Selena Mariani I wonder if I will ever be delivered from the hell that I have to live everyday. My dad has been a drunk ever since my mother walked out on us. I was only five when I realized that my dad was not like other dads. I had to clean up his messes. There were times I could not even go to school because I did not have any clothes to wear that fit. I knew that if social services got involved my dad would be angry and take it out on me. Things got worse when my dad became involved with the mafia. It was a way to work off his gambling debts. I was worried that one night he would not come home because he had gotten into deep with the mafia. That fear became a reality when my dad walked in with Joseph Rossi, the most powerful mafia boss in the state. “Selena, pack your things, you are going to be living with Mr. Rossi from now on.” I did not understand what was going on. “Why dad? I do not understand why I am going to live with him.” Mr. Rossi cleared his throat “You are going to
I have never understood the saying ‘Heaven on Earth.’ I know that I am in my own living hell. Ever since my mother walked out on me and my dad when I was five years old, life has been a struggle. I cannot even count how many times that I went to bed hungry. The only meals I would get would be at school. I may have been too young to understand a lot of things, but I knew that my life was not like the other kids in my class. My clothes were always too small or dirty. The kids were always so cruel to me in school because of my appearance. There were more times that I care to remember of just hiding in the closet in the classroom during lunch because I was the only one without anything to eat. I was laying on my small bed just staring up at the ceiling. How could I have ended up living a life like this. I am eighteen years old, and I have no way out of this life. I will never understand how a mother walks away from her only child. I understand, after living with my dad, as to why she wo
When Selena walked into the room, she took my breath away. I had seen her countless times walking outside of her apartment and I was attracted to her. Now that I am this close to her, I can see her real beauty. She had the most beautiful black hair, big green eyes, and porcelain skin. She had the rare natural beauty that did not need makeup. She looked perfect in my eyes. Just thinking about her being sold to the Colombians creates a rage inside of me that makes me want to kill her father right here. I would enjoy slitting his throat and watching his blood stain the carpet. He does not deserve to be a father to Selena. “Dad, what is going on?” I could hear the quiver in her voice. I guess it should be expected. I doubt that she had figured on her father coming home with two very large men. Her voice may show her fear, but her eyes showed a strength that has taken me by surprise. For a girl so young, she has a fiery spirit. Just the thought of that fiery spirit beneath me in my bed
Just when I thought my life could not get any harder, it just did. My father would never win any parent of the year awards, but this was beyond anything that I thought he was capable of. I am being used as collateral for his gambling debts. I am basically being sold into servitude to a mafia Don as a maid. Considering dad’s debt is pretty large, I will be a maid for the rest of my life. I could feel Joseph’s eyes on me the entire drive. It made me a little nervous but also gave me a warm feeling deep in my core that I had never felt before. I had never been alone with a man before. At least not this close together. I had been alone in the bodega with Mr. Antoine but that was pretty much it. I did not have any friends since I was no longer going to school. I never even spent time with any of my neighbors because either I was either working or I was at the library working on my courses. I am sure he was looking at me out of pity because of my circumstances, but I did not want
I hate to see a look of defeat on Selena’s face. She must see me as her captor at this point after everything that just happened. If she only knew the real truth. Her father did not deserve the protection I was giving him. I was only sparing his life because of his daughter. There was something that I could not figure out that was drawing me towards Selena, giving me this strong desire to protect her. To protect her even with my own life if necessary. It did not make any sense to me as to why I was having these feelings. I have had my share of women over the years, but I have never had any strong feelings for them. Never had I felt the need to protect any of them. Looking into her eyes I saw a fight in her that I think rivaled my own. I never want to see that fight in her eyes disappear. I needed a woman like her by my side that would stand up to anyone. So far, she seems to have come to terms with her fate, but I have a feeling deep in my soul that she truly has not come to term
Capo Vincent walked in and he did not look happy. "Don, I have spoken to our contact, Rafael. The Columbians are not backing down. They believe Selena is part of the deal. They're demanding she be handed over to them, or else they will consider it a breach of contract." His words sent a cold shiver down my spine. "What do they want in exchange?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. “Do they not understand this was not a deal brokered by the Rossi family?” Vincent took a deep breath. "They want what George promised them. They want Selena." My fists clenched under the table, the wood groaning under the pressure. The audacity of the Columbians was unbelievable. To think they could just come into my city and demand Selena like she was a commodity to be traded... it was infuriating. I had to keep a cool head, though. The family's future was at stake, and I couldn't let my personal feelings cloud my judgment. "Tell them they're wasting their time," I said, my voice a low growl. "Sele
