Chapter 17 #2
“But Sergey was getting greedy and trying to push the remaining families out and rebuild the Syndicate to his liking. That would make the deal between him and Giovanni’s father void, and all our hard work would’ve been for nothing.
So, we took care of him, took you thinking you’d sing like a caged bird, but damn, girl, you shocked everyone with your silent treatment. ”
“Why now?” I asked as Giovanni’s yelling began to lower in volume.
“Honestly, look at this place. It’s a shithole compared to what we were promised, and when I saw the chance to finally get my hands on you, I couldn’t pass it up.” He leaned forward and added, “I want my money, so do the right thing and this can all be over.”
Giovanni entered the room with a snatch of the door, and John sat back, acting like he hadn’t given me tons of information that would be worthless if I couldn’t get out of here. Giovanni plopped into the chair at the end of the table and ran his hands through his hair.
“I have to go back to Atlanta tonight for a meeting in the morning. They won’t take no for an answer,” Giovanni explained, and John sighed as I watched them interact.
“Can’t you stall them? Tell them we need a few days to get everything together,” John reasoned, and Giovanni shook his head.
“They want proof or they’re calling in their debt, so I have to show myself to them by seven in the morning or the deal is off.”
“Fuck,” John proclaimed, and I wasn’t sure what was happening.
Giovanni looked over at me and, quicker than expected, he grabbed my hair and pulled me closer to him. I tried to keep the strands from ripping out of my scalp as I held onto his hand. “You’ve caused me so much trouble, I should drag you back down there to explain it to them.”
My forehead drew down at the statement. Who was he having to report to, and why would they care what I did or didn’t know?
He turned and looked at John. “Lock her in the basement, and if she gives you any trouble, invite a couple neighborhood boys over to show her a good time. She’s used to being a party favor.”
They both laughed as I fought not to cry at their threat. John stood from his chair and walked around the table to my other side. Giovanni shoved me away from him and straight into John, who wrapped his arms around my waist and hoisted me off my feet.
“Stop,” I yelled as Giovanni watched from the table.
“I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon, little one. Be prepared to tell me everything I want to know, or it will be the last day you’re above ground.”
John chuckled as I fought against his hold and, without much difficulty, he opened a door in the hallway and threw me inside.
I caught myself just as I slipped off the landing and started to tumble down the stairs into the pitch blackness below.
John raised an eyebrow and whispered, “Be good, or I’ll come back and show you what a real man is all about. ”
With his vile threat, he slammed the door closed, leaving me in the damp-smelling darkness.
Feeling near the door for a switch and finding nothing, I used my hands to feel for the walls and carefully slid my foot down, hoping to find another step.
One by one, I made careful and calculated movements until I felt floor in front of me and knew I was off the steps.
Meticulously, I ran my hands over a wall, again looking for a switch and again finding nothing.
Moving along, I bumped into things and a couple shifted against me as I kept searching for a light or a way out.
Finally, I felt something metallic and cold, and when I felt a handle, I prayed as I opened the door.
The small light from inside the stinky fridge was enough to cast a glow onto the floor as I fought back vomit from the rotten food stench. Looking around the mostly dark space, I saw a string hanging close to the foot of the stairs which was attached to a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling.
Pulling the string, the light turned on, casting a dirty glow across the entire room.
The first thing I noticed was there was no windows down here, making escape impossible.
A noise from the corner drew my attention and I cautiously walked closer to the sound.
What I saw shocked me, steeling my resolve to get out of this and make these fuckers pay.
A girl, probably eighteen or nineteen years old, poked her head out from behind a stack of boxes. Carefully, I lifted my hand and walked slowly toward her. I crouched down about ten feet away so I could speak with her.
“My name’s Regan Weston. Who are you?”
She looked to the stairs and whispered softly, “My name is Wren.”
I moved closer to her, and she slowly moved from behind the boxes until I was able to almost touch her. “Wren, that’s a beautiful name. Do you have a last name?”
She nodded and replied, “Volkovs.”
I tried to keep my expression neutral. The Volkovs were killed off years ago in a purge.
Sergey told me about Adrian, Stella’s chosen, and how she killed him and disappeared.
That’s what put me on his radar. Stella killed someone Sergey had a powerful deal brokered through, and he had to make an impulsive decision to kill Adrian’s father and make it look like an outside attack.
He didn’t do it to protect Stella, or her and Adrian’s daughter, Hailey.
He did it to save face and remain in power with the Syndicate.
Then, when he discovered Rhys was protecting Stella, he took me as revenge.
Seeing this young girl trapped down here told me there were more hidden victims of the Syndicate, and I had to get us out of here and figure out who else was in danger.
I’d fillet myself open and tell everything I knew if it meant I could save Wren and other young girls from the demented plans of wannabe gangsters and their desire to rule.
And maybe it would redeem me for the decisions I’d made in the past to save my own life.