Chapter one. Wrong place at the Wrong Time
"Leah, you're such a baby! Go on, go there!" Kelsey sneered.
"Hmm no, sorry," I said and started walking in the direction of my house.
"Fine! Be like that, be a pathetic coward for the rest of your life! I don't care!" Kelsey shouted. I stopped in mid track when snickers and giggles from her so called friends, filled my ears. They were laughing at what she had called me and personally I didn't find it that hilarious. Spinning around on my heels, I turned around to glare at them sharply.
"What did you call me?" I asked her cocking an eyebrow and placing a hand on my hip.
"You heard you deaf, pathetic coward!" she snickered.
"Oh, if I'm such a coward then why am I going to Westfield's?" I asked her. She looked shocked out of her skin. Usually her skin would be glowing with the ridiculous fake tan that she always wore but no one could tell that she wore fake tan, I was the only one who knew what her real skin colour was like and trust me it was actually quite disgusting. Kelsey was my arch enemy she picked on every single girl that didn't meet her expectations, I mean no one could. She had unnatural blonde hair and blue eyes. I guess the only reason why she was popular was because she was so damn rich, and well the saying 'money can't buy friends' that was actually false when it came to Kelsey.
"But you just said-"
"It's opposite day you stupid idiot!" I snapped and started walking away! I heard snickers and giggles of her sheep. I had just embarrassed Kelsey Williams and ruined her reputation, no one stood up to Kelsey Williams and I mean no one did.
"YOU BITCH!" She screamed at me but I had already started walking away. I was feeling brave and bold, I never had ever set foot in Westfield's it was an abandoned old town that was dangerous and reckless. I heard that no one came out without being scared out of their skin, but I had a point to prove that I wasn't a chicken. I had to go there!
When I arrived I started to feel less brave and more scared. It was only a twenty minute walk to get to Westfield's from my school and believe me I had walked longer than twenty minutes in my life so the walk seemed quiet short.
Westfields was an abandoned old town, well saying it was a town was an understatement it was more of an old village with cute little shops and funny looking houses. They were quite strange since my house didn't look a thing like a building in this old village.
However there were two parts to Westfields, the part that could make you shit yourself and the other part which could make you want to spend hours and hours shopping till you literally dropped to the floor.
The happier part of Westfields was more modern and worth looking at, along with its famous and humongous shopping mall it was certainly something to be proud of. However this part of Westfields was scary and only brave people went there. Usually no one went there and it surprised me that the government or council hadn't done anything to change the old Westfields. Though the scarier part of Westfields was the part where I would actually consider a corpse being buried or something, it was just so spine chilling and creepy. The type of place where Tim Burton could get an idea for a horror movie, and speaking of Tim Burton that Director really did freak me out a lot.
Felling uneasy, I walked around the deserted town square why did I have to be so stubborn, why couldn't I just accept that I was a coward? I looked up at the sky, it was cloudy and grey weather like this, always made me feel strange. I continued to walk around Westfield's, but stopping as I came across an alleyway. It was captivating and something inside of me was immediately drawn towards it. I was a magnet for trouble, my dad always used to call me that till I got a new name... the human hazard.
I was pretty clumsy for a thirteen year old girl. No seriously, I was, when I was five I fell into a pond and got chased by a dog. Then when I was six I got lost in a crowded place even though I was holding my mother's hand. That same year I caught my hair on fire when I blew out my candles for my birthday. What can I say I was born different? I walked towards the alley hitching my school bag over my shoulders tighter. Wrapping my arms around me, I continued to walk straight ahead. What could happen about just walking into a dark claustrophobic side road that's not a road?
I froze and widened my eyes at the scene right in front of me. My breathing stopped and my eyes began to water. What the hell was going on, never in my thirteen years of existence had I witnessed something so cold and dangerous. Right before me lay a man, just a few feet away, lying on the ground with his hands held up in fear. The fear on his face was what scared me to death, in his eyes there was a look of anger but the pleading in his eyes was what caught me the most. He was pleading with his eyes but why for? A small gasp left my lips when I saw a shiny gun was aimed at the poor man's head. I didn't have time tool see who the gun belonged to because before I knew it the trigger was pulled, the bullet was released and it then collided into the skull of the man who was now stone dead on the ground. I let out an ear piercing scream, as the scene before me replayed in my mind.
Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face and the scream was still on going. I couldn't shut my mouth! My eyes were fixed on the man before me; blood spilling out of the place that used to be his head, now was a crumpled mess of crimson and soft tissue. Blood was leaking out everywhere and the man's eyes were bruised and beaten but they were wide open and staring at his killer. I stared and stared feeling my gag reflex at the back of my throat; I was still unable to look away from his cold, dead eyes. He looked twenty five at the most, he had brown hair that was very short and he could almost be mistaken to be bald. His hair was matted and splashed with blood, the scars on his face and crooked nose suggested he was dangerous and not all that innocent, but I didn't focus on that, I couldn't. But now he lay stone cold on the ground, the danger wasn't in his aura anymore; he was now weak and dead.
All I could think was, this was someone's son or brother and now he lay stone cold on the ground. I couldn't move my eyes to look at something or someone else, the glazed dead man's eyes had me hooked and I just couldn't believe what I had witnessed.
I was about to run away, far away from this dangerous alley but something caught my arm. Feeling scared and terrified I let out another scream, making my throat ache and feel horse.
"Shut up!" A deep Italian accent snapped. There was no way that I was going to be quiet, so I didn't shut up I screamed even louder. I wanted to scream until I could forget the death of the man, but I knew it was impossible he was gone and there was no way that he could ever come back.
"Oh mio dio cazzo!" I heard the deep Italian accent say. The person, who was holding me, covered my mouth with their huge hand to stop me screaming.
"Don, let her go, Leo won't be happy that you've scared the shit out of a young girl," I heard another Italian voice say.
"Angelo she's trespassing!" The guy who's name was Don growled.
"Don let her go," a new voice said. I closed my eyes hoping to just let them kill me and get it over with.
"I'm gonna move my hand and don't you dare even think about screaming," Don said shaking me slightly. I opened my eyes and looked into his green ones. I nodded my head and he moved his hand. I didn't listen, I screamed again.
"Oh shit!" Don cursed and he wrapped his arms around me and threw me over his shoulder. I screamed even louder and started crying. He was probably going to kill me like the other man, now that I had been seen.
Great Leah, why the hell did you have to make a noise, I asked myself.
"Shit, shut up!" He hissed.
"Donatello! Let her go!" The same new voice said.
"But boss-"
"I said let her go!" Don out me down on the ground and I curled up into a ball and sobbed. I knew it was a bad idea coming here but I had to prove to Kelsey that I wasn't a chicken. However proving a point just seemed like a pointless idea now, I had witnessed the death of a man. I, a thirteen year old, had witnessed a murder. A murder was something to me that could never be forgiven and it was something to me that could have you down for a life sentence but right now there were no police or detectives to see that someone had just been killed.
I felt someone crouch down to the same level as me and I instantly tried to back away, but feeling like a deadly animal's prey I didn't want to make any sudden movements.
"What are you doing here?" The new Italian voice asked. I didn't answer him I just my position in the curled up ball. I was scared as hell, what was going to happen to me? I had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessed something that I never thought that I would ever have to see in my whole existence for life.
"Don I think you frightened her," Angelo said.
Well not only had someone frightened me, more than one person had, and seeing a man lay stone cold, was even more terrifying!
"Shut up! She trespassed!" Don defended.
"Well, Bella. Are you going to answer me?" The new voice asked.
"No," I said weakly, my voice was hoarse and it did hurt to talk. He chuckled and unwrapped my arms away from me and lifted my chin so that I was looking at him. I stared into his brilliant green alluring eyes that had a hint of brown in them. He had dark spiky black hair, tanned skin. He looked amazing. I felt jealous; I wished I had green eyes instead of my boring bright greyish blue ones. My hair was just a plain black colour that reached just over my shoulders and it was naturally curly.
