THE DON'S SALVATION

Maria's POV It wasn't my turn to work the shift that night. That was the thought that kept running through my mind as I knelt on the ground. My hands were bound behind my back and a gag was tied tightly across my mouth. I was sweating so much that my uniform was sticking to my skin and my heart was pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears. I thought I might pass out from the fear alone. A gun was pressed against my neck and the wicked Don Alessandro Martinez stared down at me with his dark eyes full of dangerous thrill. "Say your last words or save it," he said and I closed my eyes. My only regret was taking a shift that wasn't mine that day. But I had no choice. Ellie had called me that morning saying she had a date with Kevin who she had been crushing on for months now. Earlier that morning… "Please cover up for me," she pleaded through the phone. "I haven't had time to rest and…" "I'll pay you. For each hour you stay, pretty please," she said and I opened my mouth. There was no way I could say no to that. I could still hear my stepmother snoring loudly in the sitting room. Instead of a day faced with her insistent yelling and maltreatment and Sophie's sick face, it would be better to just work and get money while doing so. I still needed to get drugs for Sophie so I agreed. She yelped loudly and thanked me. She had both the morning and night shift so I was going to work the whole day for her. I sighed and hurriedly got into the shower and then got dressed. My stepmother Sienna was still snoring loudly when I kissed Sophie and scurried out. The Casino was buzzing with energy when I arrived. Chips were clinking and laughter echoed through the room and every now and then someone would shout in victory or groan in defeat. Money changed hands faster than I could blink and the whole place seemed to glow with neon lights and cigarette smoke. I slipped into my uniform and got to work. I served drinks and cleaned tables and made sure not to make eye contact with people. It was exhausting but the hours passed quicker than I expected. Ellie owed me big time for this. By the time my shift ended it was well past midnight. I groaned as I walked out of the building, holding a bag of trash. I was supposed to dump it at the back of the old alley. It was just a quick task before I could finally go home and collapse into bed. But as I rounded the corner my feet stopped moving. There in the dim glow of a flickering streetlight stood three figures. Two bulky men stood by a third man who was covered in tattoos. One look at him and I knew that I was in the wrong place. His face was half in shadow but I could see the gun in his hand pointed at a fourth man who was on his knees begging. "Please give me time," the man on the ground pleaded and his voice cracked with fear. "I can get the money. I swear I can get it." "You shouldn't have touched what was mine," the tattooed man said, his voice carrying a chillness that almost made me shiver. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought I would be sick. I pressed my body flat against the wall and prayed they hadn't seen me. I knew these kinds of men. The rumours about the Casino being owned by the mafia weren't just rumours. I had heard rumours and seen things I wasn't supposed to see. But this was real and it was happening right in front of me. The man kept begging and his words tumbled out in a desperate rush. But the tattooed man didn't flinch. He raised the gun and I squeezed my eyes shut. A soft thump echoed through the alley. When I opened my eyes the man was crumpled on the ground and he wasn't moving. The shooter lowered his weapon and one of the bulky men gave him a handkerchief to clean his hand. "We have to make sure Carlo doesn't find out we know he's a spy," the tattooed man said, his voice barely above a whisper. "So nobody must find out I killed his underdog." I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even move. Every instinct screamed at me to run but my legs wouldn't obey. I pressed myself harder against the wall and willed myself to disappear. I started to edge away slowly. One step and then another. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure they could hear it. And then my foot hit a can. The metallic clatter echoed through the alley like a gunshot. The men froze and the tattooed man's head snapped in my direction. Our eyes met and I saw them clearly for the first time. They were unusual. Gold and almost glowing in the dim light. I couldn't place the colour and I couldn't make sense of what I was seeing. But I didn't wait to figure it out. I burst into a run. My legs moved hard and my lungs burned as I flew down the alley. I could hear them behind me and their footsteps pounded on the pavement. I didn't dare look back. I just ran and rounded a corner and then a hand grabbed my arm and yanked me to a stop. I screamed but another hand clamped over my mouth. I was dragged backward kicking and thrashing until I was thrown to the ground in front of the tattooed man. "What an unlucky day," he muttered and stared down at me with that strange golden gaze. I was hauled to my knees and my hands were bound behind my back. A gag was shoved into my mouth. And now here I was staring up at Don Martinez with a gun pressed to my neck. I tried to say that I promised I wouldn't talk but the gag muffled my words. I shook my head desperately and my eyes were filled with tears. "Please don't kill me. I won't say anything. I saw nothing. I know nothing." He tilted his head and studied me like I was an insect he was considering crushing. "You just witnessed a key moment in my operation," he said and his voice was almost gentle. "And I can't let you live. No personal feelings darling." He raised the gun and I closed my eyes. I waited for him to pull the trigger and for me to fall back. Instead there was a pause and it stretched on for so long that I started to wonder if I was already dead. Then I heard him mutter something under his breath. "You've got to be f*****g kidding me.”