Property of Don Donovan

Chapter 5 - The Golden Cage

The black dress the tailor picked out for me is so stiff and smells like it had been soaked in chemicals. I slip the dress on and go over to the front of the mirror to get a better view. The dress is so tight, almost like I’m wearing a second skin, making me feel exposed even though I’m covered from my neck down to my toes. I try to zip up the back of the dress but my hands will not stop shaking.

While I’m still struggling with the zipper, Dante kicks the door open and walks in without even looking directly at me, but he catches my reflection in the mirror. He stops in front of the mirror and looks at me from up to down. I can see his gaze drag slowly from my heels up to the messy bun on my hair.

"Turn around," he commands.

I do a slow spin, clutching my hands in front of my stomach. He turns and begins to walk towards me, and as he gets closer, I can feel his energy so strong, making the room feel five degrees hotter. He reaches behind me, his knuckles grazing my spine. He pulls me closer and yanks the zipper up until the back of my neck. I gasp as his fingers brush my skin, my heart hammering against my ribs.

"Stop acting like I’m going to bite you," he whispers into my ear.

“If I wanted you dead, you’d be in the garden by now. My father is waiting to see you. If you trip, or stutter, or look like you’re about to faint, I’m going to make you regret it."

He doesn’t even wait for a response, he just grabs my wrist and hauls me down the stairs.

The dining room is massive, lit by a chandelier that looks like it was made of frozen tears. At the head of the table is seated Dante’s father - the old Don. He looks just as I had imagined; like a corpse that someone had dressed in an expensive suit… with his pale skin, sunken eyes, and a mouth that looks like it has never said a kind word.

Dante shoves me into a chair, making me trip as I try to sit. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt more embarrassed in my life.

"So…," the Old Don begins, his voice sounding like sandpaper on wood. "Finally, I get to see the Vitale girl."

I don’t say anything. I just stare at my empty gold-rimmed plate.

"She doesn't speak?" the old man turns to ask Dante.

"She’s a bit slow," Dante replies, his voice dripping with a casual cruelty. He reaches for a bottle of wine and pours himself a glass, ignoring me completely.

"Took her twenty minutes just to get into a dress. She’s a waitress, Father. Don't expect a miracle."

The Old Don leans forward, his eyes digging into mine. "You look like your mother. She was a coward too. Ran away because she couldn't handle the weight of the name. I hope you have more spine than she did."

I feel a flash of heat in my chest, or maybe it’s pure anger. But whatever it is I’m feeling is nothing compared to the fear that’s about to drown it.

"I... I just want to go home," I stutter.

The Old Don lets out a loud laughter that sounds like a chicken choking on a piece of rock… very dry and irritating. He laughs like that for a minute and then stops all of a sudden, looking at me straight in the face.

"This is your home now. You are a Vitale. You’re the piece I’ve been missing to finish this board. Dante will see to it that you’re useful. Or he’ll see to it that you’re buried."…

I just sit there frozen, wondering how I got myself into a web being spun by such crazy men.

Dante kicks my foot really hard under the table. I wince, looking up at him, but he isn’t even looking at me. He is staring at his wine with his jaw so tight I’m thinking it just might break

.

"She’ll be useful, I’ll make sure of it." Dante says, his voice cold.

The dinner continues in a blur of heavy silence and the clinking of spoons and glasses. I can’t even eat a bite. Every time I look up, I see the Old Don watching me like I’m a prize horse he’s deciding whether to shoot.

Once the dinner is over, Dante stands up and grabs the back of my chair, gesturing for me to follow him.

"We’re done here," he tells his father. He doesn’t ask for permission to leave, he just pulls me out of the room.

Soon as we get back in the hallway, he slams me against the wall, pinning my shoulder so hard with his hand.. . It hurts.

"You almost made me look like a fool in there. I told you to maintain your composure. I told you to look at him."

"I was scared!" I cry out, the tears finally spilling over.

He leans in, his nose brushing mine.

"Get used to it, Selene. Because in this house, fear is the only thing that keeps you alive. Now get to your room, and don't let me catch you locking that f*cking door again!”…..