I stared at the door for what seemed like forever, frozen in place, my heart echoing.
“Nicole, is that you?”
Oh my God. Shit, shit, shit, shit, fuck.
I didn’t know why I did such a stupid thing, but I had to see it for myself. See if it was really him inside. With all my strength I hit the padlock with the shovel. Once, twice, three times, four times until it fucking cracked.
Eyes wide, lips parted gasping for air, I pushed the door open and stepped in. “Oh my God. Oh my God, it is you!”
“I thought I’d never see you again.”
CHAPTER 42
Nicky
Leo. That was Leo fucking Bellomo. I recognized him despite the blood and contusions covering his face and half naked body. The psycho fuck who tried to kill my sister. Shackled in a cage like the fucking animal he was. Helpless. At Dom’s mercy. Atmymercy.
My throat bobbed with a gulp as I took in the torture room. It was so much like the blue room, filled with shelves and cupboards and tables that held knives, hardware tools, chains and torturing devices. Except this one had a cage, and it was much smaller, all gray and smelled like shit. “How the fuck did you get in here? And where is Dom?”
“Taking a leak or a smoke break before he smashes what’s left of my teeth…or just fucking left, done for the day. He doesn’t exactly announce when he’s coming or leaving.”
“Why did you escape? Why did you come here? To my house? After us?”
“Escaped? Came after you? What the fuck are you talking about?”
I took an angry step forward, waving the shovel. “There’s no point in lying, you son of a bitch. You’re a dead man anyway, so just tell me the truth.”
“I don’t know what the fuck they told you, but you’re right about one thing. I am a dead man. I don’t know why I was brought and have been kept alive here all this time.”
“Brought here? All this time?” I scoffed. “You’ve been in exile, at a rich loony bin in Filicudi, until you fucking escaped on Christmas.”
He laughed tiredly, blood splattering from his mouth. “That’s a good one.”
“What the fuck do you mean?”
“That I’d have loved it if that had been true. Filicudi is fucking awesome. It sure beats this shithole.”
A heaviness pressed my skull, and my ear rang, as if I’d just lost all air pressure. Could this be true? Leo was never admitted to the mental health facility in Filicudi, and Dom had held him captive all along, torturing him for a whole year?
Why? Why would he go behind Tino’s back, behind Enzio’s back and do something that…treacherous?
Was that why he wasn’t mad at Tino for spilling the beans on the Berry name? Part of me never revealed it wasn’t Tino who had told me because I hoped one day Dom would hate him as much as I did. Then, as time had passed, as I thought I was finally fucking happy with Dom, I didn’t care anymore. I’d always thought Dom let it go, too, because it’d brought us closer, but now… Dom must not have been mad at Tino because he’d screwed him first.
No way. Dom was high on loyalty. He’d have never betrayed his family unless…
Unless he was following Capo’s orders.
Was Enzio behind this? Would he lie to his best friend and hold his son to torture for so long? Or was Leo Bellomo like his fucking father messing with my head to play only the Devil knew what game? “You’re unbelievable. Fuck you, Leo Bellomo.”
“Why would I lie to you? Whatever they made you believe is bullshit. I’ve been here the whole fucking time. This’s my prison. Check the bruises on my face and the buckets of piss and shit and see how old they are. They take them out every five days. It’s part of the punishment.”
I checked his face and his body that was now too skinny. This couldn’t have been the result of one day or even one month. Then I moved to the side and checked the buckets. The unbearable smell confirmed the timeline.
My head swam, and my feet faltered, barely holding me up. I remembered all the times Dom was so sure Leo wouldn’t come near me or Lina. Why wouldn’t he be when he’d been holding Leo captive here all this time?
When we were told Leo had escaped, it was a lie. One Dom fed Tino. I remembered that day. It was after Christmas, when I’d decided to go back to my place… Fuck. He must have known Tino wouldn’t have let me leave when there had been a threat that big. He did it so I’d stay, so he’d have more time with me to set his traps and fuck with my head. Just like he leaked that lie about Leo leaving Italy. It was all to get me here, alone with him, where I’d have no chance to fight or resist.
To think that I’d felt guilty for trying to use him back then, when he’d been manipulating me all along…
