Page 9 of UnWholly Angels (Crestview Cardinals #1)
Chapter Five
Maya
T he elastic of my bra snapped against my shoulder as I quickly adjusted myself under a silk nightgown, expecting a knock on the door from Rocco at any minute.
He would no doubt come for his ‘fair share’ after tonight's clients, or that was what he thought, at least. I was merely a prisoner in this hellhole, blackmailed into being nothing more than a glorified prostitute in exchange for keeping Riley safe.
I sighed sadly. He would never know .
They told me he ran away the night I was beaten within inches of my life; that it was his fault my face had to be completely reconstructed.
But I knew the truth; he had a game that night.
There was absolutely no way it was him. I just…
couldn’t remember much. At some point, he had been there, though.
He spoke to me, held me tight. His warmth enveloped me and left just as quickly.
Trying to recall those memories just gave me a migraine, and I rubbed my fingers over my temples.
On cue, three sharp raps sounded, and the door opened, revealing Rocco’s tall stature.
He barely gave me five seconds to reach the door before busting in.
He hadn’t changed much over the years, still sporting greased over jet-black hair and ocean eyes.
He was built now, heavy handed, and attractive to women who had no idea of the monster they wanted to bed.
Rocco was a vanilla man, someone who gave mediocre missionary until he emptied his balls into a woman who would never bear him children.
I made sure of that with Chloe’s help. She went to each appointment with me until we found a method of birth control that would work best and go undetected.
Never in this life would I find any love for him.
Vomit threatened to spill over every time he placed himself between my legs, but at least he’d never forced a relationship, or worse, a marriage.
My breath hitched, watching as he stood in the doorway and stared me down with dark eyes. He wasn’t happy. Who would be after losing such a large asset, even for a short amount of time?
Hope you’re proud, Mom. I became exactly what you wanted me to be.
He pointed a long finger at the floor with a shaky breath, like I was some kind of dog. “Come, Maya,” he ordered, calmly closing the door behind him. The mirror hanging from the back rattled slightly as he leaned against it.
My heart pounded against my ribcage at the command, but I was too scared to move.
Those who knew him outside of his inner circle called Rocco a saint.
St. Rocco…give me a fucking break. The truth was that man would make the devil himself cringe.
He could tell if the weight of a product was off by even an ounce, running one of the largest drug rings in Crestview while being able to hide behind his onslaught of loyal followers.
He had reduced me to nothing over the last nine years of my miserable life.
Instead of having a family and a husband who loved me like I’d always dreamed of, I was forced into this meaningless existence.
If I wasn’t bringing in money or fucking clients on and off camera, then I was moving contraband, and I loathed it.
Diaper bags and car seats were purchased and used to hide the drugs I was forced to deliver.
If I didn’t…Well, my scars told a pretty well-written story.
I’d been beaten, raped, and abused into submission over the years.
Rocco would go as far as locking me up if I refused to kill someone who went against him.
Using me allowed Rocco to stay under the radar, but it came with its own risks.
The cops would never expect someone like me to torture and kill.
After a while, I started to like it, using my rage in the darkest way possible, all while avoiding punishment.
Clenching my jaw, my legs tried to carry my shaking body until I stood in front of him, stiff as a board.
He reached out to run a calloused finger under my chin, giving me a false sense of security before grabbing me harshly.
I swallowed hard as my body jerked forward into his rigid chest. I could feel the anger radiating through his heated skin as he placed more pressure on my jaw.
“Maya…we have a problem, you and I.” Rocco’s tone was calm and dark; so quiet, I had to make sure I’d heard him right.
“I don’t understand. You made a lot of money off my back tonight,” I replied shakily. He dropped his hand and stayed suspiciously silent, leaving me to wonder what was happening inside his mind.
“I've given you everything, you ungrateful bitch. And this is how you repay me?”
Tread lightly.
In a flash, his hands were around my throat, stealing my breath as he slowly crushed my windpipe.
Tears flooded my eyes at the loss of oxygen, spilling over my cheeks in plain fear for my life.
