The Other Plan

Cara stood by the wall, staring at the closed door. If it wasn't for the pain she felt from her bruised lip, she'd have thought it was all a dream.

Did he just do that on purpose?

What a psychopath! No. Psychopath isn't the right word. What a sadist!

She began to pace around the room.

Was she sure she made the right choice? Yes, she was here for revenge and revenge alone.

Not for a crazy, annoying, sexy...

Sexy?

No way! He might be extremely hot and very, very, very good in bed, but the truth remains he was a narcissist.

Adonis had just proven a few minutes ago that he didn't care what happened to her. He's just an arrogant and domineering liar.

How else could she explain all the lies and things he kept from her? He knew she was going to be in danger if she associated herself with him and look, her father had been killed.

Cara mentally prepped herself.

She was here for revenge and nothing else. She mustn't get sidetracked. She needed a plan. A plan to make them all pay. These people were dangerous, and if she wasn't careful, she could lose herself in their world.

Cara halted.

"Who am I kidding? What can I get done by myself?" She whined to no one in particular as she fell into a squat, inundated by the situation.

Unlike them, she wasn't in the mafia. She didn't have big and hefty men who would protect her at her beck and call. She was as poor as a church rat and knew not even the littlest thing about fighting. How was she going to protect herself or avenge her father's death without the resources?

She was practically living with one enemy to avoid the other.

Cara released a sarcastic laugh.

This was dangerous. These guys were skilled and connected. She had zero connection.

Only if she had the strong backing.

Suddenly, the penny dropped and her eyes lit up. She patted her trousers all over in a frantic search.

"It must be here somewhere," she muttered.

She was sure she brought it along. When she had searched both pockets of her pants and came up empty, she shoved her hands into the pocket of the hoodie she'd thrown on to ward off the cold. Her hand came into contact with a hard piece of paper.

Cara smiled.

This was it. She pulled it out with one hand, getting her phone from a small purse she came with, with the other.

With a quick glance at the door, she shuffled further into a corner as she hurriedly dialled the number on the card and waited for the call to go through.

The receiver picked at the first ring.

"Chi è questo? Faresti meglio a parlare e non farmi perdere tempo."

She cleared her throat.

"Am I speaking to Antonio?" Cara said in a small voice. Her eyes trained on the door connected to the living room.

The receiver lulled.

"Kane's girl?" He said in his usual heavy Italian accent.

"I am not Kane's girl. The name's Cara." She bit back, but he just laughed in reply.

"Beh, non sono fortunato, amico? Did Adonis discard you already? You want a good f*ck eh?"

Cara shivered in disgust. Out of the blue, she felt fear consume her. Was she doing the right thing? This is a dangerous game.

She should cut the call and just pay the money back. With the money Adonis was going to pay, she could start a new life after a year. Her life would be at stake if she made a wrong move. This was between Adonis and Antonio's family; none of her concern.

But her father... It was none of his concern either.

No! She would not shy away from this!

She felt a surge of courage go through her. He never deserved to die that way. She would go to any lengths, and if it would cost her her life, so be it!

She had nothing else to lose anyway.

"I do not like my time being wasted." She heard Antonio's voice, and with firm resolve, she responded.

"I have your money. I can pay you in two days, and you can go your way. We part ways and never see each other again."

Antonio laughed again; this time around, it was not the usual laugh but a dry unamused one.

"Are you threatening me amore? You-

"Or." She cut him off. "I give you your money and the Bernardi crown."

Cara was met with silence.

Antonio didn't say anything in reply. What could he say? The woman he had just threatened a few hours ago was promising to give him the thing he wanted the most. The one thing his father spent his life chasing after and died in the pursuit.

They had a vision for the family. To be the most feared. In their world, only seven mafia families were recognized. Out of the seven, the strongest were the top three, namely, the Spanish mafia, the Italian mafia, and the Colombian mafia.

All his father wanted for the family was to be number one. In their world, one must rule with fear, but Adonis's grandfather, Dimitri, had another opinion. But they deserved the best! To be the best! They could achieve this if they expanded their territory. The Spanish mafia, which used to be the most powerful, had gone silent for a while; with a little push, they could become the strongest.

He had been working towards achieving the goal and legacy his father left behind. Even with the connections and power he had built, he still wasn't up to the Bernardis.

He might've been a little child when they were banished, but he knew that the Bernardis' power went way back. They had generational connections, and a little girl who knew nothing about the mafia up until a few hours ago believed she could bring them down.

Antonio responded, his voice deadly serious.

"Just a piece of advice: amore, be careful of the things you say. You might think you know Adonis because you work for him, but that bastard is mentally unstable. He could have you killed within a blink of an eye."

"Are you worried about me?" Cara taunted.

Antonio chuckled.

"Let's just say I want my money and a taste of you before you end up six feet under like your papa."

She drew in a deep, calming breath.

Be calm Cara, it's all part of the plan. She repeated in her head.

"Well, I doubt he'd want to kill his wife-to-be."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll be getting married to Adonis, and if you want the Bernardi crown, I'll get it for you. Just one thing..."

"What?"

"I want him dead."

*****

Italian Vocabulary

Amore means love.

"Beh, non sono fortunato, amico?" means "Well, aren't I a lucky man?"

"Chi è questo? Faresti meglio a parlare e non farmi perdere tempo" means "who is this? You'd better get speaking and not waste my time."