Page 39 of Mafia Doctor's Secret Baby

19

KATIE

The van rumblesalong below me, and I do my best to keep my breathing steady. I have no idea where we’re going—but I doubt it’s going to be good news for me when we get there.

It’s been a couple of days since I was taken—at least, that’s how long I think it is, though I don’t really have any way to tell. I’ve tried to keep track of the sun rising and falling, of the food that’s being pushed into my room once a day or so, but it all blurs together into a mess that I don’t know how to make sense of.

Just a few hours ago, the door to my cell was thrown open. The man who took me, the attacker who snatched me up from my apartment, stood there in the doorway, looking down at me with a sneering smile.

“Well, there you are,” he murmured as he made his way toward me. I scrambled to my feet, my shoulders hunched forward, my body taking on a defensive stance. I was not going to let him take advantage of me.

He keeps threatening it, peppering every encounter we have with warnings that he’ll take whatever he wants from me and I’lljust have to find a way to live with it, but I have no idea if this is just his way of playing with me—or if he really means it. Am I off-limits, because of who I am? Or is it even more likely that one of these fuckers is going to try and make a move on me when I least expect it…?

“We’re leaving. Come on.”

He grabbed my arm and yanked me toward the door, and I stumbled forward, unable to fight him off. I could hear the blood pulsing in my ears, the terror and fear of what was to come next hanging over my head, but I couldn’t do anything to stop it.

He pulled me through the corridors, past the doorways where the other women were being held, and I sent out a silent prayer that they were going to be okay. There was nothing I could do to help them, not right then at least, and the best I could hope for is that I didn’t cause them more trouble than they were already going through.

I can’t even imagine what brought them to that place, but we’re all in this together—all facing off against the same nightmare as one another. As soon as I get the chance, I’m going to get all of those women out—I refuse to turn my back and walk away, not knowing how bad things can get…

But for the time being, I’m stuck in the back of the same van that took me in the first place, being driven away from the compound where I was being held. I scramble up to the window and peer through the small crack as it vanishes into the distance—I pray I’ll never have to go back there again, though maybe I’ll be a little more open to the idea once I find out where they’re taking me now.

The ride goes on for what feels like forever—long enough, in fact, that I start to wonder if these guys are just fucking with me, trying to screw with my head and make me feel as though I have a way out when they know for damn sure I don’t. Finally, though, the wheels come to a halt, and the engine drops off, leaving me sitting in a sudden, eerie silence. For a split second, I find myself wishing that the engine would start again. At least then I wouldn’t have to face whatever is waiting for me on the other side of the door…

But before I can linger too long on that thought, the door to the van flies open in front of me, and the man grabs me and yanks me out. I nearly stumble straight to the ground, but he catches me, an arm around my waist, as my eyes adjust to the light.

“There you go, sweetheart,” he tells me, his voice laced with an obvious venom. “See if you can keep your feet underneath you, huh? Don’t want to be covered in bruises before the boss gets a chance to talk to you…”

My heart drops. The boss? Who is he talking about? Why would I suddenly be brought up in front of someone like this? Someone with this much power? Is it a game, a play, to force me into being more willing? Or is it something else entirely…?

Before I have a chance to consider that question, he pulls me toward a large building. I blink and take in my surroundings as best I can—it looks as though we’re on a standard suburban street, the sunlight filtering through the tall townhouses around us. The kind of place where rich people would live, the kind of homes they would show off to anyone who would listen. Anyone living here, they have to have some serious money to their name…

Which they would, I suppose, if they’re the boss of a mafia.

I try to pull away from the man leading me when we reach the door of one of the houses, but he just digs his fingers into my arm with a little more purpose.

“Now, now, sweetheart,” he reminds me. “Don’t want to make a scene in front of the neighbors, do you? Think of what a bad impression that would make on Mr. Maglione.”

He pulls me up the steps and we come to a halt at the top. He pauses for a moment, shooting a grin back at me, before he thuds his hand against the door. I stay silent, staring at the small window in the doorway and tensing when I see a figure making their way toward it to answer the call. I don’t know what I expected, but this…this might go way higher than I had any idea about.

The door opens, and behind it, another man is standing—he doesn’t look nearly as rough as the bastard who dragged me out here. He’s wearing a dark suit and has his hair shaven close to his head. I can see the bulge of a gun in his pants, though he doesn’t make any move to use it.

“This the girl?” he asks, looking over at me.

The man at my side nods. “This is her.”

The man—a guard, if I had to guess—turns his gaze to me and looks me up and down slowly, like he’s drinking me in. Partly to see if I’m a threat, but judging by the look on his face, there’s more to this than simple duty.

“I can see why that bastard likes her so much,” he remarks. “Pretty little thing, isn’t she?”

I bite back a smart comment. I know I can’t risk getting myself into any more trouble—I need to play nice with these people, atleast for now. It might not be easy, but I’m not going to let some asshole rile me up when I know I need to have my wits about me.

“The boss is waiting for her,” he continues, stepping away from the door and gesturing for the two of us to come inside. “Upstairs, to the left. In his study.”

He turns to me, where I stand frozen on the spot. I feel as though, if I can keep from moving, none of them will see me, as ridiculous as it sounds.

“You heard me,” he snaps. “In, now!”

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