Voice of the Mafia

Chapter 23

Darkness.

Overwhelming darkness surrounded me as if I was submersed in a dark deep pool. And in that pool of darkness was the most deafening sound of laughter. Hungry voices laced with lust with the back bite of a growl.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't breathe.

I awoke in a dark room screaming, the soft bed beneath me shuffling with the sound of my movements but also two little creatures who flew from my side and out the door in the span of a few heart beats. And after a few more the door burst open to reveal Boss, a gun in one hand and his other covering his wound.

"What! What is it? Intruder?" I pushed the remaining hair I had left back away from my face and sighed as I focused on calming my heart. Seeing no one else but me in the room, Boss lowered the gun and let out a breath that he had been holding.

"I'm sorry. It was just a bad dream." Pulling my feet up against my body, I allowed myself to let silent tears flow freely. Boss had seen them before so I felt no need to hide them any longer. Would I ever be able to sleep right again?

"This happened last night too. Do you need to talk to Dr. Gaffigan for help?" No. This wasn't something medicine could solve.

"No. Thank you. I just need time." Boss strode in and sat on the bed next to me, his shoulders hunched forward as if tired and defeated. A look I didn't like much on him.

"Time will help but from now on I think it best if you sleep with someone else in the room or with a light on. That way when you wake up you will feel safer." I thought about sleeping with my bedside lamp on but it was much brighter than it needed to be. Maybe I can find a new one tomorrow that isn't as bright.

"Okay. I'll do that tomorrow night." He shook his head and carefully laid down on the other pillow on my bed, not covering himself up but getting comfortable.

"Sleep Sophie. You are still exhausted. I will not allow anyone to come in and harm you and I will refrain from sliding to your side of the bed." I shuffled over more to one side of the queen bed and laid down under the covers, feeling scared yet safe with Boss here protecting me. He even had a gun. No one would come near me. Not ever again.

---Morning---

The hungry meows of two starving cats met me as the light of day shone through my walls brightly. I groaned and reached to pet them where they usually slept by my side. When my hand didn't meet fur but soft flesh, my eyes flew open to find that my hand was on Boss's bicep. My orbs moved up the flawless skin to Boss's own eyes that were looking at me with a grin.

"Well good morning to you too." I retracted my arm and hurried back away from him and fell off the side of the bed with an omph. On my back and sore, I giggled until they turned to laughter of someone who was about to go crazy.

"You okay down there?" I put a thumbs up just above the edge of the bed to let him know I was okay and untangled myself from the blankets that had become ensnared in my legs.

"Eggs, bacon and toast sound okay to you for breakfast?" As I stood, so did Boss, his own groan of pain echoing in the room.

"Sounds good to me. I'll get a shower and get dressed. And don't worry, I can get a shower on my own." I didn't look at him as he left the room, the words he just said unbelievable to my own ears.

As I had changed I noticed how some of the bruises were turning yellow after their time of healing while others were still getting darker. Unsure of how I wanted to look in Boss's eyes, I knew that I wanted to appear stronger in my own so I wore a pair of night shorts that did nothing to cover the flesh of my behind and a tank top that had the words Drama Queen written on it. Perse and Donnie scrambled around me as I readied their food and while they ate I went to work cooking breakfast for Boss and I.