Trapped in the Mafia’s Hell

Gabriella 

  “Smile, Gabriella. You can do this,” I whispered to myself, fighting back tears yet the lump in my throat refused to fade. 

  I stared at myself in the full-size mirror for the umpteenth time, unable to recognize the full-grown woman who goggled back at me. 

  She looked lifeless in that impeccable white dress she wore. That d*mn dress made me look like some blushing bride about to meet the love of her life but that wasn’t the case.

  I didn’t even know the man I was dressed up to meet. 

  I’d heard of him but have never had the chance to see him face-to-face. Now tell me, how could I possibly get married to a stranger?

  That was absurd!

  These questions I asked myself made me even more nervous than ever. I clutched the silver pendant on my neck, hoping it would ease the fear inside of me but it didn’t help one bit.

  Irene, my maid, stood behind me, quietly brushing out my long thick black hair. 

  I knew she could sense the nervousness hovering in the air but she said nothing, she knew better than to.

  This dress was gifted to me on my eighteenth birthday by my late mother. That was the last gift I ever got from her before she passed.

  I swallowed hard at the very thought of my body, I miss her so much, I wonder what she would think about this? Would she think this was a dumb ideaor would she just agree to sell me off just like Papa did?

  Irene's high-pitched voice jolted me back to reality. “ I'm done, ma'am.” 

  I turned to face her smiling at her warmly, “Thank you, Irene," I responded, my voice barely above a whisper. 

  “Do you need anything else?” 

  “No,” I said, turning back to stare at the mirror. “I'm okay, for now.”

  She nodded, then bowed her head like she had just seen a goddess. “You look ravishing ma'am.” 

  My lips turned up in a fleeting smile then faded as soon as she left leaving me once again with my thoughts. Getting married to a man I didn't love.

  “It's for the greater good,” I reminded myself, staring straight at the mirror again, letting out a heavy sigh. 

  If only I believed my own words. 

  Suddenly, I hear a loud bang on my door.

  “Ella!” It's Papa’s urgent voice, he has come to remind me of what I’d feared the most. 

  I nearly choked on my spittle as I headed towards the door, I threw it wide open revealing his wrinkled face filled with impatience. 

  “Are you ready?”

  “Papa… I can't, I'm sorry.”I said, my gaze fixed on the ground.

  Papa crossed the room, a concerned look plastered on his face, he closed the distance between us, cupping my cheek gently so I could look into his honey brown eyes.

  “My sweet baby girl,” he began softly,” I know this is hard for you, but remember you are doing this for the family, you don't have to fall in love with him, you only have to stand beside him, rule with him…”

  “but…” I try to cut him off but he shuns me instead.

  “No Buts. This is important to us, the mafia lord doesn’t take no for an answer.” His voice had hardened now and I nodded. I understood him perfectly. 

  “Remember Family always comes first!” He added. 

  “Family always comes first…” I repeated in a weak tone.

  “Good!”He said, pressing a kiss to my left cheek before storming off. “ Now come, your husband is waiting.”

  With that I followed him, my heart racing, what would he look like? Was he going to be handsome? Would he be tall? Would he….

  Suddenly I hear a loud deafening sound of gunfire shatter the glass behind me.

  Before I could utter a word, the gunshot had hit Irene, her shrill scream filling the air, then another. My heart thumped against my ribs.

  “Papa!” I gasped. “ We need to hide!”

  He widened his eyes. I could see the fear in them as he shielded me towards a pillar pushing me deep inside.

  “Stay here, don't come out or else I ask you to, is that clear?” He commanded and I nodded, hiding as instructed. 

  And just like that he was gone.

  From where I hid I could see the fight going on from afar, bodies on the ground, and blood all over the whole place. 

  I saw Stefan Lombardi, who was an ally to my father but I had no idea why he was here. He held an iron pistol, firing wildly. Was he fighting for my family…. Or against us? 

  “Hide!” He yelled, without hesitation, and I quickly hid behind the pillar 

  Something told me to run but my body refused to move an inch. Fear glued my feet to the ground!

  Then, I saw the Devil himself. 

