Rising From His Broken Mafia Vows

Sienna's Perspective Lucia had full access to the family's inner sanctum. A privilege reserved only for captains and the Don's wife. Yet he'd torn a gaping hole in his own impenetrable security for his mistress. I pressed my back against the cold stone wall, holding my breath, hiding in the darkness. A visibly pregnant Lucia strutted into Dante's office. Less than a minute later, the senior captains filed out into the corridor. They exchanged lewd smiles. They casually discussed how their boss liked to use his leather sofa. Then came the heavy thumping sounds from behind the thick office door. I covered my ears, squeezed my eyes shut, but I couldn't block out the visceral pain of my marriage shattering. After what felt like an eternity, the agonizing sounds stopped. I emerged from the shadows, creeping closer, and heard Lucia's soft voice through the slightly open door. "Who's the better woman?" she asked, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "Who's better than you in here?" Dante murmured, a hint of playfulness in his deep, familiar voice. A strangled sob tore from my throat. I turned and ran blindly, fleeing that suffocating place. The air there was unbreathable. I ran until my lungs burned with every frantic breath, wandering the city's maze for hours like an empty shell. I didn't know then, that while I was lost, Lucia's reckless actions on that mahogany desk had triggered severe bleeding, forcing Dante to rush her to the family's underground clinic. Rain lashed down from the black sky, soaking the cracked asphalt beneath my feet. Suddenly, my phone vibrated violently in my pocket. The name on the caller ID made my heart stop: Dante. I answered, my hands shaking so badly I almost dropped the phone. "Are you home?" His voice dripped with a sickeningly sweet concern. "Don't forget to take your daily vitamins." His terrifying duality made me nauseous. I couldn't tell anymore. I couldn't tell which Dante was real. After ten years, who had I even been loving? Before I could utter a single word, he hung up abruptly. Probably distracted by Lucia again. I lowered the phone, completely numb. Like a ghost trapped in my own body, I mindlessly stepped off the curb and crossed the empty street. The blinding headlights came before the sound. A black SUV appeared from nowhere. The heavy metal grille slammed into my side. The impact dragged my body across the rough, wet asphalt. I crumpled onto the icy street, my vision blurring.