CLAIMED - Chapter 33: Chapter 33

The water caressed Lorenzos skin as he stood under the shower head. The boiling water was burning his body, but he only tightened his knuckles in response to his screaming body. The memories of him and Marco flooded in his mind. He didn't want to admit it, but he was feeling so empty and disappointed in himself. He didn't have the guts to face his brother and tell him that he hated him. hated him for walking away from him, when he needed him the most. They were best friends and brothers. Had he forgotten? Did he even think about him when he ran away? Does he regret it? Another punch was delivered to the wall as more blood poured out of his hands. He looked at his busted knuckles and touched his jaw that was probably bruised now. It had been numb after Marco had punched it, but now it had started to throb lightly. Suddenly he remembered Diego and he sighed. He hadn't spoken to his friend properly. He was trying to push away the hurt he had felt Diegos words.
"Yeah, and don't worry. I will remember to enlighten Sara about your arrival in hell too".
Lorenzo looked at his hands in the shower, that were stinging by the hot water. His sight got blurred when unasked liquid brimmed in his eyes. he closed his eyes and got out the shower. Not bothering to put on a shirt, he wore his low hanging sweatpants as he looked at himself in the mirror. He sucked in a deep breath at his toned and muscular chest that was covered in old scars from bullets and knives. He looked away quickly, not wanting to dwell on the matter. He felt betrayed by everyone. No one knew and cared about how he felt. Deep down, they knew Lorenzo deserved the pain, he thought to himself. That's why Diego had said what he had said. The truth comes out when you are angry, he told himself.
What his mind didn't think about when it thought about betrayal, was Bella. The girl who was sitting in her apartment as sulking to herself. She knew that he had something important he had to discuss. It was his job! She mentally scolded herself. She had grown really attached to Lorenzo and wanted to be with him every second of the day. She wasn't stupid. She knew she had a crush on him. the beating of her heart, the blushing and butterflies weren't unnoticed by her. Don't be too clingy, she told herself. Minutes passed before Bella thought about James. A frown soon replaced the smile, as she remembered that Ali was in town. She didn't want to disturb them. She was even done with the exams and waiting for the results! Diego needed a time off she considered when she thought about how low he was feeling. He had told Bella that he felt bad for what he had said to Lorenzo. Too ashamed of his actions, he didn't want to speak about it too much. "Time heals wounds" she remembered telling him. She lurked on her social media for awhile before she stopped in a sudden. "Who am I kidding? I am Isabella fucking amore. I can call him whenever" she said, picking up her phone.
In Lorenzos dark and dull room, he sat on the bed quietly. His eyes were set on the gun on the floor.
"I won't be able to do it Charlie. My hands won't listen to me" a young Lorenzo whispered to a young Charles.
"God doesn't put you in a position you can't handle, kid" the elderly man told him, looking straight into his eyes. Truth to be told, Charles was seconds away from bawling his eyes out, staring at the innocent kid in front of him. He knew that this had to be done. They were far too in for them to turn their backs on the gang. If Lorenzo, the new heir, didn't accept the gang, they would all have to return back to their unsafe and cruel lives. Not only that, but they had too many enemies now. Everyone was waiting for Morettis next move. However, it pained him to witness the cuelty that would change the little boy.
"Do you know God, Charlie?" the young boy asked, looking up at Charles. Charles chuckled, looking away to wipe the tears away from his eyes. He nodded hastily. "Well, tell him that my heart is pure"
The sentence had been the last straw for Charles as he held onto the boy tightly and cried out loudly. His cries echoed in Lorenzos heart, getting trapped. He took the gun from Charles hands, comforting the man who was crying out loudly. The gang looked at them through blurred sights and aching hearts. Their capo had been murdered and the hurt of that lingered in their hearts. Watching Lorenzo take the gun was an oath for everybody. Familia before everything else.
Lorenzo picked up the gun from the floor, tucking it in his waistline. Rummaging through his clothing, he picked up a knive and put it in his pocket. He also saw a cigar and mentally thanked himself for leaving it there. He parted his lips, placing it between his lips. He lit it up and was about to take a drag, when a stone hit his window. "What the fuck", he muttered confused, before he heard another stone colliding with his window. "I got time today, Bitch" he muttered under his breath, taking out the knife, ready to slaughter the man that was fucking with him.
