Devotion

thirty two ﾒ i got kidnapped by my father

ANGELICA

"Hey-a, Larry," I say leaning against the marble coffee counter. "I have a question, and please don't deny me. I'm literally begging here." Larry, the cafe owner, my old best friend, and someone I've been too busy to talk to.

Because of Luca. Because of that stupid professor who decided I had to partner with him for this dumb project! "Why, hello, Angelica." He smiles, the lines on his eyes scrunched and happy. "Long time, no see," he says, "What's the question? You know I could never deny you. You used to be my best customer."

Used to. My heart burst into a sad girl's flames. Pathetic. My money was spent well here, helping his business and the unhealthy coffee addiction I had seemed to sport. Now instead of getting drunk off of caffeine to keep me sane, it's the tall ass brunette who's been my mortal enemy since childhood. "I need a job," I say, "Pronto. I need money." When Larry sighs and puts his two frail hands on his hips. I interject, "But you don't have to do anything. I would just like a job here to pay for my Master's next fall, and possibly move away..."

"But again," I interrupt once again. "You don't have to do anything. I mean, I haven't been here since the beginning of the school year, it's almost Halloween now. So, please help me out. I'll do anything." I stand there desperate, in front of everyone.

Larry eyes me with a look before smiling a little. "Of course," he says, "we always need the extra help. And I'm sure if this wasn't that serious, you wouldn't have caught the attention of everyone in this cafe with your rambling. You're hired."

"Oh, thank God." A blow of relief washes through me. "I'm gonna be the best employee you have ever had, Larry. Promise you 100%."

He lets out a chuckle, shaking his head and moving over to the other side of the counter to take someone's order. I stir my half-cup of coffee and stare at it. Gosh, I'm probably a fucking joke to him. Me? Need a job? Never. She has all the money in the world. She probably wants to use her trust fund and take away my cafe. The inner voice of Larry inside my head fed me anxiety. I don't want him to think the worst of me. I've always been a good person, and have been coming here non-stop for years. Hell, I worked here during my four years of high school.

Plus, I'm not sure the last time I wasn't fed on a silver platter. I wanna do my own thing. I don't want to be a part of the Mafia with my parents. Feeling trapped as is, I'd rather kill myself than join. But sure, I need the skills. Like to fight against someone large, if they were kidnapping me.

Rowan's not stupid, but I think the dangerous part of living this life helps because he gets paid good money to do bad shit, even if it goes against his morals. Luca, too. Unfortunately, I had spoken the puppy up when I heard his voice.

He's not talking to me. Slowly, turning my head to the sound of his voice, I spot him with a girl! That girl happened to be the one who wanted his number! Fucking Charlotte Jackson. I could care less about the girl, but damn it. Damn it. Damn it. I throw back my espresso shot, the rest of my energy drink, and coffee.

Pushing the door open to the cafe, I've caught all attention including FuckHead #1 and FuckHead #2. Why do I care if he's with someone else?! Because it's obvious you're getting the hots for him! Oh my God, fuck you and suck my ass, Angelica. I would never. Yes, you would. Goddamnit, even my subconscious is failing me.

To avoid the staring eyes and secondhand embarrassment of potentially dying across the street, I make a shortcut into a dimly lit alley. Not the best choice, but I'll take it. "Stupid whore," I mutter. Before I could blink and throw out another insult into the autumn breeze like a lunatic, a large hand clamps over my mouth and knocks me the fuck out.

ﾒ

When I regain consciousness, I'm met with a dark room and a spotlight on me. So dramatic and cinematic my family is, I wish I could say I was surprised. All this, because my mom cheated with the enemy.

And I'm the one who's in trouble. "Oh my goodness," I groan, struggling to open my eyes. The light was too bright for any human to take. The constant headache that was hitting my brain didn't help either. "Please, don't torture me with the light when I've got a headache, too," I say.

Just as I open my eyes entirely, my father sits before me with one leg over the other, hands clasped in the lap, and daunting green eyes on me. I hate how he and I look alike. "Well," I gleamed annoyingly. "Was this a dream come true, Dad? Lock your youngest and only daughter in one of your weirdo dungeons to scare me off."

"Excuse me?" An eyebrow of his raises slightly at the remark. His upper body leans forward until his elbows rest upon his knees. "Angelica," his cold, detached voice booms. "Does it look like I'm joking, hm? Is this a joke to you?"

I glare. "Yes," I deadpan. "It's very comical. Notice how everyone's laughing?"

He sighs. "Angelica, listen to me, okay? I love you as my daughter and beyond, but you are dangerous to everyone around you." Oh, how very fucking ironic, Dad! "Yeah, sure," I mutter as I stare at him, waiting for this fucker to get to the point. My patience is running low. The battery is on E, for Christ's sake.

"But, you do understand you aren't here because you decided to tell me two decades later your mother cheated. No," he says as he shakes his head with a smile. "You are here because you have this ongoing tendency of tasting the enemy when you shouldn't. Fuck the deal between me and Marco, yeah?" He rises and continues to glare at me with his two bitchboys of bodyguards behind him just for protection. "Me and your mother have told you several times to leave that boy in the past. You both tend to get into a lot of mishaps that cause this family to tear apart."

I laugh. Very loud, in his face. Annoyingly. "You've gotta be kidding me, I mean, Aziel, come on. Seriously, you're delirious. I've never met someone as fucked up as you. And you dare to come out your mouth and point this on me like your wife didn't fuck your enemy and you didn't cheat on her."

"Very fucked up, if you ask me," I say. "It's like, you were finding a reason to come lock me up again in this hellhole for your shitty mistakes." My father stomps his foot and I am silenced. "Enough!" His voice blares through the walls. He rises from the seat and takes a couple of steps until we're face level.

I glare at him, battling him with the eyes he gave me and Rowan. "Don't get mad at me because the enemy's dick tastes better. It's in the Bertarelli genes." That earned a punch to my eye. By my father. You'd be surprised by the things he has done to me, to get me to be quiet and submit to him.

"I've done everything I can to make sure you, Rowan, and your mother are treated well. Despite the hardships we've faced, I've never not once put you in a predicament where I'd put you in danger. I did this all for you. You're my little girl. You know, I love you. All of you."

A tear falls down my cheek, but I wish I could've been more sympathetic. I wasn't crying because of the nasty hit I just took, the damage that was done, or anything really. I was crying because I was tired of being stuck in a place where it felt like everyone was above me. Why couldn't I be in charge? When did I become such a pussy?

Rowan would be disappointed. Everyone would be. If it wasn't me trying so hard, maybe none of this shit would've fucking happened. "I-I hate you," I say quietly. "Go fuck yourself," I say before I'm met with another punch that knocked me out again.