Page 45 of Merciless Queen (Moretti Mafia #1)

Harlow

I had been Harlow Moretti for five weeks and free for almost four months.

So much had happened in so little time. Time wasn’t moving like molasses now that I was able to bask in the sun and do the things I was once deprived of.

Freedom was terrifying. I was in a constant battle with my mind, half terrified that this was a false reality and I was going to wake up any moment, chained to Vincenzo’s bed.

I was not going to lie, living in the darkness protected me from my mind.

There was no hope trapped in that hellhole, no reason to cry or beg when the men there would beat us for it.

As much as I hated to admit it, I gave up and accepted my fate.

Out of the shadows, it was hard. I was constantly scared, balancing on the edge of sanity with my frayed nerves stretched thin.

There was some progress, though, when I was not jumping at the creaking floorboards or screaming when one of Caterina’s men accidentally brushed against me.

My mental health was slightly better, but it was still a hassle fighting my mind.

Caterina was my saving grace, and I was positive that I was falling in love with my domineering wife.

She treated me with a kindness I never expected, without looking at me with pity in her green hues.

Caterina listened to me even if I talked about the same thing over and over.

We laughed together, something I hadn’t done in a decade, and her laughter was something I never could imagine coming from someone like her.

For a big, bad mafia leader, she had an infectious laugh that somehow eliminated the darkness within me.

When I wanted to have sex, she would explore with me.

Sometimes I would have an orgasm and sometimes I didn’t, but I was learning what I liked.

She awakened new parts of myself that I never knew, cherishing me like I was special.

Her touch was always delicate, but electrifying.

She made me feel alive for the first time in ten years.

Being in love with her was also terrifying, because she already told me she'd never love me.

Today I had my first self-defense class with the woman Caterina trusted most. She was supposed to be here earlier, but got caught up with something else.

People didn’t believe he’d come for me now since he hadn’t done anything since killing Angel.

His only retaliation was killing a bright soul in a dark world.

There was still guilt in my chest anytime someone mentioned her name, but no one was angry with me or blamed me beside myself.

Vincenzo was obsessed and wouldn’t rest, but maybe I was truly free.

Caterina left a pair of black leggings and a black sports bra with a white long sleeve shirt in case I felt insecure about my scars.

I was slowly learning to embrace them, accepting the story they told about my survival, but I was still insecure about strangers seeing them.

All I knew about this woman was that she was a close friend and a part of the Russian mafia.

Caterina said she was the best and she was deadly, which were the only two things I cared about.

I pulled my hair into a high ponytail as I made my way to the gym downstairs. Caterina and the woman were both sparing on the mats when I stepped inside. When Caterina glanced at me, the woman grabbed her, spinning her and pinning her to the mat.

“Distraction is a fast killer,” she said casually, her Russian accent thick. This woman was gorgeous in an intense, ethereal way with raven black hair and deep, dark blue eyes.

“Fucking hell, Natalya. You cheated.”

Natalya rolled her eyes. “If we were in a fight, you would have died. No distractions.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Caterina grumbled as Natalya helped her up. “Harlow.” She lifted her hand, waiting for me to step forward and grasp it. “I want you to meet Natalya Novikov.”

“Petrov,” she corrected. “I adopted Roman’s name.”

“She is the best assassin for the Petrov Bratva, although she is freelancing for other families. She is skilled and one of the best fighters I know. She’s trained me and Spencer. I trust her to take care of you and train you.”

“Cat informed me of your situation, and I apologize for the torment you've endured under Vincenzo. He is a vile little man. If I could kill him, I would.”

I nodded, looking at the woman. She was built like a brick wall.

“You are skinny. First thing we need to do is fatten you up. Lots of protein to help build muscles.” My cheeks burned.

“No need to be embarrassed. Warm up on the treadmill and we will do some sparing techniques. I will be here twice a week. In between visits, train with Cat.”

After two hours passed, my body hit the mat with a thud as Caterina pinned me.

She straddled my hips and smirked down at me with a wicked grin.

I felt like I shouldn’t be turned on by this, but there was a heartbeat between my thighs and heat kissing my cheeks.

For a moment, we forgot about Natalya stalking us in the corner because Caterina kissed me with fervor, and I bucked my hips against her, causing her to moan into my mouth.

“Ladies, if you are going to rip each other’s clothes off, wait for me to leave.”

Caterina looked at her with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “What? You don’t want to watch?”

“Fuck off. I’m leaving. I’ll be back on Friday. Until then, train. If she’s not throwing you on the mat, I will kick your ass. This is training, not an erotic fantasy.”

“Couldn’t it be both?” I giggled.

She glanced at me before glaring at Caterina and walking out of the gym. Caterina smiled back down at me, adjusting her hands and moving a strand of hair out of my face. “You know how hot it would be to fuck you in my gym?”

“I have noodle arms, legs, and brain. I can’t feel my toes and I am sweaty. Let’s save that fantasy for later down the road.”

“Deal. Now, let’s shower. We’re going down to the gardens.”

I arched my brows. “Why?”

“You’ll see.”

Our quick shower turned into an hour-long shower, steam filling the bathroom until the water turned to ice and killed my orgasms. Caterina had a bench in the shower, which was fantastic because I would have been mush on the shower floor.

The orgasms she’d given me in the time span of our shower made my jelly knees worth every minute.

With one final kiss, I dressed in the jeans and knit sweater she laid out for me while she dressed in her normal black pants and dark button up.

Caterina took my hand and walked me out to the cabin.

The weather was finally warming up, but winter still had a small grasp.

I was jovial to experience spring again.

She took my hand and walked me out back to the cabin where the dogs were. Under the oak tree was a flannel blanket with roses and a picnic basket. Lucifer and Titus waited on the edge of the set up for us and when we got closer, Caterina allowed them to attack me with kisses.

“This is for me?”

She nodded. “You said you wanted to go on a real date, so here we have it. There is nothing more romantic than a picnic.”

Romantic.

Did she not realize that this was more than I could’ve asked for? It wasn’t helping my growing feelings for her when she did this kind of thing. I was falling in love with Caterina Moretti, and I knew it was going to end in heartbreak. The one rule of this was to not fall in love, but here I was.

Falling for her.