However, his knife was set to shame in his pocket when he witnessed the beautiful sight in front of him. Bella. She was standing outside his window in her pink pajamas and his oversized blazer, holding what seemed like roses and chocolate? A grin made its way on Lorenzos face as he opened the window, looking down at her. His heart skipped a beat in his chest, but he didn't care. He had accepted it by now.
"Ey, amore!" Bella shouted at him with a glint in her eyes. Lorenzo chuckled at her, secretly loving the attention she was giving him. "A birdie told me that your heart is shattered. Want me to help with placing back the pieces?" she spoke with utter confidence. It was dark, but she could still make out his smirk. Lorenzo however, was about to faint. His hands felt sweaty and his throat had a big lump in it.
"Are you asking me out, stranger?" he asked back, his ears getting blessed by hearing her beautiful laugh. "Well, yes I am amore. Get dressed in something casual" she winked at him. Lorenzo told her to come in from the front door as he threw on a hoodie and a snapback. He was surprised by Bellas confidence, but he wasn't complaining. The night had just gone better for him by seeing her smiling face. He walked downstairs and opened up the door to see Bella stretching out her hands that held a bouquet of roses and a chocolate box. Lorenzo didn't move his eyes from her when he took the things from her hands and put it somewhere in the hallway. "Do you flatter every boy like you are flattering me, miss?" he asked her jokingly, to which she nodded. In an instant he moved closer to her, lightly pecking her lips. "Thank you" he whispered to her, seeing her cheeks flush red. Bellas heart was jumping jacks at the fact that he 1) looked so freaking hot at in casual attire 2) He had just kissed her!
However, her smile was soon replaced with a frown when she watched the bruise he was trying to hide with the hoodie and snapback. She held his face in his hands, feeling him lean in closer. Nuzzling his face in her hands. Her heart warmed at the sight, but her worry for him was stronger. "What is this?" she asked him, caressing the bruise with her thumb softly. "The gang likes you" he told her, in an attempt to change the conversation. However, he knew she was stubborn. "yeah? Do they like me enough to tell me what this is?" she asked looking straight into his eyes. The mafia man had gone soft for her and it was obvious by how he sulked when she removed her hands from his face and stepped away from him. he didn't like the distance, snatching her wrist to tug her closer to his body. He nodded his head at her question, wanting her to change the topic. "Do they like me more than you like me?" she asked him in all seriousness. Lorenzo pulled her flush to him, his heart burning with jealousy. "No one likes you more than me, amore" he whispered to her, to which she smiled at him. "Then tell me?" she insisted with a pouty face. Lorenzo cussed under his breath. "Brother fight" he shrugged to which she raised her eyebrows and let out an "ohh". Whipped
"Well princess, you are in for a treat. I will take you to the best night ever!" She squealed as she ran away from him to...Diegos Motorcycle? Lorenzo furrowed his eyebrows as he saw her grinning from ear to ear while patting the motorcycle. He had always been too fancy to ever drive one. According to him, a man had to drive his own car. But, now that he stood looking at his woman tapping it, it didn't look too bad. "Arent you a gentleman?" he asked, taking long strides towards her, but was stopped when she held out her arm. he looked at her confused before taking her hand and kissing it, before holding it in his. She chuckled at his idiotic moves. She hadn't expected that, having in my mind that a kiss wasn't what she meant! "First, you will have to do something" she spoke, looking up at the handsome man in front of her. He was staring at her lips, but was brought out of his trace when she slapped his arm lightly. "What? Kiss you? Gladly" he answered, leaning in. Bella had noticed his needy and touchy mood, giving in the kiss when she felt his lips on hers. The kiss was slow and sweet and she felt his hands making their way to her bottom, squeezing it lightly. After a while, they broke apart to catch their breath. Lorenzo kissed random spots on her neck, not being able to restrain himself any more. He just wanted her in bed with him. Oh, the things he would to her, he thought as he heard her moan in his ear. "Lorenzo" she gasped in his ear, clutching to his hoodie. He had put on his snapback the other way, to properly please his woman. He pulled back when he was content with the large hickey on her neck. He looked into her eyes, drinking in the honey in her eyes.
