11 Loan Shark and Contract

Lucia looked at the thrashed room with a pained expression. Those vase, those frames were the ones her mother loved dearly. "Now, its just a pile of broken glasses." Lucia sighed while gathering the glass pieces in a dust pan.

The man stood on the sidelines looking full of guilt but a little reassured as well.

'First death, then rebirth, then kidnapping, a pervert, a mean jerk and now a loan shark. Am I here just to suffer more?' Lucia felt she had more than enough incident for a day.

"I won't be surprised anymore if a dragon falls from sky or a vampire comes for me." Lucia had long given up her normal understanding of this perverted world. Lost in her thought she accidentally scrapped her finger.

"Oww…" She was brought back to reality with the sharp pain.

"Are you okay?" The man stepped forward showing some concern. He hurriedly brought out the first aid kit. "Give it to me, I will apply them myself." Lucia did not want any connection or relation or even a simple communication with this man considering what had took place.

"Just stay like a dummy that you are in that corner." Lucia pointed to one of the corner of the room. There was clear mockery in her voice. That man still had his male ego at the tip of his nose making him want to hit her but controlled himself.

'She is my golden goose after all. Can't let her get any injuries. I shouldn't hit her.' John silently went in the designated direction while he clenched his fist, his long and dirty nails stabbing his hand as he tried to control his temper.

Lucia was tired as hell and wanted to take a deep sleep. She was waiting for her mother and that wait made her too anxious close her eyes even for a moment. Time and again she looked at the clock on the wall.

It was already almost 4 am in the morning. Still there was no sign of anyone coming.

"How far are they? I mean how far is those Shark's den from here?" Lucia asked the man who was sitting comfortably there in the corner drinking a cup of coffee.

'If only mom was not related with this shit I would have kicked his ass out the door a long time ago.' Lucia felt it was a pity that her mother was unfortunate enough to get acquainted with a guy like this.

"They would probably arrive soon." The man answered neutrally as if this entire loan shark problem was hers and he was just a spectator.

The dam of her self control finally fell down and was about to give the scum bag before her a piece of her mind only to be interrupted by a door bell.

"They are here." Free of worries now, he sat there like a king unaffected by the arrival of the loan sharks. Just a moment and few days ago he was desperately running away and hiding from them but he felt at ease knowing his debt was about to be paid off.

"Go and receive them Lucia."

" Don't order me around." Lucia gnashed her teeth holding herself back from beating him.

She really wanted to kill this mental bastard but she had priorities and reclaiming her mother was above everything else.

Lucia had prepared herself mentally and physically for this important meeting. She had experience dealing with some gangs in a movie she had featured in her past life but movies were just movies after all. She had no real life experiences.

After checking that everything was in its rightful place Lucia took a deep breathe and opened the door with a diplomatic smile. "Please enter. I have been expecting you." Lucia as an actress pulled off this act naturally.

'One, two, three, four and five.' Lucia counted the number of people that had arrived in her head. "Where is my mom?" Lucia did not see her mother anywhere. Lucia frowned slightly.

"Whoa,,chill girl…we are about to bring her. Don't frown at such an early age. You will kill off your beauty that way," The same heavy and hoarse voice replied her.

"That voice?? You are the shark boss, aren't you?"Lucia pointed at him. She glared at the man who had a scarred face with hate prominent in her pitch black eyes.

Who wouldn't hate a rascal that just up and abducted your mom? Lucia was no different.

"You are going to kill me with your gaze missy." The man laughed looking at the murderous gaze of Lucia. He had always been in and out of dangerous situation, facing life and death situation all the time since that was his business afterall. But for the first time he was filled with thrill when given a look with such hatred.

"Aren't you going to invite us in??" They had been talking in the door all this time.

"First where is my mom, don't play jokes here." Lucia stood on her tip toe stretching her neck to look behind the big men who stood like a hill in front of her.

"Not so fast." The man brought out a contract paper. "We need to focus on business first before transaction." He held out the paper smiling leisurely.

"Fine..." Lucia gave in. What else could she do in this situation. Looking at her who was umwillingly compromising he felt a different kind of happiness and satisfaction.

'This is fun.' A thought appeared in his mind.

"Bring the lady up." The man ordered one of his men as he followed Lucia inside the apartment. "Make sure to bring her with respect."

