Submitting to the Mafia King

"Your drinks."

Cara mumbled, dropping the tray filled with drinks on the table before walking away. Anyone could tell she was extra grumpy and moody tonight.

Who wouldn't be?

Struggling to make ends meet with a drunk and gambler for a father hasn't always been easy for her, but he was her only family. She'd pick doing this every day over losing him.

Like everyone else, her family was once a happy one. She had a loving mother who was the best stay-at-home wife and a hard-working father who worked at one of the top marketing firms. Everything went crashing down when her mother became diagnosed with stage three lung cancer in her first year at college. Being the breadwinner of the family, her father couldn't take a break from work, and Cara had to take a year break from college.

Who knew a year break would become a permanent drop-out?

Fate decided it was time to play a cruel game on them, and her mother passed eight months after. Between the piled-up medical bills and long avoided utility bills, her return to college seemed distant as she had to work to assist her father, who couldn't go on as though nothing had happened.

Today Cara had woken up feeling lighter than any other day. It was her 22nd birthday, and she made simple plans.

Go to work as usual, take no extra shift, have a simple lunch with dad, and spend the rest of the day with her man. That was until she received the most devastating call of the day-her father had done it again.

Ever since her mother's death, he became a shadow of himself. They had bills to pay and debts to make up for, but he couldn't be bothered. It was as if time had stopped for him and there was no reason for him to continue living. It all started from coming home drunk five days in a week, to not coming home at all, until it cost him his job.

Drinking took everything away from him, and now what? Gambling?

Cara had received a threatening call earlier in the day; she had a week to pay back thirty grand from one of her father's gambling escapades or risk losing him. Of course, this wasn't his first time, but he had never owed this much. Their entire savings wasn't even up to five thousand dollars and she was to pay back thirty?

Working absentmindedly through the day, she thought about everything that had gone wrong and wondered why life couldn't even be kind to her on her birthday. Resigning to her fate for the day, she took an extra shift, all her plans taking the back bench seat as she looked forward to the end of the day. Cara decided that she was not going to think about it today. Instead, she would work her ass off as usual, get a lot of tips, and spend the day with her man as planned.

That was until she got his call two hours ago.

"I have a meeting with a client; I think we'll have to reschedule baby."

Was all her fiancé said in a rush before hanging up on her.

Did he have to go to the meeting? On her birthday at that?

She wondered after he ended the call but would never voice it out. It has always been like that. They've been dating for just three years and a few months, but she's lost count of how many times he has disappointed her. Not that she'll ever question him; she did that once, and the pain in her right ankle whenever it gets cold still serves as a reminder. She never voiced out her wants. He was hers, and that was all she needed.

"Hey Cara, this is for booth 14." The bartender called out, snapping her out of her deep thoughts. She picked up the tray once again, her thoughts taking a temporary break in her head as she walked up the stairs.

Usually she only walked on the ground floor, but the club was at its peak tonight, so all hands were to be on deck.

Being the one to always see the good in every situation, Cara happily sighed. She felt lucky that she wasn't told to work on the second floor tonight. It is known to contain the richest and most snobbish of their clients, and she didn't think she had the patience to suck up to anyone tonight.

Arriving at booth 14, she plastered a forced smile on her face as she walked in.

"Hello! Your-

Timothy!" She gasped, wide eyed.

"Timothy!" Cara gasped in horror, the tray crashing to the floor as it fell from her hands.

Hearing the sudden crash, everyone in the booth looked up at her, but her eyes were stuck on just one person. He hadn't seemed to realise she was the one yet, as he was so occupied with the bimbo sitting on his lap, he couldn't spare her more than a glance.

Cara watched in shock as the man she would be getting married to in a few months time-the man who was supposedly in a meeting with a client-whispered into the ears of the lady sitting on his legs and how she giggled unnecessarily in reply.

Her eyes welled up with tears. Looking around once more, she saw more familiar faces. This betrayal, she felt her entire world come crashing down.

Sitting in the room with Timothy were his friends and their girlfriends-the people she thought were her friends too, but she was wrong. She'd known them for as long as she'd known Timothy and wondered if they only saw her as his girlfriend instead of a friend.

Did everyone know about this?

"Cara?" One of his friends loudly called out, and Timothy snapped his head up in surprise.

"Cara? Where's she?"

Looking away from his friend, he looked her way, and Cara could only stare at him in disgust as she willed herself not to let the tears fall.

Never again. She had promised herself. She'd never again cry over him, and she wasn't going to break that promise today.

"Cara baby. What are you doing here? I thought you worked on the ground floor only."

Rolling her eyes, Cara scoffed.

Typical Timothy.

She caught him cheating again, and all he's worried about is the fact that she wasn't supposed to work up here.