Once we were upstairs, Marta showed me to the guest bathroom. The bathroom was bigger than my bedroom. I could have never even dreamed about anything like this. The warm water from the shower washed away the grime and fear of the day. I felt the tension in my muscles begin to ease. I had never smelled something as nice as the shampoo and body wash that was in the shower. My mind was racing with thoughts of escape, but she knew it was futile. The house was too secure, too many eyes watching my every move. Plus, I was so tired, tired all the way to my bones. As I stepped out of the shower, Marta handed me a soft towel. She was kind, her eyes filled with a motherly concern that was foreign to me. "Here, let me help you," she said, her voice gentle as she wrapped the towel around my body. She led me to a room that had been prepared for me, the bed freshly made with clean, crisp sheets that smelled of lavender. The room was the polar opposite to the cold, unfeeling apartment I was use
As I took a seat at the table, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the family on my shoulders. The Rossi name was synonymous with power and responsibility, and now Selena was part of that burden. Yet, every time I looked at her, I felt something different. It was a warmth, a feeling that was alien to the cold, calculating world of the mafia. Her beauty was undeniable, but it was her resilience that truly captivated me. Despite the hand she'd been dealt, she remained strong. The urge to protect her, to claim her as mine was growing stronger by the second. It was confusing, to say the least. As Don of the Rossi family, my life had always been about power, loyalty, and control. Emotions were a weakness, something to be kept in check. Yet, Selena had waltzed into my world and thrown it into chaos. I couldn’t ignore the way my heart raced whenever she was near, the way my body reacted to her presence. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. I sat at the head of the table, my t
I am over halfway through my pregnancy, and it terrifies me to think of having my baby here. I hate being held prisoner. I did not want the same fate for my baby. I was being raped daily by Torres. I had tried so hard to just block out every thrust and every ounce of pain that he would inflict on me. He enjoyed giving me pain and I have the marks to prove it. As I lay in bed, my belly aching from his rough treatment, I hear a faint whisper. "Selena, it's Anna." I sat up, my eyes searching the darkness. "What is it?" "I found out something," she whispered urgently. "They're having an auction really soon here at the house." My heart sank. I knew what that meant. I had seen the way Torres looked at me, the way he talked about me to his men. I was going to be sold. "When?" I asked, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. "In two days," Anna said, her own voice shaking. "What can we do?" I whispered, my heart racing. Two days. That was all the time we had before I would be han
Thankfully, all of the Capos had remained loyal to me. There was no evidence of them conspiring with Salvatore. The meeting was tense, with everyone aware of the gravity of the situation. We discussed our options, the tension in the room thick as we weighed the risks and potential rewards of each plan. We needed to find Selena and crush Torres without igniting an all-out war with the Columbian Cartel. "We have a lead on a warehouse they use for storage," Antonio spoke up, his eyes never leaving mine. "It's a good place to start." I nodded, the room spinning slightly. The painkillers were wearing off, and the pain in my side was a reminder of the bullet that had nearly killed me. "Call a meeting with some of the other families," I said through gritted teeth. "We need to move quickly and quietly." Antonio nodded, already on his phone, arranging the meetings. I knew that Selena was strong, but each day that passed was another day of hell for her. The thought of Torres's touching
I never thought I could feel like a slave, but that is what I have become. Torres enjoys humiliating me every chance he gets. I walk around naked more than I have on clothes. Torres has been true to his word so far. No one has laid a hand on me, except for him. His touch is cold and calculated, as if he's trying to claim me in a way that goes beyond the physical. The other men in the house are allowed to look but not touch. It's like I'm a piece of meat in a butcher's window, displayed for all to see but only the highest bidder can take home. But even as I follow his rules, I'm planning. I have to find a way out of here. For the baby. Every night, after Torres has visited, I lie in the darkness, my thoughts racing. The room is cold, and I pull the covers tighter around my body, feeling the soft swell of my stomach. The baby kicks, a reminder of the life that grows inside me, a life that deserves a chance at happiness, not a future in this hellish world. I want better for he
