Kiss My Feet, Mr. Mafia

Episode 3

I stood against the door frame, feeling the nervousness take over. My hands were shaking. “I won’t say anything, please don’t, Luca,” I pleaded. “I didn’t see anything, I promise,” I said, wiping the sweat from my face.

Luca’s face was completely blank as he looked at me, his features stern. His tone was sharp and biting the moment he spoke. “You actually believed that you could just leave after witnessing that?”

I shivered all over, and my hairs stood on end. “I didn’t see anything,” I said as firmly as I could, although my voice quivered.

Luca signaled to his henchmen, and they pulled me towards the car by my arm. My thoughts were filled with pure terror, and there was no order to what I was thinking. As they forced me into the backseat, I could hear the voices of Luca and his men outside.

“We’ve got to ditch the body. Ensure nobody gets wind of it,” one of the men said.

Suddenly, a bolt of panic hit me. They were speaking my language, and I had to get out of there. Tightly clutching my neck, I glanced around the car, trying to find a way to escape. My gaze shifted to the door handle, and I extended my hand to grasp it, hoping they wouldn’t see me.

As soon as the door opened, I rushed and kicked the bodyguard’s groin area with full force. He crawled over to the other side of the car, pretending to be dead. I used the opportunity to get out of the car and run away. I rushed towards the street, panting. The city lights blurred as I cried my eyes out. I didn’t stop until I reached Jessica’s apartment.

I knocked vigorously on the door, desperate. “Jessica, please let me in, it’s Maria,” I called out.

The door banged open, and there was Jessica standing in the doorway, her eyes big with worry. “Maria, what is it?” she asked. She led me inside and closed the door shut.

I fell into her arms, crying loudly and heart-wrenchingly. “Luca… he’s… they are going to kill me,” I sobbed hysterically.

Jessica tried to console me by embracing me, and eventually, I calmed down. I looked pale, my face flushed. I took deep breaths, shaking nervously. “Take it easy, Maria. What happened?” Jessica asked.

I tried to explain, searching for the right words. “That man is not who he pretends to be. He is Luca. He is a killer. They were talking about getting rid of someone, Jess. It was me.”

Jessica's expression changed. Any warmth in her eyes was replaced by intensity as she led me to the couch. “Maria, you’ve had a traumatic situation. Try to catch what I am saying. Perhaps you misheard them,” she suggested.

“No,” I said loudly, interrupting her. “It is quite clear what I heard. I must report it to the police.”

I reached for my phone, and Jessica’s expression immediately contorted to one of genuine concern. She attempted to restrain me. “STOP it, Maria. You don’t understand. It is not what it seems. Let us ponder over it.”

I shook my head, turned on the phone, and called 911. “I can’t think about this anymore. They will accuse me and come after me.”

Jessica managed to get the phone from my hand before I could push the call button. “Maria, stop it! You are not in your right mind,” she said, trying to cover my mouth.

“Give it back!” I tried to grab the phone, but she was quicker.

“You cannot do this, Maria,” she said firmly.

Someone was trying to kill me. I tried to grab her, but she eluded my grasp and hit me on the head with the phone. The headache grew intolerably sharp, and everything went black.

I found myself half-asleep, the gentle whispering and low drone of an engine rousing me. My head buzzed, and I felt groggy. I opened my eyes and quickly scanned my surroundings. I was in a large double bed in a dark room. The voices became clearer.

“There was no other way,” I overheard Jessica saying.

“Aaah, you’re awake,” I heard a familiar voice say. Luca was a few inches from the end of the bed, wearing a frown while two bodyguards stood by his side. Jessica sat beside him, very tense.

My heart raced as I stepped closer to her. “Jessica? What the hell is going on?”

Jessica’s expression hardened. “Well, bestie,” she said with a sneer, “couldn’t have you calling your dad and exposing my boss.”

“He’s a killer, Jessica,” I said out loud. “My dad can help. He is the head of the FBI.”

“That’s why you are here, slut,” Luca responded. Jessica became quiet, as if she were scared of him. “Jessica has been watching your back for me since the day the two of you met.” Luca explained with a smile. “You’re lucky. The incidents that occurred yesterday were rash. Now that you know who I am, you won’t have to be so tender with me.”

His voice was so sharp that a shiver ran down my spine. He was no longer gaping at me sexily.

“What is it that you are doing here? What do you mean?” I asked, realizing the situation was dangerous.

“Do you not see?” Luca’s voice deepened dangerously. “They call me Spike. I am the don of the syndicate,” he said, lifting his left shoulder and giving it a casual flick.

The name sent chills down my spine. Recollections of what my father used to tell me filled my mind with discomfort. He had been hunting this killer for many years. People had no idea of his physical appearance, but everyone knew about his specific tasks and competency.

“You are… you are Spike?” I stammered nervously. Spike was a name spoken with either respect or fear in the criminal world. He was a ghost who left no one alive, or at least no one who could speak.

Luca's smile was chilling. “My father and I have been warring for years. The feds have been up my family’s business longer than I can recall, but he was the one cop I could not get rid of.”

“The promotion, you targeted me…” I whispered, feeling tears about to stream from my eyes.

“You’re naively stupid, Maria, and so innocent. You would follow anyone blindly,” Luca said, shaking his head vigorously while putting on a fake smile.

I stopped wishing. I looked at my life and saw only a series of lies and impending doom. I was not just a prisoner but a prisoner of my fate, and the only one I could turn to had led me astray.

“Oh Luca, no… I don’t need that… I can protect your secrets,” I cried helplessly.

Luca leaned closer, his eyes cold and calculating. "It's not about keeping secrets, Maria. It's about control. And now that you know who I am, you're a liability."

Tears streamed down my face as I realized the gravity of my situation. "What are you going to do to me?"

Luca's smile was devoid of warmth. "You're going to stay here, under my watch. You won't be able to contact anyone, especially your father."

I shook my head, disbelief and fear warring within me. "You can't keep me here forever."

"Oh, I think you'll find I can," he replied, his voice dripping with menace. "You're my prisoner now, Maria. And you'll do exactly as I say."

Jessica stepped forward, her face a mask of regret. "I'm sorry, Maria. But it's better this way."

I glared at her, feeling a surge of anger. "How could you do this to me? I thought you were my friend."

Jessica's eyes flickered with guilt. "I didn't have a choice. Luca made me do it."

"Don't blame her," Luca said, his tone dismissive. "She's just doing what she was told."

A loud knock on the door made me jump. My heart raced as I heard the voices outside.

"Is she secure?" one of the men asked.

Luca nodded. "She won't be causing any more trouble."

I looked around the room, searching for any possible escape route. The windows were barred, and the door was guarded. I was trapped.

As Luca and his men left the room, I felt a surge of despair. I had to find a way out, but how? The walls seemed to close in around me, and I struggled to keep my composure.

I was alone, betrayed, and at the mercy of a cold-blooded killer. My only hope was to find a way to escape before it was too late. Or at least for my father to come save me.