Loving Her Forgotten Mafia

JANE

It had been over a week and Rosario had left me alone, mostly. That talk did help, but I wasn't sure for how long it was going to work as he wasn't a very patient man. 

Sometimes when I had to converse with him, his behaviour felt very strange. He was hot and cold, so unpredictable, even more than before, and that scared me. As time passed, the need to make a new plan lingered in the back of my mind.

I had been following a routine for some time now. Getting up early, doing some yoga while soaking in the morning sunlight, cooking breakfast, watching something in the in-house theatre, reading a book and helping Matilda with lunch and dinner. 

From the outside, my life looked sorted and peaceful. But only I knew the truth behind the mask I was putting on. I missed Mom, Jake, my friends, my job, my old life and much to my dismay, I missed Dominic, a little too much.

Every night, I'd cry to sleep and would wake up in the morning to a wet pillow. This was my life now. Surprisingly, Rosario had asked me to get ready today as he wanted to take me out for shopping.

Not that I was excited or something. I wasn't. But it was a good opportunity to go out and not feel completely isolated from the outside world. And who knows, I might meet someone or get some ideas to handle Rosario.

I was ready, wearing a white crop top and blue jeans. My hair was up in a pony and I skipped any make-up. I wanted to look as plain as I could, in front of Rosario. He might eventually lose interest in me and let me go.

Slipping into a pair of sneakers, I stood up from the bed when a knock sounded on the door. I looked up to see Matilda opening the door.

"Jane. Sir has asked for you to come down. Are you ready?" she asked with a small smile.

I nodded, walking to the door where she stood. 

"Yeah. Let's go."

I got out and she followed after closing the door. I was at the top of the staircase when I heard Rosario cursing loudly and I looked up. My eyes landed on four of his soldiers walking in, carrying a folding stretcher.

There laid a…dead body…covered in a white sheet. 

My feet stopped moving as I looked around with a deep frown. I felt Matilda stop behind me as a soft gasp left her lips.

"Who's this?" I muttered.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"The fuck is this? What's going on?" Rosario boomed, standing in the middle of the hall with his back facing me.

The four men put the stretcher down once they were inside and stood with their hands clasped in front and head down.

"Boss. We were keeping an eye on Jake Collins and Katarina Collins as per your order," one of them spoke.

My heart hammered painfully against my chest as if it would burst out and I grabbed the handrail to support myself as my hands and legs started shaking.

"They arrived in New York two days ago."

They are in New York? Why?

"But we don't know how or when it happened but…" He went silent as I waited with bated breath for him to continue.

It felt like an eternity as I waited but he wasn't speaking. Not being able to control myself, I screamed,

"But what?"

Everyone, including Rosario, turned to me in unison. His eyes were wide as he watched me. I wasn't able to move from my spot as my body was already feeling numb, anticipating the soldier's answer.

"But, we found Jake dead at their New York home last night."

My head spun and my vision blurred, a chill ran down my spine, making the hair on the back of my neck rise. 

I needed to sit down. My legs felt like jelly, and my knees bent, but I was grabbed from behind, preventing me from falling face down. My eyes now trained on the dead body lying there, everything else around it plunged into darkness.

I didn't know how I crossed the flight of stairs but soon I found myself beside the dead body when one of the soldiers removed the sheet from its face.

"JAKE!!!"

A shrill cry left my lips as I fell to the floor beside him and shook him vigorously, grabbing his shoulders. 

"Jake. Wake up. Please, wake up. Why are you sleeping like this? Wake up. Wake up you dammit." 

My blood boiled and I landed a sharp slap on his cheek.

Why isn't he waking up? Is this a place to sleep? Don't we have a bed at home?

"Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Where is Mom? Tell me, Jake. Where is Mom? Only she can wake you up. You need a dose of her slippers. Wake up you fool or you're gonna regret it."

Why isn't he waking up?

I looked up at Rosario.

"Ask him to wake up. What are you doing standing there? You want me to go shopping with you, right? Make him wake up, only then I'll go."

No one was moving from their spot.

"All of you are just lazy. Can't even wake up a sleeping man. Fucking useless people," I shouted.

"Jake. I'll ask Sofia to come here and meet you. I promise. Just wake up, please."

"WAKE UP!!!" I screamed with all my might but my brother didn't wake up.

