Caterina

My mind feels groggy as I try to roll over, only to be panic stricken upon the realization that my hands are bound behind my back. I fight through the fog that seems to be clouding my mind, my instincts take over and immediately begin trying to spit out the piece of cloth that's been tied around my mouth, silencing me.

My breathing picks up, my panic intensifies as it becomes harder to breathe through my nose, my vision blurs with tears as I try to think of a way out of this situation, when suddenly I feel hands grab me from behind.

Not wanting anyone near me I begin trying to fight the unknown person. "If you'd settle down I'm trying to untie you."

The deep, rough sounding voice does nothing to calm me as I realize it's the same voice that belongs to the man who attacked me in my apartment.

I continue to fight against him, not wanting his rough hands anywhere near me after what he did to me.

"If you want to be untied you'll fucking stay still. Screaming and fighting against me won't do you any good, no one can hear you scream here, and there's only one way out of this room."

Stilling at his words, fear courses through me. My dad definitely sent one of his more brutish meat-heads this time. I don't like this man.. What was his name?

Dolion.

The room is barely lit, the lighting is low, making it hard to take in my surroundings. Dolion takes the cloth from my mouth first, I work my jaw side to side, my whole face feeling achy from the stupid thing.

He unties my hands next, and as soon as I'm free I scoot away from him on the small bed I'm sitting on.

I massage my wrists, feeling uncomfortable and stiff. I turn my eyes towards the large man towering over my small frame, his very essence screaming of pure, dangerous, masculine energy.

His blue eyes assess me slowly, seeming unimpressed by what he sees. His disheveled jet black hair pushed back and out of his face, his chiseled jaw, and a body covered in muscles and tattoos.

This is a dangerous man.

He stares at me with a look of absolute disgust, and I have to question if I look as awful as I feel right now. He remains silent and unmoving, and I swear I can hear a clock in the distance mark each silent second that passes between us.

My anger and irritation grows as he stares me down. "You can't hurt me, so stop trying to act intimidating." My voice sounds harsh and dry, weak even.

"You think so, huh?" He asks me, his expression staying the same.

"Hurt a hair on my fucking head and my father will have your head mounted on his wall, Dolion."

He stands and walks away from me, taking a seat in a chair across the small room.

"Hm, such a feisty little woman. I'd expect nothing less from the one about to inherit the Sicilian Mafia."

"Fuck the Sicilian Mafia." I say through clenched teeth.

An amused expression crosses his features as he eyes me.

"What all did your father tell you?"

"That I was in danger, that's why he sent you to basically kidnap me and hide me away against my fucking will."

"Anything else?"

"Just that this whole ordeal involves the filthy Russian's, gave me your name, and that your dumbass is supposed to be keeping me safe, not tying me up like some kind of creep."

"I am keeping you safe, princess. And in order to keep you safe I have to keep you compliant. If that means gagging you and tying you up, fuck, I'll do it. My job is to keep you from dying, not to make you comfortable, sweetie."

He looks at me with a half grin, revealing a dimple at the corner of his mouth.

"First off, no pet names. You will call me by my name, Caterina. Or if you prefer, Ms. Di'Raimondo." Technically this asshole works for me. Not just my father.

"First off, I'm in charge. Your dear papà isn't here, and his only concern is keeping you hidden and safe. I'm not here to be your friend, not here to make you comfortable, and I'm not here to bow down to some bratty mafia princess, either."

"Listen, you don't just work for my dad, you work for me too, and the least you could do is stop being such a petty asshole. I've done nothing to make you treat me like this. I'm a grown woman, and will be treated with respect."

"I'd hardly call twenty grown." He grins, making fun of me.

"I'm almost twenty-two. Though I'm sure that seems young to you." I say as I give him a once over, trying to ignore how absolutely built this man is.

He looks me over once, twice, then meets my eyes again. "If you say so. Also, I'm only thirty, princess."

My blood boils at his outright disrespectful attitude towards me.

"You'd think someone your age would know how to treat a woman then." I huff out.

His humorless laugh fills the small space. "Never had any complaints before."

I roll my eyes, refusing to humor him by continuing this conversation. "I want to speak to my father."

All emotion vanishes from Dolion's face as he answers. "Sorry, sweetie, there will be no contact with the outside world for you until things settle down. I'm your only company till things calm down."

"Well, when will that be?"

"Ah, that's the thing about it, no one knows when it'll be over, till it's over babydoll."

"I swear to God if you call me one more little pet name I'll bust your nose." I hate it when strange men call me pet names. Sexist, drooling, pigs.

"I'd actually greatly enjoy watching you try to even lay a hand on me."

I look him up and down. "Eh, I think you'd like that a little too much, having my hands on you, seeing as how you're so eager to give me little pet names."

