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Javier Wearing an apron and gloves, I held Marianna's customized bracelet in my right hand, standing with Lanco over the dead girl's body. My face ruffled up on its own, Lanco shouldn't be among the living, he was a brutal man. The dead girl's face was beyond recognizable, while her dark hair fell back in the tub, few bruises and cuts were logged on both sides of her arms. He turned to look at me, pausing the things he was doing. His yellow unarranged teeths flashing at me, saying hi. "Do you want to know how she was killed?" "No I do not want to know," I snapped. He wasn't even reading the room, I wasn't interested in knowing. Even though my conscience pricked me a lot, I assured myself that I was sacrificing for my goal. "You are no fun," he said, stretching his bloodied hands out for me. "The bracelet." Passing it to him, he wore it carefully on her. "Done," he smiled, looking satisfied like a child who had just been given candy. Taking a final look at her, I didn't even know
Javier The entire house went still for a moment, it felt like I could see what they were thinking. It was a sad period for them, not me. "That is a very heavy accusation on the Russians. They are our rivals doesn't mean that every Italian being killed is from the Russians," my father said. My anger boiled from the depths of my stomach, he was supposed to be supporting me but he had the guts to be putting out a word of hope for the Russians. "Dear father," I bowed. "Before Santo was killed by the Russians, we knew that Marianna was in an affair with the son of the Russian leader, Alceo Romanov. I think her death was a form of revenge knowing that Alceo was killed that day too." I muttered a prayer under my breath that all my explanations would be bought. "Since we all know that the late Santo Del Vecchio wedded you to his daughter before she died, it is your turn to sit on the chair," the forefather said after a long silence. "The Del Vecchios properties will be transferred to yo
Marianna I lowered the food from my hand and looked at the intent burning gaze he offered me. It wasn't flinching and I wasn't in any mood to cower at that point. Anger replaced the blood flowing through my body, coursed through my veins. What had he gone to do? That was the only question that was running through my head. The fear I felt was replaced by the instinct of survival, I just needed to find a way to get out. Get out of this hellhole. "What exactly did you do, Javier?" I asked, waiting for him to tell me the exact stunt he pulled at the house. No one was just going to give my father's seat away, without knowing my whereabouts. "So simple, Maria," he relaxed back. "I gave evidence to the house that you are dead. Knowing that I'm your husband, they didn't dispute me at all." Disappointed at the entire house, most especially the forefather, I dropped my head. "No one asked for any sort of test for the body you showed to them, to confirm that it was really me?" "Let's
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
AlceoThe door was pushed open for me and I ran straight for the stairs, carrying Marianna to my room. She was still asleep, her heartbeat very faint but enough for us to know that she was alive. I placed her in the bathtub, removing the jacket I used to cover her and also the piece of cloth on her body. I turned on the heater and mixed it with a cold one. Aleksi bursted through the door. βI've called Steve, he'll be here in a minute. And also Javier has been taken to the torture room, the men are waiting for your orders.βAll I did was nod my head absentmindedly. Deep down all my attention was on her, how I was going to help her figure it all out.SeeiΓ±g that I was preoccupied with my thoughts, he left. The water turned brown immediately I started washing her. Her hair was glued together and the smell reaching my nose was worse. Maybe the only way she could have survived was losing herself. I wondered how Javier managed to lay with her even in her present state; it only showed how m
Alceo It was already late by the time Rosco finished with Lanco. He took his time in making sure his torture was merciless. With every piece of skin he cut away, he mentioned Isabella and made sure to quench the fire on the bottom of his cigar on his freshly cut skin while trying to strike a conversation with him. We got all the information we needed and found out that the bastard had relocated her out of the country with Lancoβs help. For that alone, Rosco promised to keep him alive till he made sure Marianna was safe and after that, they'd resume their torturing session.We sat on the plane heading towards the nearest country. The night before was the longest in my life, I could not close my eyes to sleep. It felt like it eluded itself away from me. My worries rested deeply on me, letting me know how much of a burden I was carrying. I feared the state I would see Marianna.βHey lover boy,β Aleksi hit my shoulders, smiling and diverting my worries away for a moment. βYou are going t
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