Filed to story: Bring It On My Mafia Life Novel (Rhea & Lukas)
“What?”
“I don’t know what cursed fate I have, but I won’t let the same thing happen to you?” Natalie swore, coming closer, and sat on the bed.
“What are you talking about?” Rhea looked her in the eyes, not even minding when the woman took her cuffed hands. All she wanted now was the truth. It was high time she told her what was going on.
“Lukas, the man you’re seeing, he’s Daniel’s son,”
“And?” Rhea sneered at her, ” Are you going to tell me that I can’t see him because his father and you dated in the past?”
Natalie looked taken aback for a moment. “Elijah,” She figured it out, “I see, he told you about it. But then, did he tell you everything?”
Love Me Again
Years back…
The chattering around her carried on, but Natalie did not take part, nor did she pay attention. It has been months since that night Daniel took her forcibly and yet she had not been able to escape from him.
Although he had not touched her since then, his men had other opinions. They had a name for her too, Daniel’s slut. The idiots believed that she was Daniel’s kept woman. Not that she cared anymore.
Sure, Daniel often paid her visits and sometimes behind closed time, but nothing of that nature happened again except the kisses now and then. After the night Daniel forced herself on her, something broke inside of Natalie, and right now she was no better than a zombie.
Natalie was a shadow of herself, like a broken watch or something that Daniel was desperately trying to repair. She could see the frustration in his eyes anytime he failed to make her react, to make her feel alive.
Although it was often a peck in the cheek, he once in a while kissed her on the mouth, hoping that would disgust her enough to fight back, but she didn’t. Daniel might as well have forced himself on her again and she wouldn’t push him away. He already got what he wanted, what was there to hide? To protect?
Hence, Natalie was no different than a shell, a robot who did whatever the master wanted. She no longer had opinions and it was beginning to infuriate Daniel. He wanted the old Natalie who would battle and struggle with him over the slightest issue. He wanted the old Natalie who did not want him because it made him want her more.
He needed a woman with vigor! Daniel wanted the woman he loved back, not this breathing, living doll. Thanks to her cold and nonchalant attitude, his visits were becoming rarer and while Natalie should rejoice at the development, she was depressed. Oftentimes, she had suicidal thoughts and the urge to end it once and for all.
But she wasn’t able to pull through it because the memory of her daughter would pull up in her head. How could she leave her poor girl behind? That would be so cruel of her. In one word, the thoughts of escaping here one day and meeting her daughter kept her going.
…..
It seemed impossible now, but Natalie never gave up, especially now Daniel was beginning to visit her less and less. Natalie knew that Daniel now had a family, she heard his soldiers discussing it the other day. It was amazing the amount of information one could gather by just staying around the corner.
Aside from Daniel’s slut, their other nickname for her was “mute” because she hardly talked to any of them. Thanks to that, they found ways to bully her like restricting her food just so they could hear her complain and dispel the rumors of being unable to speak.
But then Natalie would rather starve than give them the satisfaction. In the end, they would have no choice but to feed her so she doesn’t die. Of course, all of this was done behind Daniel’s back because the soldiers knew how to keep a good front whenever he was around. The less time Daniel spent with her, the more they mistreated her.
However, Natalie picked up on some good news today, they were moving her and that means, it was a good opportunity to escape.
The house she was kept in was crawling with soldiers making it impossible for her to escape. But once outside, there were a lot of chances to leave and she couldn’t afford to screw that up.
Thanks to the fact they were transporting her, they gave her good food and perhaps months of being with her lowered their defenses because Natalie finally found a knife amongst her utensils.
At first, Daniel denied her the use of any eating utensils after she stabbed one of the soldiers in the eye with the edge of the spoon she was holding in her aid to escape him. Thanks to that, she had to eat her food with her bare hands until she showed enough good behavior before she was allowed the cutlery again.
The signs were there, this was her opportunity to escape once and for all. Hence, when she was done eating, Natalie slipped the knife without any of them noticing and returned to her room, pretending as if nothing happened.
Not long after, word came that she should dress up, they were leaving to go see Daniel. The new clothes were laid on the bed for her and she put it on by the time she was done, the knife carefully hidden in a spot the men wouldn’t dare to put their hands on.
