The Truth Hurts - Viv POV

I was completely lost all day greeting Tommy's family. The surge of emotions that ran through my body as his casket lowered to the ground was indescribable. I stood there with no one by my side. I was alone in this world, again.

You left me here all alone, Tommy. You left me with your beast of a cousin that wants me dead and a hundred family members that look at me like I'm their enemy. Why did you do this to me? Did you ever even love me?

I wiped the few tears that escaped my eyes and walked with the crowd back to the car. Mario held the door open and I climbed in next to Niko. He was quiet the second we arrived. I could see the anger in his tense body and knew it was best to call a cease fire until this day was done. Niko didn't speak about his feelings, or really anything at all, but I knew they were close to each other.

I wandered around the back gardens admiring all the different flowers. I used to garden at my aunt's house when I lived there. She didn't really speak to me, but we bonded quietly over flowers and plants.

"Hi Vivian. It's Sophia." The blonde women from the other day that told me Tommy was dead waved to me as she walked over.

I didn't know why she was talking to me but I saw the evil glimmer in her eyes. I already knew she has her sights set on Niko and I thought everyone knew I was not his whore now.

"Hi!" I replied, pushing my light brown hair behind my ear. Marie lightly curled it after lunch for me and I appreciated how she took her time to make me look presentable. I just wanted to curl under the covers and die though.

"I wanted to thank you for coming today. It means a lot that even a distant family shows support to my fiancé."

"Fiancé? You and Niko are engaged?" I definitely didn't see that one coming. He was like fifty and she was like ten. Ok, I might be exaggerating a bit but still, Ew.

"No, of course not. I mean Tom. He and I have been engaged for three years. We decided to wait until after we finished college to get married."

Wait a fucking minute! Please don't tell me her Tom is my Tommy.

"Tom and you were engaged?" I took a hard breath as my body shook lightly. Sophia was looking at me confused.

"You didn't know silly? Of course, we were engaged. He was the future Capo and my father is the boss of Las Vegas. When Tom accepted our marriage arrangement, he flew me to New York and I've been here ever since."

My mouth dropped open then closed tight shut. I can't be angry at this woman. She didn't know he was cheating on her. What the fuck Tommy? I swear I'm going to kill you all over again.

"I'm so sorry for your loss Sophia. I didn't know him that well." Which is the obvious fucking truth. "If you need anything let me know. If you'll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom."

She looked at me so sincerely. "Thank you, Vivian. No one has said that to me. Take care of yourself."

That was strange but I was on the verge of a major breakdown. I calmly walked through the gardens and made my way to the kitchen. The cook had a stash of brown liquor next to the stove that I desperately needed. I grabbed it and headed to the bathroom.

Marie walked past me and gasped as I stood at the bathroom door chugging a bottle of brown liquid that had burned all the way down.

"Oh, my dear! What is wrong with you? I've never met a woman so improper." She took the bottle from my lips, but I snatched it back. She pushed me into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Did you know Marie?" I questioned with a hiccup.

"Know what child?"

"That Tommy and Sophia were engaged?" I prayed the little blonde slut was lying. Maybe this was a sick joke by Niko.

"Of course, everyone knows. They have been engaged for three years." She rung out a cold cloth and pressed it to my neck then wiped my face as tears fell out.

"Why would he do this to me?"

"Who child? You really need to get your emotions under better control." She scolded me.

"Tommy and I were together. We met at university and I had no idea about any of this bullshit family of his. Why am I here Marie? What does Niko want from me?"

"Oh, my child!" She gasped. "I had no idea. I thought you were Nikola's woman. I knew he couldn't marry you, but I thought you were his mistress."

"Why couldn't he marry me?" I didn't want to marry Niko but what made me so repulsive to their family.

"You're not a daughter of any of the head families. A Capo can only marry pure blood lines. I thought after Tommy died and Niko became Capo, he wanted to keep his secret women as his mistress."

"This is all too much. What is wrong with these families?" I took a deep breath. "So that means Tommy could have never married me. I was just a distraction or toy for him."

Marie nodded her head yes with sad eyes. "I'm sorry Vivian. You can't leave now though."

"Why not? I have a life, a career I was working towards."

"Oh, my child I'm so sorry. This is certainly cruel but you have seemed too much. Once you're in the family you can only leave by death."

"I'm not in the family! I haven't seen anything."

"Yes, you have. Come sit and listen to me carefully." Marie sat me on the closed toilet then kneeled in front of me.

