Solace, p.1
Solace, page 1
Blurb
Layla
I had to run, I had to keep myself hidden or he would find me.
I couldn’t marry Ricco, he was everything I despised, he was a monster.
Somehow, I managed to fall into the wrong hands…
In the darkness of the enemy and to save my life, I had to lie.
I’m a Dellucci, and we’re at war with the Conti’s.
I had watched people be murdered, souls stolen, girls used, and games played, all in the name of power.
I must play his game, in order to stay alive.
Antonio
I am a Conti, who is out for revenge after Dellucci killed my father, if I could get him then his pathetic side-kick, Ricco will follow.
I want to wear their blood.
I found out that Dellucci’s princess had gone missing, and I made it my mission to find her, she was the perfect way to get Dellucci and Ricco in my grasp.
One day I found myself in a strange position, a young woman had managed to get passed my crazy security and onto my land.
How does that happen?
If she could do it, so could my enemies.
Somehow, she managed to make my cold heart beat again and I took pity on her.
Little did I know what the future and effects of her secrets held.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblances to persons, organizations, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Solace. Copyright © 2024 by Holly J. Gill.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews.
For information, contact Holly J. Gill.
Cover Design by Raven Designs
Formatting by Sienna Grant
Edited by Stacey’s BookCorner
Contents
Trigger warning
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue
All About Holly…
Holly’s Social Media…
Holly’s books so far…
Trigger warning
Here she was so pretty, delicate under my devil's control. I was going to steal her, make her mine, claim her as my possession.
This book contains scenes of a dark sexual nature and violence. Please heed the trigger warnings shown before going any further:
Graphic violence
Torture
Sexual situations
Signs of Rape
Chapter
One
DANIELLA
Ihad no idea how on earth I ended up in the back of a car, I was simply looking for somewhere to hide, and couldn’t risk being seen. I was shocked when the car door opened, I mean who the hell leaves their door open in this neighbourhood?
Hell, the crime rate was shocking, with guns, knives, and fights, I heard they used anything they could get their hands on for a weapon, broken glass, screwdrivers, it all happened here. You certainly didn’t leave your home at night, and there was me, on the run, hiding from any possible onlookers, trying to stay alive.
I tried many cars before this car door, to my surprise opened. I quickly climbed inside and crouched behind the driver’s seat. I’d been on the run for the last few hours, hiding wherever I could to avoid being seen or found. Thankfully it was dark, preventing them from finding me so easily, the last thing I wanted was to be caught and taken back to the miserable life I had. I needed to get as far as possible in order to save my life.
I tried so hard not to breathe or make a sound, I was so anxious to the point my body was paralyzed, one slight move and I’d be caught. I scrunched up in the tiny area, thankfully I was small anyway. Truthfully, I couldn’t handle being treated like a possession, or prisoner anymore. I had lived, heard, and witnessed things I wished I hadn’t; some of those turned my stomach. Many images haunted me day and night, and I often woke up screaming. My papa showed no remorse, control, or feelings, he was made of steel and so was his heart. You betrayed or became my father’s enemy, you’d better run; he wouldn’t stop until he had drained you of your sanity. You were ready for a wooden box if you were that lucky and not dumped somewhere or fed to the animals.
I tried so many times to block out the sounds of those times, putting on my headphones and listening to music, just to stop the screams from piercing my eardrums. My papa never thought twice about who was around and witnessed his and his slave’s evil ways. His recent game was trying to get me to marry Ricco. I was twenty-two and not ready to commit my life to anyone, especially that monster. Ricco was nothing but an arrogant, evil, vindictive man, who would stop at nothing until he got what he wanted. I had so much I wished to see and do with my life, before handing it over on a plate and sacrificing the only morals I had left. Of course, I knew my dad wanted me to marry as soon as I was able to and had spoken of it since I was a child.
You will marry a good man, who will look after you.
His words spun around my head like a tornado about to make landfall. Only when he told me he wanted me to marry Ricco, my stomach somersaulted. Not only was he twenty years older than me, but he was also scum and made my skin crawl. I guessed you could say being the daughter of the Godfather of the Italian Dellucci family was never a good thing. I was born into the Mafia where you’d be mad to cross them, and we were also at war with another Italian family, why? I had no idea.
All I knew it was with the Conti family and that wearing their blood was something my papa loved to do and saluted. Personally, blood wasn’t my thing, I hated the sight of it and thankfully when papa had finished with his victims, his fools would come in and clean up making sure that there was no evidence left.
Suddenly the doors to the car opened and I froze on the spot, not daring to move an inch or breathe.
“Well, I can thankfully say, he fucking deserved that the lying bastard,” a deep male voice said.
“I doubt he’ll be saying much from now on,” the other male replied as they both chuckled.
