The Gangster’s Little Doll

Chapter One

Mia’s POV.

I shouldn’t be in a place like this. Not when I hated the noise, the violence, the blood. But I also wanted to be here.

I tried to ignore the loud noise and the way the cramped space made people’s sweat rub off on me as I looked to the stage beyond the crowd, where two muscular men in the ring stood locked in battle.

People cheered, screams erupted as they chanted names and the players moved swiftly, attacking each other brutally.

My gaze was locked only on one man. All of my attention on him. I watched how his muscles moved, how sweat glistened from his skin and how deadly he looked as he played with his opponent, licking blood from his lips.

My heart raced just from that action. Damn it! How could one person be so amazingly hot? I was almost drooling, fantasizing about this man. Imagining all the ways I’d like to touch him.

Aaron Archer, the black sheep of his aristocratic family, leader of the most dangerous gangster group no one wanted to mess with.

And oh, did I forget to mention that he was my brother's best friend? Which meant he was forbidden for me, off limits according to my brother. Way older. And loved to act like my parent.

But I didn’t care. I had a crush on him and no one can ever find out. My brother would kill me first.

If he even found out I was in a place like this, an underground ring where all kinds of thugs resides, I’d be toast. So I made sure to hide in the crowd which was easy due to my short height.

I’ve done this a few times and no one has ever found me. I only needed to see Aaron, to watch him from afar and appreciate that body of his but things were bound to go wrong someday. Someday happened to be today.

“Hey pretty girl.” Someone whispered next to my ear and before I knew it, I felt hands wrapping around my waist.

I reacted before my brain could catch up. I threw a slap to his face, recoiling from his touch and instantly feeling disgusted.

The man was a 5 ft tall guy with a round belly and bald head. He looked like he was in his middle thirties at least. His lips were blackened from smoking and he smelt like he was heavily drunk.

And now he was glowering murderously at me, touching his reddened cheek.

“You—“ he flared up in anger, touching his cheeks and I knew instantly I was in trouble when he glanced at his lackeys who immediately began to close in on us.

Fuck. This place was dangerous. Especially once guys like this picked you as prey.

I turned swiftly and ran but there was a huge crowd. I wasn’t fast enough. One of the man’s lackeys grabbed my hair, yanking me back roughly. I screamed out in pain, my eyes going wide.

And just like that, the man on stage turned his attention towards us.

I froze. My heart pounded in my chest like it would burst out of it as I locked eyes with him. Aaron archer.

My brother’s best friend. My crush.

Recognition flashed through his eyes and that brief pause, that brief distraction cost him his fight. His opponent took advantage of it and I watched in horror as he was kicked down and stomped on.

My heart squeezed in pain but I could do nothing because that bald man yanked my hair and started to drag me out with him.

“This one looks like a good catch.” He said casually as he pulled me away from the crowd.

I was mad and terrified, trying to fight him off, screaming for help but the people here were used to sights like this. They just threw one glance my way and continued watching the fight.

Some of them were booing, some clapping as they calculated how much they’d earn or lose on whoever won the fight.

“Feisty. I think I like this one. Her mouth would feel so good wrapped around my cock.” The bald man said again, dragging me roughly with him as we passed through a back door and entered an underground garage.

“Ey… boss, you’ll let us have a taste too won’t you?”

“Go find someone else.” He snapped. “I’ll keep this one for the whole night.”

I was terrified, shaking from both fear and anger. I didn’t know what to do.

Compared to these people, I was small, and weak. Easy to break.

God. Was I about to get defiled?

My whole body trembled as they threw me to the floor against the tires of a car.

“You… you don’t want to touch me. You don’t know who my brother is. If he finds out you hurt me—“

They all burst out laughing. “And who is your brother, pretty girl? Why isn’t he coming to save you?”

“He… he’ll come. And you’ll wish you never touched me.” I spat in his face and he just wiped it calmly then showed me a wicked grin.

“Boys. Strip her. I don’t think I can wait anymore. We’ll just do it here.”

Horror filled my lungs, and I quickly crawled away from them. One lackey hooked his finger on my shirt and I heard the sickening sound of my blouse tearing.

Tears filled my vision as they grabbed me. One pulled my hair back and the other forced me to my knees as the bald guy approached me, unbuckling his belt.

I panicked. “My brother is Enzo Cross. Are you sure you want to do this?”

They exchanged glances, pausing for a moment but then they thought I was lying.

The bald guy bent, holding my chin between his fingers, his bad breath making bile rise to my throat as he told me. “If your brother is Enzo then my father must be Aaron Archer, the god of death himself.”

The three burst out laughing, just as footsteps approached and they turned around only for their legs to weaken as they staggered back.

