of complete each other.” I said.

Lucien told me to stand up and made me sit in between his legs. He hugged me close to his chest, his hands slipping under my robe. I sat back and watched the sun set, with streaks of orange, crimson and dandelion yellow splattering onto the sky. As the sun began to wave goodbye on the horizon, the violet night sky blended with the sunlight.

“Do you want to be a housewife?” Lucien asked.

“No, Lucien. We’ve talked about this. I want my own career.” I replied.

“Okay. Fine. But if you ever want to, just let me know. I’ll gladly support us.” He said. I rolled my eyes, knowing that he would actually want to do that.

The days passed quickly, but each minute of the day wasn’t left in blur. Everything was special in its own ways. I thought before this trip that I would grow tired of it after a few days. But combined with the beautiful resort and Lucien, who always found ways to spice things up, I was never bored.

On the last day, Lucien said that he wanted to show me something. I agreed and he led me through the canopy of the jungle. Whenever I felt tired and wanted to give up, Lucien’s words would encourage me to keep going.

In the final stretch of the hike, Lucien kept telling me that whatever he wanted to show me was something spectacular. On the top of a mountain, overlooking the sea and every mountain, was a small clearing. The two of us sat on a rock and drank some water and ate some snacks we packed.

“So what’s this thing you wanted to show me?” I asked.

“Just wait for a bit. I’ll show you.” He said. I smelled the fresh air, which opened my lungs.

Finally, Lucien and I stood up. We stood next to the edge and looked over the view.

“Beautiful, right?” Lucien asked.

“Indeed.” I replied. I watched as a flock of birds flew by and into the distance.

“What do you see in the future with us?” Lucien asked.

“It’s hard to tell what our future holds. But one thing is certain: You.” I replied. I heard some rustling behind me but didn’t turn around.

“I see the same. I want you forever, Danny.” Lucien said. I felt him tug on his shirt.

I turned my body to the right and saw Lucien on one knee with a ring in his fingers. He was blushing hard and had a hopeful look on his face. His hair was styled back, the same style that I had first met him in.

“Danny: You are the love of my life. I never searched for love, but I found you along the way. You have never left my mind. And you never will. This is my way of telling you that I want you in my life forever. So, Daniel Harper, will you marry me?” Lucien asked.

I didn’t even hesitate. “Yes!” I yelled. “Yes, I’ll marry you!” I cheered. Lucien broke into a cry and hugged me, kissing my neck.

“I love you! I love you! I love you so much!” Lucien whispered in my ear. He hugged me and we stayed like that for a long time. I didn’t want to let go. But at some point, he had to put the finger on me.

It was a whole new feeling, There was a slight weight on the ring. But it didn’t matter. I could deal with it. I had turned to my right, where I heard the rustling, and saw a camera man with a camera facing us. I’m guessing Lucien had hired him to record this.

“Finally!” Lucien muttered to himself. “I have you to myself now.” He said. “Come on! Let’s go home. We have a wedding to prepare.”

I smiled the whole way back to the hotel. Lucien held my left hand and never let go. On the way back to New York, Lucien let me know that his mother had already planned most of the wedding but a few details needed my input.

Lucien also let me know that the wedding was to be for this summer. I thought back to when I visited Italy. I remember when I was getting ready to leave Italy when Aria Vittori, Lucien’s cousin, told me that she’ll see me next summer. How long has Lucien been planning this?

The way back to New York, I shook in my seat. I wanted to scream the news. I wanted to call my aunt and uncle, and then Angie. I wanted to tell my future parents-in-law. Hell, I even wanted to tell Lucien, my damn fiance!

Fiance! No longer my boyfriend! Fiance!

Within a few months, I will be getting married to Lucien Vittori. And we’ll become an official couple.

If only summer could come quickly. But I can wait. I’ve waited long enough. A few more months is enough. But for now, I’ll get to the wedding prepping that will take place in another country.

Here’s to a future of being a married couple! And I cannot wait for that day to arrive.

---

<3

FORTY-NINE

LUCIEN VITTORI-HARPER

My sweet Danny, my one and only true love. He sits next to me, wearing an adorable white suit with a red rose on his coat pocket. His eyes are scanning the dance floor, as he watches everyone dance together in a fun frenzy.

Earlier today, Danny officially became my husband. He’s actually mine. He’s going to be with me forever. I have officially reached the peak in claiming, because it’s now on all the official documents. 

The ceremony was magical. My mom and Danny chose a beautiful venue located on the top of a small cliff side, overlooking the Ligurian sea. The whole place was something that definitely was thought of by Danny. With hydrangeas everywhere, pinks ribbons used everywhere, and a resemblance of classiness mixed with Italian culture. 

The day of the ceremony was long anticipated. I have waited for this for so long. I never knew I wanted to get married until Danny came along. Since I met him, I knew I wanted a ring around his precious fingers. 

The date for the wedding was June 30. Invitations were sent out and the guest list was packed. Sadly, Danny only had a few people he invited because he doesn’t have many friends or family. Most of the guest list comprises my family. 

I chose my dad to be my best man. It makes the best sense. He was the one who brought the two of us together and organized this relationship. If it wasn’t for him and Danny’s crumbling debt, I wouldn’t be here today. Danny chose his best friend, Angie, as his best-woman? I don’t know the exact term, but it doesn’t matter.

Danny also had both his aunt and uncle walk him down the aisle. Cassie Harper held a framed photo of Danny’s parents, to make it seem like they were also walking down the aisle. I know I cried a bit when I saw Danny coming down the aisle. It was a dream moment. 

I insisted Danny wear a veil. Guys don’t wear veils, but in this case, I wanted Danny to wear one. And when I lifted the veil and his green eyes stared back at me, I almost collapsed with happiness. Never have I seen a more handsome guy in my life. 

And when the priests officiated us as husband and husband, I leaned Danny back and placed the biggest kiss I could muster. 

At the reception, which was hosted near the cliff, we sat and ate and drank the night away. Both Danny and I watched our guests dance around and laugh with each other. 

“Who’s that?” I asked, signaling to a guy on the dance floor. The guy had pale skin and somewhat wiry hair. 

“Hmm? Oh, that’s Sean.” Danny replied. I watched as Sean danced with a girl and he spun her.

“Sean? I’ve never met him.” I said.

“He’s a friend. He was the one that gave me the Vittori card to get a job. I’ve reconnected with him since then. He told me that he’s giving us free tickets to his show that he’s on on Broadway.” Danny said. I rolled my eyes and brought him close to me.

I watched as my parents danced with each other. Even after all these years, they still love each other as the day they met. I no longer have to wonder what that’s like. Because I now have it. 

I watched on as Marcello, the guy that flirted with Danny at the gala, danced with a small twink he invited. It’s nice to see him find love somewhere that isn’t Danny. I also saw Angie, Danny’s best friend, dance on the dance floor surrounded by a bunch of my cousins. In the few months that I’ve gotten to know her, I know that this isn’t out of the ordinary for her.

“My love,” I called out to my husband. “Do you want to have kids?” I asked. Danny almost spat out his wine when I asked that. He wiped his mouth and crouched into his lap, hiding his red face from the cameras and guests.

