“You’re mine now”

Martina shook to reality where she lay. She had a nightmare and that was the reason behind her reaction.

She clasped her eyes for seconds before opening them. Everywhere was so dark as though her eyes were still closed.

She ran her fingers over her eyes to make sure nothing was blocking her vision.

She looked again and it was the same thing… Darkness.

“What is going on?” She asked herself as she began to fidget.

She turned her head to see if she could spot the penetration of light or sun rays from where she was but she didn’t see anything. It was total darkness.

She sat up in terror and held her head in her hands. She hit her head with her hand and also pinched her thighs to be sure everything happening was real.

After doing these, she confirmed it was real and she began to scream.

“Help me! Where am I? I can’t see a thing! Help me, somebody!” She screamed at the top of her voice hoping somebody would come and save her before she goes crazy.

She held her head in her hand again trying to recall anything that could help her figure out what was going on.

Suddenly, she felt a slight pain at the back of her head, very close to her ear. She moved her shaky hands to the spot and whimpered as she touched the spot. She felt a stingy pain as her finger touched it, she could feel dried blood around the wound.

Still trying to remember what had happened, her head began to hurt. The way she yelled made her feel too weak and she became dizzy.

Her eyes fell shut and she fell back to the ground.

***

Roberto was up very early, it wasn’t a new thing. He was an early bird.

He got out of bed naked, walked to his closet, and picked up a robe. He put it on and before he left the room, he picked up his tobacco and lighter and headed out of the house.

He headed for the pool behind the mansion. He got there and his escorts gave him a bow as he walked past them.

He stopped as soon as he got in front of the pool. He lighted the tobacco and threw the lighter in his pockets.

He began to smoke, and occasionally the morning breeze would come rushing and the breeze would hit his face.

He loved the feeling. He checked the wristwatch and saw it was 6:30 am. He heard some people approach him and he turned to check who it was. It was Vincenzo.

“Good morning Mr. Roberto, I bet you slept very well last night,” Vincenzo uttered with a very large grin on his face. But the grin faded instantly after he saw Roberto wasn’t in the smiling mood. He is never in the mood to smile.

“Where is the b**ch’s sister?” Roberto asked in a hoarse voice.

“She is in the room you asked us to put her in yesterday boss. I sent some men to check up on her, they reported that she was still fast asleep.” Vincenzo reported.

“They must have knocked her out pretty hard,” Roberto muttered taking another puff from his tobacco.

“What should we do about her boss? We have three of them in our custody already.” Vincenzo informed.

“I know how many of them are here Vincenzo, I am not stupid!” Roberto smacked. He was trying to think and Vincenzo was making that pretty hard for him.

“I’m sorry Mr. Roberto,” Vincenzo mumbled a plea as he moved back slowly.

“I’d have a meeting with all of them before noon. I need to be out by that time to see Lorenzo, and you will be coming with me.” Roberto divulged and Vincenzo responded with a bow.

“I’ll ask them to get the ladies ready,” Vincenzo reported and Roberto consented by giving him a nod.

Vincenzo walked away and Roberto turned to face the pool again. He kept smoking for some minutes before he returned to the house.

He headed into the mansion to get ready for the day. He was never going to have any meeting without looking nice.

This was one thing about Roberto, he placed his fashion style before all other things. He detects being caught looking rough.

***

Martina felt somebody grab her hands rashly and she jolted out of her sleep in fright. She wanted to scream and struggle with whosoever it was but she felt so weak.

She let her tormentor have her in Zero option surrender. All she could do was weep quietly as the person took her to only God knows where.

After a very short while, she felt light shine against her eyelids. She hastily opened her eyes to see where she was.

She was dumbfounded when she saw the ceiling above her head. It was like that of a palace. She turned her eyes to get more information about where she was and then she saw it was a man that carried her.

“Who are you!” She smacked hitting him with her left hand very hard but he kept on carrying her and walking.

Martina’s weak punches on him didn’t do the trick.

“Let me go!” She cried out as she began the tremble in fear. She shut her eyes tight and opened them to make sure it wasn’t what she was thinking.

She had recalled some of the incidents that happen the night before and she hoped it was all a nightmare that she was going to wake up from.

“But… this seems real. If truly I am in Roberto’s custody, I can never see tomorrow.” She thought in panic.

The man that carried her stopped moving, and Martina was forced to open her eyes. She looked around her again, and this time it wasn’t the mansion, people were staring at her.

The man carrying her dropped her to the ground all of a sudden and she hit her hand on the tiled floor.

“Take it easy Asshole!” She spat before she could compose herself. She took her time to look at the men that watched her and she needed no one else to tell her she was in Roberto’s custody.

“I’m dead.” She said inside of her. She began to shiver fearfully and the men that stared at her just kept staring with no remorse.

“What was I expecting? That they try to calm me down? This isn’t the first person trembling in their presence.”

“Martina if you want to live longer, she shouldn’t show this asshole you are scared of him,” Martina told herself trying to stay bold.

But it wasn’t working, she burst into tears before she knew it.

“I can’t stay bold, I’m so scared.” She said inwardly. As she wept quietly where she was placed on the floor, she heard another set of people approaching.

She raised her head to check who they were and who she saw with them made her eyes broaden.

“Caterina!”Martina called. She tried to get up but one of the men that stood with her placed his hand on her shoulder pushing her to the floor again.

“Martina.” Caterina cried as she struggled to her get loose from those that held her.

“Don’t you dare hurt her!” Martina cried out. She couldn’t understand what she was feeling, she was at fault and this broke her even more.