I swallowed and with my mouth open, breathed, trying not to make a sound. The car was started and put in motion, I had no idea where I was heading or if I was safe. What I did know was that when an opportunity arrived, I would jump out and run. I was so desperate to get away from my house before my papa made me marry Ricco which was set for in a few months. Now that man was a whole other nightmare, he was my father’s second in command and had done nothing but flirt and try to get me to fuck him since I was a eighteen. His face was a scarred mess from whatever he had done over the years.
All of papa’s men were made with no heart or shame and were vultures that would kill for the sake of doing so. They didn’t give a fuck and would take whatever came their way. Idiots, and all for my ungrateful father. Ricco often tried to force himself on me, rubbing his damn erection up against my stomach or thigh while breathing his musty breath on me. He would try to grope my breasts only I would push or step away from him. There was nothing I liked about the man, either way, my papa found him wonderful and the best man to help with running his businesses and clubs, it was all that mattered.
My chest was tight, and I had to keep calm even if my stomach somersaulted. The silence was all I relied on at that moment and nothing else as I hid in the back of this car, going goddamn no idea where. I had to try and keep myself hidden, from these men.
The car slowed down as I tried to stay still, even if I was tempted to look up and see where we were and maybe jump out. I dare not even breathe, so they wouldn’t discover me, this was a nightmare. My damn right leg got cramp, with my uncomfortable position being all huddled in a small, confined space, but what other choice did I have? One of the men’s phones started ringing and it was put on hands-free.
“Hey, boss.”
“Did you, do it?” said another male voice, full of sternness and authority.
“Yeah, it’s done.”
“Good, I’ll see you back at the house, as we have another problem that needs resolving.”
“No problem boss.”
The call ended and I had to somehow get the hell out of this car and get as far away as possible. I did not like the tone of the conversation, fearing once again, I had managed to climb into a car that was potential trouble. I had no idea where we were heading, well I did a house, but who’s? My heart told me it was nowhere I wished to be.
Damn, I needed to start a new life where no one knew me.
Maybe that was my answer.
I scrunched up my nose and chewed my lower lip, aware that it sounded like a good idea and what did I have to lose. Nothing. Of course, like usual it would never be that straightforward, I had no money, identification, or any clothes, only what was on my body and that wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
What the hell was I thinking about leaving with no cash or clothes?
Yes, I left the house in a hurry, I saw an opportunity and ran. I had no choice. I just couldn’t bear another day listening to my patronising papa while Ricco tried to get in my knickers and lick my face, it was getting beyond the joke. I saw an opportunity to run, and went. I was a girl in turmoil.
I heaved my breath; I had the chance now to try and… well, I was unsure what to do. I really never did think about my options and I was stupid not to have things in place or a bag to grab when like this evening, the chance came.
Did I wish to kick myself, yes.
The car slowed down, and I tried to lift my head to see where we were or if I could jump out of the car and leg it, only if I did then the driver and passenger would hear and see me.
My God, what situation had I landed myself in now?
My papa would’ve had every little detail planned and I… I must have had my mother’s blood, the mother who had died five years ago in a terrible car crash. My mamma had been my rock and soul, we did everything together. When I heard she and her driver Paul had died, I was destroyed, a large part of me died that day as well. Her funeral was horrible, I hid my face under a lace veil, too broken to utter a word to anyone. Of course, people gave their condolences, but I just nodded in reply. Even the Conti’s turned up, I had no idea if they were there to rub it in Papa’s face, or to make sure his wife was really dead.
I still felt there was something untoward about the accident, as the details had never been given and my papa never wished to speak of it. Each time I asked, he gave me a glare that stoned me and made me crawl back to my room. I had photos of my mamma, but the ones around the house had been removed. I’d argued with my papa when he told the maid to take them down… he told me, it was time to move on with our lives.
What? It was my mamma; his wife and he acted like she… well, never existed.
I had a few friends, maybe, they were worth trying to ask to hide me for a while.
Only, did I trust them?
I hadn’t seen any of them for a while as Papa stopped me from going to college, said it was too risky with the Conti’s out for revenge. I suggested bodyguards but typically Papa said no. I was doomed and had to sit around that mansion twiddling my thumbs like a fool.
The car slowed down to a mere stop, and I argued with myself about whether to jump out or not and was just about to straighten up when the driver put his foot down. I sighed and rolled my eyes; this was harder than I first thought. I’d spent hours running through woods and streets to end up going… knowing my luck somewhere I’d regret. After what felt like ages of being stuck in a confined space, the car soon slowed down.
This was it; this was my chance to get out and start running again.
The car stopped, and I lifted my head to see what was ahead, there were these large black iron gates, that slowly started opening. As I shifted my bottom and reached for the door handle the car started moving again.
