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I didn’t turn around merely I just stood there waiting for him to finish once he knew I wasn’t going to face him he sighed. “I thought I’d never feel human again, that I’d never be innocent?” He questioned trying to find the right word to explain what he meant. “Then one day I was twenty-five, and I was on my walk when I saw this little girl who was no older than five years old stand up for a stranger, she didn’t know he was being bullied for how he looked.” He laughed out admiringly.
I looked straight ahead not turning to look at him, as I bite my bottom lip my eyes staring hard at the door in front of me slightly watering. I listened intently feeling my chest rise and fall at a faster pace.
“This little girl stood in front of the boy shielding him with her body from the bully, she was so mad fuck she made the bully nervous. Even though he was a few years older, she yelled at him and made him apologise to the boy. Once she was satisfied, she shooed him away and gave the boy a hug to make him feel better.” I can hear the smile in his voice … is this the moment when he-
“I couldn’t stop admiring you, not in a creepy way but in a feeling, I still cannot describe right now. I was infatuated by you, your bravery, your innocence, your compassion for others but also the power you possessed. When he asked for your name, and you replied. Isabella it was like that was the word to re activate my heart.” I felt sick to my stomach I was fucking five years old.
“I- I just needed to make sure you were what I thought you were. So, I monitored you when my men came to the estate one night. You were sixteen, you saw my men about to kill your dad and with no hesitation you pulled the trigger your aim was something out of a movie so precise and so clean. You killed them without any ounce of compassion because you wanted to protect the one man dearest to you. After you killed them, you felt bad, you showed compassion. It was in that moment that I knew I wanted to be the person you do that for. The man you would kill for, and I hoped one day you will love me back.” He whispered the last part, but I heard him.
“So, I killed your parents, the people who stood in my way. So, I could replace them, but you were so fucking stubborn I knew I had to break you first. Now that you’re here and know my story I just hope you can see why I did what I did. I did it for you, Isabella I’ve been in love with you for so long before I even knew.” I spun around so fast and pinned him up against the wall my forearm pressed against his neck.
My eyes and head narrowed staring him down I looked at him with pure hatred. “You loved my power not me. You killed my parents for your selfish gain not for love.” I pressed against him harder and harshly whispered “Nunca vuelvas a confundir a los dos”(Don’t ever fucking confuse the two again)
I realised my grip on his neck. He dropped down rubbing his neck soothing it while catching his breath.
“No one deserved a shitty childhood, and no one should ever have to deal with what you did but that doesn’t excuse you to do it to others. Instead of protecting those around you from going through what you did you became your worst enemy. Maybe it’s time you set yourself on fire” I spat.
END OF FLASHBACK
“He loved the power I had, my ability to not think or bat an eye. He didn’t love me it was just a pretty word he could use to cover up the ugly truth. I never loved him, but I did feel sorry for him. His mind was so twisted and knotted from everything he’d been through. That I went through I had it worse because he came up with so many different torture methods that I completely split my personality. I took on Dragon as an alter ego to survive it because Isabella couldn’t. I numbed myself so much that nothing mattered so nothing will ever make me as vulnerable as I was in that fucking basement.” I looked deep into Vincenzo’s eyes and for the first time in a while I saw a glimpse of the old Vincenzo shine through.
He looked away quickly before turning back to me with a mixture of sadness and vengeance in his eyes.
“I never killed him because even after all he did, I couldn’t help but see that scared ten-year-old boy staring back at me. It was another fucking mind game. He only told me that story so I could sympathise … empathise. Even now he fucks with my head.” I cried softly feeling defeated, he quickly embraced me in a tight hug rubbing comfortable circles on my back.
“Isabella, you are the strongest most fearless person I have ever met, you say what you think, and you do what you must. You don’t mind being the bad guy and you don’t mind doing the dirty work if those you love don’t have to, I may have lost a year’s worth of memories but it’s not hard to notice this about you. You fight for who you love, and you do what you need to, you take on the villain role so it’s you at the firing end not a loved one.” He spoke resting his forehead against mine.
“You did what you did for survival Isabella and think back to it really hard, the people you tortured and killed who were they and why did you do it? Dragon is known for her kills and her torture she was more inventive than any fucking don past and present. She was so fucking feared not because she was scary but because of the people she hunted, you never hurt an innocent and you never killed anyone except for bosses, dons high scale vile scums. You killed and tortured people that are untouchable. Think about it, are you really a villain or someone’s hero?” He added genuinely making me think about what he said.
