Chapter 36
Thirty-Six
The pain in my head is deafening and I groan, my eyelids fluttering as I struggle to open my eyes.
“Look who is finally awake.” Dread seeps into my gut at the familiar nasally voice of the man I grew up fearing. My father. I whimper when a boot hits my back hard enough to roll me. “Get your lazy ass up, girl.”
Each word slams into me like a sledgehammer. I stagger to my feet, wincing as the floor tilts dangerously under me.
“You betrayed me, Gia,” he snarls, his venomous gaze raking over me. The sneer on his lips is unmistakable, a cruel reminder of the monster he truly is.
My legs shake beneath me, but there’s no room for weakness here. It’s not a luxury I can afford. My pulse quickens as I try to recall how I ended up here, but it’s like trying to piece together a damaged puzzle that doesn’t have all the pieces—a daunting task I’m unable to complete.
I force a swallow past the knot in my throat. His displeasure is a storm cloud hanging over my head, ready to drench me in fear and anguish at any given moment. The realization of my circumstances stirs up a whirlwind of dread and anxiety, sending chills down my spine.
“Sorry,” I manage to choke out between gritted teeth, each word punctuated with an unseen jab at my already battered emotions.
His laugh is cold and hollow, a harsh reminder of the danger surrounding me.
“That’s what I’ve always loved about you,” his sneer never leaves his face, “Always so apologetic.”
I flinch at his mockery. It triggers a wave of fury inside me. But any retaliation would only exacerbate my situation. Everything about being here yanks me back into the world I’ve been floundering in since childhood—a labyrinth of corruption and fear with no visible escape.
The turmoil inside me threatens to surface as bile rises in my throat, but damn if I am going to give him the satisfaction of seeing it.
“It’s funny how easily people will turn on one another.” My father smirks and tilts his head toward the other side of the room. It takes a moment for my vision to clear the blurriness of the migraine that has set in full force.
When I see the man standing there, leaning against the doorframe between the living room and the entryway, it all comes back to me.
“How could you?” Tears gather in my eyes as I stare at the man who betrayed my husband and me. The one who assured me that his intention had never been to harm me. He gave his word to help, but he has proved to be nothing more than a snake.
Tomas shrugs at my question, a dark smirk tilting one side of his mouth. “Let’s say that your father offered me a better deal.”
“If that deal is money,” I growl. “You might want to rethink it because he’s broke. Dirt poor.” A scream is caught in my throat when the back of his hand comes down across my cheek. The world spins, and I nearly land on my ass.
“Shut your mouth, puttana ,” he snarls at me. “Or I’ll cut your tongue out before I hand you over to Salvatore.”
My heart plummets at the mention of Salvatore’s name, fear sinking its claws into my gut. Is that how he is planning on paying Tomas? It sickens me that my own father is still planning on selling me to Salvator to clear his debt. I suck in a shuddering breath.
“Oh, Look,” Tomas murmurs sarcastically, a nasty grin spreading across his face, but there is something about it that is off. “She’s scared now.”
I straighten up, clenching my jaw hard against his mocking words. Ignoring the throb in my cheek, I turn to face the man who betrayed my husband. “Scared? No. Repulsed? Immensely.”
The room spins a bit with the effort, but I force out a bitter chuckle. A pained laughter echoes through the room and bounces off the walls, mocking me at every turn.
“Insolent girl,” my father sneers, towering above me like some desecrated monument of paternal authority. “You should use the respect I taught you or your new master might beat it into you.”
“And you need to learn to quit while you’re ahead,” I shoot back instantly. “But here we are.”
The room plunges into silence broken with Tomas’ sudden laughter and before I know it, he’s not leaning against the doorway anymore but ambles toward us wrapping an arm around my father’s shoulder.
“Fino,” he purrs at him. “She has you there.”
There’s something wild and untamed about his smile, a feral edge that lights up his eyes as he watches my father’s face contort with rage at his snide remark. It ignites a rare flicker of hope within me, a fleeting illusion that maybe I’m not as isolated in this chaotic nightmare as I feel.
My father’s complexion darkens to a furious crimson, his lips parting to unleash a torrent of anger. But before the words can escape, the sharp crack of gunfire slices through the tension, echoing through the windows and spilling chaos into the entryway.
Tomas flashes me a quick, conspiratorial wink, and then, to my horror, his hands move with lethal precision. He grips my father’s head and with a practiced twist, the sickening snap of bone reverberates through the air. My father’s hefty form collapses like a felled tree, hitting the tile floor with a dull, final thud that reverberates in my bones.
“Nope.” The bile rises swiftly, and I can’t hold it back. I turn away, fall to my knees, and retch violently, spewing vomit across the polished floor as the room spins around me.
“It’s alright,” a soothing voice whispers, gathering me up in their arms. “I’ve got you, little deer.”
A sob escapes as the familiar cedarwood envelopes me.
Vitali.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers in my ear, his voice trembling with regret. “I’m so sorry, my love. It needed to happen this way.”
The bitter realization that Tomas’ betrayal had been orchestrated as part of a secret plan sends fresh waves of anguish crashing over me, and I sob harder than before. I bury my head against my husband’s chest, my fingers desperately clutching at his shirt as if it could anchor me against the storm inside.
