𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐌𝐞: 𝙰 𝙼𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚊 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

Caterina

I let the hot water run down my body as the steam fills the bathroom, enjoying the relaxing feeling after a long day at work.

Jenny was late to the shop as usual, and of course had plans tonight and needed to leave early. It's coworkers like her that make my job even less bearable than it already is.

Working at a restaurant is bad enough, having been cut off from the family funds after refusing to begin training to take over when I turned eighteen.

What the fuck ever though. I may be barely scrapping by in a dingy little apartment with a crappy room mate and shitty job, but at least I'm free from the ever present shadow that is my father's business.

He wants to cut me off just cause I don't want to inherit a fucking position as head of the Sicilian Mafia than so be it. Fuck that life and everything that comes with that shit.

Drugs, guns, and sex work? I'll pass. I want no part of the life that took my mother away so mercilessly.

And I'll never forgive my father for how cruel he was upon finding out what happened to her.

"It's part of the life we chose, she knew the risks." He had told me as I cried my fucking heart out.

It took him barely a year to remarry, the woman he chose was nothing more than a gold digging bitch. I hate her. She's in this life for the luxurious it has to offer. One day her greedy behavior will get her into trouble.

I rummage through my fridge in the kitchen as I stand in my towel, deciding on a slice of left over pizza from the night before.

I pop it in the microwave and wait for it to finish reheating, deciding to check my phone out of boredom.

7 missed calls from Papà.

My heart starts to race as I try to come up with a reason he would be reaching out to me after a year of no contact. He didn't even call on my nineteenth birthday to wish me well.

I stare at my phone screen, debating on whether or not I want to call him back. As if on queue my phone begins vibrating in my hand. I stare at it, not wanting to know why he would be calling so consistently, it's entirely unlike him.

I take a deep inhale before I hit the accept button. "Hello?"

My father sounds stressed, even after a year of not hearing him, I hear the worry present in his voice. "Caterina, I've been calling for hours, why haven't you picked up?"

"I just got off work maybe an hour ago, I've been relaxing. Plus it's ten at night, I very well could have been asleep. Now what do you want?"

I can hear my father inhale deeply before speaking. "Something has.. happened. Our family isn't safe right now. Not even you, Piccola."

I roll my eyes to myself, hating the endearment he uses while addressing me. I'm not a little girl any more.

"So what does this mean for me then?"

"One of my men is on his way over there now. Please don't make this hard, Cat."

"What do you mean they're already headed here?" I say in a panicked voice. I will not be dragged back into this fucking life.

"He's going to be taking you into hiding, it's for your own safety, just until things cool down."

"You're.. you're fucking sending me away into hiding? You can't do this! I have a life here! I have friends! A job! I can't just leave all of it on a fucking whim!" I shout through the phone as I rush to my room.

I'll pack my things and stay at a motel somewhere, I'll lay low for a bit. But I'm not fucking going anywhere with one of my father's idiotic meat-heads.

"Don't use that language with me. Be ready, Dolion will be there shortly."

I hang up, not bothering to say even one more word as my anger grows. Fuck him. I'm not going with anyone anywhere. I'll hide out on my own for a bit, I'll call work and say I'm sick and stay out for a week. Plus, knowing my father he's overreacting, how the hell would anyone find me when he hasn't even had contact with me in a little over a year?

I shove a bunch of my clothes in a duffle bag, trying to be quick, as soon as I feel it's full enough I dart into the bathroom and dump all my beauty supplies in, making my way to the shower I toss all my hygiene products in, not caring as they get my clothes wet from where I'd just used them in the shower a bit ago.

I dart around trying to grab anything I think I might need, plus a few comfort items. Lastly I toss on some clothes, some grey leggings with a long sleeve black crop top and my sneakers.

I grab my purse, shoving it into my duffle bag so I only have one bag to carry. As soon as I finish zipping it I hear a very faint click, sounding like the front door.

Maybe it's my roommate, Ryan, he's always coming home late from working at the bar, usually smashed. He usually just goes straight to his room till it's time for him to leave again, the only annoying thing he does is eat all my takeout leftovers. Unforgivable.

I remain quiet, knowing if it's him he won't even care to say 'hi', being more of a reclusive person.

When I hear footsteps in the hallway I know it's not my roommate.

Fuck fuck fuck.

I wasn't quick enough to dodge whoever it was my father sent, but maybe I can still sneak out of here, or maybe they won't notice I'm still here.

"I know you're here." A rough male voice calls out quietly into my room where I'm hiding beside my bed.

"You can come easily, or I'll take you by force." I can't bring myself to move as I hear his footsteps approaching my bed, and I feel foolish as he looks over my bed to find me crouched down, hiding.

I don't take time to think about it as I jump up and try to dart away from the large man, tumbling over my bed in the process.

"Let me go! Let go of me!" I scream out as the man grabs my waist, preventing me from running.

"By force it is." Though I don't see his face, I can hear the smile in his voice.

"Ryan! Someone! Help me!" I don't care if I sound helpless, I fucking am. This man is almost twice my size and much stronger than I am.

He tosses me over his shoulder, seemingly unfazed by my freak out. "Let me go! Put me down! My father will hear about this!" How dare he man handle me in such a way! Doesn't he know who I am?!

I continue to claw and scratch at his back, desperately trying to escape his hold. I begin kicking my feet, I feel my heel make contact with his chin and hear a quiet groan escape the man's lips, the small blow causes him to stumble and accidentally knock my head against the wall, instantly leaving me feeling disoriented.

Suddenly I'm being tossed onto the lounge chair that sits near the door to the apartment, I eye it, my fear telling me to make a run for it. My thoughts are quickly quieted as the man grabs me by my hair.

"That wasn't very nice of you, and I can't have you causing any more noise for now. We're supposed to be leaving without a scene." His accent is thick, but I can't place it right now as my head throbs painfully. He grabs a cloth from his pocket and my fear sky rockets.

"No, wait, plea-" My words are cut short as he brings the cloth to my face, forcing me to inhale. Everything becomes blurry as he tosses me back over his shoulder, carrying me out of my apartment.

Fuck..

The last thing I see is the man closing my apartment door before I black out completely, unconscious taking me prisoner.

1,410 words.

Future chapters will all be 2000+ words.