Chosen

One - Emily

I woke up on the cold floor of our gigantic, dark basement underneath the Cortez mansion. A small pool of blood lay next to my head, from my nose that had been hit before I was knocked unconscious. I sit up slowly trying not to make myself dizzy, but become flooded with the sudden urge to puke.

After a moment of collecting myself I tried again and successfully sat fully up. I sat and gathered myself for a few moments before standing up, gripping a poll standing virtually connected to a large cement pillar that held up a part of the house from underneath. I feel the sensation of cool metal underneath my raw finger and instant relief fills my nerves. I feel a sharp pain in my right knee and immediately collapse again, catching myself with my hands instantly regretting it as my burned fingers scream at me. All I could think about was getting to my phone and checking in on Scarlett to make sure she was not involved in the trail of rage I caused my father last night at dinner.

I knew it was safe to leave the basement from the small amount of sunlight peeking through the small rectangular windows that lined the top of the basement. My father was probably passed out in his office or the couch from drinking his disappointment away. I gathered enough courage to face the pain and get to my phone in my room. I keep it in a safe, along with some other things, when I am at home unless I am in my room by myself. This ensures my father can't take it from me and I still have contact with the outside world, but most importantly, Mason.

I stood up again, wincing from the pain in my knee and grabbed hold of the metal bar again. Once I was stabilized, I shifted my weight trying to walk but not disrupt my knee further. I made it to the stair, but ended up leaving me with excruciating pain in my right knee. It felt like it was being stabbed at with knives and shot at with guns all at the same time. I knew something was terribly wrong and I would continue to make it worse.

 I decided to risk it and call one of the guards that stands right outside the door leading down here. His name was Chase and he was fairly nice. He still worked for my father so they have tough training not to show emotion unless they are off duty. I needed my phone but there was no way I could make it up 57 steps to the top of the stairs and to the end of the hall to my room to retrieve my phone. I sat down as slowly as possible leaning against the wall once I was sitting sweating from the pain. If I wanted my phone that would mean I would have to tell Chase my safe code and that would mean I could risk my dad finding out my secret hiding spot and code. I was in so much pain at this point I didn't care. My father was unconscious at the moment and unable to make or dismiss orders. I have complete control over the guards in the house sense I am the hire to the Mafia, hence I am the eldest daughter.

"Chase, bring me my phone out of my safe '' I demand in my boss voice that everyone fears including Scarlett. I tried my hardest not to break my tone from the pain coming from my knee but I managed.

"Yes Ma'am" He responds bluntly after opening the door with his key card.

"The safe is behind my special write and gold Valentino bag. Press the button underneath the bag and the hatch door behind it will open. The pass is 12666" I instruct managing to keep my emotionless, hard tone.

After about five minutes of unbearable pain, Chase finally returns with my clear cased, yellow IPhone 11. I consider passing out from the pain but I know when I wake up it will still be there.

I skip opening my phone fully and go straight to my emergency contact on my lock screen. The second person after my personal guard was Mason. I pressed the dial button and waited for a second putting it on the speaker. I had no strength left in me to lift the phone up to my ear. He picked up after the third ring as usual.

"How bad is it? '' I heard him question, keeping a blunt tone but could have sworn I heard a tiny note of concern. He knew from the beginning about the abuse. The bruises and tension around my father was too prominent.

"I am on the verge of passing out right now from the pain in my right knee. I couldn't even make it up the basement stairs." I utter holding back tears. He knows I can deal with pain really well so it is concerning when I call him after one of my fathers outbursts.

"I will be there in 5. Don't move. If he comes anywhere close to you, call me again if you can and I will kill the living shit out of him" He instructs as the anger in his tone shows, not towards me but toward my father.

I remembered the first time Mason stood up for me. I deal with him and pain well because of the consistency of the abuse. I never went to school but was educated in between intense training. This way no one would suspect abusive behavior from my parents, specifically my father. 

My father wanted me and Scarlett to both be skilled in hand to hand combat and sparring but also for each of us to have one specialty. I chose shooting and Scarlett chose the art of Impalement. This basically means she can throw and use knives like a boss. I have been handling a gun since I was 15 which is the age we started serious training. 

My shooting is perfect but the one time it wasn't my father made sure it would never happen again. This happened to be about a month after we had joined bases and allied with The Diaz Family. We would go over to each other's bases and train twice a week and workout together. Our base happened to have better training facilities so the boys would come over every Tuesday and Thursday to train. We would go over to their gym at their base to workout sometimes too. 

Me and Mason were at the shooting range with my father watching from the observation deck. I was shooting a Glock, hitting the bulls eye on a moving target sheet not missing once until my finger slipped for a second and I missed my timing and was two inches from the bulls eye. The machine stopped and I heard a bang come from the lookout suggesting my father had slammed his hand on the railing with disappointment. Mason's focused look quickly changes to a stern protective tone. My father can strutting in with steam coming off him from his anger and disappointment. My father was staring me dead in the face ready to bring me to a separate room ready to beat the daylights out of me. At the last second Mason steps in between me and my father stopping him from laying a finger on me. 

That day my father drank himself to sleep per usual and I fell even more for Mason Diaz.

I was pulled out of my head by the loud sound of a smash and bang indicating Mason was here. I assumed the front door was kicked in but my head became fuzzy and my eyelids heavy. I suddenly realized a sharp pain in my abdomen as my adrenaline was subsiding. I lifted up my black shirt a little revealing a multi-colored bruise suggesting I had internal damage.

I was trying my hardest to stay awake when I saw a figure appear in the doorway. My vision becomes clear again and I realize it is my father who was standing there, anger spread across his face. He raised his fist indicating he was going to throw a punch at me but another male figure grabbed his fist and threw him to the ground with a thud.

"Don't you even think of laying another finger on her you worthless shit" Mason spat at my father.

"How dare you tell me how to teach my daughter to respect and follow my rules?" He yelled back angrily from the floor. 

Anger fumed from Mason and I could tell he was enraged by the way my father treated me. He threw a sharp and hard right hook making my father fall over unconscious. 

Scarlett and Kai come rushing in from the yelling, holding hands. Once Scarlett saw my fragile broken state she immediately tried to come over to me but Kai held her in his protective arms giving me space. Kai led her down the hall the other way to calm her down as I can hear her sobs fade the farther they get down the hall. Mason turned toward me after taking care of my father.

"Mason I'm sorry I- '' He cut me off walking over to me quickly, branding down and kissed me gently on the lips, shushing my apology for bothering him.

"You never have to apologize. That man is a piece of shit and has no right to lay a finger on you" He reassures me keeping a slightly enraged tone.

"What hurts?" He asked furrowing his brow as he looked at the state I am in.

"Everything" I say softly giving into the heaviness and slowly drifting into a peaceful blackness.

"Emily, Emily stay with me. You can't fall asleep." He raises his voice in hopes I would listen to his voice but it was too late. I was relieved of the pain and everything became numb and peaceful.