Gangster's Paradise // Rio (Good Girls)

6.She's quite pretty

Emma and Axel sat in the living room, their eyes trained on the tattooed man before them. "Look, Rio, I know the situation is bad, but I promise we'll get all the money back," Axel said, glancing at his sister who gave him a nod of agreement.

"Oh, I know you will," Rio replied, his tone casual, yet chilling. "I'm just curious about how this happened. We had a simple deal, a simple arrangement. You help sell and transfer the merchandise I tell you to, and you get a share of the money. So, how come I'm nearly 100 grand short?" Rio directed his question at the siblings who remained silent throughout his interrogation.

"You don't know? Okay then," Rio commented, pacing around Axel's living room. "So, how about this? You pay me back, okay? And I suggest you do it quickly. Understand?" His words echoed in the room, causing Emma to regret ever letting her brother coax her into this mess.

"We'll get it back, Rio. We promise. We just need some time," Axel pleaded. Rio's eyes scanned the room, landing on the photographs adorning the walls and shelves. Most of them featured Emma and her children, but one image in particular caught his eye - a beautiful blonde girl with a strikingly familiar face.

"How much time are we talking about?" Rio asked nonchalantly, picking up the photo of the blonde girl and examining it closely.

"Three months," Axel replied. Rio placed the picture frame face down on the table, carefully extracting the photo from inside.

"You have one month," Rio declared, placing the photo in front of them. "Who's this?" Of course, he knew it was their sister, or perhaps a relative. But he wasn't entirely certain.

"That's...that's our sister, Lzzy...I mean, Isla," Emma stammered, causing Axel to whip his head towards her in surprise.

"Isla, huh?" Rio echoed, picking up the photo again.

"Look, she has nothing to do with this. She doesn't even know we're involved in this," Axel interjected quickly, with Emma nodding in agreement, her fingers nervously intertwining.

Rio studied the photo, the edges of his mouth curling into a faint smile. "She's quite pretty," he said, his tone laced with an underlying threat.

Emma's heart pounded in her chest as she watched him, her mind racing with panic. "She's innocent, Rio. Leave her out of this," she pleaded, the desperation clear in her voice.

Rio looked up from the photo, his gaze meeting Emma's. "That depends on you, doesn't it?" he said coolly, placing the photo back onto the table. "One month. Don't be late."

Axel swallowed hard, nodding his understanding. "We won't let you down, Rio," he assured him, though his voice lacked conviction.

With a final glance at the siblings, Rio stood up and walked towards the exit. "Make sure you don't," he said, casting a long shadow on the floor as he departed.

The room filled with deafening silence in the wake of Rio's departure. Emma's eyes filled with fear as she looked at Axel. "What are we going to do, Axel?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"We're going to fix this, Em," Axel responded, though he didn't sound sure. "We have to, for Isla."

"call her" axle said Emma nodded

They were trapped in a dangerous game, with Isla's safety hanging in the balance. The clock was ticking, and they had to act fast. The next one month would determine everything.

( short chapter just wanted to give an explanation on what her siblings were doing to get involved with Rio)