Over time, the abuse and punishments had gotten worse, and to this day, I’d never known why I was chosen to live like this.
Why I was so important to him. I cried out as he pulled me so close that the aroma of his last cigar flooded my nostrils.
“The last drop, Maya, you brought back money after giving them empty fucking bags.” His hands squeezed harder, rapidly cutting off my air like a snake coiling around its prey. Rocco’s words were slow and threatening, each one rolling off his lips like a gunshot. “Where. Are. The. Drugs?”
My hands flew to his, trying to claw him off so I could breathe. “I didn’t touch them…I swear,” I choked out in a panic.
Yes, I did, but he’d never find them.
My feet dangled loosely in the air, and black spots dotted my vision as I prayed to whatever was out there to make my death as quick and painless as possible.
With a sick chuckle, Rocco slammed me into the back of the door, and I cried out.
The glass of the mirror shattered, falling into a million pieces beneath me, while a few others became embedded in my skin.
His eyes darted to the suitcase that sat neatly packed on my bed, and he smirked.
In his slight moment of distraction, my hand shot out and I took a chance, slicing my freshly manicured nails down the side of his face.
At least if he killed me tonight, there would be enough DNA under my fingernails to prove it.
Not that anything would be done anyway; Rocco was untouchable.
A pained groan left his lips as I was dropped to the floor.
I cried out as more jagged pieces of broken glass sank into my tender flesh, causing a repeated, searing pain.
Wiping the blood from his face, Rocco ran his tongue across his top teeth while simultaneously wiping his hand over the top of his pants.
My gaze moved to the floor, tears welling in my eyes while I tried to catch my breath.
I hoped he would be done with his little tirade, but that was a gift I would never be given.
Instead, he kept going with a mocking tone, as if he were scolding a child. “Then you come home wearing his jersey, hiding it in the closet like an idiot. Like I wouldn’t know where you were tonight, or how you acted like a whore, throwing yourself at him,” Rocco spat.
“I’m only acting like the person you groomed me to be, so what’s the problem?” I snapped back. His face flushed a deep shade of red, and I knew I had fucked up. I knew better than to talk back, especially when he was already in a mood.
Rocco’s bottom lip jutted out as he shook his head with disdain.
My hand flew to my face as I crawled backward to the closet, already knowing what would come next.
He was too fast, faking me out as he lunged, just before straightening up and stepping past me to rip the hidden jersey from the top shelf.
“What are you doing?” I panicked, trying to snatch the jersey back.
Reaching into his back pocket, Rocco pulled out a shiny mental lighter, one that adorned the seal of the Vitale family.
I’d never forget that damn seal. A Bloody hand holding a goat head in the palm.
My eyes darted between the piece of fabric and the monster in front of me.
I’d take the physical abuse over and over again if it meant the mental anguish would stop.
The flame danced angrily, almost mocking me.
“Please don’t. Why can’t you just let me go? ” I cried.
His laugh sent shivers down my spine. “Why? So you can go and find him? He didn't want you, Maya. He left you bloody and battered back then, don’t you remember? I found you and picked up the pieces. Clearly, I’ve spoiled you too much over the years. Gave you too much freedom.”
“You’re lying!” I shouted. His cologne permeated the room, burning my nostrils as I swallowed the bile down before reaching for the jersey.
“I hope he makes you suffer before he kills you! He’s going to flat out castrate you, and I'm going to let him!” The change in octave startled me as my voice rose higher, sounding hoarse from the rawness I felt. But I meant every word.
I only had a moment to register his hand before it whipped across my face, sending bright red liquid to the floor.
My ears rang, the high-pitched noise ricocheting through my ears before silence encapsulated the room, aside from my quiet sobs.
Blood dripped from my nose and pooled onto the carpet in droplets.
Wiping it away with the back of my hand, vomit rose and spilled from my mouth down onto the floor.
The lighter flipped open again, and I sucked in a breath, watching as the flames licked at the jersey until it dropped to the floor in a fiery heap. Riley’s last name was barely visible through the red and orange hues. It almost reminded me of the sunrise we watched years ago.