Saved By The Mafia Boss.

Ava

The sound of breaking glass echoed through the house, piercing through the silence. My heart dropped hard in my chest as I stared at the shattered vase on the floor, the one Bryce always said was worth more than me.

No, no, no...

I fell to my knees, hands shaking as I tried to gather the broken pieces, unable to control my panicked breathing.

Bryce would definitely kill me for this. Not literally, of course, but sometimes I wished he would... at least then the fear would be over.

I heard his footsteps thundering down the hallway, and I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut for just a second, trying to brace myself for what was coming.

"What the hell did you do now, Ava?" I heard Bryce say angrily as he approached.

I couldn't look at him, couldn't bear to see the rage on his face. I kept my eyes on the floor, on the mess I'd made.

"I-I'm sorry." I stuttered in a whisper, my voice was barely audible, even to myself.

I tried picking up the broken pieces, and one sharp edge cut into my palm. I sucked in a breath, holding back the cry that threatened to escape from my lips.

Tears only made Bryce angrier.

"Sorry?!" Bryce snapped and I flinched again, hearing his shoes crunch on the broken glass as he moved closer. "You're always sorry, you clumsy bitch! But that doesn't fix anything, does it?"

I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. I was losing that battle against the tears, I could feel it.

"I didn't mean to... I'll clean it up, I promise."

He leaned down, grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me to my feet.

"You think cleaning it up will bring back my money?" His grip was so tight, I could literally feel some strands pulling off their roots. "You're useless!"

"I-I'm sorry," I repeated, the words coming out on autopilot. It was all I knew how to say anymore.

"Get out of my sight," he snarled, shoving me back. I stumbled back, hitting my arm on the edge of the counter and my legs trembled.

That part throbbed, but I nodded, backing away as quickly as I could without turning my back on him.

As soon as I felt the stairs railing, I quickly dashed down the stairs before he could change his mind about letting me off so easily.

My heart was pounding so loudly in my chest that I didn't hear the front door open or see the huge figures walk in, until I bumped head first into one, falling hard on my butt.

My whole body trembled as I slowly looked up. My gaze landed on a pair of polished black shoes first, then traveled up to the tall, imposing figures standing before me. All of them were dressed in dark suits, the kind that gave away their wealthy status.

But it was the man in the middle who drew my attention the most. Unlike the other three, who wore very dark sunglasses that made them look more like shadows than men, he didn't wear any.

His dark brown hair was styled to perfection, but his piercing blue eyes were a whole different story. They were like two sharp blades - so cold, so calculating. I'd never seen anyone with eyes like that before. They were empty, devoid of any emotion. His face was chiseled, ridiculously good-looking, but there was something unsettling about him. He was too perfect, too put-together. It was like he was made of stone or something.

I couldn't look away, even though every instinct screamed at me to lower my eyes, to not draw his attention. When he stepped forward, closing the distance between us, my fear spiked. The fear I felt from Bryce all these years was nothing compared to this. This man was different... dangerous in a way that Bryce could never be.

"What the..." Bryce's voice cut through the tension and I turned to see him at the top of the stairs, his face going from angry to pale in an instant.

"Mr. Morano." Bryce stuttered as he came down the stairs, trying to mask his anxiety with a forced grin.

I'd never seen him like this before.

"I wasn't expecting you... so soon."

Mr. Morano didn't respond immediately, instead his eyes flicked down to me for a brief moment before returning to Bryce. I could feel the weight of his gaze even as he looked away, like I was being measured and found wanting.

Bryce's eyes darted between me and Mr. Morano, his nervousness growing with each second of silence. "She's... she's just my step-sister." Then he said to me through his teeth. "Get up!"

I had completely forgotten I was still on the floor. I got up to my feet slowly, keeping my eyes down.

"Fucking... Go get us some refreshments." Bryce said through his teeth again and I scurried away immediately. I could feel Mr. Morano's gaze on my back as I left, but I didn't dare look up.

I made my way to the kitchen, my hand trembling as I prepared a tray of drinks for them.

When I re-entered the living room, Bryce and Mr. Morano were both seated facing each other with the low coffee table between them. The other three men were standing behind Mr. Morano, stern expressions on their faces.