"Ehhh??" The men who was asked to do that almost fell down flat on his face. 'Treating people with respect?? Since when did they do that?? Wait what was respect?' He looked dumbfounded at his boss.

The order of boss is absolute no matter how weird and abnormal it was. "Just do what he said if you want your face and body intact." Another subordinate patted the man before following after his boss.

The atmosphere in the room was cold and dark.

With a table in between and both parties sitting in face to face with each other, the scene looked straight out of a crime scene as if some sketchy deal was thing on.

No one spoke a word. When it came to his work the man also regained back his heartless and cold aura. It was his natural business look though.

Lucia eyed the man gulping down the spit. 'He really is scary.'

"Am I too good looking??" He smirked crooking his eyes.

Lucia rolled her eyes and picked up the contract which was longer than her film and endorsement contracts.

No one spoke anything as Lucia went through each of the detail in contract. Lucia widened her eyes as she read further and further.

"You call this contract?" She wanted to shred it to pieces and slam it right at the face of the man before her.

Lucia was about to execute the first thought and yes she did it. As for slamming it on his face seemed a little too dangerous so she quietly threw it on the table after tearing it up.

"Lucia!!" John who was looking at the progress from a corner yelled at her angrily. "How dare you do that??" He shouted at her. He was clearly angry.

"You just shut up and sit there when I am taking care of the mess you made." Lucy was no longer giving him any respect and spoke rudely.

"Hey, now that you know he is here why don't you sell his organ and get the money to pay debt." Lucia suggested.

" That won't be enough...and I dont feel like doing it when I have more interesting method to get it back." He raised his right eyesbrow in a high arc giving her a suggestive look.

"You...." Lucia picked up the contract and again shredded it in smaller pieces. She finally felt a little satisfied.

"I had expected this to happen." The man laughed and took out a brand new contract.

"You have no choice baby girl." He smiled at her giving her the creeps. "Ahhh..remember one thing..this contract was made exclusively for you so you better be careful this time." His voice was threatening and even more colder.

"But.." When Lucia was about to refute, the door opened and the man who had gone to bring her mother returned.

"Mom.." Lucia hastily stood up almost tripping herself on the leg of the table.

"Lucia.." There were mixture of complicated emotions on het face. Worry, relief, guilt and remorse.

"Now that we are all set why don't you be more reasonable?" The man stopped her on her feet just with his words.

"You will keep your words right??" Lucia picked up the contract. She looked at the cruel man and her mom simultaneously.

"Isn't it a little too unfair for me?"

"This is the best I can offer and trust me I have never been this lenient with anyone else. Just consider yourself lucky." The man answered her seriously.

She looked at his serious eyes.Taking a deep breathe she finally signed her name in the contarct.

"Take this and leave immediately." Lucia threw the contract at him.

Satisfied with the result he got up and decided to leave. "John you are one hell of a lucky bastard." He glared at John who almost pissed himself where he stood in fear.

"The name is Liam, do remember." He glanced at Lucia who stood with an angry eye that could pierce right through his body.

"I don't care and I hope we never meet in future." Lucia slammed the door right in his face.

"My my, too much temper." Liam sighed shaking his head.

"Boss, should we teach her a lesson? She is too obnoxious." One of his men suggested.

"Who are you to do that?" The aura around his body changed making the one who said that shudder in fear. " No one is allowed to have any business with her, am I clear?" His voice became as cold as ice.

"Sorry boss." He apologised. He looked at his boss who almost changed by 180 degree just because of some girl.

Moving towards their den Liam looked out the window lost in his thought. He as a debt collector had a strange feeling since he met the girl called Lucia. It was as if he owed her something. Something even more precious as life itself.

'Feeling indebted to a debter, huh? Now thats ironic.' He laid back on his seat to get some sleep.

Back at the apartment..

"Mom.." Lucia hugged her mother tightly. She finally felt she could relax all her tension.

"Mom, I am sorry for making you worry for all this mom..." She sobbed, her sorrowful tears could break the heart of anyone listening to her.

"Mom is sorry for making you trouble." She slowly patted her back. "What was in the contract?" She asked Lucia who was in her arms.

"Lucia??.." She called her again only to find her sleeping soundly.

"I am sorry my baby..but.." She burst out into silent tears. "You will understand things someday..but for now sleep."

Lucia nodded subconsciously in her sleep drifting into a deep and dreamless sleep.