CHAPTER XXIV
~~~
SOPHIA AND LUCIANO both stood up at the same time, with Sophia flinching, thereby causing the glass of milk to fall from her hand on the floor and shattered into pieces.
Looking at the way Chase clenched his jaw had Sophia trembling in fear and on instincts, she hid behind Luciano, clutching his shirt in her fists.
That seemed to rile Chase more, and he stormed towards the both of them. Before he could pull Sophia from Luciano, the latter spoke up.
“Non e quello che sembra, Don,”
{“It’s not what it looks like, Don”}NôvelDrama.Org holds text © rights.
Chase roared. “Allora dimmi che cazzo e. Il suo palmo sulla tua guancia e tu che le tieni il polso. Dimmi!,”
{“Then tell me what the fuck it is. Her palm on your cheek and you holding her wrist. Tell me!”}
Sophia flinched, too afraid to even peek at him. She could imagine how red Chase’s face would look.
Luciano replied in a calm manner. “Fidati di me, Don, non e quello che pensi.” He wasn’t scared for what Chase would do to him. Rather, he was scared for Sophia. He was well aware that Chase was angry after so many years. Fuck, Chase never felt any type of emotion in him for years. They all knew that, but had been hopefully waiting for when he would eventually be able to feel something and even after knowing it would all come with full force, they wanted to be there for him. It was obvious after his lust for Sophia, the anger Chase was feeling at that moment was the second emotion. Luciano could clearly see the unexpressed anger of so many years brewing in Chase’s eyes, waiting to finally be unleashed there and then. He was sure Chase would do the unthinkable, and as much as he was delighted that his cousin was eventually becoming normal, Luciano didn’t want Sophia to witness something as horrific as that unthinkable thing Chase would do.
{“Trust me, Don, it’s not what you think.”}
Chase scoffed out loud for the first time. Again. That was definitely one of the four things he had done after a long time ever since Sophia innocently found her way into his life. He didn’t like it one bit “Sei il mio fottuto sangue, Luciano Romano. Sai che non sono un grande fan della fiducia”
{“You are my fucking blood, Luciano Romano. You know I’m not a huge fan of trust”}
Luciano wanted peace to reign. He didn’t want to have issues with his cousin. The only person that took him and his siblings in, rather than murdering them just like he’d done to their father. “Okay allora, va bene, Don. Mi dispiace di essermi avvicinato a lei. Non succedera piu.”
{“Okay then, fine, Don. I’m sorry I went close to her. It won’t happen again.”}
Chase stared at Luciano for a while without blinking his eyes and flickered his gaze back to Sophia, who was still hiding behind Luciano. He looked back at Luciano and fisted his collar in one of his fists, making Sophia to gasp. “Never” He held him down with a dark, warming stare. “Non ti avvicinerai mai a cio che e mio. Non lo sai, ma sono un uomo possessivo quando si tratta delle mie cose” He then let go off his collar and walked to Sophia. “Come” He roughly gripped her wrist and pulled her upstairs with him.
{“Never will you ever go close to what’s mine. You don’t know, but I’m a possessive man when it comes to my things”}
~~~
Sophia clawed at Chase’s arm as he walked into his room, and he let go of her wrist finally. “I-oww!” She yelped when he took her off guard by forcefully grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to him, her forehead colliding with his strong chest. Sophia raised up her other hand to rub the spot but her palm didn’t reach there because Chase gripped her other arm too and she looked up at him.
“You are mine,” He growled, staring down at her. “You don’t hide away from who owns you, Gattina. You don’t do that”
{“Kitten”}
“What-what are you saying? I-I didn’t hide away fro-,”
Chase cut her in by slamming her back against the wall. “You did” He seethed out. “You hid away from me behind his back, and you shouldn’t have. Did you think he would save you from me? Did you?”
Sophia shook her head, tears already flowing down her rosy cheeks. “I-I’m sorry. Please-” She whimpered. “You’re hurting my arm. It’s hurting. Plea -please let go”
Chase tightened his grip on her arm and turned to he could drop her on the bed. He hovered over her. “Am I hurting you now? Tell me” His grip loosened a bit on her arm.
Sophia didn’t say anything. Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind, and she whispered out. “Chase”
Chase was taken aback for a second. She never called his name in that way. If she wasn’t calling his name when she was in pain, then she was calling his name to stop him from doing something. Either way, he had no problem with its long as it was her sweet, melodic voice that said his name out like that.
“I-,”Sophia began. “I-I want to go to college” She only hoped he would agree. It was her only way of being away from him. She could also visit her Nana. “I can’t stay here doing nothing. I don’t want to be a burden”
“You’re not a burden, and you aren’t doing nothing. You being in my bed is enough” His tone returned back its normal cold way.
“No” She shook her head. “I want to do something for myself. I have my studies to complete, and I can’t -”
Chase cut her in. “You aren’t going to college, dammit! Don’t you get it?”
The tears returned. “But ”
“If you want to study, you can do it online. You’ll use my laptop. Come to my study anytime you want and use it” Chase knew exactly what she was doing and wouldn’t let her leave. If she really wanted to study, fine, he’d let her study. But only at home. He already had plans of doing dirty things to her on his study desk.
Sophia stayed silent watching him. A part of her told her to refuse his offer that he had other plans, but she wanted to study. Badly. “O-okay”
“Tomorrow then?” He arched a brow at her. “You’ll start studying tomorrow. I’ll have Lucas to set up everything you need in my laptop”
“T-thanks” She nodded and exhaled out as she watched him move away from her. At least, he wouldn’t touch her.
However, Chase had heard Sophia when she exhaled, and he knew why she did that. Instead of giving in to his urges to take her there and then, he ignored her and turned his back to her. “Go to bed,” He began to unbutton his shirt. “I’m going to have a shower,” He fully pulled off the shirt as his muscles flexed, revealing the tattoo of the snake on the skin of his back.
Sophia swallowed as she stared at the tattoo. It was the exact same type she’d seen on his cousins’ wrists that night in the coffee shop. Just that the one on his back was a bigger one with its fangs out as if ready to bite its prey. She didn’t know if it was just her eyes betraying her or not but the tattoo of the snake had a darker shade of black on it.
She blinked and turned her face away with a furious blush when Chase spoke up.
“Quit staring at me else I’ll be forced to change my mind about not fucking you now. I’m trying hard to help ease that sore between your legs for next time” With that, he strolled towards the bathroom.