The Mafia and Her ✔

Chapter 3

And they say I don't do sports.

Suckers.

That's a beautiful tree.

Oh, the cat is stuck on the tree.

I can't help her or him... I am not tall.

5 foot 3 was not much in this large world.

"Ma'am, would you like to buy stickers?" A huge dude approached me with a pack of stickers for phone cases, and I chuckled at how cute they looked.

"I am sorry, I don't have enough money for it." I wasn't lying this time. He didn't seem to take the hint and followed me for a solid five minutes until he got bored and left me alone. "Dang, people here are too persistent, but I applaud their effort."

"Crazy lady," a little girl said once she heard me speak to myself, and I laughed, scaring her in the process.

"Sorry," I called out and ran the rest of the way until I got to my second shelter. "Lights everywhere... Not good." 

I spent the whole day like this until eleven, and the darkness scared the heck out of me. 

I walked to a safe, friendly-looking neighborhood to sleep on a bench for the night but didn't have time to relax as I heard a faint scream that made my blood run cold. I jolted from my place, hid behind a bush, and scanned the area. My eyes landed on a black van. I looked closer and saw a man fighting a little child and trying to push him inside.

I didn't know what had gotten into me, but my body moved on its own, and I ran toward the boy. I was weaker than a feather, yet if I could help in any way, I would. 

I grabbed the man's shirt when he shoved the boy inside the van. "What the fuck?" His voice was all too familiar for me to miss, and I froze for a second. "Verena?"

"Shoot!" I muttered as I tried to run from Heath's grip, but he was way stronger than me. Always have been.

Why is he here?

What are the odds of running into each other like that?

Am I that unlucky?

And what did that little child do to him?

Please don't be a pedophile!

I had so many questions, but I could not ask any as he covered my mouth and shoved me roughly inside the van. A man drove when Heath sat beside him, and I instantly wrapped my arms around the little boy's shaking body. He barely looked over four, and I resisted the urge to cry.

"What's your name, buddy?" I whispered, rubbing his blonde hair as gently as possible. He seemed to relax, and I pulled him closer until he was sitting on my lap.

He sniffed and wiped his nose on my shirt. "A-Alvaro..." he replied, and I coed at his cute timid voice. 

Heath had officially lost his mind.

"That's a very unique name, Alvaro. Mine is Verena." I glanced at Heath, who was staring at me with cold eyes. I ignored him and focused on the boy. I didn't want to think about what was going to happen next.

"Weird name. What does it mean?" I chuckled at his innocence and bluntness.

"I think it means staying true to oneself, but I could be wrong." 

"It's not that weird anymore," Alvaro remarked with a nod. He was adorable.

I heard a cough from the side and glanced at the ugly duckling. "Verena, what are you doing here? Your dad has been looking all over for you. Why did you escape?" Heath asked, drawing the driver's attention but not saying anything.

I laughed. "Why do you think I escaped?" He raised his brows in ignorance, and my eye twitched in annoyance. "I don't want to marry your sorry butt." My answer was not the wisest, as it ticked him off. When he was about to launch at me, I shielded Alvaro with my body, bracing for his punch or belt, but the driver stopped the van and held Heath's hand.

"The fuck are you doing? I am paying you to drive, not to interfere!" Heath shouted, cheeks crimson with rage, and I covered Alvaro's ears.

"You did, and if you started jumping in the vehicle like a monkey, I might drive into a wall. Wait until we reach the warehouse. You can do whatever you want with them then. Kill them for all I care. But let me drive in peace." 

I didn't know if I should like or dislike the guy.

Indifference was the best answer.

Heath composed himself, finally knocking some sense into his thick skull, and the man resumed the drive. "Now I can demand a ransom from Dexter to save his daughter. Two birds in one stone."

"So, you kidnapped him for money?" My tone was higher than usual. There was no end to Heath's nonsense. I tightened my grip on Alvaro's body when he started crying again, probably startled by my reaction. "Leave him be and use me. Deceive my dad, do whatever you want to him, but release the child!"

"Now, why would I do that when I can get more money from the two of you? Dexter won't know it was me who kidnapped you, and he'll pay the ransom to maintain his perfect public image. And after you're back home, we'll get married."

I gagged at his fantasies. He was demented even to fathom such thoughts. "I would rather die."

"Verena," Alvaro said, grabbing my attention. There was fear in his eyes, and I wanted to kill Heath. "You won't die, right?"

"No, buddy. I am just scaring the evil man. We'll get out of this, I promise," I whispered, clinging to every bit of hope I had left, and he embraced me, not fully comprehending the severity of the situation.

Will we, though?

~~~ 

24.11.2023 

What do you think will happen next? 

*Updates every Friday*