As I approached the low coffee table to place the tray, my sore arm throbbed, the pain so sudden and sharp that I almost dropped the tray.

I tried to steady myself, but it was too late... the glasses tipped over, onto the floor, and over Bryce's expensive shoes.

I stood frozen, staring at yet another batch of broken glass scattered across the floor.

"You useless idiot!" Bryce snapped, his eyes were a wild mixture of fear and anger. Before I could even think to move, he grabbed my arm so hard, I could feel his fingers digging into the bruises already there.

"It was an accident, I swear..." I tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened.

"You're nothing but a..."

"Let go of her." Mr. Morano's voice cut through the air, silencing Bryce immediately. Bryce froze, his face going pale as he slowly turned to face Mr. Morano as if just realising he was still sitting there.

"You heard me. Let. Go."

Bryce's hand immediately released me, as if he'd been burned. I stumbled back, clutching my throbbing arm, my eyes darting nervously between the two men.

I could feel Mr. Morano's eyes on me, accessing... calculating.

"She's useless to you, isn't she?" Mr. Morano's tone was cold, adding a chill to the tension.

Bryce couldn't even form words, he just nodded.

"I'll take her off your hands." Mr. Morano said, his gaze fixed on me. "And in return, your debt is forgiven."

It felt as if the room spun and those words echoed in my head. He couldn't be serious, right?

I turned to Bryce, seeking my answer. His mouth opened and closed a few times as if he was searching for the right words, but all that came out was a strangled, "Deal."

That was all the answer I was getting. He was very serious, and it was very final.

Caleb

The debtor was on his knees, bawling his eyes out as he begged for more time. I barely acknowledged him, feeling nothing but boredom and annoyance. Men like him never learned. They always thought they could buy mercy with tears.

I got up, having had enough of that. I didn't need to say anything to my bodyguards; they knew what to do.

I heard the man's cries and grunts grow louder as I walked out, but I felt nothing.

The door of the waiting car was held open for me and I got into the back seat, closing my eyes for a moment. As much as I'd love to go home, I still had one stop left... Bryce Jenkins.

Bryce Jenkins could be summed up in one word: parasite. He was a small-time dealer who'd bitten off more than he could chew. He owed me a lot of money, so much money that I knew for a fact he wouldn't be able to pay back, but he was useful enough to keep around. For now.

The bodyguards came out of the houses wiping their bloody hands on their handkerchiefs. They didn't need to report back, I already knew what they did in there and how they did it.

We drove in silence to Bryce's place. I half-expected to find security stationed at the gates, but there was no one around. Which actually made sense, because how would he be able to afford security?

The front door was unlocked, and we entered without a word. Something small and fragile slammed into me. I looked down to see a girl on the floor at my feet, her dark hair hiding her face. She was trembling lightly.

She looked up at me with wide, terrified green eyes, a few bruises were on her face. The thin white dress she wore did little to hide the marks of abuse that covered her skin.

Strangely, I had an unexpected flashback of a similar event and I frowned, willing the memory to get lost.

"What the..." I heard Bryce's voice and looked up to see him at the top of the stairs, looking pale. "Mr. Morano, I wasn't expecting you... so soon."

It was actually annoying to see him try so hard to sound confident while he was very obviously filled with fear. He came down the stairs, his eyes darted from me to the girl and back.

"She's... just my stepsister," Bryce muttered, then he hissed at the girl to get up.

His sister? Then, was he the one that gave her those bruises? It didn't seem like anyone else lived there with them, so it had to be him.

I already knew I didn't like the guy from the first moment he approached me, but seeing as he treats his sister like garbage, my dislike for him turned to disgust.

Yet, I had to remind myself it was none of my business.

I was barely paying attention, but he said something to her and she got up and left immediately. Bryce gave me an obvious fake smile and asked me to join him in the living room.

I had no reason to follow him, it was clear he didn't have my money, I could have to asked my bodyguards to give him the usual treatment, but I found myself following him.

When the girl returned, she was carrying a tray of drinks that she dropped before she could place it on the low table, shattering the glasses. Bryce exploded in anger, grabbing her arm roughly.

Seeing the look of terror in her wide eyes, I lost it. Before I could realise what I was doing, I told Bryce I would take her and forgive his debts. Debts of over a hundred grand! But I'd said it and I wasn't one to go back on my words.