The whole mansion was spinning and I put my head on Jake's chest before closing my eyes.

"Please wake up, Jake. I am so lonely. I missed you so much. Talk to me," I spoke to my brother, hoping for a reply, but there was none.

Suddenly, I was dragged away from him. But I didn't want to leave him yet.

"No. I want to stay with my brother. Please, let me stay," I shouted and struggled to reach him but their grip was strong. I couldn't pull free, no matter how much I tried.

As I was being dragged away, my eyes shut somewhere on the way and everything went dark. I couldn't feel anything anymore.

.....

I woke up with a sharp intake of breath as Jake's lifeless form flashed in front of my closed eyes, and I found Adessa pacing the room in front of me. My heart raced so fast, I thought I'd have a heart attack.

"Where is Jake?" I sat up with a jolt, scaring Adessa as she flinched before looking at me.

"Jane. Oh my god. Calm down, please." She sat on the edge of the bed and held my shoulders.

"No. Where is Jake? Where is Mom? I want to see Mom." I swatted her hands away before climbing off the bed as she tried to make me sit.

"Jake! Mom!" Screaming at the top of my lungs, I dashed to the door.

The door opened before I could open it and Rosario came into my view. 

"Out of my way. Where is Jake?" I lashed out, making him grind his teeth and his jaws twitched.

"Step aside, Rosario." 

I was so close to slapping him when his voice boomed, making me go still abruptly.

"Snap out of it, Jane. Jake is dead. Your Mom is probably dead too. I don't know." A vein in his neck strained as he spoke and my stomach dropped.

"What do you mean?" I grabbed his collar before I could think and asked, "Where is my Mom? Tell me. WHERE IS MY MOM?" I shook him vigorously, ignoring his hardened face.

"Jane. Leave my collar."

"You did something to them, right? Tell me." As soon as I finished speaking, his fingers curled around my wrists in a tight grip before my hands were yanked away from his collar.

He grabbed my jaws before pushing me inside and pressing me hard against a wall.

"Adessa. Leave."

"Sir. She is in trauma."

"I said leave," his cold eyes burned holes in my face as he growled slowly.

I tried to pry his hand away from my face but his grip was hard.

"Don't test my patience. Looks like you have forgotten who I am. Do I need to show you, Doll?"

My stomach churned while my heart twisted painfully, as the moments spent with Mom and Jake flashed before my eyes. 

Did I really lose everyone?

"Where is Mom?" A drop of tear slid down my eye as I pushed his hand away. I couldn't stop the tears this time.

He backed away, watching me with an unreadable expression while the tears just kept rolling down my cheeks non-stop.

"I don't know. My men are trying to find out but she's most probably dead."

My legs buckled as I slid down the wall and sat on the floor, hugging my knees.

"You killed them." A new wave of sobs wracked my body and my lower lip jutted out. 

"Just shut the fuck up and stop crying. I didn't do anything or I'd not bring Jake's body here to show you. If I killed them, I'd have hid it from you. You'd not know that they are already dead. Understood. So, stop blaming me and stop crying like a baby," he snapped.

"I demanded one thing from you, respect. And you can't even give me that. This is how you treat me and then you want me to be with you. I lost my whole world and you...I think I should just die."

I stood up and he grabbed me again, his hand wrapped tightly around my waist.

"You are mine," he growled. "I can do anything with you. Thank your stars I am giving you time to adjust. Don't let my leniency make you think I am weak."

At that time, I realised I had lost everyone. I was completely alone and at the mercy of this heartless monster.

I am an orphan.

Something snapped within, as if my body had its own mechanism to cope with the loss and a numbness washed over me. My tears stopped, leaving behind light sobs that shook my body at regular intervals while I just watched the floor in front of me. 

"I am leaving. Get up and gather yourself. I don't want this gloominess in my house. I lost my father and brother too, but I wasn't crying like a baby. And don't think for a second that you are off the hook just because of this one incident.

I am still waiting for you to move on and fulfill what I desire. That's non-negotiable. I want you to be your normal self by tomorrow morning. See you tomorrow, doll." His finger brushed my face as he pushed a strand of my hair from my face, making me flinch.

After that, he left, leaving me alone in my room as I sat there like a statue, not knowing what my life had become. 

For whom should I live now? Should I die and end this torture?