MariaAn almost flat phone battery, ripped wedding dress, and horror are all I have, as I stumble on the rusty iron gate that leads to my father's house.I pull my way into the old mansion covered in darkness, pulling down the creeping stems that covered the front door.Some group of people have been trailing me since the mysterious death of my father earlier in the day. Hanging on a tiny thread of hope for survival, the best place I could think of for an escape is an abandoned property.My phone vibrates as I glance behind, forcing my way into the building. I pick the call and slam the door shut. Dust settling over me from the harsh impact of the door against the crumbling building.“Where are you, Maria.”“I’m at Pentagon,” I reply, my whole body trembling as I slowly walk In, my eyes weary of tears.“You went back there?”“I couldn’t think of a better hideout.”“Okay. Do not leave the mansion. I'll be there soon,” his thick voice assures at the other end of the line.“No…No…you can'
MariaThick smokes from the burning cars cloud my vision. I see figures of stiff bodies scattered all around in the chaos. Bodies of cops expected to protect me, drenched in their own blood.I crawl in search of Elvis but the sole of a polished black shoe stops me. I lift my gaze, to the silhouette of a tall man towering above me.The hem of his black leather coat grazes over the bridge of my nose as I try to make out the face.“There she is,” the man says.A sharp cry come from the corner in the darkness.“Let him go!” I scream as I sight Elvis at the mercy of a group of men, beating him to pulp.“My apologies. You must have been expecting my visit. I see you're all dressed for our wedding. Aren't you, little angel?” the man says, pulling me up and flicking the brown hair sticking to the sides of my sweaty face.“Let go of me,” I cry, as he cuffs my neck with his thick arms, pulling me along.“Don't you dare touch her!" Elvis rages from a corner, approaching us with a stick after mana
MariaElvis is badly injured and It is all my fault.“I pronounce you as one,” the priest concludes, making a cross sign in the air.A gruesome cry follows immediately as a dagger is buried at the center of the priest's chest, making him fall lifeless in front of me.In the midst of my shock, he turns around, backing me,"I've no need of you too," he says. Then I realize he is referring to Elvis, aiming a pistol at him."No! We had a deal!" I scream, every cell in me fighting to set my hands loose from the constrains."Deals are made to be broken, darling wife. You must have learned that from your father."One after the other, the bullet flies across the room, drilling into him, my only hope at a happy life. Elvis. Luca wouldn’t stop sending those bullets into the stiff body.I bow my head in grief, unable to stand the sight, my ears deafened from the shots.The voice of his wails drilled into my ears until everything around me becomes still. So still that the loudest noise comes from
MarcoFitting black suits, fancy ties and a brief case, that’s the signature dress code for the Snakes gang. That way it makes it difficult to tell the leader just by face evaluation. I walk into the pristine mansion with my newly-acquired brief case clueless of its content. Probably a registered rifle.There's a meeting. An urgent meeting. My father has never summoned me to any of his meetings. I never availed myself for anything relating to him and his shady deals.Being my first time, it’s normal for me to be nervous, but I’m not.“Hurry, brother. The rest are around,” Andrea says, running up the flight of stairs ahead of me.My elder brother has been actively involved with the affairs of the gang. Not me. Reluctantly I follow behind. “Ahh…there they are,” an old man interjects as I open the double door.A large feast unfolds before me. Today isn't my birthday. I have no idea what the party is about or why, of all people, my father requested my presence.The old man hugs me and of
MarcoMy phone rings again. Then it dawns on me. Father must have sent them to capture me, judging by their outfits.I maneuver my way out in fear,setting my car engine back to life.Now two vehicles are closing up on me from behind, with three bikes behind. There could be more.I increase my speed. But they seem to be catching up too quick.There's a traffic light ahead, signaling me to pause. I match on the brakes but it isn't responding.Horror struck, I attempt to drift toward a covet but it's too late.A moving truck is coming the opposite direction. I struggle with the breaks in panic until my car collides with the truck.Glasses shattering around me, as my whole face pulse with stiff limbs.Relocating to Ukraine doesn’t seem like a good choice after-all as I feel the life draining out of me.My sight is blurry but there’s a siren blaring in my ears, assuring me that I’m still alive, yet too weak to move.I hear the voices of strange people with no faces, until I black out.The t
SarahI jump down from the table, pulling my wet panties back up that slipped from her waist. What just happened? To make matters worse, I made the first move. Right from the very day he was admitted to the hospital, the prominent scar he sustained only pronounced his mysterious beauty.I can't count the number of times I've been tempted to taste his lips but, I couldn't defy work ethics.Luck has made our path cross outside of the clinic and he's right here in her apartment, looking unbothered as he waits for me to dress up to answer the door."Are you expecting anyone?" he finally breaks the weird silence, as my eyes are fixed on the doorway wondering who it could be. I wasn't expecting anyone. Something in me wished it hadn't ended as I try to distract myself from the passion building up inside of me He walks toward the door before me."Could be the neighbors," I reply, still catching my breath.“It's almost midnight, don't they sleep,” he replies as he tries to answer the door.“
