Chapter 5 Branded

Tears are streaming down my face, no one will help me, not even Troy.

" Boss the girls are arriving today we should start preparing," he says, I know it's just a way to help me.

" Don't worry Troy, I'll leave soon just after she knows who she belongs to," Mario sneers. looking at the small branding iron in one of the men's eyes. I cry loudly when he walks towards me like I'm prey. My first instinct is to grab a gun from the floor he used to kill that man. I hold the gun tighter, pointing at him with fidgeting hands. I can kill him right here, right now and I will be gunned down as well but I have nothing to lose, my life is over. I flinch when he laughs.

" Put that down baby girl, you look horrible," indeed, I'm scared and sweating. I've been here for a long time and this is the most scared I have been.

" do-don't come close," I whisper stammering, between this gun and that brand iron, I'm more scared of the gun.

Bang

Bang. The boss doesn't like anyone in his way, I remember the day my papa was shot.

I feel so weak right now.

" Boss please," Troy whispers but he looks at him, scrutinizing him

" Hold her." The boss orders, and Troy protests but one of the goons put a gun on his head.

" No, please, Troy I'd rather you hold me," I say. I hold on to Troy like dear life and he comforts me, whispering in my ear kind words.

" I want every time you look in the mirror you should always remember me and that you can never escape me, you're always me mine Aviana Tasaro," He says slowly making sure the words sink in. I'm so thankful that Troy is here with me now. I feel my dress being lifted and a cool breeze hits my exposed legs. But the pain that suddenly coarse through my skin is excruciating and I scream at top of my lungs, Troy tightens his hold on me.

"Shhhh," he coos. Tears fall from my tears like rain.

Everything burns and he takes it out.

"Good," I hear him say before darkness envelopes me.

....

I stir awake, feeling like I'm on fire. I unconsciously go to touch where I feel pain but hiss. Memories of what happened come crashing down on me and I feel a hot tear run down.

That psycho branded me like an animal. I feel no better than cattle now.

With some effort, I get off the bed but damn it hurts. I'm naked someone must have got me out of my clothes.

I go to my closet and stand in front of the mirror, my eyes are puffy and dark, my long hair is all over the place and I feel like crap. Lastly, I look on my left side just above my hipbone where the burning discomfort is coming from, I rip the bandage off causing me to scream. It's a red M and a symbol of a gun next to it like a tattoo drawing

The gun is slightly bigger than the M but no one can miss it. Fresh tears fall on my face and I don't try to wipe them.

"Ahem," I don't look behind, I can see the devil through the mirror.

" The doctor said you need more rest,"

How can he claim to love me when all he does is hit and abuse me, now permanently scars me, his name and logo on me? I walk past him slowly since I can't even walk fast or straight without feeling the burn. I lay on my other side, taking a deep breath. I smell of roses, he must have ordered them knowing how much I liked them but now they just sicken me, even my own body I detest it because he loves it.

" I despise you so much, Marion," I sneer. I didn't even think it would be possible to loathe an individual this much.

" I love you, and I don't care about your feelings," He says, dressing my injury.

" This isn't love, you're obsessed and you need help," I shout.

" Stay still, damn it! I need to cover this so it shouldn't get exposed to an infection,"

I close my eyes, and a tear escapes me and another. I open my eyes when I hear noises outside.

" Mario, What's that?"

I struggle to get up and he gives me his hand but I ignore it, going to the window.

There are young girls taken out of the truck, girls no other than eighteen.

" They are so young and scared. Don't you people have compassion?"

" Just the same age as you when I got you and now look, beautiful, bold, and my Queen," He smiles. My eyes sway back to the girls who are shaking and crying in fear as men put guns at them.

" Shut up!" a guard yells, making them cry louder.

"Package has arrived," Mario says ending the call, I turn to glare at him but he looks at me

" You're a monster," I croak.

"They are Tai's, you know this isn't my line of work,"

I grab a vase of flowers near me and throw it at him, making me wince at the pain due to the force I used but he dodges. Mario is fuming in anger now, he grabs me in a chokehold while his other hand holds my injury and it bleeds again.

" Why do you always have to force my hand?"

I cry, trying to fight him off but he's stronger than me by far.

He only releases me when he gets a phone call.

" WHAT!" He answers. After discussing a few minutes, he hangs up and sighs, glaring at me.

" I won't harm you if you behave, Aviana I saved your fucking LIFE,"

" No you didn't, I was safe with Mama,"

" Tai would have taken you to hell!"

" I'm in hell! I've been in hell since I was brought here at the age of seventeen, Mario and Tai said they wanted to protect me from the people who killed my father, that it was their duty as his friend and partners but In reality, they had a different plan, Tai wanted me to work in his brothels to seduce certain kind of men because of my 'rare beauty' while Mario wanted me for himself, so they auctioned me and the mafia boss won.

" Hey Ava," Troy calls, I smile at him.

" I'm sorry, I failed you," he says,

" I should have gotten you out of here ages ago, the boss is crazy," Troy has been my oldest friend, he was studying medicine but when Mario took me, he stopped his studies to join the cartel so that he can look out for me.

" No isn't your fault," He sits next to me and holds my hands,

" Ava, you're getting out tonight,"