I glanced at her. She was small and fragile, but she was pretty and I had a feeling she was stronger than she appeared. If she could deal with that parasite for however long it's been just the both of them, then she should be able to fill in 'that' position.

I got up without another word and left Bryce's house to the car. The next minute, his sister was escorted to the car and she slid into the backseat next to me.

She sat way too close to her door, shrinking into herself, as if trying to disappear. I could feel her raw fear from where I sat, as if she'd break it I so much as raised my voice. I had just saved her, and she was still scared of me? How pathetic.

"What's your name?" I asked and she shuddered at the sound of my voice. It was getting really annoying.

"Ava... Ava Jenkins."

I whipped out my phone and texted instructions to my lawyer. His reply came in instantly - just how I liked it - and I replaced the phone in my jacket pocket, looking up to meet the driver's eyes in the rearview mirror.

"Head to the courthouse." I told him and he nodded immediately.

It was simple; I had a goal and one of the things I needed to reach my goal was a wife. Now, Ava Jenkins was meek and controllable, I could easily mold her into whatever I needed... what better option than to use her?

I half-expected her to put up a fight or resist the situation anyhow she could, whether it was futile or not, but she remained silent, even as we got to the courthouse and the marriage license was placed in front of her.

She stared at it for just a moment, but then she picked up the pen and signed the documents. Totally controllable... she'll do.

"Congratulations, you're married." The judge said after I signed the documents. He glanced from her to me. I knew what he wanted to say, but he was contemplating it.

Because I wanted to ease her up a little - and maybe because I just wanted to do it - I reached over to grab Ava's waist, pulled her closer, buried my fingers in her thick hair and tilted her neck, sealing my lips to hers.

She felt like stone in my arms, trembling lightly but she didn't dare to move or push me away. I liked the way she tasted, the way her lips were soft against mine.

I broke the kiss. The ceremony was over, she was married to me. Now, for the next phase of my plan.

I took her home and led her to the second biggest bedroom right next to mine. Her eyes were taking in the decor while I took of my suit jacket and reached for my tie to loosen it.

"Strip." I told her.

I saw her shoulders stiffen as her eyes darted at me, widening. There was that look of terror again.

"Strip." I repeated, reinforcing my tone.

Her gulp was so loud, I bet the guys at the gates could hear it. But she slowly reached for the hem of her dress with shaky hands.

That annoyed me. I closed the distance between us in one quick stride, throwing my tie aside.

"Stop trembling. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done that already."

Saying that only increased her fear and her knees gave out.

Fuck! I was so not in the mood to deal with that.

"Get some sleep." I told her as I turned away from her, grabbing my tie and my jacket on my way out.

I might as well just call Valerie.

Ava

I was married.

Yeah, as bizarre as that sounds, it was the truth. I was sold off by my insufferable stepbrother and married to a complete stranger.

I really thought it was a joke, I hoped it was a joke. Even after Bryce agreed to that crazy deal, I tried to talk to him, to get him to stop joking but Mr. Morano's bodyguards led me out of my parents' house with nothing but the clothes on my back.

It was too much, I didn't know how to react, but I also knew for a fact that Mr. Morano was on a different level from Bryce and if I wanted to keep my head on my neck, I had to shut the hell up.

I was scared out of my mind.

Though, I wasn't expecting him to marry me. I mean, why would he want to marry me? He didn't know anything about me, he even had to ask me my name. Unless, he had a weird hobby of marrying women and making babies with them.

Because why the hell would he ask me to strip out of the blue? We were strangers, married or not, how could he just want to take me to his bed?

Even though I knew I couldn't refuse him, I was still a bit hesitant. When he got close to me, I thought for sure he would hit me. I've passed out from a single slap from Bryce and he was built much smaller than Mr. Morano, so I sure that a slap from Mr. Morano would send me six feet under.

Yet, he walked away and told me to get some sleep. That was a little strange. I couldn't sleep though, not in a stranger's house, not when I was completely vulnerable and could be attacked in my sleep.

What if Mr. Morano came back to strip me off himself? I was all for being a slave, it was my fate, I understood that. But losing my virginity to a stranger, that was scary.

