Owned By The Mafia Boss

“Hide in the closet! Hurry! And whatever you do, don’t make a sound. They’re coming!” Her mother’s voice trembled with panic as she pulled Raven into a tight embrace. Raven could feel her mother’s entire body shaking against her, the fear in her trembling hands and unsteady breath was impossible to miss. “But, Mom… Dad-” “There’s no time! Remember what your father and I always practiced with you? Remember our hiding game? This is it, sweetheart. Go!” Her mother cut her off, pushing seven-year-old Raven into the closet, where Raven clutched her old teddy bear and watched through tears as her mother forced a smile, kissed her forehead, and slowly closed the door, leaving her in silence Then… BANG! A deafening crash echoed outside, followed by frantic shouting, while through the narrow gap in the closet doors, Raven glimpsed shadows moving across the room, despite all the noise, all Raven could hear was her father’s voice. “Please! Don’t hurt us! We gave you everything. Just leave!” Instead of answering, the intruders laughed before her mother screamed and gunshots erupted through the house, leaving seven-year-old Raven frozen in terror as she watched her parents collapse onto the marble floor, blood spreading under them. At seven, Raven knew they were gone. Her parents lay dead on the floor, almost as if they were still holding each other, as though their arms alone could keep them safe. But the intruders weren’t finished. They laughed as they kicked and beat their lifeless bodies before six more gunshots echoed through the night. Raven flinched and clutched her hands over her mouth, terrified of making even the slightest sound. She remained hidden inside the closet, hugging her teddy bear tightly as silent tears streamed down her cheeks until everything went dark. ** Raven jolted awake, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath as the same nightmare of her parents’ murder once again dragged her from sleep, a haunting memory that had followed her for years. She pulled the white blanket closer, but then froze as she suddenly remembered that yesterday had been her college graduation and wondered what had happened the night before. She remembered celebrating at a popular bar with her older sister, well… Adopted sister, Claire, along with several friends. After that? Nothing. Raven’s memory was completely blank, and when she tried to force herself to remember, a sharp headache shot through her skull as she slowly scanned the unfamiliar room, only for her eyes to widen when she realized a very large, muscular man was sleeping beside her. “What the f**k?” She whispered the words to herself, then lowered her gaze to the blanket covering her body and froze when she realized she wasn't wearing any clothes. “Oh my God.” Panic surged through her. “What did I do?” She scrambled out of bed, clutching the blanket tightly around herself, just as her phone suddenly rang from inside her handbag on the bedside table, making her jump before she quickly grabbed it and answered without checking the caller ID. “Raven Davis, you better have a damn good reason for disappearing from the bar last night. And you better have an even better explanation for why you're only answering now! I've been calling you since last night! I couldn't even get into your apartment because it's locked, and you have the key! Where the hell are you?” Claire’s furious voice exploded through the phone, making Raven squeeze her eyes shut as she silently wished she could bang her head against the wall. “Claire…” “What?” “I think I messed up.” Her voice came out small and shaky. “Your parents are going to kill me.” There was a long silence, then Claire spoke again. “I will kill you if you don't tell me what happened. It's past eight in the morning, I'm starving, and I need to get into your apartment!” Raven swallowed. “Claire… there's a problem.” “What problem?” “I don't know where I am.” “What?” “And there's a guy here.” Claire went silent. “A guy?” Raven glanced nervously toward the bed. “He's here right now. He's sleeping.” Another tense silence followed before Claire practically screamed through the phone. “Wait. What the hell do you mean by he? Raven, did you sleep with a complete stranger?” Raven winced. “Could you please lower your voice? My neighbors could hear you!” There was a short pause before Claire spoke again, her voice dropping to an almost conspiratorial whisper. “You slept with a stranger?!” “I don’t know!” Raven whispered frantically. “I can’t remember anything after we left the bar!” Claire fell silent for another second. “Okay. First question. Is he hot?” “Claire!” “What? I’m trying to assess the situation!” Raven covered her face with one hand. “I don’t know!” “You don’t know?” “I was