The Mafia's Plaything

CHAPTER FOUR: A GAMBLE FOR FREEDOM

A new day dawned, heavy with unspoken words and lingering tension.

Lara paced her room from end to end, “Do you know if I can get my phone back?” She peeled her fingers relentlessly, a nervous wreck disguised in a façade of calm.

“Why would you do that, miss?” Carol’s gentle, warm voice pricked her. Somehow she felt guilty for the plans she had. She knew she’d have to sacrifice something, someone, and she couldn’t take her eyes off the crouched figure of the lovely lady warming her bath.

“Um, I just… I don’t know, I really need to speak to my sister,” Lara’s eyes welled. The thought of her sister in trouble crawled in her underbelly.

Who was the man Grace spoke of?

Carol’s crouched body grew to full length. Her eyes smiled at Lara, a hint of understanding in display. “My girl, I know you are not used to this place, but you will adapt, soon enough. You learn to follow the instructions, and all will be well.”

“I do not want to follow that murderer’s rules!”

“Shh, miss. You are not thinking this through. Take a seat, here,” she guided Lara into her bed. “Lord Davide is not a man you want to challenge. He may be quick to anger, but he does nothing without cause. You remind me of my daughter. She was like you, eager to get out. She called it slavery,” a sad chuckle escaped Carol’s lips. “She was in a haste, ready to leave. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to leave too, but I knew better.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Carol sighed, “My girl, it wasn’t always like this. Believe me, it used to be lively and fun. We all loved it, we enjoyed to stay here. We were one big family,” filled with nostalgia, Carol’s eyes rolled into the past.

Lara grew out of patience, “So? What happened? Tell me.”

Carol trailed off, “You need to take your bath now, miss. You have a meeting with Lord Davide soon,” her voice faded into silence. The spark in her eyes, once bright and engaging, had dimmed, replaced by a vacant stare. Her mind, it seemed, had wandered off, leaving her words unfinished and her thoughts unspoken.

“Wait Carol, wait,” the door closed gently behind her.

What was wrong with her?

She got out of her bathroom wasting no time in the shower. She rifled through the room’s closet, a whirlwind of fabrics and colors. A simple dress, too plain. A pair of jeans and a t-shirt, too casual. She needed something that exuded confidence, something that would turn his head. Her lips curved into a knowing smile, a silent promise of pleasure.

Her fingers brushed against a slinky red dress, its satin fabric shimmering under the light. A smirk played on her lips. This was it. She slipped into the dress, the soft material hugging her curves. She twirled in front of the mirror, the red dress swaying with her movements. Boys mentioned how her body mimicked Alexandra Daddario. “Baby Daddario,” Damian would mock. Now, she understood the jealous stares from girlfriends.

A touch of red lipstick, a swipe of eyeliner, and she was ready.

She stormed out of the room with the confidence of a goddess, looks to match, as she made her way generously towards the office. Time froze, each pair of eyes filled with desire. Normally, she hated it, but this was her time now. She would make the king envious of his subjects.

Low murmur and soft chuckles frustrated his work, Davide stepped to the window, pulling his curtain slightly to see what went on. His eyes burned like hot coal as he pushed away from the curtain and through the door in a flash. Instantly, the guard at the door straightened, his eyes blinking rapidly.

Davide’s gaze intensified.

“I was just coming in,” Lara took her time, swaying her hips in slow motion as she moved past him, and into his office.

Davide shot back, catching the guard peeping one more time, “Get out!” he barked at him.

Lara distracted him throughout his lecture. For some reason, she opted against taking a seat, and instead, hovered over him. Her dresses’ low neckline left little to imagination, as her breasts generously popped out in plain sight. He took a moment to use the restroom, but it was really to catch his breath, and stay focused. He had to stay in line, and she tested his resolve.

Despite her music of being okay to go back on her own, Davide walked her to her room, and he only turned to leave when he was sure she had settled in.

Lara stayed indoors, her heart doing backflips. The looks on his face. The effect she knew she had on him. Wow.

Her mind soon rolled over, substituting her excitement for anxiousness. She slipped her phone out of her cleavage. She had to escape this place, and she had to do it tonight.

Her fingers flew threw her phone screen, anxiety caving in on her. Her heart pounded in her chest, a drumbeat of anxiety.

The line at the other end rang, each chime a nail in her coffin. Her mind raced, desperate, any excuse to hang up. But it was too late.

“Hello?”

***

The air hung heavy with the scent of desperation. Her breath, ragged and shallow, mirrored the frantic rhythm of her heart. She moved with the silent grace of a shadow, her every sense heightened. With a silent prayer, she slipped past the sleeping guard, his snores a rhythmic lullaby of danger. The cold marble floor was unforgiving beneath her bare feet, each step a silent plea for escape.

The grand staircase loomed ahead, a daunting obstacle. With a surge of adrenaline, she ascended, each creak of the ancient wood a potential death knell. The moon, a silent witness, watched as she edged closer to freedom, one perilous step at a time.

She knew the stakes were high, but she craved freedom. A desperate thirst for the outside world.

A figure emerged from darkness. Panic surged. She froze.

She sighed. It was only a candlelight.

The large door staring back at her surely was the exit door. She tiptoed to the door, pooling all her strength to silent the giant door from making a sound.

She was almost there, the cool night air brushing against her face. Freedom was within reach. With a final surge of adrenaline, she broke free from his grasp, her fingers inches away from the latch. But just as she was about to slip through the narrow gap, a strong hand clamped down on her wrist.

"Not so fast," a voice hissed, making her blood run cold.

Her mind screamed at her to run, but her body betrayed her, roots of fear digging deep into her soul, rendering her immobile, frozen to the spot like a statue, her legs trembling beneath her as if mocking her brain's desperate commands to flee.

A chill crept up her spine, and she felt a presence behind her, "You can never escape me, Lara," his icy hands clamped on her shoulders, the cold seeping into her skin.

A flood of bright lights poured at the gate. A flicker of hope Lara grasped to. Only then did Davide catch a glimpse of the cellphone in her hands.

His eyes broke into fragments of of betrayal, "What did you do, Lara?"