Indecent Pawn: What price is too high to pay for another person’s debt?

by Harris, K.

  “Don’t question me, just do as I say.”

  “There has to be another way. Why must I pay for your bad luck? Why must I pay for your sins?” No sooner than that left her mouth did the weak man slap the whiney woman with such force she fell in a heap on the floor.

  “You will do as Mr. Mucciono says without back talk. Once I pay him back it will be all over. Just be a good girl and comply. It’s no different than being home. Do you understand?”

  “…”

  “Answer me.”

  “Yes Derek.”

  “You have sixty days to come up with my money. I don’t give a damn how you do it, just do it.” Antonio said calmly. “Take her to the Estates.” He ordered his men that were standing guard.

  “Yes sir.” Assisting the woman to her feet they ushered her out of the meeting area.

  “Don’t try anything stupid. As you know, I am everywhere and I hear everything. Don’t fuck me over.”

  “Yes sir, Mr. Mucciono.”

  “Oh and one other thing. You’re fired.”

  “W-what?”

  “You think I will let you pay me back with my money. What the hell sense does that make? Find your own way but it better be by the deadline.”

  “Knock him out and get him out of here.” Antonio ordered his boys that brought him in. The weasel tried to block the blows but that didn’t help. “Weak ass.” He grumbled leaving the premises as well. He needed to give out the rest of his orders for his newly acquired package.

  *****

  “Mrs. Myers, we haven’t been formally introduced. I am Antonio Mucciono. Welcome to my home. My apologies that it isn’t under better circumstances.” Antonio greeted. “Were your accommodations acceptable?” She had just awaken from what seemed to be a pretty peaceful night’s sleep.

  “Y-yes sir.” She stopped to fidget with the bed sheet.

  “One thing you will learn from me is that I require eye to eye contact when I am in conversation with another.” Antonio stated with a smirk playing on his lips. “Let us try this again. Shall we?” Having only watched her sleep for the last ten minutes gave him time to assess his collateral. She had potential to be pretty decent.

  “Yes sir.” She finally raised her head as she was requested. Now looking at her face that had been cleaned free of tears and other embarrassing fluids, he saw how bad the bruises looked even against her light brown sugar skin tone. Obviously her loving husband had done a number on her.

  He had his workers bring her to his home out in the country. Once they arrived she was instructed to take a much needed shower so that her worn clothes could be discarded. Until other clothes could be acquired he had them dress her in one of his button down shirts and boxers from one of his charity boxes. Antonio had to admit she made that shirt look sexy as hell. If it weren’t for her terrible posture she would make him look twice. The slouch in her back made her breast look saggy. As if she could read his mind she pulled the cover snugger against her body. Unbeknownst to her she had nothing to worry about in that department. With all the willing pussy in the world taking some that has probably seen better days didn’t sound so appealing.

  “Good. There are things that you may need to know about me but I doubt if you ever will actually get all the answers that you seek. I am a fair, straight-forward type of man. I don’t put up with liars, bull-shitters, and I absolutely hate procrastinators. Loyalty is a must. If pushed wrong, of course danger will become prevalent. Do you follow me so far?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Now as you probably already figured out, you are my property for now until I say otherwise.” At that revelation, he saw her physically tremble from his words. “To settle a debt of this magnitude I can use you anyway I see fit. Still with me?” Instead of answering she simply nodded as a tear fell from her eye. Trying to contain her unfazed exterior, she quickly wiped it away.

  “To keep from using blunt force or tactical measures, I fully expect you to cooperate willingly.” He stopped again to wager her comprehension of the matter at hand. “Some would say this type of slavery is barbaric and downright cruel. Frankly I could give a rat’s ass what other’s think. Three-hundred and fifty thousand reasons leads me to believe this is a unprejudiced settlement. Do you have any questions thus far?”

  “What will you do with me?”

  “That I haven’t quite decided yet but when I figure it out, you will be one of the first to know.”

  “…” Nodding her response to his answer, they were interrupted by knocking on the guest bedroom door. His right hand emerged carrying a manila envelope. Antonio noticed that she quickly lowered her head back to her chest as Gio fully walked in.

  “I have the information you required.”

  “Great thanks.”

  “Mrs. Myers, I will have the kitchen staff bring you a bite to eat. We will continue this meet and greet after a very important meeting. And remember, if you try any type of escape, my guards won’t hesitate in putting a bullet through your heart. In which I will feed the remnants to my Rottweiler’s out back.” Antonio said all of this to end it with a dazzling smile. At the horror written all over her face, it made even Gio chuckle inside.

  “Y-yes sir.”

  ~

  “The Rottweiler’s? Really?” Gio questioned as they walked down the hall to his home office.

  “Just a precaution.”

  “She looks like she has had enough of an ass whooping in her day. I don’t think she would risk going against anything you say. It’s evident she has heard that you could possibly be a very dangerous man. I’m pretty sure that poor excuse of a husband has bragged about his powerful boss to put more fear into her heart.”

  “What would make you think that?”

  “My own personal research of course.”

  “And what did you find?”

