There would be many words to describe Roman Cecilio, but one would be: malicious. Don of the Italian Mafia with no remorse, but what happens when he meets a woman and her daughter?
Jasmine Torres shelters her daughter from any and all harm, hiding...
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"I'll fucking tell you what you think you know."
I can't believe I'm having to relive my entire fucking life because of something he doesn't know of.
"You're going to tell me that you're working with your little ex boyfriend on destroying my mafia? That's fucking rich." He scoffs.
"My ex boyfriend was an abusive asshole who let his friends rape me for money, why would I work with him?" I spit.
My words must've stunned him because he completely freezes with wide eyes and a parted mouth.
"You gonna let me explain?" I ask, raising my eyebrows as I rub my sensitive neck.
He nods slightly.
"Alejandro took everything from me. My parents, my freedom, my body and I had no choice but to let it happen. Everything you've seen, everything I've become is because of him. 6 years I was stuck with him. 6 years." I repeat, fighting back the tears that so desperately wanted to spill.
I was 9 when I met Alejandro, except I didn't really meet him. I was kidnapped and sex trafficked. He bought me as if I was an object to be owned.
At first it was just him; he was the only one who could touch me, he was the only one who could hurt me but then he started to share me with his friends.
Except it wasn't like he passed me around, it was much worse and torturous. He even had a special room for me with special equipment.
I've gotten pregnant and miscarried over 10 times in the span of 6 years because of them. When I got pregnant with Ansley, I begged to keep Ansley. I engaged in acts so I could have my baby.
Of course, that didn't stop the beatings or rapings but they were more mindful of my baby which was why Ansley was four months premature. My body couldn't handle holding a baby any longer than it did.
When word started going around about a guy they found to give me a hysterectomy, I grabbed what I could and left with Ansley.
I worked so hard to gain what I did before we came here. That small apartment in a crappy neighborhood was not my choice but it was all I could afford. My boxing career wasn't something I wanted because who would hire a 15 year old girl who had a daughter and could only work so many hours and still needed good money?
No one so I was on my own. I did what I needed to do to protect what was mine; what was needed to survive.
"-and you want to know what the saddest part of that is? I don't even know who Ansley's father is. So when she asks, I distract her but that can only last so long until she starts to notice what I'm doing."
By the time I'm done telling him my whole life story, my body is shaking from anger and the pain of having to relive it all over just for him.
"So no, I'm not helping him take down your damn mafia." I spit as if the words were poisonous.
Roman's body is completely rigid. He's not moving, I can't even tell if he's breathing but I don't know how long I can sit in this silence after saying that.
"I'll kill him, I'll kill them all." Roman almost shouts his words, so much venom seeps through his words.
"You enjoy that." I mumble, looking down at the white towel I'm still wearing.
I feel a slight gush of wind from how fast he moved, forcing me to look at him. He sits in front of me, eyes bouncing around my covered body as he searches for something.
"Can I- You have- Can I see?" He stumbles over his words as he moves his eyes to match with mine. I feel my anger slip away at his soft eyes and slowly be replaced by the helplessness that I've felt for so long.
Slowly, I nod.
His shaky hands slowly removes my towel before his eyes slowly trail down my body and I wait for the look of disgust to cross is face but it never does.
His eyes bounce from scar to scar to scar. There's isn't an inch of my body that doesn't have a scar. I'm completely covered in them, a constant reminder of what I've been through.
He takes a shaky breath as he raises a trembling hand, glancing towards my eyes for permission before I nod stiffly.
He traces a line on my neck then another line on my shoulder, a curve on my chest then the scarred over bite marks around my areola before doing the next. He traces the rigid line on my stomach then a large line that travels from my rib cage down to my thigh.
He doesn't do it in lust or discomfort but he does it like he's memorizing every inch, every indent, every scar on my body.
He continues to trace every scar I have as if he could erase them, as if he could make me forget why they are there.
By the time he's done and removes his hand from me, my whole body aches from how stiff I kept my body, my chest shudders with every breath I take, and I don't bother wiping the tears that fall down my face.
"You are an amazing mother and you are the most perfect person in this goddamn universe. If you think anything else, you tell me and I'll show you just how perfect you are. These scars do not define you as a person or a mother and if they do, you remember exactly what you tell Ansley when she gets hurt." He pauses, cupping my face so that I would look at him as his thumb rubs my cheek.
"Battle scars." ——————————————————————— Roman helped me get dressed then laid with me until I fell asleep, only waking me when it was time to get Ansley.
"Mami!"
"Mi bebé! Cómo fue? Te divertiste? Fueron amables contigo? Qué aprendiste?" I list off question after question. One thing I love is making sure she is happy, not only that but it'll help remove the last couple of hours from my mind for a little bit. (My baby! How was it? Did you have fun? Were they nice to you? What did you learn?)
"You already taught me everything, silly Mami! I was so smart! Mr. Campbell told me I was very smart!" Ansley giggles, wrapping her small arms around my neck.
"Ay, mi bebé! I did good, huh?" I ask, wiggling my eyebrows.
"Sí, Mami! Everyone was so nice to me and we even went on a playground. A boy gave me a flower." She says the last part with a blush.
"What boy?" Roman asks, looking around as if he'd find whatever boy she was talking about.
"It's okay, Roman. I threw the other flowers away." Ansley giggles, moving towards him.
"Other flowers?" He questions as he picks her up.
"Careful with your words, you might give him a heart attack." I tell her with a smile, loving how happy she is.
Ansley nods carefully before looking back at Roman innocently.
