Mikael

'Ava, you are getting out tonight,' Troy explains the plan to me but I don't even listen, I'm so happy and scared. 

“ I can't believe I'll be seeing Mama,” I whisper happily.  

“ You can’t see her,” Troy says in a sympathetic tone. Why can't I see my mother when I've been separated from her for four years? 

“It's too dangerous. Once you leave Marion will hunt you down and we can’t have Sela in danger,” he finishes, and I nod in understanding. It’s safer this way.

After Troy leaves my room, I find myself looking at the cottage where the girls are.

…..

The next morning, I don’t see Marion thank God. He's probably refraining from all the insults I’ll send his way. 

It’s been silent today, no gunshots or screams and I didn't leave the room. Cecelia comes to check on me after an hour and asks if I need anything. 

I switch off the tv and go to the window when I hear cars. Mario appears in my sight of the vision, wearing a suit and a hat, I must confess, he looks good.

The cars stop and first a tall man with extremely pale skin and red eyes come out, after exchanging greeting with Mario, a woman walks out, she is tall and pretty. I cringe when she locks lips with  Mario... Tai is the one to separate them. The man with pale skin is arguing with Tai and the woman.

“ I got it for you now tell me where she is!” he screams in a hot accent. Tai smiles like the devil, enjoying his despair. The man takes menacing steps at him and chokes Tai.

" I can fucking end you right now!" 

" Mikael, calm the fuck down!" shouts the woman. Mikael throws Tai to the ground and reaches his pocket, and gets out a piece of jewelry he gives to Mario

" I took that from my clan and now, Princess Aurora and her guards want my head, come on, tell me where she is," 

" All in due time," Answers Mario, confused about their conversation, I close the window and continue to watch Tv.

However, I can't be still, what is Mario up to?

I get up and go to the window, listening to their private conversation but I make no sense of it 

" Cora... Call Alberto. Tell him that we have the witch's bracelet,"

 As if feeling my eyes on them, Mario turns to look at me for a long time and I don’t avoid contact.

...

It's almost 7 pm, and I'm sitting in front f the vanity table, brushing my hair when the door opens,

“ Why aren’t you ready for the party?” asks Marion, looking at the cream-white cocktail dress on my bed and nude heels.

“ Not going,” 

“ I don’t want to hurt you just get ready,” he demands, holding my arm. 

“ Mi Chiquita, listen to me, I better find you ready when I come back,” he turns but something catches my eye. A silver gun in his belt.

“ Mario, who killed my father?” I ask. He stops in his tracks not looking at me, but I know that gun, it’s the one that was used to kill my Father and Uncle, I can never forget it, it looks unique and has some violet paint stains on top.

I remember vividly, hiding in the corner as we were attacked, two men came where my father and uncle were in the salon, first they shot my uncle so many times in the chest and then did the same to my father

Before I could react my mother closed my mouth, carefully taking me upstairs to their room.

“Mama,” I cried as my mother shook her head, telling me to be strong.

“ We are getting out of here my brave girl, there are some bad people after us, and they will take you as payback but it’s okay I won’t let them,” she assured me, packing money, jewelry, and documents in a large bag. 

“ Ma'am let’s go, our men are already waiting at the back roads,” One of the guards inform my mother.

It took months for us to pick up again, our new home was just as big as our old one, but I was still all new to this and only sixteen, my mother married Leo to empower us and keep me safe

Mom rose to the top, and looked for new clients since our old ones didn’t want to do business anymore, I didn’t go out without guards, and the one time I did, I was kidnapped.

“ Did you have my father killed?” I ask but he keeps quiet. I choke up a sob.

“ why?” I whisper, finally, he looks up at me, looking at me intensely

“ He was standing in my way of what I wanted... You,” he smirks, 

“ And we had a business misconception,” I feel anger bubbling up and tears roll down my face,

“ Shhh, don’t cry. I hate seeing you this upset,” he whispers kissing my neck and touching me. Mario was the bad person mother was talking about. I sob more but he pulls away with a frown wiping my tears, and goes back to kissing me.

I smack him in the face as I try to get out of his grip. Mario releases me and touches his cheek, a sly smile appearing on his lips. He rips my shirt and throws me on the bed. He easily hovers over me and starts to fuck me, hard and brutal. 

" Fuck, I like it when you fight," With those words, I stop moving and he screams in frustration but continues to thrust in and out of me

" I love you so much, baby," He whispers, kissing and pumping into me until he releases but his dick is growing hard again and starts to move, however, the door suddenly 

burst open and he rolls off me and faces the intruder,

" Get out Mikael!" He orders but Mikael ignores him and gets in. 

“ Where is she? I kept my end of the deal and now I'm marked for death,” 

“ Tai's connection has that information, we'll reach out and arrange a meeting with him in a few weeks,"    

“ You lied to me, you are only interested in your deal with the KILL and I did your baiting. That bitch Cora, I’ll deal with her,” he sneers, his eyes flashing a dangerous color, and I thought I saw fangs but I'm probably just hallucinating, I've been through a lot to trust myself. He lifts Mario off the floor like he weighs nothing and throws him against the wall, Mario now looks scared and I'm shocked.

" Oh okay, fine, I'll call him right now and we can arrange a meeting in a few days, for now, you can stay here," Mario is agitated, trying to reason with him. Mikael's gaze roams to me only once and smirks curl on his lips. 

" I will give you two days or else I'll drink from everyone in this fucking estate, and keep your woman, I'm sure she's quite... delectable,"

" Fine, go, I'll make a few calls,"  Mario agrees and gets up. Mikael leaves the room and Mario goes to the balcony, just as I let out a sigh, Mikael is bad. I swallow thickly, avoiding eye contact with Mikael, he's... scary even though he's not as muscular as Mario's men.

" Hello, you can look at me, I try not to bite without permission," He muses. He bends down to pick up a piece of shattered glass and inspect it

" You don't want to be here, do you?" 

I shake my head and he smiles a real smile. 

" Good," 

I thought he would kill me as he approached and I move away, my heart pounding against my chest but he gives me the glass. 

" Take it," He encourages, and reluctantly, I do. Our skin touch and I gasp at how cold he is. 

" I can tell that you've been in hell, Aviana Tasaro, that's why I want to help you. Troy can't get you out of here on his own without getting you both killed," 

" You.. you are a friend of Troy's?" I stutter

" No, I have no friends but I owe him one now he is collecting through you," He answers. I nod. His eyes linger on my body for a while and I realized I'm not covered. I pull the bed sheet to cover myself. 

“ Do you want revenge for all your scars?"

I bite my lower lip as all the misfortunes I've suffered with Mario's hands come to my mind. I nod. 

" Just use that glass and pierce it in him as many times as you want and walla, you'll discern some sort of comfort," He snaps his fingers, and my eyes go to the balcony where Mario is, he's screaming and shouting at someone over the phone. 

" And Mario has something very important with him, a bracelet in the pant pockets he's wearing, you can just get it for me as a thank you," 

" You're repaying a debt to Troy, I don't need to thank you for helping," He seems surprised and impressed, I know how cartels work, if one is in debt, it must be paid back however and whenever without question. 

" Smart girl, now how have you stayed with Mario this long without escaping? " He asks but I don't answer, "if you do the bracelet for me, I'll owe you one,"

He says and quickly exits the room just as Mario ends his call.

“ Now where were we?”