He's not my savior.

~COOLEY~

His hand clamped down on my wrist. Before I could move, the room spun violently.

My back slammed against the sofa, and my breath was knocked from my lungs. A searing pain shot through my spine, but my instincts kicked in.

I pushed to my feet to flee.

And then I saw his gun.

The click of the cocking echoed through the room. Then he lifted it just above my temple, unflinching.

“You’d better not move,” he said, a cruel smile curving his lips.

He pushed me back against the sofa, his face inches from mine. The warmth of his body pushed me down and there was no space to move. I struggled to breathe; his cologne was choking me. My hands were shaking as I grasped the cushions for support.

“Excuse me, how…did I…offend you?” I stuttered.

“Your father owes Dark Horse Society fifty million dollars,” he said with a very annoying low voice which made the words hit me hard. “And I’m here to collect it.”

“Fifty… million?” My voice was trembling under disbelief.

The door opened once again. Another man entered the room. He was calm and composed. He seemed like nothing out of the ordinary was going on. He adjusted his glasses and straightened his suit. He looked at me coldly.

“Mr. Cooley Raymond.” He spoke with a measured tone. “I am Lawyer Ross Brown.”

He nodded and pointed towards the gunman. “This is Mr. Harlan Howell. He is the Vice President of the Dark Horse Society.”

Howell?

Why does he have the same last name as the commander?

“Your father took a large loan and the responsibility to pay that loan legally fell on the next of kin. That is you.” The lawyer's voice dragged me out of my thoughts.

I swallowed yet panic wouldn't go. I had liquidated everything I could. My vacation home in Iceland and everything I owned to pay what my father had borrowed. How could there be more?

“No.” I spoke in a whisper. My voice was hoarse. “I paid for everything. There is nothing left.”

Harlan’s lips curled into a small smile. He seemed amused by my situation.

“Oh.” He spoke with a light tone. “Your aunt borrowed the money in your father's name.”

What the hell?

But my Aunt is alive.

Why is here for me?

“But my aunt... she’s alive. She’s the one you should be looking for, not me,” I stammered, fear creeping into my chest.

Harlan raised his hand, and Ross nodded before walking out. The door closed softly behind him. There was total silence.

He shrugged his shoulders, his gun still aimed at me. “Not my concern. My concern is the names on the paperwork. The name on the loan repayment is Cooley Raymond.”

I gulped and I couldn't breath right. The situation was overwhelming as I finally understood that I was stuck and I had to plead.

“Alright... I just got out of prison today. Please, give me time. I’ll figure it out. I’ll find the money. I promise.”

Harlan cocked his head to the side, his eyes studying me as if I was something fragile and breakable.

“Why should I trust you?”

“I... I’ll do whatever it takes for you to trust me.”

“Whatever it takes,” Harlan repeated mockingly.

And then the gun moved.

Slowly and deliberately. From the temple of my head, down the side of my face, across my chest, and finally to the spot between my legs.

I winced, every damn muscle in my body was stiff.

“Remove your pants,” he said in a carefree tone, as if asking me to fetch a glass of water.

I complied. I removed everything with humiliation, until I stood in my boxers.

Just as I was about to remove my boxers, his stern voice stopped me.

“Enough,” he said, taking a step back. “Nothing remarkable to see.”

“Then what...do you want?” I asked in a cracked, pitiful tone.

He leaned in, brushing my cheek with the warmth of his body in mock comfort but his words are hard and commanding. “Three days,” he said. “You have only three days.”

He turned and walked away.

Where am I supposed to see fifty million in three days ?

•×•×•×•×•×•

“...anyway, it’s a good thing the loan sharks I borrowed from took that bad luck the moment he was released,” my aunt’s voice drifted in from outside, loud and careless.

My heart thudded painfully as I listened.

“I also sold him to the Bato Brothers' gang to pay off my debts from gambling,” my uncle added, his voice rough with laughter, as if talking about selling an old chair.

“That’s his problem now,” my aunt said again, her voice cold. “If I need more money, I’ll sell his brother too.”

My hands curled into fists.

I have been sitting quietly in the living room, waiting for them to return.

Then the door opened.

They stepped inside, still talking, until they saw me.

Both of them froze.

Extreme shock was written all over their faces.

“Bad luck!” my aunt suddenly shrieked at me. “Why are you here?”

I slowly stood up and I had to remind myself to breathe. My voice was steady despite the burning anger inside me.

“So what you did to me wasn’t enough? You’re still planning to sell my brother too?”

My uncle sneered at me with disgust on his face.

“You’re an ex-convict. Nobody wants you anyway. The only thing you’re good for is giving yourself to those people to repay our debts.”

“Yes,” my aunt snapped at me, pointing at the door.“Get out of this house. Don’t bring your bad luck to us.”

I did not answer.

I just stood there staring at them even though I was disgusted.

My attitude made my aunt angry. She rushed at me and swung at my face with her hand.

But I caught her wrist just as it was about to hit my face and shoved her hard. She fell to the ground with a loud wail.

“You want to hit me?” I sneered at my aunt, my voice shaking with rage. “You think I’m still that obedient boy you used to beat?”

My uncle panicked and grabbed the stick he usually used on me.

He charged at me while shouting.

I took the glass flower vase from the table and smashed it onto his head. It broke with a loud sound.

He let out a scream and stumbled backward, with blood trickling down from his forehead.

“Are you crazy?” he shouted at me.

I grabbed my aunt’s arm, who was still lying on the floor and stood her up, took a sharp piece of broken glass, and pressed it firmly on her neck.

“You two had better listen to me,” I bellowed at them. “The debts you owe, you two better pay them yourselves! From today, you two do not control my life anymore!”

My aunt scoffed and forced a smile despite the piece of broken glass pressed onto her neck. “Hmph. Don’t forget, we still have your foolish brother.”

My hand started to tremble.

Instantly, my anger vanished.

My grip on the piece of broken glass weakened.

“What do you want,” I whispered, my voice cracking, “to release my brother?”

“Pay both debts!” my uncle bellowed at me. “First, go to the Bato Brothers’ gang, the ones who run the casino. Their leader asked for you personally. He vowed to clear my debt if you come to him."

These cruel monsters!

I wanted them to release my brother. God, I wanted it more than anything.

But if I walked into that casino… would I ever come out alive?