Chapter 1 : Curious

-Jessica's Pov-

Inhaling into the scent of the baking bread which was flooding out and filling the street, I entered inside Doughy Delights.

The air inside was a clean, slightly sweet, yeasty aroma that somehow smelled warm, like you were inhaling a blanket on a cold winter day, contrasting with the cozy inside with the outside busy environment.

I hung my coat on the rack before running towards the counter.

I was late.

Well no.

I was again late.

There was a noticable crowd in the bakery given the fact that it was the breakfast time.

My stomach grumbled with a reminder to feed it, there was every type of delicacy that any person with a little sweet tooth would crave and savour down.

But well that's a every day thing.

I could see the manager sending me glares from her chair, making me bit my lips with nervousness as I looked down at my feet.

She's surely going to penalize me this time. I had been coming late for consequent three days and I was sure she's going to do something about it.

I hastened up the process of wearing the apron but kept on missing to make the knot at my back.

Maybe because of those continuous glares she was subjecting towards me.

She had this pair of sharp pointed eyes which were capable of sending shivers down my spine.

Her behaviour with me was always rough but hell, I do deserve it.

Is she going to fire me ?

But I need this job. I had my rent and food to take care of and this is the least I could do anyway.

"Let me help you," I was startled with the sudden voice as I was focussing too much on Kiara, my manager I guess.

I looked at my side to find James, another staff member of the Bakery with a sunshine bright smile on his face. He almost looked like a model with attractive aqua blue eyes and natural dark hair.

Making me always wonder what was he even doing here ?

He could actually try in modelling !

Only if I was that attractive !

I would have tried all ways to get into modeling and kick behind this lifestyle.

But his acts at times were really suspicious to me. He would keep looking around like alerted meerkats and then sneak away behind the Bakery.

I did try to follow him sometimes but well he was good at getting camouflaged along the silent lanes.

Shifting my focus from my thoughts replied with a little thanks before he tied the apron and returned to his place on the serving counter with a little nod and a gentle pat on my back.

I sighed before going and standing beside the blonde haired guy whom I didn't really know much.

I was an extreme introvert leaving me with no friends at all.

I don't really blame them.

Why would they want to be with a poor and ugly twenty year old, who was thrown out of her foster house for requesting them to let her study ?

I shrugged those thoughts off before picking up one of the choux pastries to fill them up with the vanilla cream and kept them on the service rack.

I was engrossed in my work until Madam Kiara's voice startled me.

"Jessica I want you to come here," I heard her stern voice.

I could feel all those nerves coming back in me as I stopped the work I was doing.

I could notice most of my fellow staff members passing me a sympathizing look from over my shoulders.

"Yes Madam," my voice came out in form of a little meek tone as I kept smoothing out my apron.

"So what happened today ? You already ragged clothes got torn or was your door jammed again ?" She told in her stern yet low tone while still looking down at some documents.

Her voice was low but it was enough to gather up a little crowd, people were staring at me while enjoying their delicacies and as well as my embarrassment.

Though this wasn't new.

Madam Kiara would on and often humiliate me in front of her customers and staff for any small reason because she knew I was desperate for this job.

I could feel my face gaining its crimson hue due to the sudden humiliation . I stood there silently as I had no valid reason to justify my action.

I am not really an early riser and having no phone makes it even more difficult to keep update on the time and even the date.

"You have to clean each and every part of the shop today as per the compensation for breaking the rules in here, because asking you to pay up your compensation will land you on roads," Madam Kiara laughed out loud enough to now gather up a large amount of attention.

I could feel my cheeks hurt as I tried to stop my tears from flowing.

This was a regular part of my routine but one could never really get used to their own humiliation, could they ?

I just nodded with my head low, my long red hair doing a good job in hiding my face away from the mocking world.

I did not want anyone else to see me in this condition.

Nor did I want to meet the eyes of who would just have pity for me.

Pity and sympathy was something I never wanted. I had been thrown away my own biological parents which has left me as an item of sympathy for people.

I silently went towards the area where all the cleaning equipments were kept.

I picked up the necessary items that I would need and started my job.

Even this was better than having to lose my job. At least I could have a shelter above my head and a loaf of bread.

I could find my colleagues occasionally glancing at me and some others just ignoring it as a regular event.

I could feel my stomach hurt with hunger after I finished cleaning the entire shop.

It was almost afternoon now and I did not even eat a little piece of food.

