REGINA NERA (Black Queen)

8. Regina

Past

"I won't marry him," I say, my voice strong with false bravado. Papa slaps a hand on top of the table, making me flinch. De Angelo just left after spending the entire night ogling me like a creep. I can't stand him and despite how much Papa hates me, I can't believe he's trying to force me to marry him.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion. "

"I will die before I marry De Angelo"

"Then f*****g die, Regina, but know that you will show up to that wedding. Dead or alive" his harsh words tear another piece of my heart away. This is not the man I grew up with. This is not the father who, up until two weeks ago, meant the world to me. Ever since he found out about my relationship with Chris, he changed into someone else. I thought he'd be happy that I found love. That he would only give me a hard time, but eventually agree to my relationship because he loved me and wanted the best for me. How very wrong I was. Now Chris is dead and I'm set to marry one of his associates because he said so.

Pushing my chair back, I get up and head to my room upstairs. Talking to Papa is useless. I'll have to find another way to get out of this marriage. Either that or I swear to the heavens I will f*****g kill him on the wedding night. Or maybe I should kill myself. While he's busy waiting for me, I can slit my wrists or take a few pills...

Halfway up the stairs, a wave of dizziness assaults me and I cling to the banister to stop myself from falling. As much as I threatened to die, I don't actually want to die. I just turned nineteen and have my whole life ahead of me. But Chris is dead. What right do I have to live? If I hadn't convinced him to be with me, he would still be alive. Tears well in my eyes and I force myself to continue moving until I reach my bedroom and lock myself inside. It's a wonder I don't have a bodyguard stationed outside my room or following me everywhere. Then again, the threat has been eliminated. What could Papa be guarding me from?

How did I go from being the most spoiled mafia princess to a pawn? This can't be my fate. I refuse to accept this. The wedding is a month away which means I have four weeks to come up with a plan.

But two weeks later, I have no plans and news that I'm sure will make Papa fly off the handle. Chris used to say I was a spoiled princess who wouldn't survive in the real world. I now understand what he meant. It occurred to me that I have no close friends or relatives whom I can turn to. I was so busy trying to be untouchable that I forgot how to make friends. But marrying De Angelo is out of the question. Especially now. Maybe Papa will change his mind if he finds out I'm pregnant.

"Get rid of it"

I almost choke on the food I was chewing "What?"

"There will be no bastards in this house. The wedding is two weeks away. Get rid of it before then"

"This is also your grandchild, Papa. I will give him up for adoption and marry..."

"I won't repeat myself. Get rid of it while I'm still being nice to you. The doctor will check you before the wedding and if I find out you're still pregnant, you will regret defying me"

"Oh yeah? What will you do? Kill me the same way you killed Chris?" He looks up and for a moment, I'm sure he's going to take out his gun and shoot me but he just smiles. Except this isn't the smile he used to give me. No. His mouth is pulled up at the corners but the look in his eyes is terrifying. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before.

"If I wasn't so angry, I wouldn't have killed him. He would be in the basement getting his f*****g nails pulled and his d**k nicely peeled. Don't try me, Regina. You have no idea of the kind of torture I can inflict on you"

Who is this man and what has he done with my Papa?

Later that night, I decide doing anything is better than waiting for my demise. Because there's no way I'm going to abort my child. He's the only memory I have of Chris. The only thing that proves what we had was real. I can't get rid of him. The only idea I came up with was running away. I'll hide until I give birth then figure out the rest from there. A week before the wedding, I wait until Papa leaves for one of his dinners, take the small bag I packed, and sneak out. Security is not as tight as I thought it would be. I guess they think Papa put the fear of the devil in me and I wouldn't attempt anything. I left my phone and credit cards so they wouldn't be able to track me. Instead, I took most of my jewelry. Once I run out of the cash I have, I can pawn them.

However, once I'm out of the mansion, I realize how foolish I was. f**k, I should have taken the credit cards and maxed them out.

Where can I go with a few hundred grand? checking into a hotel is out of the question. Half of the people in this city work for Papa. They will tell him where I am and I can't imagine what he'll do to me after he finds me. The only option I have is to leave the country or... The other half works for Gambone. Papa's rival. They don't know me so to them I will only be another guest in their hotel. It must be my lucky day or some higher power is feeling sorry for me because the receptionist doesn't kick me out even though I'm sure she knows who I am. I almost cry when they let me check-in. I spend the next two days locked in my room, afraid that the moment I leave, Papa's men will find me. He must be losing his mind over my disappearance but he'll never storm in here unless he's looking to start a war.

My wedding day arrives and passes without someone knocking the door down and dragging me back home. But two days later, I find myself out on the streets without a single penny. Like an i***t, I chose a VIP room and ended up using all the money I had. Why didn't I think of staying in a regular room? Or a rundown motel?

"Because you're a spoiled brat" The words ring in my head reminding me of Chris. He used to call me a brat all the time. If he was still alive he'd know what to do. Maybe I can go to his apartment... Of course! Why didn't I think of that? It was his and the last place Papa would ever look. It's also a twenty-minute ride from where I am. Surely it can't be that far on foot.

An hour later, I feel like walking in front of a moving bus. I'm not even halfway there. I was kicked out before I had breakfast so I haven't eaten anything today. My legs are killing me and I feel dizzy. Oh, how the great Regina Vincelli has fallen. Never in my life did I think I would be so broke that I couldn't afford cab fare. At this rate, I won't be able to make it to Chris's apartment. It occurs to me that he was a made man so he had to have a stash of cash somewhere for a rainy day. With that thought in mind, I hail a cab and sigh with relief when I finally sit down. In just a few weeks, my life has changed but I can't allow myself to think about that. At the moment, all that matters is giving birth to this child. After that, I'll figure out what to do.

"Ma'am we're here," The driver says a few minutes later. I blink at him and then look out the window. I'm pretty sure the ride was less than fifteen minutes. How long would it have taken me to walk here? Another hour or thirty minutes?

"How much is it?"

"Twenty dollars"

"Can you wait here while I go get it for you?" I say getting out. Before I've even closed the door, he's right beside me.

"Are you trying to scam me?"

"What?"

"You're dressed in expensive clothes so I'm sure you can afford twenty bucks. I'm trying to make ends meet, lady. Don't mess with my work and just pay me"

"I will. Just let me go up to my..."

He suddenly grabs my hand "No f*****g way. Pay me first"

"Are you serious? Let go of me. You can even come up and wait..."

"Not happening. You're not going anywhere until you pay me"

"Get your filthy hands off her!" Someone says making us both freeze.

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