Subduing my Queen: An Arranged Marriage Dark Mafia Romance (The Underworld Book 3)

by Jolie Damman

  And Ileana didn’t deserve a man like me. She said time and time again she wanted a child of ours. I always avoided the subject. It was too painful for me, but now that we had sex without condom, I was looking at her and thinking she needed to learn the truth.

  Her eyes began to open, and I made a decision. I would tell her everything today. Just not right now, but today, she would learn the truth, and I would… break up with her.

  She sat up on the bed slowly, and said, “Honey, why do you look so worried?”

  I smiled and caressed her thigh. “Nothing. I will make some breakfast for us.”

  I stood up and went to the kitchen, opening the fridge and seeing what we got for breakfast. I needed to think this through. If I was going to tell her we needed to separate, then she needed to be certain it wasn’t because of her. My explanation had to be a solid one.

  I finished making breakfast and got to her room. She dug right in, looking very hungry. Meanwhile, I took small bites from the food on my plate. I didn’t have the stomach to eat a lot right now, and Ileana noticed that.

  “Honey, is something the matter?”

  I put the plate on top of the nightstand, and said, “I have something important to tell you.”

  Chapter 2

  No More

  Elsa

  Iopened the door and found her. My baby girl. She looked so beautiful, and she was sleeping soundly right now. Quite the uncommon thing that one was, though. She tended to make so much noise and complain more often than not during dark, silent nights like this one.

  The room was dark, as was the hall behind me. I woke up in the middle of the night to drink a glass of milk. My throat was just so dry. I hated whenever I woke up and had to get off my bed. I would rather sleep for hours with no breaks until each morning, but I guessed I just wasn’t lucky enough.

  I approached the crib and settled my hands on the top of the railing. My baby girl wore a pink onesie, and her pacifier had slipped out of her mouth. I hadn’t seen her so peaceful like this in a very long time.

  I wished her father was still around, and his memory haunted me. He died a couple of years ago, before she had even been born. The life of a Mafia family wasn’t an easy one - it was horrible. If there was one thing I wished the most for right now, it was to get away from it all.

  To live a normal life, one without all the killing, extortions and stuff of the sort. I needed new, fresh air in my life, and also some light at the end of this existential tunnel I found myself in. I couldn’t continue to live like this. For my little one, I would, one day, find a way to get away from this Mafia life I was forced to endure.

  I caressed her forehead softly. I didn’t want to wake her up right now. My baby girl looked so peaceful. She was so innocent, and I wanted her to never change. I wanted her to always be innocent, so that she never had anything to worry about.

  But that would be easier said than done. With a father like mine, I could never keep her safe from his life, his enemies, and all the people that wanted to harm us.

  My ears picked up a strange noise that sounded from the outside. I was in my house, and since we didn’t have walls around it, the sound could have been anything. I thought it was just a squirrel looking for food. It wouldn’t be the first time there was one running around the premises of the house, searching for that one piece of food.

  I caressed my baby girl’s forehead once again, and my ears picked up the same noise, but it was louder this time. I straightened up my spine, wondering if something was up. Could it be that someone was outside?

  But nobody knew I lived here. My neighbors and parents did, but no one that could harm us. My father kept us safe. I knew his life was dangerous, but he never came here, and when he wanted to see us, he always made us go to him.

  The window was suddenly broken, making me gasp. A man jumped through it, and he wore a black ski mask. Oh Jesus, he came here to kill me and my baby daughter, didn’t he? I couldn’t stay here doing nothing. I needed to kill him.

  I got a broom that was standing next to me, and pointing it at the man, I said, “Get away from me! Get away from this house right now, or I’m-”

  “Going to do what, princess? I know you are not tough enough to do anything with that.”

  What happened to the guards that protected my house? Were they killed? Jesus, I should have known this was going to happen one day. I should have demanded my dad to let me go, to let me find a new place to live in.

  But of course he would never have agreed to that. He had other plans for me, for my baby daughter, and although I loved him, I also hated him just as much. His plans for what I should become… I should never have let my feelings for him get the better of me.

  And now, it was all over, unless I found a way to knock this man unconscious or killed him.

  “I’m going to protect my family!” I shouted, panting.

  Still pointing the broom at the man whose ski mask covered his face, I approached him. I was just happy my baby daughter, my Regina, didn’t wake up yet. I didn’t want to hear her crying. Not right now. That would be terrible.

  “Woman, I don’t care about you one bit. I came here for her, and you are going to step aside right now.”

