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“It’s worse than that,” he admits.
“Don’t care. We’re in this together now, yeah? Open up.”
Donny shakes his head while unlatching the door. When he opens it, I nearly hurl.
The familiar scent of metallic flares up my nostrils, bringing me right back to my brother’s killings… to Marco’s murder scene. I don’t know what the hell triggered it. I’ve been around death with Donny before. Maybe because it’s so close to home.
The blood drains from my face.
He notices and goes to shut the door, but I grab his arm and push past him, heading tentatively down the steps.
My hand is over my mouth. The scent is getting stronger, and I want to die when I hear the moans of gagged prisoners.
Donny is an honest to God monster.
A thought I buried deep resurfaces, the violence that had to occur for there to be that much blood – did he kill Marco?
My present and my past collide in this instant. It makes me angry and nauseous, and hysterical. “Donny!” I turn on him when I take stock of the sunken, near-death bodies hanging like meat in a butcher’s shop. “You keep prisoners in our home?”
“It’s our safe house, Ellie. You know the kind of business we’re in…”
Silence comes between us.
“C’mon,” he says, putting a gentle hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off.
“Get them the hell out of our house!” I scream, jarring the prisoners out of their daze.
Donny grunts and walks past me down the stairs, all the way to the floor. He presents the one closest to me, and my brain puts Marco in place of the actual prisoner. I see his begging face.
“Ellie.” He snaps his fingers. “This man – Rodrigo Diaz – is a notorious cartel rapist… with a specialty in little girls.”
I stare blankly, sanity returning.
“And when he’s done with his deed, he’d shoot them in the head. We found a whole cave full of stolen daughters.” He raises his eyebrows and locks eyes to make sure I’m hearing him. “I’m motherfucking Batman in this story.”
I’m equally relieved and disgusted by what Donny just said. I still can’t bring myself to watch human life get tortured, but knowing how bad they are does help.
“Him? Chi-Chi Del’toro. He’s the one who steals boys from families and grooms them as child soldiers for his wing in the cartel. I—”
“That’s enough, Donny.” I fold my arms, voice lowered.
If the mafia are demons, these men are the devil.
“Ellie, listen.” He comes to comfort me with his huge arms. “If it means that much to you… I’ll buy another house for my needs.”
I look up at him, my lips a straight line. “That’s a start.”
Donny adheres to my wishes and purchases a second safe house for his torture chambers. Not until after he complains that he loses some of his killer instinct while pumping iron at the gym though. He likes seeing his enemies wilting before a workout. Ultimately, he gives in. I’m his princess now. And I pay him back for every yes he gives me with my savory bottom lips.
I love this man. And I love what he’s building for us. I enjoy being part of the non-violent tasks. Being a bookie is fun, and gambling addicts summon the least amount of guilt.
A few weeks later, Donny gets a large Jacuzzi installed on the back deck and invites the crew over to toast our engagement.
I’m happy to see all of them, as they’ve grown to be my family over this past year.
“Ey oh!” Sal comes in holding up two jugs of wine. “Party’s here!” He laughs when he sees me and runs to hug me tight. “Welcome to the family, princess!” He breaks the embrace and puts the wine down. “Who would’ve thought, our sexiest prisoner turned queen, huh?”
I smack him lightly across the face with a grin, and he runs away scared.
