THE DE LUCA BARGAIN

I paced the cracked tiles of the abandoned warehouse, clutching the burner phone so tightly in my hands that the cheap plastic creaked.

The air smelled of rust and mold, a sharp contrast to the luxury I had enjoyed these past two years.

It was exactly 2:00 am when I made the call, I knew he would be awake.

Lorenzo would always say sleep is for men who don't have empires to run or enemies to bury.

My hands were all sweaty and shaky when it rang the first time.

He picked up in the third ring. No greeting.

"Speak" his voice came smoothly and deadly sending chills down my spine.

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat,

"I have your whore" I spat out

There was silence, and I can almost hear him lean forward.

"Who is this?"

"Let's just say, I have your little play thing, Isabelle"

Silence filled the air, again.

But I press on, "She's alive, for now, but if you want to see her again, you will do exactly as I say"

He laughs, slow and unamused "Is that so?"

I quickly hang up before he could say anything. Else, my heart would explode.

Did I sound convincing?

He must be panicking or maybe gone mad with rage, tearing the city apart to get his hands on me. He is Lorenzo De Luca, the king of the underworld, no one dared flex a muscle in New York without his knowledge.

Although he has so many enemies but no one would be crazy enough to cross him,

Well no one, except me.

My name is Isabelle Moretti, I am the living trophy of De Luca's victory over my father. The very day my life fell apart.

I clutched the burner phone to my chest trying to steady my breathing. With my eyes closed.

But then memories of the event that brought me to this very moment came rushing in.

One Week Earlier.

Every month Lorenzo De Luca, allowed me one thing, a trip outside my golden cage, to do whatever I like but not without his hound dogs watching my every move but it was better than nothing.

He calls it a reward for good behavior, but I call it a leash, well today was special, or so I thought.

I quickly dressed up, wearing the red dress he liked, it clinged to my skin like a sin, the slit slicing up my thigh, the neckline a promise, I hated that I knew what pleases him, hated that I want him to see me.

I was slowly losing myself, anyway tell me why I'm sad the moment I pulled open the door to see one of his minions, Morgan standing outside instead of Lorenzo. What was I thinking, I must be mad to think he would ever show up with me in public just because I begged him to.

It should have felt like freedom but I felt hollow deep down, stepping out with me would have gone a long to quell the storm raging inside me, but I guess he choose the hard way, would have been disappointed if he didn't.

Well I wanted to see the look on his face as it all goes down. But I guess I would have to imagine it now.

The bar buzzed around me, but I stayed disconnected, a ghost sipping the sour whiskey like some juice, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, behind the counter, painted lips with dead eyes.

I was still lost in thought when the lights flickered, Morgan shifted behind me, but I paid no attention, I took another sip of the whiskey.

It was first the light flickering, then a blackout and before I knew it, gunshots.

"Stay down" I heard Morgan scream at me.

The room went in frenzy, people scampered around while the screams where defeaning.

I didn't bother moving, my life couldn't get any worse, than it already is, it isn't the first time I have under attack, I'm married to the most dangerous man in New York.

Besides it's Morgan's job to keep my head attached to my body not mine. So why fuss about it.

Within a split seconds, I heard a thud on the floor, then deep groans, I was still trying to figure out what was happening in the darkness behind me, when someone grabbed me by the hair, yanking me off the chair.

The whiskey glass fell off my hand shattering on the floor, and I screamed out in pain, I was struggling with whoever was holding me, when I saw Morgan lying on the floor, shot.

I froze, my predicament began sinking in as they dragged me out of the bar, then I felt a sharp prick in my arm, my vision immediately blurred, the screams did die down and then nothing.

Just darkness.

I opened my eyes, but my vision was still messed up, I blinked a couple of times, I noticed the brown patches on the white ceiling, almost peeled off wallpaper, wet. The smell of dust and mold almost choked me out.

I sat up groaning in pain from lying down on the car to the crappy bed, flexing my neck muscles to ease the pain.

"Idiots" I cursed wondering if they had to be so rough.

I turned and picked up the burner phone lying silently on the side of the bed.

I still remember my fathers promises like it was just yesterday.

"Two years, Isabelle, I will come for you, but watch him, our family is in your hands" He whispered into my ears before they yanked me away.

A promise he never kept, I had always thought The De Luca's forced his hand but after staying in this Gold cage I finally realized what my fathers Last instructions meant.

I'm selling you off to the De Luca's as the sacrificial lamb now do your path to make sure the family is safe.

"Bastard"

The next thing I knew I was in Lorenzo's mansion, locked in a room, surrounded by all the luxury I could t get as a Moretti but I still felt betrayed,

Then the door open, and Lorenzo walked in, standing in front of me like a god carved from violence, his cold dark eyes raking over me, like he was trying to savour his prey.

"Strip" he commanded.

"W..... What?" I croaked. Every damn man I had met since I met this family has been asking me to strip. I guess it's there way of reminding me that I was nothing but a lap dog.

"I said, strip, let's see how obedient you are" he spat out,

Tears stung my eyes, as I stood up from the floor, my legs were all shaky.

That was the first night in my glided cage, the first test, but he didn't touch me, he just watched.

That damned predator.