Trapped by the mafia

Chapter One

I stare into the glass, dread curdling in my stomach as Ethan pushes it closer. "Last time we drank together, you couldn't hold your liquor,"

He smirks, his voice dripping with coldness. "Wonder if that's still the same."

It's clear - he's toying with me, trying to weave a web of intoxication and control.

My phone buzzes. A text from Stacy. Her simple "Are you okay?" pierces through the haze of fear, a lifeline thrown across a churning sea. I blink back the stinging tears that threaten to spill.

Emma (text):

Yeah, I'm fine. Just catching up with an old friend.

Can't let her get dragged into this with me. He's a monster, and I know it.

"What do you say, dollface?" he leans forward, his voice a husky murmur. Refilling my glass before I can answer, a glint of manic amusement in his eyes. I down the amber liquid in one defiant gulp, the burn a welcome distraction to the cold terror slithering down my spine. He chuckles, a low rumble that sends shivers racing across my skin, and reaches for the bottle again. This isn't a casual drink with an old friend. This is a twisted game, and the stakes are terrifyingly high.

The dizziness creeps in faster this time, a shroud threatening to steal my senses. My vision blurs, and Ethan's face swims before me, a distorted caricature of amusement. A strangled laugh escapes my lips, laced with a tremor I can't seem to control.

“There you go, dollface. Loosen up a little. We're just having some fun, aren't we?”

His hand snakes around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer. The touch ignites a fresh wave of revulsion, but my body seems to betray me, weak against his hold.

Stacy (text):

Emma? Where are you? This isn't funny anymore.

The reminder of my best friend sends a jolt through me. I try to pull away, but Ethan's grip tightens like a vise. Panic claws at my throat, icy tendrils of fear coiling around my heart.

I could hear Nia from across the room, shouting

“Leave her alone!” She demanded.

Her voice cuts through the haze, laced with raw fear and fury. But Ethan doesn't even flinch. Instead, he casts a chilling smile in Nia's direction, his eyes gleaming with a predatory glint.

“Ohh look, your friends want to join us” he said smiling amusement lazed in his voice

The room tilts sideways, the world dissolving into a nightmarish kaleidoscope. Through the haze, I see Nia and Stacy engulfed in a heated argument with a group of hulking men – Ethan's cronies, no doubt. My pleas die on my tongue, choked by the rising tide of terror.

Ethan leans in, his voice a dark caress. "Don't worry about them, sweetheart. They'll join us next time. You'll see. We'll have so much fun together."

His words send a fresh wave of nausea churning in my gut. Fun? This is anything but. He throws his arm around my shoulders, steering me towards the back exit. I stumble along, a puppet on his strings, my mind a frantic scramble for escape. But every flicker of defiance is extinguished under the weight of his chilling gaze.

The back exit is a blur of motion, a dark tunnel leading who knows where. My head spins, and nausea threatens to erupt at any moment. Stacy and Nia's faces, etched with worry and fear, are the last tendrils of my sanity before they're swallowed by the darkness.

Ethan's grip tightens around me, his touch a brand against my skin. "Don't worry, dollface," he murmurs, his voice a sickeningly sweet rasp."This is just the beginning."

His words send a jolt of terror through me, sharper than the throbbing in my head. The beginning of what? What horrific nightmare has he dragged me into? A whimper escapes my lips, but it's lost in the roar of the engine as we surge into the night. I clutch my purse, the phone a useless brick in my trembling hand. There's no signal here, no way to call for help.

Despair threatens to consume me, but a spark of defiance flickers to life. I won't give in to fear. I have to find a way out of this, for myself, for Stacy and Nia. But how? My mind races, searching for a weakness, a c***k in Ethan's ironclad control. The journey ahead is shrouded in darkness, but a sliver of hope cuts through the terror - I refuse to be his pawn.