Miss Taken

by Cleo Scornavacca

  I turn to Dominick. “Thank you for this. I mean, allowing me to join them.” I am truly sincere in that moment.

  “You’re very welcome.” There’s a smile in his eyes.

  Anna comes to me and takes my hands. “Do you like seafood?”

  “Yes, very much so.” I smile warmly at her. “Can I help you with dinner, please?”

  “Well, we do have fish to clean, so yes, you can help.” Still holding my hand she leads me over to the counter and we get right to work on the fish. Joseph is carefully placing the corncobs on the grill while maintaining a perfect flame. Dominick appears awkward and out of place in his own home. Who would have thought?

  “Would you like a glass of wine, Raven?” Anna asked.

  “That would be great. Thank you.”

  “I’ll get it, Anna.” Dominick interrupts her.

  I hear the cork pop on the bottle. After a few moments, Dominick hands me the glass of Prosecco. Prosecco is my favorite drink. Before we toast, Anna drops a sugar cube in our sparkling wine. Knowing that it symbolizes that your life should be as sweet and sparkling as the wine that you drink. This brings a bittersweet smile to my face. If only that were true.

  Dominick stands by Anna and me, clears his throat, wanting to say something. We both look up and stare at him.

  “I see you have this under control Anna, so I’ll leave you to your meal. Enjoy your evening.”

  “Goodnight, Dominick. You do the same.” Joseph adds coming to stand with Anna and me.

  “Yes, yes I will.” Then he leaves.

  We finally sit down to a wonderful meal of assorted grilled fish and corn on the cob. I begin to feel slightly cold. Joseph leaves the table to start the outdoor fireplace.

  Anna stands, saying. “I’ll be right back. I have something for you.”

  She returns with a beautifully crocheted cream shawl. She wraps it around my shoulders and gives me a squeeze.

  “There that’s better.” Her words are kind and comforting.

  “Thank you, Anna. Thank you, Joseph, for taking care of me. This can’t be easy for either one of you.” I look down feeling very embarrassed that they have to effectively baby-sit me and be involved in this sinister plan of their handsome employer.

  “It is our pleasure, my dear” Anna smiles.

  “Anna’s right. You light up this house.” Joseph adds.

  “I appreciate that. This still can’t be easy.”

  “Can I ask you both something?”

  “Of course.” Joseph states.

  “How long have you both worked for Dominick?”

  “We have been with his family for 41 years.” Anna responds.

  “That must have been wonderful for Dominick’s parents and Dominick to have you here from the beginning.

  I immediately notice pain in their eyes. I didn’t know what I had said to bring that reaction on. It pains me to see them like this, even only after knowing them for such a short time. They seem like such a sweet couple. Not to pry or embarrass them, I change the subject quickly.

  “What are we having for dessert?” I ask. I love dessert.

  Just as Anna was about to answer me, we hear laughter in the house. Shit! Don’t tell me he brought Darian here. Now what? She’s met me before, from the commissioned work and at different events around the city. She also knows Raven. She’s aware we are twins. Hopefully, I can pull off being Raven. Maybe she’ll stay in the house and be none the wiser.

  Dominick steps out onto the patio alone. He just couldn’t stay away could he? He’s probably here to check up on me. He stops when he sees me wrapped in Anna’s shawl, all curled up by the fire. His reaction is odd, almost uncomfortable. He recovers and comes to stand next to me. I look up at him. Our eyes lock, then he brings his hand to my cheek, I feel a pull from the closeness. He almost feels familiar. Still looking at me he smiles and without turning away he speaks to Anna and Joseph.

  “Any trouble?” he questions. Then he looks for their reaction.

  They both shake their heads. What a way to kill a pleasant moment. My mood is slightly ruined. Darian walks outside and puts her arm through Dominick’s, giving it a sexy squeeze.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to yo …” Then she stops.

  Uh Oh. I’m as good as dead.