  “Mrs. Myers tried to escape her hostile marriage only to be carted back by her beloved husband. Obviously the emergency room visit on that occasion was a warning to never try that again. One of our very own tracked her down in a matter of minutes.”

  “Let me guess, Brian.”

  “You would be correct. The cousin of a cousin through marriage.” Gio joked and successfully gained a chuckle from Antonio.

  “If it wasn’t for my mother, I would have killed him a long time ago. Always into some mess.”

  “Well this is no different. He has been bragging about a certain young woman to a few others. Because he is such a liar, I don’t know what all is true.”

  “Surely Myers would have killed the woman if he even suspected her of being unfaithful.”

  “Not if he was in on it.”

  “No?”

  “Let Brian tell it.” Antonio took in all of what Gio had to say including the bullshit his family member had to add to the scenario. Something just didn’t sit right. Although he doesn’t know this woman from a can of paint, she still doesn’t seem like the type. He is normally pretty good with calling peoples cards so he was sure if she was with Brian, she was forced. Then again he knew from personal experience that women are some sneaky and unpredictable creatures.

  “There’s something else that I think would be beneficial in the long run.”

  “What is that?”

  “She was quite sneaky…”

  “All women are sneaky.” Antonio cut Gio off.

  “Perhaps. This time however it was for a positive reason.” Gio opened the file he carried and slid it across to Antonio. “She was enrolled in the community college under her maiden name. After her classes she would run to the market in that area as a cover. She only had a few classes she had that was required she attend personally. All of the others were online classes. While she worked online with her school work on a computer she snagged at a neighborhood yard sale, the household computer was on recipe sites. Home decorating sites and things of that nature. My thoughts are just in case he decided to do some checking up on her. Which I have records of him doing that as well through the security syste
m and firewall set up on the computer.”

  “It says here that she would be graduating this year. She has only been in school for almost two years.”

  “Correct again. She is a smart cookie just wrapped up with the wrong man.”

  “How the hell did a smart girl as she seems on paper end up with that low-life?”

  “As you see in her file she is a foster kid that has no one and nothing to her name. Well up until she would receive her degree. Most women strive to be a kept woman, in her case all she wanted was just a little freedom. She was forced into being a kept woman. It’s pretty obvious she was fooled into thinking she had a prince charming but he turned out to be a bullfrog.”

  “Obviously.”

  “While you were handling other business word has gotten to the states that either we have a thief amongst us or Franco has gotten old and senile.”

  “My mother called expressing concerns over the same thing.”

  “Hence this collateral could pose to be beneficial. At least for the time being.”

  “You’re right. This could work out in my favor. Make the necessary arrangements. We leave immediately.”

  “On it.”

  Antonio wasn’t one hundred percent sure on how to explain the company of an African American woman traveling with him. His mother will surely have some interesting questions. Her inquiries will be endless and the fact that Mrs. Myers was a prisoner for lack of better words would not sit well with her. Somehow he needed to convince the woman to go along with no complaints. Any sudden idea that she was forced and he would be in a shitload of trouble. He may be the Don but his mother was still just that. A mother. He respected her too much to be disobedient and demanding.

  “Was your dinner alright?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Something has come up and we must leave the country for a bit.”

  “Oh?”

  “There is some business that I must take care of back home. Since there is no way I can leave you here, you will be accompanying.”

  “Where?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “No, I’m sorry.”

  “There is one thing that I request of you.”

  “What is that?”

  “Look at this print out and tell me what you see.” Antonio passed her a sheet that was sent over from his home office. There were obvious errors but he wanted to see where her head was.

  “There are errors on lines five through eight. As well as the ending balance doesn’t match.” In fewer minutes than it took him to count the errors she had deciphered the problem. Along with finding an error even he didn’t see.

  “When we arrive, there will be inquiries of who and what you are. None of the appropriate words for our arrangement will be discussed. You will be introduced as an acquaintance or an associate of mine. Maybe a traveling secretary. Am I making myself clear?”

  “Yes?”

  “There seems to be confusion from you Mrs. Myers. Do use this time wisely to speak freely?”

  “I am not trying to be rude by any means but which one is it? An associate, acquaintance, or secretary? If we are business associates then it would be feasible to call me Mrs. Myers but if we are personal associates then you should probably call me Allison. Another thing is that I am afraid to fly. Just wanted to let you know ahead of time. What all is required of me if I won’t be considered as a hostage?”

  “Actually those are good questions. All I ask is that you do as I say. No funny business. Everything that is done, said, and pretty much thought out loud will come back to me in Italy just as it is here in the states. You will be free to roam when you are not busy with whatever it is that I may have you doing. Business associates it is. You’re attention to detail is commendable.”

  “Thank you Mr. Mucciono.”

  “No need to thank me yet Mrs. Myers. I work long hours and have countless events I must attend.”

  “I won’t let you down sir.”

  “For your sake, let’s hope not.”

