Chapter 13

"Tanya...Tanya's not safe." He said, before letting out more tears, and Laura could only stared puzzly at him.

"Tell me Daniel, what's wrong with her." Laura's voice came in a whisper as she glanced at sleeping Lila.

Daniel made his way into the house and sat on a couch.

He also glanced at sleeping Lila, before speaking in whisper too.

"She went ahead with the bet, but I followed her there..." He began.

"Oh." Laura blinked.

"Yeah. But then she was caught and has been held captive there. I was shot on both my legs when I tried to help her, before I was sent to the hospital where I got treated. I'm here now but Tanya's not safe."

Laura glanced at his legs, "You should rest too since you're hurt."

"Rest? Laura do you even know what you're saying? Tanya's not okay and you expect me to sit calm."

Laura wanted to speak when they heard Lily's voice from behind.

"Aunt Laura, Uncle Daniel, you're here. Where's Tanya?" She asked rubbinh her sleepy eyes.

Immediately, Lila's eyed flung open, she was really sensitive to Lily's voice.

"Oh no, I fell asleep." She mumbled to herself, sitting up on the couch.

"Any news about Tanya?" Lila asked, staring at both of them.

Laura fidgeted with her hands, not knowing what to say.

"Well, Tanya travelled, and she won't be coming back soon. So I and Laura would be here for you." Daniel finally said.

"Travelled!?" Lila and Lily chorused eyes widened.

"What, that's not possible she couldn't travel without telling us." Lily said.

"Yes, no matter how urgent it is." Lila supported.

"Well, this is quite different, it was a call." Daniel said.

"Then she should have just tell us instead of sneaking out last night through the window." Lila blurted out, before glancing at Lily, who frowned.

"Sneaking out? Tanya snuck out, why didn't you tell me?" Lily said.

"I'm sorry, Lily I didn't want to bother you." Lila apologised, but Lily just scoffed, as she turned back going upstairs.

"Lily, this isn't the right time to get angry." Lila called after her, but got no reply and only shook her head.

"I'll go talk to her." Laura said, going upstairs.

Lila leaned on the couch with a frown, "I can't believe Tanya would do such a thing." She said, before looking at Daniel, "What's with you, why are your legs bandaged?"

"It's nothing." Daniel said, his mind drifting back to Tanya, while Lila only shrugged.

The training grounds of the were ablaze with activity. The sun beat down relentlessly, casting a golden glow over the sprawling complex.

Mobsters-in-training clashed in fierce hand-to-hand combat, their grunts and snarls echoing off the walls. Others sprinted around the perimeter, their footsteps pounding the dusty earth.

In the center of the courtyard, a group of recruits gathered around a makeshift ring, where two burly men exchanged blows. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, blood, and smoke.

To the side, a row of shooting ranges stood, where mobsters honed their marksmanship skills, the crackle of gunfire punctuating the air.

All in all the air reeked of sweat, blood and smoke.

Tanya, was there too, forcibly training with Lucas. According to him this was her new life, she was going to serve as a maid and mobster and call him master.

Tanya stood trembling, her eyes fixed on Lucas's menacing gaze. She clutched the bow and arrow, her hands slick with sweat. The training grounds were a blur around her, the sounds of combat and gunfire fading into the background.

"You're wasting my time, thief," Lucas sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Aim, and fire. Now."

Tanya took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She raised the bow, her arm shaking, and released the arrow. It sailed wildly off-target, thudding into the dirt.

Lucas's expression turned uglier. "Pathetic. You'll never survive in this world with skills like that."

Tanya bit back tears, her frustration boiling over. She tried again, and again, but each arrow flew wide, or short, or completely off-target. Lucas's insults cut deeper with each failure.

As the training session dragged on, Tanya's body ached, her muscles screaming in protest. Her eyes stung from unshed tears, her mind reeling with despair.

Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, Lucas snatched the bow from her hands. "Enough. You're a waste of space."

Tanya crumpled to the ground, defeated, as Lucas sneered at her. "Get up, thief. We're not done yet."

Tanya struggled to her feet, her legs trembling. Lucas gestured to a nearby mobster, a hulking mass of muscle and scar tissue.

"Vinnie, take her through hand-to-hand combat training," Lucas ordered.

Vinnie grinned, his gold tooth glinting. "With pleasure, boss."

Tanya's eyes widened as Vinnie charged toward her. She tried to defend herself, but Vinnie's blows rained down on her like a storm. She stumbled, fell, and scrambled to get back to her feet, unable to defend herself.

Next, Lucas ordered her to the shooting range. Tanya had never held a gun before, and her inexperience showed. She fumbled with the safety, and was unable to pull the trigger.

The sun beat down on her, relentless in its intensity. Tanya's body screamed in protest, her muscles aching, her skin burning.

As the day wore on, Lucas pushed her to her limits. She crawled through mud, climbed ropes, and ran until her lungs burned.

With each failure, Lucas's insults cut deeper. Tanya's confidence shattered, her self-worth crumbling to dust.

As the training session finally drew to a close, Tanya stumbled away, exhausted, demoralized, and broken.

"That was only to test your skills. Be more prepared for tomorrow." Lucad told her as she followed after him and her eyes widened.

As they got to Lucas suit, which had a living room, bedroom, a bathroom and kitchen, he glanced at Tanya, before giving his order.

"Tidy this place up." He said, and Tanya glanced at him, unable to say a word.