Sold to Mr. Giordano

Arielle

Crying left me exhausted and I don’t know how, but I took a nap. For how long, I’m not sure. I’m groggy and it almost makes me think they used the chloroform again. That or knocked me unconscious.

Come to think of it I can’t remember falling asleep or much of anything before that. All I can recall is my father explaining his plans. Giving me the right the know why he is killing me, why I am here.

I feel like a pig waiting for the slaughter.

I lick my dry lips feeling dehydrated and that’s when I notice there is no longer tape over my mouth. My first instinct is to scream, “Help!” I shout.

Within seconds my father enters the cell. You’d think a smile would feel welcoming, but a smile on my father’s face means nothing but trouble.

“Good morning, sunshine. You’ve been sleeping for a while.”

“Why?” I croak out. “Why do this? You already have power and money.”

“Luca has been planning my death for a year, I figured giving him the Outfit would shut him up. Besides I can’t stand the Giordano’s —doing business with them has always been a pain in my ass. They make the Famiglia look weak. The Outfit needs a Ricci man and Luca is perfect for the job.”

“You don’t have to kill me, you don’t even have to kill Antonio. Just let us go and we will leave. We won’t bother you.”

“As much as I’d like to believe that seeing as Antonio is weak enough to do anything to save your life, including running away from the Famiglia, he wouldn’t. Antonio may be weak when it comes to you but he is still a killer who likes to kill. With your brother and I as threats still alive he’d find a way to come back and kill us. It’s safer to eliminate both of the threats.”

Both of the threats meaning Antonio and I.

“Why tell me all this?” Tears spill down my cheeks and I hate that I’m crying. I hate that he is a monster that enjoys watching his daughter suffer. Fathers are supposed to protect their children and wipe away tears, but my father thrives off our pain—especially mine.

“I’m telling you this as my final lesson to you. You see loving in a world like ours gets you killed. You can’t be soft and you have always been soft and trying to be a modern day woman with your free-will. Successful mafia women lay on their backs and get fucked by their husbands whenever they want. That is the woman you should have been. The moment you got upset about your engagement to Antonio you showed weakness. You showed me you couldn’t handle be subordinate or submissive. You’re too emotional like your mother always was and it’s going to get you killed,” he pauses, “let me rephrase, it is getting you killed.”

All my life he’s taught us not to be weak, not to love or cry and now those two emotions is how I am feeling in the end. I’m feeling love for Antonio and my daughter but crying for the loss of life I’m about to experience.

I always knew I wasn’t cut out for this life, I wanted what other girls had and that was the freedom to just be. I wanted to have boyfriends and explore my sexuality with them. I wanted to go to college and pick out a career and life and make something of myself. I wanted to marry out of love and have children because I was ready, not because an heir was needed.

Maybe in the end this is for the best, I was never cut out for this life but maybe in the next life my purpose will be found and I can be whoever and whatever my soul dictates.

 I’m ready.

Three loud, but short, bangs echo inside the compound just outside the door. My father pulls out his pistol and aims it toward the door. He curses under his breath and looks over his shoulder at me.

In one swift moment he is in front of the door and the next he is by my side with the pistol pointed against my head.

I lied, I’m not ready. I don’t want to go.

The door is forced open after several attempts of knocking it open with some object. My heart skips a beat when I see Antonio standing there with blood sprayed all over his clothes and face.

“Let her go,” Antonio’s own gun is aimed at him.

“I told you, Antonio, a Capo cannot have weakness because eventually it will get him killed.”

“Then kill me but let her go.”

My father mutter, “Oh Antonio, I’m going to kill you, don’t you worry but you must see my dilemma,” he pushes the gun against my temple. “What am I going to do about her? Not to mention I surely don’t want to have a grandchild who will grow up seeking revenge for killing her father.”

“Arielle didn’t do anything, if you let her go, she’ll disappear. You won’t see her again and she won’t bother you,” Antonio tries to negotiate.

“You should have died with your father. Arielle could’ve killed you both but he murdered your father only. You aren’t fit to be Capo. A true Capo wouldn’t try to save his wife by giving up money or power. A Capo would let his enemies put a bullet in his wife’s skull while he keeps his power and territory. Famiglia first. You seem all too willing to give it up just to save a piece of shit.”

