Current Mantenuta ~~~

Valentina POV

Light filtered into the room, streaks of blinding sunshine that roused me from a fitful sleep. I could barely bring myself to open my eyes. All night I had tossed and turned, convinced the lock on my door would mean nothing to anyone who wanted to enter. Namely, someone with bright blue eyes and a nasty disposition who liked to kidnap and drug young women.

The only way I’d been able to relax was knowing Dimitri slept a few doors away. I rolled onto my back and studied the plaster ceiling. If I were going to find a way out of this, I couldn’t stay in bed or hide in this room. I had to get out and explore, look for weaknesses. Try to come up with a plan to escape. Even if Dimitri had resigned himself to this marriage, I certainly hadn’t.

Thankfully, the bathroom had been stocked with every toiletry I might possibly need, mostly high end Italian brands we couldn’t get in Canada. The closet and wardrobe were full of clothes, from yoga pants to designer dresses.

Even La Perla bras and panties, though I don’t know why they bothered with such sexy undergarments. No one here would see them. I rose and dressed for comfort, choosing jeans and a t-shirt. The jeans were a perfect fit, though the shirt was a bit tight across my breasts. I decided to leave it on. Maybe my boobs might distract some of the guards from my escape efforts.

After I was ready, I slipped into the corridor. The house was quiet. Dimitri ’s door was closed, but I remembered the way to the kitchen so I started downstairs. Hopefully Ravazzani slept late like his son. The smell of freshly baked bread made my mouth water. In the kitchen, I found Zia taking something out of the oven. She’d brought me tea last night and I instantly liked her.

An older woman with greyish-brown hair, she was Ravazzani’s father’s sister, and had lived in the castle ever since her husband and son were killed years ago. Unfortunately, she didn’t speak much English. “Hello,” I said as I walked in.

She smiled at me and held up the tray. “Ciao, bella. Caffé?” I sat on a stool at the island. “Sí. Thank you.”

Soon she set a cup of espresso in front of me along with a basket of croissant-like things. “Mangia, bella. Cornetti.”

I couldn’t resist a pastry, especially a warm pastry. I might be a prisoner, but I wasn’t dead. I was enjoying my third one when Dimitri came in, fully dressed and hair styled, looking like a movie star. He kissed Zia’s cheeks and then reached for a pastry. “Buongiorno, Tina . How did you sleep?”

“Like I’d been kidnapped from my home and brought to a foreign country.”

“Sounds about right,” he said with a half smile. “I’ll take you around the estate today. We can even sample some wine and grappa, if you’d like.”

“There are vineyards here?” Dimitri smiled at me. “Vineyards, olive groves, animals. Our soppressata is second to none. You’ll love it.”

“I’d rather go home.”

“Come on. You don’t want to stay inside all day.” True, plus a tour would help me learn the property. “Okay.”

Heels on the tile caught my attention. I looked over to see a tall brown haired woman stride into the kitchen like she belonged there. She was beautiful and thin, her tiny silver dress showing off a figure any model would kill for. The heels made her legs look even longer. Who in the hell Was she? “Good morning, Zia. Dimitri . I just wanted to take one of Zia’s pastries on my way out.”

Her accent wasn’t Italian, but I couldn’t place it. Eastern European, maybe? Zia gave the woman a tight smile, but Dimitri was slightly more welcoming. “Buongiorno, Katarzyna.”

The woman plucked a pastry out of the basket on the island then cocked her head at me. “You must be the fiancée.”

“I’m Tina .”

“I suppose we’ll be seeing a lot of each other, then.” From the stove, Zia made a noise in her throat that sounded disapproving. Dimitri put down his espresso cup. “Our driver will take you anywhere you want to go, Katarzyna.”

“I’m aware, Dimitri . This isn’t my first time.” She rolled her eyes, though a smirk remained on her face. Strolling back the way she came, she looked over her shoulder. “Thanks, Zia. Your pastries are the bomb.”

When the three of them were alone again, the silence was oppressive. Zia looked murderous and Dimitri appeared embarrassed. I couldn’t figure out why, but a sinking feeling in my stomach suggested I might. Zia crossed herself and muttered in Italian. Dimitri answered her but I didn’t understand any of it. “Who was that woman?” I asked.

Dimitri sighed. “Katarzyna is my father’s current mantenuta. Do you know what that means?”

I did, Kept woman. That woman was Ravazzani’s mistress And she had...slept here last night. In his house. I didn’t care that he had a fuck toy. I was just surprised at seeing her this morning. Yes, the hollow feeling in my stomach was definitely a surprise. “Oh. She seems….” I couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Comfortable here,” I finished. “She’s not terrible,” Dimitri confirmed. “But I never interfere in my father’s personal life. Don’t worry, she won’t last long. They never do.” They didn’t? It seemed Ravazzani was even worse than I suspected.

