The devilish deal

The ground was murky and the man was bathed in the mud.

Fear blazed in his eyes as he begged, crawling towards each man.

"Please, I'll get you the money!" He screamed but only got a kick to his back as a response.

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"I.. please I will.. there's.."

Suddenly my eyes caught a figure I'd somehow missed because I was focused on the madness unfolding.

The sight of him sent shivers down my spine.

He was exceptionally tall and broad, and a thick cigar burned in between his fingers.

It was too dark so I couldn't see his face, but fear burned in my chest as he took two steps to the crying man on the ground.

Then he squatted to his level and I winced as I watched him burn the cigar into the man's flesh.

"You stole from me Mario," he spoke, his voice sending shivers down my spine, "and then you tried to sell my secrets to my enemies. And you don't even have any way of paying me back?"

"Don Lucian, please forgive me! It won't happen again!"

He stood up, his full height towering above everyone else.

"No it won't," he muttered, reaching into his pocket.

In slow, terrifying motion, I watched him pull out a gun and blew on it before firing at the man on his knees.

A scream escaped my throat before I could stop it and all five men turned to me, pulling out their guns.

I fell to my knees, a scream lodged in my throat.

"Who are you?!" One of them barked, stepping towards me.

"Dante's spy?" The other one growled, the scar on his left eye adding to the terror I felt.

All I did was scream, my body unable to do anything else.

Here I thought my husband was going to kill me not knowing I would use my own legs to walk into my death by myself.

"Kai, Enzo, lower your gun. We don't kill women, did you forget?"

His voice was cold and scary, it didn't sound like he was having mercy on me.

If he wasn't going to kill me, what then?

I just saw them murder people.

He turned properly towards me and I saw his face fully.

His black hair was tied back and it made his face shiny.

His eyes though, they were what made me want to pee on myself.

Dark, too dark, yet the most beautiful shade of blue.

You can tell from just a glance he's seen many die and he's been responsible for a large number of them.

"Don Lucian, she's clearly a spy. No one knew we would be here," Enzo said.

That's when the name registered in my head.

I just got caught in a web of The Devil of New York, a spawn from the hell of Sicily.

My company has built houses for him and his men before and I know exactly how they make their money.

Drugs, clubs, debts.

Both legal and illegal.

The one thing everyone who has come across his name carries in their soul is dread.

Because they don't call him the Devil for nothing.

And now, I've found myself being a witness to his underworld dealings.

"What are you doing here, little dove?"

"I.. I.." words failed me.

"You've wandered too far from heaven. This is no place for an angel," he continued, his curled finger touching my skin gently.

I could hear my heart threatening to break out of my chest.

"Are you.. are.. going to kill ... me?" I managed to say, my nails digging into my palm.

He laughed, short and unfitting for his stature.

A man like him should laugh deep and loud, not controlled and forced.

"We don't kill women. Oldest law of the profession. Now stop quivering and tell me what you're doing here or my men might get creative."

I forced myself to take deep breaths because the alternative was more crying and that might get me killed. I don't want to die, not tonight, not with Jason wishing for it. This way, he won't even have to dirty his hands. No one would hold him accountable.

"My husband wants me dead," I blurted out before I could stop myself.

He reared back and raised an eyebrow.

"That's not a good explanation for why you're here, spying on us!" One of his men barked.

The Don gave him a single look and he bowed his head immediately, muttering in Italian.

"Go on," he turned back to me, "tell me everything."

So I did.

The story of my life tumbled out of me in the middle of a dark alleyway in this strange town with my feet muddy and six men listening, one dead right there.

"That's how I ended up here," I finished, "I swear I didn't mean to watch. Please don't kill me, or.. cut off my tongue."

Someone chuckled.

"You do have a very good imagination. But I believe you. You can go. No one will kill you or cut off your tongue."

I turned around, and I should have made a run for it like a smart girl but I stopped.

Then I turned back to them.

They were hacking the man's body into bits.

Bile rose in my throat.

"Yes? What do you want?" Enzo barked.

That one hates me, I think.

"I.. I think I need your help."

"You think? Does this look like a homeless shelter?"

"Please. I want him to suffer for betraying me after everything I did for him. You guys definitely look like you can send him a message."

The Don pushed off the wall and stood before me again, his broad body blocking off everyone else.

"Tell me. What do you want us to do for you?"

"I want revenge," I said, my voice suddenly cold. Everything was getting clearer as I spoke. Maybe telling them my life story put everything in perspective.

It reminded me of things I'd forgotten.

All the pain I'd endured.

The beatings.

Cheating.

The fat shaming.

"Hm. Don't we all?" Someone said, hacking a bone behind him.

"I want him to regret crossing me. I gave him everything he is today and I want to watch him cry helplessly as it all gets taken back."

He dragged a long inhale of his cigar and blew it in my face.

The urge to cough was strong but I inhaled deeply and let it wash through my lungs.

He grinned.

"And what do you have in exchange for our help, little dove?"

"I have money," I started but laughter echoed from the back and I shut up.

"Don Lucian owns twelve Swiss bank accounts filled with more money than he knows what to do with, girl. You can't afford our help."

"Then take my body. It's as good as dead if you don't help me anyway."

"Again," Enzo grunted, "our Don doesn't lack for women. He never touches one woman twice. He has women from the top to the lowest class of society throwing themselves at him and —"

"Deal," the Don cut him off and everywhere went silent.