SarahI catch a glimpse of Betty's expression as he pulls away from the counter, making his legs available in front of me.I gulp down and smile, hiding the pellets in my hands as I sit on him.He reeks of alcohol mixed with the concentrated smell of tobacco. A total turn off but I have to play along as he grabs my exposed laps.I could feel his bulge under my ass as I twirl over him, my legs on either sides.His eyes are closing up, making irritating moans as he tries to steal a kiss, his hands kneading my ass so aggressively. He's probably already drunk.I pick up one of the drinks and slip a pellet into it, pretending to take a sip before offering him. “I'll be waiting in the restroom,” I whisper in his ears, winking at him as I get up from him. He's mesmerized, as his gaze doesn't leave me, drowning the whole content of the cup down his throat.I turn around and nod at Betty, rushing into the first restroom I find.Wide-eyed at my reflection, I heave a deep sigh, wondering when my
MarcoAs I rush towards the body, my heart races with recognition. "Sarah, can you hear me?" A voice behind me booms, "Who are you?" I spin around, my eyes blazing with rage. "I'm the one you're looking for. Leave her alone; she's innocent." My fists clench, ready to strike."What makes you think you're what we need?" he sneers. Sarah groans, her body grows pale by the seconds. My patience snaps, and I lunge at him, kicking the pistol from his hand. It clatters to the floor, out of reach, forcing us into a deadly stare-down. Kill or get killed.I dive for the pistol, my fingers closing around it. Two bullets rip through his heart, and I turn to Sarah, my heart heavy with the weight of what I've just done. I scoop her up, cradling her warm body, and carry her out of the wreckage. The cool night air hits us as I quicken my pace, desperate to get her to safety. The front door is crowded with cop cars. I use the emergency exit behind.In her bedroom, I pace like a caged animal, my eyes f
Marco Before I can respond, Sophia’s already packing up her equipment, saving files, closing out of secure databases. “I’ll reroute everything to a mobile setup. With that, I can operate from the road.”“Good. I'll be in the car. Meet me in five,” I say, heading toward the door. I glance back at her. “Sophia—thanks.”She gives a sharp nod, though I catch a glimpse of worry on her face. We've been here before.History is about to repeat itself. “Just don’t get yourself killed. I’d hate to do this without you,” she finally chokes.We’re in the car and halfway across the city before either of us speaks again. I steal a glance at Sophia, her eyes focused, fingers tapping on a tablet as she keeps an eye on Ricco’s movements. Every minute counts. Every second. If Ricco’s man gets to Padre first, we lose the one card we have against him.Not just him, including the corrupt officials funding their activities.Padre is the only key, we can't affor to lose it.As we approach the penitentiary,
MarcoAs I turn to leave the lab, Sophia grabs my arm, her grip surprisingly firm for someone half my size.“Marco, please listen to me. This isn’t about Padre alone. Ricco’s reach is deeper than we think, and getting tangled up with Padre could ruin everything. They’re tied to powerful groups, and they don’t tolerate outside interference.”Her words sink in, but there’s no going back now. I give her a straight look, pulling my arm free from her grip. For one, she knows she can't stop me.“If this information leads us to unraveling Ricco’s entire operation, then it’s worth the risk.”She sighs, adjusting her glasses and muttering something under her breath. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”I slip out of the lab, heading into the cool evening air. A quick drive brings me to the outskirts of the city, near the penitentiary. It’s set behind high towering steel fences and walls.At the entrance, I flash a badge I’d 'gotten through a past job, posing as an attorney. The guard bare
Marco"How many times do i have to repeat this? I'm not Betty," she responded in a frenzied whisper as Ricco's voice overshadowed every other sound in the room. There's another task. Never an end to his missions, but thankfully, amongst all the people he called out, I don't fall in the list.Celebrating the temporary freedom, I watch as Betty gets up from me to join the selected crew.I don't pay much attention on the instructions. It's none of my business.Big Tom is addressing them but Betty and i exchange eye contact. I need to find the truth from her and the only way to do that is to exploit her witnesses.It's not my fault that she provided me one on a platter of gold.After a brief discussion with Ricco about the delivery of new sets of ammunition, i head out of the mansion, in search of Betty.I find her standing by her car, about to get in."Elizabeth Maguire," i announce, few metres away from her. I watch her reaction as she stiffen. Definitely Betty. One doubt crossed. N
