A DANGEROUS GAME

Mary's heart beat wildly as she strode past the imposing entrance of Ashley's mansion, brushing past the stoic goons who guarded the perimeter. Her eyes darted around the spacious living room, searching for Ashley. "Ashley! Ashley! Come out, we need to talk!" Her voice echoed through the room.

Mason heard the commotion and burst out of his room, gun in hand. He descended the stairs at a breakneck pace, his heart pounding in his chest. When he reached the bottom, he was surprised to see a middle-aged woman standing in the living room, impeccably dressed in a fashionable outfit.

"Who the hell are you?" Mason growled, pointing his gun at Mary.

Mary didn't flinch. "Chris, where's Ashley? I need to speak with her," she demanded, her eyes blazing.

Mason chuckled darkly. "My name's not Chris, lady. And who the hell are you to be demanding to see Ashley?"

Mary felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the cold, hard look in Mason's eyes. She knew she was in trouble. "Please, I need to see her. I'm her mother," she said, her voice trembling.

Mason's eyes widened in surprise. "Ashley's mother, huh? Well, well, well. Looks like I hit the jackpot," he said, grinning wickedly.

Before Mary could react, Mason grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back towards the couch. She felt the cold metal of a gun pressed against the back of her head, and she knew she was in deep trouble.

"Sit down and shut up," Mason snarled, pushing her onto the couch. "You better act like your ass is glued to that chair, lady."

"Please, let me go," she begged him to let her go, but it was too late. She was trapped, and she knew it. Mary trembled with fear as Mason ran up the stairs. She knew she was in the presence of a dangerous man, and she had no idea what he was going to do to her.

***

After several hours of driving, Ashley and the group were all starving and beyond exhausted. Dave finally stopped the car in front of a large mansion with a pristine white interior. The entrance was guarded by a group of menacing-looking gangsters, each with a gun in hand. As they approached, one of the goons approached the car and eyed Dave disrespectfully.

"Who the hell are you?" the goon barked.

"I'm with the mafia queen," Dave retorted, pointing to Ashley, who was sleeping in the backseat with her head resting on Xander's lap.

The goon gestured to the car window where Ashley's head lay. "Roll down the window," he demanded.

As the window opened, the sudden noise jolted Ashley awake. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, confused.

"Who are you?" she asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

The goon approached the window and reached out to touch her face, making sure she was real.

"We've been expecting you," he said, grinning at Ashley.

Ashley raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Expecting me? I don't understand," she replied.

The goon chuckled. "I'm just a messenger. Come on, I'll show you the way." He motioned for them to follow him as he led them into the mansion.

As they walked through the mansion, Ashley couldn't help but feel uneasy. She was surrounded by a sea of gangsters, each one looking at her like a potential threat. Suddenly, they all parted, making way for Carl the leader of the headquarters to walk up to her. Ashley couldn't help but notice the leather jacket he was wearing and the way he carried himself. She had met him on a few occasions, but she didn't like him.

Carl kissed her hand and asked, "Why do you look like you're not at home?"

Ashley hesitated before responding. "I'm not exactly used to being surrounded by gangsters," she admitted, looking around nervously.

Carl chuckled. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you. You're under my protection now."

Before Ashley could respond, Carl's phone started ringing. He excused himself and walked a few feet away to answer the call.

"Hello?" Carl answered.

"Carl, it's Mason," the voice on the other end said.

Ashley's eyes widened as she realized who was on the other end of the phone. She quickly took the phone from Carl's hand.

"Are you working for Mason?" Ashley asked.

"I don't work for anyone, not even you now that your father is dead," Carl replied calmly.

Ashley felt a lump form in her throat as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. She knew that Mason was dangerous and that she needed to be careful around him.

"What does he want?" Ashley asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"He wants to meet you," Carl said. "One on one. He says you need to settle the score."

"Why does he think I want to meet him?" Ashley inquired.

"I have your mother," Mason’s voice came from the other end of the phone. Ashley put the phone to her ear and heard her mother's voice calling out to her in the background.

Ashley's hands balled into fists as she thought about Mason. She had no interest in risking her life for a woman who ruined her childhood and was the reason she had the worst childhood and why she was a sex addict today. Thinking about the awful memories made her hate her mother even more.

"I don't care about my mother," Ashley spat. "You can do whatever you want with her. But leave me out of it."

Mason chuckled. "You're just like your father. It's a shame he's not here to see how much of a disappointment you turned out to be."

Ashley's blood boiled as she heard Mason's condescending tone. She wanted to lash out at him, to scream at him and tell him everything that was going through her mind. But she knew that would only make things worse. She was done speaking her mind and not thinking with her head.

"I'll think about it," Ashley said, her voice cold and distant.

Mason ended the call, leaving Ashley standing there, fighting back tears that were striving to escape her eyes. She couldn't believe that her life had come to this, that she was now being used as a pawn in a game she didn't even want to play.