Handcuffs And Kisses (Series #1)

Prologue

'I'm here for you' is a falsehood, but my hands are tied, so therefore, I cannot oppose him, or this will be my last day on earth. I have limited options as to what I can say to Paul.

Paul might have realized he shouldn't have mentioned my wife and tried to calm things down by buying me a new drink. After all, I didn't want to be sober tonight, so I pulled the glass off his sweaty fingertips. Every day, I feel like his slave, like his hand is around my neck, choking me if I do anything wrong.

To get everyone's attention, Paul raised his glass of wine and hit it lightly with a spoon.

"My friend isn't feeling well, so Lucas, my boy, arrange something fun for us. We're going to have a great time tonight."

Aw, man, this entertainment will only sicken me even more. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, Paul drank another glass of wine and seated himself next to me.

Paul has an illegitimate son, Lucas. Now, Lucas is the polar opposite of his rude father because he is constantly terrified of everything and everyone. Paul, on the other hand, is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and despite his friendly appearance, he is the one you should be wary of.

Paul hasn't murdered me because I am useless and of no value: Worthless. If I had been a menace to him, I would have been long gone. Paul is unaware that I lied to him about my daughter, but if he knew, he'd probably take advantage of my poor little girl. Like his slave, I would have to submit to his commands. However, I will not allow this to happen to my child.

According to the hierarchy, Paul is ranked second, and the Agnors are ranked first. As a result, Paul never invites them to his parties. Agnors have a bad reputation, which means they are worse than Paul himself. I get chills from hearing their names. Yes, I'm in a difficult situation, but I'll do anything to keep my daughter safe. Besides, I could never put her in a ghastly position like this one.

Paul is attempting to defy the Agnors, to the point of threatening them last month. What would happen should they decide to play another game? The Agnors are murderers who take out anything that stands in their way. Even a little youngster is not secure in their presence, and Paul is still playing games too risky. Can you blame him? Everyone yearns for the position of authority at the summit.

I was competing for a position as well, though once my wife passed away, I realized that regular people are just their puppets, acting under their wishes.

Some people become so hell-bent on keeping their position at the top that they are not able to envisage how to survive without it. The Agnors, however, never wavered--and I've never seen anyone step up to the plate and take the lead. When you gamble at a casino, you may believe you are winning, but once you see past the illusions and lose everything you've worked hard to get, you will be devastated big time.

I came back to reality when the people around me gave a big round of applause. With bikinis and perch-shaped shoes, four women stood in front of the pole, posing to their heart's content. Paul always does something interesting, and this year he went pole dancing. Slow, melancholy music transitioned to louder, joyful music. The ladies began whirling around the pole, hanging from it and turning upside down into the splits. On top of that, a man started dancing with one of the girls.

Just the sight of them alone can make some folks drool. These girls had to be the worst potential victims of human trafficking. Aw, poor them: they have no hope of a better life.

Geez, I think I need to cleanse my mind. I got up from the couch and reached for a cigarette out of my back pocket.

"Where are you headed? The fun has just begun," inquired Paul, puffing on a hookah. He motioned me to sit next to him, looking towards the group of dancers with lust in his eyes.

I light my cigarette, place it between my lips, and exhale the smoke, saying, "I'll be back soon,"

My body felt a rush of relief mixed with pleasure as soon as I closed the door behind me and rushed toward the restroom. I glanced out the window to admire the view. We were on the 10th floor. From above, the houses and structures looked stunning, and the people appeared to be little insects below me. The calm wind blew across my hair.

Suddenly, I overheard screaming and fighting outside. I hurried to extinguish the cigarette by pushing it against the ashtray. What is going on? I raced towards the commotion after unlocking the restroom door. The lobby was full of people, and Paul's voice was audible from either of the walls. Paul drew my attention as I made my way into the crowd; he seemed at once astonished and enraged.

A young boy stood directly in front of Paul, towering over him. He seemed to be in his twenties with his hair brushed back, eyes made of blue crystal and a menacing but composed expression. If I recall correctly, I think I know him: he is Alexander Agnor, the son of Jonathan Agnor. What is he doing here, anyway? My hands grew numb, and my heart ran a marathon all on its own.

"I can't believe little Alex is at my house. Wait, this party is strictly for adults, though."

Paul began to ramble without pausing in between his sentences. I'm not sure whether he's scared or annoyed. One thing is for sure, Alexander remained in deafening silence.

"What do you seek? Cold beverage or milk?"
Paul said with an obnoxious laugh that echoed throughout the room.

Even though Alexander is young and has a lot to learn, I don't think Paul should have spoken to him in that manner. The Agnors are extremely lethal, and as a result, nobody wanted to be on the wrong side of them.

"Don't get too cocky about yourself! You have been a threat to our family for a long time!"

When Alexander finally spoke, his voice was stern and forceful, like a hawk waiting to pounce on its prey—his eyes fixated on Paul.

"Those were just threats. I hadn't even begun to play." Paul responded with arrogance.

He sounded agitated and impatient. Paul should not aim at the top so early in, because everyone knows that slow and steady wins the race.

"Why don't you go away so I can enjoy the party? Agnors are not permitted."

Paul told him exactly how much he despised them, which is a bad move on his end. I can sense the tension in the room from a mile away, as well. When Alexander curled his lips into a devilish smirk, for some reason, he looked like a different person to me.

"You're wasting my time. I'd be forced to—"

I felt something splash on my face after the trigger was pulled, and a loud noise reverberated in the room.

My eyes widened like saucers seeing the thick blood on the floor. Next to that, Paul's lifeless body, with a visible hole in his chest. As people started screaming, the world around me momentarily became passionless and moved slowly.

Did Alexander assassinate Paul? Alexander stood out to me, and as usual, his expression was serene, as if killing people were on his simple agenda.

I trembled in my boots while checking Paul's heart rate, but it was too late; he was already dead. I froze in horror at the gore display, but Alexander arrived to aim for me next. I felt his eyes puncture the deepest part of my soul.

"Let's see who gets the second spot," Alexander said sarcastically, turning and then walking before stopping. At this moment, fear is the only emotion I can substantiate. My hands continued to shake, like an elderly struggling to pour their juice. He's going to shoot me, too.

"Oh, by the way," Alexander paused, then pointed at himself, "This kid spent last night with your wife." Without missing a beat, he left with some of his bodyguards trailing behind him, quickly vanishing into the dark as if he had never been there.

We are all members of his cult. We all stand as pawns in their hands. The chain of command was irrelevant.