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The words make my body go weak. I feel empty, to the point of collapsing. I want to scream that it’s a big lie, but I remain still. It’s pointless arguing when they want to see me frustrated.
A second later, they shut the door, leaving me soaked and alone in the room.
I shake my head, picturing Marcello's lifeless body. “No.” I shake off the horrible thought. “Marcello can’t be dead. I don’t believe it.”
But if he’s truly dead, I’m ready for whatever comes next. I’m not afraid of dying anymore.
“Marcello can’t be dead,” I say between bouts of tears, shaking my head.
Intense shivers make my body convulse, and I’m not sure if they’re from being soaked or being afraid. My hands tremble as I cover my mouth. Tears rush out of my eyes, and I curl up tightly on the wet floor.
At least I tried. I just wish it didn’t have to end this way. I feel my stomach, shaking my head. My baby won’t even get the chance to see the world at this point. I’ll die before that can happen. And Marcello? I wish I could save him.Couldhave saved him.
I grab both sides of my head, sobbing uncontrollably in the dark.
It’s over now. My zeal to fight, to get revenge, to live has gone down the drain. I just want to die.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
MARCELLO
The tiny footstepswake me up. Then the little pain in my wrists forces my eyes to open wider. My sight remains shrouded by a smelly bag secured over my head. The world is dark, and I can do nothing about it. My fists clench as the steps get closer. Has Giorgio sent someone to finish me off?
Knowing that guy, he’ll probably do it himself. And he’ll want it to be in the presence of the other men. He’ll want me to serve as a lesson on how betrayal is received and what the subsequent punishment is.
I shudder as the black cloth is suddenly pulled off my head. Tito Antoni’s face comes into view, and he presses a finger to his lips, effectively shutting me u before I can even think to speak. He doesn’t say anything for a moment. Our eyes settle on each other. I still think he’s responsible for giving away my location to Giorgio. There’s no other explanation for how he managed to catch us.
“I can’t watch you suffer like this and not do anything,” he whispers.
Hope rises in my chest. Tito steps forward and unties the rope holding my hands. I rub my fingers gingerly, not believing my luck. Tito pulls out a pistol and drops it in my lap.
“You’re a good man. I think you deserve a fair chance to save your woman and yourself. I would have joined you, but it’s too big a risk. You might lose and Giorgio would just skin me alive.”
“You have helped me enough,” I whisper, getting to my feet. “I don’t know how to say thank you.”
“Don’t say it. Just do what needs to be done.”
My feet feel tired as I sweep past Tito, but I keep moving. The steps I take to the door are painful but necessary. With each passing second, I feel the rush of adrenaline thrumming through my veins. I want to tear Don Giorgio apart.
I look at Tito just before I leave the room. He has both hands in his pockets, and there’s an emotional look on his face. He probably feels like he won’t see me alive again. That’s the vibe I get from looking at him. I’ll prove him wrong.
Stepping out of the room into the club, I begin to look around. The flashing lights on the ceiling and the songs on the speakers don’t distract me from the task at hand.
I stand next to a dancing couple, shielding my body with their active ones while scanning the whole place for Giorgio. The VIP zone is empty. He’s usually there with three semi-nude girls nestled next to him. I step away from the dancing duo, keeping my head bowed as I move through the club. Songs continue to pulse in the background, and colors flash before my eyes, making me feel like I’ve repeatedly been zapped with a taser.
Suddenly, I see Giorgio. He’s close to the door, talking with two big men who look like businessmen rather than warriors. I lift the pistol and take aim, knowing I have one chance to make all of this right. My finger squeezes against the trigger, and the shots ring off. In the same second, Giorgio clutches his arm and falls backward. Damn it!
I walk forward and position myself for another shot. Giorgio is sprawled on the ground, looking up at me. His mouth is open as though he’s about to beg, but I don’t give him a chance. I fire again, this time focusing on his head. The shot is perfect. A dark spot appears on his forehead, and it snaps backward with the force of the bullet.
As blood streams from the wound, Giorgio’s eyes are wide open staring at me even as his body begins to grow cold. There’s not an atom of guilt in me. I did what I had to do to a murderous bastard. Relative or not, he can rot in hell for all I care.
It takes me a few seconds to process the unrest that has broken out around me in the club. People are screaming and hurrying to the exits around the building. Some of Giorgio’s men run off too. One of them tries to shoot me, but I get him first, shooting him in the stomach and watching blood spread across his white shirt.
Without waiting for another attack by any of the aggrieved men, I head down the dark passageway that leads to where Giorgio always kept his “problems”. That’s likely where Daniella is being held. A guard in front of the room is rubbing against the body of a skimpily-dressed girl. I sneak up to him and tap him on the shoulder. As he turns, I welcome him with a fierce punch to the face. He falls to the ground, totaling blacked out by the force of my fist.
I put a finger to my lips and look at the girl. “He’s not dead. Go now.”
She dashes away, and I push the door open and see two guys watching a basketball game on a small TV. Daniella is tied to a chair, her face covered in with a black sack, just like I had been until Tito Antoni showed up to free me.
