35. Chapter 35
Chapter thirty-five
Luciana
I couldn’t even look at Emilio for the rest of the night and into the next morning. As I got ready for bed, I slid under the covers and tried to muffle the sound of my silent tears falling on the pillow. In the night's stillness, I prayed he hadn’t heard me. The next morning I laid in bed, feigning sleep just so I wouldn’t have to face him.
My body ached with tension and my mind raced with thoughts of how to avoid facing him. I let out a sigh of relief as I heard him leave for work.
From the very beginning, I had known this was an arranged marriage. A cold and calculated transaction between two parties for power and wealth. Yet, as time passed, my thoughts wavered. Emilio’s touch became more gentle, his embrace more tender. He would ask about my passions and interests, taking a genuine interest in getting to know me. Was it possible that his feelings had grown beyond obligation? Or had I deluded myself into believing he truly cared for me? The uncertainty gnawed at my heart, like a tangled knot that refused to be undone.
I got up and began getting ready for my day. All I wanted was to escape from this place, to be anywhere but here in this apartment. There was an abandoned building that I had been wanting to check out, but I kept putting it off because I was enjoying spending time with Emilio.
It had been such a long time that the location of the building escaped my memory. It stood out to me as I had taken both digital and physical notes about it. As I sat down at my desk and turned on my computer, I attempted to recall its whereabouts.
After I had gotten dressed, I walked out of the bedroom to find Short Dino sitting on our sofa, reading a newspaper. I had been pretty sure no one read newspapers anymore, but it seemed pretty on brand for him. He didn’t even glance up at me, instead waiting for directions.
“Starbucks and then exploring?” I asked.
He grunted in response, folding the newspaper and placing it on our coffee table.
Short Dino already knew the route to my preferred Starbucks. He ordered our drinks, and I think it was the first time I had heard him talk today. But for once, I was happy with the silence. I was overwhelmed with thoughts of Emilio and I didn’t think I could handle any external stimuli.
We sat in silence as we drove to the outskirts of the city.
“Are you…ok?” he asked, seeming to struggle with asking a question that involved empathy.
Jesus. I must look terrible if Short Dino was asking me if I was alright. The only thing he cared about was making sure I stayed alive.
“I’m fine.”
And we left it at that. Thank god it was Short Dino in the car with me - if it was Tall Dino, he would have continued to probe.
It wasn’t much longer before we arrived at our destination. The dilapidated warehouse towered in front of us, its brickwork facade crumbling with age. Weathered graffiti decorated the exterior, while the vacant windows seemed to gaze back at us with a haunted stare. It was ominous and desolate, but to me, it was a sanctuary—a place where I could escape from my complicated life.
Short Dino parked our car a safe distance away from the building. Without a word, we stepped out into the cold morning sun. The gravel crunched under our feet as we approached the entrance.
I explored each corner of the warehouse while Short Dino looked on alertly, his eyes sweeping over every detail in case of potential threats. I enjoyed these moments of solitude in these forgotten places—the silence was therapeutic, giving me space to think and breathe without feeling suffocated by emotion.
I caught a glimpse of Short Dino reaching for his gun from the corner of my eye. “We need to le-” he started, before I heard a bang and his body fell to the ground.
My ears were ringing so loudly that I didn’t register how loud my scream was. I had seen the carnage from the disastrous event at the gala, but seeing someone dear to you get shot was completely different. The bullet had pierced through Dino’s chest. He was now lying facedown on the ground, blood pooling from under his body.
I knew I should run out of the warehouse, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave Short Dino.
“SD,” I said, shaking him. “C’mon, we need to get out of here.”
He groaned in response. It was good to know he was still alive - but for how much longer? I tried tugging him by the arm and towards the door, but it was useless. He had too much muscle and weight on him for me to pull.
“Nice of you to try though, Luciana.”
The voice that came from behind me made my blood run cold. When I heard it, I was ready to wake up, hoping I was in some disgusting dream. When I heard him laugh, there was no denying it - that was my father’s voice.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, not able to turn around and face him.
“Why, we’re here to see you, of course.”