“Excuse me, Lucien?” He asked, still shocked.

“Do you want to have kids?” I asked again.

“Uh, how?” Danny asked. I placed my hand on his thigh, running my fingers softly towards his crotch. 

“We can try the natural way…” I teased. Danny blushed even redder. “Or we can adopt. Either way, I know you’ll be an amazing parent.” I said.

“Maybe…” He replied. “Let me finish college and get a secure job. Then we can have children.” Danny replied. I smiled, knowing that our family will soon get bigger. 

It was time for the groom and groom dance. I pulled Danny by the hand as we walked to the center of the now empty dance floor. I placed my hand on his waist and on his shoulder. Danny placed both of his hands on my shoulders. We swayed as ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ played through the speakers.

“Lucien?” Danny asked. I looked into his teary eyes. “Thank you.” He said.

“Thank you, Danny. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be in some bar trying to find the next one night stand. But you- you’re enough for me.” I said. Danny placed his head on my chest, continuing to sway to the music.

There was the father-daughter, or uncle-son dance, when Pedro came to dance with Danny. I danced with Cassie, as she gave me some advice on how to deal with my husband when he’s angry or stressed. I also danced with my mom while my dad danced with my husband. 

As we cut the cake, I fed Danny a small handful and he fed me. I turned to face the camera, giving them a thumbs up as my hand reached down to squeeze Danny’s bottom. 

“Oh God…” Danny said when he saw the table of presents. All the presents were stacked on top of one another, with the biggest at the bottom and the smaller on top, forming a pyramid. 

“Just wait until we reach the non-boxed presents.” I told Danny.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“Our family gives other things. One of our cousins gave us a stockholder in a resort company. Another is letting us go to his Louis Vuitton store and get whatever we want.” I explained. 

Danny was shocked. “And what did your dad give us?” He asked.

I leaned in close to Danny’s ear. “How do you feel having a share in an apartment complex?” I asked. 

“No. Fucking. Way.” Danny said. 

“Yep. My dad bought us an apartment in both of our names for additional income.” I said.

“I didn’t know your family was THIS WEALTHY!” Danny looked like he needed a minute to calm down.

“My love, trust me, it won’t get in the way of us. I just want you to have everything you need for the rest of your life. And then for our kids and their kids. You won’t ever have to be forced to do something you don’t want for money. Because you have it all.” I said. Danny hugged me, placing his head in my chest.

I held him and placed my head on top of his head. I rubbed my fingers on his back, feeling the veil that I had lifted earlier. 

“You want to go eat something?” I asked Danny.

“Fuck yeah!” Danny said. We returned to our seats and had some food brought over to us. I fed Danny off of my plate because I saw him eyeing the food I had.

“Danny!” A female voice called out. Danny and I looked up to see as Aria walked over to us. The girl wore a bright yellow dress with an orange ribbon tied to her waist. Her brown wavy hair was brushed back but she left a strand of it over her ears. 

“Aria! I haven’t seen you all day!” Danny stood up and went to hug her. 

“Sorry, Danny! But you and Lucien were having so much fun I didn’t want to bother!” They both spoke loudly because of the music. “Nonna wants to talk to you!” She said.

“O– Okay! I’ll go right now!” Danny said. He turned to me and kissed me on the cheek. “I’ll be right back!” Aria grabbed his hand and the two walked through the dance floor. 

I sat back and smiled to myself. I watched the guests dance and talk with one another as music played through the speakers. I felt a chair move next to me. There was my dad, sitting down on a seat next to me.

“Amazing, right?” Dad nudged me.

“It is…” I replied. 

“I’m proud of you, Lucy.” Dad said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Can’t a dad just be proud of his son? But in seriousness, I am actually proud of you. I never expected to be sitting here at your wedding.”

“Well, it’s because it’s Danny. How could I have not fallen for him? He’s perfect for me.” I said. Dad sipped on his wine.

“I don’t know if you two have talked about it, but if you want kids-”

“We do.” I interrupted. “We talked about it and want them but until Danny finishes school and gets a job.”

“Okay then. But I don’t think a luxury apartment is the right place to raise kids.” He said.

“We’ll find somewhere.” I said.

“Actually, I was thinking that our home in the Hamptons could be a great place.” Dad said. I turned to him and he gave me a smirk.

“What are you saying, dad?” I asked. 

“For my last gift to you and Danny, I’m giving you the home in the Hamptons. It’s yours now. You two can do what you want.” Dad said. 

“Are you serious?! But where are you guys going to live? You aren’t planning on moving, right? You can keep living there!” I said.

“We aren’t moving out yet. But I do plan on retiring soon. And Elena wants us to retire somewhere in the Riviera.” Dad patted my shoulder and rubbed his fingers in.

“Thank you, dad.” I said. He nodded and stood up. He walked to the dance floor, thrusting his hips side to side to the music. 

I waited for Danny to come back. I kept glancing over at his seat, knowing his pretty ass sat there. After a long time, Danny walked back into the reception hall. His face was red and he was obviously blushing. I saw Aria and nonna walk in behind Danny. My husband made his way to me and took his seat.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, leaning into Danny’s ear.

“Nonna gave me some advice on how to raise kids!” Danny replied.

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad!” I chuckled.

“Lucien.” Danny said. He leaned in once again. “She was giving me advice on how to give birth! Me! A guy!” His face once again turned red. 

“Oooohhhhhh!” I chuckled. “At least it’s nice to know that she cares.” I replied. 

Danny leaned his head on my shoulder. The cake came and I fed Danny some more of the chocolate dessert that he chose for this event. 

The night is still young and there’s still lots to do. But right now, let us wallow in our love. From tonight, our love became the official declaration that I’ve so wanted to scream for long. We are complete partners, both him and I. 

I carried my Danny bridal style as we exited the venue, with the rest of the guests following us. All of us reached the edge of the cliff, where we looked over the setting sun from across the dark blue sea.

Now, there’s only one thing left to do, to solidify our relationship, even in the eyes of the universe.

---

<3

FIFTY

DANIEL HARPER-VITTORI

Lucien put me down, letting me stand on the green grass. He held my hand tightly and when I looked at him, I saw him crying as tears escaped from his eyes. Despite what some may think of Lucien when they first see him, I know that he’s a good person deep down. 

“You two ready?” Sylvester, my father-in-law, said from behind us. He made his way through the crowd and held a box in his hand. 

“Ready!” Both Lucien and I said at the same time. Sylvester walked over to us with the box and opened it.

Inside the wooden box was a lock and key and a black Sharpie marker. I pulled out the Sharpie and Lucien pulled out the lock and key. The whole crowd stood by and watched us. I pulled off the cap of the sharpie as Lucien held out the flat side of the lock to me. 

Daniel 

I wrote. I then handed the sharpie to Lucien while he handed me the lock. I held it out to him as he wrote his name on the lock.

Lucien

His name was written under mine, with a ‘+’ in the middle. Lucien also wrote the date of our wedding on the back. Lucien then unlocked the lock using the key. He walked over to a fence that had similar locks on it. He clipped it on and made sure it was tightly secured.

“Ready?” Lucien asked. I leaned forward and kissed the key.

