Chapter Four

Darkness.

I open my eyes and once again I can't see a thing. There's light seeping through the holes in the trunk, and the car is still on the move. At this point, I don't know how much time has passed, or worse, where I'm even headed to. Everything feels like a hazy dream I'll never wake up from.

When I think of Giotto Puglia, my blood boils, and my blood pressure spikes. I grit my teeth so hard I think I chip a tooth. That man, who does he think he is? How could he have ordered my entire family killed? At this point, I wish I was dead. I wish I hadn't been alive to live through this. They'll force me to marry that capo, the one who was there when my family was killed. As if I was nobody. I don't know how, but I'll make that man pay for what he's done to me and my family. He will not go unscathed. He ruined my life, and one day, I will ruin his.

It feels like an eternity and a half has passed. The car stops occasionally, but I don't dare scream for help anymore. It's not amounting to anything. I know how dangerous these men can be and it'll make my situation worse. I know for sure that they do not wish to kill me. They will use me to humiliate my family's name, a family I was completely unaware of until now. I believed my father was a simple man his whole life, who died unexpectedly, but that was never the case. He was a criminal, as these men are, and he was murdered.

The resentment I feel towards him cannot be expressed in words. It's a dark, consuming feeling that could make worlds collapse and crumble to pieces. I don't care that my mother lied to me all these years. What else could she do? She did all she could to protect us from a terrible life. At the thought of her and Lia, I find that I cannot bring myself to shed a tear, no matter how hard I try. It's as if every emotion I ever had shriveled up and died. Only a shell is left of me, everything else died along with them that night.

When the trunk pops open and the sunlight glares at me, I grow dizzy. Someone grabs my arm and helps me up, or rather, forces me to my feet. I cover my eyes with my hands. The ground beneath my soles is smooth, so not a road. There's a building in front of us, an apartment. There's no one around when I look to my left, despite the glaring sun. Houses and other buildings are lining the street, so where is everyone else? Who lives here?

Once my vision adjusts to the light, I notice that Enzo is on my right, grabbing my arm firmly. I didn't realize before how tall he actually was. His shoulders are broad his arms are undoubtedly thicker than my legs. He's a beast of a man and my heart sinks. This complicates matters. What happens if I ever try to escape? There's no way I can ever fight this man, I'm not delusional.

We stopped in front of an elevator. It opens and swallows us. He never lets go of my arm and I don't dare move. Fear has petrified me, it seems. His breaths are slow and rhythmic, but mine are shallow and erratic. We stop on the seventh floor, and when we step out, the silence stuns me. It's so quiet. Don't people live here? Is the building vacant? Or perhaps I'm confused and no one lives here. But it's far too fancy for it to be vacant.

He unlocks the door to 701 and he practically pushes me inside. I was right, it is an apartment, and a large one at that. But it isn't vacant. A man is sitting on the couch, and he was watching some kind of documentary. He switches the television off as soon as he sees us and gets to his feet.

He's wearing a white shirt and dress pants, and there's a gold watch on his wrist. He's in his thirties, and balding. He has a kind face, and he's shorter than me. "Enzo, everything is prepared."

"Good," is all he says in response, and backs away from me. Without another word, he leaves the apartment and I hear the lock. He's locked me in this apartment with this strange man. My heart starts beating fast as the man nears me. I back away and hold my hands up.

"No, please don't be concerned. I'm not here to harm you."

"Who are you, then?" My voice is hoarse and I clear my throat. I sound like a wild animal and my throat aches from all the screaming I did earlier.

"My name is Fabrizio, and I'm only here to guard you. You can head to the bedroom if you would like." After he says this, he sits back down and switches the television on. I stare at the back of his head and register what has happened so far. Behind me, there's a vast kitchen with dark cupboards, a marble counter, and a large refrigerator.

I look down the corridor. There are three closed doors, and I slowly make my way to one of the doors. I keep my eyes fixed on him but he doesn't look back at me once. It's as if I'm expecting him to jump up and chase me around the apartment with a knife. The first door I find is a bedroom, so I close the door. I look for a key or lock, but there's none. The room is simple; a bed, a nightstand, and a lamp. Navy bedcovers. I open the built-in cupboards and surprisingly, there are clothes inside. Women's clothes.

They're all a size smaller than mine, but they'll fit. I don't know if there was a woman here before me, or if they're meant for me. They're all new, but I can't tell if they have ever been used before. Some have a flowery scent, so perhaps they were.

I'm still wearing my pajamas, and I'm barefoot. I'm absolutely filthy, covered in dirt and my hair is tangled. But I'm afraid of stripping in this place with a stranger in another room. Despite his friendly face, if he's involved with criminals, he might as well be one. I can't take any chances.

The bathroom door has no lock on it either, so nowhere here is safe. Still, I find the courage to peel my clothes off and stay alert, imagining him breaking into the bathroom and doing all sorts of unspeakable things to me, but the television is still on by the time I close the taps and the bedroom door is still closed. It's a relief. He kept his word, at least. I dress quickly in the bathroom, in the first outfit I grabbed. Just jeans and a plain white top. Afterward, I brush my hair with my fingers, as there isn't a single comb here. I wince every time my fingers find a knot, but by the time I'm done, I look presentable again.

I'm too on edge to sleep, so I sit upright in the bed and listen to the commentator describe all the different plants found in Italy. I stand once again and decide to survey the room. There wasn't a window in the bathroom, I could tell it had been closed. In the bedroom, the only window is shuttered. I could get the nails out if it ever needs to be done. The wooden shutter is a ghastly sight, so out of place in such a beautiful room. I bet the man in the living room did it. He seems like the type to do such a terrible job.

I don't know what time it is, but there's some commotion in the living room. I press my ear to the door, but all I hear are muffled sounds. If I open the door, I'll be seen, so that isn't an option. I try my hardest to hear what is being said, or have a clue of who is out there.

Then footsteps start heading my way and I rush to the bed. I sit down just as the door opens. I fist the comforter and stare at Enzo. He looks at me briefly, looks around the room once, then looks my way again. He's staring at me without any expression in his eyes. It's almost as if he doesn't see me at all. Then, he closes the door.

I breathe steadily again. I've never felt this vulnerable before. I don't know what to do, or what happens next. This was not what I was expecting, and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. The documentary is still on and the room starts getting much darker, so it's nighttime. It's easy to tell because there's no light seeping from between the wood.

I lay my head against the pillow in an attempt to soothe my aching neck. But my eyes feel heavy all of a sudden, and my body betrays me. Never have I ever felt this kind of exhaustion. At this point, I don't care if they storm in here and kill me.

I dream of home.