Tristan Torrelli, the King of the Italian Mafia, a name that strikes fear in the minds of many and the living nightmare of every mob boss. He ruled this city and very much the entire country from the shadows.
He hurried to her side and picked her up with a pang of regret, he hadn't intended to let her find out in such a rash way.
His first trip to Italy was very much selfish, he wanted revenge and she was a way to get it. But when he sat across that room watching the way she associated and talked to people, he knows Irene O' Connor was definitely not the woman he expected.
She had that naive and innocent look in her eyes, her irises deep hazel with the power to take his breath away. And in those quiet moments when they'd walk hand in hand at the beach, he knew she was his Queen.
She had a clean record, she wasn't into anything shady and she was an asset he needed for his revenge. And as a bonus, he bagged a wife, one that Suki strongly disapproved of.
But the tiny problem was that she didn't associate with the men from the mafia like every normal woman who'd want to live a good life, instead she warmed up to the English men, rejecting every advances by the men of his world.
So he prepared a perfect facade, the perfect gentleman, using every act in the book to make her his, the mere thought of how much work it took to make her his always made him smile. He'd usually just tell them who he was and they'd already be in his bed.
***
Irene woke up with a slight headache, she was back in the room with the dragon patterns but the only thing that changed was Tristan's worried face.
'of course I was dreaming, how could Tristan hold a gun, let alone shoot someone.'
"Tristan!" She hugged him.
"Cara."
"Did I sleep too long, I had the craziest dream and..."
"You weren't dreaming, Irene."
"What...no, you don't know the..." She slowly pulled away as she trailed off looking directly at the tattoos in his arm.
"Tristan..."
"I'm Tristan Torrelli, the king of the Italian Mafia." At that moment she felt sick, like she'd been living in a dream all along and someone dumped cold water in her head to wake her up.
The Tristan Torrelli he spoke of was a monster, one that Louis and Chad often spoke of, how had she been so dumb, she had never asked for his surname, she just called him Tristan all the time.
But how could the blood shedding Torrelli be the man that always carefully picked her favourite flowers and play with her on the beach. He couldn't be.
"Tristan...my love... Oh I get it." She laughed.
"You almost got me there, one of your pranks." His face remained expressionless and in that very moment it dawned on her, she felt the tears run down her cheek.
"Carrisima."
"You lied to me."
"I didn't lie."
"You told me you were a business man."
"The mafia is my business, cara, I never said I was some sort of entrepreneur."
"You manipulated me."
"We are smitten by each other." He was already getting annoyed, the sooner she understood that this was her life now, the better for both of them.
"No Tristan! I was smitten by your charade." She yelled in his face.
"You made me think you were a legit business man, not some criminal." She knew her words were sharp but at that moment she didn't care what she said.
"You never asked the type of business, this..."
"You hid the tattoos, I just thought you loved sleeves, I didn't think that... You're just another blood thirsty killer." He grabbed her neck and pulled her to him, they both glared at each other.
"Irene, if you really think I'm just another blood thirsty killer... Why don't I kill you right now." She gulped.
"This is your new life Irene, you are my new Queen."
Queen?
At that moment, she loathed that word.