Chapter 6 YOU HAVE 48 HOURS

Serena tossed and turned for most of the night. It was difficult to sleep, knowing she had unknowingly trapped herself in the Mafia's net. Until now, she had only heard about the Mafia in passing, like the group of girls who walked into Joey's café some weeks back. Serena remembered serving them milkshakes. One of the girls had been telling the group about how her boyfriend was 'in' with the Mafia. The girl had worn a proud smile while the others listened in awe. Apparently, it was a big deal to be dating someone involved with the Mafia.

Serena tossed again; the mattress was worn, smelly, and really uncomfortable. Worse, she had to share it with Rita, who was sleeping soundly. Serena hated that she had dragged Rita into her mess, and she had no idea how to untangle her sister or herself from this situation. From what Serena had heard and seen in the bad boy movies she used to watch, the Mafia were heartless and killed as easily as they breathed.

Serena had stopped believing in God and the Virgin Mary a long time ago, but she muttered a few words of prayer that night. If there was really a big guy up in the sky, now would be the best time for him to prove himself by protecting her and her sister.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that Serena finally managed to sleep.

She woke with a start at the sound of metal clanging against the bars. Rita stirred awake at the same moment. Godfrey stood there, a bat hanging on his shoulder and a deep frown on his face.

"Please, let us go," Rita said groggily, rubbing her eyes.

Serena stood up. "You can keep me here as long as you want, but please, let my sister go. She's not involved in any of this."

"You know what to do if you want us to set your sister free," he growled.

"I didn't take the fucking money. Why is that so hard to believe?" Serena grunted in frustration.

Godfrey narrowed his eyes, then retrieved a key from his back pocket. Serena sighed in relief as he began to unlock the door. She didn't mind staying back as long as her sister was far from all this.

Rita stood as the door swung open, but Godfrey held up his hand before she could take a step.

"The boss is waiting," he said, his dark gaze fixed on Serena's confused face.

She had hoped he would listen to her and let her sister go. Reluctantly, she stepped out of the smelly cell.

"What about me?" Rita cried as Godfrey locked the cell again.

"Your fate is up to your sister," he said, pushing Serena along.

"I'll come back for you, I promise!" Serena yelled over her shoulder, hoping she could keep that promise.

Serena was back in Adriano's office, with its cold but ostentatious decorations. The only thing she loved about the office was the breathtaking view of the city, visible from the curtain wall.

Adriano sat in his swivel chair, his back to her, facing the window.

"So," he said, swinging around to face her, "have you remembered what you did with my money or who sent you to kill my brother?" His gaze was so cold it seemed to freeze Serena in place.

She was sick and tired of having the same conversation over and over. What else could she do to prove she had nothing to do with their missing money?

"I swear to you, on my mother's grave, I didn't take your money. You have to bel-"

He slammed his hands on the glass table, and Serena winced. She was surprised it didn't shatter under the impact.

"You want me to believe you shot my brother and decided to leave the money behind? Do you take me for a fool?" His voice roared through the room as he jumped to his feet.

Fear raced through her body, making her fingers tremble. The thought that he could kill her at any moment made her feel even worse.

He wasn't willing to believe she hadn't taken the money, and she had no way of proving it to him.

He pulled out a gun from behind his desk and casually strolled over to where Serena stood.

Her body visibly shook. This was it, she thought. She tore her gaze away from the deadly weapon in his hands.

At least it would be a quick death, she thought.

"Look at me," he growled.

But Serena kept her eyes on the floor.

"I said look at me!" he snapped.

Serena managed to raise her gaze to the gun.

"Does it look familiar?" Adriano asked.

Serena shook her head. Was the gun supposed to mean something to her?

"It's the same gun you used to kill my brother," he said.

How could she possibly remember that? The room had been poorly lit, and she'd been too busy trying to save her own life to pay attention to the weapon she had used to kill the man who almost raped her.

"There are two bullets left in it," he continued, returning to his desk. "You have forty-eight hours to return my money-every last penny."

Serena's eyes widened. Where was she supposed to get two million dollars in just two days? "I still owe my landlord rent. I can't afford that!"

"In forty-eight hours, if you don't have my money, one bullet goes into your sister's head and the second one is for you. And trust me, there's no part of this world you can hide in, because I will find you."