Strong Mafia Daddy by Scott Wylder

CHAPTER ONE

 

Zoe

I woke up feeling groggy, but I knew one thing: I couldn’t move or see. I was blindfolded and tied up. Panic seized me, and I struggled. I tried to scream and realized I was gagged. The sound came out in a muffled moan.

“Quiet, Zoe,” a voice hissed. “I’m sorry.”

Jack? What was my brother doing?

“I don’t have a choice. They’re going to kill me. You’re my last hope.” His voice was pleading.

I tried to calm down. What the fuck was going on? I thought it was weird last night when Jack said he wanted to meet up. We hadn’t spoken in two years, and suddenly he wanted to meet me for dinner.

I didn’t think he would drug me, his only sister, though.

The floor was vibrating, and I could hear traffic going by. I must be in a car. Maybe his backseat? Where was he taking me? What did he want?

I was going to kill him once I was out of here. Once I had the chance.

“You have to understand, Zoe, I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want any of this,” he said. “I owe some money to some bad people—more than I can ever pay back. They own nightclubs, so you could work for them and pay off my debt or at least part of it. I’ll get them the rest of the money. But they’ll kill me if I don’t do this.”

I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t care what sick and twisted reason my brother had for doing this.

He huffed. “It wasn’t like your life was that great, to begin with. You were struggling just as much as I am. Maybe even more. This could be a fresh start for you too.”

Was he even listening to himself? How could being forced to work in a sketchy nightclub count as a fresh start?

The car slowed to a stop. “Now behave,” he hissed. “Or they’ll kill us both.”

He got out of the car, and I could hear a muffled conversation.

“You don’t look like you have my money, Jack,” a voice said.

“I don’t. But I have a compromise.”

“Do I look like a man who makes compromises?”

“This one you’ll like, I promise.”

The car door opened, and Jack grabbed my arm. He dragged me out of the car. “Here’s my sister. She can work off my debt.” He tore off the blindfold. We were in what looked like an empty parking garage. I caught sight of a man dressed to the nines in a suit, flanked by two bodyguards. He was gorgeous but terrifying. And he was livid.

“Do you think I buy and sell humans?” he said. “Are you trying to insult me?”

“She can work in one of your clubs, can’t she? I mean, how hard would it be for her to dance?”

“Put her down,” the man said. “On the ground. Now.”

Jack looked pale. “Please,” he said. “My sister’s all I got.”

“Anyone willing to betray family isn’t worth anything. Step away from her.”

He set me down on the ground next to his car and backed away.

The leader strode forward, casually taking a gun out of his holster. The man’s bodyguards moved to get behind Jack and grabbed his arms, holding him in place.

Oh no.

I started working at the rope knotted on my wrists. Luckily, Jack was never a boy scout. He was shit at tying knots.

“You know, Jack, you’re a waste of my time,” the man said. “You’ve wasted my time by missing payments, and now you're wasting my time with this bullshit.” He took a bullet out of his pocket and put it in the chamber of his revolver.

I almost had my wrists untied. Come on. Faster, Zoe.

The man continued to put bullets in the gun. “Your debt is not that important to me. It’s a speck compared to my wealth. I believe it’ll be better to cut my losses than waste more of my time with you.” He raised his gun and pointed it straight at Jack.

The rope fell from my wrists, and I yanked the gag out of my mouth. “Wait!” I screamed. “Wait! I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”

Everyone froze and looked at me. Jack looked relieved.

The man lowered his gun. “You’ll do what?”

“I’ll work off his debt. Just please, don’t kill him.”

He stepped forward, his brow furrowed. “He was about to trade your life to pay his debt. He kidnapped you, and you’re willing to save him?”

Jack and I weren’t close. We had never been. But what else was I supposed to do? “He’s my brother,” I said.

The man studied me for a long time before turning to Jack. “You are lucky your sister isn’t a worthless piece of shit like you. If I ever see you again, I will kill you. We’re done here.”  He nodded to his bodyguards, who dropped Jack.

I untied my legs and stood up shakily. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, feeling paralyzed.

Jack looked at me. “Thank you,” he said.

“Fuck you,” I replied.

The strange man looked me up and down. “My name is Tony,” he said. “What’s your name?”

“Zoe.”

“Did he give you those bruises, Zoe?”

I looked down at myself. My tank top couldn’t hide the bruises covering my arms.  They had nothing to do with Jack, though. I shook my head.

“Good, or your brother would not have left this garage alive.”

I shivered at his tone. I knew he meant it.

“Please come with me, Zoe. I promise no harm will come to you.”

I found that hard to believe.