Chapter 1
“This place is nice..” I trailed off. I hated this place, it reeked of sweat, weed and alcohol, not to mention sex-obsessed old creeps. I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart, but only ended up inhaling cigarette smoke. I wanted to cough, however thought better of it and resisted the urge, because I looked different as it is and showing discomfort would only indicate that I don't belong here.
I sat on a barstool, legs crossed to prevent them from shaking. Chanel set next to me and gave me an 'I told you so' look. Maintaining the best poker face I could muster, I glanced around and was not surprised to find many eyes leering at us, though our clothes were anything but revealing. I thought my first drink in a club would be amazing for my eighteenth birthday but I had a very bad feeling about this. And as if I manifested trouble, Chanel tensed beside me. She played with her blonde hair — a nervous habit she had since forever.
Trouble C, she mouthed as bit her nails —this wasn't her habit—in fact biting nails grossed her out. This was a sign, a sign that meant: more than five men. One man was dangerous enough.
My stomach tightened as I swallowed bile. I fake laughed and so did Chanel, just to give off the impression that we didn't know that there were dangerous men behind us, watching our every move, and who would not hesitate to kill us. Without wasting any time, I stood up and wiped sweaty hands on my jeans. I felt many eyes following my every move, no doubt that their legs would too. I almost lost my hope of secretly leaving this place when the cute bartender arrived, who flirted with me since I got here. I smiled seductively at him and gestured for him to come closer. He pointed a finger at his chest as if I called the bottles of alcohol behind him. Idiot. I resisted my eyes from rolling. Chanel frowned, but then let it go.
"I know we've just met but, I like you," I said when he was not farther than a foot away from me. That wasn't a lie. I did have a crush on him however, it was the kind that doesn't last more than an hour.
He smirked and ran his hand through his dark hair. I grabbed his collar and pulled him even closer to me. He was seconds away from kissing me, when I turned my head, his kiss landed on my cheek. "I need you to do something for me," I whispered as I placed 100 Euro in his back pocket. He tensed under my touch.
"Don't ask any questions— That's 100 Euro, all you have do is cut off the power supply for a minute. And you can't tell anyone about this." It might get you killed.
I pleaded with him with my eyes.
“Are you in trouble, I could call the police,” his eyes shone with genuine concern?
“ It's better if don't know and the police won't be able to help anyway” A few honest cops would have, but most of them worked for the Camorra, and they would gladly hand us over to them.
“Look I don't much time if you don't wanna help—”
“ I'll do it —just take care”
At that, he left to switch off the power supply.
Chanel rose from her stool and whispered close to my ear, "what's going on, I couldn't hear you on top of the music."
" The lights will go off in a couple of seconds and we have to run out of this club without wasting any time. Got it?" She raised her eyebrows but nodded afterwards, her eyes at the exit, remembering the way out just as I did.
I could see men keeping track of us from the corner of my eyes. “ I thought this city would protect us from our family—” darkness enveloped us, followed by cries of disappointment from people. I grabbed Chanel and together we rushed out of the club. We collided many times with people, but we didn't wait to apologise, for a difference in a second could mean life or death.
Outside the situation was quite opposite to the storm I felt inside couples walking hand in hand girls giggling about almost anything, people being just....free. My heart clenched at seeing lives I could never live, A normal teenager I could never be. I thought running away would make my life more interesting and normal, but all I have ever done since is watch my back and Chanel's.
As we rushed to our rented car, I dared to look behind, as if on cue, the club lighted behind us —and worse two men darted outside. They hadn't noticed us yet so we 'calmly' jumped into the car.
I always have been an atheist but at that moment I wished I wasn't. Nothing would have been easier to give all my worries to God and to know that he won't let anything bad happen but since I wasn't a believer — I couldn't do anything but believe in myself.
I hit the gas and off we went. We took many twists and turns to unknown destinations just to trick off any stalkers. At last, I checked the rearview mirror for any suspicious person or car before we left for the motel we were staying at.
“ I-I don't think we should go—” I gulped as two SUVs came into view . “well...too late for that” I whispered as I hit the breaks. Goosebumps broke out in my body and I shivered. Chanel tightened beside me, her breaths faster and erratic, same as mine.
There was no way they didn't hear unless there wasn't anybody in it. Considering my luck, they probably —the cars door opened — surely did. Two heavily-muscled men got off and walked toward us. They were around six feet tall and one had a shaved head. Both of them had a gun directly pointed at me. Maybe they couldn't see Chanel because of the darkness and assumed that it was just me...?. “ Get out of the car and don't do anything stupid that could get you killed ” the man with the shaved head yelled in Italian.
