I really feel for Maria but I'm so glad she is pushing through π₯Ί
MariannaThere hasn't been much difference lately, except the fact that I could feel my tummy getting bigger and bigger. Afterall he wasn't lying about me being pregnant.He has been in the house for a while now, he barely goes to the house meetings and every time, I can hear him bark out orders to them. He treats them like they are all trash, even his own father, I assume.He barely comes down to give me food, my entire body reeks of dirt and smell and bruises. Bruises of different sizes and shapes, I had gotten accustomed to the way he treats me. I only made sure to keep my tummy away from his view, that was my main priority.I was biding my time carefully, anything worth doing, is worth doing well.That was my solace, my comfort and the fact that I had Al's life in me was enough to give me all the strength and motivation that I needed.As I laid in the dark, on the cold floor, my eyes caught an unusual sight. A thin beam of light, trying to force its way into the perpetual darkness
MariannaClose to 10 minutes of waiting, my patience level was really reducing and my fear adrenaline was settling in little by little. If he woke up before I could leave the area, then I'm successfully dead. Without thinking too much, I started walking along the lonely path. Maintaining a safe distance at the edge of the road, everywhere was filled with thick tall trees and I questioned myself if any car would ever pass here.I wrapped the shirt around my body before the morning dew turned me into an iceman. My legs were beginning to bleed, they were against the hard asphalt of the road.Seeing 2 crossroads, I tried remembering the route he took the last time he came to drop me off. Deciding to go with my instinct, I turned to the one on my right and continued walking. This time my steps were sharp and fast, the eerie feeling I got was unsettling.As I walked a bit longer from my kidnapper, a car stopped beside me and wound down its glass. Thinking it was Javier, without looking bac
JavierMy eyes slowly opened, with my brain instantly notifying me of the lingering pain, both inside my head and also on the surface of my skin.I sat up slowly, with my hand supporting the base of my head. The pain took that as a cue and became more intense, I was still so disorganized.I brought my wristwatch to my face and saw that I had been unconscious for over an hour.Shit, I cursed. Springing up, irrespective of the pain, I ran to the basement and confirmed my fears.Marianna is out of my grip, she finally escaped after months of being a captive. This wasn't looking good, she mustn't be spotted outside by anybody but then where could she go? She had no real friends in reality, both in school or at home. My head started working twice its normal speed, I need to have her back. If any of the elders or the family spotted her, I don't know what would become of my reputation and my position.First of all, in order to be able to think clearly, I reached out for the first aid box pl
MariannaI had no idea when I fell asleep on the sofa, for the first time in a long time, it was a peaceful sleep. The soft sofa welcomed me for returning home, my dreams were bliss and beautiful. It was the good days I had with Alceo that filled my sleep and there my heart was content. That he was in a good place, resting.My bruised legs and body were still aching badly, so I walked up the flight of stairs, navigating my room. The curtains were down, just like the last time, it only meant that no one had come to this house ever since it all happened. I had no intention of having the curtains go up, I saw my phone, dead, laying on the bedside table.The only thing it will offer me will be pain, this phone was filled with Al's memories. Messages upon messages, videos, pictures; mention it all, it was there.I stripped myself of the dirty clothes, the nightwear was all that has been on my body for months. Entering the shower, I mixed warm water for myself, it was good for my current sk
DiegoFlashbackThe gunshot fired made me jump on my toes, I wasn't expecting anything of such. Did Santo kill Alceo already? How would Maria feel or behave? What was going on in the house?My thoughts were conflicting one another, stumbling on one another, enough to make me go mad. I could see the entire bodyguards running around, helter skelter, shaking in fear.Something else was up, I saw the Italian men going back like bags of cement. This wasn't the handiwork of Santo.I caught an unfamiliar person, he looked extremely angry. As soon as his gaze was traveling to mine, I hid myself at the side of the wall, aligning myself with it.I peeped at intervals and saw that he had left.The rattling keys to the cage lock gained my attention. One of my most trusted men, Carlos, was trying to unlock my cell cage.He called out. "Boss, Diego, are you there?" "I'm here," I said, coming out of my hiding place. "Why is the entire house disorganized?""Santo killed Alceo and we found out that j
MariannaMy tears made a huge mess on his clothes. He didn't interrupt the process of crying in any way, maybe telling me to stop crying or giving me motivational or soothing words. He only held me tightly to himself and stroked my long dark hair to the back.This was the only person I could call my family now. Inasmuch as the inner part of me fought to be cautious, the other part reassured me that it was Diego. My father's most trusted man, I could trust him as well.I wiped my face clean and rested myself in his huge body. βWhere have you been?ββIn hiding Maria. I tried looking for you everywhere after that day but Carlos told me that Javier helped you escape that day.βAt the mention of Javier, I wondered if I could trust Diego about his case and his doings.βWhere have you been Maria? Nothing came up on you, every search on you was futile.ββJavier kidnapped me,β I said. Irrespective of it, someone else needed to know what that bastard was doing. βYou know he is a bad person. All
