Sold to the mafia

Madeline

“I think she’s awake, Mr. Murphy,” I hear Katie say. Her voice sounds muffled, almost as if I’m under water. I hear other people talking too, but their voices are too distorted to understand what they’re saying.

Groaning, I struggle to open my eyes. They feel heavy, like they weigh a thousand pounds. On top of that, my body is sore all over and I feel incredibly weak. After a moment, I’m able to lift my eyelids enough to see. Everything is blurry. There are several people, I think, standing over my bed. I blink rapidly to clear my vision, and slowly the room comes into view.

I’m lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by Daddy and Katie. Katie is holding my hand and looking down at me with a mixture of relief and love. Daddy looks like a man who’s been told he’s won the lottery.

As grateful as I am to see these two, I notice one person missing.

Zane, I think with panic. Where’s Zane?

I try to lift my head to look around, but it’s too much for me and I fall back. Seeing my distress, Daddy rushes forward and places a hand on my shoulder to calm me. “I’m here, baby,” he reassures me, leaning down to plant a gentle kiss on my forehead. “No one is ever going to hurt you again. I swear it.” For a moment, I feel comforted by his words.

“We’re both so glad you’re alive,” Katie adds, her voice filled with joy. She places her hand over her chest. “For a while there, I thought you wouldn’t make it. You almost gave your father and me a frickin’ heart attack.”

I smile briefly at her, so she doesn’t think I’m an ungrateful twit. “Where’s Zane?” I croak. My voice sounds raw, like I’ve smoked a hundred packs of cigarettes.

“He had to leave,” Katie says, glancing apprehensively at Daddy.

“Why?” I demand, sensing something’s not right. Why would he leave me like this?

“Because I told him to,” Daddy replies sternly, his smile morphing into a scowl. “I told him to get out and to never come back. He’s the reason why you’re here, and he can go to hell for it.”

Anger swells up from the depths of my stomach. “Why would you do that?” I snap. “Zane saved my life!” I can scarcely remember the events following my rescue, but I clearly remember being held in Zane’s loving arms before I lost consciousness. My father was wrong to send Zane away when he’d risked his life to save me.

He snorts. “Saved you? Had you never met the lying bastard, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“I’m only alive because he saved me!” I yell, my voice croaking like a frog. Through the large doorway, I see several nurses stop to stare at me, but I don’t give a damn. I’m fucking pissed.

“You have no idea why you’re alive,” Daddy says. “You’re clearly delirious, so I’m going to forgive how you’re acting toward me.”

“I am not delirious. As soon as they say I’m well enough, I’m out of here! And the first thing I’m going to do is find Zane to tell him how much I love him.”

Daddy’s face turns red with fury. “You’re going to do no such thing, young lady!”

I glare back at him, pretending not to notice Katie fidgeting and looking uncomfortable. I know she must feel pretty conflicted right now, stuck between her best friend and my well-meaning father. “I’m a grown woman. You can’t tell me what I can or can’t do!”

He glowers at me, the veins standing out his neck. I swear if I wasn’t already half-dead, he’d strike me. He takes a deep breath, as if to calm himself and opens his mouth to speak. “You know–”

“Mr. Murphy,” Katie says, quietly interrupting him. “I think Maddy and I need a second alone.”

He turns on Katie, and at first I think he’s going to cuss her out, but he just stares at her.

“Please?” Katie pleads. “Just a few minutes, and I’ll let you take the helm.”

Daddy turns his gaze back on me for a long moment before grudgingly saying, “Alright. You have five minutes.” Not saying another word, he bends down and kisses me on the forehead, and then he walks out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

“What happened?” I ask her as soon as the door clicks shut. Katie grabs a chair from the corner of the room and drags it over to the bed. She sits down and takes my hand.

“Are you okay?” she asks, her eyes filled with concern.

I shake my head, tears welling up into my eyes. “No,” I sigh. “I’m not.” Tears roll down my face as I relive the trauma of my kidnapping, and it’s an effort to wipe them away. “I need Zane,” I say.

Seeing my distress, tears well up in Katie’s eyes. “Oh Maddy,” she sighs. “I can’t imagine what you went through.”

My throat feels like it has a lump the size of a bowling ball in it. “They were going to…” I can hardly get the words out. “Rape me… and kill me.” I’m grateful my father isn’t in here to hear this part of my story. I fear he might blame Zane and go find him and shoot him.

Katie places a hand over her mouth in horror. “Oh God, Maddy, no.”

I nod. “It was so awful, Katie. I didn’t know if I was going to live or die.”

“And Zane really saved you?” she asks in wonder.