"Do you have any weapons on you?" she asked him, when she had collected herself. Lorenzo shook his head at her, to which she raised her eyebrows. "You know me too well" he muttered to her as he pulled out the gun and knife, handing it to her. She beamed at him, and ran to one of the bushes, hiding the weapon. Lorenzo watched at her innocent act with amusement. He looked at how she ran to the motorcycle and sat down first. He narrowed his brows at her, before chuckling. "You gonna drive?" he asked through chuckles. She nodded her head at him and answered "I am the man of today, amore" she teased him. He looked at her longingly before answering "You are mine, whether it be a woman or a man" he said before smiling at her boyishly. Bella watched how he genuinely smiled at her before settling himself behind her, grabbing her small waist.
§
"Buddys Pizzaria" Lorenzo spoke as he saw at the unfamiliar restaurant. It was small and cozy, with a few people in it. It was late night, so it made sense to him. the large sign above the restaurant spelled the name that Lorenzo had uttered. Any other day, he would have never stopped here. He was always expected to be in a fancy restaurant with expensive and overpriced clothes that were uncomfortable to sit in. Now he was standing outside this pizzeria with lazy clothes and Bella who were in bright pink pajamas and his blazer. Not to mention, their ride that was parked so badly that Lorenzo cringed at the thought. However, he liked it. It felt normal. he looked at Bella who was waiting to see his reaction. She was nervous, he could tell. "Taking an Italian to a pizzeria, eh?" were the only words spoken from him. Bella laughed and started walking in the pizzeria that she was so fond of. It was one of the first places she had found when she moved there. Lorenzo followed her like a lost puppy, quickly grabbing the door handle and opening the door, so Bella didn't have to open the door. she smiled at him as a thank you.
"SUGAR!" A thick Italian accent boomed in the restaurant. Bella turned around to see the familiar face, that she had missed so much. "BUDDY!" She shouted back, running in the arms of an elderly man. Buddy was a middle aged man who was the owner the store. He owned it with his wife, who had been an emotional support for Bella. They didn't have any kids, so they saw Bella as their own. Buddy had watched Bella in the hard times when she had moved. She had cried alone in the restaurant, thinking that no one saw her. But the couple had and their kind hearts had ached at the thought of the poor child crying. Every visit after that was contained with them entertaining Bella and uplifting her.
Lorenzo, who didn't know about Buddys kind heart, didn't like his woman hugging him. he stepped closer and cleared his throat, separating the two. Buddy looked at the young man in front of him and then back at Bella. He couldnt remember from where he had seen the man before. He was unrecognizable with the bruise and changed attire. The stubble on his face, added change to his features.
"Lorenzo, this is Uncle Buddy. Buddy, this is my friend Lorenzo" she introduced the two. Lorenzo catched up on the phrase "Uncle" and straightened his back quickly. Buddy noticed, but didn't comment on it. He also saw the way the supposed "friend" looked at her with love. However, he knew that it wasn't his place to tell. There will be a day where they will know themselves.
"Nice to meet you sir" Lorenzo uttered seriously, stretching out his hand for Buddy to shake.
Buddy smiled kindly, taking the hand in his. "Nice to meet you, son" Buddy spoke with kindness, leaving Lorenzo to wonder if everyone Bella knew where kind.
"Okaaay uncle and amore! My stomach is DYYYING" Bella spoke up, looking at them both with boredom. The boys chuckled at her, before Buddy patted Lorenzo on his back. "Take a seat. I will bring the best pizza you kids will ever taste!" he said before walking away.
Bella and Lorenzo sat down, away from everyone else. They could see the city lights from where they sat, but Lorenzos gaze was stuck on Bella.
"What?" she asked, smiling, as she noticed Lorenzo do that thing with his eyes. As if he was admiring her.
"Nothing, sugar" he answered, looking at her chuckling.
"We should play a game. 20 questions" Bella uttered, looking at Lorenzo with challenging eyes.
Lorenzo smirked at her, adjusting his snapback. "Nah" he said, leaning in. "Why?" Bella asked confused. "What do I get from this?" he asked her more clearly. He saw as she rolled her eyes and held up her hands, pretending to hold a knife and "stabbing" her chest. He laughed at her before seeing a small smile spread on her face. "I am not initiating a business deal silly!" she explained laughing. "Okay, one kiss after every question. Deal" he spoke fast, not giving her time to respond. "SHOOT" He hurried her.
