Chapter Four
Mara
Alegra and I each slipped our security detail by telling our fathers that the other’s bodyguard would be watching us during our night out.
“But Daddy, one bodyguard is enough to make me stick out, two bodyguards will make it impossible for us to have a good time. Please, Daddy. Let me have a little fun before I become an old married woman,” I pouted.
“Fine, but let me call Alegra’s father and make the arrangements,” he said, starting to pull out his phone.
“No, Daddy. Oh my god. I’m not a kid.” I stuck my bottom lip out. “I’ll be humiliated. I promise I won’t do anything that will jeopardize my marriage prospects.”
He sighed heavily. “Okay, fine. One last hurrah. Alegra’s father has excellent security. You keep your nose clean, though. I don’t want any rumors getting around about you. I might have a potential husband for you. We might not even have to wait for the party.”
“Thanks, Daddy!” I said and kissed him on the cheek.
Thank god Salvatore was about to abduct me. It sounded like my father was about to marry me off sooner than I’d expected.
I drove over to Alegra’s house to meet up with her and some other sycophants who hung around us hoping to be let into our fathers’ inner circles. I made sure to take plenty of selfies showing Alegra and I with her security guards in the background. They wouldn’t be going with us, but my father had no way of knowing that.
When Alegra’s parents had gone out for the evening, and I felt confident that I’d sent my father enough proof that I was just having a fun evening with my girlfriends, we left for the yacht. A group of guys that Alegra and some of the other girls had invited was waiting when we arrived.
I looked around and smiled. Most of the other yachts in the area were out on the water. It was a quiet and pleasant evening, so the sounds of other parties carried across the water.
The kidnapping was going to be a snap. There was no security and no one to stop the abduction other than the people at the party. I knew none of them would step up because they’d all be running around screaming like a bunch of coddled children. Even the guys at the party were pretty, over-groomed little . How any of these bitches found guys like that attractive was beyond me.
Any screaming would be written off as dumb kids partying too hard. I predicted that most of the other boats would just move a little farther out in the water instead of calling for help.
I watched the clock tick by as I waited for Salvatore to make his entrance. Goosebumps covered my entire body and my breath quickened in anticipation.
There was still about thirty minutes left before the big event when Dino Dominico sauntered over to where I was standing. I cringed, and all of my previous excitement drained away. The Dominico wasn’t exactly a rival family, but they weren’t on my father’s list of allies.
That was something my dear daddy wanted to change, and I knew that Dino was at the top of the list for potential husbands for me. Did I mention that his presence made me cringe? He wasn’t ugly or anything, but Dino was slimy in a way that was hard to describe. He was the kind of guy who spent more time getting ready than I did, and he used the power he had over dumb girls to be an unrepentant womanizer. There was no way he’d ever be a faithful husband.
“Hey, Mara. What are you doing over here all alone? The party is over there,” he said and pointed to the deck where everyone was drinking champagne and dancing.
“I’m alone because I don’t want to talk to anyone right now,” I said dismissively.
“You’re a beautiful woman, but your mouth gets in the way. You shouldn’t be so rude to me. Your father likes me very much,” Dino said, and I picked up on the warning edge to his voice. He’d definitely had discussions about marriage with my father. It was evident by the way he thought it was his place to correct me.
“Doesn’t it matter if I like you?” The tone of my voice should have said everything he needed to know about how much I didn’t like him.
“Not really,” Dino answered with a chuckle. “What your father wants is more important, and if I have my way, soon what I want will be. We’ve almost reached an agreement, and when you’re my wife, I’ll find much better uses for that smart mouth of yours,” he growled at me.
Dino took a step forward and pinned me against the railing I’d been leaning against before he interrupted me. I quickly looked around to see if any of my so-called friends were coming over to intervene. The only person who saw what was going on was Alegra, and the dumb cunt gave me a thumbs-up. What a stupid fucking cow. I’d told her a million times how much Dino made my skin crawl, and she was acting like he was about to lay a fairytale kiss on me instead of about to commit assault.
He put his hands on either side of me and pressed his body against mine. Dino leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Maybe we should go ahead and get a jump-start on our honeymoon. I know you’re a virgin. If I pop that cherry tonight, your father will have no choice but to sell you to me,” he hissed and grabbed my hand.
“Stop,” I said, but Dino just tightened his grip.
I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Salvatore. He wasn’t in the designated spot waiting for the right time. There was still over fifteen minutes until he was supposed to kidnap me, and Dino only had to pull me a few feet to get me inside one of the yacht’s bedrooms.
My attempts to pull my hand free were in vain. Dino reached behind me and planted a hand on my upper back. He shoved me into the bedroom and closed the door.
“Take off your clothes and get on the bed. I’d hate to rip that pretty dress,” Dino said and shoved me forward.
I didn’t lose my balance, and I was glad for it. If I had, he would have been able to pin me face down on the bed.
“No. Get out of my way. I’m leaving,” I said and took a step toward the door.
“On your knees is fine too,” he said with a wicked grin.
“Dino. Get the fuck out of my way. I’m never, ever going to be your wife. I will claw your eyes out if you even try to touch me,” I spit.
“Oh, you’re feisty,” he said. “That’s okay. It’s more fun when you fight back.”
Dino grabbed my hair and wound it around his hand. I kicked him in the shin, and he punched me in the kidney with his free hand. That hurt, and it dropped me to my knees.
With his hand still practically yanking my hair out of my head, Dino unzipped his fly. His tiny erection popped out, and despite the throbbing pain in my head and back, I couldn’t stifle a laugh.
“You’re going to rape me with that?” I asked and cackled hysterically. “Now that’s funny.”
Dino sucker punched me in the face one time before the door burst open. Rage filled Salvatore’s eyes when he saw what was going on. He pistol-whipped Dino, who let go of my hair as he dropped to the floor.
Dino’s flaccid little pecker hung out of his pants. I kicked him hard. He moaned but didn’t wake up completely.
When I was done, I turned to Salvatore, wiped the blood off my lip with the back of my hand, and said, “Let’s do this.”