AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The heavy wooden door creaks open, revealing a dimly lit room with a musty smell that makes my stomach churn. As we step inside, my eyes widen in horror at the sight before me - three massive bull mastiffs leashed up to a pole, snarling and barking, trying to lunge at us. I can hear their heavy chains clinking against the concrete floor as they strain towards me.
I hear my own panicked pleas as I take a step back. My arm stings where Franco's grip is iron-tight, refusing to let me go. He pushes me forward, and the fabric of my dress is ripped by the sharp teeth of one of the dogs.
“No, no, please…” I beg.
“Well, sweetheart, you better behave,” he threatens, finally pulling me back just as the dog comes back for another round.
"Sit," Rafaele orders me as he points to a chair opposite where the dogs are. His eyes are dark and filled with a power that makes me want to cower away. I can’t take my eyes off the mastiffs, their teeth bared, saliva dripping from their massive jaws, and I can see the muscles ripple beneath their sleek coats.
I prefer to stand.
"Please, Rafaele," my father pleads, his voice strained with fear. "Romola had nothing to do with this."
"Silence!" Rafaele roars, silencing both my father and the dogs momentarily. "You will answer for your crimes, Agostino."
I glance over at my father, fear clouding my thoughts as I struggle to comprehend what's going to happen. Rafaele won’t kill us, will he? How would we be made to pay for our crimes? There’s no way out, and I’ve never felt closer to death than I do right now.
"Please, let my daughter go," my father begs again, his eyes filled with desperation. "She doesn't deserve this."
"Enough!" Rafaele snaps, clearly losing patience. The dogs resume their growling, and I can see them inching forward, ready to pounce at any moment. I can't help but imagine their teeth sinking into our flesh, tearing us apart as we scream for help that will never come.
"Romola," my father whispers, glancing over at me with an expression I can't quite decipher. Is it fear? Regret? "I'm so sorry."
"Save your apologies," Rafaele sneers, his voice dripping with contempt. "They won't save you now."
“What… what are you going to do to us?” Papa whispers for an answer.
Franco still grips me tight, and I stand at his mercy.
The room is eerily silent for a moment, and then Rafaele speaks. "You think you can steal from me and demand the right to know my plans?" he snarls at my father, his face contorted with rage. Papa’s eyes widen in terror, but he remains silent, unable to form any words of defense.
"Please," I plead, my voice barely a whisper, "he didn't mean any harm. Don't hurt him. He was only trying to save my life, a daughter’s life. Surely…y..you understand."
Rafaele ignores me and roars with anger, grabbing Papa by the collar and slamming him against the wall. My father gasps for breath as Rafaele's fists begin to pummel his body mercilessly. He punches Papa’s eyes, his stomach, and his ribs. Especially the ribs. I hear a crack and a scream.
Papa’s eye begins to swell. It looks like he’s going to faint, but Rafaele doesn’t stop. He doesn’t stop. Sickening thuds echo through the room, accompanied by my father's agonized cries, each one piercing my heart like a knife.
"Stop!" I scream, tears streaming down my face, trying to fight against Franco’s hold, but Rafaele doesn't even seem to hear me, and Franco doesn’t budge.
Rafaele’s eyes are filled with nothing but cold fury, focused solely on the man who dared to cross him. I can't bear to watch any longer, so I bite into Franco’s hand and he releases me from the shock of it all, and I run and throw myself between them, trying to shield my father from the brutal onslaught.
"Please," I beg, falling to my knees before Rafaele, "please, don't kill him. He's all I have left."
For a moment, it seemed as though my pleas might be heard as Rafaele hesitated. His fists remain clenched, but he doesn't strike again. Papa falls to the floor for a moment of respite. Rafaele glares down at me, his cold blue eyes boring into mine. I can see the wheels turning in his head, calculating the best course of action, weighing the value of my father's life against the message he wants to send.
"Very well," he finally says, his voice dripping with disdain. "I won't kill him – but perhaps the dogs could. Tell me, Romola. Should I feed your precious father to the dogs?" He flicks his eyes towards the mastiffs and gives them a small smile. “They look a little hungry… don’t they?”
"Nooo," I sob, tears streaming down my face. "Please, don't do this to him." My father's tortured eyes stare back at me, looking at me to find a way out of this nightmare.
Rafaele's voice slices through the tense silence like a knife as he turns to Papa. "Give me the diamond, Agostino."
My heart lurches in my chest as my father, battered and bloodied, struggles to comply. His hands tremble violently, fingers slick with sweat and blood as he reaches into his pocket. The pain etched across his bruised and swollen face is almost unbearable to witness, but I force myself to watch as he retrieves the diamond - our last bargaining chip in this deadly game.
"Here," Papa whispers, his voice barely audible as he holds out the precious stone to Rafaele. It seems to glint mockingly in the dim light of the room, shining light on the suffering it has wrought upon our family.
Unable to bear the sight any longer, I move myself forward, desperate to shield my father from any further harm. But before I can reach him, strong arms wrap around me, holding me in place. I twist and squirm, trying to break free from Alvize's iron grip, but it's no use; I'm trapped, helpless to do anything but watch, a helpless spectator.
"Please," I choke out, tears streaming down my face as I struggle against my captor. "He's given you what you want. Just let him go."