“It’s Aaron.” One person whispered. “What is he doing here?”

“Shh… he might just be passing by.”

Except he wasn’t. His footsteps were hurried, powerful, and his eyes were filled with rage as he approached, eyes locking on me.

Shame wrecked through my body as I stared down at myself, my position.

I was on my knees in front of these assholes with a torn shirt. Definitely not how I expected to present myself to him.

Aaron’s eyes darkened the moment he saw me like that.

The goons were stepping away, still trying to figure out why Aaron was heading this way when he grabbed one of them and smashed his head into a car’s window shield which shattered in pieces.

Blood soaked the lackey’s face and he screamed out in pain, seeming to have hurt his face.

“Who else touched her?” His voice rang powerfully across the garage and the bald man’s eyes widened in fear and horror as he finally realized it. He turned and tried to run but Aaron grabbed him, throwing a punch into his face. Then another punch. The sickening sound of his jaws breaking made my stomach twist.

Only one of the goons escaped and by the time Aaron was done with them, they were half dead and fled the moment they got a chance.

Silence filled the whole space now.

A very awkward embarrassing silence. Embarrassing for me mostly.

“What are you doing here, doll?”

Doll. He knew how much I hated him calling me that.

I didn’t answer. I just gritted my teeth and looked away from him as I got to my feet.

“I’m talking to you.” He seemed angry. His voice deadly as he grabbed my arm. “Do you know how dangerous this place is? Anything could’ve happened to you. What did you come here for?”

For a moment, I wondered what he would do if I told him I came to watch him. Yeah, like that was totally normal.

“It’s none of your business.” I said, trying to ignore how his shirt was buttoned wrongly as if he had hastingly thrown it on.

Then his eyes fell to my chest where the swell of my breast was exposed from my torn shirt. His features darkened, mostly with murderous intent before he began taking off his shirt, and covering me with it.

Now, he was standing shirtless in front of me and no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t look away from his strong chest and hard abs.

This man would be the death of me.

“This won’t do. I’m calling your brother.”

“No.” I jumped to snatch his phone before he could put it on dial. “My brother can’t find out I was here.”

“You knew that and you still came here?” He narrowed his gaze at me, displeasure written across his face in bold.

“It’s none of your business.”

“Right. It’s also none of my business when those guys were about to defile you.”

“I could’ve handled it!” I lied through my teeth, knowing the right thing I should say was thank you but for some reason, I was angry and embarrassed.

“Who did you come with?” He asked, looking away from me.

My head lowered as I answered. “I came alone.”

I felt his glare even though he said nothing. Then I hear him whisper. “You must be seeking death.”

The roars of motorcycles approaching filled the space, bright headlights making me squint. Then came the familiar voices. My brothers men.

My pulse raced and I instinctively hid behind Aaron as they came to a stop.

“So it’s true?” The man on the first motorcycle asked as he killed his engine, his voice filled with disbelief. “What on earth are you doing here, Mia?”

Fuck. He saw me. I peeked out from behind Aaron. “How did you know?”

“You’ll have to ask your brother that question.” He said and added, “You’re coming with us.”

“No!” I stepped back. s**t! This was about to spiral out of control. My brother won’t just let this go. He would want to know why I came here.

His men hounded after me even as I tried to run and Aaron just stood there, watching as he lit a cigarette without a care in the world.

“Don’t touch me you bloody bastard!” I yelled as one restrained my arms and together they carried me away to their motorcycle, ready to take me to my brother.

“Wait… let’s talk this out.” I lowered my voice to a plea. “Please, Blake.”

“We can’t help you, Mia. Your brother was livid when he realized you were here. You are not ready for what he has in store for you.”

My eyes widened in fear. I couldn’t let them take me like this. I looked around and caught Alexander’s gaze again. Before I knew it, my brain had already concocted something.

“He brought me here!” I pointed at him and all of my brother’s goons froze as they moved their gaze to the man who was smoking quietly.

Aaron’s eyes locked lethally with mine, then he frowned. The goons slowly let me go out of fear for him.

“Uh.. is it… is it true, Aaron? Y-you brought her here?”

“Didn’t you see us together just now?” I pushed to the front and ran towards Aaron, stopping only when I got to his front. He just kept looking at me like I was something interesting.

I was sure he just couldn’t believe my guts.

The goons totally ignored me and waited for him to answer. I watched as he dragged in a large inhale of smoke which he then puffed out all over me, making me almost choke. “She’s lying.” He finally said which gave the goons confidence again as they bundled me up and tied me up on the motorcycle.

“Aaron, you’re heartless!” I cursed as I struggled to get off and in the dead of the night, I could’ve sworn I saw his lips move but the bike had already taken off right then. And I was left screaming and cursing into the night.