Debt to the Mafia

Chapter 4

I hissed at the stinging of the water hitting my open cuts as I stepped into the warm shower. I’m covered in them from head to toe from being dragged and fighting people off of me. I didn’t realise just how many cuts and bruises I had. 

I closed my eyes as the water trickled down my body. I just wanted to be back in England with my friends. I no longer wished to be with my family because of what they have done. I was beginning to hate my dad severely. I washed the dirt out of my hair and cleaned my body gently, trying to avoid the cuts. When I finished, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist. I wasn’t hungry at all so I had decided to skip lunch. Besides, Michele said it himself that he didn’t care if I went or not. 

I unlocked the bathroom door and carried my clothes in my arm. I walked out into the hallway and was greeted by Michele who was leaning against the wall beside my bedroom door. He looked unimpressed and slightly mad. 

“What have I done now?” I groaned. 

Michele raised his brow at me and replied “I thought I told you lunch was in 15 minutes, you’ve been in there for half an hour”. I didn’t actually realise I was in there for that long, I must have been daydreaming too much.

“You said you didn’t care if I ate or not” I reminded him. 

Before he could say another word, I hobbled on my wounded feet to my door and opened it. Michele followed me in but his body language changed. I turned to look at him and was shocked to see him looking at me sympathetically.

“Amelia, sit down on the bed” he instructed. I narrowed my eyes at him with distrust and refused.

“I’m not going to hurt you, just sit on the bed”. 

I hesitated for a moment but then decided to do as he said, I perched myself on the end of the bed and looked up at him. My hair was dripping down my back and I was wearing nothing but a towel. He slowly made his way over and squatted down in front of me. With his left hand, he lightly placed his palm on the back of my calf and lifted my leg onto his knee. He inspected the cuts I had on my feet and legs. I watched the concentration on his face as he looked over each wound. He then mirrored his actions with my other leg and stood up. I was surprised at his ability to be gentle.

“Don’t move, I’ll be back” he said and left the room. 

I didn’t know what to think about his sudden change in behaviour. He caused half the cuts I have on my body and most of the bruises, why does he care now? He came back into the room moments later holding a first aid kit. He sat down on the floor in front of me and took one of my legs, placing it on his lap.

“What are you doing?” I asked, but surprise, surprise, he didn’t answer. Instead he took out an antiseptic wipe and started dabbing it on my cuts. I hissed at him and he looked up at me with amusement.

“Finding my pain funny?” I scowled. 

He smirked at me and then continued to focus on my cuts. His hands were shockingly soft and warm, every time he dabbed at a cut he squeezed ever so slightly with his other hand on my bare skin. It was silent; not an awkward silence but more of a content silence. He wrapped a bandage around my foot and I narrowed my eyes.

“I don’t think that’s necessary” I said. Without lifting his head he scoffed.

“Do you want them to get infected?” He asked rhetorically, wrapping the bandage with care. 

He finished up and packed the first aid kit back together. Without speaking a single word, he got up off of the floor and headed towards the door. 

“Uhhh... Michele...” I stammered. He turned around to face me and placed his hand on the door handle. 

“Thank you” I said in defeat. 

He pressed lips together and smirked before closing the door. What was that all about? I’ve never seen him act so... caring before. I need to snap out of it. He’s taken me away from my family and away from my home, he’s caused a lot of my wounds and he’s a dangerous man. I can’t trust him! 

Three hours later it was late afternoon when I heard a knock at my bedroom door. Ricco entered the room with a purple wrapped box in his hands. I sat up on the bed and looked at him with questioning eyes.

“Miss Johnson, you’ve been requested to join Michele on a business dinner tonight and this has been left for you to wear” he informed me and placed the box on the bed in front of me. 

“A business dinner? I didn’t think you guys did stuff like that” I said. 

Ricco chuckled and replied “we do a lot of things that might surprise you”. After a moment I sighed deeply and shook my head.

“Tell him his request has been denied” I finally said. 

“What?” Ricco scoffed and raised his brow.

“I’m too tired, I haven’t slept for over 24 hours and I’m exhausted” I explained and Ricco chuckled.

“When Micky requests you to do something, he isn’t actually asking” he said.

He then left the room and closed the door behind him, leaving me to roll my eyes with frustration. I opened the box and pulled out a long, navy blue, strapless dress that had a slit down one side of the leg. It was beautiful and although I couldn’t stand Michele, he had great taste in dresses. 

I got off the bed and held it up against my body in front of the mirror. It was so elegant and made me look classy. I couldn’t shift the feeling of excitement as I imagined myself going to dinner wearing the dress in New York! Okay, calm down Amelia, you are still a prisoner and this is not the time to lose your head. 

An hour passes by and Michele walks in unannounced. He was wearing a navy blue suit with a black tie and smart black shoes. His hair was swept back neatly and he was wearing an expensive Rolex watch on his wrist. Michele’s face turned tense when he saw me sitting in bed still dressed in my casual clothes. 

“What the f**k Amelia! Why aren’t you dressed?!” I scowled at him as he yelled at me from across the room. 

“It’s bad enough that you have ‘bought’ me from my family and taken me to a completely new country, but you expect me to go out to dinner in less than 24 hours of you taking me? Pah! No thanks” I snapped and folded my arms across my chest. There was a few seconds where Michele was still and silent. That was until he clenched his fists and charged towards me, grabbing the dress from the table and throwing it at me. 

“Put the f*****g dress on now! We are leaving in ten!” He shouted.

“And how do you expect me to wear heels with my feet in the state they’re in?” I snapped. 

“Not my problem, you can f*****g suffer for all I care!” He yelled and slammed the door after he exited the room. My heart was beating out of my chest from the rage I felt. How dare he come in here and scream at me like that. Maybe earlier was just an act and he doesn’t really care at all.