27. Tuomo
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Tuomo
H alfway down the stairs leaving her apartment I stop fighting against Rufino. At this point there is no chance of me getting away from them and back to her. They won’t let it happen.
With deep reluctance I walk. I made the choices I made and now I have to face the consequences of those choices.
But no matter what happens I will not give her up.
In no life, on no planet, and in no timeline, I am not meant to be with Nerissa.
“Fuck.” Rufino complains, walking just behind me as we leave the building. “I’m going to have a bruise.” I glance back at him and he’s rubbing his jaw.
Good.
He shouldn’t have interfered. I am going to be bruised in few spots as well. My shoulders are so tight they ache, and I might have pulled my back trying to wrestle away from Rufino’s grip. I rub my hand over my ribs, testing to see which is the most tender.
Rufino pulls the door open. “Get in.”
“I’ll take my car.”
“Like fuck. Get in.”
I shake my head but slide onto the back seat. He holds out his hand and I toss my car keys to him.
“Celso, bring his car back.” He says, throwing the keys to Celso.
Masaccio hasn’t come out of the building yet and my protective instinct is kicking into gear.
“If he hurts her—”
“He will not hurt her. He’s just going to make sure she understands to stay away.” Rufino sighs, sliding into the back seat next to me.
I can’t take it anymore. How long has Masaccio been in there alone with her and what is he doing? I put my hand on the door handle and just as I’m about to get out of the car - Masaccio walks out of the building. He looks calm.
I glare at him, looking for any signs of a struggle. Blood. Torn clothes.
He climbs into the car and looks back at me.
“What did you do?” I snap.
“She’s fine. We just had a polite conversation.” The engine of his car growls to life, and he speeds up so fast the tires scream against the road.
Celso pulls out behind us and follows us to my father’s mansion.
I don’t say a word. There’s nothing to say.
We arrive at the mansion and my father is waiting on the top step in front of the open door.
He looks furious.
“Fuck.” I mutter under my breath.
“Don’t do anything stupid.” Rufino says sounding concerned.
I climb out of the car and follow my brothers past my father’s heated glare into the house.
He walks in behind us and slams the door closed.
“The dead fucking maid’s daughter?” he snarls in anger. “The same girl that I got rid of years ago?”
I turn to face him. Apparently, we are doing this right here in the entrance hall.
“Yes.” I say, plain and simple.
“I made myself very clear when I told you to stay away from that trash.”
I shake my head. How dare he speak about her like that?
Times have changed. I am not the same man I was all those years ago. I was still scared of him back then. I had respect for his power. All I have now is hatred.
“Don’t ever speak about her like that. And don’t for a second think that you have a right to tell me who I can fall in love with.”
“Love?” he packs up laughing. His cruelty shining through in every way.
“Yes. I love her. I have always loved her.”
“You can’t love someone you haven’t seen in six years you, idiot.”
I shake my head, a smile across my face. “I’ve seen her every day of my life for the past six years. You never kept me away from her.”
My father snarls and steps towards me with clenched fists.
“You disobeyed me?”
“I did.”
He glares at me with eyes full of rage. He spits his words into my face. “You want to be with trash because you are trash. It doesn’t even matter. You don’t matter. You have always been a disappointment. Nothing has changed.”
Even though I hate my father, his words of rejection cut deep into me.
Pain and a deep need to defend myself again years of his abuse overwhelm me to where I am no longer in control.
He’s pushed me too far. This is the final straw.
I fly at him, taking everyone in the room by surprise, including myself.
My fist slams into his jaw, I hear his teeth crashing together at the impact of my punch.
He staggers backwards, a look of total awe on his face - maybe even respect.
But then his eyes turn dark, and he comes flying back at me.
I tackle him to the ground, ducking low and using his own momentum against him when he reaches me, I punch my shoulder into his stomach and throw him backwards. He hits the ground with a heavy thud, and I don’t even hesitate to carry on attacking.
Blow after blow my fists connect with his face.
Years of hurt.
Years of anger.
It all comes pouring out of me in a blind rage.
I don’t even think I can stop. I might kill him.
Powerful hands grab me and rip me backwards. “Stop.” Rufino shouts. Masaccio runs towards my father who shoves him away, embarrassed and bleeding.
“Get him away from me before I shoot him.” My father spits blood onto the marble floor.
Masaccio turns to Rufino. “Take him to the warehouse.”
“The fucking warehouse. Are you fucking kidding me?” I scream, kicking against his grip. But it’s no use. I spent my energy on my father. I fought with everything I had, and I took him down.
As a kid I never thought there would come a day when I would be stronger than him, but I’ve just proven to myself that I am.
I will never fear him again.
Not physically.
But he has other sources of power. And if I’m not careful, I don’t think he would hesitate to make me disappear. He doesn’t even see me as a son, so what difference would it make to him? As long as he has his precious first born the world is all good for him.
Rufino throws me into the back of the car again and sits next to me. He is fuming.
I turn my eyes out of the opposite window. I don’t care.
I don’t care about any of them.
They can all burn in hell.
I want Nerissa and they won’t be able to stop me.
I don’t care if they disown me and deny ever knowing me.
All I want is her. She is all that matters.
Masaccio climbs into the car and we drive to the warehouse in silence.
It’s heavy and tense.
When he parks the car, before he gets out, he speaks to me without turning around.
“You should never have done that.”
“I did what I had to. Someone had to show that old fool that he doesn’t have all the power.”
“But he does, Tuomo. He has all the power and now you’ve triggered him. You do not know what he is going to do in revenge.”
I clench my jaw.
“Don’t let him hurt her?” I say, desperate and foolish.
“I can’t promise anything.”
They drag me to the basement of the warehouse and throw me into a holding cell.
“You can’t be serious. You aren’t really going to leave me here?” I stammer in disbelief.
“We are. But I’ll come and check on you tomorrow. I’m sorry but you have given us no choice. You need to sort your head out, you’ve lost it. Some alone time to think will be good for you.” Masaccio turns and walks away, followed by Rufino. They leave one light on and no matter how many times I scream for them to stop - neither of them turns around and comes back.
I slump against the cold concrete floor. This can’t be happening.
The reality of what I’ve done crashes into me.
My father is so furious, and he might do something to Nerissa. He will hurt her.
I have to get out of here and warn her. I can give her money, and she can disappear. I put her in so much danger because I was too stupid to control myself.
I’m a fucking idiot.
The cold, empty space suffocates me as I sit alone, waiting for morning, waiting for someone to come and tell me they changed their mind - that I can go home.
But I’m waiting for nothing and no one.
And when morning comes my brothers still don’t show up.