I woke up in a bedroom far nicer than any hotel I've ever stayed in. The room was decorated in expensive Italian decor from the trimmings on the wall down to the vase on the dresser.
The room was bright and lively, which is the complete opposite of what I pictured the home of a Mafia boss to be.
I always imagined something much darker and cryptic.
But this is actually really beautiful and homey. I still have yet to determine whether or not that's a good thing.
Remembering what took place just before I blacked out, feelings of anger and worry returned.
I looked around the spacious room, but my son was nowhere in sight.
Did someone put clothes on me? I thought to myself, realizing I was wearing the clothes I had set out for work.
Pushing the thought aside, I jolted to my feet, and raced over to the door. I turned the door knob, trying to push it open, but the door wouldn't budge.
I was locked in.
I started to fear the worse, which only intensified my feelings. Wildly banging on the door with closed fists, I screamed and hollered in the hopes that someone would hear me and let me out.
"Help!" I began to sob, my throat dry as I thought about Mateo and how scared and confused he must be feeling right now. "Please! I just want my son!"
The door swung open and I leaped back. A young woman who looked to be about eighteen or nineteen stood on the other side of the door, a confused expression on her face.
"What's going on? Are you okay?" She asked, her voice filled with a heavy Italian accent.
"I-I've been kidnapped and my s-son is missing." I could hardly speak, my entire body trembling and my heart beat erratic as tears streamed down my face.
"Your son?" She questioned, recognition flickering across her face. "Is his name Mateo?"
"Yes! Yes!" I replied, nodding my head incessantly. "Do you know where he is?"
She nodded. "Sì(yes). I can take you to him." Thanking her repeatedly, I followed her out of the room and down a hallway.
She brought me into a nursery where a beautiful older woman with long graying hair and kind eyes sat in a wooden rocking chair with Mateo cooing happily in her arms.
She looked up, a polite smile on her wrinkled face as she stood up and handed Mateo to me.
He smiled up at me, a single bottom tooth exposed. I clutched him close to my bosom, afraid that if I didn't hold him tight enough that he would slip through my grasp a second time.
"Thank you so much for taking care of him."
"Certamente, cara(of course, dear)." She gave me a concerned look as she analyzed my body language and facial expressions. "Is everything alright?"
I shook my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I need to get out of here, before he comes back."
"Before who comes back?" The young woman who brought me to my son asked in curiosity.
I couldn't get a word out as a voice that didn't belong to any one of us spoke. "I guess I was too lenient on the dosage."
Hearing the familiar sound of his low voice sent a chill coursing down my spine. I slowly turned around, Tristan leaned against the doorway with an annoyed frown on his face.
I embraced Mateo as close to me as I could, my heart racing in fear.
"What are you doing to this nice young woman and her son, Tristano?" The older woman asked, her tone stern and her hands resting on her round hips. Tristan groaned, in which the woman responded with, "parlare(speak)!"
"I'm simply trying to keep my family under one roof, ma. And I can assure you that I will bring no harm to my son or his mother."
Looking at his mother, I began to see the resemblance. Even though her hair was brown and her eyes dark brown in color, I could still see some of Tristan's features in her.
Glancing at the younger woman, I began to make the assumption that she was related to Tristan in some way. Maybe a sister perhaps? They shared such striking features, so it was a strong possibility.
"Your son!?" His mother and his sister repeated simultaneously, shocked expressions etched on their faces.
His mother looked at me and Mateo, seeming to connect the dots before drawing her attention back to her son.
Tristan groaned, brushing the palm of his hand down his face in frustration. "Ma, I told you this already. Why else would I spend hours and hours working to build a nursery in my home? I mean I even showed you all the baby stuff I bought."
"I think I would have remem-"
"If you and pa actually listened to me for once, then maybe you wouldn't be so damn surprised by everything I do all the time!" Tristan snarled, losing his temper.
When his eyes landed on Mateo, who had been watching him, he immediately calmed down. "You know what? Just forget it." He pointed to me. "Let's go."
I inched back, burying myself in the protection of his mother and sister. "I'm going home," I said firmly, trying to disguise the fear in my shaky voice.
"You aren't going anywhere. You and Mateo are mine," he growled. "So either you give my mother the baby, or I will."
"Tristan, you can't just hold them hostage and force them to play house with you," his sister said.
"I will do whatever the hell I want," he snapped. Stepping in front of him, his sister stood her ground. She folded her arms across her chest and stared up at her tall, older brother. Tristan's frown widened. "Move Katya. And don't make me say it again."
"No," she shot back. "This is wrong and you know it."
"Either you move, or I go pay your dear friend Andrea a visit," he threatened.
Hearing him threaten her friend, Katya struck her brother across his face with the palm of her hand. Tristan's head jerked to the side, his jaw clenched in anger and his cheek pink in color.
He balled his hands into a fist. I couldn't tell if he was going to retaliate or not, so I handed Mateo to Mrs. Lucci.
I didn't want them to get hurt because of me. Besides, as long as Mateo is with Mrs. Lucci, then I know he will be well taken care of and most importantly, safe from Tristan.
Tristan grabbed my forearm and aggressively dragged me out of the nursery. We passed by several of his armed men as he pulled me down the hall and back into the room I was in before.
Shutting the door behind him, he brought me over to the bed and shoved me on it. I fell back onto the mattress with a plop, the bed lightly creaking under my weight.
He reached in the pocket of his black suit and withdrew a syringe needle. I backed away until I felt the cool touch of the headboard on my backside.
He pulled the cap off with his teeth and readied himself to inject the sedative into my arm.
"Don't!" I shouted just before the needle made contact with my skin. "I promise I'll be good."
He paused, staring at me with suspicion, the cap of the needle in between his teeth. He spit the cap out onto the bed beside me, skeptical of my promise.
"Please Tristan," I begged softly, determined to remain awake just in case the opportunity to escape arose.
I didn't think he would budge, but then he set the needle down on the nightstand. I released the breath I was holding, relieved.
Tristan then leaned down to roughly grab my chin. I tried pulling away from him, but his grip only tightened, forcing me to maintain eye contact.
"You better behave yourself. Because if you don't, I won't hesitate to chain you to this bed."
Releasing his hold, he stepped back and I watched him carefully as he began removing his clothes until he was wearing only his boxer briefs.
"What are you doing?" I asked when he started climbing into the bed with me.
"Did you really think I would leave you alone again?" He chuckled in amusement as he slipped underneath the sheets and comforter.
I scooted over, trying to get away from him, but he wrapped his tatted arms around my body and pulled me into his chest. "I'm never letting you or my son out of my sight ever again," he mumbled into the crook of my neck.
Keeping my body still, I listened to his soft breathing, waiting patiently for him to fall asleep.
After about ten minutes, I wiggled against him to see if he was still awake. A gruff sound erupted from the base of his throat. "Stop moving, or else in the next few minutes Mateo's going to be a big brother."
I stopped moving and blushed profusely when I felt the erection in his boxers pressing against my ass.
Waiting a half an hour later, I glanced back to check to see that his eyes were closed and he was deep in sleep.
As soon as I moved even an inch, he tightened his hold and grumbled. "Don't even think about it, sweetheart."
What the hell?
I could've sworn he was asleep.
Looks like I'm not going anywhere tonight.