Captivated by the deadly mafia boss

Kasia

Not even the shower is helping my sore muscles and throbbing head. The brandy didn’t help as much as I hoped it would. It only made things foggier. I don’t remember everything from the night before. I do remember Dominik coming into the room.

I remember the anger in my heart and the concern on his face.

It’s too much to think about right now. I turn off the water and dry off, taking it slow. All the damn crying has made me tired still. My entire life, I’d kept from crying like that because of my father. But after seeing what he had planned. What he had wanted to do to me, it’s like a dam burst inside me that I couldn’t stop.

All of my clothes have been moved to Dominik’s bedroom, so I put my sundress back on from yesterday. I’m not up for seeing him yet. He must be so angry with me for meeting with Degrazio behind his back. Tommy called him home after he found me in the bathroom at the diner. I’m proving to be more trouble than I’m worth, I’m sure.

My phone’s gone, as well as everything DeGrazio gave me. Dominik must have all of it.

When I open the door, one of Dominik’s men I haven’t met yet greets me.

“Hello, Mrs. Staszek. Your husband has left orders for you to either stay in this room or go to your room.”

I stare at him. He means Dominik’s room.

“Am I not allowed food?” I ask, trying to hide my snark. It’s my own fault this is happening. I’ve stayed in my room, hiding away from everything all day long. Dominik is probably contemplating how to deal with me, his errant, stupid, worth-nothing wife.

“You mean dinner? Of course. I’ll ask Margaret to bring up something,” he says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Apparently, I’m not to be left alone even for the short time it would take for him to go downstairs.

I touch his arm before he finishes dialing. “No, that’s okay. Thanks. I’ll just go to Dominik’s room.” I walk past him and go to the next room so I can change into clean clothes.

The last of the afternoon sun shines through the window, making the pain in my head even sharper. I close the blinds and quickly change. I’m not spending any more time locked away. I don’t care what Dominik does to me, or what his men threaten. I’m tired of being hidden and imprisoned.

With fresh clothes on, I open the bedroom door. The same soldier stands there waiting for me to ask him to do something for me. I don’t need him to do anything. I’ll take care of myself.

“I need to use the car.” I step out of the room and into the hall.

He squares off with me, his brows pulled together with worry. He’s probably not sure what to do. Does he drag me back in the room, does he call for help? Seeing as he’s unsure, I’m positive Dominik’s not in the house.

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That makes things easier.

“Your husband said-”

“Yeah. I heard you the first time. It doesn’t change that I need the car. You have two choices here. You can get out of my way so I can go, or you can come with me in case there’s trouble.” I don’t really want him with me, but I’m also not stupid enough to think I’ll get far without one of his men at least following me. Besides, maybe he’ll come in handy. He does have a gun after all.

His gaze darts past me to the stairs. His options are limited, and I’ve put him a tough spot.

I don’t care.

Right now, I only care about getting what I want. It’s worked for my father in the past, it works for Dominik every day. Demand what you want, and if it’s not handed to you – just fucking take it.

“Where do you want to go?” Defeat dances in his question.

“I’m driving.” I turn on my heel and head to the stairs. He’s right behind me, already starting to try and talk me out of it.

“I’m going to have to call Dominik,” he says just as I reach the garage door. It gives me a moment of pause. I don’t want him fucking this up for me.

“Fine. Once we’re in the car and have cleared the gates, you can call him and tattle. But if you call him before that…” I shrug and pull the garage door open.

“Kasia? Is that you?” Margaret’s voice trails down the hallway. Damn this house. Gorgeous, yes, but all the openness makes it damn near difficult to sneak away.

I don’t say a word to her. Instead I walk across the three-car garage and climb into the black SUV. I don’t have my purse or my wallet, but it’s not like I’m not driving without protection. If a cop pulls us over, soldier boy will have to get us out of trouble.

He climbs in beside me, his phone already cradled in his hands.

