Conquered by the Mafia Boss

“I told you-the hospital.”

“Yeah, but-”

“Shut the fuck up!”

Something is really wrong. Sal wipes his sweaty face with a huge hand as he drives, and the two guys behind him-my heart clenches painfully. They’re cleaning their guns.

“Where are you taking me? Where’s Jack?”

Sal’s voice is too calm. “Relax, we’re taking you to him.”

Forced calm washes over me, but the scenery outside makes my hackles rise again.

“Cut the bullshit-where’s Jack?”

A few seconds pass before Sal speaks again. “Out killing Johnny, I hope.”

“He’s not in an accident?”

Relief floods my veins when he shakes his head. The soothing wave evaporates when I realize he fucking tricked me.

“Fuck, biker sluts must be dumb,” chimes a voice in the back. “You don’t catch on quick, do you?”

Fear pounds its way through my veins.

“Then what the hell are you doing with me-where are we going?”

“To end this fucking thing.”

My blood runs cold at the sound of that. End this thing? My hands grapple the door, but we’re on the goddamn highway. I can’t just jump out-plus, the baby.

“Your fucking funeral,” Sal says with a laugh.

A voice interrupts from the back. “Boss, what the fuck are we doing?”

He looks into his rearview mirror to address the man behind me. “Change of plans-”

“What? You said we just had to wait for Jack to take care of Johnny.”

Shock reverberates inside my ribs. What’s going on?

“I don’t think he’s going to go through with it. He might.”

My phone rings in my lap and I try to stifle the noise, but Sal leans over and crushes my hand in his. Joints pop as he twists the phone and wrenches it free, and then he looks at the screen. It’s Jack. He’s calling me.

“He didn’t do it. God fucking dammit!”

His meaty fist smashes into the dashboard and the car swerves, almost hitting the median. My scream hits the air, piercing our ears.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I’LL BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF!”

My voice trembles into a quiet gasp as he slips the gun out of his coat and aims it at my face.

“You are going to fucking help me kill John, or you’re dead.”

I raise my hands, heart pounding so loud that I’m sure the whole car can hear it. “I-I can’t-”

“Put your fucking hands down, now.”

Gripping the steering wheel, he tucks his gun back into his jacket as I lower my arms.

“Just shut the fuck up and don’t make a scene.”

“This is fucking serious. If Jack didn’t do it then we’re fucked.”

Sal twists his head around to glare at them. “You think I didn’t have another fucking plan in case the asshole changed his mind? Jesus.”

“What is it?”

His slippery smile is directed toward me. “We use her.”

The winding road spirals up the hill, twisting around a forest of pines. My heart jackknifes in my chest when I realize where we are. The compound. Home. My parents.

The place that shunned me.

The place that’s going to bury me.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Why the hell is he taking me here?

The car door’s metallic lock shines in the sunlight. All I have to do is wait for them to slow down enough during a bend in the road and open the door.

I’m not going to fucking walk in there like an animal led to slaughter.

“I’m not going to help kill Maya’s husband, so you might as well kill me now.”

Sal turns his head and smiles at me. “I think you’ll change your tune soon enough.”

Fuck him.

I throw my body against the door as I turn the handle just as the car slows down enough for me to jump out. The roar of the engine hits my ears as I bail, the earth slamming into my side and knocking the air from my body.

“Fuck!”

A screech of car tires-the sound of pairs of feet, moving rapidly.

Get up!

The world spins as I roll down a ditch. My back slams against the trunk of a tall pine and needles cascade down my face. For a second I sit there, stunned that I just jumped out of a moving car. Then footsteps crash through the brush.