Page 8 of Crowned In Blood
He was a monster, a predator, and to him, I was his prey.
Furious tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I wiped them away. I didn't have time to cry. I didn't have time to mourn, or grieve all the things I wanted my life to be. I had to fight as hard as I could, and the best way I could do that was to know my adversary.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to keep the mental spiral threatening to send me into a breakdown at bay, then grabbed the file. Huddling myself into a corner on the floor, I opened the folder.
Name:Fernando Salazar
Age:43
I gulped at the age difference, shook off the fear, then kept reading.
Birthday:October 16th
City and State of Address:New York, NY
Marital Status:Divorced (twice)
What happened to his previous wives?The thought that he might have hurt them sent a shiver down my spine.
Children:None
I flipped the page to photos of Fernando at different parties with an array of people, all of them rich, all in a position of power or authority. There was even a photo of him with the Mayor.
In another photo, he was getting into a black SUV with guards surrounding him. The gun at his waist drew my attention. My father always had guards, but he never carried a gun.
There was no way Fernando was related to a politician then, and I doubted a CEO would need such protection. Maybe he worked in security?
Turning the pages, I realized Fernando had several businesses. Corporations, pharmaceuticals, laundromats, restaurants. He owned half of the port of New York, not to mention countless warehouses.
Each page and photo set off warning bells, but why?
The last page was a detailed list of instructions for me as the bride, my expected demeanor for the wedding, and beyond.
I was to act as a blushing, innocent virgin bride utterly in love with Fernando. The media would be watching, and it was my job to give them the show of a lifetime.
If I failed at any time to make our union look like anything other than joyful and willing, I would face severe punishment from my soon-to-be husband.
Fernando wanted me dressed modestly, nothing revealing. There would be no reception after the wedding and I would be expected to provide him with children as soon as possible. He would tolerate a daughter, but a son was nonnegotiable. Only a male could run his mafia empire, and if I couldn't give him one, I'd cease to be useful.
My heart went into overdrive, chills racking my body.
Mafia.
No. No…
I flipped through the photos again with newfound clarity. Fernando hadn't included the images to show off his wealth or status; he’d included them to make sure I knew the truth.
I wouldn't be able to escape.
If I tried to take a flight out of the state or country, he'd know. If I tried to take a ferry into Canada, he'd know. He had the damn Mayor in his pocket, likely most if not the entire police force.
My vision blurred as tears rolled down my cheeks. There was nowhere for me to go. No plan or scheme for me to grasp onto.
My fate was to become someone else's possession, and there was nothing I could do about it.
3
Catalina
