Violetta

I’m thrilled when my shift ends at seven am. I waste no time going to my locker, grabbing my things and hightailing it out the door. I take the bus to my little one-bedroom apartment in an average part of town. I try to avoid the wealthy part of the city and the not so wealthy part of the city. I find the average parts of the city are where I prefer to hideout. I have a cozy standard one-bedroom apartment with a bedroom, kitchen, full bath, and a living room. There’s also a small dining area that I have set up with a small table and one chair. 

My little apartment is my safe place. My mind is spinning, so I need my safe space so I can come down from the adrenaline pumping in my veins from tonight's shift.. Once I enter my apartment, I lock my door and drop my backpack by the front door before I kick my black sneakers off. I make my way to my bedroom and grab my cotton cream nightgown and a pair of fresh panties before I head to my bathroom. I pop on my shower, lay my clothes and fresh towels out, and then undress. I make sure I take out the phone in my pocket that Anthony gave me. I stare at it in frustration before opening the bathroom door and chuck the burner phone on to the soft carpet of the hallway. I recluse to the bathroom, shutting the door determined to not be intimidated by a stupid phone. 

After I strip from my scrubs and undergarments, I toss them in the dirty clothes hamper before stepping into the warm shower. I let the warm water pebble over my skin as I try to sort my thoughts. I don’t have work to distract me now. I shouldn’t be surprised that my father would foolishly promise me to two very powerful men determined to make me theirs. All I want is out of this life and I’m being sucked back in. I knew I wasn’t truly free, but I wasn’t hoping to earn it somehow. 

Now I’m faced with two fucking men who want me as their wife. It was bad enough when I thought it was just Nico. Now I have Anthony who is swooping in like some superhero to save me from the control freak that Nico can be. However, I don’t know Anthony. Although, can I say I know Nico anymore, either? Five years I’ve spent trying to not let thoughts of Nico consume me. I was so in love with him at one point, and maybe a part of me still is. Now there’s Anthony who definitely makes my heart flutter and heat my core. I can’t pretend Nico doesn’t set my lady parts on fire, either. For a brief moment, I picture what it would be like to have them both at the same time. It would be hot to be owned by two very powerful men who would make my head spin until my body was jelly. 

Pushing the sexy, tempting thoughts away, I focus on getting showered. I am desperate for some sleep and I have three glorious days off. I plan to hide away in my apartment and figure things out, but before that I need to eat some breakfast or dinner, technically, for me. Then I need some rest. I can’t think anything over well if I’m dead tired. I’m coming off four days of 12 hour shifts. I’m spent. 

After I finish my shower, I dry off and get dressed in the clothes I plan to sleep in. In the hallway, I pick up the stupid phone and put it in the drawer of my bedside table before taking my sleep meds. I have anxiety and I need help sleeping. How can I not have anxiety with two crazy ass mob men stalking me? With my meds now working in my system, I head to make myself a tasty bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on an everything bagel from the local bakery I enjoy. Like a good Italian woman, my father made sure I knew how to cook. My Nonna taught me how to cook. I would often spend my weekends with her when she was alive. She made sure I learned Italian, that I could cook, bake, sow, and even taught me to crochet. I can literally make pasta from scratch and homemade gravy to go with it. Well, other people call it pasta sauce but growing up in a heavily influenced Italian home, I call it gravy. 

Those were simpler days. My Nonna was able to keep my father inline. She was a pigheaded Italian woman and you did not mess with her or she would beat your ass with a wooden spoon. When she did pass, my father went off on his own insane path that got him killed. He almost got me killed or worse, sold into sex trafficking. I am glad Nico saved me. I owe him that and perhaps that's why I feel some sense of loyalty to him. However, just because I owe him doesn’t mean I want to be his wife even if there is apart of me that still loves him. Still, I’m presented with a conundrum. One I will worry about later on. 

I enjoy my breakfast and then curl my ass into my double bed and bury myself under my blankets. For the next eight hours or so I’m going to get some much needed sleep. The rest of the world and the two mob men stalking me will still be a problem. However, it’s a problem to figure out later on. I close my eyes and let my mind drift into what I hope is a peaceful sleep.