The Truth Hurts: Part Two: The Twisted Betrayal Duet

Chapter 4

“Wakey wakey!” A voice sings through the darkness. The sound of boots scuffing drags me through a haze, to a non-familiar place. My body feels like it’s floating, drifting in an endless abyss. But when I blink through the pain and agony rippling through my body and extremities, I notice I’m not in the same place I last remember being.

Light exposes the room I’m in; solid brick walls, the rattling of pipes. It’s cold and damp, but unlike the last place I was held captive, this one doesn’t feel like the end. I’m still hanging from a ceiling, my wrists bound by a much harsher metal than before. I glance up, unable to fight the groan as I see the barbed wire wrapped around my wrists, gouging into the layers of flesh. It’s a piercing reminder that I’m dangling over my fate.

“So glad you could join us, Giovanni.”

Ignoring the blood trickling down my bare arms, I focus on the person advancing towards me, a smile splitting the man’s mouth into a sadistic grin. Though I don’t know who this guy is, I have an idea. He’s covered in tattoos, a serpent like design snaking up his neck and ending beneath his ear. He has a diamond tattooed above his left eye, a sinister reminder of his upbringing.

My gaze slowly traverses the room I’m caged in, where the shadows cling to the walls, and the only sound that can be heard is coming from the man in front of me. “We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Enzo.”

A shiver runs over me, my body shuddering as I glance at the blade in his hand, then to the men leaning back against the wall. I don’t know how much Sera knows about her best friend, but I know enough. Enzo wasn’t just her second-in-command. No, he belonged to a family that used torture as a greeting card. And I’m pretty sure our first official meeting is going to be unforgettable.

Marco and Matteo. I can taste their disgust from here, their gazes piercing mine. If I could hear their thoughts, I’m almost certain I’d hear the promise of my demise; all the ways they’d plan to torture and destroy me for what I did to their leader.

But there’s only one problem; you can’t break something that’s already broken.

Broken.

My thoughts instantly go to her. I can still hear every pained sob break through her as Luciano exposed my secret. I know how much it hurt her, because it hurt me too. There’s no going back from what I did, I just hate that I never got to tell her myself.

“Where… is… Sera?” I grunt out each word through sharp breaths, guilt poisoning my veins. “Verdi?”

The last thing I remember was the pain I felt when Luciano drove his knife into my stomach. The last thing I heard was her screams as everything went blank. Now, I’m struggling to comprehend how I’m now hanging in front of a ghost; trading one captor for another. Is this hell? Is this how the afterlife begins?

“I don’t think you get to ask the questions here.” Enzo starts to circle my hanging body, his footsteps echoing behind me. Suddenly, my head is yanked back, my scalp burning as each strand is tugged tighter and tighter in his hand. “In fact, Sera is not your concern anymore. Not after what you did.”

I swallow past the scratchiness in my throat as he releases his grip, my eyes landing on the twins who make no attempt to step in. I can’t even blame them for their decision. I put their leader in danger, I put them all in danger.

Is she even alive?

“Do you know what happens to traitors?” Enzo whispers in my ear.

The way he speaks of Sera tells me she might be alive, but there’s no way of knowing for certain, not until I see it with my eyes—which is highly unlikely in my current situation.

The metallic shine of Enzo’s blade glistens before my eyes. His attempt to instill fear would work far more effectively if I actually had something to lose. But that’s just it; I don’t have anything anymore. I’d much rather he just end whatever I have left of my life now because no amount of torture could match what I’m already feeling.

Enzo shoves my head forward with his palm, forcing my body to sway under my weight. Pain soars through my wrists, my weight dragging the barbs through my flesh. The clink of my restraints filling the small room is like a melody to each step Enzo takes. This is his attempt to make me sweat, to make me pay for what I did. And if I could take it back, I’m not so sure I would. Who wouldn’t put their daughter first?

But I’m not about to plead or reason with the guy. I deserve everything I get.

“Do you know how hard it was to watch from the sidelines while you got close to her? Deceiving her? Pretending like you were there for her protection?”

Lifting my gaze, my brows furrow as I try to read his face. But his stoic features give nothing away. The resentment in his voice kills me almost as much as hearing him reiterate how much I’ve hurt Sera. It was never my intention. I never set out to get close enough to care about her the way I did. All I could think about was Gabriella. All I cared about was Gabriella. But my feelings for Sera came out of nowhere. I’ve never wanted to protect someone as much as that day when we were taken. Her screams still echo in my mind, her cries of pain, pleas for my mercy, they’re ingrained so deep that nothing will be able to remove them. All I can think about as I sway in silence, is the helplessness I felt when Luciano had his hands on her. I failed her, her family, in every sense of the word. What was once a job became something more meaningful. The broken shards of my heart were starting to heal a little. Being around Sera offered me a sense of hope, and fuck, I destroyed it in the blink of an eye.