  “Rain! Rain Medici! Oh My God! So great to see you again! You know how much I love your work! It’s simply breathtaking. I just can’t wait for the new show next year. Dominick, you never mentioned that you and Rain were friends when you came to pick up the beach scene you bought for your bedroom.”

  Dominick clearly stiffens, but Darian doesn’t notice. I take a huge gulp from my wine glass. I look at him. Then I look back at Darian. I stand and extend my hand to her and smile. I’ll try to put on a good show. Let’s hope it works for my sake.

  “Darian, it’s so lovely to see you. Sorry for the confusion, but you have mistaken me for my sister. I’m Raven Medici. Naturally being twins we get this reaction much of the time.”

  “Oh, I apologize. You and Rain look exactly alike. Especially now that you also have bangs.”

  “Yes, I never had bangs before, that’s true. It does cause quite a stir.” If Raven had bangs, we could totally shake things up a bit.

  “They look fantastic on you as well, of course.”

  Dominick is about to explode. He’s getting angrier by the second. Joseph and Anna decide to get out of the line of fire and begin cleaning up. I guess dessert is out.

  “Can I help you Anna?” I need to get away from this conversation and Dominick.

  “No dear, we’re fine. You just relax. Remember you are our guest.” Then she disappears into the house.

  Shit! What do I do now?

  Darian continues. “Where’s Rain? Is she with you? I’d love to see her again.”

  Rain is closer than she thinks.

  “She’s in Capri with her partner in crime, Tommy.”

  “Tommy? Tommy Conte? Wow. I don’t blame her for taking a holiday with him.”

  “I’ll let Tommy know he has an admirer.” I’m not very surprised. Every woman thinks Tommy is sexy. Not many are immune to his charms. Well, I am, but our relationship is different.

  “How do you know Dominick?” she’s really inquisitive and very annoying.

  “I don’t know Dominick at all, really. Anna and Joseph are friends of our family. I was originally supposed to meet Rain and Tommy in Italy, but my plans were unexpectedly changed, so I decided on a visit with them.”

  Dominick seems perplexed by my comments and that I didn’t give him away.

  “Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. Please give Rain my regards.” She added.

  “I definitely will let Rain know I ran into you. You enjoy your weekend as well.” I’m trying to be pleasant under the impatient yet puzzled stare of my captor.

  Darian turns and walks towards the house. I decide this is my chance to escape to my room. So I follow her in. I almost make it to the door when a strong arm engulfs my waist from behind. Dominick’s front to my back. Dominick pulls me close and puts his lips to my ear. My body betrays me and grows slightly weak. I can’t stand the way I’m acting. I mean he’s my father’s enemy. My feelings should be ones of disgust, hate even. Not desire. I need to get a hold of myself before he does seduce me.

  “This explains a great deal. Our conversation, however, hasn’t even begun yet. Rain.” His whispered tone slices straight through me.

  I let out a deep exhale.

  I try to remove his arm, but it won’t budge. I turn to face him.

  “I figured as much.” He releases me.

  We continue inside, Dominick leaves with Darian. Making me explain everything to Anna and Joseph. Anna brings out the coffee. We sit on the couch off of the kitchen.

  Anna starts. “Rain?”

  I look up from my cup and nod.

  She smiles at me the way Mema would and my tears begin to fall. It’s all too much.

  “Somethin
g told me in the very beginning you weren’t Raven. She is always in all the papers. She appears comfortable, almost seasoned, when dealing with reporters. You on the other hand are quiet. Yes, you were very angry when Dominick brought you here, but that’s a natural reaction to what you have been exposed to. You didn’t strike me as an attorney either.” She grins shyly.

  Joseph then asks. “Rain, why didn’t you say anything? You knew he wanted Raven, yet you said nothing.”

  I thought about it for a moment and felt that I owed this lovely couple the truth.

  “First I want to apologize to both of you for my behavior. You have been nothing, but kind to me. I couldn’t say anything. Dominick is so hell bent on destroying my family that I just thought it would be better if I pretended to be Raven versus myself. My family are very busy people and they think I’m in Capri anyway. They won’t even know that I’m missing. They assume I’ll be there until Christmas. Only my friend, Tommy, will know the truth. He should be arriving there tomorrow. He’ll be looking for me soon.”