drunk!” “Fine. Wait. I’m calling you back. Video call me!” “Claire, don’t-” Before Raven could protest, Claire ended the call. She stared at her phone in disbelief, but less than a minute later, it started ringing again, this time with an i********: video call. “Claire, you're insane.” “Show me!” “What?” “The mysterious stranger! The lucky bastard who stole your virginity!” Claire said, practically vibrating with the excitement of a lovestruck teenager. “Claire-” “Come on! I need to see him!” Claire insisted. Raven groaned and covered her face. “You are absolutely no help.” “Just show me!” Claire pleaded. With a sigh, Raven lowered the volume and cautiously turned toward the other side of the bed, curiosity getting the better of her until she took a few careful steps closer, finally saw the man’s face, and stopped dead. “Oh my God.” Claire's voice came through the phone. “Raven…” “What?” “How the hell did you end up with him?” Raven couldn’t answer. The man looked like he belonged on the cover of some ridiculously expensive fashion magazine, with sharp features, a strong jaw, a straight nose, and dark lashes that framed his face perfectly. His warm complexion only made his striking features even more captivating, and even lying down, he looked tall. His broad shoulders and muscular build made it painfully obvious that he spent plenty of time at the gym. “Raven?” She barely heard Claire’s voice, she was too captivated by the man in front of her to tear her eyes away. “Raven!” “What?” she snapped. “You’re staring.” Raven blinked and quickly looked away. “I’m not.” “You absolutely are.” “Shut up.” Claire burst out laughing. “Girl, you look like you’re about to melt.” Raven groaned. “Claire, what am I supposed to do?” “Leave?” “That’s what I’m thinking.” “You’re seriously going to sneak out?” “What else am I supposed to do?” Claire snorted. “Maybe wait until he wakes up? You could invite him to breakfast.” Raven gave her a doubtful look. Claire’s grin widened. “Besides, I want my turn on him too. Let me be the judge of whether he was actually good in bed or not.” She giggled, earning a horrified look from Raven. “Absolutely not.” Raven turned away from the bed. “This was a mistake.” Before Claire could answer, a deep, sleepy voice came from behind her. “Are you f*****g recording me?” Raven froze, her blood running cold as she slowly turned around and found the man awake, sitting upright with his dark hair slightly tousled from sleep. She immediately ended the call. “Oh God.” She whispered, mortified. The man stared at her, then glanced at her phone before slowly looking back at her. “Are you recording me?” he asked again, his voice calm but questioning. “No!” Raven immediately shook her head, so quickly that she nearly gave herself whiplash. “Why would I do that? I don’t even know you!” His lips slowly curved into an amused smile. “You don’t know who I am?” “No.” “Interesting,” he murmured. He pushed himself out of bed without even bothering to cover himself, leaving Raven staring in stunned disbelief at the fact that he was completely naked. Her gaze traveled from his face to his neck, over his broad shoulders, and then lower, until her eyes landed on the unmistakable evidence of his arousal between his thighs, making her cheeks burn. Raven couldn’t bring herself to look away, as though all her better judgment had suddenly abandoned her. How the hell had someone that big even managed to fit beside her? Raven instinctively stepped backward as he approached, the ridiculous difference in their height making her barely reach his shoulder. “Well?” “Well, what?” She frowned. “Do you really remember nothing about last night?” Raven’s cheeks burned. “No.” The man’s smile deepened. “That’s unfortunate.” “What does that mean?” “You seemed to be having a very good time.” Raven’s eyes widened. “Don’t!” She immediately held up a hand. “We are not talking about that.” He chuckled softly. “I have to shower. Then I’m leaving.” Raven turned toward the bathroom, desperate to escape the conversation. “And whatever happened between us last night…” She hesitated, her cheeks still burning. “Forget it.” She hurried into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. The moment she was safely inside, Raven pressed both hands against her burning cheeks, wishing she could disappear as the man’s quiet laughter drifted through the door. She squeezed her eyes shut, mortified. What the hell was I thinking? Raven whispered to herself. It had been her first time. Her first time having s*x, and somehow, she had managed to wake up in a stranger’s bed the morning after her college graduation. Worse? She had just told the man to forget it ever happened. Raven groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Fuck.”