MAFIA'S SINFUL DESIRE

Ash

At least, twenty new people hate my guts every night. On a good night, thirty people. As I watch the man zip past me, I realize he's the thirty first.

I roll my eyes and spit on the floor. I could care less.

"He went that way." Koldis throws at me over his shoulder.

The wind slaps me in the face as I thunder after the man, who by the way, seems like he has the wind beneath his feet. Fear will do that to you, I reason. My night vision kicks in and I pick up speed.

I catch up to Koldis and pass him as the wind continues roaring in my ears. Even before I get within thirty yards, I smell it. The strong unmistakable smell of the sea. There's nowhere for the man to go. I stop running and take up a leisurely pace instead.

"He's got nowhere to go now." Koldis echoes my thoughts as he catches up with me.

"Got a light?" I bring out a stick of cigarette from the pack in my hand and stick it in my mouth. I watch with raised brows as fire springs from Koldis's forefinger. "Nice trick." I lean forward and squint as the butt of the cigarette lights up with orange flames. I move back, inhaling smoke into my lungs.

"You taught me."

Koldis voice has a tinge of emotion attached to it. I turn away and stalk off before I can see the naked adoration shining in his eyes and walk towards the wall that leads to the harbor. I hear him coming up behind me so I throw over my shoulder. "You better go get him, we don't want him getting away by hiding in one of the ships."

I lean against the wall as I watch him sprint forward. The wind has gone out of my sails at this point. I'm so over the whole bullshit. Chasing down strays and misfits is getting tiring. It isn't like I can't allow the guys handle it, 'cause that will be a gross understatement. The truth is, I'm bored. There's no action, no momentum, nothing to set my blood aflame.

It has been too long since something interesting, something worthwhile, has cropped up. I flex my trigger finger and look up, watching as Koldis prances in and out of different ships. I light another stick of cigarette from the dying embers of the first one and close my eyes.

Ash, my boy, it's time to take up the reigns of the family business. To do that, you've got to have big balls, that's something you need to acquire.

I open my eyes as my father's words echoes loudly in my head. That was sixteen years ago. I had grown big balls alright, they were so big that the Thunder name had become something to be reckoned with ever since then, and it had come at a steep price.

When people set eyes on me, they see the definition of bad with a touch of evil. Suits me just fine actually.

I drag deeply on the fourth stick of cigarette, wishing it's something stronger I'm dragging on. Maybe later. Now, I have more important things to take care of. I push away from the wall and stalk forward as Koldis comes out from one of the ships dragging a man. Even from a distance, I can hear his cursing.

I smile grimly. He won't curse for much longer when he finds out what's in store for him. I catch up to them midway. As soon as the man sets eyes on me, his face pales and his mouth falls open. "Please, sir, please, I. . . . I am sorry, I won't steal from you a. . . a. . . again. I'll pay you back every-"

Koldis' fist comes down hard on his jaw. "Shut up, you punk."

I remove the half stick of cigarette from my mouth and throw it onto the ground then step on it. "Heard your cursing some seconds ago. I assure you where you're going, you'll have plenty to curse about." I turn to Koldis. "Get in touch with the guys then take him to the warehouse. Meet me at Stardust immediately after."

The man's mouth opens wider and his eyes bulge. As Koldis drags him away, his pleadings reach a feverish crescendo. As I make to walk back to where the car is parked, a noise catches my attention. I stop and strain my ears to listen but I don't hear it anymore. As I resume walking again, I hear the noise and It's more distinct this time around. Without overthinking it, I bring out my gun from the waistband of my jeans and head towards the direction of the noise.

It takes me back to the sea shore. I nose around a ship pulling into the sea, so I stay close to its edges and away from prying eyes. As it moves fully into the sea, a row boat becomes visible. Two men are about to get inside. My eyes flit to the tarpaulin in the middle of it. That's where the muffled sound is coming from. I see movement underneath it and I know instinctively what this is all about.

They're transporting cargo. Human cargo.

"Get up slowly." I say to them, whipping my gun between them back and forth.

Their heads whip round and a myriad of emotions fly across their faces. There's confusion and shock, but one stands out the most - anger. I don't have time for this. I shoot a warning shot at the edge of the boat and they scramble out.

"Uncover that." I say, waving my gun at the tapaurline.

They hesitate, but only for a second before one of them moves forward. He uncovers the tarpaulin revealing a huddled form. I move closer, not shocked when I see a female staring wide eyed at me. She's bound hand and foot with a rope and a gag is in her mouth. I remove it and she immediately lets out a gasp.