SHAWNThe fucker is standing right next to her. I hate to see her cry but she deserves to be punished. Everything I've ever done has been for her, yet she chose to trust this fucker over me. Brought my very son to him. I try not to think about how many times he's had to touch her. My Maria.She can't belong to anyone else and she knows this.The anger grows rapidly inside of me as the doctor halts in front of her."Please, don't do this," Maria pleads. She's managed to crawl to the door. Her cry stings my heart as the fucker attempts to land a kiss on her.That's when I reach my limit. The guts he has. All I wanted was to scare her, to make fear me, respect and just follow me.I'm more than enough for her. That has to sink in her tiny sexy brains.Three close shots. He goes limp, and falls right by her side.She screams, shutting her eyes in terror."You've forgotten who I am so soon," I say, approaching her and kicking the body away from her.Now that I've details about the doctor
SarahHis grip over my mouth is so hard. All my attempt to get away proves futile. My heart beats even faster as he pulls me out of bed.My back is against his chest but as we walk past the large mirror in the room, he halts.His gaze rests on my reflection. "Maria, i dont like that look on your face. Everything I've ever done has been for your own good."All i do is shut my eyes, hoping this is a dream. A lucid dream Michel assured me that Shawn was a forgotten past.I didn't bother to ask how he knew but i believed stupidly.Shawn leans towards my ears, his grip tighten against my mouth."I've something to show you. Please, Maria, please, dont do anything stupid."He grabs the sheets on the bed to cover my naked body up."Do you miss me? There's no doubt. You do. But i'm mad at you. Maybe I'll be able to forgive you afterwards. Just maybe..."He pulls me towards the door. The tears trickle down my cheeks over his palm."I hate to see you cry," he continues as he unlocks the door,
Sarah"I got a call..." Michael begins, resting both palms on my shoulders, like he's about to give a long speech.His reaction makes me uneasy. At least I made sure no one noticed when i left. "Remember i mentioned something about my sister living in the same neighborhood with you."I nod in agreeement. "There was a fire."I pretend to be shocked, but i am. How did he find out so quickly. "Is your sister okay-.." i ask."Yes. But," he hesitates but continues, "The fire started at your place.""My house is on fire?" I force the tears to leave my eyes.Michael pulls me into a hug making it easier for me to fake it as I cry aloud against his soft fabric."This is now your home, Sarah. I'll also replace everything that was lost in the fire," Michael adds. I pull away from him, thankfully my face is wet enough."You don't have to. Maybe this is a sign for a fresh start indeed," i blurt out. "I don't want to look back anymore.""I agree, Sarah. The police have begun investiagtion on th
SarahI knew the doctor to be comfortable, but i would never have guessed that he could own such a massive place. There are a few staff around, as they help us unpack the few luggages we brought. A bag for Carlo and one for me. "It's massive," i whisper under my breath as i pat Carlo on my shoulder. He's still fast asleep."I have something to show you," the doctor says, guiding me away from the lobby with bright chandeliers at the centre, towards the flight of stairs ahead. We arrive at the first floor. The first door to our right leads to a room. "Are you ready?" he asks. I nod, gaping around like some lost stranger. I've lived in luxury all my life but with the doctor, it's different.I'm not a prisoner.As he opens the door i find a beautiful nursery all set up.My palm clasp over my mouth, stopping me from exaggerating my emotions, careful not to wake Carlos.The emotions rush in as i step in. It's blue-themed. A typical baby-boy room."I'll call in a nanny to take care of hi
MarcoThe old woman doesn't seem to buy my story. Her look spells suspicion.I retain the smile on my face, closing the gap between us while I continue,"I'm surprized Elizabeth never mentioned it. She told me she'll be here also.""I'm going to call the cops on you. Stay away," she yells making her way back in."Grandma," the little boy comes running out, stopping the woman in her tracks.He's holding a picture frame, extending it to the woman. The boy for one is certainly smart.The woman takes a glance at the picture, and back at me.I catch a faint view of it. A picture of Andrey. For some reasons, he looks almost like me. It's part of the reasons i don't believe Ricco and his lies.Andrea and I have always shared a striking resemblance."Do you believe me now?" i say to the woman, squatting in front of the boy and ruffling his hair."What's your name big man?" The boy doesn't smile. Not a word escaped his mouth. Just the surprise written all over him."Your story had better b
Shawn For a doctor, he sure is a hard man. I barely escaped him. Not without a severe hit on my arm and a bruised knee. For one, i acquired the vehicle, in on piece, however broken my bone feels right now.I've to lay low. Get these fuckers off my track for now or i just might be a cheap prey for them. I'm heading north, with no direction as i try to set up the GPS of the car.They will try to find the village now that I've exposed one of the hideouts.Even though it will be no use to them. There's no way they can crack the vault without the clues in my possession.Still, i'm living nothing to chance. Not the inheritance I worked for. Not ever. I drift into a sharp corner, viewing the rare view mirror for any sign of my enemies. It looks all clear. I keep driving, searching around the car for notes. I'm dead broke, for a man entrusted with such wealth.I find a dollar bill and make a brief stop at a grocery store.Before i get out of the car, I clean off the blood stains on my