Sunset Mafia

This story has violence and gore in it.

It also deals with domestic abuse.

*This story will NOT romanticize the abuser*

My name is York, not your average name and not your average twenty-five-year-old either.

I was currently sitting at the breakfast table with the family known as the Sunset Mafia.

The biggest, the cruellest and the worst mafia.

Why was I eating breakfast with them?

Let's recap.

ONE WEEK EARLIER

Sweat began to build upon my forehead.

Tonight was the night.

I glanced over at my fiance who sat on the sofa, his dinner on his lap.

I glanced down at my phone checking the time.

Each second that passed felt like an hour.

Each hour an eternity.

Tonight I was leaving my abuser.

My best friend Rosalie had already been informed and agreed to fetch me with one of her brothers.

She and I had been friends since school, being the same age we had gotten along well, the only thing I wasn't fond of was that her family was a French-Irish mafia.

But they loved me and were prepared to help me get out of this mess in a heartbeat.

I had been in this messy relationship for the last four years, and Rosalie had been with me through it all.

The last straw had been a few days prior when I had landed up in the hospital due to his abuse.

Rosalie and I had planned it all out, we would wait for him to leave and then I would leave.

He left every night around the same time to meet with friends and go out for drinks.

I stood at the open plan kitchen, my hands trembling on the black marble countertop as I watched him.

He was a prominent businessman and he knew too many corrupt law enforcement for me to do things through them.

Suddenly he looked up from his plate and I almost shattered at the look in his eyes.

"What the fvck are you staring at me for?"

"Was I staring? Sorry. Uh, your h-hair looks nice like that."

He wiped the corner of his mouth before standing.

I had to force myself not to move away as he dropped the plate to the counter.

Still acting my part I took the plate and put it into the dishwasher.

As I turned he was right in front of me, causing me to jump.

"You're acting strangely, York. What's going on?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, "Nothing. My ribs still hurt."

"Well, maybe this will teach you to behave better in future."

I had to bite my tongue not to respond with a sarcastic retort, "Yes."

"Do you want to join us tonight?"

I felt my blood turn cold, he had never invited me out with his friends before, why tonight, why when I planned to leave?

"You want me to come with you?" I asked, hoping to stall him long enough to give me time to think of a response that wouldn't anger him.

"Yes. The guys are bringing their wives, what will they think if I show up alone? Do you want to embarrass me?!"

I shrunk back, "Of course not. I'll go and get ready, Drew."

"Wear one of the dresses I bought you, I can't show up with you looking like a cheap whore."

Slipping my phone into my pocket I made my way into our bedroom.

Not that it was ever ours, it was his.

It was dark, and cold without any form of life to it.

I pulled out one of the dresses he had bought me and put it on while typing out a message to Rosalie so she knew that the plans had to be paused.

Sitting at the vanity, I applied a light eyeliner with mascara and red lipstick; the way he liked it.

There would be hell to pay if I did it wrong.

Placing a simple pair of black heels on my feet I glanced at myself in the mirror and once again saw the reflection of a stranger.

I was thin, my grey eyes void of any life.

Leaving my blond hair down, I put my phone in my purse and exited the room.

He turned his nose up, "The dress looked better on the mannequin, but I suppose it will have to do. Let's go."

I followed him silently as we made our way to his car.

"Could you wipe that grim look off of your face? Must you always look so morbid?"

I silently cursed him as we drove off and I plastered a fake smile on my face, "Better?"

I didn't see the backhand coming, but I should have.

"I thought we've been over your fvcking attitude."

My hand went up to my stinging nose, "Sorry, Drew."

"I don't know why you always have to do this. I have been nothing but good to you and yet you still continue to force me into anger!"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

He placed a hand on my knee, "You know how much I love you. I hate having to get mad at you, baby."

I nodded silently, the tears threatening to fall at any moment.

As we approached the restaurant I could feel the knot building in my stomach.

Of course, once we got into the restaurant, he placed a hand on the small of my back, the usual fake lovey-dovey act.

We were seated at the table with his usual high and mighty friends, their beautiful wives beside them.

He was right, I looked nothing like them.

I was not in their league and probably never would be.

In typical Dree fashion, he ordered for me; champagne and a salad.

I felt my phone buzz in my purse and prayed he didn't hear it.

Taking a sip of my drink to calm me, I didn't bother listening to the conversation going on between them.

Instead, I waited patiently for my chance to excuse myself to the bathroom so that I could message Rosalie.

My phone buzzed again and I took a deep breath before speaking.

"Excuse me, I need to go to the ladies."

Drew glared at me and I knew that this meant he would punish me for it later.

The moment I got into the bathroom I pulled my phone out and dialled Rosalie's number.

"Where are you, York?"

"I'm fine. He took me with him, we're at a restaurant with his friends."

"Fcvk. Are you safe?"

"Yes, but he's going to be mad that I left the table."

"Nestor and I will wait at your place."

"No, no. Rosa, it's too risky. He will have the law come down on your family so hard."

"York. We are going to get you out. Tonight. Nes is happy to kill him but you won't let us!"