  “Can I ask you both something?’

  They nod.

  “How did you know Raven and I are twins? Dominick doesn’t seem to know that my dad has two daughter’s. Let alone identical twins.”

  “The magazine article.” Joseph revealed.

  “What magazine article?” I’m trying to recall when I ask.

  “The Italian Magazine, CHI.” Anna continues and Joseph places a copy of CHI on the coffee table.

  “It has a picture of you and Raven at some nightclub in Milan. The photographers were snapping pictures and it appears that Raven grabbed your shirt, which exposed a tattoo on your lower back. I noticed a similar insignia on the photograph of the beach in Dominick’s room. When you fainted, I saw the tattoo on your spine while dressing you.”

  I thumbed through the magazine as they continued to explain and spot the photo. Club Milan, how could I forget? We had a great time there that evening. It was August. Raven and I were celebrating our birthday the year before last. Now I remember the article.

  “Please don’t be upset with me. Raven would have made your life a living hell. You are better off that Dominick’s goons messed up.” I smirk to lighten the conversation a bit.

  They both smiled. Then Joseph added “That doesn’t explain why you would put yourself in such an awkward position young lady.” He sounded like my dad.

  “I’m used to confinement. I was confined at a very young age for much of my life. You see I have a blood disorder that at times was a huge concern to my parents. My mother was over protective to say the least. So many times my exposure in the world outside was limited. I have to admit it is tougher dealing with Dominick’s personality, but I’ve been fine so far.”

  “Anna and I both felt that you would have said something given the situation you were put in. We only found out after you were taken. Like Anna said you didn’t seem at all like a lawyer so we started to look further into it. We didn’t have to look far. Anna subscribes to CHI and it was in there all along. We have been contemplating how to tell Dominick but it seems the situation is unfolding before all of our eyes and it may just take care of itself. Please understand Rain, we don’t like this anymore than you do but he is not easily deterred.” Joseph explains.

  “Why is Dominick doing this to my family? I don’t understand.” I’m becoming frustrated.

  “Rain, dear, you have to speak with him about that yourself. I can tell you he feels he has good reasons. He didn’t go about this in the right way. I think we all can agree to that but he is a determined man and even we can’t stop him. Believe me when we found out about his plan we tried. We do feel that we can try to make this as comfortable for you as possible.”

  She seemed very sincere. Then I turned to Gerard as he walks out to the patio.

  “Now, you are going to tell me about your role in all this. You really aren’t a kidnapping thug are you?” I smirked.

  “No Rain, I work for Mr., Dominick’s company as a security expert. So no I have never done this before. Dominick is not a man you say no to.” He seemed cornered. Not by me but by Dominick and he didn’t seem proud of his actions.

  We said our ‘Goodnights’ and I went to my room to sleep. Gerard remained on duty to watch me tonight. After speaking with him I wasn’t as uncomfortable as before but I still had to deal with his boss.

  “If you need anything Rain, I’ll be right outside the door.”

  The only thing I need right now is Dominick.

  After I’m again locked behind my bedroom door. I slip out of my dress and sandals. I find an oversized long sleeve tee shirt and curl up on one of the chairs by the window. I wrapped Anna’s shawl around me, more for security than to keep me warm. I notice it’s after midnight and Dominick hasn’t returned yet. Not wanting to acknowledge the pang of disappointment knowing that he might be spending the night with Darian. My emotional reaction is odd, being that I really don’t want to deal with his wrath right now. Why would I want him to come back? Yet I do. I want answers. I do believe once he returns I will finally get them. As I start to doze off to sleep, I hear a door slam and voices coming from outside my room.

  “Get out of my fucking way! You’re guarding her for me, not from me asshole!” Then the door crashes open so loud I thought it might have been taken off its hinges. Dominick looms there breathing fire before slamming the door shut. He advances towards me ready for a fight. I wrap the shawl around me even tighter, as though it’s a shield of armor that will protect me from the evil prince.

