Chapter 1

LILY (AGE 19)

I hear the clang of my cell’s doors as the officer in charge struggles to get the big padlock open. I ignore him, staring into nothingness, hoping to numb myself from the pain…and the hunger. The soul crushing hunger.

Today makes it three days since I was locked up here without food, my punishment for stealing from a mysterious New York elite.

“Hey, girl. Come on out. There’s someone here for you.”

I stare at the officer through dead eyes as his words slowly registers. Then I scramble to my feet, igniting the hunger that almost has my stomach in knots.

As I pass by the officer, he shakes his head and mutters.

“Pretty young thing. A pity you had to get yourself mixed up with the most dangerous family in the city.”

I almost pause, my heart fluttering as his words settle around me. When I arrive at the guard room, my purse and obscenely tall heels are given to me by the lady officer, and even she has a pitiful look on her face.

My spine tingles with dread.

When the gates open and I see the proprietress of the br othel where I work part time…. the bro thel that got me into this mess in the first place, I almost turn around and run back into the cells.

Samantha Callaway. She doesn’t even spare me a glance.

“Get into the car, young lady.”

I oblige and soon, we’re speeding down the free way.

“Just how much trouble am I in?” I ask when I can no longer stand her choking silence.

“Enough to also get me and my business in trouble.” She replies coldly.

I heave a confused sigh.

“I don’t get it. I only took twenty dollars from the man’s wallet. He had about a thousand bucks in there and he’s wealthy as hell. How is that a problem?”

The car skids to a stop and before I can even flinch, Samantha lands a stinging slap across my left cheek.

Chapter 1

My head rears back from the force of the slap and lightening flashes before my eyes. I

am pretty sure I taste blood.

wh ore for one night

“You came to me, hungry and begging for assistance,” she spits. “You agreed to be a

one f ucking night, and I gave you to my biggest client because you fit into his specifications. Now you sit there and spit such rubbish? It isn’t how much you stole or how you stole it, you bit ch. It is whom you stole it from!”

Tears sting my eyes and I sniff. I can already feel the stirrings of a headache.

“I’m s-sorry.”

I have no idea what I am apologising for or why I’m even apologising in the first place, I just know that the situation seems very serious-

The only information I was given when Samantha dressed me up that night was that I was going to be sleeping with the most dangerous man in the city.

“You better be sorry, because you are going to clean up this mess.”

1 freeze.

“Wh-what do you mean?” I stutter.

She doesn’t answer. Eyes glinting with anger, she puts the car in “drive” once more and zooms off

While I nurse my rapidly swelling l*p, she drives and keeps driving until we turn into a private lane.

The houses we pass by get luxurious and more luxurious by the minute until we arrive at an electronic gate and drive through the tree lined driveway.

The knot in my stomach grows tighter as the gleaming glass house in the distance comes into view.

“Where are we?” I ask once again.

We fi

finally arrive at the house and the car skids to a stop.

“This house belongs to the family of the man you stole from. You are going to render a proper, heart felt apology otherwise we’re all doomed.”

She doesn’t give me time to argue. Before long, we’re walking into the glass mansion teeming with armed men in black. Guards. So many of them.

Who is this man?

941%-

15:30 Thu, 25 Jan EF-

Chapter 1

Π

We are led into a posh sitting room by one of the guards where we asked to await “the boss.”

The tension in the room is palpable. I’m about to ask Samantha if I should’nt shower first when I hear the click of hard soled shoes against the marble floors from a distance.

Samantha gets to her feet in honour of whomever is coming and I do same.

“Lower your eyes to the floor. Do not look at him unless he asks you to.” She whispers. I nod, my fluttering nerves and throbbing eyes making it difficult to speak.

When the stranger’s gleaming leather shoes finally come into view, my heart is already. galloping wildly against my chest.

“Is this the girl who stole from us?” He asks without preamble.

His voice is dark and harsh, like a chronic smoker…or a practiced killer.

“Yes sir.”

Silence.

He starts in my direction, coming to a halt before me.

“Do you know who I am?” His Italian accent is a hard purr against my skin.

“No, sir.” I mumble. I’m telling the truth. I was informed hat the man I would be sleeping with that night is an Italian business tycoon. I was never told a name. I didn’t

ask.

“No one who steals from our family lives to talk about it. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you right here, right now.”

The savage danger in his voice has my heart quaking in pure fear. I just want to go back home to mum. She must be so worried.

“I’m so s-sorry, sir. I didn’t know…”

His loud, boisterous laugh fills the air, cutting my apology midway.

“She didn’t know.” His voice is mocking. “She. Didn’t. Know.”

I hear the click of a lighter, then the hot stench of expensive tobacco flits through my nostrils, unsettling my empty stomach.

“She didn’t know.” He whispers again.

Before I can blink, he backhands me, sending me crashing against the marble floor with

Chapter 1

a pained cry. While on the floor, he gives me one savage kick in the ribs. His hard soled shoes dig into my skin and hot, blinding pain reverberates through my entire system.

I lie there, stunned to silence as big, fat tears roll down my checks.

“Take her out of my sight. She’s not my type, but my men can have fun with her if they

want to.”

His words filter through my tired brain as strong hands grab my arm. I struggle in their grip with every last bit of strength left in me.

“No! I’m sorry, please! It will never happen again. Please let me go! I just needed money for food. Please…”

In the last seconds before I am dragged from the room, I look up desperately and my eyes clash with the burning sapphire blue ones of my worst enemy.

“Stop fighting us. We promise to make you enjoy it.” One of the guards mock, making a grab for my breasts. I cringe.

I am led out of the mansion and almost forced into a waiting convertible when the cellphone of the first guard rings. When he leans over to get the call, it strikes me that this might be the only chance I get.

In a split second, I bite down hard on the second guard’s arm, forcing him to loosen his grip with a pained curse, then I sl*p through and run to freedom.

I have no idea where I’m going, I just know that I have to get out of here before the guards catch up with me.

Just as I’m about to run through the tarred, curved bend, bright white headlights blind me, bringing me to a stumbling stop.

The last thing I hear is the loud skid of tires and a sickening, bone crushing thud.

The last thing I feel is acute, nerve wrenching pain.

The last thing I see are expensive looking leather oxford shoes, and a hand covered with a thick web of scars.

But just before the darkness takes me, beautiful sapphire blue eyes fill

my vision.

When I wake up in the hospital one month later, I cannot remember anything that happened that day. Not even one scene. The doctor says I may be suffering from partial

amnesia.

Perhaps a slight trigger could bring back my memories. But it could take years.

15:30 Thu, 25 Jan B.

Chapter 1

I guess that part of my life is over…or is it?

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