Chapter 5 FOUR

Leaning forward on his desk, Rocco roared, "I can't believe this! I left you girls at home with the knowledge that you two would be safe only for me to find out that you went to a party. What in the world were you two doing there?"

"It was all my fault. Roxy was sleeping and I begged her to follow me. She didn't want to. If you want to punish anyone, then it's me that should get the punishment," Gigi replied looking up at her father whose eyes still blazed with anger.

Plopping down on his chair, Rocco turned to his wife who was standing next to him. "Talk to your fucking daughter and knock some sense into her. One day, she's going to get herself into trouble and I won't be able to save her. Why can't she be more like Roxy?" He turned his gaze on Roxy who visibly shrieked at the intensity of his gaze. "Why do you have to do every single thing Gigi asks of you? Saying no isn't a bad thing. If you continue like this - being her yes woman - Gigi will put you in big trouble."

"I have to agree with Rocco on this one," Garcia said, glaring at the two girls. "As punishment for such an unreasonable act, you two are grounded for two weeks, and in those two weeks, Gigi will turn in her credit card."

"But Mom-" Gigi started to protest, but a single look from her father made her sigh. "Yes, Mom."

"Now both of you get out of my sight before I get angrier than I already am," Rocco said. In a flash, the two girls darted out of his study. Giving Gigi a sympathetic look, the two girls entered their respective rooms.

Taking off her dress, Roxy opted for a bubble bath. Minutes later, she was soaking in her tub while she read a novel with soft music playing in the bathroom.

She was so engrossed in the book that she hadn't noticed that the water had turned cold until an hour later.

Climbing out of the water, she drained the water from the tub, dried herself up, and changed into a pair of shorts and a huge t-shirt. She climbed into her bed, turned off the lights before closing her eyes to sleep.

**************

"Roxy, get out of here," her father screamed at her as he tried to close the front door. "Follow your mother."

"No. I want to stay with you," she sobbed as her mother tugged her down the hallway. "I don't want to leave you."

"Go, Roxy. I'll come for you and your mother. Just go!"

This time around she followed her mother, running up the stairs. They had just gotten to the third floor when they heard the sound of a gun being fired.

Her mother let out a quiet wail beside her, but they continued down the corridor. All of a sudden, a man yanked her mother's hair backward causing a cry to tear out of her.

"Where are you going, Bambina? We have unfinished business," the man said licking her mother's cheek.

His face was covered with a mask, but she could see his steel-blue eyes that held so much hate, and a tattoo on the back of his palm that snaked up his hand. Roxy memorized the visible part of the tattoo, burning it into her memory.

"You're disgusting. I hate you," her mother spat. "You're nothing but a despicable human being."

"I'll show you how despicable I can be," the man said raising the arm that held the gun and pointing it at Roxy. "Say, bye-bye to mommy," he taunted before firing the shot.

**************

Roxy jerked awake, panting heavily as she stared into the darkness of her room. Her forehead was damp with sweat making some of her hair glue to it.

Like always, her dreams haunted her. No matter the amount of therapy she had undergone it still haunted her.

She had stopped going to therapy after the tenth therapist. There had been no progress so she saw no need in torturing herself by reopening the old wounds.

Feeling parched, she moved to climb off her bed when she felt a presence in her room. Now that she noticed, the windows were open.

She didn't remember opening the windows before she fell asleep. Fear gripping her, she moved to turn on the lights when her wrist was snatched and she was pulled into a hard chest.

She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand was slapped over it, muffling her screams.

"Relax, baby. It's just me."