"Rosa, look, I have to go. I'm sorry for messing you around like this." I cut the call and stared at my reflection for a few moments before I reapplied some of my make-up, even though it was still fine.

I stood there for a few moments longer before walking out.

As I passed the entrance to go back to the table, I paused.

And met his dark brown eyes.

He had changed since the last time I had seen him which had been ten years ago when he had been taken to prison. He was still the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on.

Although he had aged, there was no mistaking those eyes, that chocolate slicked back hair nor that chiselled jaw, his height of 6'1 and that amazing golden skin.

Rosalie's older brother Delano was here.

"What's taking you so long?!"

I jumped at the sound of Drew's voice, having momentarily forgotten all about him.

"I was... sick... I threw up."

Drew narrowed his eyes at me before his eyes landed on Delano, who hadn't moved an inch.

"What are you looking at him for?" He pulled me harshly by my arm, pulling me towards the table, "I let you come out and you're acting like a whore! Embarrassing me in public!"

I was filled with shame as those near our table turned at his words.

He shoved me into my seat and sat, downing his glass of alcohol.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to his friends, "I didn't think she would cause a scene like this."

I wasn't sure what exactly had gotten into me but I had enough.

"The only one causing a scene here is you!" I spat angrily.

He turned his head slowly towards me, "York. Remember your place! Or would you like me to remind you? Do not forget that I took you in and gave you a good life when you had nothing! I tried to make you a lady, but if you would like to go back to being homeless that can be arranged."

I clenched my jaw and looked away from him, "Being homeless would be better than being abused by you."

He slammed his hand down on the table, "You ungrateful bitch. I refuse to allow you to cause a scene here and tarnish my name. Get up, we're leaving."

It didn't surprise me that none of his friends spoke up.

They wouldn't, if they did he would pull his contributions to their businesses and they would go bankrupt.

I got to my feet, my cheeks burned with shame as we walked out.

I didn't dare look in the direction of Delano who sat alone at a table, but I could feel his eyes burning into me.

We got into the car and I was suddenly hit with fear.

Questioning why I had been so stupid in the restaurant.

It was only then that I realized that we weren't going in the direction of 'home'.

"Where are we going?"

"To teach you a lesson." He turned the car onto a small patch of dirt before pulling to a stop.

There were no houses around and my heart began to hammer in my chest.

The area looked eerie in nothing but the moonlight.

"Get out."

"What?"

He leaned over and shoved the door open, roughly pushing me out of the car.

I yelped as I landed on my already bruised ribs.

Before I could get to my feet he was in front of me, towering over me, a look of disgust on his face.

"Give me your phone."

I froze.

He would see the messages.

I couldn't let him see them he would target Rosalie and her family.

Pulling myself to my feet I pulled my phone from my purse and in one swift movement, I threw it to the ground with as much force as I could muster.

It bounced in pieces as he stared at it in disbelief before he looked at me in anger.

"Now why would you do that? What are you hiding from me?"

I shrunk back against the car.

"I want to leave."

"Excuse me?"

My eyes filled with tears of fear as I looked at the monster before me.

"I want out of this relationship."

"Let me get this straight. You want out?" he laughed coldly, "You do not get to decide when you want out! You are not in charge here!"

He slapped me hard against my cheek, hard enough to drop me to all fours on the ground.

Suddenly I was blinded by headlights as another car pulled up.

My heartbeat rapidly with panic thinking that he had asked someone to join him.

Would he finally kill me tonight?

A car door opened and I couldn't see who was walking towards us.

Drew leaned down to pull me up.

"Do not touch her."

As the figure got closer, I saw exactly who it was.

It was Delano.

Drew stood, laughing as he did so, "Look, pal, I don't know who you think you are-"

"I am Delano Baudelaire." As he spoke he pulled a gun from his pocket effortlessly and placed it in Drew's face, "York, can you stand?"

Every part of my body shook as I got to my feet.

"York, get in my car."

"You can't kill him."

Even in the moonlight, I could see Delano clench his jaw, "You are very lucky, she just saved your life. If it wasn't for the fact that I don't want to traumatize her any further, I would have blown your brains out. If you ever come near her or even look for her I will kill you and I will make it the most painful thing that you have ever experienced. Do you understand me?"

I had never seen Drew look so scared before.

He nodded with wide eyes.

In a flash Delano lifted the pistol slamming it into the side of his face, dropping him to his knees.

Turning to me, he held out his hand and helped me into his car before speeding away.

I had barely seen Delano since the night he had brought me to his family.

Rosa said he was busy with the business now that he was out of prison.

She had informed me that although he was the second eldest he would be the one to take over the mafia business from his father Montel.

I could only assume this annoyed the eldest, Mathis, but seeing as I knew very little about anything involving the Mafia, I couldn't be sure.

Rosa had told me that Delano had just arrived back home when she had been on the phone and within seconds of her informing him of my situation, he had tracked down which restaurant Drew had made an appointment with.

I currently sat with Rosalie and her older sister Alice outside in the huge sunny garden drinking coffee.

Their home was a mansion, it was exactly what you would expect from a Mafia family.

It was glamorous and always in the best condition with several staff always around.

I had practically grown up with