"Why not Bella?" he asked. I didn't say anything, what was I supposed to say anyways?
"Because," I whispered, this man could probably tell that I was scared shitless.
"Because what Cara?" he asked with a smirk.
I didn't answer him; I averted my eyes to the man that was still dead on the ground. More tears leaked from my eyes as I noticed that the man who now crouched in front of me had killed that man. And it was so obvious since the green eyed man, still held a gun in his hand. What was I supposed to do, sit there and let him decide what he wanted to do to me, or just decide myself, if I wanted to run or not.
"The man... you killed him," My voice broke at the end of that sentence and I couldn't stop the tears from flowing.
"Yes, well he didn't deserve to live," he answered. I turned my gaze back to him, and gasped at how hard his facial expression was. How could he say something like that? Everyone deserved to live, didn't they?
"W-what, h-how-"
"Stop your stuttering, little girl!" He snapped at me darkly, and it made me flinch, and made my bones go stiff and cold.
"S-sorry," I stuttered again, which earned me a hard glare.
"Bella you should really stop stuttering."
"My name is not Bella or Cara its Leah, want me to spell it out for you?" Woah! Where did that sudden boast of feistiness come from? I wanted to mentally slap myself since I had just yelled at a murderer. My widened eyes seemed to make the man smirk and chuckle slightly. What was it about him that seemed so captivating yet dangerous? Why was he so calm, for a murderer he seemed calm yet sadistic!
"I know Leah, Bella means beautiful and Cara means dear, in Italian. As you can see I'm Italian," he said with a flawless British accent. Hang on! I thought he was Italian, then why is he talking in a British accent. I frowned at the thought.
"Bella, you seem confused," he said.
"If you're Italian then why have you got a British and Italian accent?" I asked looking down.
"I was born in London and raised in an Italian household but I picked up both British and an Italian accent," Mr I don't know his name said.
"Ok," I whispered.
"So Bella, why are you here?" he asked with a smirk.
"Because," I answered.
"Because what Bella?" he sighed.
"Why do you need to know? And stop calling me Bella and Cara! My name is Leah, Le-ah, and come on say it with me!" I said with sorrow in my voice. Honestly, it was like I was talking to a three year old not some tall grown man who was big and stupid just like a monkey... wait monkeys were actually really smart so calling this guy a monkey would just insult a monkey!
"Because Bella you are in my territory and I don't appreciate trespassers and why not Le-ah?" he asked with a smirk, I bet he enjoyed annoying me, since he was even starting to mock me.
"I don't even know your name," I sighed looking into his eyes.
"Leo, Leo Russo," he said with an arrogant smirk.
"Nice... you cold hearted bastard," I muttered the last bit as quietly as I could but not quiet enough because Leo's smirk turned into a glare and if looks could kill, I would be dead on the floor right now.
"What did you call me, sweetheart?" he growled.
"You heard that?" I gasped, standing up in shock and in horror. He wasn't supposed to hear that but yet he did.
"Bella, let me introduce myself properly, I am Leonardo Stephen Russo, son of the strongest gangster in London. Ricardo Russo. I suggest you never insult me again!"
Oh shizz! I stared at him as he stood up, I couldn't help but just stare as I took in his great height he must have been at least 6'2!
"Oh crap?" I mumbled as I walked away from Leo but I got pushed back to him, by the one and only Donatello!
"Moron." I said as quietly as I could, but these Italian men, had a good knack for not being deaf.
"Cara, what did I say about insulting me and don't you dare start on Don?" Leo sneered as he pulled me into him. I barely even reached his shoulder actually I was just a little over his elbow. I stared up, straining my neck. I noticed that he had a tattoo on his neck; it looked really long like it led to a different place on his body.
"Ah you staring at my tattoo, honey? Well I have six more," Leo smirked. My mouth flew open.
How could someone experience that much pain!?
"Doesn't that-"
"Nope, babe. It was worth it, now don't ever insult me, or you'll regret it! Seriously you can't be more than twelve years old," I glared at him.
