Why does the Mafia want me so bad?

5: Auctioned Off

I was gasping for air, struggling to breathe. A familiar voice broke through my panic. “Esme, are you okay?” I had heard that voice before, it was too familiar. “Calm down and take a breath,” the voice urged. I inhaled deeply, exhaled, and slowly began to calm down.

“You had a panic attack,” the voice said. I turned to see who it was—Carlos. “Carlos?” I whispered, startled. He was holding a gun, and I froze.

“Hey, hey, shhh. It’s not what you think,” he said, trying to reassure me. Just then, Cristobal appeared, pointing a gun at Carlos. “What did you do? Did you kill my men?” Cristobal demanded, c*****g his gun, ready to shoot.

Before Cristobal could fire, I looked around and pieced everything together. There were three bodies on the ground—two of Cristobal’s men and one unknown man. The gunshot I’d heard before my panic attack wasn’t Carlos trying to hurt me—it was him saving me from the man who had shot Cristobal’s guards.

“Wait! Carlos saved my life,” I explained quickly. Cristobal lowered his gun, though his expression remained tense.

“Esme—” Carlos started, but I cut him off, still trembling.

“Cristobal, take me out of here,” I said, unable to process everything. Someone had sent that killer to target me. He had pointed a gun at me before Carlos intervened.

“Esmeralda, come with me. I’ll protect you,” Carlos insisted. His sudden possessiveness made me uneasy. I ignored him, but he grabbed my arm, forcing me to face him. “I just saved your life, something Cristobal and his men couldn’t do,” he said, his voice cold. I swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond.

Before I could say anything, Cristobal stepped in, pushing Carlos off me. “Stay away from her,” he warned. Then, Cristobal led me to his car, and we drove off.

The ride was silent except for my soft sobs. I was still in shock, tears streaming down my face. Then, I felt Cristobal’s hand gently covering mine. “Everything will be okay,” he said softly. “I’ll find out who sent that man after you. I’m sorry, Esme. Truly.”

“Sorry?” I whispered, my voice breaking. “What good is your apology? I could’ve died tonight! You brought me here, Cristobal. If Carlos hadn’t been there…” I paused, choking on my words. “He saved me. Only God knows what would’ve happened if he hadn’t intervened.”

Cristobal’s jaw tightened. “You’re forgetting this is the Mafia world, Esmeralda. People play games. How do you know Carlos didn’t send that man after you, only to kill him and play the hero?” he said, his voice low but deliberate.

His words hit me hard, stirring doubts I didn’t want to entertain. Could Carlos have orchestrated all this? It made sense in a twisted way, but could I believe it? I wiped my tears, trying to steady myself, but something else caught my attention.

This wasn’t the road to my hotel. It was the road to Cristobal’s house.

“For security reasons, you need to stay with me,” Cristobal said. I didn’t have the energy to argue, so I just nodded.

When we got to his mansion, I took a quick shower and lay down to sleep, but I couldn’t. Restless, I decided to take a stroll. I heard the sound of water splashing and followed it to the swimming pool. Cristobal was inside. When he saw me, he swam to the edge of the pool, sat down, and motioned for me to join him.

He poured me a drink. I told him I didn’t drink alcohol, but he insisted, saying I’d be fine. I sipped hesitantly, then sipped again, and before I knew it, I’d finished the whole glass. Feeling tipsy, I lost my balance and fell into the pool. Cristobal immediately jumped in and pulled me out.

As we stood close, something came over me, and I kissed him. Realizing what I’d done, I backed away in shock, but Cristobal didn’t let me go. He kissed me back, his hands roaming, grabbing my waist and pressing me closer.

I knew I should stop, but I couldn’t. I was enjoying it too much. Then, a voice broke through the moment.

“Don’t you think it’s a little early to be caught doing this?”

It was Susanne. I was embarrassed, I quickly swam out of the pool, throwing her a warning glare before heading to my room. I was soaked and frustrated, my body buzzing with unsatisfied desire. After a quick shower, I finally collapsed into bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, I was startled awake by Susanne’s scream. She barged into my room, grinning as she shoved her phone in my face.

“Look at this!” she said, practically bouncing.

Groggy, I squinted at the screen and read the headline: "Billionaire Mogul Seen Sharing a Kiss in His Mansion Pool with an Unidentified Woman."

I shot up, my sleep vanishing in an instant. “What?!” I exclaimed, horrified. “Why are you happy about this, Susanne? Who took these pictures? How did they even get in?”

“Relax,” she said, laughing. “Your face isn’t showing—you were facing away from the camera. Cristobal left early this morning to handle it.”

I glanced at the clock. It was already noon. I’d been sleeping all morning.

As I got ready, my mind raced. Cristobal was a Mafia lord, and his mansion had tight security. Whoever took those pictures had to be an insider. I decided to bring it up with him when he returned.

After a shower, I headed downstairs, ate quickly, and went to the living room. I felt uneasy, like someone was watching me. Just as I turned to check, a sharp pain exploded in my head. Someone had hit me hard. Everything went black.

When I woke up, I was disoriented. Voices echoed around me, loud chanting mixed with laughter, but I couldn’t see anything—the blindfold over my eyes blocked my view. My heart raced in fear.

I struggled against the ropes binding my hands and legs, but they only tightened, digging painfully into my skin. I felt a hand pull the blindfold off, and when my vision cleared, I froze. I was in a Mafia auction house.

I panicked as I realized where I was.

“Here’s our next item,” a woman’s voice announced. “A very beautiful lady—Esmeralda Larosa. Starting price is five million dollars. Let the bidding begin!”

My blood ran cold. It hit me like a wave: I was being auctioned off.