Chapter 70There was once a man who did his best to shed the ghost of his past and make his way to the top. It was hard for him, I gotta tell you - very hard - but he did it. He got to the top, alright, but he did so slowly, painfully. In all, he had a purpose, a focus, and nothing could shake him. . .Until now.I've lived that man's dreams because that man. . . is me.A feeling of total hopelessness assails me as the image of Hazel eyes becomes smaller, but as I look down and see Maybelline latched onto my hand like a leech, I shake it off because I've got a vendetta to plan and revenge to dish out."Yeah, that bitch totally wasn't worth my time," I say to no one in particular, removing an imaginary speck of dust from the sleeve of my jacket.From the corner of my eyes, I see Maybelline's eyes almost popping out as her hold on my hand tightens. "Do you mean that?"I shrug, affecting an air of bored indiffer
Chapter 71When next I wake, it's to a blinding headache and tight limbs. I can't move to save my life.I've been tied like a fucking tuna fish in a tin.Ropes are crisscrossed all around my body like a snake, from my chest, all the way down to my legs, which are folded up to my chin.It's excruciating. I can hardly breathe. My first thought is of my baby and if she'll survive this onslaught. My second thought is of Tanya and how she felt when she was about to die.Fuck! I'm gonna die.The thought is humbling and scary. It also drives me to panic, but I swallow it down and begin to pray silently, but even that is taxing, so I give up, taking shallow breaths that hardly make it to my throat, and talk more of my lungs.At a point, I'm not able to breathe so I pass out.When next I wake, the ache in my head has reduced to a dull throb, and I don't feel like a tuna fish anymore because, well, because. . . yippee
Chapter 72Setting up a tactical team doesn't just involve specialist marksmen trained in high-tech weapons and tactics - which by the way is a very important aspect - it also involves the operational sector as well as the administrative sector, but then there's the section I like to think is the most important and the one I like to call the think-thank sector.Yeah, I could go in there, guns blazing, geared up to the hilt with high-tech arms, but all that will do is to put Hazel eyes and my baby in danger.I don't want that.So I put together a five-man team, four of them, retired army veterans, for the brawn.A bit excessive, you say, maybe, but very necessary for this mission. I've studied face-impostor, and I think I know how he reasons and where he's coming from. As difficult as it is to admit, I believe he's related to me -probably a distant cousin - which is why we've got similar looks. He's also got an
Chapter 73"ASH THUNDER, IF YOU ARE MAN ENOUGH, COME AND GET HER YOURSELF!" Face-imposter bellows.Rage, like I've never known before filters through me like hot spikes, making goose pimples rise all over my body.Fear, like I've never experienced, slams into me, making sweat pool on my forehead and palms, something that has never happened to me before either.Pity, the crippling kind, wells up inside of me as I see Alicia, head bent at an unnatural angle, pain tattooed all over her face.I don't overthink it.Heck - I don't think at all, I jump up."No, Ash, it's a trap, don't go!" Koldis whisper-shouts, but it's too late as I'm already striding toward face-impostor.I get within five paces of him and splay my hands wide. "Alright, you fucker, leave her alone and take me, I know it's me you want."He darts behind her immediately, keeping the gun pointed at her head, never once letting go of her neck as a smi
Chapter 74ALICIAImmediately we step inside the room, I sweep my eyes across the four corners, but no one is lurking and waiting to pounce on us. I would have relaxed were it not for the hair-raising feeling that someone was watching me, watching us, and waiting for the inopportune time to strike.As I get lost in the thoughts of someone sneaking up on us, I unknowingly step on Ash's sneakers. "S. . . sorry." He grunts but doesn't say anything. I know he feels it too. It pushes me to speak out in a rush. "There's no one here, let's just go."Ash freezes and then turns around slowly. As soon as his eyes land on me, I regret my statement. They look haunted. Yes, I know we've been hunted these past few months, but. . . there's something else in their depths.It's anger. He's angry at my words, angry at me for giving up so soon, for wanting to scurry away like a rat when it senses the cat is close by."You can
Chapter 75ALICIAI'll do it.I'll do it.I'll do it.The words sound on repeat, in my mind, rankling me to no end. It feels like I'm underwater as I turn to face Ash, but he's already looking at me with that damn smirk sitting pretty on his perfect face."Don't you dare!" I say, lifting a finger and shaking my head. "I don't want -""Take her away," Ash says, still looking at me. I know he's trying to tell me, with his eyes that he has to do this, but I don't give a flying fuck for all that male ego bullshit. I just want to get out of here now - with him in one piece - and go home.I feel someone coming close to me, so I whip around. "Don't you dare touch me!" Koldis' head rears back, and he moves a step back from me. He stares at me like I've just slapped him. Not yet, but if he dares lay a finger on me, I just might."Please. . . baby." Ash's pleading tone brings my gaze back to his face, and I shake my