"What are you doing here?"

Her eyes go round in fear as tears spill from them. "These men kidnap - watch out!"

From the corner of my eyes, I see the men charge.

This is where it gets interesting.

Two men against one. I'm not a fool to know they won't have come without their own weapons. A shot rings out and I duck.

So they want to play this game?

Lets fucking do this.

Chapter 2

Ash

I drop to my butt and slide forward at the first man, kicking him in the groin. He goes down and I immediately snap him up as the second bullet hits him in the chest.

That's the problem with using a human as a bullet shield.

They become heavy when hit.

I'm practically dragging him as I lunge forward. I lift my gun and aim for the other man's face and fire. Once he falls down like a log of wood, I let go of the second man who's like dead weight, watching as he spasms, once, twice, then stops moving.

Satisfied, I walk away from him and towards the girl who recoils in fear as I approach. I follow the line of her eyes, realizing she's staring at the gun still in my hand. "You're scared of this?"

She nods and I put the safety off and put it back in the waistband of my jeans. Her hopeful eyes latch onto mine and she smiles tremulously. "Thank you."

"Uh huh!" I nod, then pick up the gag from the ground and push it right back into her mouth. Her eyes go big and round, right before I foist her onto my shoulders. She's light weight, barely weighs anything.

I feel her struggling but I don't break my stride as I begin walking away from the harbor. I get to my car and tap the boot. Walter, my driver, hops out immediately. He doesn't break his stride, neither does he look surprised when he sees me carrying a girl that's bound hand and foot, across my shoulder. He's paid to keep quiet, plus he knows if he squeals, he's a goner.

He opens the boot and I dump the girl unceremoniously inside. Her eyes can't get any larger as she stares up at me. Fear shines, like a beacon, in her big blue eyes. That's right, little girl, you should be very scared of me. "Enjoy the ride, kid." I wink at her and tap the bonnet, watching as it slides close.

Once I get into the car, I press a button and the divider slides down. "Walter, take me to Stardust.

"Right away, sir." He replies immediately.

I sink back into the leather seat and close my eyes. It feels like sand is trapped inside them.

You're just tired, you son of a bitch.

I hear a thud come from the boot and smile grimly. As Walter drives, the thuds increase, coupled with muffled sounds. I close my eyes, needing something to distract me. Once I open them again, my eyes fall on the red wine still idling inside the ice bucket.

Wasting no time, I open it and take a glass. By the time we pull up in front of my club, I'm nicely buzzed. My chest swells when I take in Stardust's lit up sign on the two -story building. An investment that has turned out quite nicely. The car doesn't slow down, but passes a long line of people waiting to enter inside the club. Walter drives into an underground car park set aside for only me. I open the door and come down, same time as he does.

"Bring out the girl and follow me." He says nothing except to nod.

I walk to my private lift and press the button and it slides open immediately. Walter steps inside with the still-struggling girl and I ignore them both. I'm feeling the beginnings of a headache. All I want is some shut eye but I need to take care of business first. Unwarranted business. My eyes slide to the girl once more. She's deathly still now. So still, she looks deceptively dead with her hands hanging limply off Walter's shoulder.

The doors slide open and I vault out. I step into my office which is situated directly opposite the lift and beckon on Walter to come in. He does so and has the sense to close the door behind him. My office is closed off from prying eyes but one can never be too careful. "Put her in there." I point to the wardrobe in the corner.

He says nothing except to do my bidding. Once she's been situated nicely inside and the doors are closed, he leaves. As soon as he does, I yank the wardrobe open and watch as the girl scuttles away. It's a big wardrobe so it amuses me when she retreats to the very back that is swathed in shadows. I switch the light on inside and lean against it.

"If I remove the gag now, are you going to scream?"

Her eyes shoot fire at me, although they're rounded to almost saucers. If they go any bigger, they'd probably burst into fragments at this rate. She shakes her head and that's enough for me. I reach out and she recoils, but there's nowhere else for her to go. Her back is against the wall. Tentatively, I reach out and remove the gag from her mouth, watching as she coughs and spurts before getting right down to it in a hoarse voice. "What do you want with me?"

I fold my legs at my ankles and cock a brow. "That depends on you. What were you doing tied and gagged by the seashore?"

"I told you I was -"

"Kidnapped, yes, but what I don't understand is how?" I shrug. "Not unless you were moving amongst the wrong crowd."

I don't feel pity for her, I feel disgust.