“Yes,” I reply. “Against all odds, he found me. And then he killed them. He saved me.”

Katie’s eyes go wide with shock. “He killed the guys who kidnapped you?”

I nod. “And they fucking deserved it,” I snarl, half-rising in the bed, my eyes blazing with hatred. “They deserved to be fucking dead!”

Katie’s taken aback by the venom in my voice and the savage scowl on my face. I know she thinks that this behavior isn’t like me, but she wasn’t there. She didn’t live through the horror like I did. It changes a person.

“When was Zane last here?” I ask, looking all around as if he’s about to pop out of thin air.

“Yesterday, when you were admitted. He called me and told me to get your dad. I did, and then when I got here he told me you had been kidnapped, but everything was fine now. He didn’t say anything about killing anybody, though.” She bites her lower lip anxiously.

“He didn’t tell you because he didn’t want Daddy to know. Daddy hates him, so imagine if he knew what Zane did, even if it was to save me.”

“He’d arrest him.”

I nod. “Exactly. So I need you to promise me, Katie. Promise me you won’t tell a soul about what I’ve told you.”

Katie is a long time in responding, and I fear she’s going to run out and tell my father, but finally she nods. “I promise, Maddy. You don’t have to worry. I won’t tell a soul.” She bites her lower lip again and then looks anxious. “But there’s something you need to know.”

I hold back a groan. I’ve had enough surprises to last me a lifetime.

“The cops interviewed your dad and me, and I’m sure they’re going to interview you as soon as they think you’re well enough.”

“Ugh,” I groan. “That’s the last thing I need right now.”

“You’re going to have to lie to them, Maddy.”

“I know that.”

“I hope you know you could get into serious trouble for that.”

“I don’t give a fuck.” I don’t care what crime I’ll commit by covering for Zane, I’m going to stand by him until the very end.

“Just making sure you know that.”

“Thank you,” I say sarcastically.

Katie scowls. “Bitch.”

I don’t miss a beat. “Ho.”

Katie laughs and leans down to hug me. “Maddy, I’m just so happy you’re alive!”

I wish I could rejoice with her, but I feel sick to my stomach. “Damn, I really wish there was a way I could get out of being interrogated.”

“You know, you don’t have to talk to them right now. You’re the victim in this, you can stall them by saying you’re not ready to talk about it. And then when you are well enough, you can lawyer up first before saying anything, if you have to say anything at all.”

“I’ll just say I don’t remember shit, that I fell and hit my head, which I did, and I’m having trouble recalling anything.” They can’t make me talk.

“You always were sort of brain-damaged,” Katie agrees, and we both laugh.

“Do you really love him?” Katie asks me in a serious tone after a moment of silence.

“Yes,” I reply with conviction. “I do. I don’t know if he loves me, or if he and my father will ever get along, but I do love him. Very much.”

Katie looks at me with a proud gleam in her eye. “That’s good, Maddy. I’m so happy for you, and I’m glad to know you’ve finally given a man your heart.” Then she wryly adds, “Even if he had to murder two guys to capture it.”

“Katie!” I protest.

“Wha? You know I’m just pulling your leg. You know, I talked to Needles too, during all this.”

“What did he say?” I ask.

“He told me that they’re moving shop. That Zane’s out of the mob for good and moving on. When you’re well enough, if you still want, I’ll take you to Zane.”

My eyes brim over with tears. “Thank you so much, Katie.”

She rubs my arm affectionately. “That’s what friends are for.”

I feel so much love and appreciation for Katie right now. She’s been my rock throughout my life, and I’m honored that she’s going to stand by me and my decision to cover for Zane. I’m not even worried that she’ll ever talk about what I’ve shared with her.

Still there is one last thing that is bothering me. “Katie, am I wrong?” I have to ask. “Zane killed those people, and I’ll have to live with that knowledge for the rest of my life. But even knowing that, I still love him and want to be with him. Do you think that makes me a bad person?”

Katie snorts with derision. “I think you refusing to tell me how big Zane’s dong is makes you a bad person.”

“Katie!”

Katie laughs, and a moment later, I’m laughing right along with her. We laugh and laugh until our sides hurt. When we’re done, Katie’s expression turns serious and she grabs my hand and rubs it. “No, I don’t think you’re a bad person, Maddy. You’re the best friend a girl could ever ask for.”

“Thank you.” My eyes well up with tears, and I’m truly touched. I know then that Katie and I will be friends for life. Our bond is stronger than ever.

Katie smiles at me with great affection, the same that I feel in my heart. “Besides, you can’t help who you love.”

Grinning and filled with happiness, I squeeze her hand and reply, “Truer words have never been spoken.”