AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Unseen by the men bustling around, I watch as they carelessly place my sister's lifeless body into a black bag. Tomas's laughter echoes cruelly as he shares a joke with the man assisting him, no regard for the life they ended just moments ago. Sneaking one final look at my sister, my heart fractures into a million pieces as they seal the body bag shut, understanding that this moment marks the end of ever seeing my baby sister's face again. Another man, someone I don’t recognize, kneels beside me, and lays out a bag. His hands tremble as he silently prays, asking for forgiveness. There's a glimmer of compassion in his eyes, offering me a sliver of hope that I’ll get out of here alive. Startled when he touches me, I implore, “Please, help me.” Shock flickers across his face, his hands freezing in midair. A commanding voice interrupts, demanding to know the cause of the delay. My potential savior meets my desperate gaze, taking a deep breath before responding, “I'm doing my best, Mr. Beneventi.”
In a hushed tone, he whispers, “Alright, I'll help you, but I'll need to place you in the body bag so they don’t suspect anything.”
Horrified by the notion, I reluctantly accept it as my only escape. He spreads the bag, gently maneuvering my body inside before sealing it shut. As I'm being carried away, my thoughts drift back to a time when I yearned to ignite the world and leave my mark. Dreams of a future with Nico vanish in an instant. Now, I wish for the universe to crumble for its cruelty. This life was never my desire, yet today, it has chosen me. Darkness consumes me once again, and my fate now rests in the hands of a stranger. If I survive this, vengeance against the Beneventis will be the least of their worries.
Nico
It took me longer than anticipated to reach Lili’s compound but I finally arrive. Despite it being a Saturday, I was held up in standstill traffic coupled with a six-car pileup. What should have been a forty-five-minute drive stretched well over three hours. Each unanswered call to Carlo plunged me into a full-blown panic, but what truly alarmed me was Lili’s uncharacteristic silence. Throughout our relationship, we have a mutual agreement to answer each other’s calls promptly, promising to text if unable to talk right away. Living in the mafia world meant that anything could happen at any time. This was our way of ensuring each other's safety and avoiding unnecessary worry and right now, I’m very worried.
Pushing the call button, I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for security to respond. Cars cluttered the street and the driveway just inside the gate, which is not unusual since there’s a party in progress. When nothing comes through the line, I take a closer look at the cars and notice they’re parked haphazardly as if they were in a rush. Among them, I spotted Carlo's unmistakable black sedan with the gold license plate—an unexpected sight on this particular day. The only time Carlo visited the Rinaldi compound was for a meeting with all five families present. A sickening feeling settled in my stomach causing me to take a few deep breaths. Nothing good ever came from Carlo making impromptu visits to a place where he is not welcomed.
Growing increasingly uneasy as security remained silent, I reversed out of the driveway and parked on the street. An overwhelming sense of fear comes over me as my mind races, trying to come up with any valid reason that Carlo would be here. Retrieving the keycard Lili had given me, rarely used until now, I approached the call box determined to gain entry. My hands tremble as I swipe the card, watching anxiously as the light turns green, signaling entry approval. As soon as the gate begins to open, I dash forward, slipping through the widening gap. My lungs ache as I sprint up the hill, mindful that none of Paolo's guards have appeared to challenge my presence on the property. Several unmarked vans circle the driveway, moving downhill in the opposite direction, causing me to slow down out of curiosity. The uneasiness I felt moments ago transforms into pure terror as I approach the house, my stomach churning, causing my head to spin. Deep within my gut, I sense that something horrific has transpired here.
Trails of blood mark the foyer as I burst through the front door and make my way toward the backyard. The once-beautiful French doors leading to the patio are shattered, hanging off their hinges. Carlo, Tomas, Salvatore, and numerous Beneventi soldiers stand by the pool, armed with guns, while Carlo gestures and gives instructions, pointing in different directions around the house. My eyes dart back and forth, taking in the horrific scene before me. The unmistakable stench of blood in the air confirms the harrowing reality—the massacre of the Rinaldi family. My mind wishes that Lili somehow escaped to safety, but deep down, I know the harsh truth. No one could have survived such an ambush, especially not Lili, who would never abandon her family.
“What have you done, motherfucker?!” I shout, charging at Carlo and knocking him to the ground. I continue to pummel his face, desperate for him to confess to murdering Lili, for him to admit to executing an entire family in cold blood. Yet, at the same time, I dread hearing those words that will shatter me beyond repair.
“Get this asshole off of me!” Carlo cries out in agony as the bone in his nose cracks under my fist. Suddenly, I'm lifted and thrown to the ground as Carlo's henchmen come to his aid. The smug look on his face and the ensuing laughter disgust me, fueling my rage as I try to charge him once more, only to be stopped in my tracks.
“Rinaldi never saw this coming, too busy on his high horse thinking he's better than everyone,” Carlo mocks, his tone dripping with contemptuous pride.
