Luca

“Get the kettle on princess I’m in need of a decent caffeine fix.” She sang putting her thumb up to the camera at me.

I laughed and activated the release button for the gate then unlocked the door. I headed into the kitchen and turned the fancy coffee machine on. A visit from my bestie definitely warranted the best latte and cappuccino Luca had to offer, especially after my shitty morning.

I held the two steaming mugs in either hand and pushed the kitchen door open with my elbow as I cinched my way out of the doorway and into the living room to greet my best friend.

“My little Kiki. Looks like the break from me has been good for you. You look…radiant.”

The mugs slipped out of my hand and crashed to the floor spilling coffee all over the cream rug and splattering boiling drops onto my bare legs but I didn’t flinch, I felt numb.

“How the hell did you get in? Where’s Teresa? What have you done to her?”

Standing in the doorway surrounded by about eight muscle mountains was my old boss Eduardo Sanchez. He had his black hair slicked back and a scar ran up from his lip across his left cheek giving him a menacing edge. A reminder that he lived in hell and had faced demons just for the fun of it. Where Luca was beautiful and deadly, Sanchez was the epitome of evil in every way. Standing there in his designer suit, he made my skin crawl.

“Now Kiki that’s not the way to greet an old friend is it? Didn’t your Mother teach you anything about good manners?”

“My Mother taught me to always look after number one and to never trust anyone.”

“Pity you weren’t listening when she told you about trusting best friends then isn’t it. You’re little friend…Teresa…well she’s probably in a cab on her way to the airport by now.”

He looked down at his expensive gold watch as if it held the answer.

“She was way too easy to buy off you know. She gave you up straight away, it was a bargain really. I’d have paid double what I did to get to you little Kiki.”

I knew I had to act fast, this was an ambush and time was not on my side. I scanned the room to look for something I could use as a weapon to help me.

“Luca will be back any minute, if I were you I’d get out of here before he kills every last one of you.”

He laughed back at me and took a few more steps into the living area, prowling like a panther about to strike.

“Oh Kiki, you think I don’t know exactly where he is? I’ve known his daily schedule for weeks now. I know exactly what meetings he’s in today and where he’s going to be. He isn’t coming home to you little girl until very later tonight; or rather let me rephrase that…he won’t be finding out you’re missing until late tonight.”

I didn’t stop to think I just darted towards the back door in a blind attempt to make a run for it, but a dark shadow stood on the other side of the door waiting for me.

“No point trying to get away little one, there’s men at every door and window waiting for you. Your days hiding from me are over.”

He stalked right up to me, his grin showed the gold tooth he had hidden in the right side of his mouth and the stench of stale coffee and cigarettes hit me as he leered over me. I was the fly caught in the spider’s web and he was just so eager to devour me.

I tried to push past him and run up the stairs but my tiny frame was no match for him and his men. Two of which came to stand either side of me hemming me in.

“Don’t grab her arms too hard, we can’t afford to send her off covered in bruises.” Sanchez ordered as the men held the tops of my arms to keep me from escaping.

“You won’t get away with this you know.” I spat out, “He’ll find me, and when he does you’re a dead man.”

Sanchez pressed his nose against mine and looked me dead in the eyes.

“I have no doubt about the last part Kiki, but as for saving you…he won’t have time. You see I sold you weeks ago and now times up, my client wants delivery of his…merchandise. You will be on a plane to Colombia in the next few hours before Marquez even knows you’re gone. So little Kiki, I suggest you come with us now without making a fuss. Trust me it will be better for you in the long run if you do.”

I wasn’t going without a fight, I’d never done anything in my life without fighting and I wasn’t about to stop now.

“Fuck you!” I said and spat right in his face.

The fucker just smiled and licked his lips.

“You know it’s a shame we have to ship you off so fast, I’d have loved to have a taste of you myself first. I like it when girls fight and you look like a feisty little fighter.” He bent forward and licked my cheek, making me gag and pull back away. The henchmen’s grip only tightened, so I kicked out with all my might and let the weight of my body drop. If they weren’t allowed to hold my arms tight in case of bruising then they’d have to let me go if I was falling to the floor.

Sure enough they loosened their grip on my arms as I reached out to put my hands on anything that could double as a weapon to protect me. My arms and legs flaying wildly to keep them at bay.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way Kiki.” Sanchez huffed, and another thug came to stand at the side of him, a needle containing God knows what in his hand. My stomach churned as I thought about all the things they could do to me if they managed to get that needle in me. I couldn’t bear to think about it; I didn’t like to do ‘helpless’.