Hell, yes, I'm a crime lord and have committed murders, but some girls like this one I'm looking at, seek the good things of life and end up in terrible situations. Sometimes, they end up dead as a result of their greed. Judging from her silence, I'm right about my assertion.

"You can judge me from here till tomorrow, but that doesn't change the facts. Now, are you going to untie me or are you going to keep looking at me in disgust?" Her voice is stronger. She juts her chin as she stares defiantly up at me.

Wordlessly, I untie her. She winces as the ropes fall off her wrist and legs. I can see the angry welts on her skin from where the ropes ate into them. She climbs out of my wardrobe and goes to stand at the large window. I know what she sees - a clear view of the club from all angles and everyone inside it. I hear her sharp intake of breath, right before she turns to me. "You own all this?"

"Yes, I do."

She turns away and moves to my desk, her fingers skimming the surface and it's contents. I turn my back but still watch her from the corner of my eyes. It's a trick I always use to see how the other person reacts when they think I'm not looking. Her eyes remain on my back, but one of her hands is doing something else. Her right hand palms my wallet and wristwatch and she quickly tucks them inside her back jeans pocket.

Ah! A thief.

I watch as she straightens and juts her chin. "Can I leave now?"

"You were never a prisoner." I shrug, still feigning indifference.

I let her leave but as soon as she closes the door, I call one of the bouncers and tell him to intercept her. While they're gone, I busy myself with my laptop. The door opens a minute later and one of the bouncers comes in holding her. She's struggling a lot, but as soon as she sees my face, she stops and goes deathly still.

She knows I know and she fears what I would do to her. I nod to the bouncer and he leaves. "Tanya Jackson, petty thief, a runaway and a delinquent. Turned eighteen last month."

Her mouth falls open. "How did you-"

"You're not the only one with light fingers." I lift her ID card in the air and look at her pointedly. "Question I've been asking myself is, what am I going to to do with you now?"

It starts out with her bottom lip. It begins to tremble and then her hands follow. They're shaking so bad, I almost feel pity for her. Almost. "I. . . I. . I'll do anything, just please don't report me to the police." She shakes her head as a look of fear creeps into her eyes. "I don't want to go back to juvie."

Bingo!

"Anything?" I ask, removing my legs from my desk and standing up. She nods but doesn't speak. The fear in her eyes has turned to pure terror. "I want you to work for me. That will take you off the streets and. . ." I shrug. "Put daily food on your table." The gears in my head have begun to turn and a plan is forming.

I don't miss the relief in her eyes as she exhales.

Crap!

Did she think I wanted her to give me a blow job or even - I shake my head, the thought leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. She's only a kid, for crying out loud, I like my women older and experienced in that department.

I press a button on my intercom but I see the initial terror returning to her eyes. "Relax, I'm just calling my manager. I won't hurt you, I promise."

She nods and closes her eyes.

"Leonard, please come to my office immediately." A few seconds later and a knock sounds off at the door.

"Sir, you are here." My manager appears before me smartly dressed in a black suit. It's one of the reasons I like him. My former manager dressed like a bum and got high on my supplies as well.

Looks like I lucked out with this one.

I instruct him to take Tanya to the kitchen where she'll start from the basics. I don't miss the unmistakable disappointment in her eyes as I say so.

Patience, kid, I'm not ready to let on yet what I really have in mind for you.

Leonard inclines his head to Tanya for her to follow him but she doesn't budge. The brat needs some coercion. I put on a bored look as I study my fingernails. "It's either that or jail."

After a short beat, she replies. "Alright . . . I'll take it." Her voice is tight with repressed anger.

She's about to follow him when I speak up. "You're forgetting something, kid." I open my palm and flap my hand. "Give them to me or no deal."

She does nothing for a few seconds, and then her shoulders droop. She reaches inside the legs of her pants and pulls out my wallet. I sigh and turn to Leonard. "Call the police."

"Alright, alright, hold your horses." She reaches inside the other leg of her pants once again and brings out my wristwatch. "Here it is, boss."

I smirk. "You'd do well to remember that."

Chapter 3

Alicia

"Stop! This is the place." I pay the cab guy and tell him to keep the change as I vault out. I stare at my phone and notice the red dot on the map has stopped as well.

I look up at the building and see a sign that reads Stardust, and I shudder. "Good lord, what is Tanya up to this time? What could she be doing in a place like this?"

I want to, I really want to turn around and head back home, but I've lost my sister once before and I know the number of sleepless nights I got. It's not something I want to readily go through again. "Dear lord, please give me some courage."

