Prologue

Chapter 1                  

   ‘Gisele, Gisele….’ Kate was patting me on the shoulder in the middle of the night. It’s seems exceptionally quiet in this basement. ‘The bastards are all drunk. It’s our only chance to get away.’ I hopped off the bed and went out of the room. The men were all lying on the floor. I take a wallet that happens to be lying around which is of course stuffed with money. We two slipped out into the street. My heart was beating like crazy. Freedom at last. Kate and I ran for our lives. It’s almost eight streets away from hell. We were so relieved that we forgot that Xsas is the biggest mafia boss in the whole L.A. We went into a motel and get a room for the night.

  ‘Kate, why are those bastards all drunk?’

  ‘You remember those vodkas smuggled from Russia? I slipped vodka into their beer.’

  ‘How can we went back home? We don’t have enough money for plane tickets.’

  ‘Gisele, maybe we should call the police.’

  ‘You won’t have the chance.’ Xsas rough voice rang into the room. We swung our heads around and saw Xsas standing in the doorway. You won’t surprise me if you say this motel is Xsas’s. Xsas grabbed our arms and swung us out of the room. Two of the other guys knocked us out. The next thing I knew, I was with Xsas in a Porsche.

  ‘Where’s Kate?’

  ‘She’s going to Chicago. That crazy girl said she was the only plotting to go. What a great friend you have. I mean, HAD. You are staying here with me, baby. Don’t dream of seeing her again.’

  ‘What will Kate be doing in Chicago?’

  ‘Well, you know, the usual stuff. You are the lucky one. You don’t have to do those stuff with all those men.’

  ‘You bastard!’ I struck him on the head. I forgot that Xsas had another name. Metal skin.

  ‘That’s what I like about you, baby. Tough.’

  ‘Keep you damn hand off me.’

  That night I cried my eyes out. My only friend was gone too. What am I going to do?