  “I’m no-”

  And then, something heavy just hit my head, causing the darkness to envelop my vision. I fought to keep my balance, to continue gripping the broom, but my whole body now felt so heavy, and my head hurt so much as well…

  I eventually fell, my body incapable of responding to my orders right now, but not before noticing something terrible. The man who got into my house wasn’t alone.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  I woke up, my head still hurting so much. I stood up and my eyes laid on the empty, devoid of life crib. They got her. They stole my Regina from me, and they were going to pay for it. I needed to do something. I needed to call my father.

  I hurried outside of her room and got the phone. I dialed his number and waited for him to answer the call, my foot tapping on the floor. He had to know about this, and he had to admit he needed to let me get away from his Mafia life. What happened was the last straw.

  He answered the call, fucking finally, and said, “Elsa, did something happen?”

  “Dad, they’ve kidnapped her! They stole Regina from me!”

  “What?!”

  “They got her. They broke into my house and kidnapped her.”

  “Wait, who did it?”

  “I don’t know. Some men in black ski masks. You need to do something. You need to save her!”

  “I will. Fuck. I should have known this would happen one day. Should have put more men to protect you…”

  “They are all dead, father. You should have broken all ties with me and forgotten I even existed. Wasn’t it enough that my Alberto died because of this fucked up life?”

  He breathed in and out. “Elsa, we talked about that before, and I’m not going to start this discussion with you right now. I’m going to find her. Don’t worry.”

  I shook my head. “You have no idea what is happening, and you can’t even find out who did it. I’m done. I’m not a Zettici anymore,” I said before ending the call and slamming the handset back into the cradle.

  It was all lost, wasn’t it? How was I going to find out who did it? Who kidnapped my baby daughter? Who could have done such a terrible thing? Anyone could have done it. My family had so many enemies.

  And my father still insisted on keeping me part of it all. He had a plan for me, and I was sure he was in love with it. Fucking lunatic. I loved him, but he should have known this was going to happen one day. He thought I was going to be safe here, and he was wrong. I never was safe in this place.

  I leaned on the wall and slid down on it, sitting on the floor. I cried, I sobbed. I didn’t know what to do now. The only thing that prevented me from killing myself at this very moment was thinking that, maybe, they would call.

  Maybe who did it was going to call me. Perhaps, they were going to ask for money o
r something of the sort, and then, they would give up my baby girl for me. I remembered all the good moments I had with her, thinking I needed more than having her right back with me.

  I stood back up and walked outside, my eyes catching sight of the dead bodies of my guards. I wasn’t going to let them get away with it. I was going to find them, whoever they were, and I was going to kill them.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  I pulled the car over in front of his rundown building. Some time had passed since the kidnapping, and I felt better. Not better to the point of ignoring what happened, but I felt I could control myself somewhat now.

  The memory of what happened still haunted me, and I was never going to get over it. Nevertheless, if there was a way to get my baby girl back, it was by being calm and thinking things through.

  I got inside the building and ignored his men. They were all calling me, trying to stop me. But nobody was going to stop me. I had a mission now, and I was an important part of it. Dad and I were going to save her.

  I ignored some more of his men and pushed some of them aside. Nobody was going to stop me. They could call me all they wanted, but dad wasn’t going to ignore me. I had to make him see reason. If there was a moment to do that, it was now.

  I slammed open the door to his rundown office, and he spun his chair around to meet me. “Elsa, what are you doing here?”

  “Dad, what are you doing right now? Shouldn’t you be trying to rescue my baby girl?”

  “My men are already looking for her. They will find Regina. I’m just as worried as you are.”

  “That is not enough!” I punched his desk.

  His guards rushed into the room, and a quick glance from their boss made them calm down. Good. I didn’t need anyone interfering with this, getting in my way right now. Dad was going to agree with me, and he wasn’t only going to find Regina. He was also going to let us live a safer life.

  “It is enough for now. What do you want me to do? To break into every single house in Milan and kill everyone?”

  “You need to do more! Those peo-”

  And his landline phone rang. His hand jumped to it, and he held the handset to his ear. “Yes, who is it?”

  A moment of pause, and I could hear someone speaking from the other end of the call. I couldn’t make out the words, but considering his life, my dad’s reputation, it could be anyone, and the man who kidnapped Regina could have done so with one intention only. To hurt me, to make my dad feel pain, and also to make him understand he was as vulnerable as everyone else.

  His eyes grew fierce. “How much?”

  Another pause as he listened to the person on the other side. Fuck, who was it? I needed to know, and he kept his face serious, as if that was nothing more than another simple telephone call with a member of the Mafia, and as if it had nothing to do with my baby girl…

  “Okay, it will be done,” he said before placing the handset back in the cradle.

  “Dad, who was it?! I need to know. I need to save my Regina!”

