I needed a plan, but there was only so much planning I could do in a few hours. I had to be impulsive and trust my instincts.

My cousin Yasmine was in England. If I could just quickly get to my apartment for my passport and emergency money stash, I could make my way there and lay low for the rest of the year. Maybe I could try even try to enroll in a university there and stay long term?
Dario wasn't exactly keeping me hostage, in fact, I was stupid enough to voluntarily follow him here. I don't think he'd be too effected by my disappearance. What little information I remember is not that integral to him overcoming his conflict with Dominic.

I hiked back to my room, pushing the sliding door to step out onto the balcony. The wind grazed my skin, providing a coolness to combat the blazing sun that shun especially bright compared to the last few days.
The backyard had a huge pool next to a rock wall that streamed an endless waterfall. To the side, was a comfy looking lounge area with a grill, round seated fireplace, and long dinner table. Dominic took full advantage of all areas of his house when it came to entertaining, but I don't think Dario shared his brother's love for parties.

Behind the gates was the vast land that led to the woods. I wanted to curse Dario for choosing such a secluded house, with what seemed to be, absolutely nothing around it. I had no recollection of the route the driver took when we got here, nor the best way for me to escape back to civilization.
A phone would solve all my problems. I could easily use the GPS, get an Uber, or call someone to help me out.

If I wanted to get out today, I needed to get my hands on someone's cellphone.

A light knock came at my door interrupting my thoughts. Layla surprisingly stood before me looking casual in some tights and a hoodie. We looked about the same size, but for some reason something seemed so tiny and delicate about her.
"Hey, did you sleep well last night?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Maybe if I took cues from her, my big mouth wouldn't continue to get me in so much trouble. Layla was more than capable of turning it up a notch when needed, I witnessed it firsthand, but she was also masterful in dialing it back in a way that made her look like a helpless puppy. It could be a great manipulative tactic for me to learn.

"Sure, as well as one could sleep in such a strange environment." I didn't bother telling her about my encounter with Dario.

"Oh, well, since you're kind of stuck here, I was wondering if you wanted to come to the gym with me?" She asked.

The gym? Oh yes, the place people who don't run out of breath from walking up two flights of stairs go. I could probably use a trip or two.

"I'd love to go," I resolved. "But I don't have any workout clothes." I tugged at my tight jeans, not wishing to do any physical activity in them.

"I think you could fit into my clothes. I'll let you borrow some leggings." She motioned for me to follow her into the hall. I smiled, feeling relieved there was at least one person here who seemed genuine and nice.

Layla's room was the first one on the left by the stairwell. I was surprised upon entering when it looked almost identical to mine. It seems she decided to keep the default design instead of customizing it in any way.

She went into her closet throwing me a folded pair of leggings. I was easily able to squeeze into it, and before I knew it, we were headed to the basement where Dario had his personal gym.

The gym was impressively big, containing more than enough machines for a full workout.

As I crouched down onto the mat to begin warming up, I noticed Layla pull her phone out of her pocket, placing it on a bench in the back, before heading towards me.

We did a quick warmup, with my eyes occasionally moving back to the rectangular device that would help me find my way out of here.

Layla didn't say much. We started our treadmills, moving in complete silence. I wondered why she invited me if she was just going to be quiet the entire time. Then again, working out isn't exactly the prime activity for socializing.

"So, I was wondering if you could help me get a new phone? I lost my old one on the way here and you know how our generation is, we can't really survive without our technology," I tried to act casual, so she wouldn't suspect I was up to anything.

She swiftly shook her head. "Sorry, Dario instructed me not to let you get a phone."

I scoffed, taken aback. "I didn't realize Dario shot his sperm into my mom and became my father."

"Look, Dario has trust issues. He thinks if you get a phone you'll alert someone, which will then alert Dominic," she said. "And trust me, you don't want Dominic to know Dario has his hands on you. Just lay low, Dario is a good man. You'll win him over soon enough."

I wanted to laugh in her face, but refrained from doing so. There was no winning over Dario for me. I didn't wish to gain his affection, I just wanted to get away from their messed up world.

Looks like I'd need to resort to pocketing Layla's phone instead. It's been a while since I've dipped my hands into petty theft, so I was going to ease my conscious by considering it a one sided loan she may or may not ever see again.

