Prologue (Gangsters in Love)

Prologue

The mailbox hinge squeaks open as I dig inside.

Bumping his head against my hip, my dog Seymour gets tangled up in his leash.

He's still fired up after his afternoon walk, snuffling around for interesting scents.

MC: "Let's see... Bills, bills, junk mail... Oh!"

A large postcard stands out among the rest of the usual, addressed to me.

I head inside and lock the door behind me.

Tossing everything else aside, I take a closer look at the postcard.

MC: "Aw, look, Seymour! It's from Mom and Dad."

I bend down and show my dog.

He sniffs it curiously before sneezing.

MC: "Dear . Having loads of fun on our vacation."

MC: "Hope you stay safe, and remember to always keep your chin up!"

MC: "Hmm?"

I check the back of the postcard.

MC: "That's it?"

Well, if I were on vacation, I wouldn't put too much effort into writing either.

Putting the postcard in my pocket, I hum tunelessly to myself and start making dinner.

For the past few days I've been house sitting for my parents while they're away.

(No cup ramen while you have a designer stove to work with, kid!)

MC: "Any requests, Seymour?"

He yawns once and curls up in his favorite spot under the kitchen table.

MC: "All right, pasta it is."

It's far too quiet here by myself, so I flick on the TV and set the volume on full blast.

She is watching "The Helen Show."

One of my favorite talk shows is on. Today it looks like they have a guest from the FBI.

Interviewer: "So Mr. Estrada--"

Mateo: "Please, call me Mateo."

He gives the interviewer a winning smile, and she laughs.

(I don't blame her. I wonder if all feds are this handsome?)

Interviewer: "So Mateo, could you please tell us more about the situation with gangs in our city?"

Mateo: "Gang activity has been on the rise lately,"

Mateo: "but the authorities are doing everything they can to keep everyone safe."

Mateo: "The best thing for our lovely viewers to remember is to be aware of their surroundings."

Interviewer: "I'm sure our viewers are relieved to know that we have people like you protecting us!"

Mateo: "I'm more than happy to be of service."

(Yikes, gang activity!)

(I can't even imagine how terrifying that might be to get caught up in all that!)

As the interviewer starts to ask more questions, I hear the water begin to boil on the stove.

And glass, shattering in the living room!

MC: !!!

Startled, I turn off the TV and freeze in place, listening for anything else.

Something heavy drops onto the carpet.

Footsteps.

(Oh my god!)

???: "Sweep the house. Leave no stone unturned."

(Am I being robbed?!)

Blind with panic, I turn to try and escape out the back door only to see it wide open,

and a masked man standing squarely in the center of the frame.

MC: "Ahhh!"

???: "Hey, don't move!"

He unholsters a gun, pointing it directly at me.

Henchman: "Boss, we found somebody over here!"

There's a steady drumbeat of footsteps, multiple people filing into the kitchen.

Gangster: "The daughter, looks like. She might know something."

(Know something? About what?)

A. "There's a safe in the garage!"

B. "What's going on?"

C. "The police are on their way!"

---

B. "What's going on?"

My mouth is dry, my whole body trembling.

But if I don't find a way out of this, I'm dead meat.

(If I know what they're after, maybe we can negotiate?)

MC: "I... I don't know what's going on."

MC: "M-maybe if we all calmed down..."

---

The man with the gun shouts me down.

Henchman: "Shut up! We're the ones asking the questions."

The leader kneels down in front of me. I can only see his eyes, twinkling with mirth.

Gangster: "Tell us where your parents are."

My throat tightens.

MC: "Wh... what?"

Henchman: "That's all we need to know. Easy. Right?"

Not saying anything, I bite back a scream when the man touches my face,

roughly jerking my chin up so I'm forced to look into his eyes.

Gangster: "Wreck the place."

At his order, I hear a heavy grunt accompanied by shattered glass.

The men start overturning furniture, destruction raging through the whole house.

Under the table, Seymour looks just as scared as I am.

The second someone overturns the whole wooden frame, he's out like a shot,

running out the back door and far away.

(Some guard dog!!)

Henchman: "Now, let's try again. Your parents?"

MC: "I swear, I don't know where they are!"

Gangster: "You're making me very angry, little girl. Don't make me--"

A sharp pop roars, nearly deafening me.

Recoiling back, the masked man shouts in pain, clutching his hand to his chest.

Henchman: "Arrghh!"

(Who is it?!)

???: "Nobody move!"

I freze just as I turn to see who is standing at the doorway.

I expect to see a squadron of policemen in uniform coming to my rescue.

Instead, a man walks in, pistol outstretched--

Chase appears.

impeccably dressed, beautiful, and at east amidst the chaos.

He turns to me.

???: "Stay still if you don't want the next one in your skull."

Pulling out his gun, the masked leader backs away cautiously towards the kitchen.