He stands up from his chair and walks back over towards me, I remain still and unflinching, even though once he gets close and leans down face to face I have the undeniable urge to flinch back away from him as his minty breath fans my face.

"You couldn't handle me, princess. Much too young and naive for my liking, anyways."

"Naive? I may be younger than you, but that doesn't make me naive."

"Oh, but Caterina, it's written all over you."

"You barely know me. You're just some idiot who got stuck with me while things go to shit."

"I was chosen for this shit because I'm the fucking best there is, princess."

"You'll regret using those petnames on me." I spit out at him.

"If you say so, sweetie." He straightens his back, causing audible pops to be heard.

"Old man." I mumble under my breath.

"Keep calling me old man and I won't bring your bag to you." He threatens.

"You brought my bag?" I ask a little too excitedly. I was worried I'd be stuck here with nothing but the clothes I had on.

"Yeah, didn't wanna listen to you whine about needing feminine products, so I brought your bag you had packed."

My face heats at his words, which only makes me angrier. He's such a fucking smart ass.

He leaves the room when I say nothing, I'm assuming to grab my duffle bag full of my things.

I take the moment to eye my surroundings carefully. It's a small room, and dimly lit, no windows. But it's well kept and clean, the bed smells of fresh linens. It could be worse.

Dolion returns with my bag, tossing it on the bed beside me. "I'm surprised you didn't pack any weapons with you."

I look up at him curiously. "You went through my bag?"

"Of course I did, I checked every single pocket." He says smuggly.

"Hope you had fun digging through my panties, you creep."

"They were alright."

Truly, I'm beginning to hate this man more and more as the seconds tick by.

"Fuck you."

"Ah, but that's not part of my job."

I roll my eyes and ignore his words. "I want to get cleaned up, where's a bathroom?"

He nods to the second door in the room, I had assumed it was a closet, but I greatly prefer it being a bathroom instead.

Will he keep me here in this room the whole time? I really hope not..

I drop my duffle bag on the bathroom floor and close the door behind me. Eyeing the doorknob I shake my head. No lock. Of course. I grab my bag and shove it in front of the door before getting in the shower. Knowing it won't do much, but having it there makes me feel better.

It doesn't take long for the hot water to run out, and I find myself hurrying through the rest of it. I shut the water off and step out, searching for a towel, finding a stack under the sink in a cabinet. I dry off and wrap the overly large towel tightly around myself.

Quickly grabbing out my cosmetic bag, I walk to the mirror that's still fogged up, deciding to brush out my hair while it clears up.

Once I'm done I begin digging around for a chapstick, and grab out a lipstick tube instead, and instantly throw it back into the make-up bag.

"I checked every single pocket."

Oh my God. This was not supposed to be in here.

Maybe he didn't realize it's not a regular lipstick tube. Men are oblivious. A loud knock on the door interrupts my train of thought.

"Piss off." Is the only response I have for him.

Dolion opens the door without another warning, making me scream and hold my towel closer as I throw my hair dryer towards him, barely missing his head.

"Get out!"

"You've been in here for over a damn hour, I've got to piss and this is the only bathroom in the safe house. You get out."

"You're a creep, Dolion! Close the door so I can get dressed!"

His uncaring gaze seems to only grow more annoyed as he approaches me.

"Get back!" Is he fucking insane?

I grip my towel tighter as he tosses me over his shoulder before walking out of the bathroom. "Put me down now!"

Just then he plops me down on the small bed in my towel, not sparing me a second glance as he walks back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Who treats their boss's daughter this way? A man who's gonna lose his fucking job once I get a hold of my father, that's fucking who.

He'll hear about all of this the moment I talk to him again.

Dolion opens the bathroom door, walking through before dramatically gesturing for me to go back in.

I mean mug the absolute fuck out of him. "I hate you."

"I'm not too fond of you either, princess."

Standing up, I march back into the bathroom, slamming the door as hard as possible in the process. I look around the bathroom frustrated.

My frustration takes over as I start slamming shit around, furious that I've been dragged back into this hellish life.

I never wanted this. Never wanted to come back to this shit. I was happy with the life I had built for myself, I was proud of my small accomplishments because I had done it all myself.

And now it's all gone. Everything I worked so hard for.. I had truly believed I had left this life behind me..

Angry tears spill from my eyes as I begin screaming and repeatedly slamming shit.

I know Dolion can hear me, but I don't care. He can fuck off and let me have my break down.

He's probably laughing to himself about how childish my outburst is as I scream and cry and throw things around the bathroom.

But I don't care.

"Fuck the Sicilian Mafia! Fuck them all to hell!"

Fuck the life that stole my own away from me.

Fuck it all!