Trapped by the Mafia Boss

Breakfast

Ava Martinez

~•~

I drummed my fingers impatiently on the table, my eyes fixed on my phone as I waited for it to turn on. Each passing minute felt like an eternity.

Finally, the screen flickered on and I let out a sigh of relief. A small smile spread across my face as I realized everything was exactly as I had left it.

I was tempted to check the internet, to see what the media was saying about my family. But I didn’t want to ruin my mood just yet. I decided to drop it and check my messages instead.

As I scrolled through my phone, I realized I had gotten a flurry of texts from Bonnie and some of our other friends. They were really worried and thought I was in danger.

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw a text where Bonnie asked if I was still alive. My anatomy professor was even blowing up my phone with texts since I didn’t resume after the Thanksgiving break.

Confused about what to do, I only texted Bonnie to let her know I was safe before turning off my phone to let it charge completely.

I needed to think carefully about my next move. Ruiz gave me access to the internet and I could do whatever I wanted. But I knew he wasn’t naive, so he probably knew the risks involved and was prepared for me.

The thought of exposing him online, of telling the world I'd been kidnapped by Ruiz Giovanni, crossed my mind, but I knew it would put my sibling's life in danger.

The news would spread like wildfire, and Ruiz would find out quickly. I didn’t know who I could trust in Spain. All my friends were in college and they knew nothing about the mafia life.

After weighing my options, I decided I would act like everything was okay for some days before making any move.

Ruiz was probably waiting for me to do something but I was going to prove him wrong by acting normal. I wasn’t even going to tell my friends that I was in danger.

~•~

“Are you enjoying your breakfast?” I asked Ruiz as we both sat at the dining table. For the past few days, I have been offering to make breakfast for both of us.

Ruiz’s stunned expression made it clear he was surprised by my question.

I barely spoke to him whenever we ate. And no matter how hard he tried to make conversation, I always ignored him. Even if I responded, it was always with a hint of disdain.

“Why are you staring at me like you’ve just seen a ghost?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. “Are you enjoying your breakfast?”

Ruiz cleared his throat, a small smile playing on his lips. “I sure am. But the bacon could use a bit more seasoning.” He replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.

I smiled.

“Alright, I’ll put that into consideration the next time I make you breakfast,” I said and continued eating. The room fell silent again.

As we quietly ate our breakfast, I broke the silence again. “Can I talk to my sibling today?” I asked and he nodded. I always took permission from him before I called them and we always talked in his presence.

After breakfast, I pulled out my phone from my pocket and dialed my Abuelita’s number. She spoke to me first and asked me about my well-being before giving the phone to my siblings.

“Hey, Nina. How are you doing?” I asked when my Abuelita put Nina on the phone. I always talked to Nina first.

Nina sighed and I could tell she was frustrated through the phone. “I still have nightmares about that day. I’m not okay, Ava.” She responded in a slightly cracked voice and my heart sank.

My sister was traumatized, and the cause of her trauma was sitting right in front of me. The anger was simmering below me but I just stayed calm, acting like everything was okay.

Nina and Diaz were only in their early teenage years but their lives were already scarred. Ruiz was going to pay for what he did to my family, no matter how much time it took.

“I’m so sorry about that, Nina.” I sympathized with her, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to stream down my face. “Would you like to see a therapist?”

“No, I just want my big sister.” She said in between sobs. “When are you coming back?”

I let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll come back soon.”

I hated myself for lying to my siblings. They had no idea I was being held captive. I had to come up with a fake story, so they wouldn’t be worried about me.

They all thought I was in New York. My Abuelita also thought I was in college. Even when they asked why I didn’t come back for the funeral, I lied that it was because I had an important examination.

“Okay. I miss you and I can’t wait to see you.” Nina responded, her voice laced with tears. “I love you.”

After that, she handed the phone to Diaz.

Unlike Nina, he was handling the death of our parents better than Nina. I always encouraged him to open up about his emotions, but he insisted he was fine. I knew he was just putting on a brave face, but I didn’t press the issue.

“How’s everything going?” Diaz asked me before I could even say anything.

I forced a chuckle. “I’m holding up. I guess I’m fine.” The lie tasted bitter on my lips. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good. Nina doesn’t stop crying.” He changed the subject, just so he wouldn’t talk about himself. Classical Daiz move. He’d rather talk about other people’s feelings rather than confront his own.

Diaz and I chatted for a while about what was going on in their lives. They still hadn’t gone back to school because they were still dealing with their grief. "Take all the time you need," I urged. "Don't rush back if you’re not ready."

As we wrapped up the call, I said. “I’ll talk to you later. I love you.” Then, I hung up the call and turned to Ruiz who had been quietly listening to our conversation.

His eyes darted away as our eyes met, the tension between us palpable. I stood up abruptly and announced. “I’m going back to my room.”

If I stayed another second with him in the dining room, I would be tempted to slit his throat with a knife.