The Descent Into Darkness

The stark, fluorescent glare of the ladies' room offered zero comfort. I pushed through the door, my chest tight with a sudden, inexplicable urge to cry. I wasn't a crier. Staring into the expansive mirror, I focused on my own reflection to ground myself. My light brown hair framed hazel eyes—mostly my father's green-hazel, but with that distinct spark of red and orange I got from my mother. People always assumed I wore colored contacts. Mom's dark brown eyes used to look like they hid a tiny, warm flame.

Looking at my face only brought a crushing wave of homesickness. I missed them. I missed the way their eyes treated me like the absolute center of their universe, and the soft, caring tone of their voices.

"You are very pretty," a heavy, thickly accented Italian voice murmured right behind my shoulder.

I was violently ripped back to a frightening reality. Before my brain could even process the threat, a massive hand clamped down hard over my mouth. The air vanished from my lungs. Why was a man in the women's restroom?

"I wouldn't attempt to combat me," the giant warned, pulling my back flush against his towering frame. He had to be at least twice my size. "I would like to give this body a beating, but in a very different manner."

His voice sent sheer terror rushing through my veins. I froze, hot tears instantly spilling over my eyelashes as I forced a frantic nod to show I wouldn't fight.

"Good." His tone vibrated with sick amusement. "I'm going to have fun training you to be my perfect little whore."

His fingers jerked my chin to the side, exposing my neck. A wet, rough tongue flicked out and dragged a deliberate stripe up my skin.

"Mmm, I can't wait to taste you," he breathed.

He didn't give me a single second to scream. The man hauled me out of the bathroom and forcefully dragged me down a dim corridor until the biting air of a back alleyway hit my face. An idling black SUV sat waiting with the rear door thrown open. There was absolutely no way to escape. My captor shoved me violently into the backseat, crowding in right after me. I slammed against another mountain of a man, instantly sandwiched between two steroid-fueled thugs in the cramped interior.

The doors slammed shut. As the vehicle accelerated into the night, both men deliberately shifted their weight, pressing their legs against mine. Heavy, calloused palms clamped down on my bare thighs, softly and sadistically rubbing up and down my skin. My body trembled under their touch.

"I see why the Capo wanted to keep her," the second man remarked. "She's so damn little. Tiny, but with lovely breasts and buttocks. You are perfectly proportioned."

They continued to grope my legs, casually talking over me about all the horrifying methods they wanted to use my body for. My mind went blank in absolute terror. I just sat trapped in the middle, trembling continuously and weeping in total silence.

The vehicle finally crunched to a halt after what felt like twenty agonizing minutes. My original attacker didn't wait. He locked his fist into a handful of my hair and violently yanked me out of the SUV.

A sharp gasp tore from my throat as searing pain ripped across my scalp, but I didn't scream. Instinct told me yelling would only make matters worse. I stumbled on my black heels, finding my footing just as we stopped in front of another person.

The sheer deference the surrounding thugs showed him indicated he was their superior. Had I just been dragged into the very heart of a dark criminal underworld?

"This little thing is what will bring the Capo to his knees?" the boss asked, letting out a harsh laugh that everyone else immediately echoed.

Why was I here? What in the world was a Capo? I stood frozen in my gorgeous red dress, terrified to ask a single question.

"He will protect her," one of the men chimed in as I continued to weep silently.

"He can try, but he will fail," the boss replied with total certainty. "After that, my son, you will be Capo."

He shifted his cold gaze back to me. "Tie her up."

Another suffocating wave of panic spiked through my chest.

"And don't fucking touch her!" the boss barked at his crew.

I let out a shaky breath as the guard grabbed me. We had to keep me untouched until they were all dead. At least they wouldn't rape or beat me right now.

"Once they are gone, you are free to share her as you like," the old man continued cruelly. "I might even have a few rounds with this little body myself."

To punctuate the threat, the old man seized my waist and aggressively thrust himself against me. Vile laughter erupted from the men around me as their eyes filled with horrible ideas. My only fractured hope was that whoever they were after somehow survived this trap. I needed them to live so I could survive too.

A guard seized my arm, leading me into a massive house and straight down to a tidy basement that reeked of harsh bleach. There was an actual cell built down here with chains attached to the walls. What kind of bizarre situation had I just stepped into?

The man secured heavy cuffs around my wrists and then my ankles. As he locked the restraints, his rough hands moved over my body with low sounds, and I immediately noticed the distinct bulge in his trousers.

Scraping together a bit of courage, I said feebly, "Your boss ordered you not to touch me."

"Not yet, little girl, but soon," he mocked, leaning in close. "Tomorrow you'll belong to me, and every man in this house will have a piece of you."

He turned and left, his menacing laughter echoing before the heavy door shut.

I was facing the terrifying prospect of being assaulted by massive, steroid-infused men. I couldn't allow myself to dwell on what awaited me tomorrow. I just hoped whatever wicked scheme they planned backfired. Shivering, I eased myself down the concrete wall, slipped off my heels, and rubbed my sore feet.

Glancing down at my wrist, I felt tears welling up. Giovanni had given me that bracelet just two months ago for my birthday.

He had asked me never to take it off, and I had kept that promise. He was likely very worried about me, or thinking I had simply walked away from him. I couldn't believe the very last thing I said to the only person I ever felt connected to was calling him an asshole.

I truly loved him, even though I didn't know him well. He made me feel cherished, wanted, and desired. We definitely needed to talk about his possessiveness, but ultimately, I still wanted him. A part of me enjoyed that he claimed me as his own and kept an eye on me.

Whenever I went out, if Giovanni wasn't available, it was usually Emilio or Adrian who accompanied me, sometimes even Dario. They had quickly become my friends. I shed more tears, thinking I might never see any of them again. I'd even miss Dario. We loved to prank him for always being so serious. We were just college students trying to enjoy ourselves.

All of us had demanding majors. Giovanni and Dario were working toward becoming lawyers, Emilio and Adrian were studying economics, and I was pursuing medicine.

Now, heavily chained to a wall, it felt like I would never achieve anything.