“They never do, what?” a deep voice asked. My body jolted as the devil himself walked into the kitchen, looking disturbingly sexy and annoyingly refreshed. And why wouldn’t he be? He hadn’t spent hours in a dungeon last night.I studied him through my lashes, unable to help myself. His grey suit was all perfect crisp lines and luxurious fabric, and he wore a blue tie that complimented the colour of his eyes.

Hair wet, he’d obviously just come from the shower. Had Katarzyna been in there with him? Had he screwed her in the shower? There are no unwilling women in my life, Valentina .

I had to stop thinking about him, stop noticing his looks. I didn’t like the way the hairs on my arms stood up every time he walked into a room. An attraction to this horrible and dangerous man the person who had locked me in a dungeon, for fuck’s sake was out of the question.

“Niente, Papà,” Dimitri said, his posture stiffer now that his father was in the room. Ravazzani bent to kiss Zia’s cheek. “Buongiorno, nonnina.”

His expression was soft and affectionate as he hugged her. Zia smiled but hit his shoulder with her palm as she seemed to admonish him in rapid Italian. Dimitri leaned over to me. “He calls her granny all the time just to get her worked up.”

I frowned. I didn’t want to see this side of the elder Ravazzani, the one that teased his aunt, whom he obviously loved. I needed him to remain one hundred percent cruel and heartless.

Ravazzani started to brew a cup of espresso, then he leaned against the counter and spoke to Dimitri in Italian. The only word I caught was “blood.”

I wished they would speak slower. I knew some Italian, but not enough to keep up with this rapid pace. I would definitely need to improve my language skills in the next few days to aid in my escape.

Dimitri ’s face darkened, clearly unhappy with whatever his father was saying. But he nodded. “Sì, Papà.”

“This pleases me,” Ravazzani said in English, gesturing to Dimitri and me. “The two of you will spend time together and get acquainted. It’s more than most of us had before our weddings.”

Then he said it again in Italian for Zia, who responded with something that made Ravazzani laugh and my breath caught in my throat. The harsh lines of his face eased and his mouth curled, all manly charm and Italian beauty, and I felt a tug of arousal in my belly. I needed to get a grip on myself. I could not be attracted to him.

“What did she say?” I asked, desperate to take my mind off his looks. He sipped his espresso and studied me over the rim. “She said it was intentional, that my ugly face and surly disposition would have scared off any potential bride.”

Well, I agreed with half of that description. “Or your dungeon,” I couldn’t help but add. The mood in the room shifted instantly. Dimitri didn’t move, while Ravazzani pinned me with a cold stare that reminded me of a Toronto lake in the winter. I saw him flex his hand, which had a small bandage on it.

“Did you enjoy your short stay in the cell, monella? Because I would be happy to escort you there again, should you give me a reason.” The thought of returning to that small damp place sent waves of terror along my spine, and my skin grew cold and clammy. I stared at him with all the loathing I felt in my soul.

“Basta, Papà,” Dimitri said, telling his father that was enough. Ravazzani carried his cup and saucer out of the kitchen, departing without another word. “You mustn’t antagonise him like that,” Dimitri warned. “And definitely never in front of the men again.”

“I am not here to play nice. I am here under duress, and I want to go home.” Dimitri shook his head sadly. “We rarely get what we want in this life, Tina . It’s best you accept your fate now.”

Before I could ask him to explain, he held out his hand. “Let’s go outside and explore, eh?”

After I thanked Zia for breakfast, Dimitri and I went through the back door and into the morning sunshine. Somehow I would use today’s outing to my advantage and figure out how to escape this nightmare. The estate was nothing like I imagined.

Dimitri was charming and funny, escorting me around the property and introducing me to the workers. We saw the famous black pigs, rare and prized in Italy, and tasted the prosciutto and culatello made from them. There were sheep, cows and goats who were milked to make cheese.

Lemon, fig and chestnut trees dotted the hillside, but olive trees were predominant here. When Dimitri let me taste some of the Ravazzani olive oil, the number of olive trees suddenly made sense. The oil was better than any I’d had in Canada, even the kind we imported from Italy. I couldn’t stop asking questions of the employees, and Dimitri translated as necessary.

The workers seemed proud of their connection to the Ravazzani family, many continuing in the footsteps of previous generations who had worked here. I wanted to ask if they knew their employer was a kidnapper who drugged and spied on women, but I suspected Dimitri wouldn’t translate it for me.