28. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Elise
It’s raining.
It isn’t a light rain, either. It’s heavy and dark—the kind that washes away the Earth. I slowly open my eyes as the heavy vibrations of thunder penetrate my sleep. I am not in my bed. And as I sit up, I notice the tightness of my skin.
Blood is crusted to my arms and under my fingernails, staining the front of my clothes and the sheets I fell asleep on top of last night.
I release a bitter chuckle.
This room doesn’t have a bathroom attached. But I can’t sit here any longer in these clothes. I need to get out of them. I slowly rise from the bed, my muscles aching and sore from the panic of last night as I remove the furniture from in front of the door. I try to keep my emotions at bay as I pull open the door, and the silence of my home greets me.
Luca is nowhere in sight.
I don’t go to our bathroom. I go to the nearest bathroom I can, peeling the blood-crusted clothes from my skin as the water emits steam. It isn’t until I step under the warm spray, my eyes falling to the dirty water that comes off of me, that I break down.
I grab a bar of soap, scrubbing my skin as best I can, using my nails to scrape up whatever is left. I grit my teeth in pain as the hot sting of the water becomes unbearable, welcoming the feeling. It gives me a sense of control over myself and my life. At this moment, I can decide whether or not to stop inflicting this pain. I can choose to feel it. And when my skin begins to turn pink from rubbing myself raw, I collapse on the floor, quietly letting my sobs loose.
I don’t know what to expect as I finally garner enough strength to leave the confines of the bedroom. The house is quiet, and I don’t know whether I will run into Luca this morning. I pray that I don’t. I don’t know what brought on his attacks last night, and I don’t want to know. The more I think about it, the more I fear what it could mean— whose death it could be and whether or not it is my family.
I step into the kitchen, pausing when I see Nicolai with his back to me. He turns when he hears me enter, and I gasp as I take in his face. He has fresh stitching above his eye and a ghastly bruise that is slowly turning his eye black.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were coming down,” he says as he tries to duck out of the kitchen, but I stop him.
“What happened last night?” I whisper as I eye the bruise on his face.
He hesitates, his eyes shifting to the archway that leads out of the kitchen.
“I’m not allowed to say anything, Mrs. Pasquino,” he says.
“Nicolai. We’re leaving.” We both turn to see Romelo standing in the archway, his cold expression shifting over both of us.
“Excuse me,” Nicolai says, brushing past me.
Romelo watches him as he leaves before his attention shifts to me.
“It’s not his fault. Sometimes he loses control…Try not to hold it against him,” Romelo says.
I don’t respond, watching him in shock. Romelo rarely speaks and never acknowledges my existence when he is around me. This is the first time, and it’s for Luca’s sake.
Romelo doesn’t wait for my response, making his way out of the kitchen. I quietly peek out of the archway just in time to see Luca, cleaned of all of the blood that was covering him and seemingly of sound mind as he leads his men to do something else this morning. He’s dressed in a dark suit, his hair perfectly pushed out of his face, and his expression is blank and determined.
I almost call out to him, but decide against it. Luca has never been one to restrain himself or even think he is in the wrong. But he has clearly been awake longer than me and hasn’t sought me out all morning. Whatever his reasons, I’m not going to do anything to influence his actions.
So I quietly make my way back into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee and have a moment to myself of comfort and calm as my husband once again leaves without warning to do something that would more than likely get the average man killed.
I wish the rain would stop. It dampens my mood even further, making me feel hopeless. I release a deep breath, taking a sip of my coffee. It’s nice to know that for once, the house is empty, and I at least have the day to myself. But I dread Luca’s return. There’s no telling what he went out to do today after last night. But I do find comfort in him not acknowledging me this morning.
I flinch as a loud bang echoes from the front door, causing me to almost spill my coffee.
“Ouch!” I hiss as some spills on my hand. But I quickly wipe it against my shirt as I go to the entry area. The knocking continues, and it sounds desperate. My heart beats slightly faster the closer I come. No one knows we live out here, and Luca usually has security even if he’s gone.
I pull in a deep breath as I look out the glass next to the front door. It’s Enzo. He’s soaked and shivering as he glares at the front door with desperation in his eyes. He raises his hand to knock again, and I pull open the door.
“What are you doing here? Are you okay?” I ask, but he ignores me. He brushes past me as he mumbles to himself, and I note he is moving toward Luca’s office.
“Hey, Hey! You can’t go in there!” I shout.
Enzo’s footsteps falter when he sees that the door to Luca’s office is slightly open.
“Where is he?” he asks.
“He left early this morning,” I say in confusion.
Enzo looks away, his dark hair sticking to him as he drips on the floor.
“Did you walk here?” I ask.
He finally notices his state and realizes his situation, his eyes widening.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know where else to go. Or who to call. My mom’s been different ever since…and it’s not like her to just disappear…and I know I wasn’t supposed to contact her anymore, but…”
I gently place my hands on Enzo’s shoulders, rubbing lightly to warm him up and hopefully calm him down. He’s speaking in riddles, obviously in shock.
“Enzo, calm down. How did you get here?” I ask.
His eyes continue to dart around the room.
“Come on,” I say, pulling him with me.
I take him to the kitchen, leaving him alone for a few minutes while I grab a towel. I wrap it around his shoulders, and luckily, I have boiling water waiting as I pour him a cup of tea, pushing the steaming mug in front of him.