Gangster: "Chance Valentine! I should have known it would be you, you son of a--!"

Another man comes barrelling through the doorway like a bat straight out of hell.

Yoshimitsu appears.

???: "I got this one, Chance!"

He moves almost quicker than I can see,

hand whipping out to grab the masked leader by his wrist and aim the gun away.

Chance: "Yoshimitsu, watch it!"

Three shots fire in the air before the fiery young man brings his knee to the gang leader's stomach.

Gangster: "Oof!"

Yoshimitsu: "Waving that gun around makes you feel like a real man, huh?"

Once the masked man is bent over in pain, Yoshimitsu draws out a solid steel blade,

slamming the blunt edge down on the back of the man's head, knocking him out cold.

(Who carries around a sword?!)

Yoshimitsu: "You can't even take a punch!"

He throws the man down onto the floor like he's discarding a piece of trash.

Chance: "Yoshimitsu. I told you to take care of the others."

The man named Chance scowls deeply, but in repsonse the other man just shrugs.

Yoshimitsu: "I already did. And then I got bored."

Yoshimitsu: "Besides... You gotta get up close and personal to make sure the job gets done."

Chance: "Oh yeah?"

His partner dusts himself off before showing off his sword.

Yoshimitsu: "I have this!"

Chance: "This again. And you call me lucky."

Chance: "It's literally a miracle somebody hasn't shot you yet."

Yoshimitsu: "It's a miracle nobody's smacked the smartass out of you yet."

Yoshimitsu gives me a once-over, before a sudden grin lights up his face.

Yoshimitsu: "Hey, don't look so scared. Isn't this an exciting way to end the party?"

Stammering, I'm torn between gratitude and renewed fear.

MC: "I don't understand what's happening."

Chance: "You don't need to understand. Just stay quiet unless spoken to, and keep our of my way."

Chance: "No sudden moves unless you want to end up like him."

Chance gestures to the masked man, lying prone on the floor.

Sheathing his sword, Yoshimitsu shrugs again.

Yoshimitsu: "Hey, easy, Chance. She might be able to help us if we're a little friendlier."

Yoshimitsu strides towards me with an easy grin on his lips.

Yoshimitsu: "After all, this is the girl in the picture with our targets."

Reaching into his wallet, he unfolds one of my family photos.

To my alarm, I see my parents' faces, circled in red.

Chance: "Their daughter?"

Yoshimitsu: "Let's take her and get her out of here before their backup arrives."

Chance grabs me by my upper arm, attempting to drag me along without another word.

A. N-no, I just house sit!

B. Resist!

C. Go along with it!

---

B. Resist!

MC: "Stop!"

By some miracle, he does what I say, looking down at me with a cold expression.

---

Chance: "You really wanna die that badly?"

MC: "I know I'd rather die than go with you!"

That makes him smirk.

Chance: "You know that's not a figure of speech in this scenario, right?"

Chance: "I'm offering you protection."

MC: "From what?"

Chance: "These guys."

He gestures again to the man on the floor.

Chance: "They tore up your house to make your attempted kidnapping look like a robbery gone wrong."

MC: "..."

MC: "Just..."

I shake myself free of his grasp.

MC: "Just... stop touching me."

Chance: "Fine. Follow me."

Swallowing nervously, I do as he says.

The man named Yoshimitsu walks behind me as we escape through the ruins of the front door.

Two unfamiliar cars are parked ouside my house.

One I can only assume belongs to the first intruders, and the other...

Yoshimitsu: "Hey Ash, thanks for the backup in there, huh?"

A man stands in front of a sleek black car, bending down to pet Seymour.

My dog wags his entire body at the attention, threatening to ruin the man's tailored suit with his slobber.

Ash: "..."

His eyes glance over me, disinterested.

Quick as a whip, his hand darts down to draw a pistol with a long silencer attached to the end.

MC: "Ah! Don't--!"

The shot is muted, a small pop, and behind me I hear a cry of pain.

Ash: "...Looks like you missed one."

The three of us whirl around to see the last of the intruders sprawled out on my front lawn.

MC: "Oh my god."

(I-is he...?)

Yoshimitsu: "That's what we pay you for."

Ash: "I guess someone has to clean up your stragglers."

Yoshimitsu opens the backseat door for me.

Thinking he's going for a trip, Seymour hops right inside.

MC: "Seymour, get out of there!"

Ash turns to me.

Ash: "Your dog's well-trained. Is he coming along?"

I stand stock still, refusing to enter.

MC: "Will you... promise to explain what's going on?"

Yoshimitsu: "Well, I..."

And then, I notice a group of heavily armed men approaching the back of the house.

Yoshimitsu: "Looks like they had more backup than initially expected!"

