The Mafia Devil's Vow

The car swerved with a screech, tires burning against asphalt as Lorelai gripped the wheel tighter, her knuckles white. The sleek black SUV behind her sped like a predator in pursuit. She had no idea when it had started tailing her, only that something had felt off the moment she left the shopping mall parking lot. At first, it seemed like nothing. Just another car on the road. But when she turned onto a lonely street and caught a glimpse of it in her rearview mirror, her heart sank. It was still there. Close. Too close, like it was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She slammed her foot on the accelerator. The SUV kept up, unwavering. Her breath hitched, panic clawing its way up her throat. One of her hands trembled on the steering wheels while the other fumbled through her purse as she reached for her phone, desperately trying to call Freya, her best friend. But the universe had other plans. The screen lit up… then went blank. "f*****g hell!" she hissed, tossing the dead phone aside. Sweat pooled on her forehead, her pulse drumming in her ears. The road stretched ahead, almost empty and desolate, like humans had been scraped out of the earth. "Where the freaking hell is everybody?!" she yelled, her voice croaking with fear. “Relax, Lorelai… maybe you’re just overthinking,” she muttered, trying to steady her breath as her heart slammed against her ribs. But her mind wouldn’t stop flashing through every worst-case scenario, a robbery, a kidnapping,or maybe something worse. In a blur, headlights flashed in her mirror before the car sped past, almost clipping hers. She gasped, jerking the wheel to stay on the road, her hands trembling as color drained from her face. Then the vehicle came back , this time, it rammed into her side. “What the hell do you want from me?!” she screamed, fighting to keep control. Before she could react again, the car swerved sharply in front of her, cutting her off. Metal collided with metal, and her car slammed into it. The impact threw her forward, and smoke began to fill the air. She coughed violently as her eyes watered. She did a fast work trying to unbuckle herself, her vision fading in and out. Suddenly, the windshield shattered, and the glass splattered around like rain. She lifted her arms to shield her face but her body shook violently. A moment later, her door was yanked open with a loud screech. “Help…” Her voice cracked, barely scraping past her lips. “What do you need help with?” a voice answered deep, sharp, and unfamiliar. A tall man loomed over her, dressed in black from head to toe,his face was hidden behind a mask and his presence radiated something dark and dangerous. He yanked her from the crumpled vehicle as smoke curled around them. She coughed again, clutching her hands on her chest, her throat burning. “Who the f**k are you?” she rasped. He laughed, the sound low, humorless as he bent to her level, leaning in until there was barely any space between them. His hand rose to her neck, fingers wrapping gently but firmly, applying just enough pressure to make her breath hitch. She struggled, wriggling in his grip, but her strength was no match for him. “Stay still, you bitch.” His voice was sharp and icy, but she only thrashed harder. His grip on her neck tightened, pressing until, after a few seconds, her body went limp in defiance. “Good girl,” he murmured with amusement. “You see? This could go real smooth if you’d just cooperate.” “What the hell do you want from me? Who the f**k are you?” she gasped, defiant even as her voice cracked. He chuckled dryly, clearly entertained by her resistance. “Curious, aren’t you?” Through the hole in his mask, his gaze roamed her face slowly, like he was studying her. “We don’t want to spend the whole day here, do we… Miss Lorelai Hale?” Her brain short-circuited, panic surging through her at the sound of her name. “How do…you….,?. “Nah…that's not the question you should be asking right now, huh? He drawled,his voice low and mocking, “You should be wondering what I want I want from you…or better yet, what I planned to do with you”. His gloved hand slid up, cupping one of her breasts that had spilled from her torn dress. He squeezed it hard enough to make her flinch. She shuddered violently, desperate to break free from his grip but the sharp impact of his hand across her face sent her reeling. The sting burned, the tears blurring her vision. He laughed, the sound hollow. “Oh, trust me, I want to do very bad, wicked things to you but I’m on an important mission right now. Maybe I’ll save that for another day.” His hand slid into his breast pocket, pulling out a photo which he slammed in front of her face. Lorelai blinked, shock freezing her for a moment as her eyes locked onto the image. He let out a low, amused chuckle, watching the sudden flicker of fear and recognition cross her features. “That’s right. He’s caused quite a headache, you know and since you’re connected with him, you’re going to help me find him, wherever he is.” “I don’t know who that is or what you’re talking about,” she spat. “Trust me, I’m calling the cops on you, and you’re gonna rot in jail, you freak, absolute pathetic psycho.” He let out a low, dark laugh, not amused,the kind that made her stomach turn. “Easy there, Princess,” he drawled, leaning in with a wicked smirk behind his mask. “You see, life doesn’t exactly play out the way it does in your head. No knights, no saviors. Just people like me”. He said thoughtfully as his fingers traced a slow path up her face, almost delicately. Then they slid down, ghosting over her jaw, until they reached the soft curve of her neck. He let them linger there, as if weighing something dark. “Such a pretty neck you’ve got,” he whispered, his voice low and threatening. “It would be a shame if it stopped breathing.” Her breath hitched and her throat bobbed uncontrollably. “You know where Ryder is,” he said, his voice dangerously calm . “And you’re going to bring him to me. I’m not asking.” Lorelai glared at him, fury burning behind her eyes. “Get the hell away from me, fucker”! He tightened his grip around her neck, almost snapping life out of her. “Go ahead…do it, I won't tell you s**t”. She choked. He loosened his grip once more as he chuckled darkly, the sound curling up to her spine like ice. “Such fire I love to see”, he said as his hands hovered dangerously close to her face. “You should know, fire can get you burned, huh”. Without warning, his hands moved to his face and yanked out the mask. Lorelai froze. His face was carved from the shadows, handsome, yes, but a cruel scar stretched from the corner of his eye to his lip. It twisted into something far more sinister, his dark gaze boring into hers like he could see through her defiance and straight into her fear. “You really thought I’d stop here? You should know I won't make this any easier for you, Princess” he said quietly, his voice rough with restrained fury. “And after you’ve played your little part,served as the bait, you’ll make a fine ass toy for my men.” “Never in a million years would I have anything to do with a f*****g asshole like you,” she snapped. Anger flickered in his eyes and in one swift motion, he gripped her arm, his fingers digging into her skin. “You’ll do as I say, Princess.” He shoved at her dress, tugging it upward. She pressed her thighs together, resisting, but he forced harder. “Please, let me go,” she pleaded, choking on tears. He only grinned wider. “I bet you’re drooling for it.” Her body shook but in one swift move, her knee drove into his solar plexus. “f**k!” he growled, stumbling back and she managed to scramble a little distance away from him. He recovered fast, rage twisting his features. “You f*****g b***h! I’ll make sure to mess you up, you hear me? I’ll let my boys tear you apart while you scream for mercy.” He grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back. “In time, you’ll crave my c**k and the drugs that will keep you sane. You’ll be nothing but a f*****g toy.” A loud, sickening thud echoed suddenly as flesh met bone, sending him staggering backward. He nearly lost his balance, almost crashing beside her. He groaned, clutching his face. “What the bloody hell”. Lorelai blinked through the haze, her heart hammering. The figure looming over them was unmistakable. The fury in his eyes could burn the world. “Leave her the hell alone!” The voice cut through the chaos, cold, sharp, dripping with rage. “Ryder! She gasped, before slipping into the world of unconsciousness.