Gia

After the auction ended, Anthony dragged me off the stage by my arm. He almost ripped it out of its socket with how much force he’d used to move me. My eyes filled with tears when it hit me I was sold to the highest bidder. Someone paid nine million dollars for me. To do what they wanted with me. All because of my connection to the Morellis.

The sickness that rose from my stomach each morning threatened to choke me. Most of the time, I could fight the waves of nausea, but this time, it won. I couldn’t stop from throwing up on myself. Anthony held me at his side, which left no wiggle room to break free. But once he caught wind of me puking, he loosened his grip and gave me some space to hurl the contents of my stomach onto the floor.

“You’re cleaning that up,” Anthony informed me. He stood over me with his hands on his hips, staring down at me with his hate-filled eyes.

Ignoring his comment, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. The foul taste on my tongue made me sick all over again. I threw up until nothing was left in my stomach. With the tile floor covered in vomit, I knew there was no way I was getting out of here without scrubbing the floor. Anthony tugged on the thin strap of my dress and pulled me toward a closet. It contained mops, buckets, and bottles of cleaning supplies.

He shoved a mop into my chest and caught me off guard. “Clean this shit up before Dante comes in here.”

I stumbled backward, clutching the mop in my hand. The wood hurt my fingers, small splinters burrowing into my skin. I did as I was told and mopped up my dinner. What didn’t hit the floor was on my arm and dress. The white fabric was stained and looked disgusting. For my sake, I hoped Dante would give me another outfit to wear. I smelled horrible, and with the tears streaming down my face, the mascara Lucky had applied was running down my cheeks.

Maybe my disheveled appearance would give me a reprieve from whoever had bought me. I could only hope. But luck had not been on my side.

After I finished, Anthony dragged me down the back hallway of the club and into a room where Lucky was waiting for me. She approached me with caution, reaching up to touch my face once she was in front of me. Lucky stroked my cheek with the back of her hand, and I leaned into her touch. I was fortunate to have had her on my side for the past few weeks. We’d become friends, even if our bond was made under duress.

“Take care of yourself, Raven.” She moved her hand from my face to my stomach. “And this baby.”

“I don’t know for sure,” I confessed.

She smiled. “I do. I hope whoever bought you takes care of you both. You deserve better than this life.”

Her words brought tears to my eyes that she wiped away with her thumb. “Sit down. Let me fix your hair before you go.” She studied my vomit covered dressed and sighed. Staring up at Anthony, she said, “Can you grab my bag from Dante’s office? It has another dress inside.”

He nodded and left the room without speaking, leaving Lucky and me by ourselves. She steered me over to a wooden desk and pushed on my shoulders to gesture for me to sit in the high back leather chair made for an executive.

“I was hoping Dante would keep you,” she said, tugging at my curls with her fingers. “I’m going to miss you.”

I looked up at her, and she stopped playing with my hair. “Under different circumstances, we could have been friends.”

Her face lit up with the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Maybe someday.”

“I doubt it. Even if I find my way back to Angelo, he will come for Dante. That would put us on opposing sides.”

She shrugged. “Maybe one day our men will work things out. It was nice knowing you, Raven.”

“Gia,” I corrected for the first time since she told me to choose a fake name.

“Gia.” She sighed. “Hearing your real name reminds me you’re a person and not some rich man’s property.”

“You should remember that, too. If you ever want to get away from Dante, I could help you. My family will protect you.”

“That’s kind of you, Gia, but this is where I belong. With Dante and his girls.”

I stood up from the chair, staring at the girl who helped me get through the past few weeks. In some ways, having Lucky on my side saved me. I wrapped my arms around her, desperate for her warmth. She was the only person I had on my side. I clung to Lucky because I would miss her. And because I was scared of where I would end up once I let go.

Anthony came back into the room, forced me to undress in front of him, ogled me the entire time, and then told me it was time to leave.

Lucky hugged me one last time and whispered, “Goodbye, Gia,” into my ear.

“Goodbye, Alexandria,” I whispered back, using her real name. “Never forget who you are.”

She held me at an arm's length and smiled. “You, too. I hope we see each other again.”

“Me, too,” I admitted.

I’d never had girlfriends. It was always Sonny and Angelo. They were my friends until Angelo later became my everything. Still, Sonny was my only true friend. I had female acquaintances, but it never amounted to more than polite discussion, mostly because of my connection to the Mafia. I couldn’t allow anyone who didn’t understand our world to get too close. But Lucky understood.

Our short moment ended with Anthony gripping my bicep in his big hand. “For old time’s sake,” he breathed against the shell of my ear. Then, he jammed a needle in my neck.

The last thing I remembered was Lucky waving at me with a bright smile on her face.