Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
F inding Symphony
Symphony
I sit in the back of this car wishing my mommy or nonno were here. I haven’t seen Nonno in so long. I miss him.
I want to go to Italy to see him. I want to hear him speak the funny words. Not like the words Mommy sometimes speaks. Nonno’s words are a little different, but I can understand him.
He is kind. Not like this man sitting with me—Mommy’s friend. I don’t like this man. I don’t know where he’s taking me.
He promised me if I went with him, my mommy would return for me. It’s been ninety-six days since I last saw her. Two thousand three hundred and three hours and counting. She has never left me for this long.
“I want my mommy. When will I see her?” I ask while tapping my fingertips together.
The music is playing in my head. Tapping my fingers together helps me to capture the notes and colors that play in my mind. The music has been loud and off-key since Mommy has been gone.
“You’re such a pretty girl. Too bad you’re a fucking retard,” the man says as he places his hand on my thigh.
I look up at him and glare. I hate when he calls me that. He only says it when Mommy isn’t around.
I get frustrated and overwhelmed because I don’t want to be here with him. I’m starting to think he’s lying to me. I don’t think I should have left the house with him.
I can’t help fidgeting in my seat as I start to chew on my tongue to help me with the anxiety building inside. The strand of music in my head has popped. The next thing I know, I’m rocking and cracking my knuckles.
I want to be far away from here. It’s not safe. As I dart my gaze around, I know for sure it’s not safe.
“Get all that shit out now. When we get to our friends, you better not start that bullshit in front of them,” he hisses at me.
I don’t like the feel of his hand on my leg. I begin to slide away from him. However, he tightens his hold to keep me in place.
“Look at me,” he snarls as I turn away from him to look out of the window.
I turn my head back in his direction, but I don’t look him in the eyes. He reaches to brush his fingers along my hairline. I hate his touch and begin to squirm.
“You have such pretty hair. I’m glad we could cover up those fucking patches. Your mother should have broken you out of that stupid ass habit a long time ago.
“Tearing out your own damn hair. I’m not going to tolerate any of that shit. Clients don’t want to hear that bullshit or see you looking unkept. Shut that noise the fuck up, now,” he barks.
I knit my brows and try to stifle the urge to chew on my tongue which is making the sound he’s so annoyed with. However, by stopping the chewing, I can’t help but reach up for my hair to twist and pull a lock of it.
He slaps my hand away from my hair, causing me to hiss at him. Mommy doesn’t like when I hiss at people, but I don’t like this man. He makes my skin crawl.
“Don’t hit me. Abuse. Abuse. Someone help,” I call out.
“Shut the fuck up,” he growls and grabs my face. “Look at me when I talk to you. I’ll show you abuse. No one is coming to save you. I never want to hear those words come from your mouth again. Do you understand me?”
I punch him in the throat, just like in the jujitsu videos I love to watch on my tablet. His eyes grow wide as he releases my face and falls back in his seat. I clap my hand in excitement as I execute the move correctly.
“Yay,” I squeal happily.
“You fucking little retarded bitch,” he snarls and slaps me across the face. He hits me so hard my ears feel like they’re ringing.
My vision is blurred as I fall back against my own seat. The next thing I know, the sound of my dress being ripped fills my ears. He’s hovering over me as he leans into my face with his rank breath.
He has halitosis and needs to see a periodontist to treat the gum disease infecting his mouth. It smells like something has died in his gums. He should just cut his tongue out and get a new one.
“I’m going to teach you a little lesson. Fuck saving you for the highest bidder. Your retarded ass is going to fuck it all up anyway,” he growls in my ear as he fumbles with trying to tear my panties from my body.
I turn my face and bite him as I shove at his chest. He screams as I keep biting down. I bite through all three layers of skin—the epidermis, dermis, and the hypodermis—until my teeth meet his jaw.
I only release him as he begins to punch me in the head. A metallic taste fills my mouth as I release him. He pulls back and continues to rain blows down on me.