  His voice was full of malice.

  “GET UP!”

  I’m too scared to move but I stare at him with my eyes wide.

  “I SAID NOW!” He screams.

  I jumped up and tried to run to the bathroom, but he catches me around my waist and throws me, like a rag doll, face down on the bed.

  Oh no, please don’t let him hurt me. I finally find my voice.

  “GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU SICK FREAK!” I screamed

  He holds me down, lifts my nightshirt. He straddles me and I begin to scream and yell for help, but there is no one to help me. He raises the shirt to the middle of my back then stops. He places his hand over my tattoo. I instantly stop moving. Silence fills the room. He says nothing. Then he traces the outline of the Black Rose with his fingers over and over again. I just lay there. His fingers cease their movement.

  “Shit.” He bites out through clinched teeth, letting out a deep exaggerated breath.

  He gets off of me and sits on the side of the bed. I scrambled to the top near the headboard and take a pillow to cover me. He starts picking imaginary link from the comforter. Then he looks deep into my eyes. He looks lost.

  “Do you want to explain to me why you would pretend to be Raven and take your sister’s place?” He was softer. “You weren’t part of this plan? I didn’t even know you existed.”

  I swallow hard and glance away from him for a moment to get my thoughts together. He didn’t know I existed. Well, now you do.

  “When you took me I was extremely frightened. Then you explained your plan somewhat and called me Raven. First I started to play along to see what I could find out. In reality I’ve been confined before so I knew I could handle it better than Raven. I needed to know why you hate my dad so much. I intended to stop you, even if I died trying. Then I got sick and you were kind to me. So I thought perhaps if I stayed with you I could persuade you to change your mind.

  “I was supposed to be on a plane to Italy. My family wouldn’t be looking for me. I go there several times a year. They’re used to my trips and used to not hearing from me when I’m there. I also didn’t contact my dad because I’ve been on a very short protective leash for a long time. Since my mother’s death my father has let go a little more each day. I couldn’t risk him finding out I was taken. He’d never let me out of his sight again.”

  There is a long pause before he speaks. “Anna tells me you were supposed to meet Tommy Conte in Capri. Wh
at will he do when he finds out you never went there?”

  “Probably freak out. Then he’ll text me and ask me what I’m doing. If I don’t answer, he will contact my dad in New York.”

  “Shit! You’ve ruined my plans. Now I have to revise them to fit you into them. I definitely can’t let you go and chance you giving your family a heads up about me.”

  “I wouldn’t do that.”

  Dominick looks incredulous. “Of course you would. They’re your family. You’ll protect them at any cost. You’ve proven that by pretending to be Raven all this time.”

  “Dominick, that’s where you’re wrong. I can’t afford to spend my thirties and beyond at the mercy of my dad.” I close my eyes to collect my thoughts.

  “Rain, you aren’t who I wanted. You should never have been a part of this situation. Especially because you’re ill.”

  For some strange reason his words hurt me. My tears and anger start to build.

  “Well, I’m so sorry that I ruined your plans.” I reply very sarcastically.

  He catches my face and holds it close to his. “I didn’t want this. I don’t want to care for someone who’s sick. I don’t want to care about you.” He’s shaking by the time he finishes, eyeing my mouth.

  As he was about to kiss me, I push him away. “You don’t want me and I don’t want you. That makes us even. I will not play any part in your plan to destroy my dad. Let me make something very clear to you. I will not allow you to hurt anyone I love. I will never let you win.” My eyes sear into him.

  He rises from the bed and says with a smirk. “You’re way more trouble than you’re worth.” Leaving me alone with my emotions.

  Tears begin to come and they come hard. Not that I’m afraid he would kill me any longer, but because I realize I have always been trouble to everyone in my life. My mother spent her life worrying and caring for me. My dad had to work all the time to keep homes in New York and in Capri. Tommy spent all his free time with me instead of spending it finding his one true love. My sister had to take a backseat to my illness her entire life.