( Lorenzo)
“Fuck work." I muttered.The clock ticking away and worsening my mood, as I went through the high stack of paperwork on my desk,a pen in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.I took a sip of the hot cup of black coffee, the bitter taste cutting through the stale air of my office.Lazily, I threw my eyes around the paper praying silently for a escape.The devil answered my prayer. The next moment the worst type of distraction came bursting out of the door. I looked up and met the gaze of the one and only person who had the guts to barge into my office. A deep frown settled on my face. It's Giovanni, my right-hand man.'Great, just great'"They're here" he announced"I see you've implemented a new policy of no-knock entries" i said, casually placing my coffee down and returning my attention back to my work.'Yeah I chose perk over the other option’A smile formed on Giovanni's face. "Maybe I have" he shrugged and sat down on the couch by the window staring outside"So!" he clapped his hands trying to grab my attention, "Are you going to see the products or what?"Putting my pen down, I look up at him and sighed. "Do I really have to?""Well, you don't have to . But I'm pretty sure you'd like to see this new batch" he said, a hint of a mischief in his smileI closed my eyes and heaved. Normally I don't meet them until they've arrived at the club, trained, broken and polished and I don't go anywhere this fool suggests But, I am a bit curious as to why Giovanni is excited, it wasn't like him at all. He hardly showed any form of emotions whatsoever.Giovanni was, without a doubt, an antisocial sadist.He had a cool countenance, yeah but that just made it hard to ever guess what was going through his sick mind. Once he suggested slowly rolling a car over a poor old man. Life in his eyes was nothing special and the reason why he hadn't taken his own wasn't out of fear but his refusal to be labeled as a coward. Suicide to him, is nothing but a flimsy way out.You know that saying, ‘’Birds of a feather flock together’Well, in our case, it was more like "Birds of the same feather kill together," or something close to that. I stood up, reached for my coffee mug and took the final sip letting the hot bitter liquid slide down my throat smoothly. I straightened the knot of my tie and slipped into my well-tailored suit jacket and casted an bloody glance at Giovanni reminding him to get his ass off my couch.“Jeez, chill big man." He hopped off.“Alright, let's go, We don't have all day" and with that said I walked out of the office with him.********"And then, I gouged his eyes out and stuck it down his throat, tied him up in chains and tossed him into a pool. Man, it was fucking satisfying, hearing the pain and terror on his voice was golden." Declan narrated with a malicious smile."Do you remember Gio, you're the one who thought of tying him up in chains""Of course I remember, How could I forget?" Giovanni said with a smile."It was one amazing moment, having someone's worthless life in your hands" he smiled sinisterly.They both laughed after that. An ordinary person would be mortified if they knew these two but since I was not any better I Iet a cold smile grow on my face.While we passed time going to the rendezvous. They chose to chit chat on this topicIt was a memory I remember quite well. The death of the Dark knights’ gang's leader, Leonardo. He let his power get to his head and actually thought he stood a chance against me… well long story short… he died the worst possible death ever.After killing his family right before his eyes, his eyes was gouged out, fed to him and he was tossed in a pool while being binded by chains. I think he wouldn't have wished for a better way to die. Drawing deeply from my cigarette, the smoke enveloping the car's interior, I thought about how far I had climbed. From a lowly gangster, a nobody to the ruthless Mafia lord commanding the most feared syndicate in New York City. Every level of law enforcement were all under me, and I had incriminating secrets that kept businessmen firmly under my thumb. I effectively ruled this entire city.The path that led me to where I was now was far from clean. It was blood stained and dirty.I smiled… only hell can accommodate me. The things I ve done, things that still kept me awake at night, that haunt me but would I do it all over again? Yes.Rule number one about this world, accept your own darkness, keep your demons near by and learn to thrive among and along them.I have lost my soul and conscience a long time ago and I knew there was nothing that could ever bring it back. it's something I had come to terms with.Declan's voice disrupted my thoughts , his eyes fixed on me from the front seat. "We're here, boss."I responded with a solemn nod, extinguishing the smoldering remains of my cigarette in the car's ashtray. As the last wisp of smoke cleared, I walked with Giovanni into the warehouse. Gio pushed the iron gates open, a wave of damp, musty air hit me. The space was dimly lit, with only a few sparse bulbs providing illumination. The walls were covered in peeling paint, and the concrete floor was stained and cracked. The smell of mold and mildew permeated the air, along with the faint scent of oil and grease. The place was silent, with only the sound of our footsteps