Exposed to Him

Copyright © 2022 by L. Aquila All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. Cover: Aisling Magie-Pretty Indie cover designs, [email protected] Formatting: Champagne Book Design Editor: Kim Huther, [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven About the Author Prologue I pull up to my house, noticing the door is wide open. This is unusual, considering I live in a mini-mansion that for the most part has security around the clock. I squeeze my locket that always hangs loosely around my neck as nerves swarm my belly. The first couple of steps I take I notice small drops of blood. Goosebumps cover my skin and a shiver runs down my spine. I’m about to backtrack and call Mom, when I see a shadow emerge in the doorway. Then the figure comes into view. “Luca? What are you doing here?” You can hear the trepidation in my tone. His eyes widen and then move up and down my body. He then grabs me by my shoulder, pulling me into the house. I gasp out loud, not fully understanding why my father’s business associate’s son is in my home alone. That’s when I see my father lying on the floor. Dead and still, blood is surrounding his body, and his cold, dead eyes are wide open. “What the hell have you done?” I scream, running over to my father, kneeling by his side, completely shocked he’s dead. “He fucked up and had to pay,” Luca says, showing no emotion. My throat feels like its closing in as air tries to break through my lungs. I start to cry and cry so much I can’t see him anymore in front of me. My vision is blurred. “Now that he’s out of the picture, you and I will wed sooner. No fucking excuses and no running or I will find you, Erica, and I will kill you.” Luca is now bent down, whispering in my ear as I cry for my father who lies lifeless on the floor. A Fresh start—One year later My mom and I drive down the road where you can smell the fresh ocean air as we make our way to the Ocean State. Rhode Island, here we come. It’s a long way away from California. The wind blows my long dark hair in my face, and I feel a calmness wash over me. My mom and I have been through a lot this past year. After my father was killed, I was basically a slave to the Vasquez family. My mother fought as hard as she could to keep the peace, but they owned us. My father was in the Italian Mafia. We were the family who had it all until we didn’t. I was the mafia princess in California, soon to be wed to Luca Vasquez. Or should I say forced to be wed. I didn’t love him. I’m too young, and he’s a cocky asshole who will sleep with any woman who gives him the least bit of attention. I played my part for as long as I could until my mother and I could make our escape. The night we left the Vasquez home was the night we were free. Free of the evil fucking people who thought they could control us. I know what Antonio made my mother do, and I know she knows what I was forced to do, but we did it to stay alive and that’s why we are still alive. I touch the locket on my neck. The gold oval shape is smooth on my thumb. The locket is engraved inside. It says ‘beating as one.’ My mother is a true romantic and she always tells me that I will find my real prince one day and our hearts will beat as one. I hold on to the locket and her words because I do want to find a man someday who will make my heart soar. Someone who will make me feel safe and truly loved, not afraid, used, and vulnerable. My dad was the underboss for the Italian mafia. The people he worked for are lethal and extremely dangerous. We lived in a house that you can only describe as a mini castle. Now, we are left with hardly anything, barely scraping by as it is. I was once known as the mafia princess and now I’m a nobody. To be honest, I never liked the attention it brought. I had an arranged marriage that I thankfully escaped, but the damage that Luca caused is already done. Luca Vasquez was not only the son of Antonio Vasquez, but he was pernicious in a way that scared the shit out of me. He’s the tall, dark, and handsome type, but with the devil lurking behind his piercing gray eyes. I shiver just thinking about him. He took me when I didn’t want to be taken. He used me and made me feel like I was an object. I am done with that life