With my eyes downcast, I watch as Enzo’s boots come into view. “I think you know by now that you’re not getting out of this,” he smirks, leveling me with a glare. “I considered hearing you out, but I don’t need to hear the reason why you betrayed her.” His fingers flick the bandage that covers my stab wound. “This was just a way to prolong the torture. Don’t think for one minute I’m going to go easy on you.”

And just to cement those words, Enzo drives his fist into my ribs, knocking the wind from my lungs and sending waves of agony across my already beaten body.

My head jolts backwards as I cough and splutter, my jaw clenching as I try to fight the urge to cry out. He’s so precise, so silent in the way he delivers punch after punch, cracking and bruising whatever he can, sending fresh pain rippling through me.

He swings a fist to my face, my head ripping sideways. Blood coats my tongue, the throbbing pain in my jaw only a tiny reminder of what is yet to come and I take every hit because compared to what Sera went through, this is nothing.

Enzo finally takes a step back, flicking his switchblade open and closed repeatedly.

“I had… no choice.” My words are broken up by my pained breaths, but my sincerity echoes through the room.

“You could have told us,” Marco growls in response, unfolding his arms as he steps away from the wall. “We could have helped you.”

His certainty is unwavering, but he’s deluded if he thinks he could have prevented this. The Verdis had a plan from day one, there was no way anyone could have stopped them.

“No,” I admit raspily. “You couldn’t.”

My words fall on deaf ears as Enzo takes another swing at my face, my body swaying violently. “Your job was to protect her!”

“I know,” I reply, my voice gravelly. Blood drips down my arms, down my chin and sliding down my bare chest. When I look down, the wound on my stomach is soaked through, a dark crimson color staining the material as dried blood is replaced with fresh blood.

I watch Enzo walk towards the twins. Matteo hands him a tool that I can’t quite see from my angle, but as soon as Enzo turns around, I know this is going to be a long night. I’d say I deserve it, but I wouldn’t be saying it out to feel sorry for myself because I do deserve it. I can’t shake the guilt and sadness from seeping in so the only solution is to let it bleed out.

“Enough talking.” Enzo pinches my cheeks, but I’m too weak to fight him. With the trauma and the amount of blood I know I’ve lost, there’s no chance of me fighting my way out of this. I have to accept my fate. Just like I’ve accepted what I’ve lost. There’s no chance of me getting my daughter back.

Shoving the pliers into my mouth, I bite back the scream as Enzo grips my molar, tugging and twisting. White hot pain courses through my jaw, the agony radiating through my head until it feels like my brain is about to explode. And then I hear the crack, the snap as my tooth breaks away.

“I’m interested to know how much pain you can handle before you pass out,” he sneers. “I want to know whether this was worth the choice you made.” He reaches in again, moving to the other side of my mouth. Gripping another tooth, he yanks again. It comes out easier than the last, but the amount of blood filling my mouth makes it difficult to breathe.

The tooth clinks to the floor delicately, a contradiction to everything about Enzo.

“It’s a good thing you won’t need these teeth,” Enzo states sadistically, slapping my cheek and letting the blood pooling in my mouth shoot out.

More blood slips between my lips, coating them and dribbling down my chin. My focus starts to blur as my energy weakens, tears streaming down my face. All the agony I want to feel dissipates. My hands go numb and the blanket of darkness that rims my vision slowly closes in on me.

Suddenly, my body jolts as water splashes over me, the liquid slapping the concrete below my feet.

“We’re not quite done,” Enzo reminds me, his tone low and sinister. “I counted four days that Sera was missing. Though your betrayal spanned a little longer, right?”

Marco and Matteo appear either side of him. Seeing the gleam in their eyes, filled with violent intent, only reiterates the depth of my actions. I don’t need reminding of what I’ve done, though. My shame is enough to bury me.

I sense that’s not where my body is going to end up though. I take back what I said about this not being the end.

“I’m not going to lie,” Enzo chuckles maniacally. “You surprise me.”

My brows furrow.

In the shadows, Enzo stands, picking at his nails with the tip of his blade. “I thought you’d be pleading for your life. Guess I was wrong.” The corner of Enzo’s lips tilts upward, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Marco cracks his knuckles. I guess I can’t be surprised that he would be the one to deliver my next punishment. He’s as loyal as they come and all the calmness that sits on the surface of his exterior is like an iceberg. He might look at peace with the world above water, but there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface and with the way he clenches his fists, he’s about to reveal the lengths he’ll go to ensure I never make the same mistake twice.

One last glance at Enzo is enough to seal my fate, and I swallow any remaining guilt I have and accept this for what it is.

The consequences of my actions.

“Have at it, Ferrante,” I mutter.