" The choice we offer is simple - Either survive in Luxury or Die . "
The other boxer, named Bob , seemed overconfident in his physique as he delivered a strong punch in the direction of the other wrestler. But the fighter whose back was still facing Piya had a sharp mind, as he effortlessly ducked the blow , slipping under Bob's outstretched fist. He instantly jabbed his own fist, slamming it into his opponent's ribs with a satisfying crunch .
" Whom did you put your money on , little girl ? " A man who stood next to her enquired , he was chewing his gross nails in suspense and excitement.
" Some dude named Moretti . " She blurted , too occupied in the fight to even notice who spoke to her .
" Silly girl . Show some respect while saying the lord's name . Or his men won't hesitate to chop your head . "
He whisper yelled hurriedly looking among his mates to check if anybody noticed what just happened .
The man had started to sweat profusely , Piya found his flustered behavior amusing . She was now curious to know what was soo taboo in the name Moretti that caused this man to tremble like a leaf .
" And why is that ? Is he a distant brother of Lord Voldemort , He-who- must-not-be-named . " She snapped back , and giggled at her own Harry Potter joke .
" You find it funny , do you ? " He gritted while Moretti threw another punch to his opponent's jaw. It was a very one sided fight , by now blood had started to fill Bob's mouth.
The crowd was now divided into two segments , one those who were howling like pure animals dreaming about the double amount of money they do be taking home tonight while the others were watching the match in utter horror , the harsh realization of losing money hitting them hard .
Our main character , Piya fell under the former category who had her fingers crossed tightly . She was yearning to see the boxer's face on whom she had bid her twenty dollars , the lowest bid in the fight .
There was nothing Bob could do to defend Moretti's aggressive moves .
He dropped to the ground in submission , closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. Everyone was waiting for Bob to give up .
The old man who was on the mick had started with the ending countdown . The audience was on their toes waiting for the final punch that would mark the end of Bob's life . Bob was waiting for some miracle to occur as he looked around trying to escape before his opponent snaps his neck .
His gaze fell on a broken beer bottle that was lying just outside the boundary of the boxing ring . His eyes twinkled with malice as he sprinted towards the boundary . His fingers gripped one of the smallest glass pieces as he slyly hid them in his palm and turned towards his enemy .
He stretched his neck , and slowly headed towards Moretti . The crowd watched in utter confusion completely unaware about his next evil move .
Even before anyone could predict what was about to happen , the cunning man inserted the piece of glass in Moretti's neck without even showing any ounce of mercy . Piya gasped and a shriek of horror escaped her mouth as she found the sight in front of her eyes hard to believe .
Contrary to Piya's astonished reaction there was someone who was sitting in the extreme corner of the club observing the fight with immense calmness all over his face . The same dangerous calmness before a ferocious storm. He calmly observed the way blood flowed down his friend's throat .
It wasn't the million dollars that were now squandered that evoked the rage in him but his alter ego which wasn't very familiar with the taste of loosing . This game was already planned by him , every single card was to be played as set by him but then this piece of shit , Bob dared to intervene in his plans and even had the guts to injure his friend who was the sole heir of Sydney Syndicate .
His hands balled into fists , as he saw the scoundrel smirk in victory . His rage was further intensified when he read the boy's lips . He exited the VIP lavish section only to the enter the actual fighting arena . The smell of stale cigarettes and cheap bear hit his senses and this added more to his irritation . Not that he hasn't faced such pathetic conditions before.
In fact, even before he reached his teens, he was well acquainted with the harsh realities of the crime world .
" This isn't fair . Completely against the rules . "
Piya complained turning towards the man who still biting his nails . He looked pretty unbothered compared to her that it made her feel like she was over reacting . Was it a common practice in boxing to slide broken glass into someone's neck ?
" You aren't standing in a law court , doll face . Here things don't work according to the shitty rules set by the society . Not too many survive on the streets of Sydney , every minute is a bloodbath waiting to happen . "
Her companion answered , finally detaching his mouth from his ugly nails .
Moretti was now leaning against the boundary of the boxing ring , his eyes roaming around the audience calmly as if he knew that he was the one who was gonna emerge as the winner at the end .
Everybody saw a well dressed man walk forward and swiftly enter the fighting arena . Nobody , not even the big bulky bouncers that were guarding the place contradicted his movements . A rumour spread across the crowd that the man who was heading towards Moretti was Ryan Knight himself , the highest bidder for this fight .
The hoots disappeared , replaced by a pin drop silence . All the men around had now placed their hands over their chests , their head bowed into submission as we have seen servants and slaves do .
