Allison's POV

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he leaned away from me. His deep blue eyes, gleaming naughtily, teased me as he stood up from the bed, brushing his lips with his thumb.

“Will be seeing you later, Miss Allison.” He grinned, strolling from the room. I had another glimpse of his sly grin before he shut the door on me.

I had no idea I had been holding my breath until then. I exhaled loudly, pressing my palm on my chest. He wasn't just a Mafia Don. He was a complete nutjob too. But what the hell was that? Why did I feel my chest palpitating so badly when he leaned super close to me earlier? Why does he seem to unsettle me without doing much? Just why?

Somehow, I’d have to escape. Somehow, I’d have to leave this cage before he turns me into a nutjob like him. Whatever he meant by owning my body, soul, and heart, I scoffed heavily, slanting my head to a ludicrous angle. I didn't want to wait to find out. I had to leave. Somehow, anyhow.

I rose from the bed, my hands on my waist. My head was bent low so that I stared at the floor, and I paced, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts, ticking continuously like a clock.

I stopped at intervals when the door opened and a guard pushed in a trolley of food, then I resumed pacing and resumed worrying, trying to think out a way out of this bloody mess that I am in.

At some point, I collapsed onto the bed, hearing it squeal softly, accepting my weight. I sighed and threw my body into its softness, weary and tired and still nowhere near a solution. Slowly, my eyes started to close, tempted by sleep. Though I refused vehemently to give in, I was soon dozing off. I jolted from the bed probably hours later when the sharp squeal of an opening door drilled through my sleep for me.

I whirled sharply in the direction of the door. My body was rigid on the bed, alert, and I blinked fast to chase off the remnant of sleep that veiled my eyes.

A guard bounced in, moving with the weight of his big muscular body. He dropped a Chanel shopping bag onto the bed, his expression as warm as a rock’s. “Don Luca orders you to wear this and come join him for dinner downstairs. Hurry up about it, Miss. He is waiting for you, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting.”

I tried not to mind his heavy hostile tone, and I steered my gaze fast to the window.

God! It was truly evening. Every trace of the sun was lost from the sky. A very dark veil draped over the world now, a barely luminous moon pelting the world with harsh silver light. How did I let myself sleep for so long when I was in this much mess? I was supposed to be finding a way to escape, not sleeping.

“Hurry up, Don Luca is waiting,” the guard’s garrulous voice dragged me back to the room. I watched him lug his massive body out of the room before I stared into the Chanel shopping bag. It was indeed a dress, a beautiful wine-colored sequin evening dress—one that must have cost a fortune.

I wasn't easily wowed by wealth and luxury, yet I couldn't hold back the gasp that rippled up my throat as I lifted the dress from the bag, admiring its elegance.

I remembered my predicament, and instantly, the admiration in my eyes morphed to a frown. Why does he need me to dress in something as fancy as this just to have dinner with him? Why do I even need to have dinner with him? I needed to be plotting my escape from here, not dressing in expensive dresses for dinner.

At first, I thought to stay back, and I relaxed into the bed a little. But then, I thought, staring around at the room. I couldn't just keep staring at these walls forever. That would make run me nut faster than he could.

Reluctantly, still not sure of my own decision, I crossed over to the bathroom for a bath. Then I abandoned my leather jacket and jeans for the dress and wore the pair of stiletto heels that came with the dress in the Chanel shopping bag.

I tried not to admire myself as I walked out of the room. The mere fact alone that I wanted to have dinner with a hardened criminal who murdered my father and whom my colleagues were actively working to bring down already had a hard, biting feeling gnawing at my insides. My conscience couldn't survive more.

The heels clinked against the tile, and he turned to me from the top of the dining table where he sat. His eyes took me in carefully, and he tightened his grip on his cutlery in his hands as he brushed his thumb over his lips. A sharp, deep look crossed his eyes, sharpening as they followed up the trail of my exposed legs from the large split in the dress.

Like a flick of a magic wand, the look that almost seemed like desire flushed from his eyes, and he smiled up at me.

He gestured with his arm to the dining chair just directly opposite his. “You can have your seat, Miss Allison.” He said, sounding surprisingly gentlemanly. He was the strangest Mafia Don I know, and he just keeps surprising me more and more.

The lighting in the room was soft and romantic. Only a single bulb lit up the large dining space, and it settled mainly at the center of the large dining table.

Just what the hell was he planning? I dragged in my seat and dropped right into it, my gaze sweeping the place quick and hard, my eyes restless.

I looked over the silver dome covering the food to him. “Why are you doing all this? What is all this supposed to mean?” I demanded, an edge to my voice.

He grinned. “Just eat, Miss Allison. It is only right that I feed my captive.” He muttered as he raised his fork to his mouth. He chewed at the steak in his mouth before he continued. “My men tell me you didn't touch the breakfast and lunch I had them send to your room. I plan to keep you alive, and for me to do that, I have to feed you. Don't I?”

“But you don't need me to dress like I am heading to some party.” I answered. I let my eyes wander around the room while he watched. “Nor do you need all this soft lighting and romantic vibes if your main intention is just to have me eat.”

