Chapter 3: Contract
"Fiancé? Yeah, I don't think my father would approve a murderer for a husband."
I noticed Gabriel lower his gun. "Put your gun down Samantha," Gabriel ordered.
"What?! He just-" I said bewildered by Gabriel's request that I didn't realise Elias had closed the distance between us. His hands were already on the barrel and shoves it down but the gun accidentally fires. Somehow he manages to snatch the gun from my hands and takes the clip out.
"Lesson one: Always be aware of your surroundings princess. And secondly, that was a beautiful takedown. My instructor trained you well."
My self-defence instructor works for Elias. What the hell is going on?
He strokes my cheek and I slap his. "If you were anyone else I would put a bullet in your head for disrespecting me," Elias said sternly as he rubbed his cheek which now was bright red.
I looked at him wide-eyed taking a step back but he only stepped forward.
"Gabriel." I called out but he dropped his head. Why was he behaving like this? This is wrong.
"Come on princess, let me take you home."
"I'm not going anywhere with you unless it's the police station."
I make the slightest movement to step away from him but he grabs my arm tightly.
"Your father and I had a deal. I intend to collect what's mine."
"What deal?" I glanced over to Gabriel once again searching for answers.
Unable to get a response Elias throws me over his shoulder and I kick and scream. "Put me down!"
"Gabriel notify your father I'll be making a pit stop by his house this evening."
Be aware of your surroundings, maybe you should be aware of what's actually on your body. He had two guns behind his back. How many guns does this man need? One of his men yells out to Elias warning him of my intentions when I yank the gun out and he instantly pulls me. At that moment I decided to lock my legs around his waist and aim the gun towards his temple his hands dropping to underneath my thighs to support me.
"I am going to hop down now and you're going to let me go or I will blow your fucking brains out." I told him against his neck.
"Pull the trigger princess."
"I unlock my legs and his hands glide up my thighs to my waist until my feet meet the ground. My hand with the gun adjusting to a new position, his forehead.
"Go on. It's easy." He encouraged me on.
Is he crazy? How is this man not scared? I'm scared shitless. It was taking everything to keep my composure and withhold my tears. I see his hand move towards the gun.
"Don't move." I warned.
"You don't have the guts, princess."
I lowered the gun and a smirk began to appear on his face. He reaches for the weapon but instead, I shoot his arm.
"Shit Sam. What have you done?" Gabriel shouted now Elias' men have pulled out their guns and Gabriel had no choice but to shoot them in the leg. I knew I was in trouble when he called me by "Sam". He runs to their sides and kicks their guns across the rooms before he takes my hand and we run outside to where Gabriel had parked the car.
A black SUV speeds into the car park and comes to an abrupt halt near Gabriel's car. Several armed men come out. Gabriel chucks me into the car, a mixture of fear and annoyance on his facial features.
"Elias Marino and two of his men are inside injured."
The men run inside and Gabriel makes haste to the driver's side hopping in and we take off.
"You have no idea what you've just done Samantha." Nothing but sheer disappointment in his voice.
"He tried to hurt me. How am I in trouble?"
"Marino is the heir to one of South America's most notorious mafia families. And you just shot him. Fuck sake. Now he'll want revenge."
I felt like my eyeballs were about to pop out of my eye sockets. "Why the fuck is our family involved with the mafia?!" That was the burning question I wanted to know.
"Why do you think we are so successful? We help them navigate the legal system and find loopholes. Shit. Dad is going to be pissed."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My family helping criminals build their empire and the realisation had just sunk in, I had shot someone in the mafia and not just anyone the heir.
Is that what my parents expected from me to join and help them conspire against the system? Hell no. This is wrong on so many levels.
"What about the deal?"
"When you were twelve, Dad helped one of Marino's enemies and it impacted their business, big time. To make peace Elias' father suggested, an arranged marriage as compensation for the damage. Dad refused and offered other solutions. When I spoke to him he was adamant he wasn't going to use you like that. But I guess he changed his mind. I am unsure why he would invite Davidson and Morison families to the dinner if the deal had been made."
When we arrived home the two of us beelined it to Father's office. It was crowded, with security and my mother who was standing beside my father with a worrisome look. My father had his phone on the loudspeaker, discussing Elias' condition with someone medical expert.
My parents look at me with disappointment more so from my father. It's clear I have let him down somehow. I was trying to protect myself, how was I supposed to know Elias was part of the mafia let alone running it?
"Keep me posted." He says hanging up on the phone. Now I had a room full of people staring at me.
My father opens his mouth but I interrupt. No way am I getting in trouble for this.
"You should have been upfront with me about the family business and your deal with the Marino family."
"I warned you this could happen. We should have been honest with you but no, you insisted we keep it a secret." My mother chimed in. "If anything happens to my baby girl this is on you, Johnathan."
"I know, it was a mistake." He says with nothing but regrets in his voice. "As soon as you turned eighteen I contacted Heather regarding your contract. She said she was going to terminate it. Then she showed up at tonight's dinner wanting the deal reinstated."
"Why?"
"On Elias' request, not hers. There are only two ways I see this going. One: he puts a hit on you or..."
"Or what..."
"You'll have to marry him."