Chapter 1

You know it's funny how in one moment, your whole life can change. Everyone had always told me that, always told me that I needed to hold on to what I had, because it could all be swept away in an instant. Naturally, I didn't listen to a word anyone said at 18.

I moved to South Boston right after graduating high school, looking for any kind of change. A change of scenery, a change of people, a change of mind. I was accepted into the University of Massachusetts and was planning on majoring in Psychology. I needed to get away; get away from my mom and her controlling new husband, away from my Dad and his ridiculous need to be with difficult women, away from my friends who gossiped worse than the bad girls club, and….him.

But we're not going to talk about him…at least not now. All you need to know is he broke me…broke me in a way only your first love can do.

So the point of this little rant is how my life changed drastically in one instant.

I had no idea that when I applied at the little Lakeview Café that I would actually be hired.

I had no idea that the restaurant was a favorite of the Italian mafia, nor that most of the men in there had the means to kill me in an instant and cover their asses without a sweat.

I had no idea that on one regular afternoon shift, my whole life would be turned around.

~BDS~

"Hi, my name's Bri, can I start you guys off with something to drink?" I asked, taking the pencil out from behind my ear and taking out my pad of paper.

"Get us some coffees and waters will ya?" the dark haired one asked, giving me what I'm assuming he meant as a charming smile, but I just found kind of creepy.

"Yeah sure," I said, giving my best smile, and walking behind the bar to get the drinks.

"Bri," my manager said, his grey eyebrows furrowed, "Be nice to my boys alright?"

"Always am," I said, winking at him before placing the drinks on a tray and walking back towards the table.

"Thanks babe," the lighter haired one said, winking at me and reaching for the sugar.

I held my tongue, hating the nickname and leaned on one leg as I slipped open my pad again.

"Did you figure out what you want to eat?" I asked.

They ordered spaghetti, one of our specialties, and I quickly went to the back to get two plates, a big hot pot of spaghetti sitting on the stove. I scooped out two good helpings and brought it to the table, accepting their thank you's with a smile and a nod.

I went to help the couple that was sitting at another table, served them drinks, then sat at the far end of the bar for a break. The bell rang and I watched a scruffy guy walk in, his eyes darting all over the store. He seemed jumpy but I didn't think much of it. I jumped from the bar stool, waiting for him to sit down so I could take his order but he didn't. He walked past all the two-person tables and I watched the lighter haired man at the table I'd served lean over to watch the man walk in.

The man walked to the table where the two men were sitting, not even seeing me as he rushed by. The two began talking to the man and I shot a glance at my manager. He looked nervous,standing stock stil and staring at the man. I tried to make eye contact with him, trying to ask him silently what he was so worried about.

The next thing I knew I heard a shot from the table. I screamed, covering my ears and ducking underneath the bar. My whole body was shaking and I heard more gunshots being fired. I heard the other customers screaming and the frantic ringing of the bell as everyone scrambled out of the door. I knew I didn't have a chance like they did. If I even moved a little bit, the man was sure to see me.

I saw him run by, and I clenched my body further under the bar, biting my lip to keep from whimpering.

"That was funny wasn't it?" I heard the man start to yell, "That was real fucking funny, huh?"

I watched as he stepped on the step where the bar stools were, reaching over the bar.

"No, not me!" I heard my manager try to yell, "Not me!"

"Funny! Funny!" the man shouted, shooting again and again, "Funny! Funny!"

I let out a scared whine, listening to his body pound to the ground. I saw the shooter freeze, and then lean back a little bit to look under the bar.

"What the-" his eyes widened when he made eye contact with me, "Oh shit…Aw shit…shit..fuck."

"Please don't shoot me!" I yelled, losing all self-control, "Please I won't tell anyone, please!"

"What?" he asked, stopping his mini-fit he had been throwing to turn and look at me, "I'm not gonna fucking shoot ya, shit. I've just gotta figure out what to do with ya."

I stayed curled up in a ball, staring at the man with baited breath. I was willing to do anything, just as long as he didn't pull the trigger on the gun he had still clenched in his fist.

"Come on," he said after a moment, "Come on hurry up let's go!"

I scrambled to my feet, tripping a few times and following him out the door. We heard sirens in the distance.

"Shit!" he yelled, "Shit! Come on we gotta go!"

I ran after him and we stopped at a gray car. He opened the door hurriedly and pushed the seat back, stuffing me in the back. I tumbled head first into the seat, my legs barely inside before he was smashing the seat back again, climbing into the drivers seat.

"Stay down!" he yelled, glancing at me in his mirror as I tried to sit up, "I don't want anyone to see you. Shit…Aw shit…God I am gonna get in so much trouble…"

I stayed curled up on the seat behind his, trying to take deep breaths. I kept thinking I should've ran when I got the chance, should've made a run for it the minute he said he wasn't gonna shoot me. Instead I was stuck in his backseat, hiding from the cops I so desperately needed right now. I was kidnapped.

He suddenly slammed on the brakes, and I looked out the window, only seeing a black gate and some tan walls.

"I'll be right back," he said, looking at me in the mirror again.

He threw the door open, tripping out and then sticking his head back in the car to look at me.

"Please," he begged, his voice much softer, "please don't leave alright? It's not safe for you out there, I would kill myself if you ended up dead 'cause of me."

I nodded, and he slammed the door closed, running through the gate and around a corner.

I waited for what seemed like hours. I couldn't believe I was actually listening to my kidnapper, simply staying put when I could've easily made a run for it. He didn't know me, he didn't know where I lived. It didn't look like he was in any position to hunt me down anyway; he had enough problems as it was.

A part of me, however, wouldn't let me leave. So I just laid there, staring at the seat, listening to the fast beat of my own heart.

I saw the gate move and got a very quick glimpse of two extra bodies along with my kidnappers moving towards the car.

"Listen Roc' did anyone see ya?" I heard one of them say, and he threw open the driver's side door. He threw a thick wound up black rope in the back, and I watched it land on the opposite side of the back seat.

"Fuck man I might as well have been goin' round postin' fliers!" I heard him respond, and I saw another body along with his pressed up against the car, "Right out in public, man."

"Liberating isn't it?" I heard the other guy say.

"Let's fucking go!" the guy in the driver's seat yelled, and the passenger door was opened.

"You know, it is a bit," the man responded, moving the seat and climbing in to sit next to me. His eyes widened when he spotted me, as if he just remembered I was there.

The other climbed in to the passenger side, and turned around. His eyes landed on me and his eyebrows raised in obvious surprise.

"Rocco what the fuck?" he asked, turning his head to look at him.

"What?" I heard the driver say, turning around and spotting me too.

"Rocco what the fuck!" he yelled, throwing his hands in the air, his face turning a little red, "You kidnapped a girl!"

I shrank back a little bit, watching the lighter-haired guy shoot daggers with his eyes at Rocco.

"Connor come on now calm down," Rocco said, leaning farther into his seat and putting his hands up in surrender, "Just lemme explain-"

"There's nothing to explain Rocco!" the other guy yelled, though his voice was a bit softer than Connor's, "You can't just kidnap people, this girl's innocent."

"I know that Murphy," Rocco whined, "I know that. But I couldn't just leave her there! She was a witness! She could've reported me!"

"Out of the car. Both of you. Now." Connor said, his voice deadly. He got out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him.

I jumped and Murphy gave me an apologetic smile, "Sorry, he gets a little cranky."

I chuckled, shrugging my shoulders, "It's o-ok I guess."

Rocco shook the chair, "Come on man, get out before he comes in here and kills us."

Murphy glared at Rocco before climbing out, and the door closed behind both of them. I was left in the silence of the car once more.