He vaguely acknowledged the crowd's silence with a stern hand wave. His eyes solely focused on the injured fighter. He wiped the blood that was flowing through Moretti's newly formed wound with a white towel that was handed to him by one of the bouncers , while the old announcement man stood next to the pair apologizing for Bob's actions .
Then it happened some what like this , Moretti tilted his wounded neck to converse with his well dressed friend, Ryan , when his grey eyes met her brown ones .
Rather than knocking out Bob , he ended up knocking air out of her lungs for she was breathing harder than Bob who had survived his brutal punches . She came across the same inhumanly gorgeous face that made her heart beat at the most frantic tempo . Tears found their way through her doe eyes as she saw the towel wrapped around his neck had now turn red . He was shedding severe amount of blood .
She turned and looked back to see if he was staring at somebody else , but he sustained the eye contact . Something indecipherable flashed through his eyes . His fingers rose towards her direction as he then pointed them towards the exit . His lips moved as she tried to interpret what he mouthed to her.
" Get the fuck out and wait . " He commanded .
She nodded her head at his order , however her feet still stood rooted on the ground . It was when he glared at her murderously , daring her to defy his words that she headed towards the exit .
The last thing she was Chase marching towards Bob which was followed by a loud thud , indicating someone fell on the ground . She heard ear piercing howls of the crowd which declared Chase's victory .
She snapped her head back , Bob was lying on the ground, blood gushing from the back of his skull . She watched with wide eyes as Chase's enemy fell on the floor , his eyes motionless . She knew Bob was no longer alive .
~~~
Ahana had decided to take refuge in her office for tonight . She was determined to finish reading this journal that she had very slyly lured Ryan into handing her .
Surrounded by a cluster of books , some unattended client profiles and her red kitten heels thrown at the corner , she looked like she had been struck by a thunderstorm .
She felt guilty as she knew that she was breeching her client's privacy . She and Ryan had signed a contract that she would only read that journal in his presence . But his presence was so overbearing that the only thing she could focus on during their therapy sessions was how addictive his skin felt against her . The way his long fingers played with her body was a bane to her concentration
" It's just a book . No harm ever came from reading a book . "
She murmured to herself as she sipped on her third cup of coffee for the night . Her eyes glued to the leather bounded notebook that was ripped from the corners , its pages spilling out . This diary was the largest breakthrough in Ryan's case so far; she knew it held the key to unlocking the enigma of his existence, and she was determined to pry into it's every single entry, even if it meant losing her job.
"Now boys , this is going to be the last bed time story that I am going to tell you and then you would go to sleep . I see any of you roaming out of the bed and I am going to spank your little asses red."
She scolded , her big brown eyes glaring at the three little boys who were playfully peaking at her through their blanket .
She knew that they were grinning under the blanket for they never took her wrath seriously , preferring to enjoy the way her cheeks turned crimson red and her doe eyes focused solely on them as she recklessly blabbered her childish abuses at them.
" Now tell me what story would you like listen ? " She said , going through the handful bedtime stories that were stacked in the cupboard next to the bed .
" The Little Red Riding Hood . "
Answered the youngest one , his beautiful grey eyes looking at his guardian in adoration . He loved the way the ruffle on her flowy dress fluttered in the air as she moved around the room.
" Here we go then . " She said as she pulled the boy in her arms and started to cradle him to sleep , while the other two children attentively listened to the story she dramatically narrated .
" Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by every one who looked at her, but most of all by her grandmother, and there was nothing that she would not have given to the child. Once she gave her a little cap of red velvet, which suited her so well that she would never wear anything else. So she was always called The Little Red Riding Hood .
One day her mother said to her,
"Come, Little Red Riding Hood, here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to your grandmother, she is ill and weak, and they will do her good. Set out before it gets hot, and when you are going, walk nicely and quietly and do not run off the path .
The grandmother lived out in the wood, half a league from the village, and just as Little Red Riding Hood entered the wood, a evil wolf met her. Little Red Riding Hood did not know what a wicked creature he was, and was not at all afraid of him.
"Good morning , Little Red Riding Hood," he said
"Thank you kindly, wolf."
"Where are you going so early, Little Red Riding Hood?"
"To my grandmother's. "
The hungry wolf thought to himself, "What a tender young creature. What a nice plump body , she will be tasty to eat . I must act craftily, so as to take her to my den tonight ."
So he walked by the side of Little Red Riding Hood, and then he said,
" See Little Red Riding Hood, how pretty the flowers are about here. Why do you not look around. I believe, too, that you do not hear how sweetly the little birds are singing. Your walk to the school is so boring while everything else out here in the wood is merry. Why don't you spend your day here with me ?
