Chapter Two

Gabriella

“Damn!” I gasped as I threw my eyes open, the fluorescent lights above me were harsh and piercing, intensifying the dull ache at the back of my skull.

Was the nightmare over? I asked myself, as the fog in my vision began to clear, I can still remember Marcello men dragging me into the Van, my feet cutting on broken glass and my dress torn beyond recognition.

I still can't forget that damn smirk on Marcello's evil face as he claimed me as his plaything like I was one of his properties he just acquired, his pride and joy.

It made me mad with anger and I wanted to stab him across the neck badly.

Then I remembered my father was dead, his last words still echoed in my ears and that reopened the wound.

God knows I wanted to protect him, but it was too late I couldn't even defend myself, they were too strong.

And now I had somehow miraculously landed here, in a fully furnished room that resembled a suite.

An expensive one. With expensive artworks on the beige-painted wall. And the bed, well it was bigger and softer than anything I'd ever slept on.

It felt like a rich person’s prison.

Was this his twisted idea of me serving as his mistress or wife?

Instead of feeling impressed, my stomach twisted in a knot.

“Where the f*ck am I?”I asked myself rhetorically as I sat up slowly rubbing the back of my neck feeling so weak all of a sudden.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. “What have those fools done to me?” I almost cried. This made me have adrenaline that pushed me towards the door and yanked at the handle in fear.

I banged on the door with both fists, hoping someone would come to my rescue. “Help! Please somebody help me! Let me out of here please!”

Yet no one came to my aid. I was left in silence.

I tried again, and again, and again. But I got nothing in return.

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Calm down Gabriella, you just need to think fast.”I snarled, but it was hard to think straight when you have just been held against your will in a strange place you don’t recognize.

I thought of jumping out the window when the door clicked open.

It swung open slowly, and there he was, Marcello Ricci strode into the room like he owned the air that I breathe, I swallowed back the words that failed to escape my lips as I watched as his two masked men flanked him, I recognized them, they were the same ones who’d dragged me out of my home and took me to this strange place.

Immediately, I was on high alert, my fingers trembled as I spoke. “Stay away from me!” I shrieked, still moving backward until my back was touching the cold wall.

He didn’t respond, he just gazed at me in amusement, as if he were watching a circus, he worr a crisp black three-piece suit. The jacket hugged his broad shoulders, he was so tall, almost like a giant, compared to me.

“You need to let me go or just kill me right away! Do you hear me? Kill me now because I would never agree to be your wife, never!”

A smile played on his lips followed by a dry chuckle that rolled from his throat, it wasn’t warm it wasn’t even human. It seemed like he enjoyed seeing me in distress. Made me wonder if he gets off by simply seeing me in pain.

I waited for him to respond but he didn’t and it was driving me crazy.

“What are you waiting for, Don? Kill me! After all, you killed my father, an innocent man who did nothing to you, tell me what he did wrong to deserve such treatment?”I asked as my voice cracked as I fought back the tears from coming.

He didn’t respond, he just stared at me dead in the eye, his lips turned up.

But I know he knew my poor father didn’t deserve this; I didn’t know their dealings but he had always been heavy on protection like he knew this day would come.

“What’s the big idea, huh? Answer me! What do you plan to do with me? Lock me up in this…. Fancy room? First, you kill my family, take over my territory and now you lock me up like I’m your prisoner?”

He was smirking harder now like he was enjoying every bit of my frustration and anger. Then it dawned on me that he would never listen to any of my pleas because he didn’t have a heart at all, and I was alive only by some miracle that’s now if he came to kill me.

“Just get on with it” I muttered, at this point it felt like I was talking to myself.

Until he cleared his throat loudly, his eyes slanted as they stared down at me, his dark eyes intimidating.

“It’s nice to see you awake, wife,” He said calmly.

“Well, it’s not nice to see you !” I retorted and he chuckled instantly as if I was cracking the world's funniest joke.

“I know this is hard for you, but with time…. You will adjust to Ricci's way of life!”

I let out a bitter laugh that almost hurt my chest. “Adjust to what? I’d rather burn in hell than adjust!”

“You are already in hell honey, and you will do what I say. You will crawl when I ask you to. And if I tell you to bark, you will, because you belong to me, now .”

A scoff rolled off my lips. “I’d rather eat shit than do any of that, MARCELLO!”

“Then you will be punished!”

A whiff of fear passed through me but I wouldn't let him sense I was scared of him.

“I don't give two f*cks!” I yelled. “You can do your worst.”

One of the men stared at him, “Boss, should we deal with her….”

Marcello raised an index finger, his gaze still fixed on me. He then smiled at me like a psycho who just escaped an asylum. “I said, no one touches her except me!”

He retreated but I couldn't help the laugh that exploded inside of me.

“Oh my… not only are you an evil pervert, you are also delusional!”

Yet he remained calm, then he motioned to the second guard who stepped forward and placed a silver tray on the mahogany table next to me. He opened the bowl letting out the steam in the air, it was soup, bread, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

“That’s your breakfast,” Marcello stated coldly.

My stomach rumbled and my mouth watered at the sight of it but I ignored it, it didn't matter. I was too hurt and scared for my life to pay attention to food right now.

Instead, I grabbed the tray and hurled it in his direction.

The ceramic shattered at his feet staining his expensive brown leather shoes. His suit was also soiled in soup and his cheek was bleeding, a shard had cut it. A satisfied smile escaped my lips.

The same man who'd spoken earlier took a step forward, “Boss, let me…”

“Stop!” Marcello ordered and I flinched immediately, the guard stepped back obediently. Marcello touched his cheek then brought his finger to his mouth licking the blood, his eyes remained on mine.

Then a slow dangerous smile spread across his lips like venom. “That’s your breakfast gone, I’ll see you at dinner, Gabriella.”

With that, he turned to leave.

“No! We are not done! You need to free me.” I yelled after him. “Let me go, please, I’m begging you!”

But my pleas fell on deaf ears, he was already gone but his men remained.

One squatted to clean up the mess I’d made, while the other, the one who desperately wanted to deal with me, stood at the door frame, his gaze almost stabbing me.

“I don’t know why the boss is being so merciful to you,” he began, his voice rough and husky. “But if he ever gives me permission to deal with you, I’ll make sure I crack every bone in your body and you will have no choice but to join your father in hell.”

I swallowed hard about to respond when the other guard cleaning, stood straight, trash bag in hand, pistol in the other. “That’s enough Scorpion! He said not to threaten her, "don't be stubborn.”

Oh my god.

I froze instantly. I knew that voice. The one cleaning the floor. It was so familiar but I couldn’t place it.

“Hold on,” I called after him, my eyes slanted. “Do I know you? You sound very…”

He didn’t let me finish, instead, he gathered his cleaning tools and walked away as if I was insignificant.

The other guard scoffed at me. “Mind your business, weirdo, and watch your back!” He threatened as he exited my room.

But I didn’t care, I just stood there, trembling, staring at the door. My mind reminisced on the voice I’d just heard. I know I heard it before but not here.

My heart began to race so hard I could hear it in my ears.

The question was, who was he?