"I'm thirteen actually!" I muttered feeling offended. I wasn't that short was I?
"Ahh even cuter!" Leo snickered making Angelo and Don laughed with him. I yanked myself away from him.
"Imbécile," I muttered in French, my French accent came naturally whenever I spoke the language, I was fluent in French since my parents were quite wealthy they wanted me to learn loads of languages and be fluent in them. I didn't mind learning languages since they were actually pretty simple if you had a good teacher to teach you.
"What was that cara?" Leo asked.
"Nothing."
There was no point in trying to act tough or feisty since my head would probably be off my neck in matter of seconds. Though I was trying to act brave, my scared self-kept on trying to break in and become the pushover. I hated it when I became easy to threaten and manipulate, honestly it wasn't the best feeling in the world.
"Okay listen French little girl, what are you doing here?" Don asked getting annoyed by me. I smirked and answered;
"Para probar un punto," I said in Spanish, my Spanish accent rolled of my tongue fluently. Although I had said I was here to prove a point, it was why I was here but now the point wasn't worth proving.
"What the hell?! You speak Spanish as well!" Angelo asked.
"Si senor,"
"E 'divertente Leo," Angelo said looking at Leo.
"Sì lo è," Leo answered.
"Okay, I need to go," I said awkwardly, I was annoyed that I didn't know Italian but even though I knew Spanish some things were the same but not a lot the only word I picked up was 'funny' scowling in annoyance I turned around but I got pulled back by a muscular arm.
"Oh no!" I gasped...
"Why are you here, in English please or Italian, if you know Italian," Leo smirked.
"I-I-I don't k-know," I answered stuttering again, and feeling weak and vulnerable. All three men were scary as heck, but one of them held a dangerous gun, that could easily take my own life away.
"What did I say about stuttering Leah?" Leo asked me with a dangerous smile. I gulped down any fear that may have started to show through on my face.
"Please let me go, I promise I won't speak a word, of what happened! Please let me go!" I begged as I began struggling and pulling. Leo still had a tight grip on my arm, my body was leaning way too close into his chest and having him touch me was just far too much.
"I'd like to let you go Cara, but I'm afraid I can't do that since I know who you are, and I know that you will let something slip from that pretty little of mouth of yours," Leo said. I squeezed my eyes shut as soon as I heard the sound of the gun cocking. Was he really going to kill me? I was an innocent thirteen year old, a girl who had no intentions of telling anyone. I felt the cool metal of the gun, glide across my neck. Sweat beads started to drip from my forehead and I also began to shiver under the touch of the gun.
"Please let me go-"
"Well I will let you go but one thing first, what is a thirteen year old like yourself doing here?" Leo asked.
"N-nothing, I have n-no business here," I managed to squeak out. The gun pressed harder into my neck and I stifled a cry.
"Don't lie to me, although I may be eighteen, I will not hesitate to take your life also if you continue to piss me off!"
The horrible and weak tears began to stream again and I just wanted to cry and scream, what had I done exactly do deserve something as bad as this? This boy was eighteen and yet he could take lives away, how could someone so young not feel a single ounce of regret and act so hard and so tough kill someone?
"P-please!" I cried my voice croaky and dry.
I felt the gun pull away from my neck and I opened my eyes and stared into Leo's, his hard and dangerous look was enough to make me want to run away screaming and kicking.
"Listen to me Leah, if you dare think about telling anyone what you have seen, I will hunt down you and your family and personally kill your parents myself and if don't tell anyone I won't kill your parents or anyone else but in five years' time I will find you and you will be mine. Mark my words, Leanne Jane Sullivan! Don't underestimate me, you will be mine, Cara," Leo threatened darkly. I gulped the shock down. He wasn't serious was he? How the hell did he know my full name?
"You may go multilingual girl," Don said letting go of me. He turned away and Leo gave me one last smirk and turned away leaving me alone, standing stunned in the alley.
What was I going to do now?
******
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(I know it's not as well written but my writing style does change a lot I've noticed that from chapter eighteen and onwards 25/3/14)
~ HaveFaith101 xx