A Payment to the Mafia: His Little Obsession

ZOE

The rain pelted against the window in a steady rhythm, each drop trailing down the glass like tears. I sat huddled on the worn armchair, my knees pulled tight against my chest, as I watched the shadows dance across the dimly lit room. The flickering candlelight cast an eerie glow, distorting my parent's forms into something that seemed to taunt me.

My parents' hushed voices drifted in from the kitchen, their tones laced with an undercurrent of fear that sent a chill down my spine. I strained to make out their words, but their whispers were too muffled, and the persistent patter of rain didn't help matters.

"Straining your ears wouldn't make you hear them," Isabella said as she quietly sipped her hot cocoa.

"Shut up," I said harshly and she only glared at me in response before going back to her cocoa. I had a feeling she knew what they were talking about because of how uninterested she was. Isabella was the curious one in both of us and I was surprised she didn't care about what was going on in the kitchen.

A loud thud echoed through the small apartment, and I flinched, my heart pounding in my ears. Footsteps approached, heavy and quick, and I held my breath, willing myself to become invisible like I'd always been in front of my parents' eyes.

The door creaked open, and a tall, imposing figure stepped into the room. His face was obscured by the shadows, but his presence alone was enough to fill me with dread. He had a few men standing behind him, I assumed they were his bodyguards because of their dressing. What was someone like him doing here? He looked too expensive to be in here. Something was wrong.

"Zoe," my mother's trembling voice broke the silence. "This is Mr. Gonzalez. He's... he's here to take you with him."

My eyes widened in disbelief as the words sank in. Take me? Where? Why? What the fuck? My eyes wandered around the room hurriedly as I tried to make sense of what was going on.

Before I could voice the questions swirling in my mind, my father spoke up, his voice strained and defeated. "We had no choice, sweetheart. We owe Mr. Gonzalez a debt, and this is the only way we can repay him."

Repay him? With me? A cold dread settled in the pit of my stomach as the realization dawned on me. My parents had sold me and traded my life to settle their debts with this man.

"What the fuck?!" I yelled loudly, "Why me?!" I shrieked, I didn't care about how crazy I looked in sweats and untidied hair. "What about Isabella?" I asked. Why did they have to pick me? Was I that unimportant to them?

"Honey, you are our first child and you should be supporting our decisions. Don't you love us?" What the fuck? Love them? They never even treated me like their daughter and they expected me to love them.

"Please you can't do this. I have a life, I'm still in college. Please." I begged as I went down on my knees with tears running down my face. 

Mr. Gonzalez stepped forward, his movements quiet. As he neared, the candlelight illuminated his chiseled features, revealing a ruggedly handsome face with piercing eyes that seemed to bore into my very soul.

"Hello, Zoe," he said, his voice a rich baritone that sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. "I apologize for the unfortunate circumstances, but your parents have agreed to let you come with me as payment for their outstanding debt."

Payment. The word hung heavy in the air, its weight suffocating me. I was nothing more than a bargaining chip, a mere commodity to be traded and bartered. Tears rushed to my eyes again and I let it fall as I choked back a sob that wrecked my nerves.

"Please, Mr. Gonzalez," I pleaded, my voice barely above a whisper. "There must be another way." There needed to be another way.

A ghost of a smile played on his lips, but his eyes remained cold and unreadable. "I'm afraid not, Zoe. A deal is a deal, and your parents have made their choice."

My gaze darted back to my parents, silently begging them to reconsider, to find another way out of this nightmare. But their faces were etched with relief and a hint of guilt. They didn't care about whatever happened to me. My eyes moved up to Isabella who quickly looked away from me when she made eye contact with me. She wasn't going to help me either? Of course, she wouldn't, she only cared about herself.

Mr. Gonzalez looked down at me with a look of disdain, "I don't have time for this Zoe. Say your final goodbyes." Goodbyes? I never thought I would tell my family goodbye this way. I thought it would be me leaving for college and never having to think about them again but I guess life had other horrible plans for me.

"Isabella, quickly get your sister's things, we don't want to keep Mr. Gonzalez waiting." My mother whispered to my sister who quickly nodded and ran off to our shared room. They had planned it all. 

A little laugh escaped from my throat and I stared hard at the ground until Isabella returned with a little suitcase and dropped it in front of me before scurrying off.

"Get up." Mr Gonzalez ordered coldly. I knew he would take me forcefully if I refused so fighting back was pretty much useless.

With a heavy heart and trembling limbs, I rose from the floor, feeling as though I were floating outside of my own body. This couldn't be happening, not to me. But the reality was inescapable, and I had no choice but to accept it. The rain outside increased even more like it was mocking me. I had learned that rain fell every time something bad was happening, I guessed it was true.

One of Mr Gonzalez's bodyguards quickly hurried towards me grabbed my luggage and led us outside. I cast one final, desperate glance at my parents, their faces a blur of guilt and relief still, before being led out into the rain-soaked night, towards an uncertain future that filled me with equal parts fear and dread.

The car ride passed in a haze, the city lights blurring together as we drove through the bright streets of New York. Mr. Gonzalez remained silent, his presence intimidating making it hard for me to breathe. Occasionally, I would catch his gaze in the rearview mirror, his eyes burning with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

After what felt like an eternity, the car slowed to a stop in front of a large estate. I'd never seen anywhere this huge before and it fascinated and scared me. Mr. Gonzalez wordlessly exited the vehicle, and I had no choice but to follow, my legs trembling with each step.

As we approached the entrance, the heavy doors swung open, revealing a lavishly decorated interior that seemed very different from the type of person Mr Gonzalez was. Plush carpets lined the floors, and bright chandeliers cast a warm glow over the living room.

A woman approached us, her movements graceful and purposeful. She was stunning, with sharp features and piercing eyes that seemed to appraise me with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

"Welcome, Mr. Gonzalez," she purred, her voice like velvet.