Uttering a growl of frustration, Chance kicks out the back of my knees,

and sends me sprawling into the backseat.

MC: "Hey!"

Chance: "We don't have time to coddle her."

Yoshimitsu: "Agreed! Let's go, Ash!"

Ash starts up the car as Yoshimitsu leaps into the passenger side.

Chance gets into the back seat with me. His cold eyes pierce me right down to my soul.

(Definitely no angel.)

Twisting in his seat, Yoshimitsu grins, a wicked glint in his eye.

Yoshimitsu: "Aren't you glad you came with us, now?"

(Those men... I hope they don't tear up the place too much more.)

MC: "I don't know if 'glad' is the right word."

Minutes of tense silence pass us by,

Chance all but ignores me in favor of staring out the window.

In the glass reflection I can see his forehead pinching in deep thought.

His lips, expressive even when angry, form a tense line.

MC: "So... who are you guys?"

Chance doesn't turn to face me.

Yoshimitsu: "Go on. Take a guess."

Yoshimitsu: "Who in this town could get away with the things you just saw?"

(Oh, no. I don't believe this...)

MC: "You're... you're with a gang."

MC: "And the men who attacked my house..."

Yoshimitsu: "Paid the cops to turn a blind eye."

Ash: "Yoshimitsu..."

Ash sounds cautious, looking like a dog with his hackles up.

Yoshimitsu: "What, you want me to lie to the girl?"

Ash: "You're making her a witness."

MC: "I won't say anything about this to anyone, if that's what you're implying!"

I can see Ash's grip tighten on the steering wheel, but he stays quiet.

MC: "But can someone please, pleae just tell me what's going on?"

Chance: "Here's the long and short of it."

Chance: "Your parents have made some powerful enemies."

MC: "Mom and Dad?! But they're not anybody important! There's no way you have the right people!"

Ash: "I'm sure that's what they wanted you to think."

Yoshimitsu: "They left you to save their own skin."

Chance deigns me with a single once-over, eyes scanning me like a jeweler with a new piece.

Chance: "You're the only link to them. So that makes you the next viable target."

I'm stunned into silence.

(That's impossible...)

I don't know what to say, what to think.

Seymour rests his head on my lap, tail waving slightly.

Fighting back tears, I hold him to my chest and bury my face into his fur for the rest of the ride.

Yoshimitsu: "Oh great. I hate it when girls cry."

Ash: "..."

Hours later, we arrive at a side of town I'd only seen in gossip rags and the movies.

(I guess crime does pay.)

After we pass though several gates, we arrive at a sprawling estate.

The private road rolls over green hills big enough to build a golf course on -- or graze cattle, maybe.

We pull up to the front of an opulent mansion, all the lights on and the main doors already open.

Ash: "Did one of you leave the doors unlocked again?"

Yoshimitsu: "Must've been Aurora."

Yoshimitsu: "With how tight she holds on to her money, you'd think she'd be more careful."

MC: "Is Aurora your boss?"

A few chuckles ripple through the air.

Chance: "No."

Chance leans over me, his face uncomfortably close as he unlocks the back door.

Chance: "No one is the boss of me."

Wanting to get away from him, I exit as quick as I can.

Seymour leaps out as well,

weaving around the front lawn with his tail whipping so hard it might fall off.

Chance: "Keep that huge dalmation away from me."

MC: "Seymour is a harlequin great dane!"

Ash: "I'm on it, don't worry."

Ash gives a sharp whistle and, to my shock, Seymour lopes right over to him and sits at his side.

(I want to protest, but... he doesn't seem to be in danger.)

Taking in my surroundings, I become aware of just how isolated and vast this place is.

(He's probably safer than I am.)

The mansion looms over me.

It gets even bigger as Yoshimitsu leads me through the front doors, and into noe of the inner rooms.

It looks like a private casino and bar, fully stocked, and completely empty.

Yoshimitsu: "Oh, nice! Aurora finally restocked the bar."

The men spread out, relaxing and letting some of the tension in their soulders.

Everyone but Chance.

(Home sweet home, I guess. Do they all live here?)

Yoshimitsu: "So what now?"

Chance: "Wait for the others. Then we can figure out how to deal with her."

MC: "..."

???: "Chance! Home already?"

A melodic voice draws my attention to one of the doorways.

A woman enters the private room, her suit just as sharp and perfectly tailored as Chance's.

Ash: "You left the front door wide open again, Aurora."

The woman rolls her eyes.

Aurora: "Who cares?"

Ash: "I care."

Aurora: "Okay. Let's assume some interpid thief makes it all the way here..."

Aurora: "without knowing who this area belongs to."

Her lips pout, for just a moment, before a sliver of ice works its way into her voice.

Aurora: "And then this talented, lucky individual walks right into our den..."

She opens her jacket briefly enough for my eyes to glimpse what looks like a shoulder holster...

