Somewhere in the outskirts of New York City, a crowd gathered around an abandoned playground. The place was deserted with old abandoned buildings in the surrounding but it was the perfect place for such kind of activities.
The crowd was here to spectate the weekly bike races. And not just anyone could attend freely as they wanted. The attendees kind of had a special membership and the invites were sent through encrypted messages. They were highly monitored by the organizers to evade police inspection.
Such chaotic and illegal street races were organized by the biggest mafia gangs in New York such as the Suppression League. And in the Suppression League,this sector was majorly handled by the leader's daughter Zhang Ruoyi famously known by her mafia name Azalea. She chose this name because of her love for azaleas and their significance.Azaleas were not only her favourite flowers but they reflected on her personality. Just like how the flowers were beautiful yet poisonous,Zhang Ruoyi was attractive and charming but behind those desirable qualities she had a potentially harmful nature. She thrived in chaos and violence.
These shady races were run by her and her subordinates. She was known as the pretty she -devil for her pretty face and sly nature. Others even called her the mafia princess.
Right now,a guy with brightly dyed hair,dressed in a tank top displaying tattoos all over his arms sat confidently on one of the superbikes making out with a girl who was holding a gun in her hand. If not making out shamelessly,others were busy smoking,others drinking carelessly while others chatted animatedly in groups. And then there was Zhang Ruoyi ,seated at a secluded spot with his team, silently watching the chaos with a cigarette dangling between her long, slim fingers.
"Alan got into an accident. He won't make it to the race,"Wei Yuan,her trusted aide said when he came back after taking a phone call.
"What about Eddie?"Zhang Ruoyi inquired.
"He got arrested last night."
"What a bummer!" she sighed and took a puff.
"There's no willing to race against Miles. Only those two are worth competing against him,"Wei Yuan pointed out.
"You're wrong,"Zhang Ruoyi deadpanned with a sly smile,"I'm worth competing against him."
"You want to join the race?" Wei Yuan asked worriedly.
"What ? You don't think I can win?"
"It's not that. I'm just worried about your safety."
"No need to get worried. I won't die," she said with a smirk and stood up, stomped on the cigarette then made her way through the crowd to the racing track .
Miles who had been making out with a girl was now chatting with his minions bragging about himself and mocking his opponent for chickening out and not showing up.
Zhang Ruoyi hopped on the blue superbike and slipped a pair of black gloves .
"Alan can't make it tonight so I'll be racing on his behalf,"Zhang Ruoyi said shocking everyone.
She grabbed the helmet and slipped it on then adjusted her position on the bike. The girl who had been holding a gun cleared the crowd from the racing track. She cocked the gun and pulled the trigger firing upwards , signalling the start of the race. The crowd erupted in wild cheers as the two racers competed fiercely against each other.
With each group rooting for either of the two, overlapping chants of the spectators mixed with the revving sounds of the superbikes being ridden in a nerve-wracking speed was discerned in the air.
Miles was some meters in front of the other. Wei Yuan watched anxiously, fearing the fact that his boss was lagging behind. But this was a trick, Zhang Ruoyi used to let Miles lower his guard. When they were near the finish line,she accelerated her bike at once passing the other like a gush of wind and made it to the finish line. The crowd howled happily, cheering at her exuberantly.
"I won,"she said with a proud smirk.
"Miss Azalea I didn't expect that,"Miles said humbly. No matter how he despised his opponents,he always held immense respect towards her. After all, thanks to her races that he would earn large sums of money collected from the bets made by people. Miles used to be a professional street racer but he was suddenly framed and fired and since then he joined the unorthodox kind of racing.
"You did well. You'll get half of the money I won," she whispered to him patting his back gently.
"Thank you miss."
"You're welcome."
Taking the money earned from the race,Zhang Ruoyi left the site with Wei Yuan and her bodyguards.
"Let's go see Alan,"she said in a clear ,firm voice strutting towards where the cars were parked.
××××××××
Wei Yuan drove through the streets and made a stop at a crowded neighbourhood with several storey houses that served as home for most middle class individuals. To avoid attracting attention from nosy neighbours , only Zhang Ruoyi and Wei Yuan went up. The two bodyguards remained in the backseat and would only leave incase of an emergency.
The pretty mafia and her subordinate reached the top most floor where Alan's apartment was. She knocked thrice before the door opened revealing a tall well built guy dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts and a bandaged leg.
"Miss,what are you doing here?"Alan asked in a surprised voice.
"Aren't you going to invite us in?" She asked with a teasing smile and the guy found himself getting flustered.
He immediately stepped aside gesturing them to get in.
"What can I get you? Water?"
"No need. What happened to your leg?"
" Got cornered by some guys in the afternoon and fell off the bike."
"Who were they?"
"Some guys I messed up with in a club a week ago,"Alan said as if it wasn't a big deal. He was a delinquent but not the one who would pick fights deliberately ,rather the one who would fight back when provoked so it wasn't a surprise that someone like him would get into fights.
"I wish you quick recovery. Anyway we're here to give you this,"she said pushing a small briefcase towards him.
He opened it and eyes went wide.
"This is..."
"I raced in your place so I brought half the money."
"I can't take this. I didn't work for it ."
"Stop being so reserved and take it,"she said with finality and stood up to leave.
"Thank you so much,Miss," he said with a lot of gratitude.
××××××××
After leaving Alan's apartment,they all went straight back to the gang headquarters. Zhang Ruoyi headed to her room to clean herself up. She took out her pistol from the jacket she was wearing and placed it on the table,took off her jacket ,black top ,leather pants and her bob cut blonde wig. She loved being a fierce blonde but deep down she couldn't muster the courage to cut her long jet black silky hair so she sought to wear a wig instead.
She treated herself to a bubble bath , playing with the water and admiring herself. After taking the shower she wore her pink nightdress and slipped inside the bedcover hoping to drift to dreamland but the constant ringing of her phone decided otherwise. When such a thing happened it meant that there was an emergency.
"Hello?"
"Young Master has been ambushed," came a hoarse panicked voice from the other end.