"You seem to know him pretty well, how long have you been involved in all of this?" I waved around. I began to question if they might be together. They certainly didn't have any chemistry, and for Layla's sake I would hope she could do better. He might be a tall, muscular, mega-rich, super hot mafia don but that doesn't excuse his crappy personality.

"A few years. I handle some of his 'legal' business ventures ."

"Ah, I thought you might've been a girlfriend or something." My tone came out more judgmental than I would have liked. If she was with Dario it would make no difference to me. I would feel nothing but pity for her.

"God no," she quipped. "We're not each other's type at all. It's strictly professional over here."

"Oh please, I know the Dario types. No way he's anything less than a raging whore who sticks his peen into anything that moves. Not that I'm saying he sticks it into you or anything."

"I get what you mean," she said, even though she looked a little taken aback." He's had his fair share of women, but he's been dialing it down recently. He's even looking for a wife at the moment."

There's another distinction between him and his brother. Dominic would probably chew his left arm off than be tied down. He had two women for breakfast, two for lunch, and what he liked to call
A buffet for dinner.

After another hour we were dripping in sweat and ready to call it a day. I had my plan, I was going to get deep into a topic with Layla while directing us towards the door. She'd forget about her phone and when we went to our rooms, I would sneak back to get it.

My plan was working until we ran into one of Dario's men while walking out. It wouldn't have been a problem if his presence didn't cause Layla to stop in her tracks, both of them almost in a frozen like state.
The man was lean and slender, his muscles defined, but not protruding. He seemed to have defied the trend of luscious brown hair, and opted for a buzzcut instead.

His grey eyes bore into hers in an intimate way that made me feel like I was interrupting a moment.

"Hello, Anthony," she looked down, like she could no longer handle the pressures of their eye contact, and began nervously playing with her nails.

"Hello, Layla. How are you today?" He nodded.
They sounded like some damn robots. It was like neither of them had ever started a conversion in their lives.

I dozed off, looking over at her phone. Without me noticing, they had completed their greetings and as Layla caught the direction of my eyes, hers went wide. "Oh, I almost forgot that," and with one motion her phone was in her hand and my plans were derailed.

I found the time to silently ram my head against the wall, while she took one look back at Anthony, who began lifting some weights.

***

Dario came back from his meeting shortly after I took my second shower. He wanted to meet with me after he came back from hunting, but I wasn't going to let him get the chance. It was getting dark and he was going to be occupied killing antelopes or whatever, so now was good a chance as any to slip away quietly.

I needed to have more confidence in myself. So what I didn't have access to a GPS? I wasn't the best at directions but there was a good chance I could find my way out of those woods.

The sound of murmurs coming from my balcony caught my attention. I slipped through the door, to see a small crowd of men gathered.

Dario and Luca came into my vision. Luca started rubbing Dario's shoulders, seemingly hyping him up like a boxing coach to his trainee before a big fight.
A long barreled gun was handed to Luca, who then broke it apart to check the bullets, before passing it to Dario. It was a shotgun. It had me thinking back to Dario's stupid nickname and how he claims he came to acquire it.

Sonny, along with a shirtless man began to walk near the pool. The man's hands were tied behind his back. I noticed Sonny pushing him in an aggressive manner, making sure he continued on.

I studied the man closer, discovering more alarming facts. He was barefooted, his left eye was bruised shut, and his lips were covered with a piece of cloth that must've been the source of where the blood dripping from his chin came from. His pale skin was covered in dirt, and purple patches littered his every inch of his exposed body.

He was the guy I believe mentioned in Dario's phone call in his office. Johnny Polo or something?
If that's what a night in the basement entailed, I definitely wanted to stay as far away from it as possible.

Dario slung his gun over his shoulder, stepping closer to the man. His face was another level of cold. Something looked different in him, almost animalistic. It sent a chill down my back. For the first time he genuinely scared me.

"You all know why we're here," he turned to his men. "Another enemy has been captured, and will now be hunted."

His words made my jaw drop.
The man hunts humans. He's called shotgun because he chases and shoots not reindeers, but.. other humans.

I'm a little slow, I'll admit, because he did tell me. But I had no clue this is exactly what he meant, I mean, this isn't something sane people do.

