14 Days With The Mafia Lord

~ The Shadowy Grip Of Death ~

ELAINE

My mind was whirring as I flushed the toilet and stepped out of the stall.

Stepping up to the gleaming blue sink, I turned on the water and thrust my hand into the cold stream to calm my racing head.

It had been a very hectic evening, and to say I was tired was the understatement of the year.

I couldn't believe I had to go back to the party when all I wanted to do was hop in the first car that'd take me back to Giovanni's mansion and my bed. Even though the mansion was its own special brand of misery, at least in my room, it was quiet.

Turning off the water, I gripped the sink to steady my raging nerves.

I knew I was being naïve, but I hadn't expected the ball to be filled with the same caliber of people my father associated with. It was stupid, but I thought Giovanni had been invited to a normal ball for charity, a fundraiser, or something equally benign.

But no. I was thrust into another hellhole filled with people who reminded me of my father for the sole purpose of being someone's eye candy. Again. Deja-fucking-vu.

My stomach roiled, and I turned on the chrome tap and stuck my hands under it. The water was cold, and it settled my stomach.

As I washed my hands for the second time, I heard the heavy oak door creak open. Snippets of muffled conversation reached me from the party before it closed.

I didn't bother checking who it was. It was probably one of the older women here to powder their noses in this bright, state-of-the-art ladies' room. I focused on scrubbing my palms under the frigid water.

The gentle gurgle of water flowing down the sink was interrupted by the footsteps of the restroom's newest occupant. It sounded as though they were walking toward me, but I assumed they intended to use the stall behind me, and I continued calming myself with the cool water.

My skin was beginning to prune, and just as I reached for the tap, I noticed the footsteps had died, and there was silence around me. A chill ran down my spine, and I sensed someone behind me. Someone unfamiliar.

Suddenly I felt something wasn't right. Something really, really bad was about to happen.

And it did.

It was so fast I almost didn't register it soon enough.

I straightened my back, and as I was about to turn, I was caged by the person standing behind me, ensuring I couldn't move.

My instinct was to scream, but when I opened my mouth, it was covered with a large, gloved hand. The leather was rough against my tongue, and I had to stop myself from gagging.

As I struggled. I felt the cold, sharp steel of a knife press hard into the side of my throat. It was so sharp it nearly drew blood.

I gave a restrained gasp as my eyes involuntarily watered.

Oh, good God, who is this?

As if in answer to my question, my attacker leaned forward from behind me to whisper into my ear.

I caught his reflection on the backlit mirror mounted above the sink. I didn't know him, but I recognized the scruffy brown hair and the sunken blue eyes.

It belonged to one of the security guards posted outside the hall. I saw him as Giovanni, and I walked in. There was something off about him when we walked in, but I'd put it out of my mind.

"What are you doing?" I tried to ask through the black glove over my mouth, but it only came out as warbled gibberish. I wriggled my body in a bid to get out of his hold, but he only pressed the knife deeper into my skin. I stopped struggling instantly. The blade was so close to my jugular that any sudden movements would have me sliced and bleeding out.