Chapter 5 A Night in My Cell

"I think it's best you drop the innocent girl act for your oblivious sister. Tell me who sent you, and I'll make sure your punishment is reduced." Whatever information she gave him might just arm him with a reason to attack the Trejos. As a rule, no cartel could start a fight with another without a solid reason.

But she just pursed her lips, staring at him as though he had developed a second head. "Listen, I just came for my sister. I don't know anything about any-"

Adriano slammed his hand onto the mahogany desk, causing the contents to rattle. The more she continued playing this game, the more painful her punishment would be. "You stole two million dollars from my brother, and I want it back."

Serena chuckled in disbelief, throwing her head back as she laughed. This had to be some kind of lousy trick to scare her. Sure, she shouldn't have killed his brother and disappeared, but if he thought he could take advantage of her situation by accusing her of theft, he should think again. She wouldn't stand for it.

"Do I look like I have a hundred dollars in savings?" If she had that kind of money, she would've taken her sister and left town. They would have moved somewhere no one knew them and started fresh with new identities.

Even if he turned her upside down and shook her until everything fell out of her pockets, he wouldn't even find fifty dollars.

The man remained silent, glaring at her through narrowed eyes. Serena wondered what he was thinking. Hopefully, it didn't involve killing her.

As the silence stretched, so did her anxiety. She waited for him to speak, but instead, he rang the buzzer under his desk. Moments later, the fat man who had brought her in-and who had also been outside the exclusive room the night Diego died-stepped into the office.

"Yes, boss."

"Take Serena to her sister. A night in my cell might be what she needs to jog her memory."

Serena's eyes widened. There was no way she was letting this man lock her up. Was it even legal to have a cell as a civilian? She didn't think so.

Serena was prepared to fight until the fat man pulled out a gun from underneath his floral shirt. She quickly threw her hands up in surrender.

The fat man led her to the elevator and pressed the button between the open and close buttons, and the elevator began its descent. The beautiful violin music playing over the speaker was the only sound that could be heard. Even though the music was soft, it only worsened Serena's anxiety.

As soon as the elevator arrived and the doors slid open, the pungent stench of decay, damp moss, and something else she couldn't quite place filled her nostrils, and she made a retching sound.

What was that awful smell? she wondered, but she barely had time to dwell on it as the nose of the gun pressed against her waist. Serena stumbled out, looking around the dimly lit space. The shaky lightbulbs only made the setting spookier.

The dungeon was simple-a lineup of spacious cells separated by brick walls on both sides of the room.

The first cell was empty, but in the second cell was a man with overgrown beards, tattered clothes, and patches of dark purple on his face, neck, and parts of his arms. He weakly slammed his arms against the bars as Serena walked by.

Serena immediately looked away when their eyes met.

In the last cell on the opposite wall, Rita sat crouched on the wet dirty floor. As soon as she saw Serena, she jumped to her feet. Serena sighed in relief, tears welling up in her eyes. Her sister was still alive.

The fat man opened the cell, shoved Serena in, and locked the door.

Serena threw her arms around Rita, tears streaming down her face. Rita clung to Serena, sobbing. She had been terrified, stuck in that moldy cell all by herself.

Adriano had said if Serena didn't show up with his money, he'd kill Rita. Rita was just glad her sister hadn't abandoned her to die.

After they broke apart, Rita asked, "How do you know Adriano?"

"Who? The fat guy?"

"No, the daredevil. Their boss."

"I don't know him."

Rita grunted in frustration. She hated when Serena lied to her or kept her in the dark. "He said you killed his fucking brother and ran away with two million dollars!"

That fucking liar, Serena thought. It might have crossed her mind to steal the money that night at the club, but she didn't take it. "His brother almost killed me while trying to rape me. I had to save myself. And as for the money, I didn't take it."

Rita stared at her sister for a while, wondering whether or not to believe her. Serena liked to act like a saint, but no one passed up the opportunity to take two million dollars. "You know I wouldn't judge you for the money. You did what you had to do."

Serena took a step back from Rita. Her own sister didn't even believe her. "I didn't take the money!" she shrieked.

"You saw two million dollars in cash, and you didn't take it? Not even a little?"

"I didn't touch the fucking money!" Serena ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. She hadn't taken the money, and now someone was trying to blame her for a crime she didn't commit.

But who?

"They're the Mafia, Serena. We're fucked! They're going to kill us," Rita crumbled to the ground, fresh tears streaming down her face.

_____

The music boomed from all angles of the club. Adriano took a swig of whiskey as he watched the blonde stripper wrap herself around the pole. He had never been much of a fan of nightclubs; that was Diego's thing. The club was too noisy for him, and the flickering lights made him sick.

Adriano needed to wind down. He had been under way too much stress lately, especially with El Padrino breathing down his neck.

Sex had always helped him relax. Not just any kind of sex- his kind of sex. But tonight, even as the stripper's firm, unclad breasts jiggled while she performed, slithering her slender legs up and down the pole, Adriano couldn't focus.

All he could think about was Serena. She had murdered his brother-the only family he had left and had sworn to protect and she had the audacity to challenge him.

He was going to punish her. He would make her beg for death, and only then would he kill her with the same gun she had used to kill his brother.