Sold to the Mafia Boss

When life kicks you down.

(Maria)

Working at the diner took my mind off of my troubles, at least for now. After I explained everything to Elaine, I sat there and cried for nearly an hour before the afternoon rush came in. I wiped my tears and got straight to work. A few of my regulars asked if I was OK, due to my red and puffy eyes. I simply smiled and told them I was fine, but deep down I wasn't. I just wanted to finish work and go home. I looked at the clock hanging by the door, 09:15p.m. I still had another hour and a half on my shift. I could do this, I just had to keep telling myself that. I pushed myself hard, cleaning off the tables, bringing out food, and taking orders. Before I knew it, it was already 11:00p.m.

Finally, I walked the last customer out and locked the doors, turning our open sign-off. I leaned up against the door for a moment before grabbing the mop bucket. The coolness of the door felt amazing on my hot skin.

"Are you going to stand there, or are you going to help finish cleaning so we both can leave?" Elaine asked, giggling.

"I'm coming." I responded.

It took us less than twenty minutes to finish the cleaning. Elaine and I grabbed out time cards and clocked out. I waited with her outside as she locked the diner. I was all too grateful to be done with this day. I had made two hundred and fifty bucks in tips, so I wasn't complaining. All that was left was for me to head home and unwind from today's events. I began walking home. I got a few feet from the diner and felt like something or someone was watching me. Get a grip Maria, it's all in your head.

I wanted it all to be in my head. So far, everything that has happened to me is nothing but bad luck. I picked up my pace, hoping to get to my house faster. I turned the corner and was relieved when my house came into view. I walked up the steps, pushed my key through the lock and swung open the door. I took one step inside and realized something was wrong. I ran upstairs, back downstairs, through to the kitchen, into the living room, everything was gone.

Was it not enough for my father to clean out my bank account? Was it necessary for him to pack up everything and move while I wasn't home? This betrayal was like a hard slap to the face. I picked myself off of the floor and headed to my room. Hopefully my father didn't find the loose floorboard. That's where I would stash some emergency money and my diary. I walked into my room and headed to the corner of the wall, right where my bed used to be. I gently pulled the floorboard up, and there under a piece of cloth was my diary and the emergency cash. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I put my diary and the money in my bag and placed the floorboard back in its place again. I got up quietly but stiffened when I heard talking coming from downstairs. Who the hell was in my house? I walked as gently as I could to the doorway to listen in, but immediately became scared.

"She's supposed to be here. It looks like the gambler took her and left." His accent didn't sound like he was from colorado.

"That old geezer doesn't have the balls to hide his kid. Massimo wants her brought back. She's to be his bride, so search the house."

Who the fu.ck is Massimo? I know I've heard that name before, but from where? I moved quickly and quietly towards my window and slid it up. My only way out of here is through that window. Luckily, my window faces the backyard and, from what I can see, there isn't anyone back there. As soon as I'm on the roof, I can hear the talking getting closer up the stairs. I can't risk getting caught, lord only knows what they have planned for me and why. I jumped and just barely landed on my feet when my ankle twisted the wrong way, sending a wave of pain throughout my entire left leg.

I gritted my teeth, to stop me from screaming out. The pain was so intense, making it hard to walk. I needed to keep going. I'm no sore loser, so I pushed through the pain and walked out from the back gate. I made it three blocks down the road when a black SUV pulled up next to me. When I tell you that, I nearly pissed, myself, thinking it was the same guys at my house that pulled up. Thankfully it wasn't, but I wasn't too thrilled to see the same guys from my school either. The same guy who grabbed me at school exited the car, holding the door open.

"Miss Cecil, my name is Tony, The Bull, if you must know. We are here to escort you to your new home. If you please get in, we would like to get you out of here...safely." Tony said. He didn't seem all that scary to me, but I still didn't trust him.

"I don't care who you are, I'm not going anywhere with you people!" I yelled.

"Hey, I think I heard her over here!" A voice called out from one block over.

Shi.t! It's either I go with them and they take me to their boss, or be forced to go with people who started to ransack my house looking for me.

"Fine! Get me the hell out of here. Just take me to my friend Elaine's home." I said, limping to the SUV.

"No can do miss, whoever those guys are will probably show up at her pace next. Right now my concern is getting you to safety and getting that ankle looked at," Tony said. He helped me into the car and we drove off. The ride was silent, and I wasn't alone in the back seat. The same two other guys that showed up with Tony at my school were also in the car. One guy was in the passenger seat, the other in the back with me. I sat there, looking out the window. I didn't notice the tears falling from my eyes.