Porca puttana…
The car was back in motion, and I was stuck for a little longer. All I needed to do was get out of the car and run, go to a friend’s house, and seek refuge until I got my head together and started making a new plan. The car stopped, and the driver and passenger climbed out and started talking to someone. I lifted my head just to have a glance as the men from walked into a fortress of a house on my right side, shaped in a L. I looked around and noticed lights placed on the driveway and, on the house, making it appear like it was under a spotlight.
I checked again to make sure the coast was clear, only to find my legs felt like spaghetti. I sat up on the seat and rubbed up and down them to get the blood flow back. I scanned my new surroundings and wondered which direction I could head in to escape without being seen. It was pitch black, so to see anything other than the lighted area’s was impossible.
I glanced at the large house, it was so big and reminded me of my home, the porch was massive with two steps heading up to an arched doorway, with potted palm trees each side. I looked to see on the corners of the walls, and yes surveillance cameras, shit, shit, double shit. My chances of getting out this car without being caught looked slim. After some consideration, hiding in the car all night wasn’t an option, so, unless I wait for someone to come back out and move the car, or take it off the land. My head was all over the place. I am cold, tired, hungry, and fed-up. How the hell did I end up in these situations?
I shuffled across the seat to the left-hand side and checked to see if anyone was about. I couldn’t see anyone and decided to take the plunge. I opened the car door, just enough to get my body through, and sneaked out, keeping my head and body low behind the car. Crouched down I closed the door and moved to the back of the car, as I kept a look-out for anyone. I heard male voices and laughs and dropped my body down, but not too low so I was still able to see what was happening, there were two men stood at the door having a cigarette.
I had no idea what to do… I looked over my shoulder in the direction of the lit driveaway and saw the gate in the distance, I was unsure if I could run back to it without getting caught. I looked around the area and noticed some large trees, shrubs and what looked like an eight-foot brick wall, surrounding the property, which reminded me of home. I had no idea how I’d escape other than through those gates and hoped they opened easily. My heart thumped against my chest while I was trying to decide, I had to do something as hiding behind this car wasn’t going to keep me safe.
The things you had to do to get the freedom to live your life the way you want to.
Why was it such a difficult task?
I waited for the two men to finish their cigarettes before I decided to move and get the hell away from this place before I was found. With my body stooped low, I stared at the gates and without hesitation ran, keeping my head and body down, praying I wouldn’t get caught. I ran for my dear life and kept checking over my shoulder to see if anyone was coming or if I’d been seen. I swiftly dashed down the driveway. Panic took over fearing I would get caught, my heart hammered inside my chest, my mind, deeply worried if they saw me, I don’t know why but the house, looked as bad as home, spelling bad news. I could be of course wrong, and judging wasn’t always right, but call it a sick sense.
I ran as fast as my feet would carry me, until I reached the eight-foot wall with the gate to my left. I stood under a tree by the side. I gawped at the eight-foot metal gate, that appeared to look electric. I sighed, fears of using this as an escape route looked disappointing. Unless I wait and hope that someone would either drive out or come in, giving me a chance to sneak through and run.
The waiting took forever, it was a good job it was a warm night as otherwise; I would’ve been freezing my tits off. I sat down under the tree behind shrubs wishing for a chance to, but also it gave me time to think about my miserable, complicated life and how I hated it. The way I saw it was, that I never wished to return to my papa’s house and have Ricco drooling over me. I wanted a fresh start, somewhere where I could be me and not be kept hidden away. I knew Papa was only looking out for me, and I sounded like a spoilt brat, but who else would appreciate being held like a prisoner in her own home? My eyes became heavy as tiredness overtook me, I tried to keep them open but was fighting a losing battle, I nodded in and out of consciousness, and then my eyes finally closed.
Woken suddenly by a loud sound, I opened my eyes and tried to see what it was as my heart jumped in and out of my chest, I was tired and groggy, and had no idea how long I had been asleep. I noticed the gates were opening, so I quietly rose to my feet and stayed back, not wishing to be seen. I held onto the tree as the gates fully opened and in drove a car and it was then that I saw my opportunity to get the hell out of there.
In a fast motion, I ran to the gate as they were shutting and ran through, then stopped on the other side of the wall. I sighed with relief and glanced back to the house, I was finally free, it was now time to get myself far away from here. Pleased that I had successfully gotten out of the house without being caught, I ran down the road that had trees and shrubs to my right. I carried on moving as fast as I could when I heard the sound of vehicles approaching. Not wishing to be discovered I dashed into the trees and towards a thick set of shrubs to hide in. My pulse drummed in my ear as my heart skipped a few beats, I was so desperate not to be caught. The car travelled slowly passed me, my mouth suddenly went dry as I feared for my safety.
