Chapter 56
Harlow
Life reminded me of art. It was a painted canvas with light and dark elements, contracting in shadows that made the brightest colors shine.
Even now in my confinement and torture, life was still worth everything.
Caterina showed me the beauty in the darkness.
Through the storm clouds, there were rays of beautiful light shining through, and I refused to let Vincenzo dim my light.
He was close to breaking me, but I was holding on to hope.
It was the one thing he couldn’t take away from me.
It was why he was paranoid. Caterina’s men, Spencer, and Elizabeth were all out there searching for me.
There was still hope that I would be found, and my shattered heart would slowly repair itself even if a giant piece was missing.
I was ready to see everyone again. I was ready to hold Titus and Lucifer close to me and sob into their fur.
Vincenzo was pacing the room like a mad man.
He was on edge for the last few days, constantly checking his phone or leaving to talk to someone.
With him like this he was sloppy and rough.
My body was in agony with fresh bruises and cuts.
Between my thighs felt like I’d been stabbed with a serrated blade.
I could feel dried blood and semen stuck on my skin, and it made my skin crawl in disgust. I needed a shower to rid my body of this monster.
God, I wanted Caterina.
I wanted to see her face and her caring eyes that bore into my soul and made me feel at peace.
Knowing she was gone made my heart hurt.
Maybe dying was the better option. I knew I needed to be strong and survive for her, but in the afterlife, we would be together.
But now that I knew my mother was alive, I felt trapped at a crossroads.
Eight years.
My mother was alive after all this time.
He lied so he could have me. Eight years of thinking I was alone.
What did he tell my mother? Did she think I was dead?
I felt trapped between a rock and a hard place when it came to choosing my mom or being reunited with the woman I loved.
I wanted them both back with me, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave my mother trapped wherever she was. I was going to find her.
Where had she been since she was taken from me?
Who had her? And who was hurting her? Part of me hoped she was better off wherever she was, but I knew better than that.
The men that Vincenzo gave us to were vile, despicable humans who enjoyed hurting the innocent.
Vincenzo got off on the pain and misery he inflicted on others, but the bastard was also greedy.
“It’s all ruined!” Vincenzo screamed, punching the wall. “You ruined everything!” I flinched, feeling his radiating anger slapping me in the face. “All you needed to do was love me!”
“You ruined my life!” I forced out, knowing I would regret this. “How could I love a monster like you?” He was a sick human who got off on other people’s misery. “You take and you destroy everything!”
Caterina might have killed people, but there was a difference between ridding the world of sick humans versus doing it just because they wanted to. Caterina destroyed men like Vincenzo who hurt the innocent, while Vincenzo destroyed the innocent, ruining their lives and futures.
He straddled my hips, his hands curling around my neck. My breath got caught in my lungs. “Stupid whore. You are mine. Always mine.”
Black dots danced across my vision as Vincenzo’s face blurred. There was a noise and Vincenzo growled, getting off of my body. My head spun as I fought for air. I heard the noise, too. Someone came for me. Was it Spencer or Malachi? Or maybe it was both?
Vincenzo grabbed his gun before pacing again. He looked at me with a wicked glint in his eyes and lifted the gun, pointing it at me. “If I can’t have you, no one can.”
He fired two shots, and at first, I didn't register the pain.
With how numb my body felt to everything, it felt like a prick that slowly radiated through my body.
The sensation reminded me of a numb leg.
First there was nothing, and then all of a sudden there were a million fire ants crawling up the leg.
And then, he shot me a third time, and I screamed as the bullet penetrated my body.
I looked down to see the three bullet wounds. One in my shoulder and two in my abdomen. That was going to leave one hell of a mark. I pulled at my restraints with no hope of breaking free or cowering to protect myself. Vincenzo laughed at me as he aimed the gun at me again.
“You’re mine. I’ll see you in the afterlife.”
I squeezed my eyes closed, thinking of happy memories before my end. I jumped when the gun went off, but I didn’t feel any pain. Was I already dead? I felt dizzy and weak, but I think I was still breathing.
“You stupid cunt,” he growled in pain.
Everything hurt. I wished I could open my eyes to see the pained expression on his face. To see agony etched into his horrid features.
“Checkmate, bastard.” Her voice was like a symphony in the darkness. I was dying. Caterina was dead. She wasn’t here. “You touched what’s mine, and I’ll make sure you pay.”
She shot him once more and he grunted, “S-She’ll always be m-mine,” before going silent.
“Take him back to the mansion and hang him from his toes.” My mind was playing tricks on me. This was someone else.
Her steps came closer to me and when her hand touched my face, fire burst from my soul along with a pained sob. I knew she’d come for me, or maybe this was the afterlife greeting me in death.
My eyes fluttered open, and I saw beautiful, forest-green eyes gazing back at me.
In their depths, I found solace and peace for the first time in weeks.
I wanted to move my arms, to wrap her in a tight embrace, to feel her heartbeat sync with mine as I embraced her, but my arms were stuck—and I was bleeding out.
“Y-you di-died,” I stuttered breathlessly.
Her fingers brushed through my dirty strands, lightly scratching my scalp as she kissed my forehead. She was here. This was real.