Being a slave didn't mean I couldn't dream and my daydreams all consisted of me being married to someone I love, someone who'd save me from Bryce, care for me just as how Mom loved me.

To be honest, my life wasn't always so shitty. Before I met Bryce, I lived alone with my single Mom. We didn't talk much about Dad, mostly because Mom never wanted to talk about him. All she told me was that they didn't work out and that I looked a lot like him.

That wasn't even nearly enough for a curious ten year-old, but I accepted it because I loved Mom and was content with just her.

She obviously didn't feel the same way since she got married to Bryce's Dad a year after we had that talk. Mr. Jenkins was nice and I felt comfortable enough to call him Dad within a few weeks. The problem was... Bryce.

He hated Mom and I, he also didn't try to hide it. He was against the wedding and threw fits, but his Dad didn't care one bit. Since Mom and Mr. Jenkins were totally consumed by one another, the only person Bryce had left to take his anger out on was me.

He picked on me every chance he could get, at school, at home... I had no peace. I tried complaining to our parents but they told me to keep being nice to him, he'll come around.

Well, he didn't!

In fact, after the accident that claimed our parents' lives, Bryce being the adult was kept in charge of me and that's when he unleashed his real monster.

I keep calling myself a slave but I was treated worse than a slave. Since I was practically raised in his reign of terror, I got accustomed to doing whatever he asked and being scared of him.

I had no way out. Where would I go? I had no money and all of Mr. Jenkins' wealth went to Bryce.

While I daydreamed that someone would rescue me from Bryce, I didn't expect it'd be a total stranger and it didn't even feel like I was rescued. It felt like I just got myself into a much worse situation.

But I'm a survivor. I've survived my stepbrother for the twelve years we've lived together without our parents, I can survive Mr. Morano. All I had to do was keep my head down and do whatever he asked.

It wasn't the first time I'd be skipping out on sleeping at night 'cause I was scared, so my body was used to it.

I got up at first light and left my room.

Mr. Morano's house was huge, way bigger than Bryce's house and it was kind of comfortable too. The decor was simple, almost plain and there weren't expensive useless items around like that damned vase.

Also, the house was spotless, so I couldn't find anything to do, I couldn't even find any maids around.

I heard something come from the kitchen and I went in there, seeing a middle-aged woman making breakfast. From her chef's outfit, it was obvious she was in charge of the kitchen.

"Good morning." I said, getting her attention. She turned away from the stove to look at me.

"Oh, Good morning." She said with a smile. At least she was friendly.

"I'm Ava. Do you need any help?"

She gave me a once-over... another.

"I'm sorry, are you Mr. Morano's guest?"

I wasn't sure what I was, his guest? his wife? his slave?

"Urh, yeah. Do you need any help?" I asked again.

"Of course not, dear. You can just sit on one of the stools and I'll serve you breakfast. Do you want coffee while you wait?"

"Yeah, make it black."

We were both surprised to hear a voice as a woman walked in.

She was stunning!

She had dark brown hair, piercing black eyes, long pretty legs... even without makeup she looked like a model. She was dressed in a loose bathrobe and part of her underwear was visible.

Until she sat down, she didn't notice me. The chef was already handing her a mug of coffee.

Her eyes - those sharp eyes - landed on me and she frowned slightly, studying me.

I suddenly felt tongue-tied. I could say "Good morning", but I had a feeling, a feeling born from experience that at that moment, I only had to speak when spoken to.

She sipped her coffee while still watching me.

"What are you?" She asked finally.

Wait... What? Not who? How do I answer that and not sound like I'm being sarcastic? She was definitely not the kind of person I wanted to be rude to.

"Nothing... I mean, no one." I stuttered.

Her frown deepened.

"Good morning, Mr. Morano."

I actually let out a sigh of relief when the chef spoke up and I saw Mr. Morano walk into the kitchen, a stern expression on his face.

He didn't reply to the chef, his eyes were on me and I was staring right back at him, unable to look away.

"Did you hire a new maid or something? Why's she all bruised up?" The brunette lady asked Mr. Morano.

His eyes were still locked on mine. He jammed his hands into the pockets of his joggers and tilted his head slightly.

"Not a maid." He replied. "She's my wife."