23. Francesca
It had been days since I had seen or heard from Cassio. It seemed that our little liaison ended before I had the chance to do so. I was grateful, really, I was. Happy even. Cassio must have felt the same way I did about what we were doing. I wasn’t angry at him, I really wasn’t. It was all fine.
Great even.
Instead of wallowing in my misery or staring at my phone waiting for at least a message from him, I dressed up, picked up my keys, kissed Reggie good night, and decided to explore Chicago’s nightlife.
I hit the Magnificent Mile and pretended I was a tourist seeing Chicago for the first time in my life. I stopped by some shops and took my time trying on clothes I knew I wouldn’t buy but did so anyway. In the end, my resolve ended in the third store I entered, and I ended up buying some new dresses that fit me better than the ones I owned.
When I was done, I did something I hadn’t done since the day of my wedding. I visited the 4th Presbyterian church which was on the neighborhood. I sat there on my own in the silence of the house of God, and for the first time in a while, I was grateful. I had incredible friends, I was seeing my brother again, and my mother was finally getting better. She was even bumped up on the transplant list, which meant she might get one soon. I was getting treatment, too. Visiting the therapist and the psychiatrist were some of the best choices I’d made this year.
My mind instantly traveled to Cassio, how, despite it all—our fights, our past, and my initial hatred of him—I was thankful for him, too. He’d helped me in more ways than I could count. Not to mention sex, which for the first time was something I enjoyed.
Sorry, God.
I looked at the cross and begged for his forgiveness, but it was better to tell the truth, right? God wouldn’t want me to lie. Sex with Cassio was beyond words, something I couldn’t begin to explain. He made me feel like I was special. Cherished. Like my body was the only one he wanted to worship.
When thoughts of him clouded my mind, I left the church, cheeks blazing. A priest passed me by, and I swore he could tell what sins I had committed. I rushed out of the church and headed toward Navy Pier where I enjoyed an ice cream and watched a dance group perform on the square.
As the night drew in, it was like the world decided to spin slowly, giving me one night to enjoy myself and forget about my problems. I wanted to get better; this time was different from the rest. I needed to get better, for my brother, for my mother, for my friends, but most importantly for myself. There was so much of life I hadn’t yet lived.
I scooped a bit of ice cream and ate it while my eyes followed the crowd, not really paying attention to anything. That’s when I caught sight of a couple taking a picture of each other. I ate the rest of my ice cream and threw the empty cup away and made my way towards them.
“Excuse me, would you like me to take a picture of you two?”
“Oh, yes!” The woman squealed and offered me her phone. “Thanks so much.”
The woman stood before the Ferris wheel and her partner did so as well, when I shot the first picture, he got on his knee and removed a black velvet box from his pocket. My jaw dropped and the girl’s phone almost did so as well.
“Oh God,” I stared at them.
That’s when the woman realized what was happening. She placed both hands to her mouth and began crying. The whole scene was very emotional, and I took it upon myself to film them. A crowd had gathered around us to watch the young couple get engaged. After the entire spectacle, she came to grab her phone, and I congratulated her with a hug and a smile that reached my ears.
I couldn’t stop smiling at the look on the man’s face as he knelt before the love of his life and asked her to marry him, it was so pure and filled with joy. Like he had just won the lottery. I giggled to myself and came to realize that I deserved that, too.
That kind of happiness. Why did I have to content myself with what I had, with what my father was forcing upon me? I wanted more than an arranged marriage to a man I didn’t know. I wanted more than an unhappy life. I deserved more than what I was told I could have.
For the hundredth time tonight, Cassio came to mind and in that moment walking through the streets of Chicago, I realized that I didn’t hate him like I thought I did. Maybe I never truly had.
I wanted Cassio and it was about time I stopped depriving myself of what I wanted most. This one year I had was about enjoying my freedom to do as I pleased.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose, and I had the feeling someone was watching me. Perhaps I was being paranoid, but I looked back either way. I didn’t remember the street being so empty. My apartment was just around the corner, but this place was always packed with people.
I squinted my eyes, trying to see through the shadows. Two figures appeared walking my way. I had seen them. I recognized their jackets and their matching black Adidas; I saw them at the Navy Pier earlier tonight.
What were the chances they lived nearby? Panic settled, and I wanted to bolt but didn’t.I tried to maintain my calm.
Quickening my pace, I took my keys from my pocket and searched for the one that opened my apartment. My hands shook. The faster I walked, the faster they seemed to follow me. The dim lights from the street made it hard to see them, but I wasn’t interested in that now, all I wanted was to reach my apartment. And then what?
I ran now. The door to my building was closed, and I fumbled with the keys to open them up, the two men following me didn’t stop, they kept on coming, dismissing the fact that I was entering the building. The key finally fit the lock and I opened them almost twisting my wrist. Then I was running up the stairs toward the eighth floor. I couldn’t see them, but I heard the building door open.
I closed the door of my apartment and ran to the kitchen, taking a sharp knife. I sat against my refrigerator, trying to look small in case they walked in. There were sounds and I could hear men’s voices. Then there was a shot.
Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Don’t.
I picked up my phone.
“Fran—”
“They are in my building.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know, Cassio, I didn’t stop to ask them,” I snapped but my voice was already trembling.
“Stay there.” He seemed strangely calm when I was freaking out to the point of having an attack.
“Where else would I go?” I cried.
God, no.
Tears ran down my cheek and I couldn’t help it. This was the second time I cried with him on the phone. There was something about hearing him that made me lose it.
“Sorry,” I cried again. All I heard was him cursing and then he was gone. “No. No!” I looked at the screen and my phone was off. My battery had died.
I made to stand but heard footsteps that sounded close to my door. I heard knocking in the distance and knew they were searching for me. Resting my head in between my knees, I hugged myself tight and closed my eyes praying for this to be over.
There was a loud noise, it sounded like something had been torn up—destroyed. My door. Hugging myself even tighter, I bit my arm, keeping myself from making any sounds. Footsteps neared me but all I could hear was the desperate beating of my heart. It was so loud it was almost deafening.
A hand touched my arm.
I cried out.
I bit my arm harder, hoping that whatever they wanted to do to me would end quickly.
“Francesca.” I heard my name. “Francesca, it’s me.” The voice was definitely male, but I couldn’t make myself look.
I waited for the pain; there was only a soft caress. “Francesca, please look at me,” he said again. I shook my head, or I think I did because he called me again. “Principessa, please.” As though I had been given a shock, I woke up from whatever nightmare I was having.
Slowly, I lifted my head from that small cocoon and looked around. Pine-green eyes were the first thing I saw, and I swore I could see fear in them.
“Are you okay?” I saw his lips moving, and I understood what he said but it was still hard to speak.
His warm hand patted me from head to toe searching for some kind of injury. He stopped at my arm and noticed the bite. He knelt and reached for the kitchen towel, then pressed it against my arm. I winced in pain.
“It’s okay.” He ran his thumb my cheeks, wiping away my tears with a gentleness I would never have expected from him. “You’re safe,” he assured.
I nodded.
“Can you stand?”
I nodded again, but the moment he helped me up, I felt dizzy and almost fell back to the floor. Almost but not quite; one moment I was falling, and in the next, I was in the air. Cassio lifted me up with ease and settled me against his chest. I could feel his heart beating fast. He began walking toward the door and panic overtook me again.
“It’s okay, Principessa,” he assured.
We exited my apartment and came into the bright-lit corridor, making me squint. Cassio stopped before a large man.
“Pick up as many clothes as you can, and take them to my place,” he instructed the man and began to move. “There’s no chance I’m ever letting you come back here,” he spoke against my ear so only I could hear.
All I could do was nod in agreement. I didn’t fight him, and I didn’t complain, there was no way I wanted to stay here. Right now, I didn’t want to go anywhere else, being in his arms was enough. I turned slightly as the man entered my apartment.
“Reggie,” I called. Cassio stopped and looked at me, his green eyes assessing. “Reggie.” I pouted.
“Fuck.” He walked back toward my door which had been kicked to the floor and stopped. “Reginald!” he shouted.
My baby came trotting toward us, his little body trembling with fear, but still he came. Cassio waited until Reginald was with us and looked back to see if my baby was following as we descended the stairs.
I rested my neck against the crook of his neck, inhaling his intoxicating scent, and closed my eyes knowing there was nowhere safer than in his arms.
CASSIO
I removedFrancesca from the passenger seat, she must have been drained from what happened tonight because she was out cold. I pulled her back into my arms, wanting to be as close to her as I could.
When we arrived at my condo, I headed straight to my room because there was no other place she belonged than with me. I gently settled Francesca on the bed and removed her shoes before covering her up with the blankets. She stirred and opened her eyes.
“Cassio,” she called.
“I’m here, Principessa.” I crouched by the bed.
“You’re leaving.” She looked at me knowingly.
“I have to,” I told her. “Francesca, I have?—”
“I know,” she said, and I knew she understood, yet the way she sounded, so weak and tired, caused my guts to twist.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” I leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Luciano is coming over while I’m gone.” She opened her mouth to protest, but I stopped her before she could. “He’s my enforcer and I trust him.”
“Okay.” She didn’t seem convinced, but I couldn’t trust Vince to watch her, he had allowed those men to get close to her, and right now, the only person I trusted enough to watch over her was Luciano.
“It won’t take long,” I said and kissed her lightly on the lips.
As I closed the door to my room, something shifted inside of me, my heart was melting all of the ice caps that had formed a protective barrier around itself. There was no denying it any longer, I wanted Francesca, I wanted her bad. Enough that I was ready to throw all reason out the window.
The two men that had followed Francesca and given her a scare hadn’t been hard to find. In an attempt to save his skin, Vince had hunted them down. It helped that the cameras in Francesca’s building had captured their faces.
They were already waiting for me when I arrived at the club. Both were tied to metal chairs in the center of the torture room in the basement.
