The Sweetest Temptation

Chapter 5: Stranger

(Arya)

     My mother and father went to the mountains for their anniversary this weekend, so I was stuck babysitting Audrey. My day started off with Audrey complaining about how she wanted candy for breakfast. I told her no but she kept insisting and that she promised she wouldn't tell our parents. I didn't care if she did or not, they didn't care about me anyway.

      I made her a bowl of cereal and she ate it with a scowl on her face. I really disliked my sister. She is such a brat and acts like the world revolves around her. Even as a child I never got the treatment my sister gets now. She's just the better child I guess. Like I said I disliked her but I still loved her and I would do anything for her.

      She finished her bowl and left it on the counter for me to get. I rolled my eyes and put the bowl in the sink. I was already wishing my parents would come home even if they did just leave. Audrey took off to the basement where her dance studio was to practice for her show in a few weeks. That I probably wasn't going to go to since she wouldn't care anyway.

     
       An hour later Audrey comes up from the basement and asked if she could go to a friend's house. I told her only if she promised to call me when she got there I didn't care. So two of my father's men took her to a friend's and I found myself home alone.

_ _ _
      
     I was scrolling through Instagram on the couch when I heard a loud crash outside. I go to the window and check it out and it was pitch black. I go to the front door, flipped on the porch light and opened the door. Nobody. Maybe I was hearing things. I go back to the couch and continue scrolling, when I heard it again. This time I go to the cabinet in my father's office that was full of guns and I grab a glock.

      I walk slowly to the front door and peek out of the peephole. There was nothing. I open the door and walk out into the yard and that's when I heard it again. I whipped around and it sounded like it was coming from the trash cans by the garage. I walk over and peep around the trash can when a raccoon emerges from behind it.

      I screamed and jumped back. I raised the gun in my hand and was about to shoot when I saw two baby raccoons come from around the trash. I stopped and just stared. I'm not the type to be cruel to animals so I let them be and went into the house. The damn thing scared me to death and I was ready to shoot.

      I was about to go upstairs and take a shower, when I got a call from Leo saying that he needed to talk. He told me he would pick me up and we would go somewhere to talk. I rushed to get a shower and at least look decent. He drove us to a private club. I always wonder where he got the money to be able to afford to get into clubs like these. Maybe he was born into a rich family or maybe he just had a high paying job and worked hard. Or maybe he was part of a mafia like I was.

       "Look Arya there's something I've been wanting to tell you." He looked sad. I just stared at him and didn't say anything. "The reason I left and didn't come back for awhile is because of family." Awhile? It's been 10 years. "What about your family?" He looks down at his hands and hesitated before answering. "We had to move around for a bit." He was beating around the bush and wouldn't get to the point. "Why?" I say. "Well..." he continued to be hesitant.

      "My father moved us around a lot to smuggle drugs across the border." My eyes widened. "For all those years?" "He wanted us to lay low for a bit before we moved back here. I eventually moved out and got my own place." "But you were twelve. Why did he get you involved." He laughed softly to himself. It wasn't one of those happy laughs, it was more of like an angry laugh. "He told me boys at my age did things like that. Instead of playing ball and going fishing with my father, I smuggled drugs."

      I felt so bad for him and I couldn't imagine the trauma he went through during all of that. I wanted to reach over and give him a hug but he stood up and walked to the bar. I sat there and thought about what he just told me. I joined him at the bar. "How was your dad able to get all of the drugs." He looked at me and frowned. Did I say something wrong? "There's something else I should tell you." I didn't know what to expect. "I'm the leader of one the biggest mafias in Italy."

      I laughed and then choked a little bit. "What?" He said with a straight face. "It's just... I knew something was up with you. You took me to all these fancy clubs that looked like they cost a billion to get into." He smiled. "So where's your family now?" I ask him. "Both of my parents are dead and I don't talk to my siblings." "Oh.. I'm sorry." "There's nothing to be sorry about, I hate my siblings and I'm pretty sure they feel the same about me." We were similar in a way. He told me a little bit more about his family and then took me home. I was hoping he'd stay with me tonight but he said he had important things to do.

     I realized my sister hadn't called me and it had been over 3 hours. Her friends don't live that far from us. I dialed her number and it went straight to voicemail. I tried again and it went to voicemail again. This little shit blocked me. I called one of the men that took her and he had told me they got her there safe. I really just want to murder her right now. All of a sudden my phone rang from a unknown number. "Hello?" I almost whispered. There was silence for a few seconds and then I heard breathing. "Who is this?" "Hello Ari." The voice sounded demonic. I was about to hang up when... "I wouldn't hang up if I were you." I hopped to my feet off the couch and started looking out the windows.

      "Who the fuck are you?" The voice on the other end started to laugh. "Your worst nightmare." This time I hung the phone up and blocked the number. I made sure to set the security system so no one would be getting in tonight. I didn't get a call from the stranger for the rest of the night.

_ _ _

     I woke up in a cold sweat from a nightmare. I checked my phone to see that it was 2 am. I got up and went downstairs for a drink. I stood with my back to the fridge when I heard something coming from my father's office. They can't be back that early, it hasn't even been a whole day yet. I sat my glass down and walk to the door. "Papa?" The noise stopped and I heard soft footsteps coming towards the door. I backed up slowly until my back hit the wall. The door knob started to twist and that's when I broke from the spell I was casted into and leaped for the stairs.

     I got to my room and locked the door. I didn't know who was in there but I wasn't going back out to check. I unlocked my phone and decided to text Leo. *Hey it's me, Arya. There is someone in the house and I don't think it's my father.* I then heard footsteps coming up the stairs. This time the person spoke. "Open the door Arya." The voice sounded familiar but I didn't move. Suddenly they started banging on my door, yelling for me to let them in. I got up and was trying to get my window to open so that I could escape until my door burst opened. There was a man in all black wearing a ski mask. He ran towards me and knocked me in the head. The pain rushed to my head and my vision went blurry.

     I fell in slow motion and hit the ground hard.