“Ready!” I replied. Lucien also kissed the key. 

We both looked over the sea. Lucien stepped back and brought his arms back, getting ready to launch the key into the sea. With a final look at me, Lucien launched the key as far as he could. We looked forward as the key flew through the air until it was far enough to when we couldn’t see it splash into the water. 

The crowd behind us cheered and clapped. I turned to my aunt and uncle as the two cheered and cried. Angie had her phone out and had been recording everything. 

The sun had nearly set by this point. 

“Everyone! There’s wine inside and food! The night isn’t over!” Lucien announced to the guests. Everyone began to walk away and return to the venue. 

It was just me and Lucien standing here, looking over the cliff. 

“Do you wish we had met earlier?” I asked Lucien.

“Sometimes I do. Because I wouldn’t have had to spend so much time alone. But I know that everything happens for a reason at the right time. And it was at the right moment that I met you. In the end, we can spend the rest of our lives together. It wouldn’t have mattered if we met a year or two earlier or a year or two later. In the end, I got a husband, and that’s all that matters.” Lucien said. 

“We have our whole lives to annoy each other. Love each other. But I’m not leaving you. I love you, Lucien.” I said.

“I love you too, Danny.” Lucien hugged me and kissed my head. 

We stood in an embrace for a long time. I closed my eyes and began to imagine my future with Lucien. I could imagine late night talks, walks in parks, picking up kids from school, going on vacations. And it sounds like a life that I would want.

“What time do we leave for our honeymoon?” I asked Lucien.

“In two days. We just need a day to get our gifts to New York and send our marriage certificate. But then it’s off to Norway. Then Taiwan. Then Singapore.  And then-”

“Okay! I get it!” I chuckled. “Do we really have to go to all those places? We went to Malaysia earlier this year.”

“Yes, amore mio. I want to show you the world because you deserve the best in life. We’ll be back before you start school again. But you don’t have to go back. I can easily provide for you.” He said.

“I want to work! I’m already in it deep! I’ll get a job and then we’ll settle.” I replied.

“If you say so.” Lucien kissed me on the lips, hands roaming my ass. “When do I get my gift?” He asked.

“I have it ready. But I’ll give you a tease right now.” I replied.

I put my fingers on the seam of my white pants and pulled them down. There was no one around so I could easily do this. I pulled my pants down and showed Lucien what I was wearing. Underneath, I was wearing a pair of black lingerie. I turned around and showed him my ass.

“Fucking hell…” Lucien muttered. His hands went forward and he began to fondle my ass. “Do I really have to wait until later?” Lucien asked.

“Yes, my love. It’s tradition that we consummate the marriage on the night of the wedding. But don’t worry, it’ll still be here until it’s time.” I teased him and shook my ass a bit for him.

“Please? Just a finger?” Lucien asked. 

“Sorry, Lucien. You’ll need to wait.” I pulled up my pants while Lucien let out a small groan. It’s clear that he was horny and wanted some release. 

“Because of this, Danny, I’m going to fuck you so hard that you won’t be able to walk tomorrow.” Lucien said.

“I don’t expect anything less from you, Lucien.” My hand palmed his hard dick through his pants. He moaned into my ear as I stroked him harder.

“HEY! YOU TWO! GET INSIDE!” A loud voice yelled at us. I stopped and saw Sylvester standing several feet away from us at the door of the venue. Judging by his smirk, I could tell that he knew what I was doing to his son.

“Fucking bitch!” Lucien grunted. I pulled away and saw Lucien’s face was red. “Guess we have to go back.” He said. He picked me up and carried me back to the venue.

“Are you going to keep carrying me?” I asked my husband. 

“Always. You’re mine now. I can do whatever I want to you.” Lucien said. 

Our friends and families congratulated us as we walked by them, with them all saying that we were both lucky to have found each other. We sat in our seats as a montage of photos of us passed on the screen. 

I turned to a table nearby, where my aunt and uncle sat. There were two empty seats for my parents. Even if they’re gone, I still wanted them at my wedding. They’re still my parents. I could only wish that Lucien would have met them. 

When the night came to a close and the guests began to leave, Both Lucien and I swayed on the dance floor to soft music. I could hear the faint chatter of men outside as they smoked and drank. Some women were huddled at a table and were chatting about how beautiful our ceremony was. 

My aunt and uncle sat and took photos of everything. Sylvester was on the floor, making snow angels from the confetti. Elena was walking around at all the empty tables and stealing the complementary chocolates. 

“Danny!” A voice called to me. I turned and saw Angie walking over to me.

“Hey, Angie!” I replied. She jumped into my arms.

“I’m spent. I’m going back to the hotel.” She said. I turned and saw there were two men waiting for her. “But congrats, Danny! I guess you’re married now!”

“It’s still weird to say it. But I’ll get used to it.” I said.

“I’ll see you when you get back. Send me pictures of your trips!” She said.

“I will! Bye, Ang.” I hugged her. 

“Goodbye, Danny.” She hugged me back. She turned and hooked her arms on both of the guys as she skipped out of the venue. 

“I’m guessing she’s going to have a fun night.” Lucien said.

“Indeed she is. But why should she have all the fun?” I asked, placing my hand on his bulge that has been hard since I showed him my lingerie. 

“Let’s not wait too long. I’m already planning on immobilizing you.” He said.

“We have all night to have sex. I’m sure another hour won’t hurt.” I said.

Lucien spun me around and placed his hands on my hip and behind. I put my arms on his shoulder. 

“So, how many kids?” I asked.

“I want a big family. Three or four. I also want a dog.” Lucien said.

“I could do that. Yeah! That sounds like the perfect life!” I said. I began to tear up and placed my head on Lucien’s chest.

“What’s wrong, baby? Are you okay?” My loving husband asked.

“Everything is okay. It’s not a reason to cry, but I can’t help.” I said. Lucien wiped my tears away and lifted my head by placing his fingers on my chin.

“It’s okay to cry, Danny. So long as it’s tears of happiness. And if you ever need to cry for another reason, I’ll be your shoulder. Got it?” He asked.

I nodded. “Got it!” I said. 

Finally, when the night ended and our family had gone home and the DJ left for the day and the venue was empty, Lucien picked me up and ran down the hall of the venue.

“Lucien! What’s going on?!” I asked as Lucien ran.

“I’ve held it in too long! I need you now!” Lucien replied. He found the limo that had brought us here from the hotel. He threw me into the limo and told the driver where to go.

The driver drove but went in a different direction from the hotel. 

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“I don’t want to have our first time as a married couple in a random hotel. So, I got us something.” Lucien said.

“Lucien– what did you do?” I asked.

“It’s just a small house! But it sounds like the right place to have our first time.” Lucien added. I layed on his lap while the driver kept driving wherever he was going. 

The car finally stopped. Lucien got out of the car and held my hand when helping me out. I was expecting a small cottage but instead saw a villa just like nonna’s. It wasn’t as big, but still big enough to where I wonder if it classifies as a mansion in the states.

“Join me, Danny.” Lucien said, holding out his hand. I grabbed it quickly.

“Andiamo!” I said. Lucien began to pull me away. I turned to the driver and said ‘Bye Clyde!’. 

