A Toy for the Mafia Lord

Aria- 5 hours Earlier

My heart raced as I dashed up the four flights of stairs, my once-perfect ponytail now a mess.

Eyes track me as I hurriedly look for wardroom 206. I knock, but my adrenaline fades, replaced by a sharp pain in my legs from sprinting.

The door opened to Dad, who seemed to have aged in the three months I hadn't seen him. I threw myself into his passionate hug at the door.

“ Oh Aria, I'm so sorry,” he said with a small smile etched on his face.

“ Dad, it's fine. I'm here now, aren't I? I only felt bad that you hid such a thing from me” I admitted, my voice slightly shaky from the strenuous exercise I just come from.

Another reason for me to keep fit. Just four flights of stairs and I feel like I ate a whale

My mom had been through surgery in the last week, but I only just found out hours ago, when I called to let them know I’d be coming home. Dad said he didn't want to bother me and my brother, as I had my college exams and Tony was too far away overseas to come back.

Unthinking, I got onto the next train to my hometown and ran all the way here. Now I think about it, I only traveled with the clothes on my body, and a clutch bag containing my phone and cards.

Now seeing Dad look so stressed about the love of his life, I knew he had it worse: Being here alone with mom, and no one to console him.

We hugged one more time and I sprinted to Mom's side. She had tubes connected all over her face and hands like it is in the movies. Seeing her so pale sent goosebumps to my body and I burst into tears.

“Mija, why are you crying? The worst is already over, she just has to wake up now.” Dad tried to console me.

“I know. It's just…. It's hard to see”

“Come here” He opens his arms to hug me, and I walk right into it. It's everything I need right now.

“Tell me about school. How were your exams? And how is Enzo? I thought you'd come with him?”

I can hear the tease in Dad’s voice, and I know he is trying to make light of the situation, but this topic tenses me even further

I planned to tell Mom and Dad that I broke up with the boyfriend they thought would be their son-in-law. But now isn’t the time nor place to tell them that I got tired of explaining to Enzo, why we shouldn't have s*x yet after dating for almost two years.

“Exams were fine Dad. Enzo had exams,he could not make it. He promised to come after his exams “

Or never is at the tip of my mouth, but I manage to hold back. Damn Breakups

“He is such a fine young lad” Dad smiles, probably daydreaming about a marriage that's never going to happen.

“Hey Dad, I'm going to take a quick stroll around. I'll be back in a few minutes ” I quickly excuse myself from the awkward conversation

I slowly walk out, adjusting my hair and glossing my chapped lips, wincing as the smell of antiseptic hits me.

“A cup of coffee and iced tea please,” I tell the lady at the hospital mart.

While waiting for my coffee, suddenly, the very noisy lobby quietened, with everyone facing the same direction. My curious head whipped before I could think, and I froze too, Except for my belly which now had knots in it.

A group of Eight men in expensive suits stormed in, moving in sync toward the end of the hall. They looked to be on a mission, and not to be played with, as everyone scampered away from their lane.

My eyes follow the first man in their lineup. His gait was as though he commanded the world. His unobvious bounce as he led the rest of the men made him more visually appealing.

Suddenly, he turns around, and slowly sweeps the lobby with his eyes, but stops when he stops at me. He is staring right into my eyes. His dark eyes and unsmiling face sucke me in, his jawline defined with just the right amount of beards, and his nose high enough to give his face a resting b***h face. I couldn't tell if he had high or low cheekbones as his frown hid them all. I feel the knots in my belly loosen themselves as I take in the most handsome man I ever seen.

He looks away just before the door closes, instantly hindering him from my view. The sudden noise in the lobby brings back my attention, as it's even louder than it was before the interruption. I slowly shake my head, whispering a silent focus to myself.

Everything was a moment to me, and if this was a romance book, this would probably be a cute meet-cute.

Stepping out of the elevator, I knew something was wrong. Two of the suited men stood in front of Mom’s ward, unsmiling. They tried to stop me from going into the room, which was now locked from the inside. A lot of wild thoughts ran through my head. Who were these men?

“Dad, what's going on” I screamed loud enough for people inside to hear me, but not too loud to disrupt the other members of the hospital.

These men may not even be harmful, they could be Dad’s work partners but that would be absurd since Dad hasn’t been able to get a job since. Well since forever.

