Chicago, 17 years ago

Unknown POV

"Bambino!" He called.  The urgency in his usually calm voice made me startle.  "Bambino! Dove sei? Rispondimi adesso!"

(Baby! Where are you? Answer me now!)

"I'm right here!" I called back in a hushed tone, our sleeping infant daughter cradled in my arms.

"Oh, thank God!" He embraced me tightly then pushed back holding my arms tightly.  "You have to take Maddy and get out of here! Now!"

"Tesoro, cosa sta succedendo?" I asked, gently cupping his cheek for a brief moment but he shook his head then grabbed my wrist.

(Honey, what's going on?)

"I don't have time to explain," He urged, pulling me roughly behind him as we ran through the halls of his nightclub.

He led me by the hand out the back entrance that doubled as an emergency escape route.  That's when the panic rose in my chest.

I shook his hand, gripping his hand tighter, tugging him to a stop. "Please tell me what is happe-"

"Mi sono incasinato, piccola ... mi dispiace tanto," He whispered, a finger over my lips.  "Take Maddy, get in the car and go!"

(I messed up, baby ... I'm so sorry)

Tears now welled up, burning my eyes.  "You're not coming with us?"

"I will be right behind you both soon, bambino," He explained hurriedly as he kissed my forehead.

"The other girls..." I started as he took our still blissfully sleeping daughter and placed her in the car seat.

"Ti amerò per sempre, principessa," He whispered lovingly, leaving a kiss on her tuft of raven hair. 

(I will always love you, princess)

Jerry, my husband's right hand, ran out the door we came from wide eyed, panting as he jumped into the driver's seat of the SUV then turned on the ignition.

"Burt is helping get the girls out through the tunnels," He explained.  "When they are all out, I will follow."

"Promise me?" I sobbed, pulling this man, my savior, the light of my life hard to my body.  His warm arms of comfort wrapped around me for a moment before he lifted me effortlessly in the backseat of the car and snapped the seatbelt over my lap.

"I'll see you soon, il mio amore," He whispered.  "I love you."

(my love)

"I love you!" I called, sobbing again as he slammed the door then smacked the side of the car twice.

As Jerry hit the gas and peeled out of the back lot, I turned in the leather seat to watch my love run back into the club.

This club had been my home for 3 years now.  Under the previous owner, many of the girls including myself had been used, coercerced and pressured into doing intimate things.  The previous owner was a scumbag addict. 

When he disappeared, hauled off to prison finally for what I don't know, we all wondered what would become of us.  We had been plucked from the streets, many of us, and didn't have anywhere else to go.

Then he showed up.  We were terrified at first the new owner would be just like the previous especially since he explained they had been "work associates" and allies. No, this man was different.

Sure, he worked his way through many of the girls "re-interviewing" and most of the time he was drunk, but I could see he was broken. In our first meeting, he took me to one of the private rooms demanding I dance for him.  He watched me so intently I felt like he saw straight into my own broken soul.

After that, I was exclusively his and he never touched another one of the girls intimately. He told me he had made too many mistakes in his past and didn't want to repeat them.  A few months later, I was pregnant.  He promoted me to oversee the girls and make sure they were taken care of.  Nine months later our daughter Madison was born.

Now, 10 months later, he shoved me in a car apologizing for messing up and sent us away.  I realize it was to keep us safe, but safe from what? From who? What had he gotten involved in?

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and kissed our daughter on her chubby rosy cheek.  When I glanced up to take one last glimpse at the place that had been our home, I flinched and screamed as the three story brick building exploded into a furious ball of flames.

Even Jerry was shocked as he watched wide eyed through the rear view mirror but he kept driving.  A far off, high pitched scream filled my ears, steadily getting louder until I realized it was me.

He was gone.

Here we go again!

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