I think the car pulls to a stop, but I am beginning to lose consciousness. My ears are ringing, and my face and head hurt. However, his weight is no longer on me and he’s no longer pounding his fists against me.
Mommy, where are you? Help. Your friend is a bad man.
Michael
Morgan Christoph, that’s the name of the asshole who has Don Trovati’s granddaughter. The motherfucker intends to auction her off tonight. That’s going to happen over my dead body. She’s a fourteen-year-old girl.
What kind of sick fuck kills a girl’s mother then tries to sell her off to the highest bidder? I can tell my brother is chomping at the bit to torture and hush his ass.
I don’t stand a chance to have a hand at this one. I have already been given orders to get her to safety as Uri handles the rest. We don’t want to make any waves while we’re here.
Uri doesn’t want to call in any favors. Hitters are supposed to be resourceful and self-sufficient. Having to call for help is unprofessional.
“Hang back. Don’t get too close,” Uri murmurs to me, causing me to back off the gas.
When we pulled up to the house—we learned the girl had been staying in—Christoph and a driver had already loaded the younger girl into the car and pulled off to head out. Neither of us could get a look at the girl as Christoph had some type of cape covering her. I could only hope for his sake that wasn’t the don’s granddaughter.
After confirming the house was empty, I was able to follow them and catch up. We plan to intercept them before they get to the auction. However, something is off.
Our intel placed the auction another ten miles from here. Our rendezvous point is another mile and a half ahead. The car has turned off course. We continue to follow until the car heads into a parking structure. I glance over at Uri. He looks back at me, giving me a nod to get ready.
“Stay with them. This changes nothing,” he says.
I lick my lips nervously. This is my first time driving in America. I try my best not to focus on that, sticking to the task at hand.
I pull into the parking garage after the car and follow it as it drives up a few levels to one that’s more secluded. I hang back just a bit so we’re not detected.
“Pull in over there.” Uri points.
I pull into the spot he points out and cut the engine. Uri pulls on his gloves, then pulls his guns and begins to check the clips. I place on my gloves then do the same.
“Remember, your job is to get the girl and get her to safety.”
“I’ve got it.”
“Let’s go. I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Uri bites out.
My gut twists as I have the same feeling. We climb from the vehicle and race forward toward the car we’ve followed here.
I watch as my brother allows his demons to take over. This is when the savage assassin comes to the front. I have learned to notice the different faces and levels of my brother.
This is the darkest version of him. The man they call Hush. It is best for me to allow him to do what he does and stay out of the way.
Uri rushes the car and rips the back door open. In the next breath, he tears Christoph from the car by the back of his hair. The driver jumps out with his arms in the air. His face looks stricken.
“I don’t want any part of this. I quit,” the driver says.
I move quickly to place a zip tie on his wrists. When I look up, I find Uri with Morgan in his grasp as he squeezes his palm around his neck. With the driver secure and forgotten, I rush to find the girl.
I clench my jaw tightly as I climb into the back seat and find the young girl with her face bruised and battered. However, as my gaze roams for other injuries, my blood begins to boil. Her front is exposed as the dress she had been wearing is now torn down the front.
I breathe a sigh of relief as I note her panties are still covering her lower parts. Giving a silent prayer, I hope that means we got here in time. Quickly, I climb in and cover her little exposed breasts.
Grabbing the cape from the seat, I then wrap it around her. There’s blood on her face around her mouth. From the looks of it, she put up a fight.
“Keep fighting for me, bella . We’re going to get you to your nonno,” I whisper as I scoop her up and back out of the vehicle.
I move swiftly back to our car. The sharp sound of a bullet moving through a silencer goes off behind me. I didn’t think Uri was going to allow the driver to live.
Instead of turning to look back, I place the girl in the passenger seat and buckle her in. Once she’s secure, I rush around to climb into the driver’s side and take off for the location where I’m to wait with the girl for Uri to come and collect us.