Sienna Amoretto (SAMPLE)

Chapter 1

Josh is one of the highest-ranking fighters in our gym. He's pretty new, but he's good. He's good looking, fit and tall, but he knows it. He's a player. A cocky player.

I worked here from time to time while I went to college too and had met him before. I admit that I was a little happy about the attention he gave me when dad and Zayden weren't around, but it was just innocent flirting, and I never gave him the idea that I was interested in anything more. I usually told him off in a sarcastic way when he flirted. It was just for fun, nothing else. I was raised to respect others and how important it is to be respected in return. Josh would never be boyfriend material. Not that I've ever had one with my overprotective family.

I never thought that the innocent flirting would bring him to do what he did that day. While I was in the shower and Dante downstairs, he snuck into the office. I stepped out of the bathroom with just a towel around me and he scared the shit out of me. I told him to get out until I was dressed. He just smirked, walked toward me to make me back into the bathroom, then closed and locked the door behind him. He told me that I had teased him enough and backed me up against the wall. He crashed his lips to mine and ripped off my towel. I tried to fight him and push him away. I did all the things I was taught. I screamed for Dante even though I knew that he couldn't hear me.

Josh turned me around and pushed me against the wall, held my hands in a tight grip above my head and spread my legs with his knee. I heard him pull down his shorts, and then he...

I don't know if he knew that I was a virgin, but he sure as hell noticed.

When he was done and left me there, hurt, humiliated and violated in the worst way possible, my first instinct was to call dad. He would kill him...if Zayden, Grandpa or our men wouldn't get to him first.

He would be dead.

I washed myself off with shaky hands and legs just to get the feeling of his touch and scent off me...and the mess between my legs. I got dressed and stood there looking at myself in the mirror, eyes red from all the tears.

As always, I went through all the scenarios in my head before I decided what to do. I never make a decision without thinking it through first.

If you're so intelligent, you know that you should let your dad kill him, you might think.

Trust me, I do.

But...

Dad always jokes with mom that he kidnapped her and kept her in his dungeon. This time, he wouldn't joke about it. He would actually lock me up in a dungeon⸺the house⸺and never let me out or see anyone of the male species ever again. If⸺only if⸺he would let me out of the house, I would have to have a whole army of guards with me.

I don't want to live like that. And as stupid as is sounds, the business side of my brain doesn't want to kill off the best fighter in our gym that brings in a lot of money. We would lose a lot of money if he got to 'sleep with the fishes'. Not that we would go bankrupt, we have more money than needed, but still.

But really, I think the worst part was the shame. I'm ashamed even if the logical part of my brain tells me that it wasn't my fault and that no one would blame me.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. I was supposed to lose my virginity to someone who loved and respected me...when I was 30 and dad allowed me to date.

So, stupidly enough, I decided to gather myself up and pretend like it never happened. I texted Dante to let him know that I needed to work for a few more minutes before we left so he wouldn't see that I had been crying.

I told mom and dad that I didn't feel well when I got home, then spent the two following days in my room, pretending to have a fever. I was sore as hell since he wasn't gentle at all, and I had a few bruises on my arms, but I could cover them up.

Dad and I had talked about me taking over the paperwork for Rosalie's. When Rosalie and Frank, my bonus grandparents, were too old to keep running Rosalie's diner, dad bought it. They were so grateful about that. Unfortunately, they are no longer with us, but we keep the diner alive and kept the name. We just added 'Frank', so it's now called Rosalie and Frank's diner, just to honor them.

So, I'm now mostly handling the paperwork there and at the gym in town now, but I still have to go to the MMA gym from time to time to help if dad and Zayden are busy with the not so legal parts of our businesses.

That's where I am now. Josh has never tried anything again. He smirks at me every time I'm at the gym, and I feel nauseous and want to run the hell out of here, but I try to pretend that he's not here. I just spend time in the office with Dante right outside the door when I'm here, and I only work out at home.

I know that I let him win by not telling anyone and not doing anything about it, but I just want to forget and move on. Pretend like nothing happened.

Mom noticed my change of mood⸺all of them did⸺but when mom took me aside and asked me about it, I just told her that I was a little heartbroken about a guy and wanted to focus more on work. I've always been focused on work, so that wasn't anything unusual.

Mom wouldn't care if I dated. She scolds dad about being too strict since I'm 22 and an adult. Even if she told dad about why my mood changed, he didn't talk to me about it. He would only think that I was better off without the guy anyway and glad that it was over.

"If he doesn't respect and love you enough, he's not worthy," he would say.

So, I'm fine. I can handle it as long as Josh keeps staying away from me. The only one who knows the truth is Nat, and she understands why I'm not telling anyone else about it. Nico would lock her up too if it happened to her. We're in the same boat.