The wolf was hungrily eyeing the young girl who was unaware of the malicious thoughts the wolf carried in his mind . "
The story was interrupted when the doorbell rung . She was so engrossed in the story to notice her children were long asleep , the doorbell caused her heart to sink in panic . She knew he was here again , her heart was beating frantically as if trying to breakout through her ribcage . She hurriedly wrapped a shawl to conceal her exposed shoulders. With her hands clamped over her mouth , she silently rolled out of the bed . She descended the staircase and peered through the peep hole to see who was there.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed a delivery lad standing patiently at her door. She had ordered groceries from a local department shop in the morning in order to prepare cupcakes for her children.
Her fingers twisted the doorknob, unlocking it. She smiled as the delivery man assisted her in carrying the heavy goods to the kitchen . She locked the door after he left and went upstairs to see if any of her little goblins were having trouble sleeping .
Her feet came to a halt as she took in the scene in front of her. It was as if her soul was being torn apart from her body. She saw the devil standing very next to where the children slept, she felt terrified , appalled , and most importantly helpless. The barbaric was lovingly stroking the toddler's back , which he had previously vowed to beat with his belt.
" The youngest one's your favorite right ? " He enquired .
" Leave them alone! " she croaked , trying to hard not to shed tears in front of him.
Instincts unique to women were beginning to overwhelm her. She could feel her sudden super awareness of her body and his proximity to it.
Her body was screaming a distinctly feminine alarm, warning her that immediate escape was more imperative than ever before.
She would fight until the very end, that was for certain. Yet she knew deep in her tarnished soul that he would win. His obsession would allow nothing less, regardless of her protests. This was the way it had to be, and the sooner she learned that the better .
Next she knew was that she was cornered against the cupboard where she had earlier been looking for bedtime stories .
" You know , Mary , the little Red Riding Hood is my favorite bed time story . " She gasped , realizing he was listening to her story the entire time.
" The first time I saw you in that red dress , standing right next to your sister while she recited her wedding vows . I knew I had found my Little Red Riding Hood . "
He whispered against her hair while she struggled in his hold hoping her children to remain asleep.
He buried his hand in her hair to still her movement, unable to bear even the small sign of rebellion. He held her body closer than she had ever imagined possible. He pressed wet fervent kisses to her jaw, savoring the salty taste of her cries. It meant she felt something for him. Desire, fear, love, it didn't matter to him anymore.
" Please ... Please Dimitri , not here . Not in front of the kids , let's just move outside and talk . We can sort our matters out . "
" How can I resist you when you moan my name like a nymph ? "
He appeared breathless as if he was struggling for air. He desperately wanted to suck her lips, but he knew she'd use the opportunity to scream. He yanked her forward in his strong arms and carried her out of the room.
She found herself on a couch , her hands were pinned between their bodies, pushing hard in a struggle for freedom, but no match against his strength .
He hauled her legs up by the knees and pressed his erection hard against her core. His hips jerked rapidly. He wanted to get closer to her heat. He wanted those panties out of the way. He wanted his clothes gone and his cock inside of her. He wanted to ride her hard and too fast for her to stop him.
She do be his then, he thought wildly. The laws of their kind allowed no sexual encounters outside the bond of marriage for fear of illegitimate children . They would be married in the eyes of the world if he took her now. He wanted that, he thought with a growl and licking her ear. He wanted her like this for him every night. For him alone .
" I won't share your affection . " He purred . " I won't share your affection with anybody . Not your sister , not your children , not even a delivery boy."
The unexpectedness of the situation left her at a loss. Still she struggled to regain control of her legendary mind.
" You never had any . " She spat , her chest was heaving. Those full lips he had admired for so many years were red and puffy from his kisses. She clawed desperately at his hands in a vain attempt to dislodge his grip, leaving white scratches on his pale skin.
He leaned in to breath in the scent of her, chuckling just a bit when she ducked her head to avoid a kiss.
" Please .. Please stop . This is a sin . You are married , Dimitri . " She sobbed .
But it didn't matter to him , the delicious sight tempted him beyond his limits. His tongue darted out and licked the ear lobe so quickly she didn't have time to gasp. He attacked the base of her throat in the next moment. He latched on to the tender flesh and sucked voraciously. He released her neck. He took his time to watch his mark darken on her slender neck .
Did the pleads and cries of Red Riding Hood really matter to the cunning wolf if he had her close to him ? Never.