Summary
In the city of Milan, a woman named Rosetta is on the run from deadly enemies and her own dark past. Nicholas, a powerful Mafia leader, saves her from certain death, but their forbidden attraction sparks a dangerous game of loyalty, secrets, and betrayal. As Rosetta uncovers her true identity and confronts her troubled legacy, she finds herself entangled in a world of organized crime and treacherous forces that threaten to destroy her. Can their love withstand the deadly world of rival families, hidden loyalties, and the secrets that refuse to stay buried?
Chapter 1
Rosetta's POV
"Come out here now and let me end you painlessly!!" Garnacho's words kept ringing in my head. I could not get it off my mind, no matter how hard I tried to. I was lost in a world that I once called mine.
The streets of Milan were darker than usual. The bright neon lights weren't in sight and it was probably better that way since there's a bounty on my head. I'd been hiding for days now, almost five days, eating leftovers and begging like my family wasn't stinkingly rich. Brought up and nutured in the family that owned the biggest Mafia , I never lacked anything, not even the most expensive of things. They were all like cheap goods to me.
I hid in close to the dumpster, trying to gather my thoughts and make a plan for myself. My head was hurting and I was seeing strange visions. It felt like the whole world was closing in on me and I had no choice than to move with the flow. I could feel like slipping out of my flesh. I tried to stay strong, I forced myself to.
I stood up and heaved quick sighs, breathing in and out, getting myself ready to escape Milan and Italy. I stepped out of the dumpster only to see six tall, muscular men, standing close to the dumpster. They all surrounded me and their smirks grew as they saw me. My eyes fell on one and I saw a GPS locator in his hands and one of my clothes in the other. Only God knows how I was tracked.
The one that held the cloth sighed in relief and then smiled.
"Half a million dollars, staring at us in the face." He said and the others laughed happily.
FIVE DAYS EARLIER
"Come out here now and let me end you painlessly!!" Garnacho screamed on the other side of the door into my room. Silverback, my dog, barked at the door.
I kept pacing round my room, searching for anything that could be a weapon to fight against him. I was absolutely scared.
Ever since my father died, Garnacho, my godfather, had always taken care of me. His sudden hatred for me and his desperate want to see me dead was very scary. Being my father's favourite though I'm a bastard put me in a lot of horrible situations. This wasn't one I'd have ever thought of. Garnacho adored me, or at least, I thought he did.
"Why do you want to kill me?" I asked, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. I was scared for myself. I'd looked for several ways to escape but there was absolutely none. The rooms were locked and there was no way I'd escape. I was breathing raggedly, scared for my life. He had been acting up ever since, it got worse months before, but this morning, it all went through the roof, like he had found validation to end me.
"You are beginning to annoy me with these questions! Come out and let me finish this up, Rosetta." Garnacho said with a loud growl.
I began desperately searching for an escape, anything that would keep me alive. I looked through the windows again and just three goons stood where I could jump.
"If I can somehow trick them that I'm somewhere else, I'll be able to escape." I mumbled to myself and almost immediately, then the reality of what stood at the gates hit me. Even if I did escape the guards at the windows, I'll never escape those at the gates.
"Don't force me to break this door open!" Garnacho shouted and he hit the door so hard with some metal that it made a very visible dent on the metallic door.
"You're a fucked up piece of shit and you deserve the worst things in the world!" I shouted angrily but it only erupted laughter from Garnacho. "You dare defy me?"
"Now, that's the stubborn bitch I know, but fighting would do you no good here." Garnacho said.
"I'd rather have my legs chopped off than fight a piece of shit like you." I responded angrily.
Garnacho hit the door again. I shivered in fear and my survival instincts kicked in.
I looked at my dog on the bed and gave it one last kiss, at least till I'd do the craziest thing ever.
"Take care, Silverback, I love you." I said, moving backwards to the door and staring at the window. I took deep breaths and stopped thinking. I need to rid myself of thoughts to take more sane actions. Only insanity could save me.
Another bang at the door, it fell open just as I ran and jumped out of the window. Surprisingly, I was about ten feet away from the three guards that stood downstairs, outside my window. I did not know how that happened and so, I took to my heels and I began running. I could feel my legs touching my necks. I ran so fast and surprisingly, I was faster than every single one of them.
There was a secret passage I never thought of but my father had taken me through it once when my step mom was planning on beating the daylight out of me. I hurriedly took it and I avoided more guards.
Thankfully, none of them could keep up. I got out into a very crowded area of Milan but I didn't stop running, I was at it till I felt a little safe and I stayed hidden. Never did I know I could run so fast, I was never good at it but adrenaline would do anything to a person.
PRESENT TIME.
"Can I have a taste of this one?" One asked, licking his lips in a disgusting and unlawful manner.
"I say we all do." Another said. "He didn't say dead or alive."
They all laughed while I was in agony, I needed to escape.
"I'll rather have myself killed than have any of you prick heads touch me." I said clenching my teeth and it seemed to get them more angry as they began closing in on me. I tried escaping but unlike the last time, I wasn't so lucky.
They tossed me amongst themselves, slapping me as they did and just when one of them tore my shirt, I heard a voice. My heart skipped a beat at the sound of the voice. I'm literally about to die, but my heart was skipping beats for a voice.
"That's no way to treat a lady." He said. I was able to get a glance at him and he was dangerously handsome! Tall, well chiseled chin, not skinny but not too built also, ocean eyes, rudy dark hair, he was perfect!
I smiled at the beautiful sight, even if it's the last I see, it's worth it.
"And who the heck are you?" The one with my cloth asked.
"Pardon me. I'm Nicholas and I ask that you deliver the lady into my hands." He said calmly and they laughed. Funny enough, he joined in the laughter and then his demeanor changed. I could barely see since my face was already bruised.
"Don't make me ask again!" Nicholas said coldly and I shivered.
"Or what?" One of the thugs asked and the next thing was chaos all around.
The thug that held me pushed me against the wall and I hit my head, I fell to the ground and just before I went unconscious, I saw him, throwing them around and shooting them.
Was I just saved by this handsome devil? My knight in shining armor.