CHAPTER 76ALICIAAny moment now. . .Boom. boom.Any moment now. . .Boom boom.Any moment now . . . I'll be caught and taken home, and then I won't be able to do help Ash not act out my vendetta. I shake my head to rid it of the clouds gathering as my heart beats like it actually wants to pop out. I tiptoe toward the ramshackle building. The gun I'm holding with my two hands in front of me is heavy, a testament to how dangerous what I'm about to do is.Euphoria and anxiety take their toll on me the closer I creep to the building. I stop at the side and lean against the crumbling plaster before looking around. No one is running toward me to stop me, neither do I hear anyone calling my name. My plans are working out. . . so far, but I won't celebrate yet until I'm inside.I take a deep breath and tiptoe to where I believe the room Ash and his twin are fighting it out, then I stop and listen. I don't hear any so
Chapter 77EIGHT HOURS LATER"Alicia, please try to calm down," Koldis says to me for probably the hundredth time, but just like the previous times, I ignore him and continue wearing the floor thin.After what seems like a while but I know can only have been a few minutes, a nurse walks in our direction and I immediately rush to her. "How is he? How is he? How is he?"It's funny how the human mind thinks. Saying words three times or even more will not lend your words a sense of urgency. It will only make the recipient of the questions irritated, like now. A look of annoyance passes over the nurse's face like a shadow, but it's gone in an instant, making me feel I imagined it."He's in surgery, ma'am, and the surgeon is doing his best to remove the bullets from his chest."She tries to pass, but I hold onto her hand as tears pool in my eyes. "Please. . . he's the father of my unborn child." My voice is scrat
Chapter 108"Fuuuuck! Must you place this shit around my neck so tightly?" I ask Night eyes with a frown.Night Eyes rolls his eyes but doesn't say anything except to tighten the tie around my neck like a damn noose. He says I've been acting like a prissy bitch since I woke up this morning and realized it's the D-day. My six trusted men, now my groomsmen, are sitting around dressed up in white tuxedos drinking champagne while I'm sweating buckets inside this suit that's more like a straight jacket than any other thing."Will you get your feet off my precious table, Moro?" I say, tugging on my collar as I eye him from the corner of my eyes.He just smirks and continues sipping on his drink like I didn't just give him an order."Ouch, fuck! What the-? Will you take it easy? My neck's not a damn concrete, Night eyes.""Quit bitching, Ash, anyone hearing you would think you're not dying to get married to Alicia,
Chapter 107 The ride is fraught with tense silence and not even Ash's hand in mind does anything to alleviate the tightness in my chest and the dryness in my mouth. I'm freaking the fuck out. He keeps rubbing circles on my open palm with his thumb trying to soothe me but it's pointless. Getting to the meeting place doesn't take long because there's not much traffic. I look up at the large white building as Ash drives into the driveway and my eyes immediately home onto the bold signboard displayed on the front of the building in red capital letters that reads - THE CAMORRA. "You've gotta be kidding me!" Ash chuckles. "I told you they rule everything in Italy so don't be surprised about that." "I understand that, but they kill, and steal, and-" "Ah, ah, ah! Don't say that to anyone here, Hazel eyes, they rule everything, yes. . ." He nods. "Even the police, so hanging up a big old signboard isn't going to make it less real." My heart sinks, because what he just said is even worse
Chapter 106 When I wake, it's still dark outside and there's no one on the bed beside me. I sit up as panic begins to claw its way inside my chest but when I hear the shower going, I know what happened last night was real and Tanya is alive. Even though I haven't gotten much sleep, I feel energized. I feel happy.We're going to have to face them tomorrow.My heart plummets when I remember Ash's words from the night before. He sat me down and told me there would be reprisals and that I needed to get prepared for whatever the five dons that run the Canmora will do. He was a bit evasive about what the reprisals were but I don't need to be a rocket scientist to know it has to do with shedding blood.I'm petrified as his words wash through me but as soon as the door to the bathroom opens, I shake it off and paste on a smile as Tanya comes back inside the room. Her blonde hair is wet and longer than I've ever see
