The Mafia Affairs

3. The Collision

The music inside the club was thunderous—alive, electric, and impossible to ignore. It pulsed through the air like a living heartbeat, vibrating through the floor and into every bone in the room. Colored lights flashed in dizzying patterns across the crowd, painting bodies in shifting shades of neon blue, crimson, and violet.

The atmosphere was intoxicating.

And Rii was already halfway there.

Six shots.

That was how many she had downed in a span of what felt like minutes. Her head buzzed pleasantly, the world tilting ever so slightly as the alcohol coursed through her system.

If someone had told her a few hours ago that she would be standing inside one of the loudest clubs in the city, half drunk and leaning against a glowing bar counter, she would have laughed in disbelief.

Yet here she was.

And Molly was nowhere to be found.

Rii squinted through the crowd, trying to focus her blurry vision on the sea of faces dancing beneath the strobe lights. The dance floor was packed, bodies moving in rhythmic chaos as the DJ blended beats that kept everyone moving.

“Molly?” she muttered under her breath.

Nothing.

Just strangers.

Molly had been right beside her not long ago—laughing loudly, pulling Rii into their ridiculous “signature dance” the moment their favorite song came on. The two of them had spun around the floor like they owned the place, earning amused glances and curious smiles from the surrounding crowd.

But somewhere between that moment and now…

Molly had vanished.

Rii groaned softly.

She pushed away from the bar and tried to take a step forward.

Bad idea.

The floor swayed under her feet, forcing her to grab the wall for balance.

“Okay… okay… you’re fine,” she whispered to herself.

She wasn’t fine.

Her legs felt like noodles, and walking in a straight line suddenly seemed like an advanced skill she no longer possessed.

Still, she had to find Molly.

And she had to do it quickly.

Using the wall as her guide, Rii staggered toward the bar counter and pulled out one of the high stools. She sat down heavily, taking a moment to steady herself before raising her hand to get the bartender’s attention.

“Hey,” she said, leaning forward slightly. “Have you seen my friend?”

The bartender glanced at her with mild amusement.

“And what does your friend look like?”

“Short. Blonde. Brown eyes,” Rii replied immediately.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how ridiculous they sounded.

The club was filled with girls matching that exact description.

To her surprise, the bartender’s expression brightened slightly.

“Oh yeah,” he said. “I remember you two.”

Rii blinked.

“You do?”

He chuckled. “Hard to forget. You girls were doing some kind of crazy dance earlier when that song came on. Everyone was watching.”

Rii groaned.

Right.

Their *signature dance*.

Embarrassing.

“Well… did you see where she went?”

The bartender nodded.

“Yeah. She came back to the bar a while ago and ordered two drinks. Then some guy showed up and offered to pay for them.”

Rii’s stomach sank slightly.

“They talked for a bit,” the bartender continued, wiping down a glass. “Then they left together with the drinks. Headed toward the entrance.”

Rii sighed.

Of course.

That sounded exactly like Molly.

Her friend had always had a weakness for handsome men. And tonight, the club seemed filled with them—tall, charming strangers with smooth smiles and confident swagger.

Still…

Rii had hoped tonight would be different.

They were supposed to spend the evening together.

“Typical Molly,” Rii muttered.

She slid off the stool and prepared to continue her search when—

A hand suddenly wrapped around her waist.

“What the—!”

Rii spun around in shock.

Standing behind her was a man who looked old enough to be her father. His hair was thinning, his breath smelled strongly of alcohol, and the way he stared at her made her skin crawl.

“I see you’re alone, honey,” he said with a crooked grin. “Mind if I keep you company?”

Disgust washed over her instantly.

“I don’t need your company,” she said sharply, pulling his hand off her waist.

“Are you sure?” the man continued, leaning closer. “I’m very good at—”

“She said she’s fine.”

The bartender’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.

“Leave before I call security.”

The older man turned angrily.

“What did you just say to me?”

Before the situation could escalate further, two security guards appeared beside them.

The man attempted to protest, raising his hand as if to throw a punch at the bartender—but the guards quickly grabbed him and began escorting him away.

His angry shouting echoed briefly across the bar area before disappearing into the crowd.

Rii exhaled slowly.

“That was… unpleasant.”

She turned toward the bartender with genuine gratitude.

“Thank you so much,” she said. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t here.”

The bartender shrugged casually.

“No problem.”

Rii tilted her head slightly.

“I didn’t catch your name.”

“Rodrigo.”

“Well, thank you, Rodrigo,” she said with a small smile. “I hope helping me doesn’t get you into trouble.”