His men were stoic. Everyone single one in a perfectly tailored black suit, watching intently. Luca was the only one who sported a smile, rubbing his hands enthusiastically. I saw Anthony nudge him to stop his jittering.

"Let's make sure everyone is clear on the charges. This bastard over here, was once a fairly decent man I occasionally did business with. Then, he decided to not hijack one, but two of my shipments, costing me millions. And worst of all, he killed five of my men while doing it." Dario yanked the cloth that covered Johnny's mouth, leaving him panting as he gasped for air.

"Carlo Rizzo, Daniel Lavelle, Michael Harris, Junior Hernandez, Paul DiMartino, all gone. They leave five wives without a husband, and twelve children without a father. What do you have to say for yourself?" He sharply spat onto Johnny's face.

I gagged at the saliva that slowly rolled down his cheeks.

Johnny opened his mouth slightly, but ultimately refrained from saying anything.

"I SAID WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF!" The volume of Dario's voice had even me jumping back.

"I-I'm sorry." His eyes carefully lingered to the side to avoid meeting Dario's venomous glare. "Listen let's handle this like men, I'm sure I can do something to make up for the money you've lost-"
Dario interrupted by raising his hand, swiftly whipping it across Johnny's face. A pool of blood covered his retracted hand.

"This is what's going to happen. You get a one minute head start, I have an hour to hunt you. In that hour, you can run, you can hide. If you successfully get away, then that would prove my incompetence. All debts and hard feelings will be settled. But if I catch you, you die."

Anthony held up three fingers, dropping them to two, then one.

Luca stepped behind Johnny, using his knife to slice through the rope around his wrist. Johnny realized his minute started, and bolted with speed, despite his bruised body.

It didn't take long for him to completed disappear past the abundance of trees.

Dario checked his watch, patiently tapping his foot. He seemed to truly abide by the rules of his fatal game.

I quickly realized I was so engrossed with the scene that I forgot I had my own mission. The sun already began setting, it would be pitch black in the next few minutes.

Dario looked back at his men, nodding his head. His head then shot up in my direction, giving me a devious smirk, before he raced off in the same direction Johnny left.

The second he disappeared, I grabbed my shoes, running downstairs.

There was one guard stationed by the front gates. The rest of the men were in the backyard, so there was no way I could go out that way.

The guy sat in the little security cubicle with his arms crossed. I realized he was asleep when his head began to fall back.

I opened the front door, stealthily moving through the cobblestone driveway. My head moved towards the security guard with every few steps, insuring he stayed asleep.

When his head suddenly snapped up and his snoring abruptly subsided, I ducked down to the ground, crawling behind a nearby bush to conceal myself.
He checked his surroundings, looking a little dazed before he shrugged, falling back into his nap.
I don't think Dario would be too happy if he knew how little his security actually secured his house.
When I felt he was truly unconscious, I picked up my speed.

The gate wasn't locked, but it made a low grinding sound when I attempted to move it. At that point, I didn't really care and swung it open, being a little more gentle when closing it.

I took a few seconds to decide which direction I wanted to go. Whichever way Dario and Johnny went was the opposite I should obviously head.
There was an outlined path I proceeded to follow. The house couldn't possibly be that secluded, I'm sure if I kept walking I would run into some cars, or another person, or house.

***

The sense of time evaded me, but I knew it had been a while since I began walking. It was pitch black, obscenely chilly, and I so deep into the woods that there was nothing besides nature surrounding me.
This was ridiculous. I had no clue how to get to town, and simply walking straight was doing nothing for me. I could barely see where I was going.
Goosebumps scattered across my skin, as my teeth clattered uncontrollably. It surely wasn't that cold. Anxiety definitely played a part in the lowering of my body temperature.

A faint sound hit my ears. It was so low that I thought it might've been an animal passing, but the sound became persistent and louder the more I walked.

I stopped in my tracks intently listening when I heard it. "Oh Bella, Come out, come out wherever you are."

Shit.

A flashlight shun in my direction, along with the silhouette of a man.

It was then when I realized my feet was starting to get sore, but now was not the time for me to get slower.

I took a deep breath and ran, moving my legs as fast as they could go. I began to zig zag, moving from my right to my left, instead of just going straight ahead, in case anyone had a weapon they wanted to use to stop me.

