You Belong To Me

Caterina Rossi, twenty years old is a young, innocent girl who still lived with her parents. Her father, Neri works for a man who was head of the Ferrari Mafia. He was their accountant, a simple man who was forced into doing the job. He kept his head down, not wanting to be involved in the corrupt and illegal part of the Ferrari business. He also kept his daughter at home most of the time but only to protect her from the mob. It was known that Roberto Ferrari liked young women, would use them for sex and later sell them into human trafficking. He had to keep her hidden from them, to keep her safe until he could figure out a way to send her to another country without the mob knowing.

Neri lived in fear knowing that sooner or later his boss would find out about Caterina, about how young and beautiful she was and would take her to be his sex slave until he no longer had any need for her. But things were about to go terribly wrong, someone was stealing money from his boss and it pointed to him. He was set up to take the fall, with nowhere to run he knew his boss was on his way to get him.

“Lara,” he called out to his wife.

“What is it?” she asked, coming into his office and seeing the fear in his eyes.

“Where is Caterina?”

“She’s in bed, why, what’s going on?”

He went over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Mr. Ferrari is on his way here. He thinks I’ve been stealing from him and you know what he does to those who betray him.”

“But you haven’t, just tell him,” she said, her body began to shake. She always knew that something like this would happen someday. “We have to leave now before he gets here.”

He touched her cheek, wiping her tear away. “There’s no escaping him, but we can save our daughter. Go to her, wake her up and make her hide in the hidden room. They will not find her there and once we are gone she can run away,” he said, handing his wife a large bundle of money. “Give this to her, tell her to wait until we are gone and then leave, tell her to go as far away as possible.”

Nodding her head she ran out of the office and up the stairs to her daughter’s room, shaking her awake. “Sweetheart, wake up and get dressed,” she said, handing her some clothes to put on.

“Mom, what’s going on?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“There’s no time to talk, just hurry up and get dressed.”

She started putting her clothes on. “Mom, you’re scaring me, you have to tell me what’s happening.”

Lara started shoving a few of Caterina’s clothes into a small bag. “Mr. Ferrari is on his way here to get your father. He thinks your dad has been stealing from him. We want you to hide in the special room until we are gone and then you must run away. Here is enough money to escape, leave Italy and go somewhere safe and as far away as you can go.”

“Mom, no, I’m not going without you and dad.” She threw the money down on the bed and started crying.

Lara grabbed Caterina by the shoulders and shook her. “You listen to me, young lady. If Ferrari finds you here he will take you and do some wicked things to you. He will beat and rape you over and over again. Then when he’s done with you he will sell you into the sex trade.”

“But mom, what about you and dad?”

“We’ll be OK, the worse he will do to us is make us his household slaves, to cook and clean. He will make your father continue to do his books, but with his men watching over him. Now come, we have to get you into the room. No matter what happens do not come out until morning when it’s clear.” Picking up the money she shoved it into Caterina’s bag.

“I can’t without seeing daddy.”

“I’m here baby girl.”

She turned and ran to her father who wrapped his arms around her. “Daddy, come to the room with me, they won’t find you there,” she said, sobbing so hard her body shook.

He cupped her face in his hands. “We can’t, he will have his men tear this place apart until he finds us. This way you will have a chance to live your life. I want you to know how much your mother and I love you. As long as we know you are safe we will be able to survive.”

He had to drag her upstairs and into the room. “Remember, we love you,” he said before closing the door on her. It broke his heart to leave her, but he knew there was no way they would find her here, it was so well hidden.

Once they had her safely inside he and Lara went downstairs and got rid of all the photos that had their daughter in them and replaced them with a woman who was overweight and very plain. Knowing if Mr. Ferrari saw the photos he would not be interested in her. They heard the sound of cars pulling into the driveway and knew who it was. Moments later the front door was kicked open and a dozen men aiming guns entered, Mr. Ferrari walked in after them.

“You know why I’m here,” he said, looking evil with the scar running down one side of his face.

Neri put his arms around his wife, wanting to protect her. “I am innocent, I did not steal from you. I was set up.” He watched as his boss walked around the room, going over to the pictures that were on the mantle place.

“Is this your daughter?”

“Yes,” Neri answered, tightening his hold on his wife.

“Where is she?”

“She’s abroad, in America, working as a waitress.”

Ferrari looked at the photo and shook his head in disgust. “Looking like this I bet she doesn’t get many tips. She sure doesn’t take after her mother,” he said, taking a good look at Lara. “Too bad you weren’t younger, I might have enjoyed you.”

“My husband is innocent of what you think he did.”

“Did I tell you to speak?” He looked at Neri. “Tell your bitch to keep her mouth shut or I will have my man cut her tongue out.”

He drew his wife’s head into his chest to keep her from talking. He closed his eyes and held his breath when his boss told his men to search the house. He thanked God that Lara had the good sense to make Caterina’s bed before they took her upstairs.

They were made to stand there while the other men destroyed their home, smashing everything in sight. He wasn’t sure what was to become of them, either they would be tortured and killed or taken to Ferrari’s home and kept prisoner.

“Boss, there’s no one else in the house, we searched everywhere,” One of the men said when he returned. “Do you want us to kill them and bury them out back?”

Neri was afraid, he didn’t want his beloved wife to suffer. “Please, I am innocent. Do what you must to me but let my wife go, she has done nothing wrong.”

“Oh, but she has, she married you.” He turned to his men. “We will take them back to my place. I can use another housekeeper and Neri can still take care of my accounts but one wrong move, kill him.”

Their hands were tied behind their backs and a cloth bag was placed over their heads and was then thrown into the back of a van.

“Neri, I’m scared.”

Tears filled his eyes, it killed him knowing he couldn’t save his wife. “I know, but be brave and strong. Whatever happens, we will be together.” One thing he was sure of was that if Ferrari was going to kill them he would have done it by now. So it was obvious to him that he planned on making them his own personal slaves. At least this way they would live and maybe someday find a way to escape. But for now, he was just glad that his daughter was not captured and she had a chance to live her life.