Daughters of Ruin:The Collateral

CHAPTER ONE — THE CONTRACT Emily Rose POV "Bye Lora!" I waved and walked out into the cold without looking back. After twelve hours of working , my feet were done. My back was done. I walked through town and saw a woman with her daughter. They were holding hands. I quickly looked away. I really wished I experienced this My mum died due to an accident and my dad has been coming home late, drunk most nights. Secretive about everything. I dropped out of school because of it. I had to work. But I kept telling myself it's temporary, as soon as I save enough I'm going back. I finally saw a cab after walking for what seemed like forever. I got in and gave him my address. The drive was slow My phone buzzed and I took it out to an unknown number saying "My dear Cara. It's almost time." Wrong number. I deleted it. The cab stopped at my street. I paid and got out and looked up at my house and something just — stopped. In my chest. Three black SUVs outside. Tinted windows. My front door was hanging wide open I walked faster. Then faster again. Inside was worse. Five men in suits standing around my living room like they'd always been there. Big. Quiet. They all looked at me at the same moment when I came through the door. There was a man who didn't belong there and looked completely comfortable anyway. Sharp jaw. Dark eyes. Good looking sitting on his specific chair he sat on for years. He was already looking at me when I walked in. Not like he'd just seen me. Like he'd known when I'd arrive. "Sit."- he said quietly but boldly I looked at my dad on the sofa. Both hands flat on his knees. Staring at the floor like it had done something to him. Wouldn't look at me. "Dad—" "Sit down. Now." I sat. My legs were weak already. One man in a suit put a thick document on the coffee table. Black pen on top. "Sign it." I read the whole thing. But I read every word because I wasn't signing something I didn't understand, I don't care who's in my living room. And then there it was. Third page. Collateral. My name with my full name attached to something that made me property. In exchange for a debt I didn't know existed. I put the document down. My hands were already shaking. "Dad." Too small. "What is this." Nothing. "Dad, look at me, please." "Just sign it Emily." His voice felt empty "You want me to sign something that makes me collateral." "Your debt. That I knew nothing about." "Your father owes me," the man said. Almost friendly about it. "You're the arrangement." "I'm a person." I looked at my dad one more time. Put everything I had into it. Eighteen years of him being the only parent I had. Begging him without words to just stand up and be my father for five more seconds. He stared at the floor. A gun appeared at his temple. I didn't even see it happen it was so fast. And my dad didn't flinch. That was the thing that got me. That he didn't flinch. My whole body went cold. "Sign it. Now." "Please—" Broken before I could shape it. "Please don't I'll sign please just don't hurt him—" "Emily." Dad's voice cracked. "Sign it." Like a small favour. I grabbed the pen. My hand was shaking so hard The man picked it up. "Good. Let's go." Two of them grabbed my arms before I processed the sentence. I fought, I knew it was pointless. I kicked, pulled, screamed my dad's name all to no avail "DADDY PLEASE!" He turned his head away. They shoved me in the back of one of the SUVs. Door slammed. I threw myself at the window and watched my dad walk back inside and close the front door. Click. Just like that. The car moved and I hit the window until my hands went numb and then I stopped because there was no point and I pressed my head against the cold glass and stayed there. "At least tell me your name." I asked Rearview mirror. Dark eyes. Still. "You already know it." And it hit me hard L-lu-c-ciano Lorentto- I said with my voice shaking My phone buzzed. Same unknown number. "Don't trust anyone in that car Cara. He isn't protecting you. He's collecting you. — V" Cara again. That name. I looked up slowly. Luciano's eyes were already on me in the mirror. Like he knew exactly what that message said. Like he'd been waiting for it the whole drive.