Chapter 2

( 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 didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me defeated like the first girl so I glared back at him even though I was scared and in so much pain. He didn't seem to appreciate my stare so he pointed the gun at my forehead and smiled. I gasped out in fear as he smiled coldly back at me. I didn't expect my life to end this way in a filthy warehouse, kidnapped by some thugs. I closed my eyes and then….

Bam!

The deafening sound of the gunshot filled the grimy, dimly lit warehouse. I heard his laughter as I opened my eyes. He stood up with a look of amusement on his face.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips "Jesus Christ" I muttered, the word escaping beneath my trembling breath.

"Next time, I won't be so generous," he said. His face holding a cool countenance, and his voice carrying an unsettling calmness as he stared at me. The man, whose name remained a mystery to me, stared at me,his gaze piercing my soul, leaving me shivering

"Now, tell me something," he inquired, his voice echoing in the silence that enveloped us. "Are you brave or are you just plain stupid? Were you that eager to die?”

Turning slightly, I casted a furtive glance toward the other girls, huddled together on the ground, their hands tied and mouths gagged. I closed my eyes

'How the hell did I get trapped in this nightmare.”

********

My class ended early but I decided to stay in school longer cause I needed to revise. Exams were to begin next week. The sky was a deep shade of blue and the street lights were already lit up, illuminating my shadow.

Suddenly a car swerved right in front of me and a group of men came out forcing me into the car. I tried to scream, they hit me, covered my mouth but It was whatever that pierced my neck that made me loose consciousness.

When I woke up I was in a moving van and I noticed I wasn't the only one, several girls were also there, tied up and scared. They transported us to an abandoned factory, where I witnessed our sale to another group for a couple of dollars. They drugged us, and my memories grew hazy until I awoke here, in this forsaken warehouse.

"Bitch, the Boss is talking to you," a deep voice growled jolting me back to reality. It belonged to the man who pinned me down. The one with a ghastly scar etching a brutal path from his forehead to his cheek. I couldn't help but wonder about the violent past that had marked him with such an ugly scar.

I wasn't naive; everyone knew of the Reapers Ring, a notorious Mafia gang masquerading as a tech company in the New York City’s shadows. They had law enforcement in their pocket, making them virtually untouchable. The identity of their enigmatic boss was shrouded in secrecy, known only by the name Lorenzo McLaren, the feared Mafia Lord. Rumors about him filled the city, tales of unspeakable horrors and the brutal path he took to attain his position of unchallenged power. Even the city's Mayor groveled at his feet like a dog.

The only recognizable figure affiliated with this dark underworld was Giovanni Moratto, the city's notorious Playboy, the man who had me pinned down on the floor and now gazed at me with a deadly intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

"Not trying to escape at all is being foolish, and I am no fool," I retorted, striving to maintain an air of confidence as I gazed up at him.

He crouched down once more and stared at me aligning himself with my line of sight, and asked in a very calm voice that almost broke my confidence "Do you know who I am?"

"Am I supposed to?" I countered, my mind racing. Given that Giovanni referred to him as "Boss," this man must be Lorenzo McLaren's right-hand man. He held my face in his arms applying a bit more pressure. "You really are stupid," he sighed.

A surge of heated defiance coursed through me. "Screw you! " I yelled and spat at his shoes, a futile act of rebellion.

From the side of my eyes I noticed Giovanni edging closer ready to hit me again but he was stopped by the man in front of me. Then he did something I didn't expect. He began trailing the gun on my arm that was shot until he reached the spot I was injured, before I could say anything he pressed the head of the gun into my wound.

"Ahhhhhhhhh" I screamed in pain. The pain was excruciating, tears began to fill my eyes and when I thought I was about to faint, he stopped.

"Aren't you going to beg?" he asked, in a calm manner, as if he was talking about the weather. "Let me tell you something" he leaned closer to me.

"I don't believe in quick deaths. I'd make sure the person suffers to the point where they beg for it." he whispers in my face.

The tears I was holding back began to roll down my face. He took my tears as victory and got up. When I thought it was all over he did something unexpected. He laughed, a full, dark laughter that caused his head to tilt back. The chilling sound sent shivers down my spine.

"I am going to have so much fun breaking you," he murmured with a sinister chuckle, his manic blue eyes gleaming.

"What's your name?" he inquired, cocking his head slightly.

"Mariana," I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Lorenzo McLaren," he declared, revealing a chilling smile that sent a chill down my spine.

My blood ran cold. THE Lorenzo McLaren?! My heart began beating so fast, I was finding it hard to breathe.

"Ah," he remarked, rising to his imposing height, "I see you recognize that name."

What had I gotten myself into?

"Now, listen up, girls," Lorenzo continued, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "It's quite simple. Misbehave or attempt to escape, and you WILL get caught. I'll let my men have their way with you until you're bleeding and your insides turn rotten. Then, I'll dismember you, piece by piece, until you bleed to death. Any questions?" He said so casually.

He began to walk away but stopped at the entrance.

"Oh and Giovanni, get a medic to treat her' he said without looking back.

The other girls eagerly nodded their heads in agreement, while I sat there in stunned silence, struggling to accept this horrifying reality.

********

"Get in!" A firm hand shoved me inside, and I grunted in discomfort, while the door clicked shut behind me. I couldn't help but curse silently as I rubbed the angry red marks on my wrists, a reminder of the unforgiving zip ties that had restrained me. They weren't taking any chances.

I stared at my bandaged arm and I could still feel the excruciating pain. As a punishment I wasn't given any pain killers whatsoever.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" A voice suddenly pierced the silence.

Startled, I turned around to find the palest girl I had ever seen in my life perched on a small, unassuming bed. Her jet-black hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and her dark eyes appeared empty. It was like the midnight sky when the moon and the stars gets covered up with clouds so it's pitch black.

"Hi," I waved as I made my way to the bed directly across from her, sitting down cautiously.

She began to lay down the rules with a detached demeanor. "The toilet is behind the door right there. You'll have to fetch water from outside at five am every morning since there's no running water inside. You do your laundry outside and hang it to dry there as well. The closet is divided into two, the second part belongs to you. Don't touch my things and we'll get along just fine"

She stared down at my bandaged arm. "I see you got into trouble

"Well I uh..." I started to say, but she turned around, picking up a book and began to read, pointing out that she was done with the conversation

"Just put your head down and you won't get into trouble" She muttered with her back facing me.

"Okay," I replied. From the looks of it she's been here a while and has probably accepted her faith. There was no escape from Lorenzo's hell. But I'm going to try,try really hard before I think of giving up

I began to unpack the duffel bags we'd been provided. Inside, I found some basic necessities – clothes, soap, a toothbrush, and other essentials. I quickly learned that this building was meant to serve as a sort of training center for us. To say I wasn't terrified to my core would be a blatant lie.

I rested my head on the pillow, it was as hard as a rock but it's better than the floor I've been sleeping on these past few days. The gunshot wound weakened my body badly. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep even if it's just for a bit and who knows I might wake up and realize it was all a bad dream