“He landed a solid slap before I could stop him,” Tomas grumbles from across the room, his words laced with anger and sorrow. “But as you can see, he paid dearly for that miscalculation.”
Vitali curses quietly under his breath, his disapproval heavy in the charged air.
“I’m sorry,” Vitali repeats relentlessly, pressing gentle kisses onto my forehead. “Please forgive me.”
“Why?” I manage through chattering teeth, my voice small and pained. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Vitali exhales deeply, burdened by an unseen weight, but it is Tomas who finally speaks, his tone halting between resolve and regret.
“Because it was the only way to get us into this house with minimal casualties,” he explains, each word leaving a taste of compromise and hurt. “We needed something believable. Fino would never have trusted me unless I gave him a reason to believe I was an ally. We kept you in the dark so your reaction would be unfiltered and genuine. I’m sorry about your head.”
In that moment, I hunger to feel the sting of betrayal, but the sting of betrayal barely registers. Vitali slides an arm under my knees and lifts to carry me bridal style. He carries me to one of the outdated couches and sets me down with cautious care while signaling for someone to join us. Matthias’s concerned face fills my vision, his gray eyes silently assessing me.
He reaches out, his fingers gently probing my face and then the back of my head, his right eye twitching when I wince at his delicate touches.
“It’s not too bad,” he murmurs, concerned. “Have her drink a ton of water and give her some of this.” He pulls a bottle of Excedrin from the bag at his side. “It will help with the pounding.”
I muster a wry smile, my voice wavering as I tease despite the turmoil. “Seems a bit of a waste to knock me out and keep me in the dark for a measly twenty minutes,” I pout, swallowing the pills and taking a sip of water from the cup Tomas offers me. The three men exchange a loaded glance. “What?”
Tomas grimaces, guilt and conflict warring in his eyes. “You were out for over six hours,” he confesses, his voice heavy with the weight of his choice. “Your father drugged you when you first arrived so you wouldn’t wake up to bother the men.”
That explains why I feel so sluggish and dehydrated.
“What happens now?” I ask.
“Now we gather our allies and continue with the plan,” Vitali says. “This evening, we will take the compound by force.”
Glaring at my husband, I ask, “And no surprises this time?” The coldness in my tone has Tomas and Matthias biting their lower lip and glancing at Vitali with amusement dancing in their eyes.
Vitali shakes his head. “No, amore mio ,” he assures me. “No tricks or surprises this time.”
“Better not be,” I mutter petulantly, causing Matthias and Tomas to bark out a laugh.
“Everything is set to go.” Dario strides through the hall to join us. “We’ve taken care of the men loyal to Salvatore and rewarded those who stood with us.”
Vitali nods solemnly. “It isn’t long before we take out the compound,” Adrian says from the other side of the room where he sits with Kenzo on one of the other sofas. They’ve been so quiet, I hadn’t realized they were there. “We are covering the back with Gia. Vitali and Matthias will approach from the front with Tomas and the rest of the men. ”
The men all nod. “We only have one shot at this,” Vitali reminds everyone. “If something goes wrong, do not stay. Retreat. Don’t risk your men’s lives for this war.” My husband asks this of the men, but from the looks they all exchange, they won’t leave him behind. And neither will I.
“We’ll have C4 on the stone walls on the east and west sides of the perimeter,” Kenzo informs everyone. “Once the explosion happens, we’ll have less than five minutes to secure the back half of the property while you take the front gate.”
Matthias grunts in agreement. Adrian gives Kenzo a broad smile, his eyes glinting with determination. He’s been itching for action, and I’m sure storming my father’s home has ignited the violent part of him that has made him the dangerous Bratva leader he is.
All of these men are experienced killers, their calm demeanor belying the tempest of violence within them. Vitali glances at me, his fierce hazel eyes softening momentarily. There is worry eating away at him behind his stoic facade. This isn’t just another operation for him, it is a gamble with our lives, one he has to take if he wants to regain what he lost all those years ago.
Taking my hand in his rough, calloused ones, he leans in to reassure me. “Everything is going to be fine, Gia.” His tone is firm, but beneath it lays an edge of uncertainty that is unusual for a man like him who is always so sure of himself.
“You can’t promise that Vitali.”
For one more quiet moment, he simply looks at me, immersing himself in my eyes as if memorizing every detail of my face. A small smile curves his lips; warm yet melancholic, and he brings my hand to his heart and murmurs, “ Sempre e per sempre . ”
Forever and always.
Despite the assurances echoing in the crowded room, we all know that the night holds uncertainty and chaos. A shudder ripples through me. Tonight is going to be a critical game changer, hopefully in our favor.
Time feels brittle around us as we move forward with our plans. Every machination is hinged on those crucial five minutes after the explosions, and if we make one mistake, it can easily mean our death.
Every tick of the clock will be a countdown to our fate and decide who will win this war.
If only we could guarantee everyone would come out of this alive. But life doesn’t work that way. One thing I know for sure, no matter how the day ends, if Vitali goes down, so do I. There is no living without him now, even if I try.
Because I have done the one thing I never thought possible.
I’ve given my heart to the mafia boss who stole me.
Sempre e per sempre.