nts soon, I’ll be next. I know he is growing impatient with me. I’m biding my time, studying his every move, hoping for a pattern to emerge. Anything to give me the one up on him. I know two things about Tiny. One, he leaves nothing to chance. Two, he never does the same thing twice. His men at the estate however, they are very predictable and tend to stick to a schedule. They patrol the grounds in what would appear at random to an outsider but living within those stone walls, I have established a pattern in their behavior. I do know that this house is new. It isn’t the house where Harper, Hades’ sister met her demise. When Tiny isn’t around his guards fuck around and they talk a lot. They speak mostly Spanish thinking I won’t understand them, but I know Spanish. I only pretend not to for my benefit. Waiting for them to get brave and let something slip of importance. I’ve learned a few things. One of the guards is attracted to me and if he wasn’t scared of Tiny cutting off his balls, he’d have raped me by now.
My days are spent at Tiny’s side when he isn’t in meetings. He travels once a week out of town and he doesn’t take me with him. It’s never the same day of the week and seems to happen at random which leads me to think he is under someone else in the organization. There is someone higher up than Tiny. Someone he answers to. Someone I intend on meeting. A name I need to give Uno.
Even after everything Justin has done to me I find I miss him. If I could go back and do things differently I would if it meant I’d be with him now. I know I hurt him, and I was not a good person, but he wasn’t innocent. He can’t lay all the blame on me. Though I carry the load.
We arrive at the compound. A gated ranch. The house itself isn’t that grand, but there is a lot of land and horses here. Tiny breeds racehorses.
He told me he sold a horse that went on to win the Kentucky Derby. I guess he thought the fact would impress me. I don’t care if the man can shit gold, I will never desire him or welcome his advances.
The driver opens the door and Tiny exits first then extends a hand to me. As I am getting out of the car another wave of nausea hits me, nearly knocking me off my feet. I sway and Tiny curses, capturing me in his arms.
The last thing I remember before everything going black was him calling for the doctor.
—–
I wake to a cool compress being placed on my forehead. “Easy,” a woman’s voice I don’t recognize speaks softly in my ear. “You fainted.”
Blinking my eyes, I follow her voice as she comes into focus. She’s older, her dark hair graying at her temples. Crow’s feet outline her brown eyes. Age spots mark her cheeks. I’ve never seen her before.
“When was the last time you ate?”
I remove the cold compress and sit up against the headboard. I lick my teeth. My mouth is dry. Clearing my throat, I ask for a glass of water. Taking in my surrounding I am not in my room. This room is darker. Black curtains and deep purple bedding. There’s a painting on the wall of a city but I don’t recognize the skyline. I accept the water bottle eagerly and take a sip. My stomach rolls again. “Where am I?”
“Mr. Leone’s room,” she informs me and the urge to throw up returns.
“And who are you?”
“A family friend.”
“I mean what do I call you?”
“I know.” She smiles. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I need to let my son know you are awake.”
“You’re his mother?” I question, disbelieving that this seemingly normal woman could have birthed such an evil monster.
She winks at me and I hear the door lock behind her as she exits the room.
Minutes later the door opens and Tiny enters the room carrying a tray of food. “You need to eat something.” He places the tray on the empty side of the bed and comes around to the side I am on. His smooth fingers brush along my jaw. “Some of your color has returned. This pleases me to see your health returning.”
“Why am I here...in your room?”
“It was closest. I told you I won’t force you, Stephanie, but I do hope you come to accept me sooner than later. I wish to make you my wife. I will give you a great life. The finest things. The world.” Lowering his head, he kisses the top of my hair. “Eat up.”
I grimace but do as I am told. I eat the soup, which is more of a broth that he says his mother made for me. I later learn that his mother is from Mexico and his father was Italian. He used to be the head of Leone family but was murdered some years ago. His mother told me these things.
“My son needs a strong woman at his side to compliment him. He is hard and stubborn like his father. He had to fight hard to earn his place in the world. It has made him tough and hard to love, but when he loves he loves deep. He will treat you with passion if you open to him and allow him to show you that tender side he guards within. I am here to make sure you are a good match for him. He seeks my approval, but that depends on you.”
I tell her, “Marrying your son is the last thing I want.”
She drops my hand and rises from the edge of the bed. Her response is, “There could be worse things such as death.” Then she smirks at me. “How was your soup?”
Blinding pain shoots through my belly and I lean forward hugging my stomach as she pulls the covers back. The white nightgown I am wearing is stained red with my blood between my legs.
I scream in horror touching at hand to the blood and holding it up in the light. Staring at my red stained fingers, I know I am being punished. God is punishing me for having that abortion when I was a teenager.
The door opens and Tiny rushes in.
“I told you she was with child,” she sneers. “But I took care of it.”