The Don's Rebellion

Sometimes, all that glitters is not gold. The saying was not new to Carmen Ferrari. In fact, she was living proof of it. A figment of her father’s imagination, a mere pawn floating across the surface of a chess board, waiting to be devoured. Her life had never really been hers, from the day she was conceived to this very moment. It was her eighteenth birthday, and she was anything but overjoyed. Her father was going to marry her off to a young man named Bruno Segreto. A man she knew nothing about, a man she would rather die than be tied in matrimony with. But Carmen didn’t have a choice, or a say in the matter. Whatever Ciro Ferrari wanted was what would happen, even though it meant selling her out, his only daughter and youngest child. Carmen thought about her older brother, Dante, and his eight years old son. How she’d miss them, how she wished there was another way to avoid being Bruno’s bride. But time and again, the same thought came to her mind, no matter how hard she tried to shake it away. She had been waiting for this day, dreading it. She knew it was something she had to do, but it wasn’t an easy choice still. Running away was never easy. Carmen sat at the edge of her bed, her toes tapping in anticipation, calculating the plan she was about to execute. By the corner of her huge purple themed room, the low bark of a puppy escaped into the air and Carmen was suddenly alarmed. If this was going to work, she needed utter silence. “Come here, Coco.” She cooed, stretching her hands out so she could receive the tiny animal. She ran her fingers through its fur. She had gotten the Pomeranian as an early birthday gift from her father. It was his way of reminding her to behave, his way of silencing her. Like a dog could make up for all her childhood trauma. By the age of seven, she was made to get up as early as six to run drills, and by the age of twelve, her first gun was handed to her. She had been taking shooting lessons ever since, and sometimes forced to discipline the people who crossed her father. By fourteen, Carmen had taken her first life. By accident, that is. Granted, the man had been stealing from her father, but it did not make the experience any less terrifying. Killing the man left her scarred, but her father had told her to suck it up. Like a good and naïve daughter, she did just that. She grunted in disgust. What kind of a person did that to their child? What kind of a father sat back and let his children do his dirty work? Well, no more. It was time to make a run for it, away from the underworld that involved bad men and illegal deals. A world of the mafia, where family meant nothing and power and wealth was everything. Her puppy let out another bark, this time louder. It was followed by whining, then an attempt to lick the tip of Carmen’s fingers, almost like it could sense her distress. “I’m sorry, Coco, but I can’t take you with me.” Carmen hissed impatiently, grabbing her already packed backpack from the side of the bed. “You have to stay quiet, girl. Please.” But nothing she did seemed to work. The faint echo of footsteps from the hallway sent her heart racing. With the amount of noise Coco was making, it wouldn’t take too long for one of the guards to knock at her door and ask if everything was okay. She looked around, desperately searching her room until her eyes landed on a chew toy. Coco’s favorite, and just what she needed for the dog to pass the time. At least enough for her to put her plan in motion. She grabbed the squishy object and threw it onto the floor, sighing with relief when Coco rushed towards it and got busy. Carmen tightened the straps of her leather bag and flung it over her shoulders. She inhaled nervously. She was so scared, but the thought of being married to someone she didn’t love, someone she knew nothing about, was scarier. With one last glance, she took in the confines of her room. When she was sure the small Pomeranian was still perched by the corner, still distracted, she tiptoed to the window. She had rehearsed this moment countless times, but her body still trembled with fear. She pushed the window open slowly, the old hinges creaking slightly. The cool night air rushed in, carrying with it the scent of wet grass. Carmen slipped out onto the narrow ledge, her fingers gripping the cold metal of the drainpipe. Below her, the estate’s gardens were covered in darkness. She glanced down, her breath hitching at the height, but she forced herself to move. One hand over the other, she descended the pipe as carefully as possible. Relief washed over her once her feet touched the ground. She’d made it this far, but the hardest part was yet to come. She crouched, moving silently as she navigated the shadows. The guards patrolled in pairs, their flashlights piercing through the darkness. Carmen’s heart pounded as she ducked behind a hedge, waiting for the right moment to move. When the guards turned the corner, she sprinted toward the mansion entrance. Her small frame allowed her to move swiftly, and she reached the gate undetected. “f**k,” Carmen cursed under her breath. She hadn’t expected the gate to be locked. She stood there for a minute, confused. The gate was never locked. Suddenly, a voice called out behind her. “Ah! Miss Carmen! Your father was right to have us secure the entrance.” Carmen turned around slowly, rolling her eyes. Even though she was terrified of her father, none of the guards had ever really scared her. She knew she could handle them, she was raised to think quick in the face of danger. “Open the gate,” she said firmly, her voice low but steady. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, miss Ferrari.” The guard said, flashing her a devious smile. It was almost like he had just won a lottery. “Your father gave clear instructions to bring you to him if you tried to make a run for it.” Carmen’s heart did a flip. Her father knew. He had suspected she would do something like this, and he was right. But still, she couldn’t just give up. She was already so close to freedom, surrendering now would subject her to a life of extra suffering. There was no way her father would let her off with just a warning. If she returned with the guard, she’d be done for. She sighed, having weighed her options. She put on a sad frown and slowly walked to the man in front of her. She knew him, she’d seen him multiple times around, but it was not enough to make her care about him. “Fine,” she finally said. “I’ll go with you.” The man smiled even wider, a silent sneer of irritation escaped Carmen’s lips as she took in his happiness. She knew what the man was thinking the moment he stopped her. She scoffed softly, knowing the man was probably fantasizing about how he’d present her to her father. He’d finally be known. She almost laughed out loud at the