Married to the Mafia Boss

Kira

I sit at the window. It’s open and overlooks the garden where I watch the guards patrolling. I count as they walk, timing how far they go, how long they stop, and where they go next. How long does that take? I track it in my mind.

When you’re a chef, you’re required to remember many complicated things, from ingredients to measurements to tastes to how to tell if something is perfectly cooked. How to select fresh items. I smile. I excel because I have an excellent memory, and it’s serving me well now.

I strip my bed and start to knot the sheets together. I don’t know if this will actually work or if it will hold my weight because I’ve only ever seen this done in movies, but I need to try to get out of here.

What’s Miguel going to do if I get caught? Ground me?

I time the guards carefully. I don’t want to mess up this chance. I give it an hour, maybe two, to ensure that there is a routine to their patrol. It’s getting closer to dinner, and they’ll come to tell me to get dressed soon. I have to get out of here before that.

A guard walks from the left toward my window. I count slowly to a minute, then another minute. I watch as the guard passes under my window and wait until he turns the corner. I have four minutes before the next guard walks by.

I toss the makeshift rope out the window and throw my legs over the ledge. I take a deep breath, don’t hesitate, and shimmy down the cloth quickly. I hear a slight tearing noise, but it holds just long enough for me to get to the bottom. I’m about five feet from the bottom, so I dangle at the edge of the cloth and drop, bracing myself.

I don’t pause but limp to the right. High hedges cover this side, so no one could have seen me once I hit the ground, but someone is sure to notice the makeshift rope hanging out the window.

I peek around the corner, it’s clear, so I shuffle around it and make my way up the pathway.

I need to find the exit, and I need to find it fast, but moving too quickly will get me chased and probably caught since I don’t know my way around the garden. So I sneak as quickly as possible, hiding in the bushes.

I pass a guard facing away from me, holding my breath again so he doesn’t hear me. I don’t let my breath out until I’m a few yards away. I glance past the bushes and see a pathway around the garden to the gate.

The gate! I inspect it closely. Guards are posted on either side of the gate, so there won’t be a way to sneak past them down the middle; there’s no coverage. I look at the corner nearest the entrance. It’s far enough away and covered by enough bushes that I could hide while I scale the wall. There are also vines growing up the wall and fence in the corner, which will give me more purchase if they’re thick enough.

Now to get there.

I slowly creep along the side of the garden until I get to the section of hedges lining the end. Again there’s a small pathway between the tall hedges and the boundary wall, but the plants and vines here are more unkempt. It doesn’t look like this is a regularly patrolled area. I grin at my luck and slowly tiptoe my way down the pathway, casting a glance back every now and then to ensure no guards can spot me. I keep low, even though the hedges are high because the last thing I want to do is be spotted. I reach the corner without a problem and quickly dart behind the large bush hiding the corner of the estate.

The guards at the gate won’t be able to see me until I scale the fence here, and by then, it will be too late. I can run for it as soon as I’m over and get to someone who can call the cops or get somewhere I can call Alessandro.

I start to scale the fence slowly, and it shakes more than I would like it to. Starting to panic, I climb quickly and pause when I reach the top. Thin wires run across the top.

An electric fence.

They generally hurt, but if I’m quick enough, maybe it won’t be more than a sting. However, there might be an alarm attached. I bite my lip, but I’ve hesitated too long and been too distracted with my contemplation.

Hands roughly grab my legs and drag me down the fence. Two guards shout to each other as I hit the ground hard. My ankle pains, and I cry out. They each grab an arm, and although I kick and scream, they drag me back toward the house and into the living room.

“Kira. Kira. Kira.” Miguel looks at me from his seat on the armchair. The guards drop me in front of him. “Didn’t I tell you, you would be punished if you didn’t behave?”

I glare at him but don’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

“I’ve ordered the guards to nail your window shut, don’t worry, there’s air conditioning in the house, so you shouldn’t be too hot. Also, I will now be posting a guard under your window as well as outside your doors.”

“Asshole.” I spit at him, then throw a slew of Italian curse words about him, his mama, and his nonna his way just for good measure.

I stop when I see the cold look in his eyes and shake my head. “I’m going back to my prison now.”

“You give no orders in this house. This is my kingdom. I warned you, Kira.”

He stands tall and foreboding above me.

“Get out.” He looks at his guards, and they leave, shutting the door behind them.

“What are…Miguel!” I cry out as he drags me up by my arm. His grip is tight and painful. I try to pull away, but he’s too strong. I try to kick him, but I miss him, and my ankle pains again.

He sits on the armchair, yanking me down, stomach first, over his lap.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I shriek.

What little dignity I have is gone as he yanks down my pants and thong. There’s a moment of stillness.

Smack.

I grimace as his hand hits the bare flesh of my ass cheeks. I don’t cry out, though. I’m not giving him that. There’s another pause. I’m wondering if that’s all there is.

Smack.

Harder this time, my skin stings and burns where his hand made contact. I shake my head, I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I’m willing them not to fall.

Smack.

His grip loosens, and with a nudge of his knee, I’m tossed to the ground in front of him.

“If you want to behave like a child, I will treat you like one, Kira.” His voice feels cold and distant. I hurry to pull my thong and pants up and glare at him, tears still threatening in my eyes.

“Fuck you, Miguel.”Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“You did once,” he comments. “It was good.”

I look away, and he snickers.

“Guards.”

They come back into the room at that point and come to stand near me.

“Take her back to her room. Make sure the maids bring her new bedding, so he’s comfortable.” He kneels next to me. “Better make your list of what you want, or you will be living in your own filth.”

He steps over me, almost on me, but I move at the last moment. His large stride takes him out of the room and out of sight.

One of the guards reaches for my arm, and I snarl, “I can get up myself.”

He backs off, surprised. I limp out of the room and toward the stairs. It takes me a while to get to the top, and then I slowly go to my room, slamming the door behind me.