8. Chris
CHAPTER 8
CHRIS
D ad is looking at the folders of last year’s income. As much I've tried to show him how easy is to open a fucking report on his laptop, he keeps asking me to print them.
“It's looking good, Christopher. You did good. I like what I see and that everything is flowing as it should.” He closes the folder and meets my gaze. “The man you've become is what I was waiting to see.”
“If that's everything I'll pack my bag and get back…”
“No, your place is here, now.”
“Of course, now that Nicholas is not here anymore,” I fire back. “I'm done being played with.”
“Christopher, mine wasn't a request. Nicholas fucked up and La Sacra Corona has eyes on us.”
I cackle as I shake my head. “Has eyes on you , and they’ve never approved how you let him destroy everything and everyone.”
He slams his hand on the desk, getting on his feet. “That's enough. You two were…”
“What? There never was two of us, but just him, and now I should clean up his fucking mess again ? I took a bullet for him two days ago,” that's bullshit; it's a scratch, “and you've never even asked where, let alone how I feel.”
“You're here, which means you're fine.”
I scoff as Viola catches my attention. “Whatever.” I wave my hand and head out of the office.
“Non abbiamo finito!” We're not done , he yells before I close the door.
“Where's Leila?” My voice startles Viola and I curse under my breath. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.”
She approaches me and squeezes my hand. “It's good to have you home, Chris. She's not feeling good.” She pauses and looks at me. She says nothing anymore but her silence speaks volume.
“Thank you, Viola.” I jog upstairs as she tries to protest but eventually gives up.
The moment I burst into the room, Leila rushes to the corner and tries to shield with her arms.
“I haven't done anything. I swear I haven't…”
My heart stops beating at her reaction. What in the fucking hell? “Leila, it's me,” I say while walking toward her.
“I'm not coming downstairs. I know what Mr. Bonetti will say. End my miserable life and leave me alone.”
“The fuck are you talking about? It was me asking Viola to help you come for dinner.”
“I'm not hungry,” she lies as her stomach grumbles.
I scoop her up and head toward the door. “First you have dinner, then we'll talk.”
She's about to say something when we’re on the staircase but when she sees Dad walking out of his office she shuts up right away.
“Asking the princess to walk was too much for you?”
“She's injured,” I snap as I walk past him.
“So are you.” He follows me and sits on his chair. I help Leila to sit too as I take my seat at the other end of the table. Far away from him and her.
During the whole meal, I keep an eye on her. She's toying with the food and it gets on my nerves.
“If you don't eat, I'll feed you myself,” I say before I drink some wine.
She freezes while meeting my eyes. Even though she seems reluctant to touch the food, she eventually starts to eat.
“She's not easy to threaten, we’ve done our best.” He chuckles, leaving me puzzled.
“Meaning what?”
“Every kitten needs to be trained but it seems she obeys you,” Dad affirms. “Since Nicholas is gone, you need a wife, Christopher.”
“I don't need anyone.”
“One month. You can choose: you may have Leila or another one.” He smirks, leering, his eyes on her.
Fucking pervert!
“So now what, should I take Nicholas' leftovers too?” I snap as I push my plate away from me. I couldn’t miss her holding her breath. I know my words may have hurt her but he doesn't need to sense I still care about her, otherwise he'll use it as an excuse to hurt me and her.
“At all, that's why I'm giving you a choice.” He grins. “She's not good at anything, and I need grandchildren. Find yourself a worthy wife and you'll take my place.”
“Who says I want to take your place?” I mock him, aware that’s a hit he can’t miss. “I’m okay with what I have.”
“So fucking na?ve, Christopher,” he continues to eat, “you have nothing. All of this is because of me.”
I let out a laugh as I grit my teeth. Leila glances at his hands as thousands of questions pop into my head. I'm missing something and I don't know what.
“You're not that old to retire, which means La Sacra Corona wants your head. Doesn’t it?”
He doesn't reply but I already know the truth. I’m the one to push them in the right direction. In the last two months each one of their warehouses have been cleared and burned down. His squads didn’t see us coming. “We'll wait until the documents are ready. Until then, I have a few meetings here.” I hold my hand out to Leila as my father clears his throat.
“They didn't get married,” he admits with a smirk as I snap my eyes at him greeting my teeth. Fucking bastard! It was a charade and I fell for it.
Feeling her gaze on me I shift my gaze back and the emptiness in her eyes breaks my heart. The fuck is she doing here if she’s not married with that piece of shit?
“As you see, there’s no need to wait.”
Leila eventually gets up and walks toward the door. Viola stops in the kitchen door as I look at her. “Could you bring us two slices of your cake in my room?”
“Of course.” She smiles and nods.
I place my hand on Leila's back but the next step makes her whimper and I scoop her up. “I got you.”
The moment she locks eyes with me her tears run down her cheek. “Don't need to pretend, Christopher.”
“Pretend what?” I ask while I move upstairs. I kick the door open and place her down in my room.
She opens her arms and sighs. “Take what you want.”
I cock a brow at her as Viola knocks on the door and brings us the cake. “If you need anything else, I'll be downstairs.”
“Thank you, Viola.” I follow her while she leaves and I lock the door behind.