thought. As she got closer to him, her right hand slipped behind her back, to the side of her bag. There, a small sharp pocket knife was hidden. “I can’t wait to see the look on your father’s face when he realizes what a cunt you’ve been.” Triggered by his words, she grabbed the knife quickly and jumped on his back before slicing through his thick neck. Blood splattered out, the man stumbled forward with his hands over the cut, struggling to form a sentence. It all happened so fast, this was not the way Carmen thought her night would go. It was better. “Now who’s the cunt?” she asked, smiling devilishly as she watched him take his final breath. Not a second had gone by before she heard another set of footsteps behind her. She turned around, stunned and unable to hide away her weapon. Another guard was now standing in front of her, his eyes searching until they landed on her hand which was covered in blood. He looked behind her and saw the dead man, his breath caught. He knew who she was, what she was capable of, and the worst part was he couldn’t harm her. She was his boss’s daughter after all, the Ferrari heiress. His eyes went wide as he turned back around, but before he could move further, carmen acted on instinct. She couldn’t let him leave and alert the others, she didn’t have a choice. This was not her finest moments, she knew this. Her heart fell as she threw the knife at him. She was almost wishing it would miss, because unlike the first guard, this one had not disrespected her. When the man gasped and stopped on his tracks, she knew she had gotten him. There was no going back now. She rushed over to him and pulled the knife out from behind him, then stabbed him in the torso. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as she dug the knife into him repeatedly. Finally, he was dead. She ignored the tears stinging her eyes and her blood stained hands, reminding herself this was the price she had to pay to be free. After calming herself, she dragged the bodies into the bush and out of eyeshot to buy herself some time. She searched both of them and found the gate keys, sighing with relief that all that was not for nothing. This time, she didn’t look back. This was it, she was finally going to get away from this life. And hopefully, these would be he last people she would ever have to kill. As soon as she made it out, she took off at a sprint, her lungs burning as she pushed herself harder than she ever had. The streets beyond the estate were quiet, the distant hum of the city her only companion. Carmen’s breath came in ragged gasps, but she didn’t dare slow down. She got to a clearing and paused, her mind working on overdrive. She hadn’t thought things through, she never expected to actually make it out. Where would she go? She could go to her best friend, Olivia’s place, but her parents would ask questions and she was covered in blood. How would she explain that? She and Olivia had been friends for so long, but Carmen had never told her about the Mafia. Mostly for her own safety. She sighed, confused, on the verge of tears. She traced the heart tattoo around her waist, like she always did when she was nervous. She and Olivia had gotten the same set two years ago, in the same place. The memory made her smile a little, Olivia was one of the few people that made her feel safe. Olivia made life so much easier, she was like the sister she never had. Suddenly, a pair of headlights appeared ahead, the car swerving erratically as it sped towards her. Carmen froze, her instincts screaming at her to move, but her legs refused to obey. The car drifted off the road and slammed into a tree, the impact sending a deafening crash echoing through the night. Carmen hesitated, torn between her desire to escape and her conscience. The driver’s side door hung open, and she could see a figure slumped over the wheel. Her stomach twisted. She couldn’t just leave them there. Muttering a curse under her breath, she darted towards the wreck. The smell of gasoline and burnt rubber filling her nose as she took a peek inside the car. The driver was a young man, his face too bloodied to make out. He had black hair and looked around her age. He groaned in pain, his eyes fluttering open as she tried to shake his shoulder. “Hey, can you hear me?” Carmen asked urgently. The man’s feeble gaze focused on her, his expression dazed. “Who—” “You’re hurt,” she said quickly, attempting to pull him out gently. “I need to get you out of here. Please, try to assist me, okay? I can’t do this on my own.” Her voice was soft and shaking slightly, but she reached across him, fumbling with the seatbelt until it came free. With his weakened effort, she managed to pull him from the car, his weight nearly toppling her. She dragged him a safe distance away, her muscles straining and aching with each step. The man tried to speak to her again, but Carmen was too distracted, fishing for her phone in her backpack so she could call for help. She knew she wouldn’t have time to wait for an ambulance to come, but she was prepared to stay however long she could. “Help is on the way,” she told him as soon as she got off the phone. “Just hang in there, okay? You’ll be fine.” The man didn’t say anything. In fact, Carmen wasn’t sure he was still conscious. He was staring directly at her, unblinking. In the distance, she heard the sound of a car. Panic surged through her veins and her heart began to beat rapidly. Could it be her father? Had he already figured out she was gone? “Listen,” she whispered. “I have to go.” The moment the words escaped her lips, the sound of sirens filled the air. She sighed in relief, now she didn’t have to worry about leaving him by the side of the road. She turned to leave, but the injured man reached for her, his fingers brushing against hers. She was so startled, she almost screamed out for help. “Wait,” he pleaded, his voice barely audible. “What’s your name?” She opened her mouth to speak, bending to answer his question, but paused when she noticed a black car by the side of the road. It had slowed down and parked a few feet away from them, it was both odd and suspicious. It was also somewhat familiar. Carmen shook her head, pulling away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered before turning and running, disappearing into the woods. Her legs burned as she pushed herself to her limits, but she couldn’t outrun them. She started to see figures emerging from the shadows. They had found her. Her father’s men. The heavy thud of boots grew closer, and she knew it was only a matter of time. Exhausted, she stopped to catch her breath. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head, and the world tilted. Her vision blurred. “Hello princess.” She heard the familiar voice of a man bellow from the darkness, seconds before she hit the ground.