DID YOU EVER(arranged marriage)

CHAPTER 31

Anthony POV

''Stand up maldito*, you filthy ungrateful boy! I give you everything and you still fail me over and over!" He yelled whilst kicking me in the gut, my hands pressed to my stomach in a futile attempt to block his kicks.

I could hear mama bang on the door, begging for papa to open the door so she could scoop me in her arms and take me far away from this mad man who used to be her everything. It must have hurt her more than it hurt me. He had promised her the world only to throw her aside as soon as she bore him a son.

''Get up, grab that gun and shoot!" I heard him yell as he towered over me, a leather belt in his hand as he stared threateningly at me. I was short of breath and my head was spinning as I tried not to show more weakness for that was what he preyed on.

My eyes fell on the gun, wishing I could turn back the hands of time to days when it was a mere prop I would see in those cliché TV shows I would watch with mama and chase her across the room with the remote pretending to be a sheriff.

Mama had always been protective of me, especially when those sketchy looking men in dark suits would come into the house, glare at me with malice and would spend hours in Papa's study.

We would occasionally hear a lot of arguing, swearing in Spanish and of course a lot of concerning threats. The deafening sound of the television wasn't even enough to drown out the voices of the men declaring war on each other and I knew for sure that the innocent were bound to get caught in the crossfire.

And just when I thought things wouldn't get worse, a loud bang would fill the house. I would turn to see blood drain from mama's face as she would call me to come close and cradle me on her lap. I could feel she was trying so hard to hide her fear but she was shaking and I could feel it as her gentle hands wrapped around my body.

''Be strong mijo, stand tall'' She would whisper to me then avert my eyes as the men walked out with one missing every single time.

Then the day finally came. The day I would lose every ounce of innocence in my being.

''I don't want to!" I screamed at him and threw the gun across the room. I was shaking but I wasn't going to let him turn me into a copy of him. Ruthless, merciless, I wasn't going to be a murderer just like him.

''Go pick it up, boy'' He voiced stridently and I felt my chest tighten in fear but I would not be wavered. I made a decision and I was going to stand by it no matter what.

''N-no, I'm not going to_" Just before I could finish my sentence, he had hit me across the face with the back of his hand and my feeble 10 year old body collided with the wall. I yelped in pain and felt something trickle down my face. Touching my face gently, I realized his signet ring had scratched my cheek.

Just then I heard Mama bang on the door violently. ''Stop this, por favor! He's your son, por favor! Don't be heartless! Please!" She cried and I could feel my eyes swell up with tears just because I knew with all certainty that she had tears on her face.

I wanted to run out and tell her to stop crying and that I'd be okay. But before I could make it, I was grabbed by the hair and yanked to my feet.'' Grab the gun!" He yelled at me and pointed at the gun on the floor.

''I-I don't_" With that I was punched in the gut and thrown on the floor. He then proceeded to kick me in the gut whilst blaring Spanish insults at me.

''You wouldn't want anything to happen to your madre, would you?" He suddenly asked and my eyes widened. Surely he couldn't mean that, I tried to think but I knew for sure that the man before me was quite capable of all that and more.