꧁꧂

I'm so nervous I think I'm going to explode.

literally. go pshhhh

We are now in an SUV going to the Millas empire for the Mafia ball. Enzo had reassured me that Jaxon won't be getting anywhere near me nor giving me a single glance.

"You gonna be okay?" Lance asks from the seat behind me.

"I hope so." I reply as I continue to drum my fingers against my thighs.

"We won't let him near you." Enzo states angrily from beside me as he continues to rub soothing circles on my thigh.

"Yea, I'll be sure to give him a pummeling if he lays his crusty ass on you." Damon fiddles with the rope hidden in his suit.

I knew I'll be safe with Enzo, but there's a feeling in my gut that's telling me something bigger is going to happen tonight and it's not something good.

After a few more minutes of silence, we pull up at the mansion.

It's almost as big as the Barachi empire. I watch as multiple cars also pull up into the massive driveway and from behind us. People of all ages come tumbling out of the car. Some older and some much younger.

Mafia families.

I had been so entranced by every person that I hadn't even realized Enzo opening my side of the door and helping me out of the car.

Enzo links our arms together my the elbow while everyone else trails behind. Lance had made us all ear pieces so we can talk and listen to each other just in case something were to happen.

"Check. Check. This is your captain speaking, can I get a 'hell yea' if you copy." Damon's voice cuts through my earpiece as he mimicks an announcer.

Enzo rolls his eyes from beside me before all of us respond with a, "Hell yea."

This causes Damon to grin smugly.

Once we enter the empire all eyes go to us or, more specifically, me.

Many girls are looking at me with a sneer or scowl on their face as they scan my figure from top to bottom. Men peer at me with an evil smirk as they do the same scan.

I glance up to Enzo who is standing tall and radiating confidence. Every stride he takes is smooth and his face remains blank. He noticed the stares and subtly throws them all a warning look which immediately causes everyone's head to swivel away from me.

He had on a black dress shirt, suit, and pants which all brought out his dark gray eyes that I've come to fall more and more in love with. He also had on a dark red tie to match with my dress.

We looked good.

We continue to the middle of the mansion before separating. Enzo and I walk over to talk to multiple different families.

Well it was mainly Enzo speaking. Most of the time I gave smiles since most of them seemed like they wanted to murder me or gobble me up.

As Enzo continued to speak with the families, I decided to get us some drinks. I detach my arm from Enzo's and walk over to the drink section. I pour some alcohol for Enzo while I pour some lemonade in my own cup.

As I was about to walk back over to Enzo, a hand stops me.

I look over my shoulder to see a tall man with broad shoulders. His slightly gray hair was slicked back. He had a small scrub of a beard.

I raise an eyebrow in question.

"You must be the infamous Lila." His voice comes out raspy.

This dude is creepy.

I give him an unsure smile before nodding slightly.

"How are you enjoying the ball?" He asks as he leans over the table while taking a sip of his drink.

"It's nice." I say with a smile.

He hums in response, "I heard you dated my son, Jaxon."

My eyes widen in surprise. Jaxon never talked about his parents when we were dating. I always thought it was because he didn't want to speak on the matter.

"Yes, I did." I clear my throat.

"Well I'm Divante. The current don of the Millas." He introduces himself as he reaches his hand out to me.

I cautiously take hold of his hands and shake it.

I try to pull my hand out of his grip but his only tightens. I try to pry my hand out once more and he only squeezes even more.

"Sir," I try to gesture to our hands.

"Such a beaut. But such a bitch." He insults as he leans down so that he was face to face with me now.

Excuse me.

"I'm sorry, what?" I ask.

"You heard me." He says with a shrug as he continues to scan me from top to bottom in a seductive manner.

This dude is disgusting.

I was about to respond when a familiar veiny and large arm comes around my waist.

"Divante." Enzo says as he tightens his grip on me.

Divante finally lets go of my hand and I wipe it off with a piece of tissue right in front of him.

He looks at me with a slight glare.

"Enzo." He replies in the same manner.

"Did he do anything to you?" Enzo whispers quietly into my ear so only I hear.

I give him a shake of my head and a small smile.

"I'm surprised you accepted to come onto our empire. I hope your enjoying your stay." Divante says as his entire demeanor changes.

Enzo gives a shrug of his shoulder before taking the cup of alcohol from my hand.

A flash of anger goes through Divante's eyes as his fist clench.

"I hope you've thought over our contract of forming an alliance. Of course there is no rush but I was wondering if you've gotten to it. Considering we had our talk last time." Divante asks as ghost of a smirk plays on his lips.

"Everything good over there?" Zion's voice cuts through the earpiece.

Enzo and I glance over at Zion and the others before giving them a reassuring nod.

"Yes, and I decline." Enzo deadpans as he leans against the edge of the table, pulling me slightly on top of his leg.

"What the hell do you mean?" Divante snaps.

Enzo snaps his eyes to his and gives him a stern look that shuts Divante right up.

He clears his throat, "I mean, why are you declining?"

Enzo only shrugs, "I don't do business with children."

Enzo grabs ahold of my hand and drags me toward the dance floor, leaving Divante in shock.

"Lets dance amore." He whispers into my ear causing goosebumps to from on my neck.

I give him a nod as we position ourselves along the other couples.

"Are you sure he didn't do anything to you?" Enzo asks as he places a hand on my waist while the other holds my hand.

"I'm alright Enzo. Don't worry." I reply as we sway slightly to the music.

"Do you think they'll do something because you rejected the alliance?" I ask as he spins me around.

Enzo scoffs, "If they tried I'll take them down before they even reach you."

I softly giggle at his grumpy attitude before reaching up on my toes and placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

His face blossoms into a wide smile as he responds with a kiss at the corner of my lips.

