(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 problems?" I asked"Nope everything is good over at the hotel." I arched my eyebrows in concern. Three months had passed since the latest intake, and it had been surprisingly quiet. Normally there were usually cases of escape, fighting, injured client, suicide but this time everything has been running smoothly, almost too smooth. Something was up and I have to find out what."I don't think you need to worry boss". Giovanni said after noticing the concern on my face."Margot has taught them all they need to know. They're well-behaved with our clients. No complaints so far," Giovanni reported. Margot, the head of the club's workers and my childhood friend ensured they were well-trained for their roles, making my work easier when it came to the married businessmen eager to indulge themselves."But that's the problem. No complaints. It's a bit disturbing don't you think?" I picked up my orange juice and took a huge gulp."I don't think so, boss" Declan said. "Maybe it's because of that Mariana girl" Declan addedI tilt the cup away from my mouth and look at Declan with a puzzled gaze. "And who the hell is that?" The name sounded familiar"Yeah, in fact, Margot says most clients have been asking for her. She's been in high demand," Declan added."Why?" I asked, crossing my arms with a hint of suspicion."No idea" Declan shrugged"Mariana," Gio said."Mariana?" The name slipped from my lips, and I couldn't recall. "Do you know her Gio?""Yeah, how could I forget. She was the bitch who tried to escape at the warehouse" Gio responded, his tone less than welcoming. He didn't seem to like her. But that wasn't new. Gio didn't like anyone."Ohhhh" I say suddenly remembering her."Why her?" I asked, perplexed by what those grimly and sleazy old men found in her."No idea," Declan repeated again"Maybe the bitch kept giving them the green light," Gio grumbled.The girls at the club knew they were under my protection. No one was forced into something they didn't want to do, and their interactions with clients were always consensual. However, the consistent demand for Mariana was disturbing. It was time for me to pay a visit to the club before the situation got out of hand."Fancy seeing you around here," a sultry voice greeted me as I sipped my drink at the bar."I'm not allowed to visit my own club anymore?" I retorted, swirling the ice cubes in my whiskey."Of course you are," she replied as she settled onto the stool next to mine and her gown went up exposing her thighs, her cheap perfume leaving a trail in the air."All I was saying is it's been a while since we've... you know…talked" she said with a wink and threw a seductive smile at me.Monica was an attractive woman, at least on the outside. Blonde, tanned skin, ample assets. What I had with her was nothing but a one night stand and I wanted to keep it that way.She placed her hand on my lap trailing her hands up to my groin but I slapped her hands off, I responded, "You know that isn't possible.""Why?" She pouted, folding her arms."Because of your one-night rule?"I casted her a sidelong glance and sipped my whiskey. I had a rule to not sleep with any woman from the club more than once. I've kept to it this long and I didn't plan on breaking it anytime soon."Come on," she protested. I rose to my feet, I glanced down at her once more and spoke firmly, "Don't let this repeat itself.""Hi, boss," a cheerful voice greeted me."Urhhhhh," I groaned loudly, exasperated."Can't a man get a few moments to himself? Is that too much to ask for?""Oh, stop being so dramatic," Margot said as she slapped my shoulders and joined me in the VIP section. The dance floor was filled with couples, and the DJ played soft melodies, creating a pleasant ambiance.Sitting up straight, I cut to the chase, "I heard about what's happening.""What's happening?" she looks at me cluelessly."Things are going awfully smoothly here and lot of clients are demanding Mariana."Her clueless face switched to amusement and she began laughing cheekily. I've always been fond of that laughter."Woow what's wrong with a little peace Lorenzo? '' Margot replied, popping a piece of pineapple into her mouth. "As for Mariana's demand, what's wrong with that?"Taking a sip of my drink, I savored the burning sensation letting it slide down my throat."I think we can make this useful," Margot suddenly declared."What do you mean?""You need dirt on these businessmen, right?" Her eyes sparkled with eagerness."I