I sighed as I kept the equipments back in its regular place before I moved out of the bakery to wash my face and hands.

The staff members had to use a different restroom for Madam Kiara believed that all her customers were from elite class and we were poor and did not deserve to share the same place to relieve our selves.

I just simply rolled my eyes as I washed my hands.

I stretched myself out a bit to release the tension in my arms due to the work I had to do.

That's when something unusual but common caught my eyes.

Someone was yet again walking down the lanes while looking back to confirm that they were not being watched.

I hid myself behind the large wooden logs that were piled up to be used for the winter nights.

It was James.

I decided to follow him this time.

I have tried this a couple of times but failed every time but this time I really wanted to know.

Curiosity got the best of me and I followed him as silently as I could.

I looked at him suspiciously while hiding behind the tree as he glanced towards his sides, he seemed to be impatient as he continuously glanced at his wrist watch.

I could feel my palms sweating and heart beating faster in anticipation of what was going to happen.

That's when I saw a blonde haired guy with a week frame and lowered head coming towards James. He was almost shivering and at the same time his body was shining due to sweat.

James looked almost totally different from what he was back in the bakery.

His face had a mocking smirk in place of his usual jolly smile.

My blue rover orbs almost widened up like saucers as James pulled out a pocket gun and aimed at the weak looking guy.

I could feel my blood pressure almost rising up to a limit where I might pass out due to the shock.

I wanted to shout and stop James but nothing was coming out of my mouth. I almost felt as if I was glued in that position.

In a swap of seconds James pressed the trigger of the gun with a devilous laughter as I felt stream of hot tears gush down my eyes.

I just witnessed a murder and did absolutely nothing about it !

I put my hands over my mouth to stop myself from screaming out. I just wanted to run back to the bakery right now. My entire body shook with the shock of the incident that I just witnessed, my legs glued to the ground making it difficult to move for me.

I turned my back to run but was stopped by his words.

Those life threatening words.

"You are the next prey little Red Riding Hood," I heard James calling out my death with a low chuckle.

"No No P-please I-I want to l-liv-e...," I begged in my broken stammering voice.

"Why not beg properly little girl," James asked towering me before shoving me to the floor by my shoulders.

Was he the same person who always helped me in the bakery ?

I had never done this.

Never ever did I break or bow in front of anyone.

But I had to do this for my life.

I did not wish to die.

Not like this.

I was about to do as he commanded when another Smooth Hoarse Manly voice interrupted in between.

"What are you doing James ?"

I could see that James's facial expression almost resembled a frown at the interruption of the other man.

"Carl this girl got in between my job and watched the murder of that skeleton," James told pointing towards me and then at the dead body of the blonde guy.

So his name was Carl ?

The other man seemed to have found my little stunt funny as he gave out a hearty laugh.

"I will take this Carrot Top," he casually stated as if I was a item on sale.

Carrot top ?

"But I saw her first Carl. You can't take her away from me," James argued as if I was his girlfriend.

My fucking life was at stake and this two guys were looking at each other as if it was nothing serious !

I could feel my gut rumble and the feeling of nausea hitting me with the inability to scream or shout.

"W-ho w-ho are y-ou ?" I asked them in a meek tone to which the other guy with sparkling hazel eyes leaned down to hold my shoulder's.

"We are the Mafia's little Carrot Top and you are welcome to this world," both the men laughed before he again pushed me down to the concrete road.

You have to be fucking kidding me !

Mafia's ?

I thought they were just fictional or at least much much away from my world.

How could I get myself into this mess !

I took the opportunity of them conversing with each other as my cue to run from this.

I got up and tried my best to run away before the other guy caught me from my neck and pulled me against him harshly before twisting my hand behind my back in a painful grip.

"You arn't allowed to run away little Carrot Top," he whispered dangerously close to my lips before picking me up on his shoulders.

Wait wait.

What was even happening to me ?

I could feel the time running faster than usual. I tried kicking and punching to get myself out of his hold but James just came with ropes and tied my legs and hands, he even shoved a piece of clothing in my mouth, before the other guy threw me into the back of the car, before passing me a guilty look.

"You can't escape little Carrot top. You are gonna be my own little Hottie."

I felt tears of disgust and fearfulness flowing from my eyes as I realized that I was trapped.

Trapped between the Mafia's.

My curiosity took away my freedom.

It landed me in the world of Mafia's, where I became the only one thing I never wanted to become.

A bed warmer.

Or in his words. The Mafia's Hottie.