Enzo
The screaming.
I'd never forget the sound of it. Or how helpless I'd felt. How after a while my wife's voice was so raw, she barely made any sound at all, even though her mouth was wide open and I was afraid she would permanently damage her vocal cords. Yet still, she screamed. Her eyes bulging with horror. Her body shaking with the force of it.
Alessandra's screams still haunted my dreams.
I lurched up and off the couch where I must've fallen asleep, a sick feeling in my stomach and my wife's shock and heartbreak still fresh in my ears. Sweat dripped down my face and spine, soaking through my white dress shirt and making it stick to my back. My eyes were wild as they shot around Luca's office until gradually my heart slowed and my breaths became less labored.
A dream. It was only a fucking dream. I'd fallen asleep on the couch in Luca's office.
Checking my phone, I saw it was 3:17am. I tossed it down on the couch and went over to pour myself a whiskey. It wouldn't help keep me awake, but that was okay. There were so many alarms set on this house a cat couldn't walk across the yard without me knowing about it. And maybe it would help ward off the nightmares. My wife was dead now, as was the son we'd had together, yet recently, they wouldn't stop haunting me.
For good reason.
They'd died fifteen years ago, when I was a very young man. I couldn't save them. They'd left me all alone, as my parents had before them. And if it hadn't been for Luca and Tristan, I would've followed them from this world. But eventually, the pain and loneliness became bearable, if not forgotten. The paralyzing terror that it would happen again, however, that shit was still very much alive.
Taking my glass with me, I walked around the house, double checking the security system and checking in with the soldiers outside. All was quiet as Luca and Veda slept.
By the time I made it back to the office for a refill, the screams that had woken me were nothing more than a vague memory I'd stuffed back down into the compartment of my brain I reserved for them. The one I never, ever, opened when I was awake and conscious. They only pushed their way out when I was asleep. It had happened often right after the funerals, but I hadn't dreamed of them now for a long time. And I knew it was Sera that was bringing them back. And the way I felt about her.
I turned my mind to what had been discussed at tonight's meeting with Luca and Gino to distract myself. Yet my skin still felt too tight. My mouth dry, despite the whiskey I was chugging like water. I was too fucking restless. I needed something more. Something to take the edge off.
Grabbing my phone off the couch, I opened the screen and tapped in the number I knew from memory. For both of our safety, I didn't have it in my contacts. After a few rings, she answered, her voice soft with sleep.
"Hello?"
"Where are you?"
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Home."
"Tell me what you're wearing."
This time, she didn't hesitate. "Dark gray sleep shorts and an old concert Tshirt I found at Goodwill." She yawned into the phone.
"What band?"
"Guns and Roses."
"The Appetite Tour?"
"I think so."
I knew exactly the shirt she was describing. "Are your clothes tight or loose?"
"Loose."
Good. Walking over to the door, I checked the hall, listening for anyone who might be up and around, then closed it and turned the lock. "Are you wearing anything underneath?"
She was beginning to sound a little more awake now. "No."
"Are your feet bare?"
"Yes."
"Hair up or down?"
"Down."
I sat on the couch with my knees spread wide and leaned back against the leather cushions, unbuttoning the top five buttons of my dress shirt. "Are you laying down?"
"Yes."
"On a bed?"
"A couch."
A cold feeling swept through me. "Do you always sleep on a couch?"
"Yes."
I didn't like the thought of her crashing on somebody's couch. She deserved to be in a bed with an expensive mattress, fancy sheets, and a soft comforter with pillows piled around her. But right now, I had other things on my mind, so I put that away for later. "Blanket?"
"Yes."
"Good, keep it on you." I closed my eyes, imagining her just as she said. The picture was near perfect. "I want to make you come, Sera. Will you let me do that?"
There was a sharp intake of breath. "Um. I don't think that's a good idea. Jade is here. She's in her room, and I don't know if she's still awake."
So, she was living with Jade. "Then you'll just have to be quiet."
"And if I don't want to do this?"
"Then I'll consider our agreement null and void, and your father's goons will be on their way to fetch you within fifteen minutes. Your choice, Sera." I gave her a few moments to decide.
I heard her heavy sigh, and then she said in a resigned voice, "What do you want me to do?"
"Lay the phone on the pillow by your ear."
"Okay."
"Can you still hear me?"
"Yes."
"Are both of your hands free?"
"Yes." Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
"With your right hand, find the hem of your shirt and slip it underneath. Then slowly... slowly... slide it up over your stomach until you find your breast. And Sera?"
"Yes?"
"I'll know if you're faking. So don't fucking lie to me about what you're doing or feeling. Understood?"
After a moment, she said, "Understood."
"Is your hand on your breast?"
"Yes."
"Close your eyes and tell me, what does it feel like?"
"What?"
"What does it feel like? Soft? Hard? Does it fill your palm?"
"Um, soft. And... uh..." She cleared her throat. "It's too big to fit in my palm."
So, she wasn't wearing any kind of push up when she wore that pink dress. I wanted to ask her to give me a detailed description of her breast, including the areola and nipple. Or, better yet, to send me a picture. With her pink hair and pale skin, it seemed obvious they would be a light pink. However, Sera was Italian. So I would bet money they were a darker mauve. My mouth watered at the thought.
"Is your nipple hard?"
"Yes."
"Pinch it between your thumb and forefinger and tell me what you feel. Not too hard," I told her. "Not yet." I heard her intake of breath. "What do you feel?"
"Pain."
"And what else?"
"Um... it made my stomach tighten. Low in my stomach."