Taken By The Mafia Lord

[Flashback]

After Arianna's escape from the club:

The girls knew real fear after they were bundled to Big Joe's office first thing in the morning. They still haven't wrapped their heads around the events of last night.

One moment they had been having fun with Arianna until she decided to step down to the dance floor where they didn't hear from her again. Even without the news of Arianna's escape being released, they all knew something happened with the way Big Joe's lackeys filled the club, conducting an unexpected search.

They had no clue on what to do if not to sit at a corner and wait until they were rounded up by his underlings who didn't take them home directly, rather they were tied up and spent the night in a dark, cold room.

They couldn't tell which one was more annoying, Claudia's sniffles - Big Joe didn't spare her as well notwithstanding she was Arianna's cousin- throughout the night or the fact they were in a mess they had no clue about.

Hence it came as a relief when they were finally out in the open, but in Big Joe's presence? Nah, that was their worst nightmare.

They were almost shivering with Big Joe in the same room with them - the man was seated on the throne while they were on their knees. Beneath the barely suppressed anger in his eyes, there was another emotion in there - disdain. They were mere flies in his sight.

Claudia was the first to speak up, apparently, that one loved her life too much and she wasn't ashamed to show it.

"Sir, why are you doing this?" Claudia walked over on her knees to Kenith who was as usual standing beside Big Joe and was close to grabbing his legs had the security details with him not blocked her.

She said, "We are business partners, or have you forgotten that? How could you treat me in this manner?!" Claudia dared to scold him, believing he was the leader here, and didn't get to see the slight twitch at the corner of Big Joe's eyes. Apparently, she never expected the snack-sized man to be the leader of the gang and that "Big Joe" was just the moniker he - Kenith - used.

It seems Big Joe didn't take it well at being ignored in a situation where his presence should be recognized the most. And to think, his second in command took the glory that should be his.

Kenith must have noticed his irritation as well because he shifted uncomfortably on his feet without saying a word to Claudia. Even the girls didn't say a word, trying to comprehend what was going on here. Claudia was recklessly sassy for their liking, didn't she understand the situation they were in?

"Oh, don't you go all shy on me now," Claudia mistook his uneasiness as embarrassment, "We had an agreement - my sister, for the cancellation of our debt and this is how you treat me after the completion of the deal?"

There was a long pause as if she was waiting for her words to sink in and when she didn't get a response, was about to judge him once again when Big Joe who remained silent all this while, spoke up," She speaks too much," in a bored drawl.

His underlings didn't wait to ask what he meant by that because they went into action immediately, showing that this wasn't the first time they've done something like this.

Claudia's eyes widened, what the hell was going on? Why were they taking the orders of that shorty? Moreover, what's with them always gagging her? Was this a kinky fondness or what?!

But she didn't get the opportunity to ask her questions because they tied her mouth with the rag so tight that it hurt and her complaints were nothing but annoying muffles.

"One more sound from you and I'll blast your head off," Big Joe warned her with enough menace in his tone that made the hairs on her nape stand on edge.

As short as he was, Claudia was finally able to notice the authority and it finally dawned on her his identity when Kenith called him, "Boss?"

"Boss?" Claudia's eyes widened in shock at first before morphing into dark delight. If this man was the boss, then this meant that this short man was Arianna's husband?!

"Oh my God," She was close to bursting into laughter but Claudia knew without a doubt that the man would fulfill his threat of putting that bullet in her head if she dared let out a little sound as a snicker. People like that were quite sensitive about their height and the way it affected their self-esteem.

So as stupid as Claudia was, she didn't want to court death.

"So this was the ones with her before she took off?" Big Joe questioned Kenith who slightly nodded.

The girls didn't need to be told that the person he was referring to was Arianna and knew at once they were in deep trouble.

Big Joe turned his attention to them,

"So tell me then, what happened?"

However, before any of the girls - that wasn't gagged - had the chance of relying on the incident, Cassie already jumped on the opportunity to save her ass.

"I really have no idea what's going on, Boss, you should believe me. I might have been with Arianna all this while but she never entertained the thought of taking off until they came along. Don't you find it suspicious as well?" She heaped the blame on the rest of them.

Rose, Ashley, Chelsea's - and the one that was gagged - eyes widened at once, what was happening here? Why was Cassie holding them responsible for something they had no clue about?

But their disbelief increased the more when Kenith chipped in, "I can vouch for Cassie as well, she has been with us for years and wouldn't do anything as irresponsible as giving your wife the idea of running off?"

And they would? Heck, they didn't even know who Arianna was until yesterday.

Chelsea was the one to speak up, "Boss, we wouldn't do such a thing. We only did what you ordered us to do, help Arianna have fun. Why would we help someone as important as your wife escape at our peril? Who does that?"