CHAPTER ONE: WINTER
I lost my religion a long time ago.
But for the first time in years, I can't help but to pray as my car roughly jostles beneath me.
If there's a god, surely they'll take pity on me. Because no God would ever want to throw someone directly in the hands of the devil, right?
And yet, even as I plead and try to bargain with whatever god is listening, I know that it's of no use. My future has already been decided and now, all I can do is move forward and hope that I survive.
The soft hum of the engine almost sounds like a preamble for my death. The quick beat of my heart, the war drums. Snow falls outside my window, thick, white, beautiful in a way that's hard to appreciate at this moment.
I look away from it as Richard turns the car, pulling it into a secluded alleyway.
No, not secluded, I realize as a lone car comes into my vision. It's black, nearly blending in with the dark alleyway, the engine running as the exhaust leads a small trail in the air. As Richard draws closer, the car turns on its headlights, exposing the grimy brick walls of the abandoned alley. I place an arm in front of my eyes to block out the harsh light. My body tenses.
The car pulls to a stop and Richard lets out a long sigh. His brown eyes move to me and when I see the agony in them, I know he's preparing to cook up another apology, one in the string of many. Unfortunately for him, I grew full of his lies a long time ago.
I glare at him in return, warning him with my eyes to keep his mouth shut. "Let's get this over with," I cut him off abruptly. I throw my car door open even as my heart beats furiously in my chest. Shivers run down my spine, and when the cool air touches my skin, it doesn't help in calming my temperature.
I almost feel hotter, my throat closing up. I stiffen my shoulders, trying to paste on a look of bravado, but I'm scared. More scared than I've ever been in my life.
All the monsters I've survived and this one is going to be the one to destroy me.
Richard gets out of the car, slamming the door behind him as he rounds the hood to come stand beside me. I move away from him when he draws closer, not wanting any false comfort or sympathy. If he so much as tries to hug me, I may completely flip out on him in this alleyway. I may say fuck it and let them kill him for my own freedom. And yet, there's no promise that they won't take me anyway. I did sign a contract after all. Even if the legal capacity of that contract is in doubt.
I glance up at the sky, anything to not look at the car idling feet away. There's not a single star in the sky tonight, as if even they knew to hide with the monsters out.
A car door opening catches my attention, making my body tense up even more. I continue to stare at the sky for a moment longer, but knowing that ignoring what is happening around me isn't going to actually help, I finally drag my gaze back to reality.
The driver’s door of the car is open and there's a bulky man, maybe just an inch over six feet, standing beside it. He slams the door shut before moving to the back door and pulling it open. It feels as if there's a momentary pause between the man opening the door and another man actually getting out of the car. Though I know in reality that it's only seconds. A tall frame folds out of the car, and as the man comes into view, my heart stops beating.
Giovanni Costa.
I've never met the man before, but even if I didn't know that he now holds the contract to my life, I'd be able to recognize him. His reputation precedes him. The man radiates a power and dangerous energy that not many can impose. His black hair hangs just past his ears, a slight curl to the locks. His shoulders are broad, and even with a coat on, I know that he's packing a lot of muscle. His tan skin complements his hard angular face. Pink lips pulled into a frown that I can see even from all the way across the alleyway.
The other man closes the door before letting Giovanni move in front of him.
Giovanni's steps are long and calculated, each step leaving an imprint in the white snow.
He'll leave imprints on my soul next.
And unlike with the snow, the marks won't blow away with the next breeze, they’ll be permanent.
As Giovanni draws closer, I move my gaze away from him to the man following behind him, the driver. He's shorter than Giovanni by a handful of inches, but he's much bulkier than the other man, his shoulders wide. His sharp gaze moves around the alleyway and I know that he's looking for any potential threats.
A bodyguard then.
Of course, I know a man like Giovanni has them. When you make enemies at the rate that he does, there's always someone with a target on your head.
When you're head of the mafia, you always have threats coming from any direction.
The Costa family will deny that they're mafia, or at least that's what I've heard, but everyone knows exactly what the dangerous family of Italians are: brutal, cold, criminals. They deal in drugs, guns, and some even say human trafficking.
Is that what my fate is now? Am I going to be sold off into some sex trafficking ring?
Bile rises in my stomach and my vision goes sideways as the thought crosses my mind.
No, it can't be, they can't have any intentions on selling you or shipping you off to be a sex worker.