Chapter 19 Marked by the Don: On his knees for her.
Damien and I had taken a shower together last night and slept naked next to each other.
I woke up to the pleasure of Damien's lips against my back.
“Hi, babe,” I spoke in a soft tone.
His brow raised, “I didn't mean to wake you up,” he murmured “You just looked so beautiful.” His fingers gently brushed the hair off my face.
“Just kiss me.” I smiled, and he quickly placed his lips against mine.
My stomach skipped a bit as I remembered our time together last night.
He pressed me tighter against himself. “If you keep looking at me like that, I'm going to have to fuck you so hard you can't walk.”
I chuckled, cupping his face with my hands. “Oh God, Damien.”
“I'm serious; I wouldn't mind postponing the recruitment if it means spending time with you.”
“Oh… I suddenly remembered the recruitment. What time is it?" I asked.
“It should be at 8.00am, but it can be later if you want.”
I shook my head. “No, let's not keep this waiting.”
He pressed his lips against him. “Come on, let's take a shower.” He lifted me up and led me into the bathroom.
An hour later, we arrived at a site; it was an empty warehouse.
How many warehouses could my husband have?
Something about me felt proud.
I went from a simple girl in New York City who lived in the attic with her abusive family to the wife of a very feared Mafia lord who owned hundreds of buildings in different countries.
Hundreds of men dressed in suits lined up side by side inside the building, each one bowing their heads as Damien and I walked in.
“Boss!” I heard Derek's voice beside us, and Damien and I turned to the side, watching as Derek and a lady walked towards us.
“This is Derick’s sister, Isabelle,” Damien introduced, his hands gesturing to her.
A smile tugged on her lips as she gazed at me. To“I heard so much about you. Derick told me that you practically saved his life and mine.”
Her brown hair was up in a ponytail, and she had side bangs revealing the cut on her forehead; she must have been hit when she was kidnapped.
“The pleasure was all mine.” I smiled back; a feeling of satisfaction rose within me.
Isabelle exhaled sharply, and she pinched her lips together in hesitation. "There's
also something I need to say to you.” She looked up at Damien. “Seeing how much you fought to save me made me realise that I want to be a part of your family, the Mafia.”
My brow raised, I didn't know women could be recruited into the Mafia.
“I want to be a part of a family who would die for me,” Isabelle continued.
Damien's gaze flickered to Derick. “Are you okay with this?”
Derick nodded. “Yes, Don.”
Damien slowly moved towards Isabelle; his voice dropped low as he spoke, “Once you get in, do you understand that you cannot get out?”
Isabelle nodded.
“It's together forever; the only way to leave the Mafia is by death,” Damien continued.
Isabelle clasped her hands together. “I know… my brother already explained all that to me.”
Damien gestured to Isabelle to join the other recruits, and she bowed, turning to walk off. Derick bowed as well, leaving Damien and me alone.
“I didn't know women could join the Mafia,” I said as I watched Isabelle stand with the new recruits.
Damien turned to face me. “Women have always been welcome here, my love; they just chose not to. Men are more prepared for violence.”
I looked around the place once more; the new recruits looked excited to be here, and the old members whispered amongst themselves.
I pressed my fingers together as I spoke, “I want to join.”
Damien's brow pinched together. “You are always a part of my family, Charlotte.” He pulled closer and rested his hands on both sides of my shoulders. “The most important member.”
“I know, but I'm a member of the marriage to the boss. I want to be recruited; I want to feel like a member.”
“Tell me who here makes you feel like you are not a member, and I'll make an example out of him.” His gaze darkened.
I shook my head. “Nobody, Damien, but being recruited feels like the right way.”
His jaw clenched, “Charlotte, do you remember that scar on my back? The one with a snake?”
I nod. “Yes, why do you ask?”
“Every member here has it; it's burned into our skin with iron that's been heated. All new recruits must have just” He reached for my hair and pushed it behind my ear, his gaze softening, “Please, Vita Mia…” do not let me watch you suffer.”
