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“Mia, this isn’t a decision you should make too quickly.”
“I’ve made up my mind. If you have anything else to say, let’s talk about it later.” I glance at my sister, who’s wiping tears from her cheeks.
“It’s okay, Mia. Promise.” Rieta gives me a quick, unhappy smile.
It’s not okay. Poor Rieta wants more than anything to have a baby, and now I’m sitting in her house, pregnant without even trying, while Mom tries to convince me to get rid of it. Why is the universe so cruel?
“You’re going to let that man go on manipulating you even after he’s disappeared?” Mom asks. “He’s punishing both of us. He found out my greatest mistake and he’s forcing you to repeat it.”
My hands clench in my lap. “I’m your greatest mistake?”
Mom presses her lips together. “Don’t be dramatic, darling. You know what I mean.”
I know exactly what she means. She regretted having me, and I just have to live with that pain because she won’t let me forget.
I’m not my mother. I’m me. I want this baby, and I’ll never regret this child or make him or her think for one second—for onefractionof a second—that they’re unwanted or unloved.
I wrap my arms around my stomach and hold on tight. There’s only one thing I’m certain about in this shitty situation. This is my baby, and no one’s taking them away from me.
“Stop being so selfish, Mia,” Mom scolds. “A baby is supposed to be a cause for joy, not something conceived furtively while one of the parents is having an affair. You were born out of wedlock and my shameful behavior has been a stain on your existence ever since. Look me in the eye and tell me that’s not true.”
I turn and face her, meeting her gaze without flinching. “I’m perfectly aware that’s true. You could have done so much to protect me from that pain, and you chose not to. Actually, you’re the one who inflicted most of it.”
We glare at each other in silence.
“I know you don’t like me very much, Mia. I haven’t been the most loving mother over the years, but please think carefully about what you’re going to do next. Do you really want to turn into me?”
I can’t help the fact that my child will be born into a family that will despise their existence. To them, this child will always be second class and hated.
But not to me.
“I’ll never be like you,” I whisper.
Mom stands up and puts her divorce papers back in her handbag, but she has to have the final word.
“You’re young, Mia. You have your whole life ahead of you. Think very carefully about what happens next, because once this is done, it can never be undone.”
16
Laz
“Wakey, wakey, Lazzaro. Today’s the day you get out of here.”
I groan and roll painfully onto my side. Another night sleeping on the cold concrete floor hasn’t done a thing for my aching bones.
I’ve occupied myself over the days... weeks? Could it have been a month already? I’ve spent my time doing press-ups, sits-ups, lunges, and throwing punches, when I have the strength. They’ve been giving me enough food and water to keep me alive, but no more. If an opportunity presents itself to escape, I’m pretty sure I’m going to need to fight my way out of here.
Marzio unlocks the door and stands back, a nasty light in his eyes. “Out you come.”
“Oh, yeah? Where am I going next? I hope it’s to your mom’s place.” I make myself sound as bored and disinterested as possible, but my heart is pounding as I get to my feet and saunter out of the cage. “Let’s make it a trifecta. Mother, daughter, and grandmother.”
Tomaso and Roberto are there, and from the looks of it, they didn’t enjoy my crack about their mom. There’s another man in the room, one I don’t recognize, who’s bigger than me, heavier than me, and from his beady eyes and the nasty twist to his mouth, a lot meaner than me, too. He’s dressed in shorts and a black polo with its neck emblazoned with a sportswear brand. The way he’s cracking his knuckles together sends an ominous feeling through me.
“This is your lucky day,” Tomaso tells me with a grin, and holds a hand out to the strange man. “You’re going to fight Rocco, and if you win, you get to go free.”
I gaze around the dank basement, certain that I’ve never felt less lucky in my life. I’m fighting in here?
“What’s wrong, Rosetti? Not interested in earning the glory you so clearly deserve?” Roberto asks, hatred twisting his face into something uglier than usual.