“Is that blood on you?” Caterina asked in tears after they threw her to the floor too, some meters away from where Martina was. She could see the blood on Martina’s head where she sat.

“Don’t worry Caterina, I’m fine. Did they do anything to you?” Martina further queried. She tried holding back the tears that threatened to fall out of her eyes as she stared at Caterina.

“I need to be strong for her.” She told herself.

“Can you tell me what happened? Where is Pablo?” Martina probed and instead of Caterina responding, she kept weeping. This time it was with more intensity and bitterness.

“Caterina please talk to me,” Martina uttered in a shaky voice.

“That would be enough chatting for now elder sister.” Martina heard someone say.

She looked up and saw Roberto standing right in front of them. His hands were buried in the pockets of his Dolce & Gabbana-tartan-check pants. He wore a white Dolce & Gabbana-Crystal embellished long-sleeve shirt to match.

Next to him was a man who Martina didn’t pay so much attention to.

Roberto and Martina stared at each other for minutes without saying anything to each other, the living room was as silent as a grave.

“Please let my sister go, she knows absolutely nothing about this.” Martina finally found the right words and Roberto smirked.

Bruno approached Roberto with a chair and he placed it behind Roberto. Roberto threw his hands forward adjusting his shirt before he sat.

“Martina De Luca, 26 years old, lost both parents to a fatal accident, lived in America for some years, left hanging on her wedding day by her husband to be, Carlos three years ago and came back recently to see Caterina…” Roberto reported with a smirk turning his head to look at Caterina.

“Caterina De Luca, 20 years old, in a relationship with Pablo Barone. Still in college studying criminal law! What a very nice course.” Roberto uttered giggling wickedly.

“Why are you doing this? Leave her out of this! She is still very young.” Martina wailed.

“Can you please shut up… or do you want me to shut you up. Trust me, that is the easiest thing for me to do.” He responded and Martina saw his men pull out their guns and point them at her. Martina swallowed hard, she was forced to keep mute.

“After knowing all these about you Martina, I still have one question I’d love you to answer,” Roberto uttered putting his hands on his legs and leaning forward.

“Why can’t you just find that out too?” Martina retorted stubbornly and Roberto clenched his Jaw.

“Can somebody please tell her not to get on my nerves?” Roberto uttered rolling his tongue in his mouth.

Vincenzo widened his eyes trying to give Martina a sign but Martina didn’t look at him. All her focus was on Roberto.

“Why are you in my way? What do you want from me?” Roberto asked and Martina scoffed.

“Why I’m I in your way? Can you even hear yourself, Roberto?…”

“What do you want for me?…” She mimicked sarcastically shaking her head. Roberto scoffed nodding his head, he knew if he kept trying to keep things cool, she wouldn’t cooperate.

He stood up all of a sudden and approached her. Martina’s heart leaped as she watched him move towards her.

He stopped as soon as he got close to her and he grabbed her by the chin and pulled her up without mercy.

“You are hurting me!” Martina managed to say, hot tears rolling down her eyes.

“Please let her go,” Caterina begged in great tears.

“Shut the f**k up you punk!” Roberto smacked looking at Caterina. She quickly lowered her head in fear, trying to avoid his evil stare.

“You responded to me respectfully with I talk to you,” Roberto uttered with gritted teeth, and tightened his grip on her chin.

Martina’s face turned red and she couldn’t even speak anymore.

“Mr. Roberto,” Vincenzo called in a low tone trying to call him back. He saw Roberto was beginning to go off the trails.

After a few seconds, he let go of her aggressively and walked back to his chair. Martina fell to the ground weakly, and Caterina crawled hastily to meet her.

Caterina held her in her arms and they both cried.

“Your sister is alive, you should be grateful I didn’t run out of patience with her,” Roberto muttered staring at them.

Martina let go of Caterina and looked at Roberto, she stood up and everyone, including Roberto, watched her and wondered what she was about to do.

She got to Roberto and fell before him in tears. She reached for his foot and held it in her hand. Roberto’s men wanted to make a move but Roberto stopped them. He wanted to know what she wanted to do.

“Martina,” Caterina called in anguish.

“Please, I beg you… let Caterina go. I promise to do whatever you want, just let her go.” Martina cried and Roberto smirked.

“Whatever I want? Even become one of my slaves?” He asked acting like a god and Martina nodded against his foot.

“Yes. I’ll become one of your slaves. Just let her go, Please…” Martina uttered and Caterina shook her head.

“No… Martina doesn’t do this! It isn’t worth it Martina.” Caterina cried. Roberto looked at Greco and Greco approached him with a paper in his hand.

He placed the paper on the floor in front of Martina and tossed a pen on it too.

“Sign that right now,” Roberto ordered and Caterina’s eyes widened.

“No! Martina doesn’t do this!” She said standing to her feet but they grabbed her before she could get to Martina.

Martina looked at Caterina in tears and then looked at the paper again. The tears that rolled down her eyes wet the paper as she picked up the pen.

“Martina.” Caterina wailed.

Martina turned deaf ears to Caterina and signed the paper without thinking wise. All she wanted was Caterina to live a normal life. She didn’t want to ruin her life.

After she was done signing, she passed the papers to Roberto and moved away from his leg. He checked it and he let out an evil grin.

He stood up and adjusted his shirt.

“You’re mine now,” Roberto uttered and Martina closed her eyes in rage.

“Let her go now,” Martina told and Roberto scoffed.

“You don’t tell me what to do… Lock them up!” He ordered walking out of the living room.