“It’s a push start,” he says, and drops the fob in the cupholder of the center console.

Once the garage door opens, I pull out quickly and head to the gate.

“What’s your name?” I ask him as he taps on his screen. The gate closes behind us and I turn onto the main street that will take us right to the expressway.

“Michael,” he mutters and puts the phone to his ear.

The expressway is clear while we’re still in the suburbs, but the closer to the city we get I know I’m going to run into traffic.

“Boss, she’s out of the house. I’m with her… I don’t know, she won’t say…” He presses a button on the touch screen of the car and Dominik’s voice booms through the car.

“Kasia, what the hell are you doing?” he demands.

“Taking care of some things,” I answer. His general answers have been good enough for him to give me, it’s about time he was treated the same.

“Go back to the house. Michael is going to take you home.”

“No.” I change lanes and speed up, merging onto the highway. “I’ll be home sometime after dinner. Don’t wait for me.” I glance at the console and hang up the call.

I can feel Michael’s panic roll off of him.

“Don’t worry. He’ll survive.”

“Yeah,” he mutters. “It’s me I’m worried about.”

I smile at that.

It takes over an hour to get to my father’s house. I’m told he’s out of town, but I’m not really looking for him, so it won’t matter.

“Jesus, why are we here?” he asks, as I pull up to the curb. My father’s house isn’t a gated estate like Dominik’s. No armed guards walking the property.

“You can call your boss again if it will make you feel better. We aren’t going to be long.” I grab the fob so he can’t withhold it from me and hop down from the car.

The front door is still controlled by a keypad, and thankfully my father never saw fit to change the code after he sold me to Dominik. The house is quiet. Dad’s office is open.

It’s not as scary now that it’s empty. Now that I’m an adult who has finally grabbed the reins of my own life.

“Kasia, what are we doing here?” Michael asks in a hushed whisper. His hand is posed on the butt of his gun.

“Don’t worry. He’s gone.” I sit at Dad’s desk and open the filing cabinet drawer. I thumb through the files until I find the one I’m looking for.

“Dominik will be here soon,” he tells me, like an annoying big brother who’s informed our father I’m snooping.

I get the address I need and stuff the file back into the drawer.

“Good for him.” I slam the drawer and get up. I walk right past him and down the hall, not sparing a glance at the family pictures hanging on the wall. I’m not in most of them and if I am, I’m tucked off to the side.

Fuck them.

Fuck everything here.

When I climb back into the SUV, Michael is right next to me.

“Tell me where we’re going,” he demands. He could end this right now and grab me, but I know he won’t. He’s young and hasn’t been around Dominik enough to know that stopping me by any means is probably safer for him than letting me do what I’m about to do.

“Making things right,” I say and pull away from the house. He grabs onto the handle of the door. I’ll admit my driving is a bit erratic, but there are lives at stake. I can’t wait around for men to decide to stop being monsters.

“Kasia. Where are you headed?” Dominik’s voice comes through the car speakers again. Michael called him again, I suppose.

“The transports leave every Thursday night.” I remember from hearing my father talking about them. I assumed he was moving stolen cars or merchandise, not people. I never thought he could be so cruel. I was an idiot.

“Kasia. Pull the car over. I’ll be there within ten minutes,” he orders.

“Sorry, I can’t.”

“Kasia, do what I’m telling you right now.” There’s worry laced in his demand.

“Do you want to threaten me with a spanking, Dominik?” I switch lanes, heading south.

“Kasia. I swear to you, it will so much worse than that if you don’t do as I tell you, right now.”

He’s bluffing. Maybe he’s not. I don’t really care anymore.

“Bye, Dominik.” I hang up again and find the button that disconnects the bluetooth. “Call him again, Michael, and you’ll be walking home,” I say in Polish to be sure he gets my meaning clearly, and head for the next exit.

The sun is gone now, night has settled around us. This isn’t exactly the best part of Chicago, so it would be best if Michael, and his gun, stayed with me.