Aurora catches my eye, the warmth returning to her voice.

Aurora: "Oh don't worry, darling, looking is free."

Flustered, I avert my gaze.

(Well, someone has a high opinion of herself!)

Chance: "Aurora, paws off this one."

Aurora: "You always say that."

Chance: "I mean it this time."

Aurora: "You keep talking, but all I hear is a challenge."

MC: "I... I'm standing right here, you know."

That makes Aurora stand a little closer, her palm resting reassuringly on my shoulder.

Aurora: "Of course, dear. I'm just teasing."

Aurora: "My name is Aurora. But if we're going to be friends, you can call me Rory for short."

Aurora: "And you are?"

Suddenly, the door opens again and I blink a few times to make sure I'm not dreaming...

as Irving Monroe, a celebrity lawyer who's always on TV, enters the room.

Irving: "She's 's daughter."

Aurora's eyes widen a fraction, and she looks me over with renewed interest.

Irving: "I'm right, aren't I? You're  ?"

(Is this guy in their pocket? I thought he worked with celebrities, not... criminals!)

Hesitantly, I nod and Irving laughs.

Irving: "Excellent. I'm Irving Monroe, but I'm sure you've heard of me."

Aurora's eyes linger on me, but in a different way than before.

Aurora: "How interesting. I thought she was just Yoshimitsu's new toy that I could borrow."

Irving: "Nope. She's valuable. So keep your idle hands busy before they get you into trouble."

Aurora just sighs, her lower lip thrust out in a pout.

Aurora: "Of course the lawyer is the one with the compelling counter argument..."

Irving: "Hey, it's what I do."

Yoshimitsu: "Or if you just stopped stealing my girlfriends..."

Ash: "Let Aurora have her girls."

Chance: "The point is we have her, now."

Chance: "So now we need to figure out what to do with 's kid."

MC: "I have a name!"

I direct it to all these people who had come into my life, and yanked the rug right out from under me.

MC: "It's <MC> <LastName>!"

Standing by the bar, Ash pours himself a drink.

Dark, honey brown bourbon spills into his glass as he idly pets Seymour with one hand.

Ash: "This one's gonna be a wild card."

Aurora: "I certainly hope so."

Sighing, Chance leans over one of the pool tables, pressing his palms against the green.

Chance: "Listen."

I cross my arms to hide how bad they are trembling.

Chance: "Until things settle down, you're gonna be under our protection."

Chance: "That means you need to keep quiet and do what we say."

MC: "...Or else?"

Irving: "Or else we decide you're not worth the trouble, and we let our rivals take you."

Aurora: "She's just a slip of a girl. How much trouble could she be?"

I allow myself a small glimmer of hope,

glad to know the only other woman in the room seems to be in my corner.

Until that thread of pure, sweet ice hits her voice again and she regards me with a thin smile.

Aurora: "Besides, we could just chain her up in the basement if she misbehaves."

(Of course. Nobody who works in this gang would be as nice as they seem.)

Chance: "All of you, quiet."

Chance: "We want her cooperative, true, but we can't let her have free reign or she'll take off."

The leader of the gang stares me down, calculations running in his head.

Chance: "One of us has to watch over her. It's as simple as that."

Irving: "Babysitting? Really?"

Chance: "We can't trust anybody on the outside, not with this."

Yoshimitsu hums in thought, but he nods in agreement.

Yoshimitsu: "Chance is right. It has to be one of us."

Aurora: "So which one of us should it be?"

Irving: "Count me out. Unlike the rest of you, I have a real job to consider."

Aurora: "But it might be good for you to be seen with a woman now and again, Monroe."

Irving: "So the tabloids have even more reason to dig into my life? Not a chance."

Ash: "..."

Ash pauses to consider his words before looking straight at me.

Ash: "We'll need her alive."

Aurora: "You're just saying that because she's cute."

Yoshimitsu: "Like you weren't the one eyeing her since the second she walked in."

MC: "Do I get a say in this at all?"

Chance: "No."

Yoshimitsu: "Yes."

They speak at the same time.

They regard each other... and Chance relents.

Chance: "That's probably more fair."

Chance: "If I don't pick, none of you can accuse me of trying to punish you."

Aurora laughs, the sound rich and dark.

Aurora: "Or of favoritism."

Irving: "Hmph."

From the bar, Ash mumbles over the rim of his bourbon glass.

Ash: "...Choose."

(Choose a gangster?! But who could I possibly choose?)

I'm stuck in a den of devils, and no matter which one watches over me,

I'm trapped here until they decide to let me go!

(Maybe, if I play along, I"ll be able to escape...)

Fooling one person is easier than running from a whole pack of dangerous, armed mobsters.

(And maybe I can find out what's really going on with my parents.)

Taking a deep breath, I decide.