“ get under the backseat ” I whisper– yelled before I stepped outside. I raised my hands as I waited for the worst to happen which wasn't death, no death would be too easy, they would torture the shit out of me. The Camorra was known to be ruthless and as far as I knew they didn't spare women or even kids. I just hoped they didn't recognise me. I had dyed from brown to red to look unrecognisable — that was not necessary though given that people have to know me to recognise me, because I was the least popular member in the cosa nostra or even just popular for that matter—and to live in peace and freedom. The area was isolated and was filled with deafening pin-drop silence, screaming won't work, even otherwise it still wouldn't have. Though I was scared for my life, I was glad that Chanel might live through this.
“Who are you?” the guy with dark hair yelled.
“ I'm Valentina Monroe ” I lied.
“Are you alone?” I almost sighed in relief. He didn't know who I was. I nodded.
“check the car” dark-haired guy ordered the shaved head dude. My heart skipped a beat as the shaved head dude reached for my car. I heard him searching it through, lastly, he opened the trunk and after a couple of milliseconds, he shut it.
I took a breath of relief, glad that he was too stupid or too lazy to not check under the seats.
“ You can go—” someone's phone ringed. The voice came from inside the car. Dark-haired guy's brows furrowed.
“ it's my phone ” I tried my hardest to sound stern and confident. Damn you, Chanel.
“ But your phone's in your pocket” I had to wear a crop top today, I mentally cursed myself. Dark-haired guy's had reached the trigger.
“ I have two phones” my voice wavered a little.
He glanced at the shaved head, who sat on the hood of my car, giving him a silent order. He stood and opened the back door. This time he turned on the flashlight and looked thoroughly.
“ look what I found ” he laughed darkly.
My stomach tightened. So this is it, this is how I'll die. Whoever called Chanel has written our last act. That was still better, better than torture and assault. My face sweated like crazy but I dare not move to wipe it.
I didn't think that it was possible but a small wail of her heightened my fear.
I saw blonde hair first, gripped by the ugly hand of shaved dude. He then literally yanked her by her hair and made her stand next to me. I slowly lowered my hands and looked for any way to make out of this alive. Of course, the dark-haired guy noticed but didn't comment anything —because we were no threat. Unarmed weak and just girls.
He pulled out the phone from his front pocket and called someone his boss I assumed. Aftecocoupleeats said,
“ Boss we got her, but we caught someone else with too. I don't recognise her, she says her name is Valentina Monroe...which is a lie I think .” he glared at me. Ye bbbrbringt is then.
_____________________________
The shaved guy shoved us in the backseat and closed the door. He sat behind the steering wheel. The other guy decided to drive another vehicle and left a minute before. He leered at us through the rearview mirror. I frowned and so did Chanel. Her tears had dried altogether, only their trail marks were left.
Oh no, this is not going to be good. I shifted uncomfortably and in that process, I felt a pen in the back pocket of my jeans. If used with enough force it could be used as a weapon. But this person was a made man with years of training and me with almost none. He'll know before I strike.
“ you come here and sit on my lap ” he growled in heavily accented English. I resisted glaring at him and instead tried to look as timid as possible. Chanel was the princess, daughter of our Cosa nostra's boss, so basically she was off-limits — so he chose me because I was useless, unimportant and unknown. Well, I was going to show him how wrong he was.
“ Are you deaf, bitch!?” he held me at gunpoint.
“My father will kill you for this! ” she cried. No, he couldn't care less about me and after we escaped, he'll probably kill me himself.
He ignored her and looked at me with lust.
“ Open the door and come here. And if you try to run away or do anything stupid, I'll put a bullet in your head. Do you understand?”
I nodded and stood up but Chanel's hand gripped me tightly. “ I'll be okay, I promise” I whispered, my eyes watering. Thick droplets of tears fell from her eyes as she shook her head, mouthing no. I gently pulled my hand away from her and opened the door.
I sat on his lap as he hit the gas. He fumbled with the belt and buttons with one hand while the other held the steering wheel. Once he was finally naked, I cringed seeing his tool. I wanted to puke on it.
“ Open yourself up,” he ordered. I popped open the buttons and reached my hands behind to tuck the jeans down, my fingers felt the pen. I took a deep breath. this will have to do.
If it doesn't....then I'm screwed.
“ what's taking you so long huh!?” I grabbed his shaft, slowly massaging him. He released a breath and brought his mouth on mine. Chanel sobbed. This is it. I held the pen in my right hand and with the speed of light, rammed it onto his throat. He screamed in agony.
Chanel's mouth gaped open, her eyes widened. I hurriedly hit the breaks and the SUV came to a stop.
“ Get out!” I yelled as I stopped for a second to look at my artwork. One-fourth part of the pen was inside his throat as he coughed blood. I took the pen out and stabbed him over and over again. Chanel stared at me in horror.
“ Greta he's dead!. Let's go.”
I got off the car in a haze. My eyes were blurry with tears.
