CHAPTER 2 #2
“You’ll stay here. No one will give you Finn, so don’t even think about escaping… unless you decide to give him up.”
I huff. “You don’t know me at all.”
If he thinks I’ll leave my own son, he’s delusional.
This time he huffs and moves away from me.
I focus on the rustle of leaves, the howling of the wind… or I try to. Dante is only a few feet away from me, dismembering my husband’s dead body, and the sounds he makes are far more unnerving.
Now I understand why he’s called The Butcher.
I keep my eyes fixed on my baby. After a few minutes, the man begins to rock him, and Finn falls asleep. Why can’t he sleep like that with me?
An arm drops in front of me, and I hold myself so I don’t scream in horror. Dante starts tossing the limbs as if they were nothing.
“He had a family,” I say, a knot in my throat.
He doesn’t reply. If anything, he looks even more furious.
“I will never forgive you.”
Still, nothing.
“I hate you with every fibre of my being.”
“I’ll remind you of that when you beg me to fuck you.”
A shiver runs down my spine, and a knot forms in my belly. “I won’t.”
He slips a smile that fades as he continues dismembering my husband. I think that is the most wicked thing I have ever thought of in my life.
“Most wives would be screaming desperately for their partners,” he grunts, tossing a foot into the hole. “Funny, you do not react at all.”
“I did, when you killed him.”
He gets closer, dragging what remains of the body. He kneels in front of me. I avert my gaze, but he grabs my cheeks and forces me to look him in the eye.
I loved when he did that, so long ago.
“Tell me you loved him as much as you loved me, ragnetta. Tell me he was able to erase me from your heart,” he whispers harshly.
“Tell me you forgot everything that happened between us.” When I don’t reply, he adds, “You can't lie to me, amore. I know you better than you think. I know your heart is still mine and—”
I jerk my head away. “What’s left of my heart belongs to my son.”
“‘What’s left?’” He tilts his head. “What happened to the rest?”
“You stomped on it and tossed it in the bin. Have you already forgotten?”
He frowns. “Lana, I—”
“Sir.” Alonso approaches us, holding Finn with extended arms. “I think the boy has... pooped his pants.”
Dante stands up and takes Finn, grimacing. He looks at me with irritation. “You see why I wanted the chair?”
I snort. “I can change him if you take these things off me.”
He looks at Alonso, nods, and complies as I fix my eyes on those blue ones I fell in love with two years ago.
I believe I can get out of this situation, but to do so, I’ll have to kill the man I once loved.
“Plans a kidnapping and can’t change a baby’s nappy,” I murmur as I dress Finn.
Dante leans against the car with his arms crossed. A few minutes ago, he threw the remaining limbs into the hole, and now there are other men covering it up. Alonso stands beside me, waiting for me to get up.
I take a deep breath and hold Finn against my chest.
You can do this. You can’t back down now.
I move as quickly as possible to yank the gun from Alonso’s pocket. I point it at Dante as I begin to back away from both of them.
Dante remains where he is, rolling his eyes. “Put that down, Lana.”
“I swear I’ll kill you if you don’t let me go!”
“How will you get back to the city?”
I’ll steal a car, but that’s none of your concern.
I lift my chin, even though I know I won’t be as intimidating as he is; my son keeps tapping my face with his little hand, oblivious to what is happening. “I’ll manage.”
He smiles and moves closer to me, while I try to move away.
Like a predator stalking its prey, he tracks me with his eyes. Each of his steps is worth two of mine until I can’t move any further. His forehead presses against the barrel of the gun. He’s so close I can smell his scent mingled with the blood on his clothes. My breath hitches.
Do it!
I don’t want to. I can’t. I love him.
I want to run away with him—I wanted to. If things had been different, I would have forgiven him. But he ended up being the same crap as everyone else, forcing me to do things I don’t want to and not caring what he must do to get it. He’ll use me just like the rest. He’ll use my son.
They are all the same. You know that!
“Shoot, amore,” he says in a husky whisper. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Tears escape from my eyes.
I want to tell him that I love him. I want those to be the last words he’ll ever hear. I’d like to erase all the shit I’ve lived and keep the months I was with him, even if it was a lie.
It was always a lie. He doesn’t deserve it. How many people has he killed? Even little kids like Finn. Don’t feel sorry for killing someone like that.
I can’t—
Do it!
I pull the trigger, but nothing happens.
Once, twice, three times.
Nothing.
His smile widens. “And you dare to say I don’t know you at all.” He turns away, his back to me. “Get in the car. We’re going home. You are trying my patience.”
I swallow hard.
What will he do if I continue? What is he capable of? I’m certain I don’t want to know. They all have told me horrible stories, even my sister and mum.
He looks in my direction and nods towards the vehicle. I sigh.
I approach the door, and as I am about to enter, I glare at him. “For the record, you’re terrible at kidnapping people.”
A cocky grin spreads across his face. He shakes his head. “And you’re terrible at running away.”
I’m doomed.
If Dante doesn’t want me dead, it only means one thing: I’m going back to my worst nightmare.
Notes:
5. Darling.
6. I'll love you even when my heart stops beating.