echoing off the walls.I followed Giovanni deeper into the warehouse, past piles of rusted machinery and stacks of dusty crates. The further we went, the darker it became, until we reached a door that was barely visible in the gloom.Giovanni reached for the handle and turned it, pushing the door open. Beyond the door was a room that was even darker than the rest of the warehouse, with only a faint glow coming from a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. I looked closely and noticed some dark figures on the floorGiovanni's smug voice cut through the heavy silence. "Here they are," he said, pointing towards the bound figures sprawled on the ground.I crossed him, walking closer towards them, my eyes inspecting them one by one.They were young women, their hands bound behind their backs and mouths silenced by gags. They fell within the age range of 18 to 22, chosen solely for the pleasure of businessmen."They look good," I murmured, squatting down and running a cold hand over a brunette's trembling skin. She whimpered softly, tears dropping down her eyes. She averted her gaze in fear but I held her chin and forced her face towards mine. I could see the fear in her eyes and it did nothing but amuse me. A cruel smile grew on my face."Do that again, and I'll pass you around until every one of my men have their way with you-” I leaned closer. "until you stop breathing" She stared back at me with so much fear and silently started crying again. It was bullshit; my men were strictly forbidden from such actions, but inserting fear in people was one of the few things that gave me joy. Besides, it kept them in check.I stood up and walked towards the other side of the room signaling Giovanni to follow me."Have them shipped to the club tonight. It might not—" My words were abruptly interrupted by a flash of fiery red hair heading towards the door.I reached for Giovanni's glock, pulled out his gun and shot at the figure."Fuck!!" She screamed and fell on the floor just at the door's entrance. She rolled on the floor wincing in pain"Shit!" Giovanni swore and hastened towards her. He roughly pulled her from the floor and dragged her towards me."Let me go!" She screamed in pain and defiance as Giovanni pinned her face to the floor."You fucking bitch," Giovanni hissed, raising his hand to strike her. He wanted to hit her again but I signaled for him to stop.I squatted down and held her chin, forcing her to look me in the eye. Observing the defiance in the girl's emerald eyes, I aimed the gun unflinchingly at her forehead. She opened her eyes in shock and her sharp gasp of terror filled the air. I smiled and fired the gun.( Mariana) I actually thought I could make it. Before he got here I already had the knots on my hands loose. The guards were all focused on him and the brunette, that I was able to get my legs free too. Once he called the other guard aside I knew it was the best time to run, since everyone's attention was on them. I took off the gag and raced for the door and before I could get out he shot me. That fucking bastard shot me!.Bam!I screamed and fell on the floor rolling in so much pain. It hurt so much. Before I could even gather myself, the guard came and picked me up. He wanted to drag me towards his boss but I tried fighting, not that it made a difference. "Let me go!" I yelled as he pinned me down and when I didn't shut up he slapped me. The pain I felt from the gunshot was already making me dizzy. I've never been shot before and the pain was unbearable. The man tried to hit me again but his boss signaled for him to stop. He squatted down and held my chin, making me face him. I d
(Lorenzo) "You finished the last slice of pizza! Gio! how could you?" Declan dramatically gasped. "Hey, it's not my fault, no one claimed it so it was free food." Giovanni shrugged nonchalantly. I observed with amusement as Declan furrowed his brow and pouted slightly staring at the empty pizza box on my kitchen counter. Moments like this always amused me. Rare moments that proved that Declan and Giovanni had human feelings.I cleared my throat, announcing my presence in their midst."Hi, boss!" They both saluted as I made my way to the fridge, pouring myself a glass of orange juice.Leaning against the counter, I asked casually, my gaze shifting between the two of them. "Got any plans for tonight?""None for me, boss," Giovanni replied."I've got a hot date with my girl," Declan admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, a faint blush gracing his face."Ooooooooh, go get it, man!" Gio hollered, clapping Declan on the shoulder in encouragement."What about the girls? Any pr
(Mariana)The door closed with a resounding bang as I entered my room. "Hey, Janet," I greeted my roommate. "Oh you're here" she said with a smile"Yeah" I replied slowly wondering why she was smiling at me like that.She gasped and walked towards me touching my face.” He hurt your pretty face." She said with a pout. "What an asshole.""It's not that bad" I replied with a smile and sat on my bed. The past few months I've been here, Me and Janet grew closer. I mean the first few weeks, alI I ever received in response to anything I said was a grunt and her attention was always on her books. But with time we both came to understand each other and I realized Janet was just like me kidnapped and looking for a way out even though she had been here longer than me. I misjudged Janet when we first met. She was like the sunshine in this forsaken place, hiding under the cloak of darkness. "Of course it's not that bad." She sat down beside me, "After Mr Lorenzo saved you." She said and nudged m
