Page 20 of Married to the Mafia

“What was the plan when you escaped the house?” I ask. “It’s pissing down with rain and you’re half naked.”

“Fucking let go of me!” she yells, digging her nails into my arms. Is she expecting me to wince? To drop her?

I get to the bottom of the stairs and shove her into the chair. “Stay there,” I say.

She goes to get up, so I push her back down. “I swear to God if you get up again, I’ll cause you some serious pain.” She looks at me, and the fire is still there in her eyes. It doesn’t get any further.

“That’s better,” I say, grabbing another chair and dragging it over, sitting in front of her. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to sit there and not move. I’m going to get you something to wear. If you so much as stand up without my permission, I’ll take you over my knee andspank you so hard you won’t be able to sit down for a week. Got it?”

She glares at me. “You kidnapped me.”

“I saved you,” I reply. “From a far worse fate than being here.”

She manages a mocking laugh. “You expect me to thank you?”

“I expect you to sit still.”

I get up and walk over to the bedroom, pulling open the wardrobe. I run through the racks, finding something that looks roughly her size.

It’s a dress, light blue. Expensive fabric. Cost me a couple of thousand, if I remember right. When I found out the chip activated, I got clothes bought and brought down here ready. All sizes. Shoes too.

“Here,” I say, taking the dress back through. “Put this on.”

She just sits there. “Stand up,” I say. “Now.”

She winces when I raise my voice, getting slowly to her feet. “Arms up,” I tell her.

She does as I say and I get the dress over her head. It slides down her body. I yank on the hem before stepping back. “That’s better. Now sit down again.”

She does so. “Why am I here?” she asks. “What do you want with me?”

“Life would have been a lot simpler if you’d said yes,” I tell her. “You know that, right?”

“Yes, to what? To marrying you? Is that what all this is about?”

I nod. “Tomorrow, we walk into church together and we both say I do and then we walk out husband and wife.”

“You’re insane. I will never marry you, not in a million years.”

“You’ll marry me or you’ll never leave this basement again. No food, no water except what’s in the toilet. You’ll starve to death.”

“Fuck you.”

I have to leave. Just looking at her makes me want to kiss her. Makes me want to do a lot more than that. I get to my feet. I only need to wait a day. Then I will take her. No amount of complaining will stop me. I will own her. I’ll show her pleasure she’s never dreamed of before. Then when I’m done with her, I’ll get rid of her.

“Get some rest,” I tell her. “Long day tomorrow.” I walk over to the stairs and stop at the bottom of them, turning around to see her still sitting on the chair, glaring at me like she’d like to plunge a knife into my back. “Get used to the idea,” I tell her. “It’s happening.”

Then I walk up the stairs and leave her alone. As the bookcase swings shut, I hear her yelling at me, calling me every name under the sun. Wedding night nerves, I think to myself. Perfectly natural.

8

Rose

Rose

What I need to do is get out of here. I can’t stay locked up in his basement while he rants about marriage.

It’s hard to even accept this is happening. I protest Dino Gianni demolishing the animal shelter one day and the next day I’m locked up in his basement.

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