Chapter 106The ghost of Tanya doesn't float toward me as I initially thought, she walks toward me instead, smiling mischievously exactly the same way Tanya used to when she was alive. I blink repeatedly but she's still there, still smiling, and still looking at me."T.... Tanya?" I say once again, noting the tremor in my voice.Tanya's ghost smiles wider. "Hi, sis."Instead of fainting, as most women would, I let out a piercing scream loud enough to wake the dead. A hand snakes around my waist and it takes a few seconds for me to realize Ash is speaking to me.". . . relax, it's alright, please."I focus on his face as his words finally break through my consciousness. "Is. . ." I lick my dry lips. "Is her ghost still there?""I'm right here, sis." Tanya's ghost says from right behind me.This time, I'm not able to take it as the cold hands of oblivion wrap around me and enfold me in their arms.*". . . going
Chapte 105 Ever since I was kidnapped, I had slept fitfully, always keeping an eye open for when Rita and her minions would come to torment me. Not that it would stop her - no, but at least I would be somewhat ready. Now that I'm free, I feel a sense of peace steal through me as the hum of the car engine wraps around me. Soon, I few my eyes close as the movement of the car lulls me into a deep sleep. I don't know what wakes me up but the car has stopped and Ash is coming down. I blink repeatedly to remove the vestiges of sleep still clinging to my eyes and cloudy head before I come down from the car and look around. What I see in front of me gives me pause for thought. It's a plane. Ash is standing in front of it shaking a man's hand as he nods to something he's saying. He turns to me and beckons for me to come over. My legs feel a little wobbly from being cramped up in the same position for goodness knows how long but I manage to walk over without falling. Ash introduces me to the
Chapter 104Ash carries me up the stairs and doesn't let go, even when I tell him I'm okay and can walk, still he doesn't allow my feet to touch the ground. I try to tell him that carrying me - bridal style - will only slow us down but he's not having it.He's fast on his feet, I must admit but that niggling fear is sitting pretty on my chest once again and not allowing me to breathe well. As soon as we get up the stairs and into a hallway, he slows down and looks left and right. His eyes have gone keen and sharp and I don't need to be told we're both in danger. If they see him carrying me out of here, we're both dead.At least I will be.The scorned woman will forgive Ash. . . maybe.I watch his face as he watches the surrounding before moving stealthily. I feel his muscles flex and bunch as he carries me. His strides eat up the floor as he moves toward a door at the far end. I slide my eyes from his face an
Chapter 103I don't know how long I've been kept in this basement. I can't really say for certain, but what I do know is that I've been tortured with icy water that was dunked on me. I've been slapped around and beaten within an inch of my life. I've almost been raped but the scorned woman said she didn't want any of her men to touch me so I could be tight enough for all the men I would get to sleep with at the brothel I will be taken to eventually.The funny thing is, with every taunting word, every action, and every little thing I go through, I grow more hardened, more determined to live. If this is how people are reborn into criminals, then I'm going to be a living example and I'm not backing down. The scorned woman comes to see me every day expecting me to grovel and beg for freedom as well as for my life, but when she sees the blazing fire in my eyes and the determination, it only drives her around the
Chapter 102"She did WHAT?" My voice screeches on the last word and it's all I can do not to throw a hissy fit.Fuuuuuck!"I warned her! I told her about the danger of leaving this house. Does she even know what will happen to her if Dominatrix gets her hands on her?"Clarissa is practically wilting at my outburst. I know I shouldn't take it out on her but it was her responsibility to try to keep Hazel eyes here at home, where she belongs."Tell me once again what happened and don't even leave anything out." I sit on the bed and listen as Clarissa stammers her way through."We. . . I m. . . m. . . mean she-"Someone bursts into the room without knocking and I don't need a crystal ball to let me know it's Night Eyes. He must have been informed by Hilda about my roaring 'cause that's all I've been doing ever since I came home an hour ago. It's fucking two in the morning and Hazel eyes isn't at home. I had to he
Chapter 101It takes me a few seconds to realize I'm swaying - not like a pendulum - but it's a movement not caused by me.It takes me another few seconds to realize I'm unable to move my limbs- what the fuck?It takes me yet another minute to notice everywhere is dark and that I'm blindfolded. That's when the stark realization hits me in the chest -Not again. . .I've been kidnapped.I begin to thrash against the bindings holding my hands hostage at my back and those at my legs. My only joy is that my mouth is not bound, so I open it and scream, but even that is fleeting when I feel the solid nudge of something against my temple.It's a gun. It has to be a gun."One more word out of your pretty mouth and I'll pump lead into your head. Nod if you understand me."I nod immediately and a small sense of relief flits through me when the weight of the gun against my head is removed. I close my eyes, even though I'v