"Are you OK miss?" The guy sitting next to me asked. I wiped my tears and continued to ignore them all. I didn't want to be here, I wanted to be in my home, and in my own bed. I sighed and kept looking out the window. Yes to answer, I had a lot of questions I needed answers to, and the only person who would give them to me was the so-called 'boss' who bought me.

We pulled up to this beautiful Victorian-style mansion. It had a large fountain in the middle of the round about driveway. There were more men outside the house holding what looked like batons. Wait, is that one guy carrying a gun??? Who the hell lives here, Ricky Martin? The car slowly came to a stop. Tony and the other assertive guy (who was in the passenger seat) got out. Tony opened my door, and I was hesitant to even get out. I just gave him a look like 'I'm going to kill you when this is all over with'.

"You can either come out on your own, or I can carry you. The choice is yours," Tony said. I scuffed at him.

"I'm not going in there! This isn't my home!" I snapped back.

"Look, Miss Cecil, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Last chance!" Tony said in his husky voice.

"FU.CK YOU!" I spat out. As soon as the words left my mouth, I was pulled from the car and thrown over Tony's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I kicked, and swung my arms, hitting Tony in the back and legs. Yet the man still didn't put me down, not till a new voice was heard.

"Why are you tossing my precious cargo around like that?"

"Forgive me Jack, she's a fiesty one. You don't want to know what we had to go through to get her here," Tony said.

"Who the hell is Jack? Is he in charge? Put me down you great baboon!" I screamed.

"I'll carry her from here, Bull. Take your men and feed them." The man said. Tony placed me down on both of my feet, as soon as the weight hit that left ankle I cried out in sheer pain. Instantly, the 'Jack' guy came rushing to my side, swooped me up in a bridal style and carried me into the house.

"I got you, baby girl. Let's get that ankle checked out." he said. "Who the hell you calling 'baby girl'? I am no one's girl!" I spat. He just smiled, like he didn't care what I said.

"You don't have to fear me, doll face. I'm not going to hurt you, but if you kick me or try that shi.t you pulled on my men, I will punish you." He said.

"I'm not your baby girl, or your doll face. So stop with the stupid pet names and tell me why the fu.ck I'm here." I demanded.

"OK, anything you want, baby girl," he said, chuckling.

"I have a name, you know. So what's yours? So I don't keep calling you an arrogant bastard." I said.

"It's Tommy, but my buddies here call me Jack."

Tommy carried me into the house, and that's when my mouth almost fell open. And I thought the outside was ridiculously huge, the inside was worse. Two connecting staircases are the main focus as you enter the home, followed by the grand chandelier hanging in the foyer. I wasn't going to lie, this house was gorgeous. Tommy carried me over to what I assumed would be the living room, but this house was huge, so I could have been wrong. He sat with me on the sofa, and gently pulled off my worn-out converse shoe. My foot and ankle were swollen so badly that I thought I broke it.

"It appears you sprained it very severely. I won't know if it's broken till we get an x-ray done. May I ask how that happened?" Tommy asked. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Why should you care? I don't know you, and you certainly don't know me," I said.

"Roll your eyes at me one more time and I will put you over my knee," Tommy said, and I laughed.

"You are certainly not my mother, nor are you my father. So don't you think about laying a single finger on me! Do YOU understand?" I said, elongating the 'you'. Not a moment too soon, Bull walked in and Tommy got up.

"Bull, take Maria to her room, help her get comfortable. I need to run a few errands." Tommy said, and then left.

Tony walked over and helped me up, making sure that no weight was on my left leg. He took me upstairs and down the hall to the last door on the right. Inside was a huge king-sized bed with a canopy, a personal bathroom, and a walk-in closet. There were some boxes next to the dresser that I recognized almost immediately. They were all of my belongings.

"If you need anything, I will be right outside this door," Tony said.

"Wait, can you answer one question for me?" I asked. Tony nodded his head, waiting to hear my question.

"Who is Massimo?" I asked. The color drained from Tony's face. He didn't answer me, he just left, shutting the door behind him. I hopped over to the box and dug through it till I found what I was looking for: the stuffed bunny animal that my mother gave me on my sixth birthday. I hopped back to the bed laid down and cried till I fell asleep.