The devil you begged for

018

ISLA

~•~

The man was dead.

I’d woken up to headlines about the execution of a very familiar man. It wasn’t like I knew him too well, but I’d obviously recognize the man whom I slapped just the other night.

He had touched me. I had slapped him. Now, he was gone.

I didn’t need anyone to tell me who did it. It wasn’t a coincidence. Nothing was a coincidence in the underworld.

My stomach twisted painfully, unable to fathom that a man died because of me. Last night, in front of everyone, Lorenzo had claimed me. The man dared to test it. Now, he was gone. The message was clear. Even someone with a normal life would be able to put the pieces together.

The worst part? No one would question Lorenzo because in the mafia world, his killing was justified. Women were like properties and made men didn’t like their properties being touched. Last night, I had thought he didn’t care, only for me to wake up to such news.

Then again, he might have just wanted to mark his territory.

I told myself I didn’t care. I was born in the mafia. It wasn’t the first time I had heard of someone’s death. Hell, I had a family just more than a month ago. But it wasn’t that simple.

By the time I walked through the school gates, the weight of that truth pressed against me. As I walked through the hallways, the world seemed blissfully unaware. No one here cared about the underworld. No one was talking about the most recent death that happened because of me.

For a few hours, I almost managed to breathe.

Classes blurred by, even if they were a lot more boring without Sofia by my side. She had to travel back home for a family emergency and would be gone for at least, a week.

When my last class for the day was over, reality started tugging at me again.

“Isla.”

I turned around and saw Ryan standing by the side of my class. His grin was easy and for a second, I envied him.

“Are you busy after school?” He pushed off the wall and fell into step with me.

“No,” I answered before I could think properly.

When the invitation came, I wasn’t surprised. “How about late lunch with me? Just lunch. Nothing complicated.”

“No, Ryan.”

He frowned, for some reason, surprised that I was rejecting him once again. “Why not?” His voice softened. “You keep rejecting me. Are you already seeing someone?”

The words hit harder than they should have.

Images of Lorenzo gripping the stranger’s hand flashed in my head. She’s mine. His voice echoed. The man he told that to was dead. I looked up at Ryan. He was harmless. Was he in danger just by asking me out?

“No,” I answered quickly, way too quickly. “It’s not that. I just don’t want to.”

Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t take the risk anymore.

Ryan studied me for a moment, his expression flickering between frustration and concern. “Alright,” he muttered. “I’ll ask you again another time.”

I didn’t answer.

I was relieved when he finally walked away.

I was at my locker, arranging my books when a dark shadow was cast over me. I turned around to see a very familiar blonde. I’d seen her only once, but it was at Lorenzo’s house and she had been pointing fingers at me, so I remembered her clearly.

“We need to talk.”

I frowned. “Do I know you?”

Her eye twitched at my question, but she swallowed her anger. “No, but you will soon.”

I stared at her for a second, wondering whether to give her the time of day or not. She was most likely from the mafia too. I didn’t want her to cause a scene here in school.

With a sigh, I closed my locker and led her to the nearest empty class.

I leaned against a desk, crossing my arms. “Alright. Talk.”

She didn’t waste time. “You shouldn’t be around Lorenzo.”

I arched a brow. “Really? That’s your big revelation?”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. She took a step closer, her voice lowering. “You’re in the way. He’s supposed to be mine.”

“If he wanted you, you wouldn’t be here begging me to step aside.”

“You’re a charity case.” She spat out, outraged by my words. “Your family died and Lorenzo took pity on you. You sure as hell know he doesn’t love you. He never will.”

“And I’m sure you’re the one he loves.”

She gritted her teeth. I didn’t bring her in here to fight with her but I couldn’t hold back my sarcasm. She looked silly, fighting for a man who most likely didn’t give a damn about her.

“My father had plans for Lorenzo and those plans involved me, not some pathetic girl with a tragic backstory.”

“Here’s some free advice,” I stepped closer to her, making sure she heard me. “If you want Lorenzo, you’re welcome to have him. I didn’t exactly beg to be here.” I’d be more than happy if she could get him off me.

For a moment, I thought she was going to back down, but she reached into her pocket and brought out a small black object. My body froze when I saw the gun. Was she going to kill me over a man who was hell bent on making my life hell? Did I offend someone in my past life?

“You don’t understand,” She hissed. “I can kill you right here and no one would even miss you.”

She was stupider than I thought.

“Pull the trigger.”

Her hand wavered.

I chuckled. “The second you do, you’d be declaring war against the very man you want. I’m sure you know your father cannot protect you from him.”

The blood drained from her face but the gun stayed raised.

“Lorenzo’s men are outside. They surely saw you come inside. If anything happens to me, they’d know who did it.” I emphasized just in case she didn’t get it the first time. Knowing that I was risking my life, hoping she was scared of the consequences, I stepped closer to her, slow and deliberate. “You’d be digging your own grave, not mine.”