Chapter 3

Kayla.

I wake up screaming like every other morning. My body is all sweaty and tired, also add a headache that.

Great.

Taking a lot of water and painkillers every morning has become my often thing to do. I just wish I had other ways of dealing with this, I want to be normal again. I crave my old self and am gonna get that back even if it's the last thing I do.

I just need a little more time. They say time heals, so am giving time an opportunity, I sigh dragging myself to the bathroom for my morning routine.

Yesterday I arrived at midnight and my dad was worriedly waiting for me. I know he doesn't agree with me and my thirst for revenge, he feels like it's his responsibility to take care of me, but am a grown-ass woman now and this is my fight. I want to be the one to make them pay.

He feels responsible for what happened and blames himself for it. Every time I scream and wake up from nightmares the look in his eyes makes my heart clench. It hurts him to see me this way but there is nothing I could do. I have tried everything possible but my mind is just still not complying.

My Mum died when I was seven and I have to spend thirteen years with my single father. Not even once did he bring another woman home, he'll deny himself anything just to make sure am okay and comfortable. When those guys took me, they knew it will break him and it did.

He raised me well, taught me to fight, how to use weapons and anything that will help me defend myself if need be. I never liked this life but I had to be okay with it.No one chooses where to be born and see how he was always there for me and managed to single-handedly raise me even though his job needed most of him, I couldn't disappoint him. I love him with my life that's why I could do anything for him.

Other parents would go find a nanny for a shortcut but he didn't. He prepared me breakfast every morning and he still does, drove and picked me up from school, and he bought me clothes when I couldn't figure things out.

Fuck! he even bought me my first tampons. He's been both a father and mother to me and I appreciate him so much. I know he's just scared something might go wrong and I get hurt again. I can't imagine how he felt when they sent him those videos, more reason they have to pay.

I put on my workout clothes and head downstairs. My father's men live in a different mansion. The idea of having me surrounded by more than a hundred men didn't seem good to him. I can't complain though. Knowing just what men can do, shakes me to the bones.

He's talking to someone and from the sound of it, they're chatting about me. Am not one to eavesdrop but since it pertains to me, I feel the need to.

"I will try Ace" a familiar voice addresses my father.

"I just want my daughter back, I don't know what else I should do. It breaks me to see her that way" my father's voice says breaking. Fuck.

"I will do whatever I can to help but you need to tell her," the voice says. Tell me what? is there something I should know?

"You have to look out for her Carl, I trust you man. She's all I have" he mumbles.

Curiosity makes me come out of my hiding to the dining room. Looking at the familiar guy sitting across from my father, I remember him from last night. He's the strange guy that appeared after I killed Travis. Did dad send him?

Makes sense.

"Morning dad" kissing his cheek, I sit in the chair next to him.

"Morning honey, are you okay?" he asks concern lacing his features. I hate worrying him this much.

"Am okay dad" I assure him looking at the stranger with furrowed brows. It's rude staring.

"Hi?" I say. Maybe he's one of the new men my dad hired. I thought he owned the club.

He smirks, I hate when men smirk at me. It gives me chills though his is different," Hello sweetheart " he says and I avert my attention to my food without saying anything else, am eating because I don't want my dad to worry and not because am hungry.

"Honey, there's something I wanted to talk to you about" dad starts and I nod for him to go ahead. It's time I know 'that something they were talking about.

"Do you remember when I told you about you being betrothed?" he asks hesitantly.

" Yeah what about it, is something wrong?" I don't even care about being married to someone I don't know. I feel like trash and completely used. I don't hold the dignity I held anymore because the innocence I had got ripped away. I will understand if the man rejects me not that I need one anyway.

" Nothing is wrong honey. Their family and ours have been doing business for so long and I thought it was best to introduce him to you" he looks at me for a reaction but I just stare at him silently.

He clears his throat " Kay this is Carl Moreno your future husband" he points at the stranger I met yesterday.

Looking at him again, he's not bad at all. Six months ago I would have jumped up with joy to be acquainted with someone as sexy as him but today, the mood is just low.