I didn’t even have enough time to see what the house looked like on the inside. It was mostly dark and the most I saw was furniture and paintings on the wall that were illuminated by the moonlight through the windows. Lucien led me up some stairs until he opened a large wooden door. 

The larger windows in here brought enough light to where I can see everything. And in the middle was a large bed. 

“Now, about that lingerie…” Lucien said. I obeyed and began to pull off my clothes. Lucien in a split second had removed all of his clothes and was standing in front of me naked. Before I could remove my top, Lucien picked me up by the armpits and threw me onto the bed.

“Lucien?!” I said.

“You’re taking too long, my love.” Lucien crawled onto the bed.

“I love you, Lucien Vittori-Harper!” I said.

“I love you too, Daniel Harper-Vittori!” Lucien replied. 

Never did I imagine myself marrying a hunky Italian mafia man. Nor did I see myself almost getting killed, owning a fucking apartment, having my own wedding, or finding love in the most unexpected of places.

And I wouldn’t trade any of it. Everything I did was worth it. All the pain and suffering I endured was worth it to me.

Because I am now a Vittori. I am part of the family. I am Daniel Harper-Vittori. And my husband is Lucien Vittori.

THE END

---

it’s the end!!!!

thank you all for reading this story if you made it to the end.

i gave you all a happy ending. i know there’s many mafia stories on here that end in tragedy. so here’s a happy one for you hopeless romantics that wish for love as well.

this whole story has been a rollercoaster of emotions in my opinion. it’s time to rest now, but danny and lucien have a happy ending. and for me, that’s perfect.

thank you, once again, for reading this story! hugs and kisses for you all! i love you so much.

start: january 1, 2023

end: june 11, 2023

bye y’all! until the next adventure!

♥

BONUS ONE

hello!

i’m back! and i’m bringing you four bonus chapters.

before i begin, i want to thank you all who read my story. every comment and like was greatly appreciated.

also, to address, i know that this story was a bit… extreme. especially lucien, for whom I am sorry that you had to bear witness to his toxicity. but i hope that he was able to change just enough, at least for danny.

now it’s time for the bonus chapters! enjoy!

D

ANIEL HARPER-VITTORI

“Lu-Lucien!” I moaned out. He grabbed my hair from behind and pushed my face into the pillow. His thrusting got quicker, slamming into me quicker.

“Fuck. Danny, you’re so fucking tight.” Lucien muttered. He temporarily lifted my head. I looked forward and saw in the mirror, Lucien having a ferocious look. His eyes almost looked completely black as he ravished me. 

“I’m gonna…” I muttered but it was too late. I came right into the sheets and felt my body limp. 

“You’re clenching me, Danny.” Lucien grunted, going faster until he came. He brought my head up and he began to kiss my neck softly.

“Can we stop now?” I asked while panting. Lucien pulled out of me. I felt the gape he left down there and could also feel his cum slipping out of me. 

“Sorry, my love.” He laid next to me and began to make out with me. “I just want to get as much done before I leave.”

I touched Lucien’s chest, feeling the hard muscle. “Think about it like this: The longer you’re gone, the more you’re gonna want to destroy me when you get back. Isn’t waiting one of the best parts of sex?” I asked. 

Lucien just chuckled and kissed my forehead. His left hand touched my chest. I felt the metal from his ring glide over my bare skin. 

“You really know how to drive me crazy, Daniel Harper-Vittori.” He said. He reached to his side and grabbed his phone. “I should start packing.”

This was cue for the both of us to get up. I struggled for a bit until Lucien came over and helped me get cleaned. It took me almost having to slap him so he didn’t try to do anything dirty to me. He had to leave in two hours, he couldn’t have any more distractions. 

Downstairs were Lucien’s bags. I sat on the couch and just watched him as he got everything ready. “One more thing left.” He said. He scooped me up into his arms and began kissing me. 

“Wait–” He planted his lips on me. 

“Now you remember what you have to do, right?” He asked. 

“Yes, I do.” I replied. 

“Now that you’re Vittori, you’re going to have responsibilities in this family. And as the husband of the head of the family, that includes times when you have to take over the business while I’m away, just like my mother had to do.”

I nodded eagerly. I’ve had a bit of experience in the business of the Vittori’s. For the most part, it isn’t illegal, like most media would have you believe. Sure, there are sketchy things that go on. 

But I can name two places, Wall Street and Washington DC, that do even more sketchy things and get away with them. 

“I have to go now, my Danny. Trust me you’ll be safe.” Lucien said. 

“Yes, Lucien. You have placed security in every corner of this house.” 

He also tapped the laptop on the table next to us. “There’s a file on here that has the names of all Vittori family members and their information. If someone comes for an unscheduled meeting, check in there.”

I nodded. “Got it. Now go. Call me when you get there.” I said. He gave me a few more kisses until I finally managed to get him in the car. The car left the lawn of the home, and now I could finally relax. 

It was quite a hot day for August. School didn’t start until a few more weeks. It does feel nice knowing that if I was overheating, I could either jump into the pool in the backyard or towards the beach that’s in the backyard. 

But right now, I have work to do. So I left for the office, taking my phone and laptop with me. I had a minifridge that was stocked with snacks for me. Now, it was finally time to get down to work. 

For now, my work just consisted of simple phone calls from a supplier or tech companies to install some cameras. However, there was a ring from the desk phone. So I answered it. 

“Hello?” I said. 

“Mr. Harper-Vittori,” A voice said. I recognized it as the voice of the guard from the front gate. “There’s a man named Clyde wanting to see you.” 

I knew the name, Clyde, being one of Lucien’s drivers. But just in case, I asked for the full name and checked the file. Sure enough, Clyde Vittori Mandolini was a certified family member. And I allowed him to enter. 

One of the guards brought Clyde into the office. He bowed to me and then sat across from me. 

“What can I help you with roday?” I asked him. 

Clyde looked a little nervous. “Uh, I’m sorry to interrupt your day like this, Mr. Harper-Vittori. But I was hoping to ask you a favor.” He said. 

“Sure. If it’s in my control, I can help.” I told him.

He let out a sigh. “Could I request for a two week break. I know it’s one-week above the usual amount, but I’m getting married soon and wish to be with my fiance for a trip.” He said. 

I was taken aback because of the fact that he had to ask for an extra long break just to get married. Lucien and I’s honeymoon was almost three months. 

“Of course you can!” I blurted out. “In fact, take three weeks off. Spend time with your partner and come back as a happily married man.” I said. 

He thanked me profusely and promised to give me a gift bag. When he left, I wrote a note to give him a wedding gift. 

A few hours passed by. I made myself lunch and watched a bit of TV until it was time for the next meeting. The meeting was a bit difficult since I had to make some additional phone calls regarding some issues that I wasn’t caught up to date with. 

While I was in Lucien’s office, I decided to look around. The main thing was a large portrait that was hanging on the wall that had him and me on it. However, I’m sitting on Lucien’s lap which makes it a bit weird. 

The shelves had either books on them or some random photos of Lucien and other people in them, presumably family members. On his desk, however, was a picture of Lucien and I on our wedding day. He was holding me in his arms while we both smiled in front of the property he bought on the Riviera. 

