Purchased by the Mafia

1

MIA'S POV

Having experienced every single side of life, the wicked, the crazy, the bad, and the worse. I was certain that the only thing that could ever make me fold was death. After all, what else would want a person as miserable as me?

Growing up with my stepdad meant getting slapped for breathing too loud. I worked 12 hour shifts for tips that didn’t even cover my bus fare. I was used to pain. I was used to being forgotten. To being the girl no one checked on if she didn’t show up for work.

At least, that was what I thought… until I woke up in a room so dark I could barely see.

My head spun. The world tilted and slammed back down. My mouth tasted like metal and chemicals, bitter and wrong on my tongue. I was drugged.

But how?

By whom?

The last thing I remembered was having coffee with my stepfather this morning. He was being nice for once. Smiling. Asked me how work was. I even wondered why. And then nothing else. Just black.

My hands were tied in front of me. The rope bit into my skin until it burned, rough and tight around my wrists. I tried to flex my fingers. They were numb.

I was useless.

Panic crawled up my throat and sat there, choking me. The more I thought about how I got here, the weaker I became.

My chest felt tight. Like someone was sitting on it, pressing the air out of my lungs.

Was this it? Was I going to die in the dark and no one would even look for me? No one would come.

The thought made me sick.

Still in denial, I struggled to get up, but sharp pain shot through my legs and pulled me back down. Something twisted wrong in my knee.

“Arghh,” I moaned. It came out muffled, weak.

Only then did I realize my mouth was stuffed with cloth. It tasted dirty. Like old socks and dust. I gagged.

This was worse than anything I’d ever been in. Worse than my stepdad’s belt. Worse than sleeping in the diner bathroom.

I spat it out and gasped. The air was stale. Dusty. It scratched my throat and made me cough.

My heart was hammering so hard I could hear it in my ears.

If someone was out there, they could hear it too.

I forced myself to my feet. My legs shook violently. My vision swam. That confirmed it. I’d been drugged.

The floor was cold concrete under my bare feet. It sent chills up my legs and into my bones.

With my tied hands stretched forward, I stumbled through the dark.

Step. I hit a wall and theimpact jarred my shoulder.

Stepped again this time nothing.

The room was massive and I couldn’t find an end to it.

How big was this place? A basement? A warehouse? A prison?

Every few steps I stopped and listened.

The air smelled like rust and old water. Like blood and mold. Like somewhere people were never meant to be found.

My throat was dry. My lips were cracked. I wanted to cry but I couldn’t afford to waste the energy.

Nothing. Just my breathing. Too fast. Too loud. It bounced off the walls and came back to me.

I stumbled around until my hands hit something solid and cold.

Metal.

A door.

Hope surged for half a second and almost choked me. My heart jumped into my throat.

I fumbled for the knob with my tied hands. Found it, twisted and pulled it but it wouldn’t move. It was locked.

No. No no.

I threw my shoulder into it. Once. Pain shot through me, bright and hot.

Twice. The door didn’t budge. Didn’t even rattle.

The hope shattered instantly and left me colder than before. My shoulder throbbed in time with my pulse.

Whoever had me here had the wrong person. All I had to do was explain. They’d let me go. They had to.

“Hellooo!” I screamed until my throat burned and my voice cracked.

“Anyone there? Please get me out of here! You have the wrong person!”

My voice echoed and then died.

Silence answered me. Thick, heavy silence that pressed down on me.

Hot tears poured down my face. They were cold by the time they hit my chin.

I wasn’t just terrified. I was angry.

Why me? I wasn’t important. I wasn’t rich. I had nothing to steal.

I was nobody.

I sank to the floor with my back against the door. The concrete leeched the heat from my body until I was shivering.

Minutes passed. Or hours. I couldn’t tell. Time didn’t exist in the dark. It stretched and warped.

The dark played tricks on me.I thought I saw movement in the corner like a shadow shifting.

Heard whispers that weren’t there. I was going crazy. My mind was breaking. Piece by piece.

Then I heard it, real voices this time, it was distant at first, but then the footsteps followed. It was and deliberate and as seconds passed it grew louder and closer.

They were coming this way, my blood turned to ice. Every muscle in my body locked up.

I scrambled to my feet again. My legs almost gave out. I backed away from the door. My back hit the wall and the footsteps stopped right in front of it.

Right on the other side.

I could hear them speak but I couldn’t tell what they were talking about..

Like the person behind it was deciding whether to open it.

More like they were deciding what to do with me.

My heart felt like it was going to break my ribs.

This was my only chance.

If this was the person who took me, I had to beg. I had to be smart. I couldn’t die here. Not like this.

“Anyone there?” My voice shook. It sounded small. Broken. “Please”

Finally the lock clicked and bright white light exploded into the room and blinded me.

I threw my hands up, tied as they were. My eyes watered instantly, burning.

Then a strong push sent me stumbling back.

I fell on my ass, sharp pain shot up my spine.

“One more word from you and I’ll have your head hung up here like a chandelier,” a man growled.

His voice was rough, deep, and completely devoid of mercy. It vibrated through the floor.

I blinked furiously, trying to see through the spots in my eyes. Before I could, strong hands grabbed my arms. Iron grip.

Lifted me like I weighed nothing. Like I was a doll.

And threw me to the floor.

Why pick me up only to get throw me back down.

Pain exploded through my body when I hit the ground. My shoulder, my hip, every hurt.

I swore I heard something c***k.

Air rushed out of my lungs and I couldn’t get it back.

I lay there, gasping, staring up at the blinding light and the massive shadow standing over me.

Too big. Too close.

“Who is this and what does he want from me”

And for the first time in my life, I was truly afraid of dying.