My heart was pounding, and my chest vigorously moved up and down in an attempt to capture as much air as I could. The pain burning through my calves was nothing compared to ache of my dry throat.

What I would do for a glass of water.

But I was doing well because I could no longer hear or see anyone behind me.

My speed only subsided with I looked ahead and saw a car zoom by. Soon another one followed, and another. It was a highway.

Despite the fatigue of my body that made me feel like I was going to collapse, I continued with force. I was so close, yet so far.

I could no longer feel my feet, it was more like I was gliding. My eyes wanted to close and I wasn't able to gage my speed but I was moving, or maybe the trees were. Either way something was moving so that was good.

I just needed to keep going. The closer I got to the giant street lights that illuminated the highway the better.

The sound of branches breaking came from my right side. The movement was so quick, I was certain it was an animal, until the body of a grown man slammed into mines, knocking me to my feet.

The blow was excruciatingly painful, leaving my eyes slightly watery.

My shriveling lungs needed a minute to catch some oxygen, but I couldn't allow it with the man stammering towards me.

I lifted my myself back up with all the energy I could muster. I knew I wasn't going to be able to outrun him in my state, now was a good time for me to use some of the self defense skills I learned in my class.
He reached into the waist of his pants and pulled out a handgun. His walk became slow and calculated.

"Listen, Bella, just follow me back to the house. We don't need to escalate this any further.

With every step he took forward I took one backwards. I picked up a big tree branch, swinging it in front of me to show I was ready to fight. "That's not happening."

Sweat seemed to descend from his bald head down to his face. His eyes were so focused on my every movement that he didn't look to check his.

The heel of his shoe hit a rock, causing him to tumble forward aggressively. His gun flew out of his hand, a loud bang piercing my eardrums.

I was left in a state of shock, as time seemed to stand still. The sound of the gunshot was near deafening, and all I could hear was a ringing sound in one of my ears.

I ran my hands across my body, checking my stomach, arms, legs, and head to ensure I wasn't hit. When I was satisfied, I noticed the gun landed by my feet.

Without a second thought, I picked it up, turning it to face him instead.

He brushed himself off, getting back to his feet with his hands raised in surrender. I was in a good position, but I found myself freezing. What exactly was I going to do? I didn't want to be a murderer, I just wanted to get out of the country.

Someone else was nearing in the direction I first heard my name. I had to make a decision quick.
My hands involuntarily shook, making it almost hard to keep the gun pointing upright.

I had never held a gun before, much less used it. He could sense my inexperience, a grin plastered on his face as he moved towards me.

"I'm-I'm going to shoot you. Don't move."

He stopped, his hands still up.

I had to do something to the man. There was no way I could escape him if I didn't.

I raised the gun to his head, causing panic to overtake his face. He sucked in a breath when I lowered it to his chest.

No way could I kill him. I made up my mind, "I'm not going back to that house."

"Please, I have a family that needs me." He pleaded.
My heart was racing faster then it ever did when I was running. "I'm going to shoot you in your leg. I won't kill you, but I can't have you running after me."

Yes, that seemed like the best decision. I could totally do it, just shoot someone and run. And he wouldn't die from it, if I hit the right area. It would just be a little injury but at the end of the day, he would be able to return to his loved ones.

I positioned the gun before his leg, trying to decide which area to hit. My hand was on the trigger, but it shook so much that I couldn't pull it.

The other person was getting closer. I knew I had to shoot, but for the life of me I wasn't able to. It was more than my shaking, my brain just didn't seem to want to release the message to my nervous system.

"I'm going to shoot. I'm-I will shoot you." It was so hard to get the words out. No matter how hard I inhaled and exhaled, I didn't seem to be able to get enough air. Dizziness followed, leading me to constantly shift to avoid collapsing.

I saw the man look up behind me, letting out a breath of relief, when I was lifted off the ground by a pair of big arms. My eyes squinted, Dario's chiseled face coming into perfect view.

He carefully took the gun from my hands with ease, throwing it towards the bald man.

Darkness was beginning to take over. I lost, and knew my consciousness was nearing its end.

Dario's dimple appeared again with the first genuine smile I've ever seen him give. "You feisty little fox. You're gonna keep me on my toes aren't you?"
Everything seemed like a dream. I wasn't sure if those events actually happened, especially when all I saw immediately after was darkness.