Sometimes, I’ll reminisce about our honeymoon. Traveling to such amazing places and seeing new things. After all that happened, it was just nice to get away from it all with no distractions or having to worry about sketchy people. 

“Mr. Harper-Vittori!” The voice on the phone yelled. I didn’t know it could do that. 

“Hello?” I asked. I realized I had to pick it up to answer. “Hello?” I said again. 

“You have two more guests here wanting to speak to you.” The guy said. 

“What are their names?” I asked.

The other line went silent until he came back. “Giuseppe and Eugenio Vittori Cipulli Calgaro.” He replied. I quickly typed the names into the file and did see that they were twin brothers. 

“Let them in.” I replied and hung up. After a few minutes, the door opened. “Hello–”

Two large figures, stocky in build, stomped in. They wore dark outfits that covered every bit of skin but still showed their overwhelming muscles on their body. They had a bull build. The two brothers were similar looking, with dark brown hair and sharp features. One of the brothers had an eyepatch over his left eye. 

“Uh, ciao.” I said, taking a large gulp and feeling myself sweat. My hand reached under the desk to feel the gun that was stashed there.

“Harper.” The eye-patched twin said. “We have a favor to ask.” His voice was deep and dark, almost trembling in my chair. 

“Uh, sure. What can I do for you?” I asked. 

The other twin looked a bit nervous. I let go of the gun and decided to do something brave: step out of my chair and walk towards them. As soon as I got close, both brothers stepped back. I was wondering if maybe they were scared to talk to me. Perhaps Lucien told the family something.

“We own a kindergarten in the Bronx and were wondering if we could receive some funding.” Eye-patch twin said. 

“The school year is starting soon and we wanted to get some remodeling done before we open.” 

I stared at them both and let out a sigh. I returned to my seat and wrote something down. “Deal!” 

The twins also let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” 

I nodded at them. “No problem. Is that all?” I asked. They both said ‘No’ and ended the meeting right then and there, leaving the office quickly. It was a strange interaction. 

The rest of the week went about the same. I had meetings here and there, and some spontaneous ones with other members of the family. One thing that I enjoyed was getting to meet some of the family members that I’ve only briefly seen at meetings or at the wedding. 

Finally, it was the day Lucien arrived. I looked out the window, watching the car come in. But before the car could enter the lawn, I watched as Lucien got out of the car and ran towards the front door. 

He quickly marched inside and spotted me on the couch. And that’s how he ended on top of me squishing me with his large body. 

“Did you miss me?” I jokingly asked. 

“You have no idea.” He began to grind himself on me. I felt down and touched him. He was indeed hard. 

It’s clear to see what happened that night, and that morning, and the next few days. While I was relaxing, Lucien walked in with a box and placed it in front of me. 

“Package for you.” He said. I opened it and saw that there were several colorful pieces of paper. There were words written in crayons, saying things such as ‘Thank You, Mr. Harper’ and ‘We Luv You, Daniel!’ When I checked the address it came from, it was from the school that I helped fund for the twins. 

I smiled and began to set them all up into a neat package. 

“I wonder where the twins got that money for their school?” Lucien asked. I just shrugged my shoulders. 

“I don’t know.” I replied.

“You do know that comes out of your paycheck, right?” He asked. I stopped and turned towards him. “Didn’t you read the contract you signed when we got married. You get a paycheck for being married to me.”

“Huh? I didn’t read the contract! How much?” I asked. He whispered the number in my ear. “Lucien! That’s too much! If that’s the case, I’ll keep using my money for more fundings.”

He chuckled and patted my head. “This is why I married you.”

“I can think of another reason why.” I replied. Lucien’s eyes looked at me sharply, and I knew damn well what that look meant. 

He picked me up in his arms and took me to the bedroom. I have a feeling he isn’t going to hold back today. Or ever.

BONUS TWO

LUCIEN VITTORI-HARPER

I didn’t want to come to Stamford, mainly because I swore I would never step foot on Connecticut soil. But here I was, because my mom wanted to throw a garden party. Ever since she and my dad retired, it seems that all they do is throw small parties or visit historical places.

Never really pegged my parents as philanthropists, but that’s what happens when you get too rich. 

Danny came back from getting snacks and put his plate between us. I reached forward for a cookie and ate it. At least the food is free. But my husband looks even more delicious. 

My mom began to talk to me, trying to get me involved in her and her friend’s conversations. “Lucien, tell them how long it took you to realize you wanted to marry Danny.” 

“One month.” I replied. 

“Wow,” One of the women said. “And yet my son can’t even muster the courage to ask his girlfriend of 8 years for her hand. You Vittori men are quick to decide who is your perfect match.”

“What can I say?” My mom said. “Lucien and Danny are just perfect.” All the women and my mom turned to Danny. He stopped eating his food and just looked at them, then gave them a small wave. 

“He’s adorable! Like a puppy.” Another woman said. I placed my hand on his thigh under the table. 

Danny gave me a side glance. He nibbled his snacks while I winked at him. 

At some point during the event, something began to look off about Danny. I began to pick up on his behavior. And when I saw him wipe a few tears and run into the house, I knew exactly what was going on. 

I found him in our guest room, huddled on the corner floor and crying into his arms. He rocking himself back and forth while snuffling. 

“Danny. It’s okay. I’m here.” I kneeled down next to him. When I touched his arm, he jumped back.

“Lucien?” He asked. I nodded. 

“I’m here, baby. Don’t worry, you’re going to be safe.” I reminded him. He moved to my arms and let me hold him. 

He was crying into my shirt and holding me tightly, as if I was going to let go. I just sat there, letting him calm down in my arms. 

“You’re going to be okay. No one will hurt you if I’m here.” I said. 

He muttered something but it was incoherent. I reached for a random shirt and helped wipe his tears from his face. 

“Don’t let them touch me.” He mumbled. 

“They won’t. Those evil men will never hurt you again.” I told him. “Want to try to stand up?” I asked. He nodded. I helped him stand up and then sat him on the bed. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin your day.” He wiped his tears, this time with a tissue. 

“You could never ruin my day. If something is bothering you, I’ll want to help you.” I reached into our bag and pulled out his medication. I then handed him a pill and a bottle of water. “Better?”

“Mhm. Better.” He nodded. 

“I don’t feel like going back. How about I go get us some food and we can watch a movie together.” I suggested. Danny eagerly said yes. So I left downstairs while he picked what movie we’ll watch.

While I was in the kitchen, my mom entered and saw me. 

“Is Danny okay? Did he have another episode?” She asked. 

I nodded. “He’s calm now. But we’re going to be in my room for the rest of the day, if you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead. If anyone asks about you two, I’ll tell them you had an emergency. Poor Danny.” Mom said. “The damage those bastards did to him… Make sure he drinks plenty of water.”

“I will. Bye, mom.” I said. She nodded and left outside. 

At first, Danny believed that he was fine from what happened to him. But after the honeymoon, when everything began to settle into its place, he started to feel paranoid. I would come home and see him hiding in weird places or covering himself in even more clothes. 

