Marked by the mob

AUDREY’S POV

The sound of music blasted through my headphones as I lay on my bed, books sprawled out on the mess I made while trying, but failing miserably, to study. I drummed my hands with the pen in between my fingers on my textbook, trying to focus.

Vibrations of my phone rippled through my body, sending a notification as I lay on my bed. Pulling it out, I stared with furrowed brows at the message popping up on my screen.

It was from my father. He never texted me unless it was urgent. Well, that and when he needed me to show off to his business partners.

I was a sophomore at League University, the most prestigious school in our city, majoring in arts. I didn't really have a passion, so I chose something I already was good at, and my father's connections made it easier for me.

Wiping the sweat off my hands on my jean shorts, I swiped up to read the message.

"There's something we need to discuss. Downstairs. Now.”

A cold sweat hung on the side of my forehead as I scrambled out of bed, my mind running wild about what my dad could possibly want to talk to me about. He barely acknowledged my presence, let alone talked to me… especially since the incident.

I huffed, almost jumping out of bed, and tried to clean up my messed-up bed. It wasn't going too well, as the books kept slipping out of my hands. I let out a frustrated sigh and tucked my brown hair, which was hanging in my face, behind my ears.

I hurried downstairs, slightly tugging at my sweater as I headed to the dining hall. I cautiously stepped inside, sucking in a deep breath, and was greeted by the sight of my father. His jawline was rigid, his glare as cold as ever, and the lines on his forehead were more visible now due to his constant need to work all the time. The air around me stiffened, a reaction my father always seemed to have on people.

My eyes trailed towards the hand on his shoulder, leading to a figure lurking behind him. I squinted, trying to make out who it was, but I was only able to see slight details. I figured it was one of his numerous arm candies he brought. He had always been like that even when my mother was alive. It was a petite woman; the extravagant diamond piece on her neck glistened in the dark, and my thoughts were sharply brought back to my father's expressionless face as he cleared his throat.

My eyes shot back to his intimidating figure looming over the spacious hall, but somehow he still managed to make it feel small.

"Audrey..." His cold voice made the hair on my skin stand. "This is my new wife, your stepmother." His hand reached out to the woman on his shoulder, squeezing slowly.

New wife? What the hell is going on right now? To be honest, I wasn't really surprised that my father decided to get a new plaything just three months after my mother's death. It was obvious my father never really loved her, but it still hurt.

My eyes were now fixed on the figure in the shadows, slowly coming out of the comfort of darkness. The guilt in the eyes of the petite woman met mine, and it suddenly felt like the world was spinning.

"Bree?" My voice cracked as I stared wide-eyed at the person in front of me. This has to be some sort of sick joke.

I let out a dry chuckle and shook my head. “This has got to be a joke, right?” I stared at my best friend hovering over my father, hands on each other.

“This is a joke… right, Bree?” I repeated, my voice louder than the first time. But the beautiful blonde just stood there, as speechless as I was.

“Bree!” My tone demanded an answer, making her flinch from the harshness in my tone.

"I'm sorry, Dre." Her eyes fell to the floor, avoiding my gaze, which was now filled with hurt and betrayal.

"Wh... What's going on, Bree?" I could feel my voice slipping with every word. "Why is my father introducing you as his wife?"

She didn't answer; she just stood there like a statue, and I could feel the rage building up alongside the betrayal. "Say something!"

Why? Bree, of all the people in this world—my best friend? When did this happen? How was I oblivious to the fact that my best friend was screwing my dad? No, no, it's not possible.

The breeze that quietly swept by the house suddenly became cold. I shook my head violently, refusing to believe what was happening. The lump in my throat made it harder for me to breathe.

Bree wouldn't do this to me. Not her. Not after everything we've been through and how much we've helped each other overcome. She was right there when I lost my mom. She took care of me when I felt like my whole world was lost. This... this doesn't make any sense.

I took a step toward my friend, and she faded back into the darkness, avoiding me altogether.

"Audrey!" My father's stern voice echoed through the air, and I was frozen. My feet were glued to the ground; I just stood there, speechless.

"Sabrina will be moving in with us... Make sure she is well treated." The latter statement sounded more like a threat.