JavierIt's been a week since I let my ego cost me Marianna. I wasn't looking presented in any way, the sudden disappearance of Marianna had left me disorganized. Lanco reached out, saying that he had combed every part of New York and it came back unfulfilled and Arico said the same thing.My mind began to think of the impossible, what if she was dead truly? What if the Russians laid their hands on her already?She would go through so much worse death.My current predicament was starting to affect every aspect of my life. I believed that everyone noticed my mood at the meetings at the house. I wasn't giving a sane judgment or a reasonable contribution in order to make things better. I kept adjoining every meeting till whenever it suited me.I ignored my father whenever he tried to talk to me. As usual, I was lying in bed in a hotel with a hooker. She slept soundly as she was half naked as the sheets covered just the lower part of her body. I could feel my member twitching hard just b
MariannaMy mini bag was filled with my clothes, the biggest ones of them. I was very protective of my pregnancy. The crickets chirped loudly in the far distance, the chilly breeze brushed through my skin, leaving funny sensations throughout my body.Diego helped me with one of my bags while my backpack hung loosely on my bag. My tummy was beginning to become obvious.A scarf was thrown over my head, concealing my identity from the kind of people we were trying to avoid.Diego has been going out of the house the past few days, gaining intel from the men who still sided with him. It was there he was able to figure out that Javier has a bounty placed on my head.βEasy there princess,β he said, smiling in between his words as he helped me up to the pavement.βHow many times will I tell you not to call me princess anymore?ββYou used to like it when we were kids and all of a sudden, you hate it now. How, Maria?ββI was still a child then.βHe ruffled my hair, laughing. βIt doesn't matter,
AlceoWe knew exactly how dangerous wasting was but it was our only choice in order not to mess things up. I tried so hard to believe in my head that it was Javier that was with Marianna and not that bastard that I just heard about today. For like a week, we stopped every street tracking and went silent, keeping the most vital information to ourselves. Just between our circle, making whoever else Javier has on us to believe that we have given up.Rosco's call came in, I jumped from my seat and had it placed on speaker. βWe've gotten Lancoβs position, I'll hold him off till you get here. I'm sending the address to you. And have some of your trusted boys go join mine at Renzo's house. I don't want a repeat of the trouble I carried.βThe line went dead and without being told much, my brother's grabbed every piece of gun they could find, fixing silencers onto some of them. We weren't in our city, we had no reason to have the cops on our tail.Every one of us wanted to be there when we fou
AlceoHaving an inkling about how much he despised the so-called Lanco, I decided to know what exactly must have transpired between them. I poured wine into his glass cup and watched him down it at a go. βWhat happened between you and Lanco?βHe sighed, shutting his eyes tightly, as if trying to shut out a bad memory. βHe is a hitman or someone you call a mercenary. He's devoid of any human feelings and does things that are out of the norm. Once a girl was stolen from her home and the girl's mother came to beg me to help look for her child. I searched everywhere and information later reached me that she was taken by Lanco.βI tried to reason with him about how we were both Italians and how he should honor the bond between us, so he'd release her to me. Lanco told me that she was his plaything and vowed never to let her go. I let my ego down and promised him whatever amount he wanted, he still wouldn't listen. All of a sudden, he asked me to go back home and be at peace, that he'd sen
AlceoHis leg was wrapped up in order to avoid him bleeding to death before could say what he needed. We didn't start anything yet, he just sat in the middle of the room, sweating profusely with each of us watching him intently.βI heard the latest news,β the last person we were waiting for showed up. Rosco was in the most casual clothing I had ever seen him in, he was probably taking a nap when my call came in. Seeing Rosco had him drag his bloodied leg uncomfortably on the floor.Rosco settled beside Uri, making me wonder why. Another excuse that came to me was the fact that it was far away from where the guard was. Knowing how bad his temper was, he wouldn't want to kill him before he gave up the information we needed.He relaxed back, crossing his legs over one another. βWhat I hear, is it true? Is it true that you were caught speaking with the one person that has been troubling both the Italians and the Russians for months now?βAshamed to face us, he knew very well the cost and
