Filed to story: Bring It On My Mafia Life Novel (Rhea & Lukas) >>
“I told you that you could solve your family’s problems easily,” He smirked, “Your uncle is indeed a wise man, he saw a good business opportunity,”
At that moment, Rhea remembered the conversation:
[ “You know,” the collector brought her attention back, “You could solve your family’s problem easily,”
[“What? I could?” her eyes shone with hope, “That is possible? How?” she couldn’t wait to hear his suggestion.
[“You’re a very beautiful woman, mademoiselle and our boss Big Joe is in need of a wife. You would make a beautiful bride, what do you say to that?”.]
Rhea sucked in a deep breath as it all made sense to her now. Costanza must have been the one who thought of that and then discussed it with her mother who saw it was a huge gain. Then the both of them must have tabled their evil intentions to her uncle who always listens to the wife in the first place. And they drugged her and sold her to them.
Great.
It now hit Rhea, the night she sensed she was being followed, that must have been the loan sharks checking her out. They must have been investigating her and making other plans in case plan A fails. God, she was a big fool not to have sensed this coming.
“I should have designed this myself,”
Rhea was roused back to the present and she discovered that they were back in her room. Her barbie world prison, her nose scrunched in distaste.
“You don’t hit me as someone in love with purple and pink, do you?” The collector didn’t seem to like the room decor as well.
“Whether I like it or not, do I have a choice?” Rhea retorted, annoyed by his foolish concern.
“Of course, I do care,” He said to her, holding her gaze.
“Why?” Rhea couldn’t help but ask. She had to confirm if her instinct was right.
“Why?” He leaned closer to whisper into her ears which were too intimate for her liking, “Because you’re about to become Big Joe’s wife,”
Rhea’s face fell as soon as she heard that comment. She had been hoping to get some answers but all he did was to remind her of the situation she was in. She was doomed.
Suddenly, she grabbed his hand and that caused him to look up but Rhea didn’t care, she needed an escape right now.
“I need your help,”
His brows raised and she added, “Please,”
The man pulled away from his hand, “It seems like you haven’t understood the situation you are currently in. Even if you escape from here, we’re going to hunt you down to the end of the earth,” He drew closer such that their body was almost touching, “Why would I help you escape,”
Of course, he was right. Why would he help her escape for Christ’s sake?
“I just need a little time,” Rhea tried her luck and somehow hoped a miracle would happen, “I have a trust fund with a large sum of money in there but it’s not operational until next year. I just need more time!” She pleaded with him.
…..
“Who doesn’t need more time,” He said.
“W-hat?” she choked.
The collector sighed, “As much as your offer is interesting, I’m a businessman and time is a huge asset to me. Your uncle has used up his time and I’m afraid there’s no room for more favors. Moreover…”
He grabbed her chin and lifted it, saying “Being Big Joe’s wife isn’t that bad,”
Rhea was revulsed, not because of the way the collector held her chin delicately as if he was afraid to hurt her but the thought of Big Joe. She hadn’t met their boss yet but she already has a mental profile of him.
Big Joe was probably a rich, overweight old pervert in search of a new, young wife. When the collector mentioned wife, he didn’t exactly specify wife number what? The fifth? Eighth? Tenth? God, her skin crawled.
Rhea didn’t need to watch movies to know men like that. Even if Big Joe wasn’t married yet and she was the first one, this was a forced, unlawful marriage.
There was nothing like love between them. Heck! She wouldn’t even be respected, after all, she was the bride he bought. She would have no pride nor peace of mind in this marriage and would have to endure till the day she managed to escape or he died. This was a nightmare.
“You would not be maltreated because you’re the boss’s wife,” The collector hinted at the harassment from earlier.
He tilted her chin side to side checking the small bruise across her face slowly as if he was intrigued with it and that made Rhea subtly narrow her gaze at him.
“You would the absolute power after him and everyone would bow at your feet, including me. You would have the authority to do whatever you want and I’ll be at your disposal,” He said without breaking eye contact with her.
He was confusing her, Rhea noted. For some reason, he was suggesting something, and somehow, she hasn’t fully grasped his intentions towards her. But Rhea was sure of one thing, he wanted something from her.
Rhea stepped back immediately, creating some space between them, however, she forget her sprained ankle, and the minute she added weight to her foot, it caused her to wince.
The collector noticed the painful expression on her face and without warning, carried her off the ground in his arms and walked over to her bed where he placed her gently before she could complain.
The man was not done because he made a call and in the next minute, someone came in with a small tray and inside of it was an ice pack.
“Oh,” Rhea realized his intention. So she stretched her hand intending to teat herself but the man simply pulled the small stool that was beside her bed and sat down before her.
“What are you doing?”Rhea asked him, uncomfortable with his sudden nearness again.
“Your husband would be returning home tomorrow to get a look of his wife, I have to keep you in the optimal condition else my head might be the next to roll on the ground,” said Mr. Collector, as she would like to call him since she doesn’t know his name yet.
Rhea didn’t say anything else as he used the cold compress on her face and even when he drew so close their noses were almost touching, she didn’t react.
When he was done treating her face, he then lifted her leg and placed it on his lap where he used the ice pack immediately for about fifteen minutes. During that period, none of them said a word to each other and Rhea refused to be swayed by his kind act.
For some reason, this cold gangster was being surprisingly kind to her, there has to be a catch. Either he was taken by her or he was intending to use her as a pawn in his own plans.