The Mafia's Plaything

CHAPTER TWO: MY PET

Pencil-like heels majestically tapped the mirror-like tiled floors, a mixture of different sweet scents welcomed them. The scents reminded her of her favorite ice-cream store. Well, it was a van-c*m-shop, but she never agreed to it being just a van. Lara always thought it was disrespectful talking about Van Jonn’s ice-cream truck like that. It was her favorite place to be in the hot summer days, just before skipping to the beach. Oh, how she loved the beach. And what’s better than beach plus ice-cream.

“Mom, can we have ice-cream after we leave?” Lara tugged at her mom’s sleeve.

Mrs. Parkinson looked down to her daughter, a warm smile spreading over her face, “Of course, honey. Whatever you want.”

The only thing Lara loved more than the beach and ice-cream, were the women she saw in the bank. Their shirts neatly tucked into their pants or skirts, and their hair, almost always perfectly packed into a ponytail. She loved how they spoke softly, as if they enchanted the customers with their whispers. And their skin? My god. They were goddesses. Their skin was of course, different from normal human beings’.

“Hi, Lara. How are you doing today?” Lara’s tongue ceased, she gripped her mother’s hand tighter. All she could do was smile. Her cheeks hurt, her smile was stuck forever. “Aw, such a cutie. There you go Lucy,” the accountant handed a few dollar bills to Mrs. Parkinson.

They were done from the bank, and on their way to the beach. “I love her, mom, I love all of them. I want to work in the bank too. Can I do that?” Lara strained her neck, looking up to her mother.

“You can do anything you want, darling. You just have to focus on your books, okay? Less ice-cream, more homework okay?”

Lara’s voice dropped an octave. She was unenthusiastic about this compromise. “But I love ice-cream,” she did a pity face.

Mrs. Parkinson took a glance at her daughter and back to the road, “Oh, honey. In life, we all have to make sacrifices. A sacrifice is not a sacrifice if it doesn’t hurt you, darling,” she took her foot off the gas, slightly stepping on the brake. “We are here!” She said in a sing-song.

“Yay! Beach.” Lara slipped off her seatbelt, diving out of the car.

“Lara! Wait.” Lucy took off her seatbelt and joined her daughter.

The water was particularly playful this afternoon. It engaged Lucy and Lara, chasing after them endlessly.

Lucy’s knees planted in the soft mud, “Oh baby, I’m tired,” she chuckled, enjoying the day with her daughter. The baby in her tummy had been sudden and Jared, wasn’t having it. She had to deal with the baby growing inside her, her partner’s feeling about the pregnancy not being mutual and still providing for the family that she had forgotten to even make time for her daughter, Lara. “Come here, darling,” Lucy stretched out her hands for a hug.

As Lara ran towards her mom for a big hug, a rush of violent waters snatched Lucy from behind, leaving Lara’s wet arms clutching empty air.

Lara screamed awake, “Mom? Mom!” her breath hitched, a ragged gasp tearing through her lungs. Her heart pounded like a war drum against her ribs, each beat a painful echo in her ears.

It was a nightmare.

Sudden cold washed over her.

“Great, finally. Welcome… home,” he let out a dry chuckle. Lara looked up to see what time it was. Darn, she thought this was over. There was no light outside still, how long was she out for? “I felt bad about how all of this happened. I mean, I didn’t even get to introduce myself to you properly.”

Lara saw him clearly now, it was the man in suit. Albeit, he was no longer in his suit. He had a white, big shirt on now, on striped pajamas pants.

“I am Davide. You might hear Skull a lot while you work here,” he said, flashing a wicked smile Lara’s way.

Lara’s hands trembled, her body was drenched in water. Ice replaced blood in her veins.

“Oh, sorry,” Skull passed a caring look over her. “Get her a blanket and a cup of coffee,” he ordered. “You take coffee, right?”

“Ye—ees” Lara’s voice shook, her teeth chattering.

Skull pulled a cigarette out, “You want one?”

Lara nodded negatively, “I don’t smoke,” her hands trembled as she collected the blanket from one of the black-suited guards. She wrapped the thick cloth around herself, enjoying every bit of the warmth it had to offer her. For a second, she felt safe.

“Oh. Such a big sister,” Skull mocked, lighting the cigarette held in-between his lips. “Maybe Cara would like one, what do you think?” His thick dark hair and annoyingly dreamy face shone in the flicker of light.

“What are you talking about?” Lara asked, her voice suddenly breaking free. “What did you do?” Her eyes burned brighter and faster than the butt of his cigarette. Anger melted the cold.

She flipped through herself before anyone could blink. “What did you do to me?” Her voice was low, but dangerous.

Skull’s eyes, squeezed shut, were watering. A high-pitched giggle escaped his lips, followed by a series of wheezy coughs as he tried to regain control of his breathing. He spat out his cigarette, hitting his chest. “Aah,” he sighed deeply, “Woah!” He burst into another fit of laughter, pointing in Lara’s direction. “You think I did something to you?”

A long chilling minute passed in silence. His eyes, once filled with mirth, now burned with a smoldering fury. “You think I did something to you!” His face hardened into a mask of stone-cold rage.

This is the Skull they all knew.

A low growl rumbled in his chest, a sound that promised a storm of violence. His fists clenched, his knuckles turning white. “Bring her out here!” Skull howled. Lara strained her eyes, following the two muscular guards till the darkness blocked her vision. Her heart banged, threatening to pull apart the cage that restricted it. Her breath quickened, tension thickening with each second that passed.

The two muscular guards slowed a bit, as if dragging a heavy load with them. A muffled, guttural sound followed. A desperate, strangled cry. A sound of agony and terror, a silent scream trapped within a body.

Skull grabbed Lara’s face, “Look here!” He thundered, his body hovering over her. “You think I did something to you?” He shoved her face away, a yelp of pain escaped Lara’s mouth. “This is what happens when I do something to you.”

The deafening, sharp crack of gunshot ended the muffled cry. A flash of light illuminated the room, then darkness. The only sound, the soft thud of the stranger’s body hitting the floor.

Skull said with his back turned to Lara, “This will be Cara next,” Lara whimpered, her eyes wide with fear and her ears deaf with shock. Cold returned, seeping into the pores of her skin.

“I will be your collateral,” Lara whispered, her body shaking.

“No longer collateral,” he sauntered forward, “I own you now. You are my pet.”

Hot tears rolled down Lara’s eyes, her cheeks burning with anger… and fear. She held her mouth, attemp ting to silence her sobs. How could she ever get out of this? Would she ever?