I moved back looking at him, with teary eyes I really looked at him. Not just with my eyes but my soul, what was frustration was now replaced with admiration. Like when you stare out in the darkness and you see the sun rising, the warmth that sores in your soul the hope that rises. I knew now that no matter what, no matter how much I fight it, its him it’s always been him.
Getting lost in each other we didn’t realise another person entering the room, she cleared her throat looking between us unsure of what to do. “How are you feeling Isabella?” She whispered softly going around her boss. Vincenzo stepped aside but not too far, “better” I replied out of breath for some reason.
“Do you feel dizzy?” She asked me casually while doing some routine checks. I shook my head no, “miracle that fall did not do more damage. You’re free to go but even though I know it’s too good to be true but please get some rest.” She smiles warmly I laugh and nod my head.
x
Back in the bed I felt serene, I had Dante next to me sound asleep, it was late and Vincenzo wasn’t back. I shook it off trying to get some sleep, cuddling up to Dante I shut my eyes.
But we all know that’s too good to be true, I jumped out of bed securing Dante in his cot I walked around the massive house looking for Vincenzo, I walked past his office and heard murmuring.
“This means war, no more rushed plans no more strategic basic ambush when we do it. It’s going to be the end, I’ll set him up in flames and burn his world to ashes like he did to Dante, Maria and Isabella.” My heart skipped a beat hearing the names.
I stayed put against the door listening carefully. “I want all higher-ups training the soldiers and get Luca to get more recruits. This is going to be a life-or-death situation, no one outside of this circle is to know a single detail. For this to work out no one can know what’s happening we need to minimise the chatter, once Hacker has a scheduled routine for both Xavier and Salvatore, we can begin to pick apart their lives bit by bit. I’ll have the girls at the clubs keep an eye and ear out any chatter or mummers in regard to baby Salvatore and Xavier come straight to me. Same goes towards my men underground and in high office, with our contacts with the mayor and federal agents we can cut corners finding out what they know about us and them eliminating anyone and anything that will stop us from getting to our end goal.” He paused for a moment.
“Hacker is going to be in charge of talking to the higher ups as he can do so in code and in a manner that’s untraceable, Luca once you recruit people, I need you to spread the word to our workers in the clubs I want to know everything. Bullseye you’re in charge of strategy and technique get your men up to a level that is lethal. Once we have what we need I will let everyone know about the plan including all of you, I need to first perfect it before letting anyone in, this is our main priority.” He empathised to them, I can imagine his stern face and stiff posture as he talks and gives orders, his left hand is most likely gripping the edge of the table. While he does gestures with his right, the veins in his neck and arm bulge out when he is serious.
“This isn’t a battle anymore. This isn’t just an enemy I want abolished off the face of the earth. This is war and I won’t stop until he is nothing but ashes.”
Silence … I back away from the door and dash back to the room before he notices me snooping. I got under the covers and laid awake, my mind replaying the conversation I overheard before I couldn’t help but overthink it all or wrap my head around how I felt about it all the door creaked open. Vincenzo saw me lying awake, “are you okay? How are you feeling?” He spoke softly checking my forehead for a temperature.
“I’m okay” I spoke up out of breath, he looked at me suspiciously “Why do you sound like you ran a marathon?” He questioned looking at my chest, I cheekily widened my eyes smiling innocently. “Whatever do you mean?” I asked acting oblivious.
He squinted his eyes looking at me, before shaking his head and walking to the bathroom closing the door behind him. I sit up in the bed and rest my head gently against the bedrest, after a minute the door clicks open, and Vincenzo is walking back out … fucking shirtless and in a pair of his black boxers.
I let out an unsteady breath quickly looking away before he caught my stare, I felt the bed dip looking towards him slowly he settled himself on the bed getting in a comfortable position. I turned off the lamp on my end, the only light now shining was the lamp on his bedside.
I stared off into the distance, the accident was yesterday, and I still couldn’t burn the memory from my head. Everything was blurred together and yet is crystal clear. I just didn’t want to believe it all happened, his confession and his plea to love him back, my fall. We lost a lot of men yesterday and I couldn’t help but feel responsible.