Who was “we?” I slowly turned around and my stomach sank even more. Rolando stood right next to my father. I searched his face for any sign of guilt; that he was being forced to do this. Unfortunately, his look was just as steel cold as our fathers.
The sight of Rolando by my father’s side was like a stab to my heart. How could he stand there, with no remorse, ready to hurt his own sister? His eyes narrowed at me, his jawline set with determination. He didn’t look like the older brother who once held me in his arms, promising to keep me safe from our tyrant father.
“Rolando,” I whispered, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice. “What are you doing?”
He didn’t respond; my father instead choosing to speak for him. “Your husband has been a nuisance to us, you know that?” When I didn’t respond, he continued. “Him and his buddies killed all our associates in this warehouse. Do you know how pissed their boss is at us?”
“How is that my problem?” I hissed, refusing to show my father the fear I was feeling. “I’m in no way involved in your business dealings.”
“Perhaps, but you are married to him. If you weren’t family, I’d kill you on the spot.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. How could he possibly think of us as family after the way he treated me throughout my childhood? His words felt hollow and insincere, more for show than anything else.
“Do you truly think of me as family, father?”
“We share the same blood, thus making you my family.”
I forced down the bitter bile that rose in my throat, a physical manifestation of the disgust and resentment I felt towards my father. Blood did not make us family. I felt a stronger bond being married to Emilio than any familial ties that once existed with him.
“So I’m giving you a chance,” he continued. “Leave your husband and reclaim the Catucci name. Or,” he paused, but I knew what he was implying. My last moments alive would be inside this warehouse.
My stomach twisted in knots as I grappled with the decision. The words Emilio had spoken still echoed in my mind, a bitter reminder that our marriage was nothing more than a cold, calculated business transaction. How na?ve I had been to believe that there were any true feelings between us, that our marriage was meant to be. The weight of disappointment and betrayal settled heavy on my chest, suffocating any lingering hopes I had for our relationship.
But, even if he felt that way about our marriage, it had been real to me.
“No,” I said, calmly and sure of my decision.
“That is unfortunate,” he responded.
Before our father could even give the order, Rolando took charge and forcefully grabbed my arm. His grip was tight and forceful as he dragged me through the cold, dimly lit warehouse. My bare legs stung against the rough concrete floor, leaving behind angry red scrapes. I clenched my jaw, trying to hold back the fear and pain that threatened to overwhelm me.
The three of us eventually found ourselves in the back office area. My stomach, already sinking, seemed to drop even lower. The symbol I had been tirelessly researching for months was plastered on the wall in front of me. It had just been spray painted, and the paint was still wet and heavy-handed. There was no mistaking it - my family was responsible for this symbol’s origins.
“What is that?” For the first time, I could not hide the fear in my voice.
“Ah, yes. I imagine you’ve run into this a few times now, with your,” he paused, a look of disgust on his face, “Hobby. It is the symbol of rebirth, written in a language passed down throughout the Catucci family. We will rise and be the most powerful Italian family.”
“And overtake the Alto’s?”
I tried not to laugh. Although I was not part of the Mafia’s “business” areas, I knew the Alto’s had been in power for generations.
“Now is our moment. With Valentina dead, everything is in chaos,” my father said.
“I wish you luck,” I said, not bothering to hide my sarcasm. I didn’t bother asking him if he was responsible for the Gala shooting and Valentina’s death, because it would have been an impossible feat for him.
With a sudden, violent shove, Rolando threw me against the rough brick wall. My body slammed against it with bone-jarring force, causing my vision to blur for a moment. I slumped to the ground in a daze, my back pressed painfully against the unforgiving surface. Rolando stood over me, unholstering his gun and pointing it directly at my face. My heart raced in terror, my breath coming in quick gasps as I stared up at him with wide eyes. In that terrifying moment, I could have sworn I saw a flicker of remorse in his stony gaze - a fleeting glimpse of the man he used to be before becoming consumed by darkness. But just as quickly as it appeared, the glimmer vanished, replaced once again by the ruthless killer I knew him to be.
As I faced my own mortality, fear crept into my mind, but it was overshadowed by a feeling of remorse. All those unsaid words and unspoken feelings for Emilio would remain a secret forever.