"What does your work consist of?" Bella asked the question to which she wanted a detailed answer. Lorenzo sucked in a breath at the question. He had expected her to ask him what his favourite drink at Starbucks was, not this.
"Erm okay" He coughed before looking at her directly in her eyes. "I am basically the mafia leader. So I tell people what to do and some things I just do myself. I sell and buy drugs both here and in Italy. I own some casinos that I have inherited after my father. Clubs, resturants, hotels, blah blah. I race cars down town and get paid for that. Street fighting and such is also a part of the whole "thing". Sooo yeah" he explained, scratching his neck. He knew Bella wouldn't leave at the confession. She had seen him kill a man!
Bella nodded, urging for him to go next. "When were you going to tell me that you called Caleb that day you ran away?". The question came as a shock to Bella, who looked at him with widened eyes. Lorenzo wasn't smiling. All the jokes were sat aside. "I-I-I don't know. And I know that isn't an answer! But, I was just scared of you beating the crap out of him again" she confessed, not looking at him. Lorenzo felt a pang of discomfort at the thought of her with someone else. He held her by the collar of his big blazer that she was wearing, pulling her to him. she looked at him with wide eyes, seeing him close his eyes as his lips neared her. she closed her eyes kissing him softly, but pulled away too fast for Lorenzos liking.
"Is Marco your brother?" she asked the next question. Lorenzo nodded, firing away "Do you trust me?". Bella didn't take a second before nodding her head at him, seeing him smile. She flushed red, quickly leaning over to peck his lips so that he wouldn't see. Lorenzo however, had seen and was more than happy.
"Why do you say that I am yours?" Bella asked the next question. "Cause you are" Lorenzo spoke with utter confidence. "I am not" she objected, but was stopped when she felt his hands on her thigh. She shivered under his touch, pleasing the Mafia king. "Do not lie to yourself amore. I can see that you like me just as much as I like you. You were jealous that day I went to the strip club" he told her. Bella gasped as she slapped his hand away. "I was not!" she hissed at him quietly. He laughed at her reaction. "Are you a virgin?" he asked her next. Bella shook her head at him. "No" she answered him hesitantly, waiting for his reaction. She could tell that he was mad by the way he looked out the window, not wanting to pop out in her "Uncle Buddys" pizzeria. Bella giggled at his reaction, finding it funny. "Tell me a name" he spoke, still not looking at her. Bella shook her head quickly. "nooo that's cheating. Its only one question!"
Lorenzo didn't care about her game anymore. He was pissed! He tapped the place beside him, wanting her to sit beside him. Bella giggled, as she sat still in her place. Lorenzo stood up and stretched out his arms, pulling her to him. he hugged her as he sat down on his previous place, with her in his lap. She squealed as she tried to pull away. She looked around, not wanting people to see. Lorenzo didn't care, directing her face to him and kissing her passionately. He wanted to remind her of who he was. A possessive freak.
"What is your last name?" Lorenzo asked in between the kisses and Bellas pushing him away and laughing at him embarrassing her. Suddenly she went still. A shiver running down her spine. "Khair" she breathed out, looking at Lorenzo. Isabella Khair Anwar. He smiled at her adorably. "it suits you amore. Is it Arabic?" he asked her curiously. She shook her head. "Persian. My father was Persian" she smiled at the thought. Lorenzo had picked up on the "was" and decided not to press the matter. Instead, he kissed her forehead, snuggling closer to her.
"My parents died. I don't know how though. My brother didn't tell me. I moved her to forget and move on and......I am doing a pretty good job I guess" Bella explained further, feeling Lorenzo sooth her with circles on her back.
"I am here if you have to talk about it. You know, "a shoulder to cry on" or whatever the saying is" Lorenzo responded. Bella nodded at him, looking away. She felt guilty for not telling him her last name, but she didnt fully lie. She had told him her middle name and that was more than enough. She couldnt risk someone finding out about her. There must have been a reason to why her brother had told her to hide. She knew that he wouldnt have made her escape otherwise.
"PIZZA IS HERE SUGAR"