CHAPTER 6

XENA

A few minutes to 10PM,

It took all of the courage my entire being could muster for me to not actually back out of my own plans to go meet with Luciano as he asked. I was this close to chickening out and totally backing out of everything but I remembered that I’d rather obey Luciano than have him come down to my apartment to torment me again.

I returned to my apartment from Nick’s after a series of lesson of all the things I need to do and the things I shouldn’t do and after losing an argument on if he should drive me to the bar tonight and there was no two ways about it. I had no choice but agree but only with a condition that he wouldn’t go into the bar with me. In fact, he would drop me off blocks away from the bar because I can’t risk Luciano or his men finding out that he followed me. I didn’t want to put nick in danger because of my own issues with a deadly mafia boss.

The girl I brought home wasn’t there when I returned.

I looked around for her but it’s clear that she was long gone. Nothing in the house was missing or stolen. The young girl just disappeared without a word.

I really felt sorry for her and didn’t like the fact that I didn’t get to know her name or shy she was walking around a dark alley for her to be in danger last night.

I shrugged it off in the end. The less people I know, the better.

I threw on a short sleeveless gown that looked fit for a bar after rummaging through my wardrobe for minutes. I’ve never actually gone to any bar apart from Milton’s bar where I work at as a waitress and so I had absolutely no idea how it’s done but I had few dresses I bought after Luciano let me go.

I had just tasted freedom and I wanted to enjoy it to the fullest.

It didn’t last though. Because the next day, luciano was at my door and before I knew it, he was already taking me against my bed again.

But one thing I know about Insomnia is that it isn’t just any bar or a small down-town bar like milton’s, it’s a nightclub and I can’t go there looking like a hobo.

I tried to touch up my make-up the best way I could.

Normally, I don’t look in the mirror. It was one of the things I detest because I hate the image that looks back at me in the mirror. The image of a broken, helpless and hopeless girl who has had all of the colour drained from her eyes.

But I still had to at least put a little make up since it was my first time going out. After finishing up my make-up, I shrugged on a coat to keep the night cold away and pulled on a pair of black boots to match the short night blue dress I wore.

It’s game time.

Nick was waiting patiently outside for me as I stepped out of the our apartment’s building. His eyes lit up when he saw me.

“You know, you should go out some more. You look great. Too bad it took that bastard for you to play dress up”

I rolled my eyes playfully at him.

“Seriously, can we have a conversation for two straight minutes without mentioning him?”

He raised his two hands in mock surrender and I slap his shoulder playfully before taking the helmet hanging by the wheels of his motorbike and putting it on.

I got on the motor bike, Nick started the engine and instantly drove off.

After what seemed like hours of being almost blown away by motorbike breeze, we finally made a stop at a building two blocks away from the Insomnia night club. From where I stood, I could hear the sound of booming songs and excited screams coming from the bar.

“Remind me to take the cab next time, your motorbike is something else” I whined trying to straighten back the hair I took long minutes to curl and got ruffled by the helmet and the cold night air.

Nick jerked his helmet away from my hands.

“I’ll take that as a thank you” he said and started the engine, ready to leave but stopped and turned back to look at me.

“You sure you don’t want me to stay?” he asked “I’ll wait for you outside here, I promise I wont go inside”he desperately pleaded. But we’ve gone over this and there’s no way I’m letting him stay here. I forced a smile.

“I’ll be fine Nick. I promise”

He nodded in defeat.

“Be careful”

“I will”

He zoomed off on his motorbike and I watched him till I couldn’t see the smoke of his bike engines again.

I took my eyes away from the direction he went through and let them settle on the club whose neon lights shone from blocks away. I inhaled a deep breath.

“Here we go”

I walked with calculated steps towards the building. As I got closer. So did the sound of the noise and booming song.

I passed by a dimly lit alley by the side Insomnia club and looked in. I wish I didn’t. the scene in front of me was disgusting. A man was roughing up a woman by the wall and her moans were loud enough to bring the entire people down. I should have known I’d see so much, coming to a night club like this one.

I hastened my steps and walked to the giant door of the club that was equally guarded by two man who were only a few inches needed to be called a giant. They had big bulging muscles and the menacing look on their faces had me gulping.

It was only then that I remembered I had no idea how to actually find Luciano.

All I knew was that I had to be here at 10pm but I had no idea where or how to find him when I go inside the club.

The men guarding the door were definitely not smiling and I almost second guessed asking them about Luciano. But I did anyway.

“hey guys….huh….Luciano told me to meet him here by 10 tonight?”

The men only looked down at me, back at themselves and to their original position.

Right, that didn’t work. I tried again.

“I’m sure you know him. He’s popular around here---not that I know he is or I’ve actually seen him here but I’m sure he he is. don’t know him? Tall big guy,wears a suit even to the bathroom?” I rambled on and even made a silly attempt at a joke.

If the men were angry or impressed by my show of stupidity, they didn’t show it. They just remained in their positions like I wasn’t even there. Seriously?!

I dug into my small purse and brought out the letter that has the seal of the Red Devils Mafia.

“Is this good enough invitation for me to enter?!” I seethed. It was then that I noticed the change in the expressions of the men. Oh yeah. That seal does that to me too now let me the fuck in!

The men looked at each other as if sharing a secret message through their eyes. After that, one of them nodded and turned to me. Well they do share a secret message.