The door opened and the sight that greeted me almost made me puke. My guts twisted in a knot as I took in the sight of Dad’s bloodied face and body. The dangerous arms enclosed in the hospital room made me almost pee my pants

My first instinct was to raise the alarm and call security but the silent plea in Dad’s eyes made me not. He was unrecognizable. I ran towards him, hugging him

“You have a daughter, Interesting” A voice boomed from behind. Slowly turning around, I recognized the man from earlier, with whom we shared eye contact. He recognized me too but didnt seem as fazed as I was.

He sat across the room, seemingly commanding the activities in the room.

What in God’s name was happening

“Please don't hurt them. You can take me, kill me, do anything to me, please don't hurt my family” Dad begged, and immediately, one of the guys hit him with the head of his gun.

I lost my cool immediately, charging for the guy who hit him

“ Why did you do that? Why would you hit him so hard, Isn’t he in pain already? What did he do, what is the problem? Is it money? How do you rob in a hospital?” my voice trembled as I stood in front of him

“ Chíca, you are going to watch your beloved daddy die. Quickly bid him goodbye. ” The handsome man from earlier whom everyone called boss whispered coldly.

I felt a chill up my spine “What?”

“Your daddy stole money from me, and no one ever steals from me. Those who did never lived to tell the story” he said, smiling sardonically

Now I knew there was a mix-up. Dad would never hurt a fly, talk more, or steal from these dangerous people.

“Dad tell them it's a lie” I ran to hug Dad, cleaning his face, and sobbing

“It’s not Mija, I needed money for your mom's surgery and I needed it quickly, I overheard someone talking about the money in that storehouse. I was desperate so I went for it. I am so sorry Mija” Dad confessed

What?

“Step aside bitch.” The boss commanded, and immediately, his guys drew me away from Dad and threw him to the hard hospital floor again.

I ran towards the boss since he was the one who gave commands around here.

“Please sir, I’ll work for the money. We could work for you till the money runs out. I could take a loan, please. Don’t hurt Dad please”

For the first time, I felt tears threatening to fall. I never cried publicly. This is about to be messy.

I raised my head, biting back the tears, as my brown curls fell in front of my face.

“I could be gracious enough to kill you all, so none of you have to miss each other, but where is the fun in that? I need you to live your life every day remembering your dad is a thief. Or, I could make it easier by killing her” he pointed towards Mom. “Afterall, she put him in this position”

As he spoke, his men went to Mom's side with guns pointed towards her head.

“Nooo!! Please don’t, kill me and leave them” Dad screamed, his voice desperate, and I could see the boss wince. He seemed disturbed

“I promise to pay you back, please don’t hurt us” I could feel a panic attack coming.

Looking around, the other men in suits seemed to have sympathy for us, but I couldn’t place the look on the boss's face.

“You can do anything huh? Why don’t you put that mouth of yours to good use” he smirked, and I froze. Surely he wasn’t saying what I thought he was

“Not that it would help your dad’s case, but maybe I’ll make it less painful for him”

“Kill me instead. Just don't touch my daughter. Mija please, don’t do anything, take care of your mother for me. Please don’t do anything for me, I deserve,….”

A sound and silence. Everything happened so fast. One of the armed men beside Dad kicked Dad’s head to shut him up, causing him to fall unconscious.

“Dad, dad, dad oh my God. Please don’t let him die, sir. I’d do whatever you want, just let the hospital treat him. Please, sir, I promise to do whatever you want. I could work for you for the rest of my life. Please don’t let my dad die”

I scrambled out all at once, trying to get sympathy from the man with whom I thought we had a connection earlier.

“I already told you what I want, although I doubt there’s room for your dad” his voice barely a whisper.

“I could butter it up though, Would you suck my c**k every second till I forgive your thieving dad? Huh, would you? Or do I have to shoot him right now”

He looked challenging and I couldn’t believe I was considering it. I had never done anything like that before and I am sure my innocence was what he was feeding on. I had never gotten intimate with any guy in my 20 years of living.

I nodded my head. He looked shocked. Every other person looked shocked too

“Are you going to do it?” He asked, walking towards me and taking my cheek in his palm.

“Yes, I’d go with you” I muttered. The distance between us both was clogging my brains

“No! Your dad will be up soon, and that’s not enough punishment for stealing money from me. You’re going to be my w***e till I let you go, Your dad needs to see you suffer too. Do you agree or not?”

I looked at Dad whose blood was drying around his head, and knew there was only one answer I could give