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I sigh and trace a light path on his chest, loving how soft his skin is and yet so masculine at the same time with his dark smattering of hair that I nuzzle against.
“My mother was waiting on the steps, and she looked so beautiful. Like an angel, in fact.” I smile at the memory.
“Suddenly, we heard a loud explosion, and I looked up and saw her white dress turn to red before my eyes. Her face held more surprise than anything and, in that moment, I knew she was dead. Leo forced me down, and I grazed my head on the cliff edge. I still have a small scar reminding me of that and then chaos rained down on us. It turns out she was shot several times in a hit that I never understood the reason for. Not until many years later, as it happens.”
“Go on.” His gentle fingers massage my back and his soft breath whispers against my ear, giving me comfort to relay something that only revisits me in the shadows.
“My father carried on with life. Not really caring how she died or why, at least it felt that way. We resumed living under a rain cloud and as I grew, so did my hatred for him.”
“I understand a lot about that.” He murmurs and I don’t doubt that for a second and I say softly, “Then he brought Diana into our home. She was only a few years older than me, more my brother’s age than my father’s, and it was disgusting. He was intoxicated with her. She held his attention more than anyone I had ever known, and they were soon married. I hate her.”
I say the words through gritted teeth because I despise the very mention of her and Malik says gently, “Why?”
“She ruined our lives.”
“How?”
I turn to face him and say fiercely, “She took an already broken family and smashed it beyond repair.”
“How?”
“My brothers.” Settling back against his chest, I say in a dead voice, “She seduced them all. One by one, she crooked her pretty little finger, and they came running. They didn’t realize it, but she played them off against one another and not one of them found out. She was a manipulative bitch and had them all running around after her and used them against me to make my life hell.”
“In what way?”
“Lies mainly. Telling them I hated her, made her life a misery, that she was scared of me. I did none of that, but she was relentless in destroying any love my brothers had for me. It became unbearable to live like a pariah in my own home and as a result of her lies, my brothers made my life hell and so did my father.”
“Why didn’t you tell them?”
“Because I didn’t know. Not for a long time, until one night I saw Leo kissing her in the guest bedroom. I had my suspicions and soon discovered everything. Before I could give them my evidence though, she played her master card.”
“Which was?”
“She told my father she was pregnant with his baby. I hated how happy that made him and how it destroyed my brothers. It caused many angry, whispered conversations behind closed doors, and she cut them off by threatening to tell my father they had raped her. They realized she had beaten them and so they left and never came back.”
“And he allowed that? I’m amazed because knowing how mafia families work, the sons are forced to inherit the family business.”
I nod. “It changed nothing. I’m positive my father knew. Not a lot escapes him, and he sent them to run his other operations. The Ortega mafia spreads far and wide and my brothers were glad to walk away from under his direct control.”
“And Diana? What happened to her?”
“She lost the baby.” I am so angry when I think about that woman and snarl, “She made a big deal out of it, but I’m convinced she fabricated the whole thing anyway, because I found some contraceptive pills in her closet that she was definitely taking.”
I bark out a laugh. “Not that my father cared. He was just grateful to have her undivided attention, and that’s when my troubles really began.”
Shifting against Malik’s chest, I whisper, “She brought her brother to live with us.”
Malik stiffens and this next part won’t make for enjoyable listening, and I gulp, “Diana convinced my father that I should marry him. She persuaded him that it would keep it in the family and in the absence of my brothers, Mario would become his right-hand man. His second in command and my father, ever the fool, agreed. I did not.”
I shudder at the thought of Mario and huff. “He made my flesh creep. He was the kind of man who slid in the shadows and shrunk against walls. His eyes were dead, and he wore the jagged scar on his cheek with pride. His body was thin and wiry, and his slicked back hair revealed malevolent eyes that made my skin creep just from the way he undressed me with them. I was told I had to marry him whether I liked it or not and when I refused, my father struck me around the face hard. Diana was with him and just laughed, telling him to teach me some manners for once in my life.”
Malik doesn’t stop rubbing my back, which is comforting, and I say with resignation. “One night Mario cornered me in my bedroom. I screamed at him to get out, but he told me he had my father’s blessing. I asked him to do what, and he took great delight in telling me he was going to teach me a lesson on who was in charge.”
I shut my eyes tightly as the memory hits and say sadly, “I tried to run, but he caught me. I screamed so hard, hoping that it would make the soldiers rush to my side, but there was nobody there. He pushed me roughly onto the bed and I fought hard, but he was too strong. I yelled, but he just punched me in the face and when I looked up I sawher.”
“Diana?”
Once again, I note Malik’s even tone and wonder if anything shifts that and I nod, squeezing my eyes tightly shut as I sob. “I thought she had come to help me. I called out, pleading with her to get help, but she merely laughed and told him to fuck the bitch already and put her in her place. Those were her very words, and she even came and held me down as he ripped off my clothes. I will never forget the look on his face as he dropped his pants and took out his cock. I really thought he was going to rape me, and then a loud noise from downstairs caused them to stop. He quickly dressed and Diana hissed that if I told anyone she would make my father so angry he would kill me himself and as they left, Mario turned back and told me that this wasn’t over and to keep my legs open because he was coming in whether I liked it or not.”