Another thing that happened was he became more sexual. Every chance he could, he would feel me up and ask if we could have sex. And on a few occasions, practically begged me to do something to him. 

When he finally went to see a professional, they found that the incident had given him some trauma. This would explain his disappearances and need to hide. It would also explain his over-sexuality, wanting me to replace the touches that he wanted to forget. 

Since then, with enough therapy and time to heal, he’s begun to feel better. He still has small moments here and there, like today. But I’ve made it my mission to always be around when he’s struggling. 

According to Danny, I’m the only person who is able to calm him down when he’s struggling. He still isn’t sure why. Whether it’s my touch or the smell of my cologne, I seem to make him feel better. 

Danny was laying in bed and watching TV. He had changed out of his clothing and into some comfortable attire. 

“You’re back!” He jumped off the bed and took some of the food off my hands. 

“Of course I am. I didn’t know what you’d like, so I just got a bit of everything.” 

The two of us set the plates on a nearby table and began to eat our food while watching the TV. Danny was a bit reserved still, and his eyes were a bit puffy and red. And he would let out little trembles, but he didn’t have another episode like before. 

When the food was eaten and the plates were stacked, we laid in bed together. I held Danny in my hands and allowed him to sleep first. I just watched as he exhaled and inhaled softly. His breath could create music. 

Right as the sun was setting and the only light entering our room was from the TV, Danny began to stir and woke up. 

“How long did I sleep?” He asked. 

“A few hours.” I replied. I hadn’t gone to sleep at all. I was just watching my husband sleep but also making sure he was safe. Even if it was just me and him in this world, I’d still guard him from any dangers. 

“Did you sleep?” 

I nodded. “Yeah,” I lied. I didn’t want him to worry about me. 

“Do you want to go back to New York tonight?” He asked.

“Let’s stay one more day. We’ll leave tomorrow afternoon. When do you have class?”

He held my hands tightly. “Wednesday. I’ll be fine. But Angie wants to meet me for lunch the day before.” He replied.

“Then tomorrow we’ll leave.” I said, sitting up from the bed. Danny did the same. 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight after my nap. Let’s do something fun.” A smirk came on his face. 

“Such as?” I asked back, wondering what he wanted to suggest. 

Danny stood up from the bed and held my hands, meaning he wanted me to stand up too. He walked me into the bathroom and placed me in front of the mirror.

“Skincare!” He eagerly announced. I could only laugh and roll my eyes at his enthusiasm and just agreed to let him put whatever he wanted on my face. 

After a quick routine, Danny decided he had enough confidence to return back downstairs. By this point, the party had ended and all that was left in the vacant backyard was the servants who were cleaning up. 

Mom and dad were in the kitchen, sipping wine and talking to one another. They turned to us when Danny and I entered to join them.

“Is Danny okay? Are you okay?” My dad asked my husband. 

Danny nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” He replied. 

“Good.” My dad nodded slowly. “We’re just planning on ordering some take out. Do you two want to join us?”

We took my dad on his offer and joined my parents for dinner. Soft conversations flowed between the clashes of utensils and plates. Different from the hectic life I had before Danny came along. 

My husband couldn’t fall asleep that night. Instead, he dangled his legs into the pool while I sat in a lounge chair reading a book. 

“Late night swim?” He suggested. 

“You go ahead. I’m catching up on reading.” I said. 

“Read to me, please. Entertain me.” 

I scooted the chair closer, sitting almost near the edge of the water. Danny took a moment to strip down to his underwear and entered the water. On the shallow end, he crossed his arms on the edge of the pool and stared up at me. 

While I read outloud, Danny kicked his legs back to float in the water. After I finished a chapter, I felt a bit of water hit my arm. 

“Danny?” I warned him. He blushed, but his scooped hand came up to splash me with more water. “You asked for it.” I closed my book and abruptly stood up from my chair. 

“Wait! I didn’t mean to–” 

I had already lowered my shorts and removed my shirt. It probably wasn’t a good idea to go commando, but it’s safe to say we’re all adults here. 

“You better swim quickly, Danny. You don’t want to find out what’s going to happen if I catch you.” I said. Danny’s eyes bulged, and he began to paddle in the opposite direction. 

“But I don’t know how to swim–” He was cut off by me quickly entering the pool and catching up to him. 

It was easy to catch him from behind and begin to kiss and tickle him. In my arms, he was like putty, completely in my control. And that’s just the way I like it.

BONUS THREE

LUCIEN VITTORI-HARPER

Today, on September 4, is Danny’s birthday. I was already celebrating before he even woke up. The entire penthouse was decorated with decorations and pictures of him. This was going to be one of the best days of his life.

Before he could even open his eyes, I jumped into bed and gave him a tight hug.

“Oh, God! It’s my baby’s birthday!” I gushed all over him.

“Lucien…” He groaned out. “I just woke up.”

“Who cares!?” I went in to kiss him but he placed his hand over his mouth.

“Let me brush my teeth first.” He said. I groaned but got off him and allowed him to do his morning routine. But as soon as he came out of the bathroom, I jumped on him and attacked him with kisses.

“Be ready, my love. This entire day is going to be the best for you.” I told him.

“Is it sex?” He asked blankly.

I just smiled at him. “Come on. Dinner is ready. I got those pandan waffles you adore so much.” This put a smile on his face. And he ran towards the kitchen before I even got there.

Before we left to go to MoMA, I had a special surprise for Danny.

“Here,” I handed him a small box.

“What is it?” He asked. He opened the small box and his face. “No! Lucien! Just, no!”

“Come on, please?” I asked. I held up the black butt plug and offered it to him. “Just for a while.”

Danny’s face was red. He looked angry, but had a small smile on his face. “I just never expected… this kind of thing.” He said. It took a bit, but he agreed to wear it just for the museum trip.

I made him drop his pants and turn around. But before he bent over the table, I placed the plug on his lips and commanded him to open his mouth. He licked it all over, getting it wet enough. With enough lubrication, I was able to fit it in him.

“How does it feel?” I asked, standing back and looking as Danny almost crossed his legs and looked embarrassed.

“Uh, it feels weird.” He muttered. “Wha- What if it slips out?” He asked. I placed my hand under his chin and made him look up at me. His eyes had a bit of tears in them.

“I’ve said this before, Danny. You’re tight as hell. That plug isn’t coming out any time soon. Now let’s go.” I said.

I walked ahead a few steps. I turned and saw Danny taking a few short steps. I helped him until he was able to walk semi-normally. He still complained about the feeling, but never told me to take it out. If he wasn’t so innocent, I would’ve believed he was enjoying it.

Danny let out a yelp when he sat in the car. I watched as he brought his hands down to his groin and pressed himself down. It was clear he was hard.

“Just wait a bit, my love. We’ll get there soon.” I said. Danny just whimpered but nodded.

My boy was brave, however. He kept his composure and didn’t make any clear signs. Except for whenever we had to sit or he walked too fast that he let out a small moan. It was fascinating, knowing that no one in here knew that he had something up his precious ass.

While we were both looking at a piece of art, I pulled out my phone and pressed a button. Immediately, I watched as Danny fell to his knees and started moaning.

