The Mafia's Don Plus Size Bride

No where to hide

Camila's nails dug so deep into my bruised wrist that I could feel my skin tearing. I stared at her, completely terrified, my mind going totally blank. My throat dry as dust. I swallowed the lump in my throat but still could not speak

"Speak!" Camila demanded, giving my arm a sharp, painful jerk that sent a spike of agony straight up to my shoulder. "What are you doing in this house?"

"I... I do not know," I stuttered, shaking my head frantically as tears blurred my vision. "I just... my father owes him money. That is all. I swear!"

"Do not play stupid with me," Camila snarled, her face twisting into a mask of pure hatred. "Lorenzo does not bring debt collectors into his private villa."

"Camila!" Lorenzo's deep voice boomed from the end of the hallway, sharp and impatient. "Get in here!"

Camila froze. She let go of my wrist, turning back into the woman from a while ago

Grace filled and composed “Coming” she called then looked back at me, her face turned sour as she sneered

“Stay the f**k away from me and my husband” she sneered, but before she turned away, she lifted her leg and brought her sharp six inch stiletto heel down directly onto my bare foot.

*CRACK!*

A horrific pain exploded through my foot. I let out a sharp cry, collapsing onto the cold marble floor, clutching my toes as fresh agony washed over me.

"That is just a taste of what happens if you stay in my way," Camila whispered viciously, stepping over me as if I were nothing more than a piece of trash. "Get out of my sight."

I lay on the floor for a long moment, gasping for air, my whole body trembling, as tears fell down my cheeks. I slowly pulled my foot toward my chest. My toes were already turning a deep, angry purple, swollen and throbbing heavily. I dragged myself up against the wall, limping as fast as my injured leg could carry me toward the back corridor where they had thrown my things.

I finally found the small guest room at the end of the hallway. I pushed the heavy oak door shut and immediately reached for the brass lock to secure it.

My heart dropped into my stomach.

There was no lock. The keyhole had been completely removed, leaving a smooth, silver plate where the deadbolt should have been.

I leaned my head against the cool wood, letting out a hollow laugh. Of course there was no lock. It was just another form of control from Lorenzo. He wanted me accessible, defenseless, and completely at his mercy every single second of the day.

I limped over to the narrow bed, collapsing onto the thin mattress without bothering to turn off the lights. Every single inch of my body ached. The bruises from my father's belt, the raw marks on my wrist from Camila, and my swollen foot were all throbbing in unison. I lay there with my eyes wide open, staring at the white ceiling, feeling completely miserable and utterly terrified of what tomorrow would bring.

Tears slipped from my eyes, sideways as I laid there, blurring my vision. This was it? This was my life now, after everything I gave up for every one else

I let out a choking sound, as I wailed as silently as I could.

An hour passed in suffocating silence.

Then

KNOCK! KNOCK!

The sudden, loud sound on my door made me jump so hard my wounded foot slammed against the bedframe. I gasped from the pain, scrambling up as fast as I could. I dragged myself over to the door and pulled it open, expecting to see Camila or Lorenzo standing there to finish me off.

A tall guard in a neat black suit stood in the corridor, his face completely expressionless.

"Miss Kate," the guard said, his voice flat and professional.

"What is it?" I asked, gripping the edge of the doorframe to keep my balance. "Did Liam… I mean Lorenzo send you?"

"Boss Lorenzo ordered me to give you a message," the guard replied, holding out a large black box wrapped in silk ribbon. "He expects you in his private lounge on the top floor in one hour."

I looked at the box, my stomach twisting into a tight knot. "What is in there?"

"Something befitting your position, according to the boss," the guard stated. "He said you should change immediately."

"Do I have to go?" I asked rhetorically, my voice barely above a whisper. “If I say no, would you force me?”

The guard did not answer that. Instead, he cleared his throat and looked down the quiet hallway before looking back at me.

"Boss Lorenzo also left another strict directive regarding this room," the guard added, his voice dropping slightly. "He instructed every security detail on this floor that nobody is allowed inside this room without your explicit permission, so no I can't actually force you."

I blinked, completely stunned. "What?"

"No one enters," the guard repeated firmly. "Not the staff, not the guards, and not Mrs Moretti. If anyone attempts to cross your threshold without your consent, we have orders to remove them by force."

For a moment, I did not really understand.

I stared at the guard, my mind spinning in complete confusion. Lorenzo had just let his wife humiliate me, called me a worthless distraction, and stripped the lock off my door. Yet here was his chief guard, telling me that Lorenzo had placed an invisible wall around my room, protecting me from the very woman who had just crushed my foot.

"Does... does Camila know about this rule?" I managed to ask, my throat tight.

"Mrs Moretti was informed ten minutes ago," the guard said, handing me the heavy black box. "She was not pleased. You have fifty minutes left, Miss Kate. Do not keep the boss waiting."

He turned and walked down the hall, leaving me standing in the open doorway with the heavy box in my hands, completely lost in a sea of terrifying contradictions.