While the goddamn days were long, the nights bothered me the most. The rage had faded because it had been necessary so I could stay alive.
What hadn’t faded from my mind were the memories. Some vicious. Some filled with rage. But most about her. The woman that had become an obsession. Every time I dropped to the floor or peered up at the small excuse for a window, I was reminded of her.
Rafaela.
My beautiful, sweet, innocent Rafaela.
Or was she so innocent?
She’d been worried about me killing her father? I would have thought she wouldn’t have minded. Had she betrayed me after all, running to the guards? Disbelief remained, but the time spent alone had created an almost feverlike anger in my head.
The memories were dangerous and led to an active need for violence. Why? Because when I’d come to after being dumped in the trunk of a car, the bastards in front had been laughing abouthow she’d turned me in. And they’d talked about how much they wanted to fuck her.
Hearing she’d betrayed me hadn’t settled in my mind. Their comments had awakened the beast within.
By the time one of the assholes had opened the trunk, I’d freed myself of the shackles they’d used. One kick allowed me time to crawl out and before he’d made it off the pavement, I’d crushed his windpipe with my boot, grabbing his weapon.
The second piece of shit hadn’t known what had hit him, the bullet driven through the middle of his forehead.
Sadly, I hadn’t realized two other vehicles had been following closely behind. The next pistol whipping had done me in and here I was.
There were dozens of thoughts in my mind, scenarios that played out every night.
Including one where she’d betrayed me, but why?
It was more likely someone had seen me leaving the house, which provided an entirely different set of emotions, but every scenario invoked rage. After seeing the bruise on her face, I could only imagine what her father would have done to her. Plus, if he’d cared about Marco’s indiscretions, why had the man remained alive? No, her father would sell his soul and his mother to the highest bidder. Now I regretted keeping him alive.
Given the opportunity, I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
I’d had over three years to think about the different circumstances and potential solutions.
As well as envisioning her beautiful face.
In the time allotted, I’d come to accept that the effort taken to keep me incarcerated was significant. Which meant either one of two logical scenarios. One, doing so was personal, the betrayer someone within the family regime or at minimum, trusted associates built from the early days. Someone who knew what would torment my mind given I was immune to pain. That led back to the possibility Rafaela was nothing but a hired actress.
As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t push the thought aside.
Number two was also likely, an enemy who’d used my father’s death as the perfect opportunity, which could mean Don Pollizi or his direct enemy. He had several himself. Or the Russians, which would make the most sense.
Every time I went through the same goddamn bullshit, doing so picked apart what little decency had been left inside of me. Now I was nothing but a cold-blooded killer, the devil himself.
I rose to my feet, enjoying the burn in my muscles. As I began to walk off the exercise, images of her face popped into my mind. I leaned against the thick wall, laughing softly to myself. At least I didn’t have the same emotions as I had thirty-seven months and twelve days before. With laughter still on my lips, I shook my head. Maybe that’s why I felt the vibration that I doubted anyone else on the cell block had.
I glanced toward the lens of the camera, wondering if my instinct was right. Another vibration and I nonchalantly moved away from the wall.
The first explosion rocked the building I was in, the vibrations indicating a series of bombs and not just one. With guards surrounding the property, drones had to have been used.
But doing so from the air would have sounded off an alarm.
That meant they’d come in on supply trucks.
Maybe I was wrong, but if I was a betting man, I’d slide my entire allotment of chips to the center of the table.
Another explosion happened seconds later. Finally, the electricity was cut, alarms going off everywhere.
Utter chaos ensued, guards running through the halls while prisoners were beating on the bars of their cells.
Gunfire popped all around, a few screams heard over the ridiculous whistles and catcalls of every other prisoner on the cell block.