He got his thick fingers tattooed too and his whole body is covered with ink. His hair is shaved on the sides and the middle roughly spiked. He's good, damn good but his appearance screams sin.

"I don't think am ready dad" I mumble looking away from Carl to my plate of untouched food.

"I know honey, am not telling you to get married right away. I want you to get to know each other since you know...you have a future together" he sighs running fingers in his hair.

He's stressed. He does that when he's out of choices. And right now he thinks Carl will help me, so that's what they were talking about earlier.

He's a good father and if being with this man will make his mind ease up then so be it.

"It's okay dad" I squeeze his hand assuringly. He smiles slightly looking at me " Take your time okay? we don't want to rush you with anything, just get to know him, yeah?" he softly says and I nod.

I look back at Carl and he's watching me with a look I can't decipher. I know I look like crap. Tired and stressed eyes with clear dark circles around them. I haven't had sleep for a long time, the most I ever slept in an hour and woke up in the middle of the night screaming. So most nights I watch movies or do anything other than lie down because honestly, am scared of my dreams.

I sigh standing up " I will be in the gym" I kiss my dad's cheek exiting the room. I feel tired and am not in the mood of working out today so decided to lie on one of the benches and listen to music through my headphones instead.

So immersed in my world, I didn't notice when someone entered, dangerous if you asked me. The tap on my shoulder made me open my eyes to see carl, I look at him confused. Did he need anything?

"Hey" I mumble lowering the headphones " Do you need something " I add.

"I came to talk, anything you want to know about me?" he asks sitting beside me. What should I even ask him? I can't think about anything right now.

"Thanks for saving me, I appreciated it," I say. Am thankful because I don't know what would have happened if they managed to sell me.

"It's no problem, it was the right thing to do," he says like it's no big deal.

"You know am not ready right?" I ask him hopefully. I don't think am ready for a relationship now because I will just be a burden to him. I haven't even fucked anyone since then.

My body just repels the idea.

"I know, like your father said we are not pushing you to do anything, I just want you to know that am here and you can always count on me" he assures

"Okay " I mumble and we sit in silence. I prefer silence nowadays just keeping my thoughts to myself. I haven't opened up to anyone since. When I had to visit the therapists, I used to sit there quietly because every time I would think or talk about it, was like having it happen again so I thought it would be better if I just tried to forget about it. Assume it never happened.

"There is a ball this Saturday, you should come with me as my plus one" he breaks the silence.

"Do you think it's a good idea? am not the people" I don't want to be at a place where am not comfortable.

"It is, some of your targets will be there. You could take advantage of that" he smirks knowingly.

Now we are talking. I was supposed to meet my next target on Friday Gabriel bane.

He has a wife and two little girls. I wonder how a grown-ass man with two daughters had so much courage to defile someone else's. Am not that hurtless enough to hurt them though. So I planned to take care of just him.

The kids and their mother don't have to pay for the sins of that bastard.

"Okay, what time?"

"I will pick you up at 7," he says getting up " you won't mind if I have your number right?" he asks motioning for my phone.

Does it matter? I hand him my phone and watch him save his number. He's really good-looking and I wonder why he would even agree to the alliance. Some situations in a mafia require sacrifices, just like the way we can't choose who to be with because it's what's good for business.

"Why did you agree to this? You know you can opt out right? You're the boss now and you can easily find another way to keep the alliance" I wonder out loud.

He looks at me intently and sighs "I have my reasons" he hands me back the phone "One thing you should know, you were mine the day you were born, just remember that" he says croakily and I roll my eyes.

"You don't roll your eyes at me angel" he scolds playfully

" Yeah, whatever "I mumble getting up to leave but he holds my hand. I look at the hand he's holding and raise an eyebrow at him " Call me" he says softly.

Opening the door to my room, my heart jumps wildly at the sight before me.

On my bed is a black rose, with the sharpest thorns. Like the person who selected that specific one, with a folded paper.I carefully open the note with the red cursive writings;

'I finally found you'