My father has always been cruel. I just lost my mother barely three months ago, and he's already replaced her… with my best friend. I didn't want to believe this sh*t show unfolding right before my eyes. I knew I didn't have the power to oppose my father's command... I certainly never did, neither did my mother. Every single person in his life bent to his will.

But Bree? How could she do this to me? The person I trusted with everything; we had been friends for ten goddamn years, and she was just throwing everything out the window?

My lungs tightened as I felt the bile rising in my throat, but I held it in.

"That will be all." With a dismissive tone, my father stood up and walked away.

Bree glanced at me briefly before following closely behind him like a dog following its master.

My mind was still trying to understand what had just happened. All my emotions crashed into one another, giving off a pang of pain with every movement: sadness, betrayal, resentment... heartbreak.

I turned on my heels and sprinted toward the front door of my father's mansion. The cold air hit my lungs, and I took a very deep breath, trying to calm my shaking body. The sound of my footsteps grew louder as I quickened my pace against the concrete, running with no destination. I just needed to get out of here.

The breeze wiped away the tears from my eyes with its speed; my lungs burned with every breath I took, but I pushed my legs until they finally reached their limit, buckling under me.

My body crashed hard on the road as I fell, sending a jolt of pain straight up my body. But my aching body was nothing compared to what my heart felt. Pulling my legs to my chest, I cried hysterically on the empty road, the dim streetlight barely illuminating the pavement.

My cries turned into sniffles as I couldn't find my voice; I just stayed there for a while, listening to the low blows of wind. I finally pushed myself off the ground, even though my whole body screamed in agony from the fall.

My life has always been bearable, but this was on another level.

My thoughts were disrupted by a harsh voice at the corner of the street.

"Talk!" I heard the voice of a man, followed by the shallow grunts of another person.

What the hell was that? I quietly walked towards the noise, wedging myself against the musty alley wall. Stretching my neck in the direction of the ruckus, I could hear strained whimpers and the sound of punches landing.

I turned around a corner and found myself at the back of what seemed to be a bar, where two men were mercilessly beating a smaller man who was crouching on the floor, while another man stood to the side with hooded eyes.

“Boss,” one of the men turned to the one leaning casually against the wall, “it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting what we want out of him.”

His hands were covered in what I was sure was blood, as it glistened under the moonlight.

My breath hitched in my throat, and I took a step back; every cell in my body was on alert.

The boss didn’t respond; his hands were in his pockets, and there was an evident frown on his face. It was as if his silence was enough for an answer because his subordinate nodded and pulled out a gun from his jacket.

I let out a silent curse, my eyes widening in shock.

He wasn’t going to kill him, right?

My heart was racing wildly in my chest, my palms sweaty, and I took another step back, careful not to make a noise.

Before I could take another step, a loud bang resonated in the air.

My breath came out shaky, and my eyes went round in horror as I watched the scene unfold before me.

The man with the gun had shot their victim, who was now lying on the ground; crimson red blood was pouring from his temple.

I was frozen to the spot, struggling to breathe. I… I had just witnessed a murder.

Something inside me snapped me out of my shock. I couldn’t be here. They couldn’t know I was here.

My breathing came out ragged as I hastily but quietly took several steps back in an attempt to flee the horrendous situation.

But my feet collided with an empty bottle of soda that I never thought would be there, sending a clattering sound into the thick silence.

Now, three sets of eyes were on me.

If my heart was racing before, now it was galloping. My hands shook at my sides, and without saying a word, I turned around quickly, finally obeying my body’s command to run.

The scattered sounds of footsteps and my own heartbeat ringing in my ears were the only things I could hear. My mind was in shock from what I had just witnessed, and I tried to get away from the scene of the crime.

I heard another set of footsteps following closely behind me. Snapping my head around, I saw one of the men from the alley chasing after me.

I cursed under my breath and pushed my legs to go faster. From the corner of my eye, I saw a warehouse and instinctively ran toward it, it looked like a car shop with cars and machinery. The lights were turned off and no one was there probably because of how late it was. 

I knew I couldn't outrun them, but at least I could hide until help came. Scrambling into the space, I saw cars lined up in rows, and ran further down till I got to the opposite side of the entrance and crouched down beside one of the cars for coverage.

I hurriedly searched my pockets for my phone, my sweaty hands running frantically through