I have to get out of there, she thought.

She wasn't going to stand by and watch Timothy insult her once again. Feeling anger course through her veins, with a firm resolve, she gathered the last of her courage, looking at him with contempt.

"We're over, Timothy. I'm done with you." And then she walked away.

"Cara wait. You don't mean that. I'm sorry." He called after her, but she didn't spare him a glance.

Walking faster, she pulled off her apron, rushing towards the staff room. Behind the little courage was a lot of fear. She had to put enough distance between them both and fast! Cara wasn't sure she could take another beating tonight.

She thought of everything she had done for him. Timothy wasn't always like this. He was there for her at her lowest point when no one was. She was struggling, contemplating giving it all up, when she met him. His love for her got her through it all. When she caught him cheating the first time, she confronted him and got a good beating. Everyone said he was emotionally manipulative and violent, but he apologised and promised to turn a new leaf, so she stayed. When she caught him the third time, they said he didn't care for her, but he apologised and proposed, so she stayed. No one could understand their love, she had thought. Looking back on it all now, all she could feel were regrets.

She had been so foolish. Why blame everyone for hiding the truth from her when they all expected the same result? Well, they are going to get the biggest shock of their lives because she was done.

She was done. Done being a foot mat for everyone. She was tired of working and working with nothing to show for it. She was done taking trash from her sorry excuse of a fiancé. For Christ sake, it was her birthday, and here she was working hard to pay off her father's debts instead of living her life.

"Don't walk out on me while I'm talking to you!"

She felt him pull her back and she let out a small scream, stumbling on her feet.

"Timothy! How dare you?"

"How dare me? How dare you walk out on me? In front of my friends?" He sneered

"Is that all you care about? I just caught you cheating again, Tim. This isn't even the third time." Cara cried out.

"I wasn't cheating. We were just hanging out." Timothy defended

"Hanging out? On my birthday? Timothy, you told me you had a meeting. I have had a rough day, and I just wanted a break with my fiancé. You know what? I don't care anymore; we're over." She declared, trying to free her arm of his tight grip.

"You can't break up with me!" Timothy gripped her wrist tighter, ignoring Cara's painful pleas.

Pulling all her weight, she pushed him back and ran for the staff room door.

If she could just get in, she'd be safe on the other side, she thought.

As she made a move to open the door, it was thrown open, almost slamming into her face. In a fit of shock, Cara lost her footing, her eyes closing automatically as she anticipated the fall, only to be stopped by a firm arm around her waist.

The first thing she felt was how strong the arm was as it held unto her waist tightly, and then she smelt him.

His cologne was enough to have any woman sway on their feet. She felt as though she could get drunk on the scent alone.

"Are you alright?"

She heard his deep, baritone voice ask and felt shivers run through her spine. Never in her entire life has she heard anything that could make her feel so pleased and fearful at the same time.

Opening her eyes, she was met with the deepest grey ones she'd ever seen, staring into hers as though he were trying to see through her soul.

Cara glanced over his facial features and wondered how a man could look this beautiful even with a stoic expression on his face. Giving him a once-over, she could see his muscles straining against the fabric of his shirt and the tip of an elaborate tattoo as it peaked out from the turtleneck he was wearing.

"Cara! What are you doing? Get over here now!" Timothy bellowed, reminding her of his presence behind them.

Suddenly, an idea struck her mind. If she's going to escape leaving with Timothy tonight, she couldn't do that by herself. Even if she did, he'll be back at the house when she goes to pick up her stuff. It had always been like that. The same vicious circle repeats itself whenever they have a fight.

Cara shot one last icy glance at Timothy before she slipped her hands around the strange man's neck.

Holding onto him tightly as a big smile stretched across her face.

"Babe! You're here." She said in faux surprise.

And then she kissed him.

Pulling back a little to search his face for any sign of reluctance, she noticed a brief moment of shock flash across his face then he went back to his typical stoicism. Bringing her lips back to his, she whispered

"Kiss me back, please."

Timothy stood fuming with rage as he watched Cara break off the kiss with the unknown man, reflecting on her last words.

Babe. You're here? Babe. You're here?!

His hands balled into fists as he simmered in anger.

"You've been cheating on me?" He spat out distastefully, and Cara let out a cold laugh.

"I guess we can call it even then." She entwined her fingers with that of her pretend boyfriend's. "...or maybe not. This is your fourth time, right?"

Timothy, visibly annoyed, took a step towards her.

"Are you crazy? Come over here while I'm still being nice, and let's go home."

Cara let out a hollow laugh.

"Home? You mean the apartment I paid for?"

"I never asked you to! You did that on your own." Timothy replied with a snarl.