  He strode in like he owned the place. A pistol in his left hand, a gun in his right. His presence was suffocating… jet black hair plastered to his forehead, cold eyes that promised no mercy. 

  Was this my groom?

  After all, I’d never seen him before. 

  Before I could take a closer look at who he truly was, I heard a gunshot ring in the air. I quickly hid, but curiosity made me peek and that’s when I received the greatest shock of my life, I saw my father in the pool of his own blood.

  “Avenge me, Ella!" Those were his last words before he gave up the ghost.

  I covered my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming. 

  Something in me sparked, it was hard to describe, it was like my world had shattered into tiny bits.

  I know I’m supposed to scream or even shed a tear. I mean, that’s the logical thing to do especially when you just watched your father get taken out, that can hurt as hell. 

  But I didn’t, I wouldn't, because he wouldn’t want me to. Instead, I was going to honor his last wish, I’ll make his killer pay for this.

  Tears blurred my vision threatening to spill but I tilted my head backward pushing them back in. 

  That's when I heard the heavy thud of his boots as he crossed to where Stefan lay almost lifeless. He squatted, pressing the nuzzle of his gun to Stefan’s forehead.

  “Please…. Don't kill me…”Stefan pleaded weakly.

  “I won't,” The man mumbled slowly, pulling back the silver gun, tapping Stefan's cheek with it.. “I won't waste my bullet on you, run back like a coward to your family, Stefan, tell them ‘Don Marcello Ricci, the inferno Lord’ won, eh?”

  The way he spoke, the mix of British and Italian accents, made it hard to breathe. How could one have both accents at once?

  Don Marcello Ricci? So he was a mafia lord 

  Stefan shivered, scurrying away like a stray dog, Marcello let out a low rumble of laughter that sounded like thunder. 

  He was really having fun. 

  His laughter died when his gaze landed on me. 

  Our eyes locked for a few seconds, and my heart pounded so violently I was scared it might explode from fear.

  I shut my eyes bracing for the knife or the gun, anyone who was fast enough to get the job done.

  But instead, his lips curved in a slow terrible smile. 

  “She is coming with us, capisce?” he said in a low voice yet it still echoed across the almost empty living room. He pointed at me, and his two buff guards moved towards me. They were all dressed in black and their faces were covered with masks. “She’s my bride now.”

  The room went silent with shock.

  Marcello's eyes simmered with pride “She is mine now. My prize.”

  I shifted in fear, there was no way in hell I was going with him willingly. “I’m not getting married to you. ”I panicked.

  “You will…” he purred. 

  “Stay the hell away from me!”I managed to say moving back.

  “It's too late for that honey, you will do as I say!”

  Before I knew what was happening both men had held me by the arm. This time I finally let out the emotions I was holding. I yelled, screamed, cried, and fought hard yet all my efforts proved useless because their grip was far too strong.

  They dragged me out of the house, tied my wrists and legs then hurled me at the back of a Ford Transit black Van.

  I didn’t give up, I screamed louder, clinging to the hope that help would come, Then I felt a very sharp sting on my neck. My vision blurred and my body grew weak instantly. Just before the Darkness claimed me. I saw Marcello Ricci’s face, a cruel smile plastered on his face.

  “Help….he…..”

Gabriella

  “D*mn!” I gasped as I threw my eyes open, the fluorescent lights above me were harsh and piercing, intensifying the dull ache at the back of my skull. 

  Was the nightmare over? I asked myself, as the fog in my vision began to clear, I can still remember Marcello men dragging me into the Van, my feet cutting on broken glass and my dress torn beyond recognition. 

  I still can't forget that d*mn smirk on Marcello's evil face as he claimed me as his plaything like I was one of his properties he just acquired, his pride and joy.

  It made me mad with anger and I wanted to stab him across the neck badly.

  Then I remembered my father was dead, his last words still echoed in my ears and that reopened the wound.

  God knows I wanted to protect him, but it was too late I couldn't even defend myself, they were too strong. 

  And now I had somehow miraculously landed here, in a fully furnished room that resembled a suite.

  An expen