The car screeched to an unyielding stop in front of a towering iron gate that pounded into their brains through the crashing raindrops: tires against the slick road had become consumed. Jake had himself contained just a little scared by the glares from either side, of course, due to Renzo's men stationed inside the rear car seat beside him. Stagnant cologne and heavy, expensive leather surrounded them in every puff of cold, tense air within the cramped automobile.
He barely had time to adjust his tie before the door was yanked open and a giant of a man in a black suit reached in to haul him out.
The man's grip was like iron, and Jake's heart hammered in his chest. As he stumbled out of the car, his feet slipping on the rain-slicked driveway, a wave of fear rushed over him. This was it. The real world of crime. This was Renzo Marino's world.Inside the mansion, the lights were dim, the flicker of chandeliers casting long shadows that twisted like living things. Jake felt small and exposed under the cold gaze of Renzo's associates.
He straightened his back, trying to channel the mafia boss's notorious confidence, but his gut was a knot of anxiety.Remember what I told you," breathed the cold voice of one of Renzo's men, Arturo, as he pushed Jake forward.
"Speak like you belong here. Act like you're untouchable."Jake swallowed hard. His throat felt dry. He stepped into the huge dining room, where Renzo's 'family' sat. The faces around the table turned as one, their eyes hard and predatory. This wasn't a family; this was a pack of wolves.
Renzo, still held captive in Jake's fragile form, paced up and down in the school hall. The bell rang out, signaling the beginning of another terrible day. Voices and eyes were surrounding him; a few even mocking.
He was once the kind of guy who ruled with fear for so many years; he was now, once again, a teenager: powerless and little.But this was no time to break. Not yet. He could already hear the whispers and feel the eyes boring into him. Get through the day, Marino. Just get through it.
Jake returned to the mansion, his eyes scanning the long dining table where the other mafia members sat. He looked around the room, taking in the expensive decor, the suits, and the quiet danger behind every smile. One of them, a woman with a sharp jawline and colder eyes, locked eyes with him and raised an eyebrow.
"So, Renzo, you decide to grace the party with your presence?" she sneered, her voice heavy with disdain.
Her name was Isabella and Jake had gotten that much but she apparently wasn't his fan. "And what is this? Now you bring some toddler to sit with us at the table?"Jake tensed. Shit.
This was going down quickly and badly. He relaxed, trying for the smirk of the usual self-confident Renzo."Sit down, Isabella," Jake said, his voice deep but lacking the authority Renzo normally carried. He shot a glance at the man next to Isabella, a thug with tattoos snaking up his neck. "I've had a long night, and I'm not in the mood for your bullshit."
The room went silent. For a moment, the tension was so thick, Jake could almost taste it. Then Isabella laughed a cold, guttural sound that made Jake's stomach turn.
"You've got some balls, kid. But I'm not sure you've got the brains to back it up."
Before Jake could even open his mouth, the door at the far end of the room slammed open. Inside the door was a man with a dark fedora obscuring his face.
He was towering over most men, wearing a black trench coat that was flaring behind him as he walked into the room. The room froze on the appearance of him."Renzo," he said in a gravelly voice. "We have a problem.
Jake straightened. The man had the sort of presence that made his blood run cold. He could feel the room shift, the quiet unease radiating off the mafia members. This wasn't some minor issue.
"Problem?" Jake repeated, trying to sound confident, but his voice betrayed him. His fingers curled around the edge of the table. "What kind of problem?"
The man glanced at Jake with a chilly stare.
"A traitor," he stated bluntly. "Someone's been leaking information. The people are getting restless. We have to make an example."Renzo's heartbeat pounded in Jake's chest. He didn't know if the man was referring to the man inside the family or outside of it, but either way, this was not a good omen.
The tension in the room was choking, suffocating. Isabella's hand slipped under the table, and Jake noticed it a second too late.
She pulled a gun, its metal gleaming in the low light. Before Jake could react, she aimed it straight at his chest."How about you make an example of yourself, Renzo?" she said with a smile that did not reach her eyes.
Jake's blood ran cold. He had no idea how to handle this. He wasn't Renzo Marino. He wasn't a mafia boss. He was a high school kid, caught in a nightmare.
The gun clicked, and Jake's heart skipped a beat. But just as Isabella was about to pull the trigger, the door slammed open once again.A gunshot echoed from the doorway, deafening, making everyone freeze. The man who had entered earlier, the one who'd spoken of the traitor, had pulled out his own gun, a sleek black pistol, and aimed it directly at Isabella. He fired without saying a word, hitting her square in the forehead.
The room erupted into chaos.
He ducked as the gunshot rang out, his body jerking reflexively. Isabella's body collapsed, her chair falling backward as blood pooled on the floor.
The rest of the room was in a frenzy, mafia men reaching for their weapons, shouting, scrambling.But before anyone could react, the man in the fedora fired again.
This time, he shot one of Renzo's men in the chest, sending him sprawling backward with a sickening thud. Another shot. Another body hit the floor with a sickening crunch. Blood splattered across the marble floor, painting the room red.Jake's heart pounded within his chest as he scurried for cover. He thought desperately, trying to understand what was happening, but it was simply madness around him. And this guy was a much greater threat than any person in this hall.
The fight turned into a bloody, chaotic mess. A body was flung across the table, a chair shattered.
One of Renzo's men pulled a knife, but the man in the fedora shot him in the leg, sending him to the ground screaming.Jake barely had time to process the carnage before the man was standing in front of him, gun aimed directly at his face. His eyes were cold, calculating, and Jake knew the end was near. The man's lips curled into a smirk as he slowly pulled the trigger.
Click.
The gun jammed.
Jake didn't waste a second. He grabbed the man's arm, twisting it violently; the weapon fell to the floor.
With a scream, he tried to fight back, but Jake wasn't letting go. How he was doing it or even how he was surviving was a mystery to him; however, adrenaline must have been pumping through his system because instinct was taking over.One knee to the stomach was all it took, and the man was crashing to his backside, writhing in agony.
The nose just exploded a sickening crack and blood splattered everywhere. But Jake wasn't done yet. He slammed his elbow into the man's face, sending him crashing backward.Jake stood over him panting, his heart still racing. Now the room was silent. The carnage was complete.
"I didn't sign up for this," Jake whispered, his voice hoarse. He swabbed at the blood on his face, scanning the room and its body strewn around.
He suddenly heard Renzo's voice in his head, hard and biting: Get out of there. Now.Time was running out. Jake had no choice but to listen to Renzo or be the next one to join the floor's list of casualties.