“And who exactly is going to take my place? You?” Antonio laughs. “You kill me and Rocco will take over. He’s stronger than you give him credit for.”

“The only person worthy of taking over the Outfit is Luca.”

A cruel smile I have never seen on Antonio emerges. “Unless he can run the Outfit from the grave your plan has a few holes in it.”

My father growls and I feel pressure against my head. I squeeze my eye shut and hear the gun go off. My ears are ringing and I’m too afraid to open my eyes. Maybe I’m dead?

When I look up Antonio is staring wide eyed at me. His chest has a growing red dot—blood is forming on his white shirt. He was shot.

“You fucking idiot! You ruined everything! I’m going to kill you. I’m going to fucking kill you and I’m going to spare your wife and child and force them to live out the rest of their days miserably!” My father strides toward Antonio and pushes him against the white tile. “Years of planning and you ruined it!”

I close my eyes once more not wanting to see my father murder Antonio. I can’t bear to see the light leave my husband’s eyes.

 Bang. Another gun goes off and I let out a sob. It’s over. Antonio is dead. My heart splits into a million pieces and I curse the world for being so cruel. I don’t want to live if living is without Antonio.

“Arielle,” a strange voice calls my name.

I slowly open my eyes to see Rocco with a pistol in his hand and my father’s body lifeless on the concrete floor.

Rocco pulls out his picked knife and cuts me free. I must be in shock again because I want to yell at him to help Antonio instead of me, but nothing comes out.

When I’m free I quickly stand only to fall directly to the floor hard on my knees. I crawl over to Antonio and press my hand against his chest wound. He’s still alive, but his breathing is shallow and face pale. His eyes are open half-lidded and he looks like he desperately wants to close them, but I can tell he’s fighting. Fighting for his life.

“Stay with me,” I whisper to him. “You’re going to be a father, Antonio, our daughter needs you. I need you. Please, you can’t go.” I beg.

He reaches up and cups my face and stares directly into my eyes. “I love you,” his voice is strained. He coughs and blood comes up and I know that’s a bad sign.

 “No! No, you can’t leave me!” I kiss his colorless lips. “Please!”

“Let me,” a hand touches my shoulder. I look behind me to see my father’s personal doctor, the same one who had previously given me a sonogram in this hellhole.

He kneels over Antonio’s body and sets his bag down scrimmaging through for who knows what. “I’m going to need some privacy. I can’t have a crying wife here.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Come on,” Rocco says softly helping me up.

“No! I don’t want to leave him!” I cry.

The doctor gives Rocco an annoyed look and my brother-in-law impatiently scoops me into his arms and carries me out. That is when I see the slaughter, Antonio must have fought his way past my father’s men as well as members of the Bratva.

“Is he going to be okay?” I plant my face into Rocco’s chest getting his shirt wet with tears and snot.

“Everything will be okay. You need to calm down, the stress isn’t good for the baby. Are you hurt? Do you need a doctor?”

I shake my head but hold out of my hand. Four fingers. “I don’t know if it’ll get infected—”

“It will, but it’s an easy fix. You won’t need to go to the hospital.”

I notice Rocco is walking out of the warehouse with me still in his arms. I thought he was just taking me out of the room. “Where are we going? I want to be close to Antonio in case something happens.”

Rocco shakes his head. “It’s not safe here, some of your father’s loyalists are lingering as well as the Bratva on your father’s payroll. Arabella is waiting in the car, you two are heading back to Chicago.”

“I don’t want to go back to Chicago!” I shout. “I want to stay here with Antonio!”

 “I can’t in good conscience leave you hear. I’m under strict orders to get you out. I will call if there are any changes to Antonio’s status,” Rocco ends the conversation and approaches the black SUV waiting outside the compound. Carmelo is guarding the car and waiting for me with a grim smile. Rocco sets me down and opens the door to revel Arabella’s swollen, wet-slicked face.

“Are you okay? I’ve been so worried!” She climbs out and holds me tight while crying.

“Antonio is hurt.”

“It isn’t safe here, we need to leave,” Carmelo interrupts.

Arabella pulls me into the backseat and I look over at Rocco who says, “I’ll take good care of him.” He shuts the door and once Carmelo is in the car takes off.