What started as a normal day for me turned into something chaotic and life-changing when a bunch of goons invaded my bakery.
I watched in horror as my customers scrambled about, running for their safety.
My heart dropped at the thought of being robbed. This was my only source of income. I could not afford to lose anything especially not my rent.
"Mira Valente?" One of the men who towered above me in height said.
My breath stilled. How did this scary dude know my name?
I swallowed before responding. "Yes? Is there something I can do for you today?"
"Where's your brother?" He responded with a question.
I frowned "My brother?"
"You're not deaf are you? Where the fuck is Roberto?!"
I flinched at his yelling.
"I don't know where he is. Why are you looking for him?"
I couldn't help but wonder what my brother had done this time. He was always getting in trouble for one thing or the other.
The man who seemed to be the head of the goons present spoke up just then. "He owes a huge sum of money to my boss."
I shut my eyes and sighed, wondering when my brother would stop landing himself in trouble like this.
"I'll pass your message across." I said.
He shook his head. "No. You're coming with us."
"What? There's no way I'm going anywhere with you."
"Who says you have a choice?"
I tried to run for it but before I could take five steps they had caught me and knocked me unconscious with chloroform.
~~~
The blindfold was tight around my ears. I was down on my knees, hands tied to my back.
This was torture.
I had no idea where I was or if these people were going to kill me. I was shivering in trepidation.
A bunch of footsteps coming from a distance was all I heard. Soon I heard the door come open.
"Bring her to me."
The sound of the deep raspy voice of whoever just spoke, sent tingles down my spine.
Next thing I knew, I was roughly hoisted up by someone, shoved and forced to kneel again. The whiff of expensive cologne reached my nostrils and I involuntarily sighed.
I flinched when I felt a pair of fingers rub my face. I tried to shake it off but he held my chin and kept me still.
"Let me go." I said through gritted teeth.
The chuckle he released next had me shivering once again.
"Where is Roberto?"
"I don't know where he is." I said.
"For your own good, I'd advise that you tell me where he is or you'll never see each other again. Maybe in the afterlife if there's anything like that."
"Roberto-"
He cut me off. "Your brother owes me a whole lot of money."
"This has nothing to do with me. I don't even know where he is!" I yelled.
It was a lie but of course I could never sell my brother out and put him in grave danger even though his actions had put me on a ticking time bomb.
Suddenly the blindfold was removed and I finally beheld the face of whom I correctly assumed was the boss.
His brown eyes were piercing as he stared straight into mine.
I followed his gaze as he gave me a once-over.
"You're going to be my wife." He said out of nowhere.
My voice trembled but I held his gaze. "There's no way I'd agree to marry you. I'd rather die."
"Either that or your brother dies."
His words sent cold shivers down my spine and every word of protest died on my tongue.
"Yeah I thought so." He smirked.
Signalling his guards, he told them to untie me and get me into his helicopter.
I tried to resist their hold but there was no way someone as fragile as me could overpower any of them.
"Where are you taking me?" I yelled on top of my voice.
"To your new home." He said, not sparing me a glance.
I couldn't believe I was being held hostage. My mind could not fully grasp this reality. How did things escalate so quickly?
This felt like a bad dream I needed to wake up from.
"Roberto I'm going to kill you." I muttered under my breath as I fought back tears.
Why did he have to get into this kind of mess and drag me into it?
I sat in the helicopter looking away from my captor who seemed unbothered by the fact that he was forcing a woman he doesn't know from anywhere to marry him. He was obviously a psycho.
What I didn't know was that I was about to marry the most dangerous man in the country - the Italian Mafia Don - Jace Romano.