  “It was them. They want money. Nothing more, nothing less. But they want… a lot of it.”

  “You can’t be thinking you are not going to give them what they want!”

  He stood up and placed his arm around my shoulders. “Elsa, it’s a bit more complicated than that.”

  I shoved him away from me. “I-I I can’t believe this. You are saying money is more important than the life of my daughter?!”

  “Elsa-” He said, but I was already spinning on my heels and rushing out of his office. “Elsa!” He shouted, but I ignored him.

  I was pissed off when I got here, but now, I was crumbling on the inside. I thought I could rely on him for that one thing, but I was wrong. Dad was more worried about his life, his career and his Mafia goons instead of trying to save my baby girl.

  I was done with this and with him. I was going to find her somehow. I wa-

  Someone gripped my arm with force, making me turn my head to find out who it was. My eyes laid on none other than my dad, whose worry permeated his face. I shook my arm. I wasn’t going to let him change my mind. He betrayed me.

  “Elsa, you didn’t let me finish.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  I found myself inside his office again. Alright, he was going to give them the money, but there was something else he was going to tell me. I kept my arms crossed over my chest, showing him I wasn’t going to change my mind. I was going to be a part of everything that was going to happen from now on, and he was going to do everything possible to save her.

  “Elsa, you can’t go with us.”

  “Why not? I want to be there.”

  “Are you kidding me? You have no idea the kind of thing that will go on there.”

  “I know enough. I want to save her.”

  “Regina will be fine. Don’t worry. I’m going to make sure she comes back safe and sound.”

  “I am not going to stay here doing nothing.”

  “Els-”

  “I’ve made up my mind, and you are not going to change it.”

  “Jesus, you are only making this harder for me.”

  He breathed in and out, hard, and continued, “Alright, I will let you come, but I won’t let you close. They can’t know you will be with us.”

  I uncrossed my arms, breathing more slowly now. “Okay, that’s better. I just want her back.”

  He hugged me and as he caressed the back of my head, he said, “I’m going to do everything possible to get Regina back.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  I stood inside a car, thinking about what was going to happen. I was biting my nails. This was happening the day after, and it was pouring outside. Yesterday night was a calm one, but this one was completely different.

  I should have known they were going to come for her one day. I didn’t know who they were still, but they had to be from another Mafia family. That’s the only explanation that made sense.

  I couldn’t just stay here doing nothing, and dad didn’t bring enough men here. He should have brought everyone. He should have given them the order to kill them. But I knew why he was cautious and playing their game. He didn’t want to put Regina’s life at risk.

  The man sitting beside me said, “Elsa, don’t worry. I know I don’t know you, but she will be fine. He will get her back.”

  “Shut up! You have no right to say what I should be feeling right now.”

  Maybe that guy had good intentions, but I was past letting someone tell me what I should be feeling right now. I was done with all this. Even if dad didn’t allow me to leave Italy, I was going to do so anyway. I was going to find a new home elsewhere, and then the Mafia would be nothing but a memory of the past.

  Dad and his men got out of their cars and went ahead. The meeting was taking place in a desolate, forgotten park in a poor neighborhood. Most of the houses and apartment buildings were past their primes, and its residents were sleeping soundly right now, dreaming and not having a clue about the sort of thing that was going on right now.

  My dad and his men opened their umbrellas and walked toward the meeting spot. Meanwhile, I was so concerned about everything. What was going to happen here? My dad had his men, and they carried the suitcases with the money, but I was worried still.

  The last thing I needed here was a shootout. I wanted to kill those men, and especially kill the one that stole my baby, but I also knew a shootout would be bad. The men that had taken her from me didn’t come yet, but I was sure they were going to use her as a shield. They knew my old man would try to off them right here and now.

  Time passed, and my heart was beating so fast. I continued to bite off my nails. Fuck, I needed to do something that wasn’t waiting here as if nothing of importance was going to happen.

  And when I thought I was going to have to remain here, doing nothing, for minutes until they finally showed up, my eyes caught sight of a car rounding a corner of the park. It pulled over, and out of it came men dressed in dark suits.

  It had to be them. W
ho else would be coming here dressed like that, with serious faces, and carrying their guns with them? It was them, and when I noticed one of them taking my baby girl with them, all my doubts were washed away.

  The man beside me gripped my arm and said, “The meeting has already begun, and I can’t let you out of the car. Your daughter is coming back.”

  I yanked my arm free. “Don’t talk to me again. I hate you. I hate all of you.”

  They walked with my girl in a basket, and even from out here, the rain still pouring and being as loud as it could be, I could see her. My baby daughter was with them, and I only worried if she was feeling okay.