3. Vera
Chapter 3
Vera
T hrough the narrow cracks of the small window in the cellar lockup, I can hear a loud whistle of ice-cold wind rushing in.
The window is on the ground level, just above the walkway outside the back of the house, where they hang the clothes to dry during the summer.
I haven't heard anyone walking past it yet. No one has any reason to go into the backyard when it's so cold outside. The children will all play in the front garden around the frozen fountain when they arrive, building snowmen and throwing snowballs at each other.
I sigh heavily. My heart is aching. I knew this would not be an easy thing to do. I was fully aware that Massimo wouldn't be entirely open to hearing from me - but I didn't expect him to look at me like he hated me, even after all these years.
Why wouldn't he hate me though ?
He still believes I betrayed him.
He has every right to hate me. And he has every right not to believe a word I say.
All I remind him of is the love we once had—and the child we lost. That pain cut so deep, I thought I'd never stop crying, that I'd never survive it. But somehow, I did.
I lost Massimo, my child, and everything I knew - all at the same time.
After my exile I've spent the last six years completely removed from everything - everyone I loved and everything familiar to me. My life has felt empty, and solitude has broken me down. But it also showed me just how strong I am. How love can drive you forward.
I could have moved on. I could have accepted my fate and met someone new. But I didn't want to.
My heart belongs to Massimo. And I want him to know I would never do those things to him.
I didn't do what I was accused of.
And all these years all I have ever wanted is to prove to him that I am innocent.
I crave his love. I miss the warmth of his smile.
And if I can never feel his love again - then I crave for him to understand and believe me.
If nothing else - I want him to let go of the hatred he has toward me.
I want to look into his piercing blue eyes and see anything but the pain of my perceived betrayal.
The wind whistles louder and a cold blast of air hits my cheeks. Goosebumps shiver across my body. My skin burns and I pull the small blanket tighter around my body.
It's been almost two days since I've been locked in here.
I've had water from the small basin, and a few scraps of food that Adrian has tossed in here for me.
But I know I won't last long in this cold.
Standing up, I pace up and down the small space trying to get my blood flowing to warm my body up. It's a choice between burning energy I don't have or freezing to death.
If only there was something I could wedge into the gap between the window and the frame then I could block out some of this biting cold air.
I walk up to the window and trace my fingers over the crack.
Outside the window, just above me, I hear voices.
Pressing my face close to the glass I can make out little pieces of conversation.
"She's locked up in the cellar right now."
"You didn't kill her straight away?" Elio snaps in shock.
"No, that's for Massimo to decide. He is the Don."
"You give your brother too much power, Adrian," Elio says bitterly.
I've never liked Massimo's cousin. There was always something about Elio that seemed fake to me. Like he was covering up his real thoughts, hiding his annoyance behind a plastered-down smile.
Adrian and Elio have been best friends since the moment they were born. Being cousins, they spent most of their time together. But Adrian was always more genuine than Elio.
Adrian respects mafia law - whereas Elio questions and despises the fact that Massimo was put in charge. But Adrian supports his brother unquestionably.
Adrian sounds annoyed when he answers. "I give my brother the respect and power he deserves as Don of this family. I suggest you do the same thing." Then I hear his footsteps as he takes long strides, walking away from Elio.
"I'm sorry man - I didn't mean – for fuck's sake," Elio mutters.
They are best friends. But Adrian won't let anyone speak badly of his brother.
His loyalty to the family runs far too deep for even someone like Elio to mislead him.
Elio is still standing outside the window. I can see his feet.
The cold ground crunches beneath his boots as he paces up and down.
I wonder what he's doing.
"Hello." His voice is low.
"Yeah. I thought you'd want to know that Vera came back to Bellini Lodge. They have her locked up in the cellar." There is a pause.
"I know. It might be a problem. I don't know why she's back." He sighs heavily.
"What do you mean deal with it?"
My heart constricts tightly.
I see him slipping his phone back into his pocket .
"For fuck's sake." He says again, more harshly. "I don't need this shit."
Then he walks away as well, and I am left feeling like someone has just shoved a cold steel blade into my heart.
Is Elio working with someone outside of the family?
That phone call - it sounded like - is Elio the real traitor?
I want to scream through the window, scream, and yell until someone comes to talk to me. But I'm terrified. Elio knows where I am, and he was told to deal with me.
I know what that means.
I need to talk to Massimo again. I desperately need him to come and see me before it's too late.
If something happens to me before I can tell him that Elio might be a traitor - he'll never learn the truth and the family will continue to be in danger.
And we need to find out who Elio was talking to on the phone.
Who is he working with?
I hold my hand against my chest, pressing it over my heart to try and soothe the wild rhythm of panic beating against my rib cage.
"Please, Massimo - please come and see me again." I sigh to myself.