Trail of secrets and seduction

Florence Mila Bennet stares at the woman, then at the men holding her little sister, and she tries not to puke. At twenty-eight years old, Florence lives in London, with her younger sister, Zara, it has just been them for the past six years, and Flo has gotten used to their new reality. She is a waiter at a bar and a florist at a flower shop, she makes enough money for them to live comfortably.

Two days ago, Zara got into her dream university, Cambridge in Boston, on an all-expense paid scholarship, the two sisters were filled with joy. Flo decides to give her seventeen years old sister the vacation of her dreams, a week trip to Italy, Sicily, like she has always wanted. Only if she had known that they would be kidnapped the day they get to Sicily.

“I – I don’t know who that is.” Florence whimpers, looking at Zara.

“That is fine, we know who he is, you just have to slip through his security and slit his throat, as simple as that.” The woman smiles at her and Flo sniffs, thoroughly confused.

“I – I do – I can’t kill someone, I have never killed someone in my entire life, I freak out at the sight of a rodent, how am I supposed to kill a man who is the Don of probably the most powerful Mafia in the world. I have money, I have like ten grands in my savings, I can sell my ring, we can pay you, just let us go, please.” She bargains and the blonde woman laughs.

“I have enough money to live my life, Florence, darling. You are a beautiful woman, stunning, the perfect body, full hips – you have power, your body is your power, men will fall at your feet and you will exploit it. Seduction is your tool. I can get my men to let you in, but you will be on your own from there, you only have to run a knife through his throat. Simple, enough.” She beams and Florence stares at her in shock, then she stares at her younger sister and she is filled with so emotion.

Zara was just eleven when their parents died, and Florence vowed to take care of her sister, Zara was a wonderful girl to raise – she is exceptionally intelligent, in more ways than one, surprising her sister every day. Killing a man is hard, and even if she is successful, it will take so much from her soul, but she would gladly give her entire existence for her sister, so she looks at the woman and nods.

“Okay. I need your word that my sister won’t come to harm.” Flo says, fiercely and the blonde woman nods.

“She won’t, I will protect her. Get this done, and leave. The Conti Family are throwing a gala in remembrance of their Patriarch who died a while ago, it is a big and lavish event, they are pulling all the stops. I will get you an invitation, ensuring your easy entry, we will also get you a beautiful dress and a mask, it is a masked gala. You leave now, you have four minutes with your sister, and then, we leave.” The blonde woman claps and Flo gets up, her knees ache from kneeling, but she does not mind, she walks to Zara, and the men walk out, leaving just Zara, the blonde woman and her.

“I’m sorry, we should have stayed in London.” Zara cries and Flo hugs her.

“This is not your fault, neither is it mine. I will come back for you, hold on a bit for me. Bennet stick together, forever.” Flo assures.

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Florence exhales as she walks into the big hall, the ceiling has an illusion, making it appear unending, like the sky, and it takes her breathe away. She is wearing a black long fitted dress, a gold necklace adorns her neck, a gold bracelet, bag and earrings, her black wavy hair is packed into a small bun, with strands on other side of her face. She looks stunning and smells amazing, and oddly, she understands what the blonde woman meant, Seduction really is her tool.

She feels gazes on her, and she ignore it, she ignores every drink too, and politely turn down conversations, she has a goal in mind, and she needs to find him. She finds him standing beside two women, and a shudder goes down her spine at his sight. He is Salvatore Conti, the Don of Camorra Mob, a Mafia lord, and the man she has to kill. She finally takes a glass of champagne, but she does not drink it, instead, she runs her finger through the rim, waiting for him to leave. Suddenly, he looks in her direction, their eyes meet, and she gasps, turning her gaze away. When she looks up, he is gone. Panic fills her and she glance around, she sees him walking away and she follows him as discretely as possible, or so she thinks.

Strangely enough, she encounters no guards and no one stops her as she follows him, that should have been her first red flag, but she follows him, determined to kill him, so she can get her sister back and when he walks into a room, she walks into the room too, and is shocked to see it is a Library. Where is this place? She knows she has a goal, but she walks into the room and through the Library aisles, running her finger through old and new books, this place is magnificent.

She has no experience of the criminal world, so she does not hear him stand behind her, she gasps when she hears a gun being corked.

“Slow and gentle, turn around and turn off your mask.” He says, and she tries not get distracted by the smoothness of his voice, she could die, Zara could die. So, she turns slow and gently, she takes off her mask and he places his gun on her temple.