3. Collateral

"Shut up!" One of the men yelled as he slapped her hard on the cheek. He had tattoos all over his hands and was obviously the leader of his little thug clique. "Are you going to keep denying that you don't know where he is?!"

Loki spat out blood weakly. She was totally disheveled, her body was already feeble and she was exhausted about life already.

These hopeless thugs might as well just kill her since there was no way she could know where her stepbrother disappeared to since the last six months.

Earlier, they had interrupted her quiet moment and had forcefully dragged her to a much more secluded and quiet side of the area.

They had beaten her up severely and she was currently too weak to even fight back. No matter how many times she tells them she has no idea on Rick's whereabouts, they just wouldn't believe her or were probably acting like they didn't.

She found out that Rick had borrowed money from these thugs who masked themselves as loan sharks and he had disappeared with a huge amount of money, without telling her anything.

"You see," the leader bent down beside her crouched form on the floor, feigning pity in his expression as he continued, "your brother had left you as his collateral in case he wasn't able to pay up his debts." Her eyes widened in horror at his words, her lips trembling as she tried to say something. In the end Loki could only shake her head in disbelief.

She knew Rick had never been a good brother to her ever since her mother died and her step father ran off with the little inheritance, but she never believed Rick would do this to her. Even though they weren't related by blood, they were still legally siblings for goodness sake!

Loki instantly dismissed the thoughts. If her dear husband of five years could betray her trust suddenly and break her heart, how much more her stepbrother who's always been a nutcase?

Series of crazy events were happening today and Loki didn't think she would be able to take it all in. She feared she was already at the verge of giving up.

"I know you might not believe me but we don't usually do this or involve women in our deals," the man went on. "But how could we reject such a palatable offer when it came so easily?" The man's mischievous grin and the way his eyes lustfully ran over her body, gave Loki an extremely unpleasant, eerie feeling.

An idea occured to her and she decided to make use of it at least for this once.

Loki struggled to raise her gaze up from the floor and tried her best to look intimidating as possible.

"Aren't you scared what might happen to you for daring to touch Glen Robertson's wife?" She managed to glare at him even though she was freaking scared internally.

'Please, just this once. Let me hide under Glen's powerful reputation and protection once more. Please...' she prayed within her.

The men had all withdrawn and were now looking at her in a skeptical and somewhat fearful manner. And just when Loki thought she could breathe with relief, they simultaneously burst into a fit of scornful laughter.

"Hahaha! Hahaha! You almost got me there," the leader said and she raised a brow in confusion.

That didn't work? She couldn't believe they weren't believing her. Why? She wondered.

It was obvious photos of herself and Glen were all over the internet so how could they doubt her?

In that instant, Glen's words to her several hours ago repeated in her head.

'...that aside, no one would believe you. Why? Lucy here, is a proof of that.'

My goodness!

A painful lump instantly caught in her throat. Did Glen really went that far as to manipulate their photos together? He didn't, right?

Loki hadn't understood his words back then, but now, realization dawned on her outrightly. And tears flowed out of her eyes once again. It was clear she might never heal from the pains of his betrayal.

So this was what he meant by his words. Lucy would replace her and act as though she was Loki all the while because of her damned face!

Her fists clenched as hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Her body trembled visibly as waves and waves of terrific anger surged within her.

Five years. Five good years of her life was nothing other than a joke to Glen. How could he?!

"Argghhh!" She suddenly screamed out. She needed to scream it out or she feared she might be forced to choke from the intense pain that greatly overwhelmed her.

"Keep shut!" One of the men reached out a hand and slapped her hard, halting her screams and making her face turn in another direction. Loki's screams turned into whimpers as her body shook with terror while her fists clenched against the hard cold floor with her fingers digging into her tender palms.

Just one word was now repeating in her head; Vengeance!

"How dare you wench try to lie to us just because you look somehow like Chairman Robertson's wife? Have you seen your body size before you tried to impersonate her?" He spat. "Can't believe I almost fell for that." He raised a hand to hit her again but he was interrupted by one of his men.

"Boss, I found this in her bag. Looks like we could get a huge sum." The man said and the leader turned away from her to face his subordinate.

Seeing the blank signed check stamped with the renowned Robertsons' family seal, the leader, named Bobby, snatched it from the other man as his eyes shone with greed.

He didn't knew how this wench got such a huge luck, but Bobby already had a brilliant idea in his head.

With a woman as this with such a luck, he could always find her whenever he needed such easy cash again.

He grinned with delighted mischief as he turned to face Loki again. Reaching out his hands, Bobby pulled her up to a sitting position, his renowned mischievous smile still on display.

"We would leave you now, beautiful Ms. Colleen, but don't forget that you are still our collateral for your brother's huge debt." He said.

"Even... even after taking that?" Loki pointed weakly at the blank check in his hand.

Glen had been 'supposedly generous' in giving her a blank check as alimony after forcing her to sign the divorce documents. He had even refused to give her a copy of it after she had signed.

He had been smart enough to know that it would have been an evidence she could easily use to expose what he did to her to the world.

Bobby looked down at her and scoffed. "Of course, beautiful. Or do you think this would be the end? Oh my," he clicked his tongue pathetically. "Don't dream too much and just wait for my return, okay? In the meantime, you should gather as much of this from wherever you had gotten it from." He waved the check at her. "Till another time, Mrs. Robertson." Bobby sarcastically added, bowing his head slightly for more emphasis on his sarcasm.

Loki cursed at him as she watched them leave. They have suddenly become an addition to her now miserable life. Since it was clear she might never be able to get her revenge on her ex husband, it would have been a little soothing to her bruised heart and broken soul were she able to at least get rid of the no-good loansharks.

They were like thorns in her flesh and she greatly wished it were possible for her to get rid of them forever.

Suddenly, she heard a car pulled up close by but she was too lost in her thoughts to feel bothered.

She heard footsteps approached her hurriedly.

"Ms. Coll... Ms. Donovan?" A man addressed her and Loki was certain she's had enough for the day.

"Damnit! Not again with you loanshark bastards. Haven't you done enough already? And what's with the new surname? Aren't you done being sarcastic with me?" She cussed frustratedly only to raise her gaze and get surprised at the sight of a gorgeous young man in a black suit, staring down at her.

"Forgive me for coming late, my lady." He bowed to the waist at her while she stared at him in bewilderment.