UriJust like that, 4 months in total had gone by since the death of Diego and the disappearance of Marianna. Alceo looked a little closer to death everyday, the house was gloomy and nothing made anybody smiley. We all admitted and accepted that we had treated Marianna in a bad way, most especially me. Not knowing that she was a top asset to us. I imagined that, only if father was alive, he would have fought tooth and nail to make sure nothing comes in between their love. It would only make him so much more protective irrespective of whatever bad blood is between him and Santo.The picture of the late Lady Del Vecchio hanging boldly on the wall in our living room gave me a little bit of hope anytime I walked past it. It was a way of reassuring me that we would find her and properly I'll tender my apologies. The way her cheek lit up and a part of her teeth showed, it was obvious, Marianna took her mother's face.For my father to have fallen in love with this woman, it meant a whole lot
Alceo2 weeks laterThe last meeting with Javier's father was relieving and at the same frustrating. Everything went silent, no new information or anything to keep our asses on the street. Rosco was busy helping us to comb the street but since he was a lot more used to it than us. My brothers have welcomed him gladly into our home but he wasn't one to cross his boundaries. Something was tying the Italians and the Russians together now, it was best we work together.The elders of the Italian house too couldn't find anything on Javier, not after the last threat I gave them. Javier was pretty stealth and I was sure that he had help else he wouldn't be able to pull this off by himself.It was late at night, everyone sat alone, moody and pissed. The door swung open and in came Rosco.I was the first to go. βYou look like shit, have you had a bath recently?ββThere's little or no difference between us, so wrap it up boy.βHis muscular frame made him look like my older brother, so him callin
AlceoI managed to make myself a little bit neat, shaving my beards and taking a cool shower in order to help me think. My phone chimed and I got out of the bathroom, locating it immediately. It was a message from Rosco. We've combed every place we knew but everything ended in futile. There was a place we could try out, this time, it was just going to end in talks not the usual bloodshed.I dressed casually, tucking a pistol behind me. I met my brothers waiting for me downstairs.βYou got the location?β Uri asked, loading the guns in the back of the car.I nodded my head in affirmation. βBut we might not be needing that. We are just going there to have a talk, we are hoping he might have an idea where he is.ββHmmm,β Uri said, still ignoring everything I said. βYou never can tell what will happen. To be on the safer side, I'll just keep them here.βI didn't argue with him anymore and just found a spot to settle in. My mind was clouded, my vision was starting to become blurry due to th
JavierReality was starting to dawn on me, I thought kidnapping Marianna and having her whenever I wanted would fill the empty space in my soul. Instead it just made it wider, seeing her lose herself made me lose myself too.I sat outside in the cold, lighting a cigarette to keep me warm. One single drag in, and I felt so good, having the feeling of euphoria. This continued for a while and I threw my head back to relish the feeling I was getting.It was a quiet scenario with just the cottage in the area. A call from my other phone shattered my blissful feeling. I stared blankly at the caller ID before picking it up.In a straight, stern voice, I answered. βHow can I help you Arico?ββWhere are you boss? The Russians have been going berserk, killing whoever they find affiliated to you. Are you safe where you are?ββSo what should I do about it? You are my boys, so it is necessary you die for me,β I didn't think twice before I said what I said. If I was in Aricoβs position, I'd be quite
Alceo Everywhere went silent after the call, no one dared say a word. My anger could make a whole pasta go from raw to finished. I grabbed the phone beside me and threw it against the wall.βAARRRRRRRGH,β I destroyed everything that was in my way. The guards rushed in, trying to see if an intruder was in the house and I decided to transfer my anger on them. Going physical on them was doing little to nothing to my anger, instead it enraged me more.Before I could say jack, a real heavy punch lodged itself in my face. Turned around to see who it was and lo and behold, it turned out to be Aleksi.βYou want to let off some of that heat, let's go,β he took his stance in front of me and that angered me more. He was more strategic, I was fighting blindly. Most of my punches missed him but his punches were hitting me in sensitive places, making me go weaker faster.βYou bastard,β I spat out blood. βYou think you can handle me?βThe others stood at a corner watching the drama happening betwee
Trigger warning β οΈ Marianna1 month later I don't know what day it was or how long I've been there but to me it felt like months. I was plunged into the dark and the only time I had any companions was when my master came in. Either to serve me or to relieve himself using me. I crave for the sun, I crave for the morning light, I crave for a particular touch but I didn't know who it belonged to.All I remembered of him was his distinctive features; full eyebrows, dark skinned with a different shade of blue eyes. His face was starting to disappear and I desperately sought to keep it. Master told me he was the one that caused all my misfortune but his face failed to give off that vibe. His face was the definition of peace, it gave me all the tingling I needed. The door opened and immediately I went on all fours. It was in the same position that I was fed and used as a tool to satisfy master's cravings. If I failed to do so, I'll be met with master's anger and I wasn't ready to face tha