(Mariana) It was morning when I opened my eyes, trying to blink away the sleep. Memories of last night began flooding in and my face starts to heat up. The bed was soft and comfortable, and the sun was streaming through the window, casting a warm glow on the room. I rolled over to my side and stare at Lorenzo who was still asleep. He looked so handsome in his sleep, his features were calm showing a vulnerable side of him I'd never seen before. I slowly stretch my hand out, reaching for his face. The moment I touched him, his eyes flickered open staring back at me. I tried to retract my hand but he stopped me, he placed his hand at my back and pulled me closer. As Lorenzo pulled me close, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I wasn't sure what to expect from him, but I could not deny the chemistry between us. He looked into my eyes, his gaze intense and unreadable. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression last night," he murmured, his voice low and serious. "It was
(Lorenzo) I felt a warm hand touch my face and I opened my eyes, it was Marianas'. She had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. They were light brown with some specks of green that were almost not noticeable. She tried to remove her hands but I stopped her and pulled her closer towards me. She looked at me, her eyes searching mine. I knew I shouldn't pursue this any further, I knew I had to stop leading her on but I couldn't seem to stop myself. Mariana made me feel some way I could not seem to put a pin on, an emotion that felt really strange to me. But I couldn't get distracted. I had to end this here and now. I took in a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression last night,It was just a one-night thing, nothing more". I could see the shock and sadness in her face, I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. I slowly let go of her hand and get up from the bed. I needed to get dressed and leave this room, I couldn't bear to even look at her right now, and n
(Mariana) It had been two weeks. Two weeks since the incident between me and Lorenzo. A moment I was still stuck on. I was pretty sure Lorenzo had probably forgotten that I existed and had sunk his claws into another woman. I dipped the rag into a bowl of water, squeezed it and continued cleaning the tables. I guess I just had to accept the reality that there could never be anything serious between me and Lorenzo. "Let him go, Mariana," I whispered to myself. With a sigh I headed to the next table. The days at the club were becoming more dreadful as the days went by. My plan to escape has gone nowhere. My mind has been so preoccupied with Lorenzo that I forgot that I needed to escape from this hell hole. I needed to push Lorenzo out of my mind and focus all my energy into escaping so I could have my life back, get my freedom back. "Are you almost done Mariana?" Samantha called out my name from the other side of the bar. We were both cleaning the tables. Samantha was the only
(Lorenzo) I sat in my office handling some paperworks, signing off documents that I had been putting off for a while now. I picked up my cup of coffee and sipped it slowly reading through the company's financial record. It was a monthly ritual, just to make sure no one was stealing from me. It had been two weeks since Mariana. I had been with countless women after that but I still couldn't get her out of my system. Giovanni walked in with a serious look on his face. "Boss, our recent gun shipment got sabotaged." "What?" I yelled, enraged. "Who was stupid enough to do something like that?" "I've already put my men on it, and we managed to catch one of the men who was responsible." Giovanni said. "He's a member of the Blood Crust gang." "Blood Crust?" I replied, confused. The Blood Crust gang was one of the biggest gangs in South LA. Why would they do something so reckless? Were they trying to trigger a war, or were they just trying to piss me off? "Have you gotten anything out
(Mariana) The guard moved to the side letting me go into the room. I turned the knob and pushed the door open. I looked around the room and my eyes landed on Janet. I rushed over to her side.She was on a little bed by the corner,her neck was bandaged and she looked pale, almost like she was dead. I sat on the vacant seat by the bed and lightly squeezed her hand, tears welled up in my eyes. I never thought Janet would try something like this, she didn't show any signs. She was always smiling, always trying to cheer me up when I was down. It was because of this place, this toxic hellhole. The club, the hostel, Lorenzo. Yes, it was all Lorenzo's fault. He had kidnapped us and kept us here against our will, he forced us to work for him like slaves and then when he didn't find anymore use for us, he disposed of us. Lorenzo Mclaren, I hated him. I looked around the room and I spotted him at the corner staring at me. All the anger and the pain welled up inside of me. I hated him, he was