already have dirt on them," I stated. "I have a lot of pictures and videos of them engaging in illicit activities at my club. Things that could ruin their lives""Well, What if you could have more?" Margot suggested. "What if Mariana seduces them, perhaps has a night with them, and gets them to spill their deepest darkest secrets?"Taking another sip of my brandy, I closed my eyes savoring the taste before putting the cup down. "No it's too dangerous," I replied, shaking my head."Lorenzo. If you truly want to take down the Costras Clan, you need more than just pictures and videos. You need solid evidence, which Mariana can easily obtain for you!" Margot argued."I don't need..." I began, but I was interrupted by a commotion.I looked down to see Lincoln, a member of the Costras, trying to assault one of the workers – I recognized that fiery red hair anywhere. Some eyes were already on them, and the music was turned down enough for me to hear what that troublesome man was saying.I hastened downstairs, just in time to grab Lincoln's hand before it hit her again."Ow, ow, ow! Who the fuck is this?" He cried out in pain.Twisting his hand backward, I forced him to turn towards me. "Hello, Mr. Lincoln," I said, offering a cold smile."What the hell do you think you're doing?" He shouted, his face twisted in pain.I looked at Mariana and noticed blood dripping from her nose . Anger coursed through me and I twisted his hand even harder"Oww stop! That fucking hurts!" Releasing my tight grip on Lincoln's hand, I pushed him forward. "Assault or force yourself on any of my workers again, and I will make sure you lose your hands.""My father will hear of this!" he yelled, his face flushed with rage, then he stormed out.I closed my eyes, trying to control my breathing and anger before turning towards her."Are you okay?" She looked up at me and I could see her face was bruised which made me more angry. If Lincoln was still here I would've beaten him to pulp."Margot!" I yell.She ran towards me. "Get her an ice pack and stop the bleeding on her nose""Sure thing." She walked towards Marianna and led her out.Breathing heavily, I observed that the club was eerily silent, all eyes on us. I quelled the tension, saying, "Stop staring unless you want to lose your eyes."They all murmured, and the music resumed."Thank you," Mariana said softly from behind me.Clenching my fist and without turning back, I replied, "Just make sure you stay out of trouble."(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
Cont'd (Marianna) Samantha laughed "Thank you very much, I cooked it myself" She takes another spoonful of soup and holds it up to my mouth. " Here, have some more."I opened my mouth and let her feed me again. "Thank you Samantha" I said, after swallowing the second spoon. " I really mean it, you've done a lot for me today."" Oh it's okay. You were going through a lot, you needed support even if it was just a little," She shrugged. "When it was me, no one cared. Everyone was going through one thing or another so no one had time for anyone but themselves. I had to deal with my shit all alone." "I'm sorry to hear that" I say to her." It's fine," she says, shaking off the thought."Enough of the sad stories, let's eat more.""Let's?" I ask, raising an eyebrow in question."Yeah, did you really think I'd make something this delicious and not eat out of it?" She said with a smirk and brought out another spoon from the tray which caused me to giggle.We continued like that, eating
(Lorenzo)I gazed out of the window of my office, the bustling streets of the city laid out before me. The sidewalks were crowded with people, like ants scurried about their business. The sun was setting, and the sky was aflame with orange and pink hues. I heard the door open behind me, and I turned to see Giovanni standing there."Boss, everything's ready," he said, his voice steady and confident. I nodded and followed him out of the office.We walked down the corridor and headed towards the elevator. My thoughts were clouded as we rode down to the parking lot.The elevator door opened with a ding, and we stepped out into the empty parking lot. The silence was deafening,and the only sound was the echo of our footsteps on the concrete floor. We made our way towards the car and I got in the backseat while Giovanni had taken the driver's seat."Let's go." I said and he started the engine taking me to the warehouse.By the time we reached the warehouse,It was dark. Giovanni pulled the car