“Lu-Lucien!” He moaned. I kneeled down next to him, grinning at him. “It’s moving…”

“I know.” I said. I placed my hand on his shoulder to calm him down. He was lucky there wasn’t anyone in the room we were in.

“Did you do this?” He asked. He looked at me, his face was red and his eyes were crying. But seeing him in this state just made me more excited.

“Perhaps,” I mentioned. “Would you like me to turn it off?” I asked.

He nodded quickly. “Please, Lucien.” He grunted. I stood up and helped him stand up. I walked him to a nearby bench where I sat him down.

“Well, let’s see. Have you been a good boy today?” I asked him.

“Mhm.” He whimpered. “Yes.”

“Will you keep being a good boy for the rest of the day?” I asked.

“Yes! Yes, I will.” He moaned. He was looking up at me with his innocent eyes. So innocent, I wondered if he’s even committed a single crime before.

“Then I’ll turn it off.” I pulled out my phone. But before I turned it off, I set the setting to the highest mode. He began to moan loudly. Danny’s hands came to grab the bench and he was gyrating, rubbing himself.

“Lucien!” He loudly said. I was getting hard from watching him. Danny let out an extra loud moan until he almost collapsed onto the floor. I managed to catch him and finally turned off the device.

“Shh, it’s okay,” I whispered in his ear while consoling him. “You did amazing, my Danny.”

“Lu-Luci…” he trailed off. I saw a large wet spot on his pants.

“It seems you enjoyed that.” I said.

He just looked at me and nodded a bit. “A little,” He said.

“A little? You came in your pants, dear. You certainly enjoyed that a lot. But I won’t do it again.” I said. However, I leaned down closer to him. “Unless you ask me to.”

He just harshly tapped my shoulder. “Can we go home?” He asked.

I kissed him on the face and nodded. “Sure. Let’s go home.” I said. Our trip was done. Luckily, it was enough time for Angie to set up the living room. And as soon we stepped into the apartment, she, my parents, and even the cleaner jumped out to say happy birthday.

Everyone got Danny something as a gift. Angie gave him some metal flowers she made in her art class. My mom and dad gifted him an expensive bottle of bourbon, since he’s now 21 and can legally drink.

For a moment, I thought back to our trip to Italy when we went to my family’s vineyard.

I didn’t want to give Danny my gift yet. It was for later.

During the party, his aunt and uncle called to wish him a happy birthday. I stood to the side smiling, knowing that later tonight, Danny was going to be screaming at the top of his lungs begging for me to show him mercy.

I snapped out of my vicious thoughts, joining the rest of the people at the party. As the day went on, Danny smiled knowing he was the king for today.

His smile just brought happiness to me. Even when he’s upset at me, or when he’s refusing to talk to me after one of our petty fights, his face still brings a smile to my face. He’s the most adorable person I can think of.

By night, everyone had already left. There was a mess left, but I happily cleaned everything up while Danny went to shower.

It was now time for me to give him my gift.

“Whatchu got there?” He asked.

“Your gift.” I said. The first few gifts were expensive clothes. Then it was a watch for him to wear.

“A folder?” He asked, holding it up. I nodded.

“Open it.” I said. When he opened it, it took him a bit of time to read it. But when he did, he smiled brightly.

“Is this a…”

“A paid internship.” I said. “You’re almost to your senior year at NYU. Come work for the company and get experience.”

He stared at the file for a bit. “Yeah! I’ll do it!” He hugged me. “Now we’ll actually be working together.”

I patted his soft hair, wondering if I have pleased any gods for me to be gifted such an amazing person.

“What’s this?” He asked. At the bottom of the box was one more bag. I quickly snatched it out.

“One more gift. It’s nothing fancy, but…”

I opened the bag and showed him two shirts. The smaller one had my face on it. The larger one had his face. It was the same picture that we took on our honeymoon, just split in half.

“Take off your shirt.” I said to him. He took it off and I put the smaller shirt on him. My face was marked on his chest. I did the same with the larger one on me.

“These are beautiful, Lucien.” Danny said. He did a small twirl.

“Now people will know that we belong to one another.” I said.

Danny just looked at his shirt, then mine.

“Wanna watch Suits?” He asked.

I held his hand. “Okay.” I replied.

The both of us walked side by side. He must’ve seen a reflection of a mirror, because he tried to turn me around.

“Is there something on our backs?” He asked.

I brushed him off. “No, it’s just a simple shirt.” I replied.

“I’m serious! I think there’s something on the back.” He insisted. I just bent down and picked him up in my arms.

“Shush, birthday boy.” I said. “Dannys should be seen, not heard.” I said. Danny just decided not to press the matter any further.

But he was right. There is something written on the back.

Behind my shirt, it says, “I come in peace.”

Behind his, it says, “I’m peace.”

BONUS FOUR

DANIEL HARPER-VITTORI

My phone began to ring while I was still drinking my coffee. I stopped my groaning when I saw it was Lucien calling me. This was strange, as he was still supposed to be in his meeting.

“Hello!” I said.

“Hey, baby.” Lucien said. “I miss you.”

I chuckled to myself. “Is that why you called me? Because you miss me?” I asked.

“Obviously. You’re my damn husband! Of course I’m going to call you if I ever need to hear your voice.” He replied. “Are we still on for dinner tonight?” He asked.

“Yup! 7 at Locanda Verde. Make sure you wear your best outfit.”

“I will,” He said. “I have to hang up. Make sure Mr. Maggio sends those forms to the legal firm so they can review the documents over. I better not have a lawsuit on my hands or I’m punishing you.”

I let out a fake gasp, knowing exactly what kind of ‘punishments’ he would have in mind. I ended the phone call after our farewells. The driver, God bless him who has to hear my conversations, parked in the parking lot of the building and I got out.

The lobby of the building was large with its black marble walls and a large fountain in the middle. Employees going about their own agendas walked around with files in their hands or on important phone calls.

I took the elevator ride up to the floor. After finishing my coffee inside, I threw the empty cup into a nearby trash bin and began to walk to my office.

“Mr. Harper-Vittori!” Keara Powell, my assistant, called out to me.

“Yes, Ms. Powell?” I replied. She was panting while catching up to me.

“Damn! It’s true. Gay men are fast walkers.” She said. I slowed down and allowed her to catch up to me. She then handed me a few papers from her hand. “Here are the revisions that we made to the website. We should be able to handle a bit more traffic now.”

“Thank you.” I said. “Make an appointment with Mr. McClair. Tell his assistant we’ll be going over the revisions and small updates to the site. This is for his company, afterall.”

Keara nodded and left to sit at her desk. I entered my office and let out a sigh of relief. Only a few more hours until I can return home to my husband.

While I waited for confirmation about the meeting, I looked at the photos I had hung on my wall. Most of them were with me and Lucien, either during our dates or special events.

One of them, right next to my diploma, was me and him at my graduation. He was lifting me up in the air, almost showing me off that I was his proudest joy. I still remember that entire week. He rented out an entire theme park and also treated me like a king.

Another picture on the wall was me, Lucien, and Angie back in Italy. This was the summer when I graduated. We visited his family and I got to see everyone again. I met up with Aria, Lucien’s cousin, and got to meet her son.

