Maria's face paled at the sound. One of the men ahead of her gasped.
"I've never... she's never..." Leo's sentences were fragmented as he attempted to wrap his head around the situation.
"That can't be her," Mike shook his head in denial, "I read her file- she broke four ribs and got shot in the leg but kept running! She got shrapnel lodged in her back and said nothing for hours. Those can't be her screams. It has to be a trap."
The team discussed this in hushed whispers as they continued further into the house until the yelling stopped.
"What-" Iago was cut off by the resumed screaming. Muffled voices came from behind a door concealed between two bookcases.
"Down there," Paulo sighed, examining the door. As he spoke, a rat the size of a small dog scurried past, causing a commotion.
Aiden stepped back to avoid colliding with Adrian, bumping into a marble pedestal. Time seemed to stop as the vase atop it fell towards the carpeted floor. Screeched of shock and horror echoed around the previously silent living room.
Jumping to catch it before it landed, Leo landed next to it with a thud. The ceramic jar crashed into the ground, shattering into hundreds of pieces.
"Well there goes our element of surprise," Iago tutted drily.
☆☆☆
Fire coursed through CJ's veins as the substance entered her body. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she shook and convulsed in pain. Bile rose in her throat, though she kept it down, clamping her jaw shut.
When the first scream left her cracked lips, Quil grinned.
"Ready to talk now, honey?" Unable to cease her tormented cries, CJ didn't respond. The second the pain died down, Quil grabbed another needle and the cycle repeated.
"Stop!" she yelled, tears brimming in her eyes, but they never fell. She never let them.
"Ready to talk?" her captor questioned, watching her inquisitively.
"N-" Her sentence was cut off by a loud thump from above, followed by the sound of something breaking.
"And here I was thinking I was your only guest," CJ mocked, feigning offence.
"Shut up," Quil spat through gritted teeth, "You're coming with me." Unbuckling the belts around her waist, they pulled her up by the hair, ordering her to stand.
Try as she might, CJ couldn't find the strength to support herself. Growling at the inconvenience, Quil grabbed her by the arm, hard enough to leave a bruise, pressing a gun to her temple."
'Where the hell did they get a gun from?" CJ thought but didn't speak. Stumbling up the stairs, the pair came face to face with a very pissed off gang.
"Ah," Quil smirked, placing their lips close to her shoulder blade, "it seems we have company." Snaking their arm around CJ's waist, they tugged her closer to them, so her back curved against their chest.
"You're going to let us pass," they instructed, "or I'll put a bullet in pretty girl's brain." Maria's face paled at the thought, yet CJ couldn't bring herself to look at her. She didn't want her to see her like this- covered in cuts and bruises- she didn't want her to see the reality of the gang.
"Shoot them," CJ croaked to her second in command, her throat hoarse. Leo's eyes flashed with concern as they studied her- the dry blood on her collar bone, the rips in her black dress, the defeated expression she wore.
"Do it."
"Shut up, bitch," Quil smacked her with the gun, drawing blood once more. Looking back at her colleague, she nodded the affirmative.
"Leo," Aiden called from behind him, "you can't do it. You can't risk hurting her."
Looking back at CJ's captor supporting her in their arms, Leo was conflicted as to the right decision. Watching closely, he noticed how her feet reached for the floor as she slowly regained her footing.
"I said shoot, Cortes," she demanded, "That's an order."
Flames burnt in her eyes as she looked at him, still writhing in Quil's arms. However, they had both the height and strength advantage, so her attempts were futile. As soon as she relaxed, their grasp loosened, assuming she was too worn out to continue struggling.
Using the moment of weakness, CJ planted her bare feet on the floor, twisting in her torturer's arms to face them. Pushing her back against their intertwined fingers, she broke free of their grip.
Grabbing ahold of the gun in their hand, she drove her elbow, full force, down on the inside of their arm, yanking it away. Before she had a chance to shoot, they kicked her in the wrist, disarming her. In retaliation, she stuck her foot out as hard as she could into their kneecap.
Smiling slightly at the satisfying snap, CJ dodged the weak punch they threw as they tried not to collapse from the pain. Unexpectedly, they run at her, half-dragging their injured leg, rugby-tackling her onto the ground, aiming punches at her already throbbing head.
The two rolled, wresting for dominance. CJ had Quil pinned on their stomach, right arm twisted tight behind their back. Without her seeing, they reached their free hand under the sofa in the room; their fingers wrapping around the cool handle of the gun.
"Help her!" One of the men shouted.
"Shoot!"
"I don't want to hit her!" Leo disagreed as the pair rolled over once more.
Finally deciding to take action, he took the shot. But he wasn't the only one.
Two gunshots rang out.
Both CJ and Quil collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood.
YOU ARE READING
The Mafia Queens
Action"I came because your father passed two days ago. Drew is dead. You know what this means, right? You're next in line." - - - CJ Dickson is pulled out of her life in England and thrust into the USA, where she is supposed to assume her father's positio...