“What makes you think the other families will let you get away with this?” I demand, struggling against the grasp of his soldiers. Anger courses through me like molten lava, promising Carlo a painful death when he least expects it. My beloved Lili is gone. How will I go on without her? This monster ended her life before it truly began, and I feel utterly helpless.
“Let him go," Carlo commands, aiming his gun at me. “We still have work to do here, and if you even think about threatening me, I'll drop you where you stand!”
“I don't need to threaten you, asshole, but don’t think for a second that you’ll get away with this!” I retort, my mind racing with thoughts of vengeance. I'm outnumbered and unarmed. Another attack would mean certain death with his men shielding him. For now, I'll have to settle for his broken, bloodied nose.
“Look who's finally growing some balls, boys,” Carlo gestures to his men, and they erupt in laughter. They find humor in the wake of innocent lives lost. Carlo and his men have always been ruthless, but this is beyond anything I've witnessed. I struggle to contain my fury, feeling overwhelmed and needing to escape.
Surveying the yard, I'm sickened by the sight of blood soaking the ground, knowing some of it belongs to Lili. My gaze lands on something shimmering in the sunlight. Slowly, I walk toward the edge of the patio and collapse to my knees, reaching for the diamond ring I had placed on Lili's finger just last weekend. It's stained with dried blood—her blood. Any fight left in me evaporates as sorrow consumes me. The confirmation of her death feels like a dagger piercing my heart. Tears stream down my face as the harsh reality sets in that I will never see Lili again. I weep openly for my love, oblivious to the footsteps retreating behind me.
Knowing what they will do with her body tears me apart, bile rising in my throat. What could I have done differently to change the outcome of this day? What would I have said if Lili had answered her phone? How did Carlo enter the property undetected? Countless unanswered questions haunt me, with no hope of resolution. There will be no investigation, no questioning by the police. Life will continue as if nothing has happened. But I won't rest until that fucker is dead.
11
Liliana
One Month Later
If only the universe could rewind time and spare me from this torment. My soul lies shattered, a mere echo of its former self. Each morning I wake to the same haunting nightmare: my family, slain before my eyes. The scene replays incessantly; I stretch out my hand to my father, desperate to shield him from the gunfire, but he slips away. One by one, they fade into nothingness as I grasp for them. I find myself submerged in a pool of warm blood, struggling to stay afloat as I'm pulled under, unable to escape the drowning sensation. Their faces flicker in my mind as I descend into darkness, and the deeper I go, a strange sense of peace envelops me. Suddenly, I’m gasping for air, struggling to resurface, fully aware that I cannot stay here.
It has been a month since the day my family was brutally gunned down in cold blood. During this time of recovery from my wounds, I've often questioned why I was the one left alive. What sins have I committed to deserve this agony? I wouldn't wish this on anyone, not even my worst enemy. Yet, Carlo must experience every ounce of this profound pain that cuts so deeply, beyond reach or solace. Frankie, the stranger turned friend, has kept watch over me, ensuring my safety as I recuperated.
As a cleaner for the Beneventi family, Frankie, for reasons he can’t explain, was compelled to help me survive that day. Carlo remains unaware that he placed me into the trunk of his car instead of one of the cargo vans carrying the bodies of my family. The image of my sister's lifeless eyes, as Tomas placed her into that bag and carried her away, remains etched in my memory. Knowing my family will likely never receive a proper burial—their remains possibly dissolved in acid or discarded in the depths of Lake Michigan—fills me with both revulsion and a burning desire for revenge.
Luck had smiled upon me that fateful day. Though the bullet had lodged in my side, miraculously missing vital organs, the loss of blood left me uncertain of my survival without immediate medical attention. The coppery scent of my own blood overwhelmed me, and every movement sent waves of pain through my body.
“I apologize for causing you more pain, but I have to get you indoors,” Frankie spoke gently as he lifted me from the trunk. He had shared his name earlier when he checked on me as we drove to some place safe.
Struggling to stay conscious, I managed to express my gratitude through clenched teeth. “I can't thank you enough for rescuing me. Where exactly are we?”
“We're at my safe house,” he replied, ascending the stairs carefully to avoid causing me more pain. Knowing his name was one thing, but placing my trust in him was another matter. Yet, in my current state, I had no other choice. Frankie represented my only lifeline between survival and certain death. Most cleaners were devoid of feelings, so why had he chosen to help me?
“Without a doctor, I’m afraid you may not last the night,” Frankie admitted as he carried me through the doorway. In that moment, my will to survive began to waver for the first time that day.
A knock on my door shakes me from the haunting memories. The events of that tragic day are permanently etched into my soul, but now is the time to step out of the safety of this cabin and avenge the deaths of my family.
“Come in,” I reply, rising from the bed. A dull ache lingers in my side, but it's nothing compared to the agony of a month ago. In our underworld circles, we're fortunate to have well-paid doctors on standby to tend to our injuries discreetly. Going to a regular hospital for bullet wounds would not only raise suspicions, but they would have to call the police. Beneventi has the chief of police in his pocket which means he'd surely learn of my survival. For what I have planned, Beneventi will know soon enough.
