Chapter 2
1138 Words
Annabelle's POV
"Anabelle Daniels?" The man asked.
"Who are you?" I fired back.
I tried to force some confidence into my voice but it only came out as throaty whisper carrying my fear and terror.
"Don't get lippy and confirm your identity." He warned.
The cold barrel of the gun pressing against my head maintained the awareness that I was in grave danger. I steived to mind my business at all times so I couldn't figure out who these men were and what they wanted from me.
"Are you Anabelle Daniels? I won't ask you again. If you make me ask, I'll start by taking off your knee cap."
The threat hung between us. He c****d his gun and trained it against my knee.
"Yes! Yes, I'm Anabelle Daniels." I admitted with my eyes shut.
He retrieved the gun and shoved it into his belt then he turned me towards another one sitting on my couch. He appeared like he was the leader.
There was something sinister in the way the men moved and surrounded me. The one who seemed to be their leader was holding a piece of paper and flicking a toothpick between his teeth. They smelled like the mafian scum that littered the streets of the city looking for weak individuals to terrorize.
"What the hell do you want?" I demanded in a shaky voice that was filled with fear.
The leader chuckled and looked down at his paper.
"I'm here to collect." He said casually.
Then, he walked up to me and peered down into my face. I shifted backwards trying to avoid the stink from his breath.
"Do you know me, sweetheart?" He asked.
I shook my head. He chuckled and raised the jacket of his suit revealing the gun he was hiding underneath. My eyes widened at the sight and I stumbled back in fear.
"How do I know you're telling me the truth about who you are?" He asked.
"I have an ID in my purse." I answered without hesitating.
The man nodded to one of his minions who stepped forward and dragged my purse out of my hand. I yelped and tried to hold on but he just ripped it right through my fingers. He opened it and dumped the entire contents onto the ground.
Just like I told them, my waitress tag clattered onto the ground and fell among my belongings which were now littered everywhere. The man picked it up and smiled at the Anabelle D written across it.
He threw the tag away and grabbed my face as if he was inspecting me.
"You would fetch a good price." He retorted.
"What?" I asked in panic. "What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned.
"Take her." He ordered his men.
"No, please. At least tell me what this is about." I begged.
None of them.paud any attention to me.
They bundled me at once and lifted me off my feet. I fought, kicked back, and squirmed trying to get away from them but they held on tightly.
"Please let me go." I begged.
They didn't care. They carried me out of the building into an SUV that was parked outside and waiting. Just like that, they filed in one after the other and drive off. I didn't know where they were going but it seemed like a long ride and I cried all the way.
"Please. Whatever this is about, I'm sure we can sort it out." I kept crying.
The car quickly came to a stop and they all got down dragging me along with them. The building in front of us was a casino but because it was still daytime, everywhere was empty and there was no sign of life.
The leader dragged me by my hair across the panel when we entered inside. There was another man sitting like a king, barechedted and with the tattoo of a cobra sprawled across his chest.
I was right. They were part of the mafia.
The man threw me at the feet of the chair and handed the paper he had been holding over to the one who seemed like a king.
"That's her. Anabelle Daniels." He explained.
"Good job, Jones." The King commended.
"Anabelle Daniels. Look at me." He commanded.
I looked up through tears and blurry eyes.
"No need to cry now, little one. I won't harm you. You're going to be useful to me." He announced calmly.
"Who...Who are you?" I stuttered.
"My name is Constantine. I'm a loan shark. Your father owes me a lot of money." He stated.
Cold realization started settling in. They were loan sharks but I didn't know if they were the same ones that had been harassing me over the phone.
"I don't have a father." I said.
Constantine looked at me like I was stupid. He grabbed my jaw again and stuck out his tongue. I tried to take my face away from his grip but he held on tightly and lucked across my jaw and cheek smearing his stinky saliva over my face.
"Your step father owes me. Your mother has been paying but the money stopped coming. You're the guarantor on their debts and now you are going to continue from where they stopped."
I was right. They were the loan sharks I was saying. I knew all about how brutal they could be and I only prayed I would get out of this alive.
"Julian wasn't my father." I stated. "I shouldn't have to pay off his debts. I had no hand in incurring them. Please, let me go." I pleaded. "I swear I have nothing. You won't get anything from me." I cried.
Constantine raised the paper.
"Well, it's your name written on this agreement. I don't care if you're his daughter or not, you are the one in charge of his debts now."
I closed my eyes and sighed.
"How much does he owe?" I asked. Maybe I could scrap up some of my savings and give to them so they could leave me alone and let me return to my daily living.
"Twenty eight million plus interests." Constantine announced.
"What?!" I screamed in disbelief.
"No, no. I can't afford that. Where would I even begin? Oh my God, please just let me go. I don't have that kind of money." I cried.
Constantine laughed.
"That can be rectified. You'll work for me and that way we'll pay off the debts gradually. Remember, twenty thousand dollars interest every week."
I gawked at him blinking in shock. Twenty eight million would take years to pay off. Adding the twenty thousand every week would take a lifetime. A cold realization quickly set in.
I was now a property of Constantine. He owned me now. Even in death, Julian still proved how much he hated me.
- Writer