However, there was a little flaw in their plan. When the men told her she was to meet Daniel, they didn’t add that he had already arrived and she was to leave with him. Hence, one could imagine the look on Natalie’s face when she came outside, flanked by soldiers on both sides only to come face to face with Daniel.
Good thing that it was night else her panic would have given her away already. Natalie put on her apathetic mask again, after all, Daniel was already used to seeing it on her face over the past few months.
“Natalie, love,” He said, taking her palm and placing a kiss on her palm that did nothing but fill her with dread. She could already see her plan falling apart before it already began.
Natalie had not counted on him being here, she planned to escape before they took her to him. What was she going to do now? She couldn’t possibly take Daniel out, right?
“And here I was thinking that me being away would have warmed you up, but it seems that I’m wrong?” He said when she didn’t give him any other response. Natalie just stood there with her blank face and waited for his next instruction.
“But don’t worry…” His large palm moved to cup her face. He said to her with determination, “I would change things on this trip and you would come to love me again.” Daniel promised her.
I Hope We Never See Again
The trip was eerily silent except that once in a while, Daniel would start up a conversation with her, but when she doesn’t respond, he keeps quiet in the end. So most of the journey was silent except that Natalie was hyper-aware of Daniel’s hands on hers.
He took her hand in his and would not let go since the journey began, making it harder for her to think of an escape plan. If Daniel dared to lean closer, he could hear the sound of her heart pounding in her chest. Yes, she was as nervous as hell.
Natalie started a mental countdown, it was the only way for her not to break down and panic knowing that all of her plans had gone awry. Her gaze landed on the bulge behind Daniel’s waistband knowing that was where he kept his guns – habits were hard to break. If only she could get her hands on that weapon, then it would be game over.
Before Daniel could catch her gaze, she looked away, acting natural. All she needed now was a sign from heaven to get this over with. Natalie was stuck in between Daniel and his second in command. This was to make sure that she doesn’t escape. But today, she was done being babysitted because the sign from heaven came.
The instant the car came to a halt, Natalie acted in the twinkle of an eye. With the element of surprise on her side, Natalie slipped out the knife hidden on her thighs and stabbed his second in command at the same time, she elbowed Daniel and snatched the gun from his waistband.
Daniel had never taught her a single defensive move since the day he captured her. Unfortunately, he forgot that she was a brilliant lady and he should have known better than to let her watch his men practice every day. Some moves didn’t need teaching, she simply picked them up.
None of them had seen her coming, Natalie fired at Daniel but it caught him in the arms and he managed to escape out of the car before she could really murder him. Natalie on the other hand opened the car on the other end and pushed his second-in-command out of the way, not caring whether he died or not.
He was the one always bullying her and calling her Daniel’s slut and payback was a bitch. Ever since that night Natalie first took a life, killing came naturally to her. She guess it was true when they said once you took a life, it chips away at the soul.
Natalie couldn’t recognize herself anymore. She was once a sweet harmless dove who would never take a life but rather save it, to a cold-blooded mother who would do everything to escape this monster and avenge her loved ones.
…..
Unfortunately, Daniel didn’t come alone, because as soon as she made it out of the car, a bullet whizzed past her, narrowly missing her by mere inches.
“Don’t shoot! You’re going to kill her! Don’t fucking shoot! I need her alive, idiots!” She could hear Daniel command his men from the other side of the car.
Well, it was to her benefit!
As soon as they ceased fire, Natalie darted out of the hiding position and started to run. It was time to get out of here. It was late at night and they were at a seaport. If only there was a ship loading right now, it would be a miracle. Unfortunately, there was none and there should be security here… Unless Daniel paid them off. Annoying Mafia scum!
Natalie planned to hide the night away if she couldn’t escape since the seaport was large with the night providing enough cover. Unfortunately, Daniel and his men were like bed bugs that wouldn’t die that easily and they eventually caught up to her.
It was a dead end.
Natalie was on the deck of the ship and she was surrounded. Daniel must have called for reinforcement to have cut her off this easily. But then, she wouldn’t give up without a fight.