Rodrigo laughed.

“Trust me. It won’t.”

“That’s a relief.”

Rii gave him a grateful wave before turning away from the bar.

Now armed with the bartender’s information, she resumed her search.

If Molly had headed toward the entrance with someone, she couldn’t be far.

Rii moved through the crowd carefully, weaving between dancing bodies while trying not to lose her balance.

The music thumped loudly around her.

Suddenly, something caught her eye.

Near the edge of the dance floor, a couple stood pressed against the wall—locked in a passionate embrace.

The woman had short blonde hair.

Rii froze.

No way.

Curiosity—and a little bit of dread—pulled her closer.

And sure enough…

It was Molly.

Her friend was wrapped around a tall stranger, kissing him enthusiastically as though the rest of the world didn’t exist.

Rii stopped walking.

A strange mix of emotions swirled inside her chest.

Anger.

Disappointment.

Confusion.

She knew Molly was free to do whatever she wanted. It wasn’t Rii’s place to judge who her friend chose to kiss.

But tonight had been supposed to be *their* night.

For a moment, Rii simply stood there, watching.

Then she quietly stepped backward.

If Molly noticed her standing there, things would only become awkward.

So Rii turned and tried to slip away unnoticed.

Unfortunately—

She walked straight into someone.

The impact was solid, like colliding with a wall.

“What the—”

Rii turned around in frustration.

But the words died on her lips.

Because the “wall” was actually a man.

And not just any man.

He was tall—easily towering over her smaller frame—with broad shoulders and a presence that immediately commanded attention. His dark curly hair fell loosely partially covering one side of his face.

Under the club lights, he looked almost unreal.

Like one of those impossibly handsome male leads from a romantic movie.

For a moment, Rii simply stared.

The man looked down at her patiently, as though waiting for something.

An apology, perhaps.

“Oh— I’m… I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t see you.”

“It’s alright,” he replied smoothly.

Then he leaned slightly closer, a playful smirk appearing on his lips.

“But pretty girls shouldn’t wander around alone in this condition.”

The spell shattered instantly.

Rii’s eyes narrowed.

‘Of course,’ she thought.

‘Another creep.’

She mentally scolded herself for the brief moment of admiration.

“Hello?” the man said, waving a hand lightly in front of her face. “Are you still here?”

“Huh? Oh— sorry,” Rii muttered quickly.

Without another word, she attempted to slide past him.

But before she could leave, she felt a firm grip on her wrist.

She turned sharply.

The man was smiling again.

“I didn’t get your name,” he said calmly. “I’m Marcus. And you are?”

“None of your business.”

Her response was immediate.

Marcus blinked, surprised by the hostility.

“Why so rude?” he asked lightly. “I only asked for your name.”

“And why so stubborn?” she snapped. “I’m not giving you my name.”

Marcus chuckled softly.

“Fine. Keep your name. But how exactly are you planning to get home in your current state?”

Rii hesitated.

He had a point.

She couldn’t walk straight, she didn’t have Molly’s car keys, and the idea of navigating the city alone like this suddenly seemed terrifying.

Still—

“I’ll figure it out,” she said stubbornly.

Marcus raised an eyebrow.

“In the middle of the night? You can barely stand.”

Rii glared at him.

“I said I’ll figure it out.”

Marcus studied her for a moment.

“I could help you,” he offered.

Rii folded her arms.

“How?”

“I have a room here,” he began.

That was all she needed to hear.

“A room?” she repeated flatly.

Her disappointment was immediate.

For a moment she had almost believed he was different.

Without another word, she turned and walked away.

‘What else did you expect?’she scolded herself.

‘He’s a handsome stranger in a nightclub.’

Of course his “help” came with conditions.

Rii pushed through the crowd again, trying to think.

She was stranded.

Too drunk to navigate the city.

And now completely alone.

Just as she was considering her limited options—

A gunshot echoed through the club.

The music stopped abruptly.

For half a second, silence fell.

Then chaos exploded.

People screamed.

The crowd surged toward the exits in a frantic stampede.

Fear shot through Rii like electricity.

One thought flashed across her mind.

‘Big Joe!!.’

The loan shark.

Panic took over.

Her heart pounded wildly as she began running—pushing through bodies, desperate to escape the madness.

She didn’t know where she was going.

She only knew she had to get away.

Suddenly—

A strong hand grabbed her arm.

Before she could react, someone yanked her sharply into a dark corner of the club.

A solid body pressed against her back.

A hand clamped over her mouth.

Rii’s eyes widened in terror as she was dragged deeper into the shadows.