Ryder's Claim (Mafia Heirs 2)

He marches me back to the house, not allowing me to look back at the kittens. My stomach tightens as I think of them and what will happen now they won't have me to protect them. Bile rises in my throat. I fucking hate this.

Papa drags me back to my bedroom. I can tell the extent of his anger is growing and growing by the way he pushes me into the room and slams the door behind us.

"You've been incredibly disobedient," he snarls at me. And we're back to my childhood – to Papa screaming at me until I behaved, until I learned to do exactly what he wanted, until I became a helpless doll that obeyed any command he threw at me. "Leaving your room, acting like a wanton whore."

A flush colors my cheeks. He doesn't know about Ryder, does he?

What if Papa found out? He would never let me forget it, and I would be punished accordingly. He's hit me before, but he's also done much worse, and we both know exactly what Papa is capable of.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to every second of the day," Papa tells me. "I think you're forgetting, my darling daughter, that we have roles to play."

"No, Papa," I plead. I hate how meek I become in front of him, but I'm afraid. Our history makes me tremble in front of my father. "Please. Don't punish me. I just went out a few times."

"You're not supposed to leave your room, Nicoletta."

The name feels like a betrayal and I close my eyes. The next moment, a slap rings out in the room. It takes me a moment to realize Papa has hit me. The blood rushes into my cheek and I bow my head in shame. I've really upset him now, and he's going to make me pay.

"Don't forget for a single second, figlia, you have a role to play," Papa reminds me. "You're Nicoletta Carlucci, after all. And you need to listen and obey everything I say, or fucking else."

"I know, Papa," I whisper.

"I don't think you do." His voice is full of icy venom. "I think you need a reminder of what it means to be the heiress to the Carlucci fortune. So, I'm going to teach you a lesson tonight."

His menacing words scare me, but I'm more afraid for the kittens than I am for myself. But I know by now not to bring them up. I need to keep my mouth shut and pretend they mean nothing to me – that I don't care about them at all. That lowers the chance that Papa will hurt them to punish me.

"You are to stay in your room," Papa continues. "For the next two weeks. I will make sure you have water and a daily slice of bread. You've gained some weight lately."

"I have been so careful," I whisper. "I haven't eaten much at all..."

Papa shakes his head with disapproval. "It's too much. You're gaining weight, and none of it is going where it should. But your new diet should help you shed those extra pounds. I only hope you learn your lesson here, because I'm not letting you leave until you realize this is not the way a heiress behaves."

"What about my fiancé?" I whisper. Of course I'm not thinking of Adrian – Ryder's the one on my mind.

Papa walks over to the door, offering me a cruel smile. "He'll be thrilled to see you thinner and more beautiful than ever, Nicoletta. I'll see you in two weeks."

He slams the door shut, and a moment later, I hear the lock clicking into place. It's nothing new, I've been locked in before. But this time, worry makes me feel sicker than ever.

Papa's transformation into a cruel tyrant has come full circle. We used to have common enemies, but these days it feels like the only enemy is my father himself.

6

Ryder

It's a few months later, but my mind is still stuck on Nicoletta.

And it's not like I haven't tried to get her out of my head. But the blonde beauty has taken up permanent residence. My obsession is getting worse and worse, and just as I'm spiraling out of control, she’s about to make a reappearance.

With Adrian and Nicoletta's wedding fast approaching, I know she'll arrive at the mansion soon. And the week before her arrival, the mansion is in full preparation for Nicoletta. The maids chatter excitedly among themselves, anticipating my brother's bride. The house is filled with excitement. And yet my brother is preoccupied with the other woman in his life – the little Da Costa captive who's got him wrapped around her little finger.

I stay out of my brother's business. I don't give a damn what he does with Marzia. All I care about is Nicoletta's imminent arrival – a week before her eighteenth birthday.