#3(The Trade)-C30
Sofia
There are three guards. Each one takes a chance to punch me in whatever part of my body they choose. The bigger one, they called Wretch, tears my shirt open and howls with laughter.
I won’t lie. I’m terrified they’re going to rape me. I know in my heart that once Dominic knows I’m gone, he’ll come to rescue me, but I don’t know if he’ll be here in time to stop this.
The short guard, whose name I don’t know, slaps me across the face. I can feel the blood running down from a cut near my temple. I groan and spit. Blood muddies my saliva that hits the ground.
“Untie her,” Wretch says, standing up straight.
The third guard, Storm, cuts the cable ties holding me to the chair, and he and no-name force me onto my feet. Wretch punches me in the gut, and I double over, crying out.
“You see, you’re just a fragile little plaything,” Storm sneers.
I look up at Wretch defiantly. “When the Sorvinos learn I’m missing, they will come and kill all of you.”
Wretch lets out a guttural laugh, holding his belly. “Oh, we expect Sorvino to come after you. I mean, you’re his plaything. When he does, we’ll kill him and you together. How romantic. But first, maybe we should make you our plaything.”
He uses a finger to lift my chin, and I move quickly, biting into it. He punches my head, and I release his finger, feeling dazed.
One of the two men holding me kicks my knees out, so I’m kneeling on the floor.
They twist my arms and pull them behind me. It feels like the pressure is going to dislocate them when suddenly they kick me in the back, releasing my arms at the same time. I slam into the floor, and I’m sure I’ve chipped a tooth. I’ve definitely bit my lip. The taste of blood is stronger in my mouth.
Wretch looks down at me with a smirk. “Leave her. We’ll play with her some more later.”
Storm kicks me one last time for good measure, and he and Wretch leave. ‘No-name’ stands at the door. I lie against the cold floor and breathe, trying to adapt to my pain.
Dominic would want me to be strong. He would be strong. I know he’ll come to get me.
I swallow some more blood and grimace, lifting my head slowly. I have to push through. I have to put up a fight, no matter what. I am no one’s plaything.
I shimmy out of the torn rags of my shirt so that I’m left standing in just my bra. I hear a chuckle from ‘no-name,’ but I don’t do anything to give him any satisfaction. Instead, I turn my back on him and press the torn rags to my head to stem the bleeding.
I hobble over to the corner, my legs feeling weak. I sink down with my back to the corner, keeping an eye on ‘no-name.’ I gently touch my face. I can tell it’s bruised from the amount of pain I feel when my fingers press lightly against my skin.
They’re going to regret this so much.
If I try to seduce ‘no-name,’ he’ll know I’m up to something. I need him to come to me. I need him to feel like he has the upper hand and that I’m too weak to retaliate.
I whimper softly in the corner, holding my head. I look up at him. “Dominic will kill all of you. Just wait and see. The Sorvinos are the toughest and most organized family in New York.”
“That’s what you think,” he says. “Don Catalan is going to take over New York, and things are going to change around here. No more stupid rules to follow. We will make this city ours, and no one, not even the Sorvinos, will be able to take it back from us.”
I let out a snort, despite it hurting. “Please, Jose doesn’t have the balls to defeat Alessandro. The man is a genius. He will lead a war against the Catalan family and slaughter them all. I can’t wait to watch it.”
“You talk big for a woman,” he says, smirking. “Your big mouth is going to get you into trouble if you don’t watch out.”
I pretend to struggle to my feet. Some of my strength has come back, fueled by the adrenaline rush I’m feeling. “Jose is nothing but a tiny dick in a huge world. He probably doesn’t even know what to do with a woman.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough,” ‘no-name’ says. “Maybe I should put you in your place first, just to remind you that there is only one thing women are good for.”
I spit on the floor. “Funny. I thought you were a woman.”
He glares at me. He holsters his gun but doesn’t clip the holster shut. He walks casually over to me. “You’re going to regret that, little girl.”
He pushes me back against the wall hard, and I raise my hands to his shoulders, pretending to fight him off. “You don’t want to do this.”
He leans in. “Don’t I? Scared now?”
“No.” I sound more confident than I feel. I thrust my head forward, and my forehead connects with his nose. I feel dazed, but I tense my shoulders on his hands and hold tight as I bring my leg up to his crotch. An old but reliable trick for any woman to use, and it’s gotten me out of one mobster family situation already. ‘No-name’ keels over, and I ram my knee into his head. I feel like I’ve broken my knee, but he keels backward, groaning again. I rush forward and grab his gun.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
He tries to stop me, but he’s too dazed. I hit him in the head with the gun. I don’t want to fire it in case everyone hears. I just need to hide somewhere safe until Dominic comes to get me.
I hit ‘no-name’ again and again until he’s out cold. He could be dead. I don’t know, and I don’t care.
I get up unsteadily and limp toward the door, wincing every time I put pressure on my right knee.
I slowly open the door and glance down the corridor. There’s no one there, but I hear voices nearby.
I slip into the hallway and move away from the voices as quietly but as quickly as possible, constantly checking my surroundings in case someone tries to sneak up on me. I reach a dead end and have to turn around; my heart is hammering in my chest.
I make my way to the first door and press my ear against it. There’s no sound behind it, but that doesn’t there isn’t anyone in there.
I hold the gun unsteadily. Dominic was right about needing a smaller weapon, so I don’t shake so much. I slowly open the door and peer inside. It’s just an empty room with boxes.
I get inside and shut the door. I move around the boxes until I find a hiding place in the back. Once Dominic comes, I’ll make my way out of the room and find him. Then we can go home and put this behind us, I think optimistically.
I settle down, holding the gun with both hands in case someone comes in. I try to take slow, quiet breaths. Tense, I wait for my Dominic.