Mafia's Heart: A Dangerous Love Story

Chapter 1: Fate in the Alley

Ray shifted her bag onto her shoulder as she walked down the dimly lit street. She cursed herself quietly, her pace quickening as she realized she'd stayed at the bookstore much later than she intended. She loved the quiet of the night, but something about tonight felt different. Eerie. She glanced around, gripping her phone a little tighter as she passed the closed storefronts.

And then she saw him.

A man, slumped against the cold brick wall, his clothes darkened with blood. Panic seized her chest, her breath catching as she stared at him. The dim glow of the streetlamp above cast shadows over his face, making him look even more haunted. Without thinking, Ray dropped to her knees beside him.

"Hey! Are you okay?" she whispered frantically, though the answer was painfully obvious.

The man's eyes fluttered open, dark and sharp, like he was fighting to stay conscious. He tried to speak, but his voice came out as a hoarse whisper. Ray leaned closer, trying to make out his words.

"Phone... 112376..." he murmured, wincing as he forced the words out. "James..."

Ray hesitated, her thumb hovering over her own phone, ready to dial for an ambulance. But his hand shot out, gripping her wrist weakly.

"No... hospital..." he managed, his voice trembling but determined.

Heart pounding, she gave him a quick nod and rummaged through his jacket pocket, finding his phone. Hands shaking, she unlocked it with the passcode he'd given her. She pressed Call on the contact labeled James.

A few rings passed before someone picked up, a cold, sharp voice on the other end.

"Who is this?" the man demanded, his tone biting.

"Um, my name is Ray," she stammered, trying to keep her voice steady. "I... I found someone. He's hurt, really bad, and he told me to call you."

There was a pause, and she could almost feel the man on the other end assessing her through the phone.

"Where are you?"

Ray quickly gave him the address, clutching the phone tightly as she looked at the man beside her, his breathing shallow and uneven. She wondered who he was and why he'd refuse medical help. Something about him felt... dangerous. The expensive suit, the guarded look in his eyes even through the pain—there was a mystery there, something raw and unspoken.

Minutes later, a sleek black car pulled up, and two men stepped out, both tall and muscular, wearing the same hardened expression. They approached her with a controlled urgency, and one of them nodded in her direction, a signal to step back. She did, moving a few feet away but staying close enough to watch as they carefully lifted the injured man.

The second man turned to her, giving her a once-over with piercing, calculating eyes. "Thank you... for helping him. But now, you need to forget what you saw tonight."

Ray opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, they had already loaded him into the car. She watched in stunned silence as they sped off into the night, leaving her alone under the flickering streetlamp, her heart racing, her mind swimming with questions.

What had she just gotten herself into?