Chapter 20
Sofia
Three gunshots go off, and the horrible screaming stops. From what I heard, I’m pretty sure Marco died, but I'm not certain. I wrap the towel tighter around myself as I continue sitting in the bathtub. This felt like the safest place for me to go.
I’ve been in a state of shock ever since I looked towards the bedroom door and found Marco staring at me with a sick smile on his face. And while I hide in this bathroom, I’m desperately trying to get that image out of my head while also not trying to picture what’s going on outside.
The bathroom door opens, and Alessandro walks in.
My hand flies to my mouth as all the blood in my body rushes to my ears.
His hands are coated in blood, and it looks like he’s wiped some on his chest as well.
I take deep breaths, not wanting to act dramatic when clearly he’s been through something awful.
But how are his hands so bloody?
“What happened?” My voice is weak.
I can’t get a read on his emotions right now—it’s as though there’s a placid calmness to him, but that doesn’t make sense with what I heard.
He moves to the sink and starts washing his hands. “I don’t know whether I should tell you.”
“You killed Marco?”
He nods, making eye-contact in the mirror. “I gouged his eyes and then shot him.”
“You… you…”
Did he kill Marco only because he walked in on us?
I still feel on the verge of passing out, but the rage growing inside of me is helping me stay conscious. Did he really kill Marco impulsively? Are we in danger now? There are processes to this sort of thing; you can’t just kill the boss of the family and take over.
My hands are shaking as I continue clutching the towel to my chest. I glance up to see Alessandro looking at me while wiping his hands with a towel, a questioning look on his face.
“You’re angry,” he says.
My chest heaves, and I can’t find any words to say.
He crouches down so that we’re eye-level.
“I can’t believe you did that.”
He looks uncomfortable, eyes darting towards the ground. “I’ve had to do much worse.”
“I know, but are we… are we in danger? You can’t just impulsively kill the leader of a crime family without any repercussions.”
“It wasn’t impulsive.” He brushes my hair back, rubbing his thumb against my cheek.
I can still faintly smell the coppery odor, but this gesture is comforting enough to cancel that out.
“I’ve had plans to take over in the works ever since Vincenzo ended up in a coma.
He was Marco’s named successor. Now I’m working with others to secure my position as boss. ”
“Oh.”
All of that tension that was building up inside of me relaxes and now I feel so relieved I could almost cry. Ever since the night Marco caught me and Alessandro eating dinner outside, I’ve been hoping I’d never have to see him again. And I guess now my wish came true.
Alessandro stands up, smirking. “The eyes might have been overly-dramatic but you did break a rule.”
I point to my chest. “Me? How is this my fault?”
He chuckles, then his expression becomes more serious. “Honestly, are you okay after all of that?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “I’m a bit shaken up but… I’m alright. You?”
He seems taken aback that I’m returning the question, and I can’t tell if it’s because he’s surprised that I’m checking in on him or if he’s happy that Marco is dead.
“I’m fine. Relieved after all of that.” He smiles, helping me out of the tub.
“Now, I have a lot of things that need to get done. I need you to pack up your suitcase. Okay?”
“Where are we going?”
“Marco’s wing.”
Alessandro leads me out of the apartment that smells nauseatingly like cleaning products. I wonder where Marco died on the floor, eyes pushed in to the point they burst. I bite the inside of my cheeks to force those thoughts away.
Elena and a few guards wait outside the door.
She offers me a faint smile that I return as Alessandro rolls my bag at one of his soldiers.
Her eyes are bloodshot, like she’s been crying.
A million questions run through my mind, and I wonder if she’s mourning Marco’s death while Alessandro celebrates. That has to be difficult to navigate.
He rests his hand on the small of my back as we walk through the castle. It comforts me although I’m feeling insanely confused about our relationship. I genuinely like him. I can’t continue to lie to myself, but I’m still aching to go home.
I wonder if he’s going to continue taking advantage of my family like Marco. Or will things be more normal between us?
He has so much going on, trying to stay alive and in power, that I decide now is not the time to bring this up.
We walk into an area I’ve never been in before, although I’ve barely been anywhere besides Alessandro’s home.
This area looks more opulent than where Alessandro and Elena live.
While their wing seems modern, Marco’s seems like it hasn’t been touched in hundreds of years.
The bright-red carpet looks new, but the various statues, paintings on the walls, chandeliers, and wallpaper make me feel like I’m in a tourist attraction more than a place someone actually lives.
Eight guards stand outside a large wooden door.
“Home, sweet, home,” Elena murmurs as we walk past them.
A massive room presents itself before us; the ceiling must be two or three stories high.
It looks more like a display than an actually lived-in room.
The furniture is ornate yet scratchy-looking.
No modern conveniences or any electronics were to be found anywhere.
Just a bunch of art and taxidermy. Lions, a polar bear pelt on the floor, a wolf baring its teeth.
Elena leads the way up the grand spiral staircase, and we walk down a long hallway until we get to a girl’s room.
The walls are neon pink, and the bedspread is black and white zebra-striped.
The walls are covered with mid-2000s pop stars.
Some I recognize; the others I assume are too Italian, or I’m slightly too young.
I clear my throat since everyone has been unusually quiet on this walk. “This is your old room?”
She nods as she stares around her surroundings, her eyes looking wistful. “It’s been ten years since I’ve stood in this room. I never took the time to update it from how I had it as a teenager. I can’t believe he didn’t touch it either.”
I open my mouth to ask why she hasn’t been in here in ten years, but don’t bother—it feels like I’d be asking a sensitive question.
“This way,” Alessandro nods at me. I follow him further down the hall. “I plan on renovating Marco’s room and eventually moving in there, but I don’t even want to look at that space. It would remind me too much of him. For now, we’ll stay in here.”
He holds the door open for me and displays a large spare bedroom. It’s barely decorated, and I wonder if anyone has even stayed here. It’s doubtful. I don’t think Marco would have many overnight guests, and he has other rooms in the castle that they could stay in.
“Unpack your things. I have a lot to deal with today, so I won’t be back until the nighttime. But you and Elena will be safe here. Someone would have to blow through two high-security doors and a small army. And if that fails, there’s a panic room that Elena can lead you to.”
“Panic room. Right.” I question how much danger we’re in after Alessandro killed Marco. He might not have done that impulsively, but surely that shook up the ecosystem in this castle quite a bit.
“It’s just a precaution.” He says, sensing my discomfort. “No need to worry too much.”
One of his soldiers, Antonio, appears in the doorway, leaning against the wall in the hallway. Alessandro greets him and turns to me.
“Since I obviously haven’t had time to sweep this place, Antonio will follow you around if you want to leave this bedroom. If you’re hungry, you can go to the kitchen. And there’s a gym, theater room, and plenty of space to explore compared to my old place.”
My ears perk up at the word gym. But the feeling of disappointment crushes me because he’s making it clear that I’m still a prisoner here after all of that.
I force a smile anyway to appear amicable, then he turns around to leave.