I feel like a weight is holding me down. I am trying so hard to open my eyes. All I can hear is this loud beeping. "Mr. Rossi, wake up," a voice says, and suddenly, there's a hand on my shoulder, shaking me gently. My eyes crack open, and I'm greeted by a blur of white lights and concerned faces. The pain is a dull throb now, the fever's grip on me loosened. I blink, trying to focus, and see Antonio leaning over me, his expression a mix of relief and exhaustion. "Welcome back, Boss." Antonio's voice was a welcome sound, the first sign that I wasn't hallucinating. I managed to croak out a response, "Selena... where is she?" "We don't know," Antonio said, his expression grim. "But we're looking. We've got everyone on it." I nodded, feeling the heaviness in my chest lift slightly. The doctor hovered at the foot of the bed, his face a mask of professionalism. "You need to rest," he said firmly. "You've had a close call with sepsis. You're not out of the woods yet." "How lon
I lay on the bed, my body trembling with the aftershocks of what had just happened. The dress felt like a prison, sticking to my damp skin. I needed to get out of these clothes, out of this room, out of this nightmare. With shaking hands, I untied the dress and let it fall to the floor. The fabric pooled around my feet, a sad reminder of the violation I had just endured. I stepped into the shower, the water scalding my skin as I tried to wash away the doctor's touch. I scrubbed until my skin was red and raw, the tears mixing with the water as they streamed down my face. When the hot water turned cold, I stepped out, wrapping a towel around my shivering body. I felt exposed, like every inch of me had been laid bare. I needed to find a way out of here, to escape this hellhole. Our baby deserved a future, and I would not let anyone take that away from us. I sat on the bed, my eyes scanning the room for any hint of a way out. The walls were bare, the window too high to reach,
**Parts of this chapter may contain triggers for some readers of reference to a sexual assault. Discretion is advised** I have been tossing and turning for hours. I have been praying that Torres was lying about Joseph being dead. We are supposed to be together to raise this baby. How could our lives be turned so upside down? I heard the lock click on the door and a young girl walked in with a tray of food in her hands. She looked no more than sixteen, with wide eyes that had seen too much and a tremble in her step that betrayed her fear. She paused just for a second before she set the food on the table. "They told me to give you this." I sit up slowly and take the tray from her. "Thank you. What’s your name?" "Anna. Please don't tell anyone I talked to you." "Of course, Anna. Is there anything you can tell me that might help me get out of here?" Anna's eyes widened, and she took a step back. "I-I don't know anything. I'm just here to work." The door clicked shut
By the time Antonio and I got back to the estate, I was beyond exhausted. The only thing keeping me standing was pure adrenaline. "Joseph, you need to rest," Antonio said, his voice thick with concern. "Rest? How can I rest?" I snapped. "My wife is out there, pregnant with my child, and all we have is a boat that's been turned into a floating morgue." Antonio sighed heavily. "We'll find her," he assured me, his own eyes filled with a steely determination. "But you're no good to her if you're dead." I knew he was right, but the thought of Selena in the hands of those monsters was eating me alive. I stumbled into my office, the room where I had made countless deals and taken so many lives, and slammed the door shut. I needed to think, to plan, to find a way to get her back. "If I don't have her Antonio, I might as well be dead. She taught me how to live life. She is carrying my child. I promised her that I would protect her and I have failed her." Antonio nodded, understandi
Regardless of how much pain I am in, the only thing I can think about is Selena. She is innocent in all of this and so is our baby. Salvatore will pay for what he has done to me and to my family. When we arrive at the warehouse, it almost looks abandoned. My men, armed and ready, fan out around the perimeter, each one sticking to the shadows. My breath is ragged, my chest a constant throb of pain, but the thought of Selena and our baby pushes me forward. The sound of distant voices and the occasional shout echo against the metal walls. We move swiftly and silently, the tension thick. As we approach a side door, I catch the faint whiff of something sweet—Selena's favorite perfume. A flicker of hope ignites within me. "Break it down," I whisper to the men surrounding me. The door gives way with a crash, the sound echoing through the silent warehouse. We spread out, our footsteps barely make a sound as we search the vast space, our eyes peeled for any sign of her. The first fe
I am so scared for myself, the baby, and Joseph. They shot him right in front of me. There was so much blood. My mind was racing when I was shoved into a cold, metal cell. The smell of the warehouse was a nauseating mix of dust and mold. I could feel the baby kicking as if she was reminding me to stay strong. I sat on the floor, my back pressed against the wall, and I tried to slow down my breathing. The sound of distant voices and footsteps echoed through the building, reminding me that I wasn't alone in this hell. I had to keep my head clear and find a way out. The cell door creaked open, and a figure stepped into the dim light. It was one of the men who had taken me. His eyes raked over me, his gaze lingering on my stomach. "You're the one they want," he sneered, tossing me a bottle of water. "Make sure you stay hydrated. We don't want any problems with the merchandise." The door slammed shut, the echo reverberating through the metal chamber. I clutched the water to m