I heard the rustling of clothes before I felt something prick on my arm. After that everything felt numb.
“ He failed the test and he got what he deserved ” a tall figure loomed over me and held me in his arms as I fell into darkness.
I sat on a barstool, legs crossed to prevent them from shaking. Chanel set next to me and gave me an 'I told you so' look. Maintaining the best poker face I could muster, I glanced around and was not surprised to find many eyes leering at us, though our clothes were anything but revealing. I thought my first drink in a club would be amazing for my eighteenth birthday but I had a very bad feeling about this. And as if I manifested trouble, Chanel tensed beside me. She played with her blonde hair — a nervous habit she had since forever.
Trouble C, she mouthed as bit her nails —this wasn't her habit—in fact biting nails grossed her out. This was a sign, a sign that meant: more than five men. One man was dangerous enough.
My stomach tightened as I swallowed bile. I fake laughed and so did Chanel, just to give off the impression that we didn't know that there were dangerous men behind us, watching our every move, and who would not hesitate to kill us. Without wasting any time, I stood up and wiped sweaty hands on my jeans. I felt many eyes following my every move, no doubt that their legs would too. I almost lost my hope of secretly leaving this place when the cute bartender arrived, who flirted with me since I got here. I smiled seductively at him and gestured for him to come closer. He pointed a finger at his chest as if I called the bottles of alcohol behind him. Idiot. I resisted my eyes from rolling. Chanel frowned, but then let it go.
"I know we've just met but, I like you," I said when he was not farther than a foot away from me. That wasn't a lie. I did have a crush on him however, it was the kind that doesn't last more than an hour.
He smirked and ran his hand through his dark hair. I grabbed his collar and pulled him even closer to me. He was seconds away from kissing me, when I turned my head, his kiss landed on my cheek. "I need you to do something for me," I whispered as I placed 100 Euro in his back pocket. He tensed under my touch.
"Don't ask any questions— That's 100 Euro, all you have do is cut off the power supply for a minute. And you can't tell anyone about this." It might get you killed.
I pleaded with him with my eyes.
“Are you in trouble, I could call the police,” his eyes shone with genuine concern?
“ It's better if don't know and the police won't be able to help anyway” A few honest cops would have, but most of them worked for the Camorra, and they would gladly hand us over to them.
“Look I don't much time if you don't wanna help—”
“ I'll do it —just take care”
At that, he left to switch off the power supply.
Chanel rose from her stool and whispered close to my ear, "what's going on, I couldn't hear you on top of the music."
" The lights will go off in a couple of seconds and we have to run out of this club without wasting any time. Got it?" She raised her eyebrows but nodded afterwards, her eyes at the exit, remembering the way out just as I did.
I could see men keeping track of us from the corner of my eyes. “ I thought this city would protect us from our family—” darkness enveloped us, followed by cries of disappointment from people. I grabbed Chanel and together we rushed out of the club. We collided many times with people, but we didn't wait to apologise, for a difference in a second could mean life or death.
Outside the situation was quite opposite to the storm I felt inside couples walking hand in hand girls giggling about almost anything, people being just....free. My heart clenched at seeing lives I could never live, A normal teenager I could never be. I thought running away would make my life more interesting and normal, but all I have ever done since is watch my back and Chanel's.
As we rushed to our rented car, I dared to look behind, as if on cue, the club lighted behind us —and worse two men darted outside. They hadn't noticed us yet so we 'calmly' jumped into the car.
I always have been an atheist but at that moment I wished I wasn't. Nothing would have been easier to give all my worries to God and to know that he won't let anything bad happen but since I wasn't a believer — I couldn't do anything but believe in myself.
I hit the gas and off we went. We took many twists and turns to unknown destinations just to trick off any stalkers. At last, I checked the rearview mirror for any suspicious person or car before we left for the motel we were staying at.
“ I-I don't think we should go—” I gulped as two SUVs came into view . “well...too late for that” I whispered as I hit the breaks. Goosebumps broke out in my body and I shivered. Chanel tightened beside me, her breaths faster and erratic, same as mine.
There was no way they didn't hear unless there wasn't anybody in it. Considering my luck, they probably —the cars door opened — surely did. Two heavily-muscled men got off and walked toward us. They were around six feet tall and one had a shaved head. Both of them had a gun directly pointed at me. Maybe they couldn't see Chanel because of the darkness and assumed that it was just me...?. “ Get out of the car and don't do anything stupid that could get you killed ” the man with the shaved head yelled in Italian.
“ get under the backseat ” I whisper– yelled before I stepped outside. I raised my hands as I waited for the worst to happen which wasn't death, no death would be too easy, they would torture the shit out of me. The Camorra was known to be ruthless and as far as I knew they didn't spare women or even kids. I just hoped they didn't recognise me. I had dyed from brown to red to look unrecognisable — that was not necessary though given that people have to know me to recognise me, because I was the least popular member in the cosa nostra or even just popular for that matter—and to live in peace and freedom. The area was isolated and was filled with deafening pin-drop silence, screaming won't work, even otherwise it still wouldn't have. Though I was scared for my life, I was glad that Chanel might live through this.
