Page 2 of Sweet Misery

“Shut your fucking mouth and get into the goddamn car.” He came back and struck me hard across the face, sending me to my knees before he fisted my long dark braid and gave it a shake. His fingers dug deep and tore several strands from the tight braid. I cried out at the pain as some of the hair splintered from my scalp. The moment he tugged me to my feet, he shoved me roughly, sending me careening against the doorframe. I caught myself before I went down, tears stinging my eyes.

“Get in the fucking car,” he snarled, storming past me.

With shaking hands, I closed the front door and followed him out to my car as he got into the passenger side. I slid in behind the wheel and waited for instructions on where we were going.

“Head outside of town. East side,” he grunted.

I started the engine without a word and pulled out of the driveway.

I didn’t know where we were going, but I wished wherever it was, he wasn’t there.

The drive wassilent with the exception of him grunting out directions to me. Eventually, familiarity left, and I stared out the window, watching the streets grow darker and more unfamiliar the further we traveled. The leaves had fallen from the trees long ago and snow flurries fluttered through the night sky as I drove. I hated the cold. In fact, I hated winter, Christmas, and the holidays completely. They hadn’t been good since my mom died. I was glad they were over for another year and spring was approaching.

Finally, we turned down a road with no houses on it on the edge of the city where all the large estates were. The neighbors were few and far between due to how much the rich owned. I guess they had the luxury of space.

Wish I did.

My guts twisted when he instructed me to turn down a long paved driveway that wound its way deep beyond a forest. The gates opened as we approached, and I swallowed thickly. Whatever we were doing here couldn’t be good.

A mansion broke through the trees. I’d never seen such a large house before. Five stories. Massive windows. Manicured, sweeping lawns. Pillars. Towers. Bricks and stone making up the monstrosity.

And cold.

A place that peeled life away from anyone dumb enough to visit.

“Where are we?” I whispered, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he opened his door and got out, barking at me to follow.

Nervously, I did, walking behind him as he went up the stone stairs to the front door that was guarded by two large men dressed in black.

“I’m Arnold Day. I’m here to see?—”

“We know who you are. He’s waiting for you.” One of the men stepped aside, letting us pass. I kept my eyes down, not wanting to upset anyone.

“Dad?” I called out uncertainly.

He finally turned to me as we stepped into the hall, his expression hard and unreadable. “Don’t talk unless you’re spoken to. Don’t disobey. Don’t fuck this up you little bitch or so help me, I’ll kill you where you stand and rid the world of you. You’ve never been much good to me, but maybe now you’ll be fucking useful.”

My heart cracked at his words, unable to believe this was the man who had given me life. I’d spent my entire life wanting to have a father, a real one, I could love and who loved me back. All I got was him though.

“In here.” A guard came out and directed us into an office. We stepped inside, my throat tight.

Nothing good would come from tonight. I could feel it all the way to my soul.

“Don Saccone,” my father called out, his voice holding a slight tremble to it as a large, muscular middle-aged man rose from his seat behind a desk. Four other men stepped into the room and surrounded us.

“I-I’ve brought my daughter. Arianna.”

I stared past my father to the man called Don Saccone. I knew him. Not personally, but he was always on the news. He was mafia. The biggest crime boss in the U.S. and hell, the world. He made international headlines often. And he was Sever’s father.

I’d never met him, but I knew who he was. I’d never gone to Sever’s house. We always hung out after school in the park beneath an old oak tree. We’d walk the trail through the woods there and just talk. We had an unspoken understanding that neither or us wanted to drag the other into our nightmare, sowe stayed on neutral ground. I knew Sever’s father was just as bad as mine with his violence, maybe worse since he killed for a living.

Don Saconne’s dark eyes swept over me with calculating cruelty which made my skin crawl and had me wanting to run screaming into the night.

“S-She’s pure. Young. Intelligent,” my father continued, his voice still shaking.

Don Saconne continued to stare at me as I shrank away.

“Remove your shirt,” Don Sacoone commanded, disregarding my father.

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