“Go inside. Second room upstairs, you can’t miss it. He’s waiting for you”

The bald one out of the two men finally said and opened the door for me go in. I mouthed an awkward thank you and passed by them and into the club.

The club was just as I expected it to be. Noisy, rowdy and dark with disco lights that barely stayed in one place for you to see who is who around you.

The music was much louder inside and a ton of activities was going on. People calling shots by the drink bar and talking drunk gibberish, others grinding into each other at the dance floor and some other people sitting around and groping each other.

The lights made everyone red, blue, green and a ton of other colours. It was hard to see through that but I found the stairs anyway.

I made my way through the overwhelming crowd and the deafening noise till I finally got up the stairs. The first door was open and I caught sight of a stripper entertaining a group of men. I finally got to the second door and as expected, it was guarded by two of Luciano’s men. I avoided talking too much and just showed him the seal. He opened the door immediately and let me in.

The door opened to reveal a room with just the same disco lights as the ones downstairs but it’s so clear that it’s a private lounge.

Luciano was seated like a king on a lounge chair in the middle of the room. No blinding lights could make me mistake him or his looks in the dark. And I could even see that sinister look in his eyes. He was flanked on both sides by half-naked women who only had their nipples and woman hood covered thinly. Two of his men stood behind the lounge chair, their face emotionless and body prepared to take out any form of threat to their boss. The room reeked of cigar and the tables were flaunted white substances that I didn’t have to be told what they are. He was in the middle of squeezing one of the women’s breast when one of his men whispered to him. He looked up at me and smirked.

“Ahhh…she’s here” he said. He then gave the women flanked him by his sides, pecks on their lips and spanking them on their butt. My skin crawled with irritation.

“Leave us”he directed at the women and they obeyed immediately, sashaying past me and out the door.

“You’re late Xena”

I rolled my eyes at him.

“So, this must be one of your numerous bars. How lively” I said.

He chuckled deeply and darkly.

“I’m not so stupid to let you come to any club I own Xena, this”he stopped and gestured around before he continued “is for a good friend of mine”

I snorted. The bastard is right and I didn’t even think he would let me know the clubs he owned in the city.

“Those barbie dolls are for your friend too?” I taunted, referring to the naked women who just left the room. If there’s anything I’ve gotten away with over the years I’ve known Luciano, it’s getting on his nerves with my mouth. He calls me a smart mouth and that’s the only reason he fucks my mouth so hard each time I say something that gets him annoyed. It’s his own way of punishing me. Horny bastard.

“jealous much?” he retorted and I smirked at him in return.

“As if”

“it’s like the more I fuck that mouth of yours, the more snakier it gets. I might have to find something else to shut that pretty mouth of yours.”

“Save your breath for what you have to tell me about my coming here Luciano. It’s not like there’s anything of mine you haven’t fucked before”

He chuckled again.

“Pretty yet dirty mouth. I think I might have ruined you more than I thought, you used to be so sweet…gentle..innocent and--”

“Why am I here Luciano? Stop beating around the bush and fucking say why I’m here”

I hate it when he says things like that to me. Things about how I used to be innocent until he took that innocence away from me.

“Why are you in so much hurry to know Xena? It’s a club, you’ve never even been to one. You can relax and enjoy yourself. That dress suits you by the way”

I wrapped my coat tight around my body. He’s probable getting ideas into his head and I’m not even ready for that tonight.

When he noticed I wasn’t saying anything any more, he relaxed into his seat and gestured to one of his men who came around the lounge chair lucaino was seated at and placed a suitcase on the table.

“If you’re in so much hurry to know why you’re here, then here you go”

He said pointing at the case on the table. I looked at him like he was dumb cause I had no idea what he wanted me to do.

“what’s that?”

“A package”

“and what has it got to do with me?”

“You’ll be delivering the package Xena” he said like it’s the most obvious thing that everyone knows and I’m the only one who is in the dark about it.

Why would I deliver a package when he has hundreds of men he control in the mafia? And that’s what I asked me.

“Of course I have capable me that can deliver my business for me”

“Then why me? Is this why you called me here? What’s inside that suitcase, a fucking gun?”

“Yes”he said without blinking an eye.

Oh.

My eyes widened and I felt enraged instantly. As if using me whenever he feels like isn't enough, I’m now going to be a delivery girl who delivers illegal stuffs?

“You want me to deliver a gun for you? And for fuck’s sake why!?”

I was yelling yet Luciano seemed so calm about it. Taking drags at the cigar in-between his lips.

“because it’s you who can”

“Oh? What happened to the girls who just left? They seem like the perfect delivery women to me. Why not send them and leave me the fuck alone. Or is this a plan to get me caught by the police so I can take the blame for all of your illegal dealings”

“You have a wild imagination Xena. Too bad that’s not what I need, You’ll be delivering the package because no one else can and because I said it. You have no choice here Xena. And you know that”

The low threat in his voice was as clear as day

Once again, no matter how snarly I get with Luciano, I know my limits and something tells me I’ve already reached it.

“Who am I delivering the package to?” I finally asked. I already felt defeated. Doing this was dangerous and I could get in trouble for it but what can you do when a man is hell-bent on ruining your life till there’s nothing left?

Luciano must have noticed the resignation in my voice because he finally stood up and walked up to where I was standing. He stood beside and bent to place his lips close to my era before slowly saying:

“Domenico D’vil Marchetti, Leader of the Black Devils Mafia”