“Who are you?” the guy with dark hair yelled.
“ I'm Valentina Monroe ” I lied.
“Are you alone?” I almost sighed in relief. He didn't know who I was. I nodded.
“check the car” dark-haired guy ordered the shaved head dude. My heart skipped a beat as the shaved head dude reached for my car. I heard him searching it through, lastly, he opened the trunk and after a couple of milliseconds, he shut it.
I took a breath of relief, glad that he was too stupid or too lazy to not check under the seats.
“ You can go—” someone's phone ringed. The voice came from inside the car. Dark-haired guy's brows furrowed.
“ it's my phone ” I tried my hardest to sound stern and confident. Damn you, Chanel.
“ But your phone's in your pocket” I had to wear a crop top today, I mentally cursed myself. Dark-haired guy's had reached the trigger.
“ I have two phones” my voice wavered a little.
He glanced at the shaved head, who sat on the hood of my car, giving him a silent order. He stood and opened the back door. This time he turned on the flashlight and looked thoroughly.
“ look what I found ” he laughed darkly.
My stomach tightened. So this is it, this is how I'll die. Whoever called Chanel has written our last act. That was still better, better than torture and assault. My face sweated like crazy but I dare not move to wipe it.
I didn't think that it was possible but a small wail of her heightened my fear.
I saw blonde hair first, gripped by the ugly hand of shaved dude. He then literally yanked her by her hair and made her stand next to me. I slowly lowered my hands and looked for any way to make out of this alive. Of course, the dark-haired guy noticed but didn't comment anything —because we were no threat. Unarmed weak and just girls.
He pulled out the phone from his front pocket and called someone his boss I assumed. Aftecocoupleeats said,
“ Boss we got her, but we caught someone else with too. I don't recognise her, she says her name is Valentina Monroe...which is a lie I think .” he glared at me. Ye bbbrbringt is then.
_____________________________
The shaved guy shoved us in the backseat and closed the door. He sat behind the steering wheel. The other guy decided to drive another vehicle and left a minute before. He leered at us through the rearview mirror. I frowned and so did Chanel. Her tears had dried altogether, only their trail marks were left.
Oh no, this is not going to be good. I shifted uncomfortably and in that process, I felt a pen in the back pocket of my jeans. If used with enough force it could be used as a weapon. But this person was a made man with years of training and me with almost none. He'll know before I strike.
“ you come here and sit on my lap ” he growled in heavily accented English. I resisted glaring at him and instead tried to look as timid as possible. Chanel was the princess, daughter of our Cosa nostra's boss, so basically she was off-limits — so he chose me because I was useless, unimportant and unknown. Well, I was going to show him how wrong he was.
“ Are you deaf, bitch!?” he held me at gunpoint.
“My father will kill you for this! ” she cried. No, he couldn't care less about me and after we escaped, he'll probably kill me himself.
He ignored her and looked at me with lust.
“ Open the door and come here. And if you try to run away or do anything stupid, I'll put a bullet in your head. Do you understand?”
I nodded and stood up but Chanel's hand gripped me tightly. “ I'll be okay, I promise” I whispered, my eyes watering. Thick droplets of tears fell from her eyes as she shook her head, mouthing no. I gently pulled my hand away from her and opened the door.
I sat on his lap as he hit the gas. He fumbled with the belt and buttons with one hand while the other held the steering wheel. Once he was finally naked, I cringed seeing his tool. I wanted to puke on it.
“ Open yourself up,” he ordered. I popped open the buttons and reached my hands behind to tuck the jeans down, my fingers felt the pen. I took a deep breath. this will have to do.
If it doesn't....then I'm screwed.
“ what's taking you so long huh!?” I grabbed his shaft, slowly massaging him. He released a breath and brought his mouth on mine. Chanel sobbed. This is it. I held the pen in my right hand and with the speed of light, rammed it onto his throat. He screamed in agony.
Chanel's mouth gaped open, her eyes widened. I hurriedly hit the breaks and the SUV came to a stop.
“ Get out!” I yelled as I stopped for a second to look at my artwork. One-fourth part of the pen was inside his throat as he coughed blood. I took the pen out and stabbed him over and over again. Chanel stared at me in horror.
“ Greta he's dead!. Let's go.”
I got off the car in a haze. My eyes were blurry with tears.
I heard the rustling of clothes before I felt something prick on my arm. After that everything felt numb.
“ He failed the test and he got what he deserved ” a tall figure loomed over me and held me in his arms as I fell into darkness.
