Sold Out To The Cruel Mafia King

2

Lana

I walk faster, my chest tight from the strain. My breath is getting shallow. I reach for my inhaler, then stop. If I slow down, my ex’s cousin might catch me. I push through it instead. I pull in a deep breath and force my lungs to behave.

It took me months to get away from Xander Chen. I learned the hard way that staying out of sight is the only smart move.

I still don’t understand why I ever touched that man. It was a mistake. One of the worst.

The Pine Street subway sign appears ahead of me, bright against the dark. It feels like a promise. Just a little farther. I tighten my grip on my backpack strap. Theft has been bad lately. No chances. I take the stairs down to the platform.

Downtown Manhattan feels like a war zone now. The Golden Phoenix. The Kings. Smaller crews everywhere. No one really owns the streets, but everyone wants blood.

I swipe my pass and step onto the A train platform. My shoulders drop a little. I look up at the blinking sign.

Nine minutes.

I groan under my breath. I sit on a bench covered in old graffiti. I shove my earbuds in and dig through my bag until I find my Econ textbook. I might as well study.

I flip to the last chapter and lean over the pages. My focus locks in. Then a hand slams down on the book.

My heart stops.

I don’t look up. I don’t need to. The ugly silver dragon ring tells me everything.

“Why have you been avoiding me, Lana?”

Xander’s voice reaches me through Taylor Swift playing too loud in my ears.

I stay still. I pretend I can’t hear him. I stare at the page like it matters.

His hands clamp down on the book. The weight lifts off my lap. Before I can react, my textbook is gone. I watch it fly off the platform and land on the tracks.

“Hey!” I shout. I rip the earbuds out and jump to my feet. “What the hell is wrong with you, Xander?”

“You don’t get to ignore me.”

“Yes, I do. We’re done. Remember?”

I rush to the edge of the platform. My stomach turns when I see a rat skitter over my two-hundred-dollar book. I spin back to him and jab a finger into his chest. “Go get it.”

He laughs. Low. Dark. His eyes crease at the corners.

I used to love that look. Back when things felt easy. Back when I believed lies and called it hope.

This laugh isn’t real.

“Xander,” I snap. “I need that book.”

“You should’ve thought of that before you avoided me.” His voice is sharp. His eyes hard.

“I didn’t think you were insane enough to throw it on the tracks.”

I should have known better. He didn’t rise in the Golden Phoenix by being kind. I glance at the sign again. Three minutes. Then back at the book.

“If you want it back,” he says, “give me another chance.”

He reaches for my hand. I pull away fast.

“Don’t you remember how good we were?”

“No,” I say. “I don’t.”

His face changes. Rage floods his eyes. His mouth twists.

His hand shoots out and grabs my hair. He yanks my head back. A cry tears out of me before I can stop it.

An old man with a cane stands at the far end of the platform. He watches. He does nothing.

I don’t blame him. Everyone knows better than to cross the Golden Phoenix. They don’t care who gets hurt.

“Let go,” I say, my voice shaking with anger.

“Not until you learn respect, you stupid bitch.”

He drags me off the bench and forces me down. My knees hit the concrete hard. Pain shoots up my legs. I clench my jaw.

“Beg me to take you back.”

He stands too close. His body blocks the light. His zipper is right in front of my face. I hate that I can see what he wants. I hate that he’s enjoying this.

I swallow the fear and lock it away. I refuse to fall apart.

“Never,” I say.

“I’ll have you,” he says quietly. “One way or another. You decide.”

Fear spreads through me at the promise in his voice. He was always controlling. Always cruel with words. But he never crossed this line before.

The sound of a subway pass clicking barely cuts through the rush in my ears. I struggle harder.

“Let go of her.”

The voice is calm. Cold. Deadly.

It cuts straight through the noise.

A chill runs down my spine.