The Silent Successor

Chapter 1: The beginning of Red

They say that no child can harbor any secrets, but I had a secret that seemed impossible to believe when I was a child.

I can read people's minds.

I can hear what goes on in peoples heads. Things they don't speak about. Their darkest secrets. Deepest fears. Shameful desires. The very things that people try to hide.

And with that. An incident occurred, one that brought me to him—Leo Salvatore. The Boss to one of the most deadliest crime families in New York City.

Let me take you back to when it all began.

***

Rain. Heavy rain.

Today is going to be a good day. Rainy days were always good days for me.

The sound of water hitting the surface was able to drown out all the noise around me. It was soothing.

But the good day was cut short when Emily had summoned me to the office. There, I met strange people. A man with his long hair slicked back into a ponytail, dressed in a jacket paired with worn-out jeans. Beside him, a woman had her hair in a bun, clad in a fitted t-shirt, and loose pants. After being handed an envelope, Emily, with a smile, guided me towards the two.

And just like that, I was sold like an afterthought from that gray place of broken souls. I became a product of something much worse—a victim of human trafficking.

***

"Keep in line," one of the guys with a gun snarled, his mind a pit of vile intentions and twisted satisfaction. I could feel my face curl in disgust.

As we filed back to our cell, I sensed the unease ripple through the ranks of my captors. My appearance has caught unwanted attention and marked me, set me apart. All thanks to the unusual white streaks in my dark brown hair, it certainly didn't help me to blend in.

That one's pretty. Real pretty. I'll make special plans for her. A smile formed on the man's face, causing my stomach to curl into knots.

I walked, head held low, hoping to be forgotten and unnoticed.

But luck was never on my side. That sick man came walking towards me.

"You. You're coming with me, we're going on a field trip." I look up to see a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His thoughts made me flinch.

He had a plan. He was going to rape me.

***

Muscles tensed, I stepped into the stale air of the motel room, my every sense on alert. The drug dealer's rancid thoughts clung to me like the sweat on his brow. My gaze flickered to the door within reach—my potential escape and simultaneous death sentence.

"If you even think about running," he sneered, his voice an unpleasant hiss in my ear, "you won't even make it one block."

I swallowed hard and nodded in compliance. Inside, the room reeked of cheap cologne. He poured himself a glass of liquor with a shaky hand, the amber liquid sloshing over the rim. His eyes, bloodshot and leering, fixed on me.

"You want to taste?" He holds out the glass towards me. I shake my head before averting my eyes to the bathroom.

"Can I use the bathroom?" I asked, hoping for a moment to escape. But he just sat there, glaring at me.

"Make it quick." He tilts his head slightly. I rush in, my hand pushing the door closed.

"Door stays open," he commanded, his filthy mind painting pictures I refused to visualise.