"Lils!" Nathalia comes running our way.

I tilt my head at her in question.

"Come dance with me," She says as she reaches an arm out for me.

I grab ahold of her hand and send a smile to Enzo who gives me a nod before turning around and walking over to the rest of the guys.

Nathalia and I then begin dancing to the different songs.

"I didn't even think they play these songs." I shout to Nathalia over the songs.

"They don't. I forced them to." She says with a shrug.

I shake my head laughing. Of course she would.

I continue dancing and singing along to the songs with Nathalia until I get too lost in the music and realize that I had danced away from Nathalia.

I stop dancing and try to look for Nathalia but it's much more difficult when everyones 6 feet tall in this place. I start to push my way through the crowd.

I need some air.

I quickly make my wait out of the main room and out one of the doors that we entered through. I breathe in the fresh air as I was now standing at the front of the building.

It was well dark now. I make my towards the stairs and sit on them as I gazed up at the stars.

"Where are you Lila?"

I let out a yelp before realizing it was Enzo through the earpiece.

"I'm out front. I needed some air." I say

"Stay there. I'm coming."

I lay my head against the pillar as I hug myself. The wind was picking up now and it was becoming a little more chilly than before.

But I didn't want to go back inside. The sky was so pretty tonight. I decided to make some shapes, faces, and animals with the stars.

A rabbit, a dog, a frown, a bird, a popcorn-

"Bellezza." A voice takes me out of my trance from behind me.

My eyes widen as Jaxon comes into view. My face drains of color as I watch him stand directly in front of me. He has a wide smirk on his face. My palms go clammy as a wave of nausea hits me.

I suddenly feel my legs shake slightly as I hug my legs closer to my chest.

"What do you want Jaxon? And don't call me that." I snap.

"Now now, is that anyway to talk to your boyfriend." He says as he reaches down and yanks me up.

I trip slightly before holding onto the pillar.

"You're not my boyfriend." I say as I pry my arm from his grip.

This angers him as his smirk narrows into a frown. His eyebrows crease together as his eyes darken slightly with a glare.

"I forgot you were a fucking whore." He spat.

I'm so tired of this. Tired of this delusional man in front of me. So I attempt to walk around him but he only steps back in front of me.

I move to the other side of him but he instead grabs both my elbows and throws me against the pillar.

I whimper in pain as my back slams against the hard surface.

"You will not speak to me that way."

Is he kidding me?

"What do you want?" I repeat my question while I narrow my eyes at him.

I tried to appear irritated and nonchalant by his attempts at scaring me but I think I'm failing miserably because his smirk is back on his face.

He leans close to my face. I try to wiggle my body out of his grip which he only tightens and his fingers dig into my skin.

"Your parents." He starts.

I freeze.

He lets out a laugh, "Still on them huh? How about this, I tell you what happened with your parents and you," He runs his hand up my arm to my shoulder.

"Come back with me." He whispers into my ear.

I feel myself gag before I can stop.

This shocks him and I take this moment to knee him in the area. He doubles over and groans.

Run.

I take off sprinting into the other direction. I had no idea where I was running to. I could hear his shouts from behind me along with his loud footsteps.

These stupid heels.

I kick my feet and the heels go flying behind me. I hear a whack follwed by Jaxon's groan.

Oops.

I take a sharp right around the corner of the mansion and lean against the wall to catch my breath.

"G-guys.." I speak into the earpiece out of breath.

"Where the fuck are you Lila?" Enzo's voice booms through. Along with the other voices clamoring into each other.

I cringe.

My poor eardrums.

"I don't know. I took off after Jaxon trapped me up front. I think I'm somewhere behind the building."

"LILA!" I hear Damon shout.

I whip my head around to find Damon and Lance running towards me.

I was about to run towards them as well when a hand grabs me by the wrist and harshly throws me to the side.

Jaxon.

"Shouldn't have ran bitch." He threatens as he punches me across the face.

My head slams against the cobble stone pavement.

I feel my eyes sting as the memories from the past come rushing back. The punches, bruises, whips, slaps, cuts. Pathetic, worthless, disgusting.

No.

And just like that I lose my entire composure. My body instinctively betrays me as I go into utter shock.

I can't move. I can't move.

I try to scream but my mouth is zipped tight. I try to thrash but I'm laying by him limp.

Get up. Move. Move.

Jaxon begins to sloppily climb on top of me.

"Fucking Deja vu." He chuckles darkly.

GET UP.

I finally find control in one of my free legs and knee him hard once again. I think I might break it if I do it once more.

He lets out another painful groan as he pulls back his arm, about to punch me, when it gets caught midair by Lance.

Lance twists his wrist and Jaxon lets out a scream before cradling his arm. Lance quickly scoops me up as Damon lands another blow on Jaxon.

I peer over Lance's shoulder to see a fuming Enzo walking over. He takes Damon's position and begins to land punch after punch on him.

The seething pain from the blow on my head becomes all too unbearable. My ears start to ring and I hold onto my head to try and get through the pain.

Damon pries Enzo off of Jaxon when they realize he wasn't stopping. Enzo throws a harsh glare at Damon before walking over to me and taking me from Lance.

I cry out in pain as the throbbing in my head worsens.

Enzo kisses me gently to try and comfort me.

"Stay awake Lila." He says with concern as he starts running towards the car.

"I-it hurts."

He looks down at me with a conflicted and pained expression as he settles me down in the back seat. He climbs in with me as he gently places my head onto his lap.

I feel my eyelids get more droopier by the second. My vision begins to become blurry.

I feel my breathing become raspier and more difficult.

Enzo's lips are moving but I can't seem to hear anything. Pain seethes through me as I feel my body shake uncontrollably.

Then it goes black.

꧁꧂

ຶຶ