He is the upcoming Capo of the New York Familia. Why the hell is he in our home here in Los Angeles? The New York Familia are enemies with the Cosa Nostra. What has my father done to gain the attention of this man? Looking back up to his face I see a menacing smirk pulling on the corner of his lip as he can see that realization has settled upon mine. With the corner of his lip upturned in a carnal way he grabs at my wrist jerking my arm upward as he forces me to spin around. Irritation flares up inside of me, pushing through some of the fear I was shrouded by, and I have to stop myself from jerking my hand away from his grasp.
His eyes feel as if he is caressing my curves as I am spun back to face him. Thinking he is almost done with his crude violation, his eyes make one last pass as they move back up my body. That is until he gets back up to my face and finally notices my swollen lip. He reaches out grasping my jaw with a vice like grip between his large hand and hauls me forward. I am startled by the action as I stumble into him, flush against his strong hardened body.
"What the fuck is this Antonio." He sneers. With my face still in his grasp I cannot see my father's reaction.
I hear him stuttering for an excuse. "She tripped and fell on the stairway. That stupid girl is so clumsy." He says as he lets out a breathy laugh. Trying to misdirect Nicoli’s sudden rage off of him. Nicoli glares at my father as he looks back down at my lip. He slightly releases his hard grip on my jaw but doesn't drop his hand.
"Liliana, is that what happened?" His voice comes out honeyed and low but I know it is just a ruse. I turn my eyes down, not daring to meet his gaze.
"Yes it is." I manage to get out in an apprehensive voice. I don't dare tell this man the truth, afraid of what he will do to us both if he knew, not wanting to anger him further.
He already threatened to kill us once, and if he didn’t my father would surely punish me for speaking out against him. He reaches out towards my lip and my muscles tense, waiting to feel the pain as it is still very tender and sore, but it doesn't come. Instead he gently runs his thumb around my cut before lightly trailing it across my bottom lip slowly. I suck in a breath, surprised by the gentle action. I can still feel his eyes burning my skin as he looks down at me, clearly not believing my lie. Finally as he lets me go I take an immediate step back putting a much needed distance between us.
"Well," he says as he straightens his jacket. I notice his gun is no longer in his hand. Not aware of when he had put it away. "I'm glad that is all it is. Because I would hate to have to kill someone for laying a hand on something that belongs to me. And Antonio?" he pauses to look over at my father, "be sure to let everyone know if anyone so much as lays a finger on her I will cut their hand off. Not to mention what might happen to you if something should happen to her again." The threat he passes along doesn’t go unnoticed.
I stand there for a moment gawking before grasping what he just said. Belongs to me? What the fuck. What deal is he talking about?
"Father what is he talking about?" I look back, asking aloud the question in my head. My father only turns his head, pointedly ignoring me. No, no, no. He couldn't... My father is a horrible man but he wouldn't give me to this apparent monster.
His uncaring expression says everything I need to know. Confirming my suspicions. Whipping my head back around to Nicoli I see he is watching me again, my eyes wild with panic as my heart begins to race.
His eyes drop to my lip one last time darkening slightly. I barely see the blur of movement before I hear the defining ring of a gunshot crack through the air. I’m stunned as my brain takes a moment before it finally catches up with the events that just unfolded as I take in Nicoli with his gun back in hand. With ringing ears I looked down at myself, not entirely sure I wasn't the one he had just shot. My father's howls of pain behind me are what convince me I wasn’t the one shot at. I look back up as a pleased smirk appears on Nicoli’s face.
I stand there gaping at him, but he doesn’t acknowledge me before he turns around and walks back towards the house, leaving me standing there with my father bleeding behind me.
I am standing in my father's office surrounded by two of his men. "WHAT?" I shriek. "You can’t be serious. You cannot give me to that maniac of a man! Whatever you did to him you can pay for it yourself, I will not be the sacrifice given to appease whatever transgression you have made against him!"
"Sit down and be quiet, girl! This is happening whether you want it or not. We have made a deal and he wants you. You should be grateful a man of his power would want someone like you. For whatever reason that be, I don’t care. He can take you, one less burden off my plate