Vitelli had already started with the interrogation when I walked inside the room and removed my jacket. Once he saw me, he came my way. “How is she?” The concern in his voice warmed me.
“Shaken, but she’ll be all right. Luciano is with her,” I told him. “What did you find out?”
“Bratva.” One word was enough.
“What did they want with her?” I began rolling the sleeves of my shirt.
“That one there said it was just a little game. They were supposed to scare her and leave.” Vitelli pointed toward one of the men who was missing his front teeth.
“Who sent them?” I asked as I stopped before the tray where all our toys were displayed for me. I picked the brass knuckles and fitted them on my fist.
“The order came from high up in the food chain, they don’t know.”
I headed toward both men and stopped before them. It didn’t matter who the order came from or what their end goal was. The only thing that mattered was their sorry asses wouldn’t leave this room alive. They would pay with their lives for scaring Francesca. The only reason they wouldn’t suffer more than they already had was because they hadn’t touched her.
“I bet you had a fucking great time scaring her,” I said to the man before me, and threw the first punch. “Watching her run and hide.” I punched him again and then again. I kept on punching him until I heard a loud crack of a bone giving way.
When I stepped back, the Russian had stopped breathing. I looked at his companion whose eyes were wide and overflowing with fear. I dropped the brass knuckles on the tray behind me and picked up a sharp knife. That’s when to thrash and twist trying to escape, and the begging began.
“You hurt my girl,” I reminded him, “You deserve nothing but pain.” I shoved the knife into his guts and twisted it.
I turned around and left it there as the Russian bled to death. Vitelli, who was watching me, looked slightly surprised by my lack of control, but he did the right thing and kept quiet.
The Russian Pakhan could threaten me all he liked, steal and alter my cargo as he pleased, but he committed the worst mistake of his life. He messed with my girl and now he was going to pay for it with his blood.
When I arrived at my apartment, I headed into my room desperate to be with Francesca. She was lying on my bed, golden hair spilled over my pillowcase. Her hands were tucked under her cheeks and her lips slightly parted. My cock strained to life begging for attention. I ignored it and headed toward the bathroom, to remove all the blood and sweat.
After a quick shower, I returned to my room to find her sitting crossed legged at the edge of the bed. She wore one of my shirts and it had hiked up to her hips. I wiped my hair with a small towel and then threw it on the floor.
Francesca watched me attentively and swallowed when I let go of the towel wrapped around my waist, baring myself to her. She proceeded to take in every inch of me, but not in a sexual way.
“I’m fine,” I assured her, it was strange having someone worry about me this way. I sat beside her and removed a wild strand of hair from her face. “I’m alright Francesca. See. “I patted myself and she stared at the scar on my abdomen, and her eyes darkened.
“Are they dead?” The hatred in her voice made me proud.
I nodded, wishing I could tell she was safe now, but I didn’t want to lie, as long as she remained with me, by my side she would be, but if they had gotten to her once… I didn’t want to think about that now.
Exhaustion pulled at me, and I knew Francesca must be as well, so I pulled her back into the bed and wrapped my arms around her tucking her tight against me. She turned around in my arms and rested a hand on my chest, she looked up with those sapphire eyes and I became hard instantly.
Slowly she pushed me back into bed and climbed and straddled my hips. “Francesca,” I warned, but she didn’t listen, she removed my shirt and threw it aside.
“I need you, Cassio, please.” She pleaded.
I really wanted to be a better man but when she begged like that. I wrapped my arm around her waist and flipped her, so she was lying down on the bed. “You need to rest.” I said as I settled in between her legs. “I’m trying really hard to do the right thing over here, to be a good man.”
“Don’t,” she pulled me down and whispered against my lips. “Fuck me, Cassio.”
Shit.
I slipped my hand in between her legs and was surprised to find her wet and ready for me. I reached into the nightstand and grabbed a condom, and quickly rolled it down my shaft.
When I entered her, Francesca moaned and dug her nails into my back just how I liked it. I knew she wanted me to fuck her hard and fast, but I didn’t, I took it slow. Her moans turned into sobs and tears began to flow down her cheeks.
I stopped.
“I’m sorry,” she tried to hide her face from me. “Ignore me, please just keep going.”
I pulled out and threw the condom away, I picked her up into my arms, cradling her like a child. Francesca tucked her head into the crook of my neck and began to cry. My heart squeezed painfully in my chest, hearing her cry was worse than being shot.
“I’ve got you, Principessa.” She held me tightly, and I kissed the crown of her head, soothing her. “I’ll always be here for you,” I promised.
Even when we were nothing but dust, I would come for her, I would be there to protect her, to hold her and love her.
I sucked in a deep breath as I realized the truth. I loved Francesca, probably never stopped loving her. It was the one thing that would never change. The only constant in my chaotic life.
I was learning how to love again, to lose my fears. She was teaching me how to listen. That the beating of my heart was more than a simple action and reaction. It was a language that she understood.
]Loving her was a gift, and I would do anything in my power to cherish her as she deserved. Even if she one day woke up and realized she no longer wanted me. I would still love her.