Married to the serpent

A WEEK AGO A loud gasp escaped my lips as he tossed me against the hard floor. Six other men stood firm before me, guns tightly clutched in their hands. My chest heaved, nervous sweat dripping down my face, my hands trembling slightly. I balanced on both of my knees, and my gaze was fixed onto the floor, scared to look into their faces. “She looks pretty enough,” one of the men said, his cold hands reaching for my chin as he pulled it up. “Should we make her strip?” I tried to hide my smile. If I was taken to the underground club to become a stripper, then maybe I could meet Elizabeth; I was sure that was where she was taken. “She looks pretty enough,” another man said. The man's hand suddenly retreated from my face, and all the men bowed their heads immediately. “Is this her?” A man's hoarse voice echoed through the room. My head spun to face him. It was him. Alexander Blackwood, the leader of the most ruthless gang in New Orleans. “Yes, boss,” one of the men responded. “We have decided that she will strip to pay off her debt.” Alexander's brow creased as his gaze fell upon me. “That's what you decided?” His tone was laced with disappointment. “It was either that or a s*x worker boss; men like them bigger…if you know what I mean.” My gaze shifted to the man who had just spoken; for the first time, I looked him in the eyes. Men like them bigger? He was talking about my breasts. For some reason I felt insulted by it. Alexander moved to stand before me, both of his hands tucked into the pocket of his suit pants. “Isabelle Thompson,” he knelt before me, his eyes searching mine. I pressed my lips together; soon, I'd find my sister and escape with her. “You owe me a debt, and you understand that you have to pay it.” I nodded. “Yes…I'll do anything.” I said, my heart racing with excitement, as I knew that before the end of the day I'd meet her. “Marry me,” he suddenly said. My face fell. “W…what?” I stuttered. “I need a wife. A perfect cover; the FBI is on my neck, and having a wife would back up my alibi.” “I…I don't want to marry….” His hands flung to my lips. “Shhhhh, I'm not giving you a choice now, am I? I froze. This was not part of the plan. ******* Eight months ago, my sister was taken away by a ruthless gang leader. Alexander Blackwood. He ran one of the most feared gangs in New Orleans, the Serpents. They were known and feared by all; even the cops wouldn't dare go near them. You didn't have to know every member of the group to recognize them; they all wore distinct red jackets with a unique drawing of a serpent on the back. The streets grew quiet, stores closed, and the people held their breath whenever a member of the serpent walked by. The serpents were drug dealers; they sold and bought guns and ran a very distinct underground club where I suspect my sister was being held. The serpents were also loan sharks; they would loan money to the desperate, and when they could not pay back the person would be killed or made to work for free for the serpents. The day Elizabeth, my older sister, announced that she would loan money from the sharks to pay for our mother's hospital bills, I begged her not to. I had begged Elizabeth not to go, but she had made up her mind; she had borrowed a huge amount, but we lost our mother regardless with no means to pay. On the day Elizabeth was supposed to pay back, the serpents broke into our home, smashing everything in sight. They dragged Elizabeth away, and that was the last time I saw her. After I managed to bury our mother, I tried to go in search of Elizabeth, but it was difficult, as Alexander's inner circle was tight. The only way to get in was to be part of his inner circle, and that was when an idea struck me. Borrow money from the serpents. Twelve thousand dollars was the kind of money I know I couldn't make in a year. And I refused to pay, as I believed that I would be taken away by the serpents to wherever Elizabeth was taken. But instead he proposed a contract marriage to clear the debt I owed him. I was stunned, but I would still be in his inner circle, and I would be able to save my sister's life. The announcement of the wedding spread like wildfire even before it happened. Our fake relationship was to fool the FBI into believing his alibi for a crime he had committed. But it didn't matter; I wanted to get my sister back, and I didn't plan to fail. PRESENT TIME. The wedding had ended an hour ago. I exhaled sharply as Alexander's driver pulled into the compound. It was a little dark outside, but the light from the moon cast a dim light across. The compound had hundreds of men standing guard on each corner, guns tightly tucked in their pants and a stern look on their faces. In the middle of the compound sat a water fountain shaped like a serpent. “Follow me,” the driver spoke as he headed for the main building. He was a man in his early fifties, with blond hair and gray eyes. He had a round figure, and like every member of the serpent, he had on a red jacket with the tenor symbol on the back. I clutched tightly onto my wedding dress, pulled it up, and walked slowly behind him. It was a red wedding dress with red diamonds attached to it. The dress began at my waist, leaving most parts open for the eyes to see. My brown hair was styled up in a bun, adorned with diamonds, which shone under the moon. It was mandatory for the serpents to always have red on them, so any bride was mandated to wear red. Alexander, on the other hand, wore a red suit with a black button-up shirt within. I had shaken with fear the moment his green eyes met mine; his black wavy hair sat perfectly upon his forehead. The wedding was packed with people, none of whom I knew—all members of the Serpents. Immediately after the pastor wed us, Alexander and his boys jolted, leaving me alone on the altar. Alfred, his driver, had come in to take me home. Alexander had gotten what he wanted, a wife for the public eye; it was all over the news. Now all I had to do was find out where his underground club was, and then I could begin the search for Elizabeth. Alfred led me upstairs; we walked past multiple rooms and finally stopped before one of them. “This will be your room now, Mrs. Blackwood,” he said. Mrs. Blackwood—it was a name I could not get used to. “Thank you,” I said. I reached for the door and pulled it open. A thought suddenly crossed my mind as I walked in. “Wait.” I turned around to face him. “Yes, Mrs. Blackwood?” “Alexander's underground club—is it in this building?” He nodded “yes.” I sighed in relief. “One of them is under here, yes.” My brow furrowed slightly. “O…one? Of?” Alfred nodded. “The boss has hundreds of clubs across the city, ma'am.” My lips parted. Of course he did. Why didn't I think of that? I pressed my palm against my chest. Alfred noticed my body language and asked. “Is there a problem, ma'am?” I quickly shook my head and walked into my bedroom, closing the door behind me. The room was brightly lit with a king-sized bed positioned in the middle. The smell of vanilla filled the air. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, its crystals catching the light that shone across the room. Everything looked so expensive yet cold. Like a cage made of cold. I clutched tightly onto my dress as I moved towards the bed. If Alexander had multiple clubs, then finding Elizabeth would be harder than I thought.