  Chapter 6

  The very first time Allison woke up in the massive guest room she thought for sure her nightmare had turned into a luxurious dream. Looking down on her rags she was wearing when she was abducted from her home, reality soon set in. After leaving the warehouse from the only piece of familiarity she’s had in years, the ride caused her to become light headed. Added to the fact that she hadn’t eaten much in the last few days didn’t help matters much. Before she knew what happened she was knocked out only hearing the noise from outside of the car as they moved along the streets. Faintly she felt the car stop but the nudge for her to wake up forced her to become more alert.

  Sluggishly she walked into a structure with the two men that took her. She didn’t observe her surroundings at all, mainly looked at the floor and grabbed at the wall occasionally to steady herself. Allison apparently passed out before seeing too much because she didn’t remember walking into a bedroom at all. What a comfy bedroom it was though. Definitely not how she saw herself as someone’s prisoner being kept. According to Derek, Mr. Mucciono and family was nothing to play with. They were mean, heartless, and some cold-blooded killers. Now thinking back though, how could she believe anything Derek has ever said in the past? Ever since she has married him, everything for her has turned to shit.

  Unlike the things he has said, not once has anyone put their hands on her. By now Derek would have surly went upside her head for something idiotic. Instead of being greeted with cruelty, one of the men that was sitting in the room offered her the bathroom to freshen up. Even went as far as to offer her some sleepwear that was in the room already, a man’s shirt and a pair of boxers that surprisingly fit her. It was as if the room was prepared for anyone staying over who would need a change of clothes. It was better than laying in the same mess she had sweated, cried, and slept in. Surly she didn’t smell too fresh and the toilet was calling her name fiercely.

  After a long hot shower, she felt a million times better. The only problem was that she was starving to death. Leaving the attached bathroom she found a sandwich and some chips in a Styrofoam container sitting on the nightstand. Having no sense of time, she just devoured the food being ever so grateful for her guard’s kindness. Once the food was done, she laid back down since it was still dark out. Praying that her treatment would remain the same when she awoke. Evidently, it was going to be time to visit with Mr. Mucciono soon. That unfortunately she was not looking forward to. His voice alone intimidated her to no end.

  The next time she woke up, she was greeted by that intimidating voice that she feared. ‘How long had he been there,’ she wondered. The sleep was so peaceful and the bed was beyond relaxing. If she had to be a hostage, she just prayed the arrangements afforded to her were not changed. When he demanded she look him in the eyes when talking she nearly crapped her pants. The demand was in a hushed tone but clearly he didn’t need to shout to be forceful. Oddly enough adding his facial features with his Italian accent tainted voice did something extra to her. Her mind was a mixture of fear, obedience, and confusion. Confusion because she couldn’t figure out why her body was heating up as he spoke. The shiver that ran down her spine watching his lips move and his massive body glide gracefully across the floor. That is until the fear of being shot rang out loud and clear. Cold water put out that flame almost immediately.

  Now here she found herself waiting to board a private jet that was the size of a couple of town houses. When he mentioned flying out of the country, of course he would be taking his very own plane. For some odd reason her mind was stuck on the huge commercial planes that she had only flew on once. That was the biggest mistake she had ever made. That one flight is what lead her into so much turmoil since then. The insane thing about it was that she is being treated so much better as this man’s hostage than all of the years she has been Derek’s wife. Being a sitting duck was causing her nerves to get the best of her. The food she had earlier was threatening to make an appearance any minute.

/>   “This way.” Her trusty guard announced out of the blue. “Are you alright?” He asked lowly.

  “I’m afraid to fly.”

  “It’s not that bad once you get used to it. Have you ever flown before?”

  “Once. And the experience wasn’t all that great.”

  “How so?”

  “I married the man that got me into this mess.” She said with disdain completely forgetting about her sickness.

  “That is unfortunate but it had to be good at one point right? You did agree to marry him. You said ‘I do’ unless it was under duress.”

  “He was different up until that night. That is when the monster arrived.” She said sadly before shaking off her prior trip down memory lane. Then is when she realized she was being seated across from Mr. Mucciono. On another row she saw the other guy who she now knew as Gio. The shock that she boarded the plane without throwing up as she thought she would was all too much. She wondered how much had they heard of their conversation. From the look on Gio’s face, he heard everything and looked to be curious for more. Mr. Mucciono on the other hand seemed unfazed as he did something on his phone as if he didn’t know his surroundings had changed.

  “By the way the name is Rob.”

  “Thanks for distracting me Rob.”

  “No problem.” He smirked walking away to take a seat near Gio.

  Allison got comfortable in the plush leather seat. The interior was beautiful further taking her mind away from the fact that they would be thousands of miles in the air soon. In the seat next to her were a stack of magazines. Her guess was they were left there from the last woman on the flight. None of these men seemed like the type to read about natural hair care. Upon further scrutiny she realized either there was another African American woman that frequented this aircraft or these were specifically there for her.

  ‘What would it be like to be doted on by a man of Mr. Mucciono’s stature?’ Allison found herself questioning as she took sneak glances in his direction. Thankfully he never seemed to notice but she did see that Gio was once again very alert. The curious stare on his face was nerve-wrecking. She wondered had he read her mind or figured out just what she was glancing at.