"These people, these families, are the most powerful in the world. They are generations of Mafia with strict code they live by. You have seen too much and you cannot leave unless it is by death. Nikola is now the head of all the families. That makes him the most powerful. You can't keep disobeying him, not if you want to live. I know your world has been turned upside down, but if you can accept your place then you'll find happiness again. I'm sure that a pretty girl like you could find a good husband from the lower ranks and still have a chance for a future. Just behave and listen to the boss. You want him as an ally, never as an enemy."

Marie was practically begging me to stop lashing out. No one ever cared about me before. Not since my parents, and I was so young, I barely remember them. I thought Tommy loved me but I was so epically wrong about him. Was this really my life now?

"Fine! I'll be a good little prisoner and find a husband." I stood up with a new determination, almost falling back over. I may have had a little too much to drink.

"I don't think you understood dear." Marie said as I finished off the bottle of whiskey.

"I got it. Be nice to Niko. Which I won't do. Find a young husband with little power to trick into taking me away from this place and run away. I will definitely do that." I turned my back and walked away.

I heard Marie's little pray to God to save me but I was sure there was no such thing as a God now. There were only cruel, hurtful people that liked to stomp all over my heart.

"Hey pretty lady!" A young man threw his arm around me. Perfect! He will do. I flirted back and forth with him then convinced him to take me to play strip poker. Even if I didn't marry this dude at least I'll get some much-needed attention. I didn't really think about sex and it was only a little over a week since Tommy and I were last together but it felt like months. God, how has only a week gone by?

Everything was perfect until the bastard ripped Dominick off me and then ordered my guard to take me inside. This was bullshit. I'm sure he fucked a different woman probably every day and he was cock blocking me? I didn't have time to argue as Mario pulled me away though. He got me some food and water then left me in the library to read a book. He wasn't far, always keeping a watchful eye though.

I saw Niko walk by and head to a room down the hall. I wanted to run after him and scream at him for being such an asshole. I figured it would be better to just let this day die though. I was a prisoner in his house and everyone was right about me. I was just some whore for a made men to play with. I tried reading my book but eventually realized I was reading the same page over and over again.

It had been a while since I saw Niko and decided to try and talk to him. Maybe we could come to some kind of agreement. I barely saw anything that goes on here. There was a chance he would let me leave. I had to hold on to some kind of hope.

As I opened the door my body froze. At first, I looked down afraid of what to say to Niko, but when my eyes found his body, I didn't know what to do.

The room was dark with red hues and there was a large bed in the center with black silk sheets. Niko's body was over six feet tall and completely bare ramming himself violently into a woman he had bent over the edge of the bed. His hand wrapped in her hair forcing her face into the mattress as she screamed in pleasure. He roughly pulled her head back making her screams louder.

Niko's eyes met mine and he fucked her faster grunting out his release as I stood there and just watched him dominate every part of her body. I was right, he was a fucking beast and I was finding it fucking hot. I quickly ran from that room and headed straight to mine. That did not just happen.

Marie was already waiting in my room to dress me. I slowly walked in and let her put me in a long silk night gown with a slit on the side. Why did she buy me these? I had no one to wear them for and preferred to wear jogging pants and t-shirts to bed anyways.

"Marie, can I buy some clothes?" I asked quietly like I was speaking to the air. My body was lifeless after everything that happened today. Reality was about to crash into me and I wasn't sure I would survive it.

"Of course, child. We can look online tomorrow. Get some rest. It's been a long day." She gave me a smile then left my room. I saw Niko walk pass and he simply smiled at me as his eyes raked my body then kept moving.

That smog bastard. No! I can't fight with him anymore.

He could easily kill me and I definitely didn't want to get fucked like some worthless whore. I let out a little moan but quickly hid it with a cough. I didn't want to be taken that way, but it was hot watching him in this pure sex demon mode.

A tear fell down my cheek. I have no idea who I am anymore. I grabbed my pillow and blanket and went to the closet closing the door behind me. I laid on the floor picturing that house I was kidnapped in praying my life would go back to that day. I would run out of the closet and never look back. I would escape Niko and his prison he put me in.

"Fuck you, Tommy." I whispered as I cried myself to sleep. I had no love for him anymore. My chest felt like it was being squeezed in a vice grip. It hurt so fucking bad.

All I could do was cry. No one would save me. No one would ever really care about me. It was just me in this world and I had to be enough for myself because no one else was ever going to be by my side.