He takes it quietly, staring at the liquid as he contemplates telling me what’s happening. It’s cruel, really, that we are both siblings and both more than likely aware of it. But because of our shared fear of the man I married, we both pretend to be strangers, tiptoeing around what we say to each other.
“Enzo, try to start from the beginning,” I say gently.
I watch him carefully as he opens his mouth, tears brimming in his eyes.
“My mom is missing,” he says in a shaky voice.
“How do you know?” I ask.
“My mom is a unique woman. I know she goes on benders, and I know she has friends who sponsor her life. But she recently got mixed in with people who she happily let use her in exchange for money. I know she’s difficult, but she would never disappear without a note,” he sobs.
“I can’t call the cops, and I’m not supposed to know where she’s staying. But this has never happened before. I didn’t know who else to come to. Mr. Pasquino has all kinds of connections,” he says.
I swallow the growing fear in my throat as my mind shifts to last night. Luca returned home bloodied and out of his mind. It can’t be a coincidence that Enzo’s mother, the woman who sold her own son to her late lover’s enemy, is now missing.
“How did you get here?” I ask.
“I took the bus and walked the rest of the way,” he says softly.
That means he’s been walking for hours. We live nowhere near a bus station. And the nearest city is at least thirty minutes away, further showing his desperation. He’s really worried about his mother.
“Luca left early this morning. I don’t know what time he will be back,” I say, standing.
“In the meantime, I can have my driver take you home,” I say.
Enzo doesn’t respond. The look on his face is devastating. I don’t think even he knows just how fucked up his situation is. He only knows the desperation of feeling loved by a parent who doesn’t love you back. And I feel that deep inside, making me push past my fears of Luca to protect my brother.
“How about I go with you? We can search the place. Maybe you missed something,” I say gently, placing my hand on his back for comfort.
He looks at me with hope in his gaze, making me crumble even further. If I take my driver, he will definitely notify Luca of my location and who is with me. So, I head into the garage, grabbing a set of keys. I press the button on the fob, and the sleek black Audi lights up.
Perfect.
Luca built this home himself, installing secret exit routes as well. It was one of the things I noticed in the beginning before Luca started keeping things from me. So we can leave without anyone knowing otherwise, and no one telling Luca.
“Come on,” I call to Enzo.
Enzo was right about one thing: his mother is unique. The apartment she lives in is clearly new, but it is filthy. It is obvious that an addict lives here. There’s trash and discarded paraphernalia everywhere. Her clothes, while designer, are strewn about as well. The smell from the kitchen is stomach-churning as I pass by the dining table.
There’s discarded mail here, all addressed to his mother. My gaze narrows as I recognize the handwriting on one of the envelopes, and I pull it from the pile. It’s addressed to Enzo’s mother but has no return information.
“Your mother lives here alone?” I call to Enzo.
He kicks through a pile of laundry, looking at me.
“Yes,” he says.
I sift through the mail, finding another envelope with her lease agreement. I look at the date, scoffing in disbelief. It’s around the same time Luca brought Enzo into our world.
“How is she affording this? Does she even have a job?” I ask.
Enzo doesn’t respond, confirming my suspicions. He must be one of the many people giving her money for this lifestyle she can’t seem to let go of for the sake of her son.
“Where do you live?” I ask, and shock covers his features before he quickly hides it. He obviously hasn’t thought about a lie in his panic.
“Mr. Pasquino has a place for me,” he says.
I don’t push his explanation further.
“Well, maybe she left a note in an unusual place,” I say, moving across the room to the bookshelf. I reach for one of the higher placed books, my shirt lifting as I do.
“What the fuck?” I tense, lowering my arm just in time to see Enzo’s shocked expression. He steps forward slightly, his finger trembling as he points to my shirt.
“What was that?” he asks.
I look down at the book I managed to grab, opening it. There’s no note.
“It’s nothing,” I say.
“Elise, that looks like it was…carved into your skin—”
“I said it’s nothing,” I snap.
I was careless. I’m so used to being around people who are aware of this life. I move as far away as I can from Enzo to the hallway.
The door is closed.
“Whose room is this?” I ask, placing my hand on the doorknob.
“It’s my mother’s. I already looked there before I left,” he says.
I push open the door.
“It won’t hurt to check her room for a note—”
My words hitch in my throat as I open the door to reveal the gruesome display. My eyes widen, and I stumble back in horror, vomit lodging in my throat as I fall against the wall. I hear Enzo’s hurried footsteps as he approaches, and I quickly stumble to my feet.
“No, Enzo!” I catch him, gripping him tight as I pull him toward the door.
“We have to call Luca,” I say, panicked.
But Enzo breaks free of me easily, crashing into his mother’s room. His gasps turn to screams as he takes in her mangled form. I’m an idiot. I should have known better. I never should have come here, knowing who my brother and husband are. I’ve put us in danger in more ways than one. Her body has obviously been placed here since Enzo came looking for her the first time.
Someone’s been here, and I don’t know if it’s an enemy.
I grip Enzo’s arm, pulling.
“Listen to me! We have to go. Our lives could be in danger,” I cry out.
But Enzo isn’t listening. He’s pulling away from my grip, his grief overtaking his logic.
“Enzo, Please!” I shout.
He grips his mother’s body, shaking her in a panic as he tries to come to terms with things. And just as I’m about to step into the room, does someone roughly grab me by the arm, pulling me flush into a large body.