My heart raced; I had thought the scar was from a time he had been tortured by an enemy, so I never talked about it.
“That’s going in my back?”
He shook his head. “You do not have to.” He brushed my cheeks with his thumb. “You are already a member.”
I exhaled in thought. I had said I wanted to experience his world; I do not want to back out because of pain. “I'll do it.”
“No,” he said curtly, “I will not allow it.”
“Damien, if you say it to me, it will break my heart.”
He blinked. “Vita mia, I’d die if I saw you in such pain.”
I reached for his hands and slipped my hands into his. “It’s okay.”
He placed his forehead against mine, holding me for a few seconds before he placed a kiss on my lips.
“I hate this.” His chest heaved, and his voice rasped.
“I know,” I responded softly.
He turned to face his men. “Let's start!” He shouted as he led me to stand with the other recruits. There were six of us, including Isabelle.
Marcus soon approached Damien with a scroll in his hand, and the soldiers gathered round us; they all shot me a puzzled gaze, and some murmured, wondering why the boss's wife was standing with the recruits.
Damien pulled open the scroll and began to read its contents: “You stand here before a family who would protect you with their lives, and therefore,e you are expected to do so as well. Do you accept?”
“Yes,” we all responded.
Damien’s gaze lingered on me before he continued, “Do you agree that if you betray us, you will be killed?”
“Yes,” we all responded.
“Do you consent to…” His voice trailed off. I noticed his fists clenched,h and his eyes darkened. “Do you receive the matin that makes you one of us?”
“Yes,” we all responded, and immediately my gaze caught one of Damien’s soldiers walking towards him with a rod the same shape as the S on his back.
I swallowed, my lips parting as I looked at the edge of the iron, flaming hot; it was practically red.
Damien's feet echoed as he began to walk towards us. “Take off your jackets,” he commanded, and we all obeyed, dropping our jackets to the floor. I was left with a tank top, leaving my back skin bare for him to engrave the mark.
He stood behind one of us and pressed the rod against his back; immediately, the man let out loud guttural screams that echoed through the air until he landed on the floor, shouting in pain.
The atmosphere was cold as they all watched in silence.
Damien moved to the next person and repeated the same thing until the person collapsed, gasping for air.
The smell of burning flesh filled the place as the rod burned into their skin.
As Damien drew closer to me, I quickly shut my eyes, preparing for the pain that was about to come.
I felt him behind me, but I didn't feel anything on my back. I heard his footsteps as he moved to stand in front of me.
“Open your beautiful eyes, vita mia,” he instructed.
Immediately, I obeyed; he had the most sympathetic look on his face.
“Please don't back out,” I begged in a whisper.
The rest of the recruits were still on the ground, gasping for breath and screaming in pain.
The hand that wielded the rod trembled slightly. “Look at me, amore mio…only me,” he spoke softly as he pulled me into a tight hug. “I'm sorry about this,” he said, and he squeezed me tightly against himself, our heartbeats intertwined. “It will be over soon.” Almost immediately,I felt the heat of the iron against my skin.
“Argh!!” My agonising screams echoed through the place.
“Forgive me,” Damien choked.
I pinched tightly against his jacket and pressed my lips together to bear the pain.
In a few seconds, he was down; I heard the loud clank of the roof hitting the floor.
He gazed into my eyes, his lips trembling, “I'm sorry.”
“It's fine,” I spoke with tears in my eyes, and the wound still burned like hell.
Damien slowly slid down to the ground with a loud thud as he fell to his knees, falling to his knees in front of me. “I'm sorry,” his voice trembled, and just then,I noticed the cloud of tears in his eyes.
His soldiers looked at him in shock; they had never seen him on his knees, and because of this, they murmured amongst each other in shock.
“Get my wife a doctor! Goddammit!” He barked, and immediately a few soldiers rushed off in obedience.
I knelt before Damien as the pain burned. “It's okay,” I whisper
ed.
As my gaze lifted up I noticed one of Damien's soldiers shoot Damien a disapproving look, as his gaze met mine she quickly turned around and walked out of the place.