I close my eyes and channel some inner courage. After some seconds, I feel a burst of adrenaline rush and I open my eyes, chin up and walk towards the door. The closer I get to the entrance where two heavyweight-looking bouncers stand, the more my courage fades. By the time I'm close to them, I'm completely wiped out.

There's a long line of people waiting to get in. When I look closely, I notice they're of varying ages. Young, middle aged and old. I stare unbelievably at the man with greying hair at his temples, wondering why he's not with his family on this night.

"Get back into the line." A voice barks at me, causing me to jump. It's one of the bodyguards. He could probably crush me with one of his huge hands but I swallow past the fear and paste a tentative smile on my face.

My hands are trembling so bad, I'm sure he notices. I hear sniggering and try not to look. "Hi!" I wave. "I. . . er, I'm looking for my sister."

The scowl on his face disappears and he throws his head back and barks out a laugh. "Yeah! You'll probably find your parents in there as well." He jerks his hand behind him where loud music is pouring out from. The smile slides off his face as the scowl returns. "Now get back into the line."

I can't go back into the line since I didn't come out from it. I grip my phone tighter and notice with dread, the red dot signaling Tanya, has begun to move. I can't have her disappearing on me once again. If she leaves this club without me seeing her, I don't know when next I'll ever set eyes on her. Dread and desperation well up inside me, fueling me with courage.

I move closer to the bouncer. "Please, sir, I really need to find my sister. She's been missing for the past week, and, well, I put a tracker on her phone but lost the signal. I've only just got it back and I know she's in there and if she gets missing once again, I don't know when I'll ever be able to find her."

"Hey, girl, your father lied to ya, you're not a princess, you're just another ordinary girl on the streets like me. Go back to the line and stop acting smart." Someone from the line of people waiting to enter, shouts.

The bouncers look at me pointedly, as if to say I hope you heard that.

I can't give up now. "Please, sir, I would have called her to come out, but she blocked my number and I can't reach her."

"Yeah! I know her type. They waltz up here acting like their shit don't smell when in fact it reeks. You're not better than any of us. Get back in line." Another impatient person shouts.

"You got that right!" Another person continues. "You don't even look like you belong here. Run back to the convent where you belong and stay there."

A few people laugh while most just grumble. I wish I could allow the ground to open and swallow me, but I push down the embarrassment their words cause and focus on the bouncer instead. Maybe he'll be more sympathetic. Maybe.

The bouncer rolls his eyes and reaches into his jacket. Alarm bells flare loudly in my brain. He's going to bring out a taser or a gun. He's going to kill me, and then then I see the phone in his hand.

"Take it and call your sister."

Relief pours into me and I close my eyes briefly before opening them once again. The phone is still in his hand, he's waiting for me to take it from him. I practically snatch it with profuse thanks and dial Tanya's number. It goes to voicemail instead. I try a second time but the same thing happens.

I ignore the sympathetic look he gives me as I hand him back his phone reluctantly and move to the side. The second bouncer pointedly ignores me and continues checking people's ID cards and allowing them inside.

The bouncer who gave me his phone moves away from me and puts his eyes back on the line of people.

I can't blame him, he tried his best.

I'm borderline desperate now, considering how the red dot keeps moving. I see a leeway when the bouncer who gave me his phone is busy talking on his walkie talkie, and the other one is also busy admitting people inside. The entrance is unguarded. I have no other choice but to do it. Before they can stop me, I rush forward and slip inside.

Loud music pulses from hidden speakers and the floor beneath my feet thrums with the vibration as I step inside. Strobe lights flash left and right momentarily blinding and confusing me. The smell of smoke, alcohol and something fruity, is pungent in the air.

The whole sight coupled with my buzzed nerves has begun to give me a headache. I hope I haven't made a mistake by coming here, but I'm desperate to see Tanya and speak with her.

I'm about to surge into the crowd when I see them. Hordes and hordes of them.

Women.

Some of them are half naked, while others are. . . still half naked.

They strut around, preening like peacocks, like they're in an auction and their almost bare bodies are for sale.

That's when it hits me.

Of course their bodies are for sale. Why else would they dress this way. And the men. . . they look at them greedily, lapping them all up, drinking them up, probably undressing them with their eyes as well.

Well. . . there's not much to undress.

This is a whole different world here, one that could easily swallow up someone like me.

I suddenly feel small, like an insignificant gnat.

I'm about surging forward, when a strong hand clamps on mine and whips me round. I come face to face with the bouncer that gave me his phone. One look at his face and I know he's angry.

Scratch that - he's livid.