Diego "Have you found out where the fuck my money went?" I growl, fixing a menacing glare at the small, tan man before me. My money has been missing for a month now. Five million dollars is nothing to me, but if you allow something like that go unanswered, it sends the wrong message to our enemies. As the head of the family, I can't allow that to happen. Brian adjusts his glasses nervously. "N-No, Mr. Reyes, not yet. He made sure it was untraceable," he stammers. Leo leans back in his chair and yawns, throwing me an annoyed look. "We're never going to find it at this point, Diego. I'm almost positive he sent it to the Russians, but they refuse to meet with us. I don't believe that's just a coincidence." "If they won't meet with us, we'll make sure they get a warning they won't miss. No one steals from me and gets away with it," I say through gritted teeth. "Uh, how would you like to do that, Sir?" Brian asks. "I want to know everything. Who they are, where they live, every singl

Vanessa It's approaching 2am and Diego still hasn't returned yet. Alicia came back around midnight, and we ate dinner together before she went to bed. She shared stories about the wealthy, attractive men she saw at the club, and she even checked out the viewing room and watched a couple have sex. She seems content with working in the club instead of repulsed, which would be a normal response, but I guess we're way past that now. I didn't tell her what happened to me during my "punishment". I was too ashamed, mostly because I enjoyed it up until Diego made Danny stop. How can I criticize her actions when I'm equally disgusted by my own behavior? Dad would be so disappointed in the whores we have become in just two days. He wanted us to save our innocence for when we got married. Although, I do wonder now how that would have happened when he never let us leave the house. A part of my innocence was stolen last night, but I'm going to make sure the rest of it stays intact. Diego w

Vanessa The next morning, the weight of exhaustion tugs at every limb, making the simple act of rising from the bed a slow, deliberate process. Sometime between crying and tossing and turning last night, I finally fell asleep. Maybe that's why I didn't wake when Diego got up; he's nowhere to be found now. I assume he's in the kitchen or something. My eyes feel sore and puffy as I drag myself to the large, ridiculously unnecessary walk-in shower. In a daze, I scrub my body with the strawberry-scented body wash, I assume was bought just for me, until my skin feels raw. I stand underneath the scalding water until the knots of tension in my muscles begin to dissolve, letting the warmth wash away the remnants of the restless night. Afterwards, I throw on the tank top and shorts I set aside in the bathroom beforehand to ensure there's no chance in hell Diego will see me naked again. When I return to the room, I find Danny seated in the chair tucked into the corner, hidden within the

Vanessa Like I predicted, my week on punishment goes by at an agonizingly slow pace. Danny's a dick to me any chance he gets, smothering me with his overbearing presence throughout the day, as if I might miraculously uncover a way to escape from this hellhole. When Diego returns home at the earliest hours of the morning, fatigue mercifully robs him of the energy to demand anything beyond the removal of his clothes to sleep. So, nothing else has happened between us. Not that I was hoping it would. It seems as long as I adhere to his rules, he'll leave me alone, and I haven't given him a reason to punish me again. After Diego falls into a deep sleep, sneaking out of the room becomes my nightly routine when I can't sleep myself. I usually hang out with Alicia or chat with the other men while they lounge around and drink. I've discovered that all of them are related in some way, except for Leo who is Diego's childhood best friend from an allied clan. That explains why his features

VanessaThere's no way he could keep a promise like that, but I still believe him because what other choice do I have? I guess this is the day my captor becomes my protector. I shriek as the door swings open, announcing an unwelcome visitor. Diego reacts instantly, covering my mouth with a strong, calloused hand, his eyes delivering a stern warning. A chill runs down my spine, a shiver of fear amplified by the gravity in his gaze. The Russian intruder's voice, thick with a menacing accent, cuts through the tense silence. "Come out, Diego. I know you have what belongs to us," he taunts. "Just hand her over, and we won't have to kill more of your men." His voice is like shards of ice scraping against my body, sending shivers through every fiber of my being. They're here for...me? Diego and I share the same look of confusion. And if he's confused, I know I'm truly fucked. He has no fucking business not knowing what's going on right now! Trepidation wraps around me like a su