Chapter 4 Branded

• Tears are streaming down my face; no one will help me, not even Troy.
• "Boss, the girls are arriving today. We should start preparing," he says. I know it's just a way to help me.
• "Don't worry, Troy, I'll leave soon after she knows who she belongs to," Mario sneers—looking at the small branding iron in one of the men's eyes. I cry loudly when he walks towards me like I'm prey. My first instinct is to grab a gun from the floor he used to kill that man. I hold the gun tighter, pointing at him with fidgeting hands. I can kill him right here, right now, and I will be gunned down as well, but I have nothing to lose; my life is over. I flinch when he laughs.
• "Put that down, baby girl. You look horrible." I'm scared and sweating. I've been here for a long time, and this is the most scared I have been.
• "Don't come close," I whisper, stammering; between this gun and that brand iron, I'm more scared of the gun.
• Bang
• Bang. The boss doesn't like anyone in his way. I remember the day my papa was shot.
• I feel so weak right now.
• "Boss, please," Troy whispers, but he looks at him, scrutinizing him
• "Hold her." The boss orders, and Troy protests, but one of the goons puts a gun on his head.
• "No, please, Troy. I'd rather you hold me," I say. I hold on to Troy like dear life, and he comforts me, whispering kind words in my ear.
• "I want every time you look in the mirror, you should always remember me and that you can never escape me; you're always me, mine, Aviana Tasaro," He says slowly, making sure the words sink in. I'm so thankful that Troy is here with me now. I feel my dress lifted, and a cool breeze hits my exposed legs. But the pain that suddenly pours through my skin is excruciating, and I scream at the top of my lungs; Troy tightens his hold on me.
• "Shhhh," he coos. Tears fall from my tears like rain.
• Everything burns, and he takes it out.
• "Good," I hear him say before darkness envelopes me.
• ….
• I stir awake, feeling like I'm on fire. I unconsciously go to touch where I feel pain but hiss. Memories of what happened come crashing down on me, and I feel a hot tear run down.
• That psycho branded me like an animal. I feel no better than cattle now.
• With some effort, I get off the bed but damn it hurts. I'm naked. Someone must have got me out of my clothes.
• I go to my closet and stand in front of the mirror; my eyes are puffy and dark, my long hair is all over the place, and I feel like crap. Lastly, I look on my left side just above my hipbone where the burning discomfort is coming from; I rip the bandage off, causing me to scream. It's a red M and a gun symbol, like a tattoo drawing, next to it.
• The gun is slightly bigger than the M, but no one can miss it. Fresh tears fall on my face, and I don't try to wipe them.
• "Ahem," I don't look behind. I can see the devil through the mirror.
• "The doctor said you need more rest,"
• How can he claim to love me when all he does is hit and abuse me, now permanently scars me, his name and logo on me? I walk past him slowly since I can't walk fast or straight without feeling the burn. I lay on my other side, taking a deep breath. I smell of roses; he must have ordered them knowing how much I liked them, but now they sicken me, even my body. I'm not too fond of it because he loves it.
• "I despise you so much, Marion," I sneer. It wouldn't be possible to loathe an individual this much.
• "I love you, and I don't care about your feelings," He says, dressing my injury.
• "This isn't love; you're obsessed and need help," I shout.
• "Stay still, damn it! I need to cover this so it shouldn't get exposed to an infection,"
• I close my eyes, and a tear and another escape me. I open my eyes when I hear noises outside.
• "Mario, What's that?"
• I struggle to get up, and he gives me his hand, but I ignore it and go to the window.
• There are young girls taken out of the truck, girls no other than eighteen.
• "They are so young and scared. Don't you people have compassion?"
• "Just the same age as you when I got you and now look beautiful, bold, and my Queen," He smiles. My eyes sway back to the girls, who are shaking and crying in fear as men put guns at them.
• "Shut up!" a guard yells, making them cry louder.
• "Package has arrived," Mario says, ending the call. I turn to glare at him, but he looks at me.
• "You're a monster," I croak.
• "They are Tai's, you know this isn't my line of work,"
• I grab a vase of flowers near me and throw it at him, making me wince at the pain due to the force I used, but he dodges. Mario is fuming in anger now. He grabs me in a chokehold while his other hand holds my injury, and it bleeds again.
• "Why do you always have to force my hand?"
• I cry, trying to fight him off, but he's stronger than me by far.
• He only releases me when he gets a phone call.
• "WHAT!" He answers. After discussing a few minutes, he hangs up and sighs, glaring at me.
• "I won't harm you if you behave, Aviana. I saved your fucking LIFE,"
• "No, you didn't, I was safe with Mama,"
• "Tai would have taken you to hell!"
• "I'm in hell! I've been in hell since I came here at the age of seventeen. Mario and Tai said they wanted to protect me from the people who killed my father, that it was their duty as his friends and partners, but In reality, they had a different plan; Tai wanted me to work in his brothels to seduce certain kind of men because of my 'rare beauty' while Mario wanted me for himself, so they auctioned me, and the mafia boss won.
• "Hey, Ava," Troy calls; I smile at him.
• "I'm sorry I failed you," he says. " I should have gotten you out of here ages ago; the boss is crazy."
• Troy is my oldest friend. He was studying medicine when Mario took me. Troy discontinued his studies to join the cartel and look out for me.
• " It's not your fault," He sits beside me and holds my hands.