Cara felt foolish once again. After everything she had done for him, he was just going to brush it off like none of it mattered. Like it didn't cost her a lot.

She was always the one giving, even with the little she had.

Was she really foolish?

Memories of the time they've spent together flashed through her eyes. She was the one who always offered to pay whenever they ate out. She was the one who offered to pay the lease of his apartment. She also did all his cleaning and cooking.

God! She felt pathetic!

Did she really have to do all that to keep him? He wasn't even worth it!

"You never really loved me, Tim. If you did, you would not have treated me badly. I'm done." Cara replied unfazed. Still holding onto the hand of her surprisingly quiet pretend boyfriend, she turned around to open the staff room door when Timothy's next words stopped her.

"Well, how do you plan to pay back the thirty grand your father owes?"

"What?"

Cara turned back to him.

"Come with me, and I'll help you."

Cara's face remained cold and distant. To say she was surprised would be a lie; she had suspected it all along. Whenever things started to get better for her, a problem greater than she could mentally handle on her own would occur. That's how he has been able to keep her by his side-he'd make her believe the entire world was against her and he was the only one who cared. Moreover, her father once mentioned how Timothy promised to give him some money to make their lives better during one of his drunken shows. She suspected but decided to believe it wasn't her Timothy. Now, everything was starting to add up together. She had once wondered where her father got the funds to fuel his gambling addictions. Now she knew.

What a psychotic bastard!

Cara stood up straighter, her cold and proud demeanour totally contrasting how she felt within. She wasn't going to let him see through her, and this clearly irritated Timothy who took another step closer.

If she wasn't going to come back to him, then no one else can have her.

He made a move to reach for her when the stranger, who had quietly been watching it all, pulled her behind him. Stepping out of the dim light, he stood in front of Timothy, staring him down.

Timothy was a tall man himself, but he had nothing on the six-foot-three-muscle man who stood in front of him. The man seemed to be struggling to hold himself up, and his once deep grey eyes were now bloodshot, but Timothy would recognise him anywhere.

"Adonis." He whispered softly, unconsciously taking a step back.

Adonis squinted his eyes at the mention of his name. He was correct to think that the lousy guy whose voice had been aggravating his headache had a slight pinch of Italian accent. From the look on his face, Adonis could tell he recognised him. He tried to recall where he had seen his familiar face, but he couldn't will his brain to.

He felt hot! All he could think of was getting a release, and the kiss from earlier only fuelled his desire. He still hasn't figured out if it was in the beer or water he drank earlier, but he was sure that once the culprit was caught, he/she would paid dearly.

Tainting his drink with an aphrodisiac was a low blow.

Adonis let out a small groan, thick beads of sweat running down his face, as he ordered

"Leave."

Timothy didn't need to be told twice; throwing a final angry glare at Cara, he stalked away. If the rumours were true and Adonis is who they've described him to be, it was better he addressed Cara another day.

Adonis swayed on his feet, placing his hands on the wall just in time to stop himself from collapsing, and Cara rushed to his side.

"Oh my God, are you fine?" She searched his face frantically, watching in confusion as he recoiled from her touch. He stood to his feet, taking a step back from her.

"Go. Leave here."

"No. I can't do that. You clearly don't look well." She stubbornly refused.

Adonis let out a painful, loud groan, wiping his hand down his face.

"You have to get out of-" was all he could say before he swayed once again. In an attempt to save him from falling, Cara placed a hand on his bicep, earning a soft groan from Adonis as his head fell to her nape.

He littered light kisses all over, taking the skin between his lips as he sensually sucked at it.

Cara let out a small embarrassed moan, wetness instantly pooling between her legs. As much as she was confused, she felt extreme desire.

Is it possible to feel desire for a man you just met?

Momentarily snapping out of it, Adonis pulled away from her. Gripping her shoulders tight, he spoke with the little strength he had left.

"Leave bellissima, or I won't be responsible for my actions."

Cara remained unknowingly adamant.

"I know we're strangers, but you just helped me. You're sick, and it's my turn to return the favour. I want to help you."

Adonis chuckled darkly, pushing her against the wall.

"You want to help me?"

"Yes." Cara replied in a breathy whisper and wondered if that was her voice. She was meant to be helping the sick man, not getting turned on by his little touches and groans.

It was as though her reply broke the last restraint Adonis had left. Tapping her butt twice, he whispered.

"Jump." As he bunched up the material of Cara's skirt around her waist, her thick legs clinging tightly to his.

"Wait!" Cara tried to stop Adonis; the realisation of what was about to happen was just occurring to her, but Adonis was long gone.

Pulling his trouser just low enough to free himself, he gripped her chin in between his hands. Staring into her eyes, he instructed.

"Try not to make a sound."

And then he took her.