While on that trip, Angie ended up meeting one of Lucien’s distant cousins, Davide Vittori-Giuggioli. She fell hard, and he fell harder for her. And, just like me and all other partners of Vittoris, she was proposed to quickly.

Their wedding was quick. Another picture on the wall showed me, Lucien, Angie, and her husband on the Amalfi coast. I was her man of honor for that night. It was truly a special day for everyone.

The photo right underneath that one was the day her daughter was born, Ludovica. I was given the title of Godfather, something I never knew I would get the honor of being.

The knock on my office door interrupted me from my trip down memory lane.

“Mr. Harper-Vittori,” Keara said. Lucien made sure everyone on this floor called me by my hyphenated last name. “The meeting has been set. Is there anything else you need?” She asked.

I turned around to face her and said, “No, that’ll be all.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost time for the day to end. Why don’t you and everyone take the day off early?” I said.

Keara thanked me and made the announcement to my department. I watched all the employees stand up and begin to walk out. Some who passed my office gave me a farewell before they ultimately left for the day to go drinking at the bar across the street.

When everyone was gone, I returned to looking at the photos. One photo was me, my aunt, and my uncle standing in their backyard. This was taken after I graduated and returned to Arizona for a while.

After this, I surprised them by telling them I was going to help retire them. Lucien and I gifted them a home on the coast of California where they can spend their days, not having to worry about anything else anymore.

Speaking of my aunt and uncle, I realized I need to make a spot in my schedule to call them. I do miss them and am thankful for everything they’ve done for me since my parents died.

Another photo on the wall was with me, Lucien, Sean, and his girlfriend. This photo was taken backstage in a theater production that Sean starred in. His face was painted, and he had a silly outfit on.

When he landed the leading role, he invited me and Lucien to attend opening night. I watched Sean perform his heart and soul, knowing he finally achieved his dream of making it on Broadway.

I heard the sound of the elevator opening. When I exited my office, I saw the man himself, Lucien Vittori-Harper, walking in with a bouquet of peonies and buttercups in his arms. He spotted me and did the fastest walk towards me.

“Danny!” He jumped and picked me up off the ground. He began to pepper my face with kisses.

“Lucien,” I said. He set me down and handed me the flowers. “What are you doing here? You were supposed to meet me back at the apartment.” I told him.

“I just couldn’t wait to see you,” He said. He began to pet my hair. “God, you’re so fucking beautiful. I’m the luckiest man to be alive.”

I blushed and smelled the flowers. “Did you think about me all day?” I asked.

“When am I not ever? You’re always on my mind. And you’re going to have to start paying rent by how much you live in my head rent free.” He said.

“Should we head out now?” I asked.

“Let’s go. We can shower together before our dinner.” He said.

I walked back into my office and grabbed my bag. Lucien followed me in and was looking at the photos on the wall.

“I didn’t know you took a photo that day,” He pointed to one of the framed pictures.

“That was the day you almost punched that guy for calling me a slur. I took it while you were still angry.” I explained.

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Do you like me being angry?” He asked.

I chuckled awkwardly. “Well, yes. You look so demanding and frightening, but in a good way. Haven’t you noticed every time you get into a heated argument during a meeting that afterwards I want to have sex with you?” I asked.

Lucien was in thought until his eyes lit up.

“That makes a lot of sense.” He said. “I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”

I finished packing any important documents and we both walked out of my office together. Lucien carried my bag while I held my flowers in my hands. He pressed the button for the parking level.

While inside the elevator, Lucien decided to abruptly pin me against the wall and begin kissing me. His vivacious and energetic nature of his kisses brought about the passion in me for him. And I was reminded again why I love this man so much.

“Wait-” I gasped between breaths. “The flowers! Lucien-”

Lucien pulled away, his face slightly red and his panting deep and heavy. “I’ll buy a hundred more bouquets. Just let me have this moment with you.” He said.

He returned his kisses on me. I returned the same affection for, allowing for the both of us to feel and get to know one another. Every kiss was a new small experience.

We stopped kissing when the elevator doors opened for the parking lot. He grabbed my hand and led me towards the car that was waiting for us.

“Where to?” The driver asked.

“The penthouse, please.” I said. Lucien had already laid his head on my shoulders and just closed his eyes.

His light breathing made me believe he was sleeping. It was quite an interesting sight. Seeing this man, who is the leader of the mafia, laying his head on his husband’s lap. Sometimes, I wonder how it was possible for me to have this much control on such a crazy man.

“Danny…” Lucien muttered out. I glanced at his face and saw he wasn’t asleep, just relaxing.

“Yes, Lucien?” I asked.

“Everyone is having children,” He mentioned. “Aria, my cousin Damiano, your friend Angie.”

“What are you trying to say?” I asked.

Lucien got off my lap and looked me straight in the eyes. With the most serious expression, he said, “I want to have a child with you.”

I felt myself freeze suddenly. I even saw the driver look in the rearview mirror to make eye contact with me. Lucien’s words completely shook me.

We have never had a conversation about children. Sure, we joked around about wanting little kids running around, and Elena and my aunt sometimes talk about wanting grandchildren, but it’s always just throwaway comments.

“I- Lucien, are you being serious right now?” I asked. I brought my hand up to his face to feel him. He brought his hand to grab my wrist and push his face deeper in my palm.

“I’m being serious, my love. I want to have a child with you. I think it would be a good thing, don’t you think?” He asked.

When the dust settled, I saw a caring man who just wanted to give more love. It wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, I love his loving side.

“We’ll look into it, then.” I said. “But he’s having your genes.”

“No way! Imagine a mini-Danny? Besides, my parents often tell me how difficult I was as a child. You really want to raise such a rambunctious kid?” He asked me.

“Hey, I managed to tame the adult version. A kid won’t be so hard.” I mentioned. Lucien kissed my hand and made his way up my arm to my face.

“I’ll ask some people about it,” He said. Then his kisses trailed down to my stomach. He unfastened my belt and lifted my shirt. “For now, we’ll try it the natural way.” He heard him say.

“Lucien, I can’t get pre-” His tongue landed on my stomach and he began to lick in different places.

“Just go along with it, baby.” I heard him say. I grabbed a handful of his hair and pressed him deeper into my stomach. I briefly made eye contact with the driver, his face slightly red.

“Wait! Let’s wait until we get home.” I told him. He made one final suck right under my right nipple before pulling away and staring up at me.

“Fine. But I’m getting what I’m owed. So you better not try to run away.” He said, his hand gripping my thighs tightly.

“I’m not leaving, ever, Lucien. We’re stuck with each other, even after death.”

He smiled and fixed my shirt and pants. He kissed me one final time on the lips before the car stopped in the parking lot of our building. I hadn’t noticed we made it here already.

“Andiamo, Danny. We have a busy afternoon.” Lucien grabbed my hand and led me out the car. In one hand, he held my work bag. In one of my hands, I held the flowers he gifted me.

But between us, we held one another’s hand. This is how it will be for the rest of our lives. He’ll hold my hand and I’ll hold his. We’ll lead each other through our paths, guiding one another with the assurance that the other will be by our side.

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thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed.

until the next adventure!

♥️