Leila starts to take off her dress and my eyes look over her beauty for a second. “Stop.” I hold my hand up while she takes it off all the way. When I spot the bruises on her skin I walk toward her. “The hell is this?” I ask but she says nothing. “These are not something fresh. Who did this?” My eyes hover over her arm, her front and her back.
She looks down at her feet avoiding answering.
I grab her hands, “Who, Leila?”
My voice startles her as she shakes “Nicholas, your father…” She holds her breath as I caress her wrists. “Me.”
“I'm sorry,” I mutter as I shut my eyes. If Nicholas wasn't already dead he'd have been now. I pull her in a hug as she cries her heart out. “No one will ever touch you again,” I whisper while holding her close to my heart. Fuck, it hurts more than a bullet. How the hell did it happen?
After a fight to make her eat the cake and sleep in my bed, I go downstairs bringing the empty plates with me. I need answers and I know who can have them. Viola has been my rock when I was in the basement. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be alive.
Viola shakes her head when she sees me in the kitchen. “You shouldn't have bothered, Chris. Do you want another slice?”
“No, but I want to know what happened here. Why hasn't Nick married her?”
“I don’t know.” She stammers.
“Bullshit. Viola, please, I need to know.”
“The truth?”
“Everything you know.”
She pats on the seat while peering around and closes the door. “Things became weird the day she came over for dinner. Nicholas seemed to be glued to her. Obsessed I’d dare to say.” She sighs. “The more she put foot in here, the more I had a bad feeling, and when she asked about you, Nicholas lost it.” She pauses, lost in her memories. “He slapped her, making her trip off the chair.”
“Why? Because she asked about me?”
“I think he was afraid she may still have a thing for you.” She meets my gaze. “I heard him saying you were too much into her and he was afraid your dad would give you his place.”
“To me?” I chuckle, “Dad hated me since the day I was born. Nick has always been the perfect son while I was no one.”
“That’s not what he saw. He wanted Seattle, but it was you who got it.”
“Dad forced me to go there, Viola. It was me getting there and forgetting Leila, or her life. I couldn’t bear to lose her because I was too selfish.” I pull my hair, “She has bruises, cuts, all over her body. Why?”
“It began when Leila asked me if you were okay. I told her you’ve been in a coma for two months and she wanted to know when and why. I told her about the fighting and she was shocked. She genuinely didn’t know.” Viola pauses, “Somehow Nicholas knew about our chat and he made sure to erase you from her memories and no one could even say your name anymore.”
“Fucking bastard.” It’s insane.
“He got into drugs and each time he was high, he vented on her. I didn’t know why she was still with him. One day she tried to leave but then I heard Mr. Bonetti saying her dad's debt is paid and he owes her for life.”
“You're kidding right?” For a fleeting moment I believe it but that's not how it works. We're not in movies, come on! When Viola shakes her head, I clench my fists. “For two years?”
“At the beginning it was worse but then it's like she gave up and nothing affected her anymore.”
I growl as I throw the plates against the wall. The moment Dad enters the kitchen, I pin him against the wall. “I've let you destroy me and you destroyed Leila, too!”
He tries to punch me but my grip on his neck tightens. “Christopher, let me go.” He struggles to break free.
“Or what? What, huh? Will you lock me in the basement again? You're a piece of shit and I'm glad Mom's not here to see your fucking face.” His face turns crimson and I know it won’t take him much to pass out. “I gave up on her once because of you. I dare you to have a say in my life again.” I let him go as he coughs and gasps for air. “You'll regret each time you've laid a hand on her.”
“I don't know what that bitch…”
I see red and my fist meets his face in no time.
“You'll regret it, Christopher. She isn't good enough to even suck my dick.” He spits his blood on the floor with a mocking face.
I don’t give a fuck anymore.
Fuck the plan.
Fuck the consequences.
Fuck him.
I throw myself at him. “You fucking bastard.”
Viola tries to stop me, but I don’t stop.
“Chis, please.” Leila's voice makes me spin around. “I'm not worth all of this.”
“She's not. I won't fight for a piece of pussy!” Dad says. My fist meets his nose as he cries in pain while falling on the ground. The guards hurry into the kitchen but back off when they see me.
“We'll leave for Valle Verde tonight,” I snap as I take Leila's hand and drag her out of the kitchen. She didn't need to see it. I kick the door of Nicholas' bedroom open and I place her on the bed. “Do you feel like packing your stuff?”
She nods. I shift my gaze peering around the room as I notice in the mirror on the floor something familiar.
“Tell me you haven't been chained.” Her eyes fill with tears and that is the response I never wanted to hear.
I'm done.
I'm fucking done.
I kneel in front of her and force her to look at me. “Pack whatever you want to take, we'll be out in ten minutes.”
“He won't let me go; he owns me.”
I shake my head as I shed her tears off. “No one owns you, Leila. If you want me to drop you at your parents’ or friends’, that's okay. I'm giving your life back. From now on you're free to do whatever you want, got it?”
She nods and I get out of the room. I pick up the phone and call Ferdinando. La Sacra Corona needs to know everything. I fucked up with them and I’ll face the consequences but now, now Leila needs her life back.