“Perhaps I just like the aesthetic, or perhaps I am trying to woo you into being my woman. We can never tell, can we, Miss Allison, so just eat.” He slipped me another of his half smiles again, feeding another piece of steak to his mouth. He looked at me out of the rim of his eyes as he chewed silently, his jaw dancing.

My lips parted for words, but I thought against it. Instead, I snatched the cutlery on the table. I could already feel my stomach grumbling for it's due. If he has some big plans for me, as he said, then it was still too early to poison me, I thought. I couldn't continue to starve myself. If I wanted to successfully escape from here, I needed a clear head and a full stomach.

I lifted the silver domes, and I dug my cutlery into the food slowly. I had just to take a few bites of the superbly roasted steak to realize how hungry I was. I could almost hear my stomach scream in excitement inside of me. It was a challenge having to keep myself from gulping the whole meal down at once.

After we were done eating, he strolled over to my side of the table, and I followed every swing of his long legs to me. He leaned out his hand. “Can I have your hand, Miss Allison?” he said.

Maybe I didn't have a choice. Or maybe because I was still very much unsure of whatever the bloody hell he was scheming, or maybe some part of me also wanted to, I didn't know. I just raised my arm to him, and he locked it into his, lifting me up from the table, and he began to lead me away from the dining room and the house and into the night.

The moonlight was rich. The silvery light it furnished the world with had a sort of dark bluish glow to it that stained the grasses on the field a light fleeting blue.

Guards melted out of the darkness in the forest. At the sight of him beside me, they dropped back into the woods, blending once again with the darkness.

I followed quietly. I had no choice anyway. He had hold of my arm, tucked right into his. “Just like you know, this is the helipad,” he said when we reached there.

We took another turn round the mansion and ended up before a large swimming pool. “This is the swimming area.” He said again, sounding as excited as a tour guide. “But I don't usually use it much, because I prefer the beach. I like the natural water more." and he winked at me.

I didn't say anything. I had nothing to say, and I didn't think he wanted me to say anything either. Yet, all the while, my mind went on a wild spree, all sorts of thoughts creeping into my head, questions blasting my mind full-time, questions I still don't have answers to. Why was he doing all this? Why was he showing me around his property, explaining things to me? Why did he hold me so close to himself, as if we were lovers and not just captor and captive? Why...

I listened half-heartedly to his words as he led me around the estate, showing me more and more of the place, while my heart ran a rampage in my chest. My thoughts were swirling hard and fast from the endless questions bombarding my mind. Just what was all this about? Why was he treating me to an expensive dress and fancy dinner and showing me around his house when he should have been torturing me for answers?

We were in the woods, surrounded by the long, sturdy trees, when that taut spring holding back my sanity eventually broke, and I snapped. I couldn't take it anymore. I just couldn't. I was about to go mad inside myself, wondering and thinking and confused. I snatched my arm from his, dropping back from him.

“Just what is all this, Luca Tonelli?” I yelled at him, almost a scream. “Just tell me what you want and why you are doing this. Or just fucking let me go. I am tired of guessing endlessly what your plans are for me.”

He dropped forward, his eyes dark and a little stern. “I have told you, Miss Allison. My men mustn’t hear about you being an undercover agent,” he whispered.

I threw my eyes in the air, retreating further from him. “I don't care anymore. I don't fucking care.” I yelled back at him. Though I wanted desperately to live. Wanted desperately to find out what he had done with my father. But I was tired of these mind games. “Just tell me what I need to know. Why in the world are you doing this?” I yelled.

When he still wouldn't answer but thrust his hands into his pockets and stared blankly at me, I turned around, sharing my gaze between him and the walls of trees around us, and I screamed. “Yes, I am an FBI agent sent to infiltrate your circle, seduce you, and get evidence against you…”

He moved so fast, I didn't know he'd moved until I was being ridden back. Somehow he kept me from slipping on the stilettos. He slammed me against a tree, and then his hand slipped through the split in my dress, snatching up my bare thigh.

His hand was so warm around my bare skin that I was unsure if the soft sound that echoed off my lips was a groan from the pain radiating through my back or a moan from the soothing, exquisite feel of his hand on me.

He caressed my thigh with his strong yet tender hand, and soon, he was moving up until he grabbed one of my ass cheeks beneath the gown, his fingers firm over my panties.

I should push him away, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to. I just glared up as he raised my head up to him with his other hand. His deep blue eyes delved right into mine. “You are mine, Allison. Even if you announce yourself to my men as being a spy, I would still keep you, because like I said, you are mine.”

“I am not yours or anybody’s. I own myself, Luca Tonelli.”

His upper lip twisted in a pleasing smirk. “That's just what you tell yourself in your head, Allison.” He grinned, licking his lips softly. "You became mine the moment I brought you from the club yesterday, and you are going to continue to be mine for as long as I want to, for as long as I plan." He said.

I wanted to speak, to challenge him, but the sudden, forceful grip of my ass sent a sharp, nerve-splitting sensation that shot right through me. He pressed his body against mine so that I was completely sandwiched between him and the tree, his deep masculine scent consuming me. He leaned to my ear.

“You are mine, Allison. Until I have used you to achieve all my aims, you belong to me.” He murmured against my ear. His breath was surprisingly warm.

His lips pressed a kiss to my cheek, and he leaned away from me, walking back into the mansion, while I slumped against the tree, catching my breath.