MAFIA POSSESSION ( Completed)

CHOICE

Lead the way,” He nodded as he moved to pick up my cousin’s limp form.

Eliza looked like she was about to faint and I grabbed her head with my free hand to steady her quivering, “Hey, stay with me okay, I promise nothing will happen to you.”  Though I didn’t know if I could keep that promise, hell, I wasn’t even entirely sure I’d make it out alive.

She nodded, looking at Anthony with all the hatred she could muster as he followed us down into the garage, but her hatred didn’t seem to phase him. There was a room, hidden behind a wall mounted with tools, it was a safe room. No one would know it was there unless they looked for it— really, really, looked for it. There were a handful of safe rooms on the property and I hoped my family had managed to somehow get to them, or escape some other way.

When I opened the hidden door and we gained entrance to the hidden room Anthony dragged my cousin’s body inside and sat him upright.

“Let’s get out of here,” Anthony said, rushed— like that was that and that was it. Like my going with him was not a single one of his doubts.

“Who in their right mind would follow you?”  But the Lord knew I wasn’t in my right mind.

Anthony closed his eyes briefly as his squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Bella,” he stressed, and that was the first time he’d ever used my nickname. “I won’t take you by force…” His eyes bored into me then as he stepped forward, his hand reaching out to cup my cheek tenderly, ignoring the fact that my sister was still at my elbow— all three of us now sharing personal space.

“I don’t want to go,” Eliza said behind me, avoiding Anthony’s eyes as her fingers clung to me even tighter than before. She spoke the words that were ready to roll off my tongue.  That by all rights, by all laws, by all common sense I should say to him. But if I denied him, would he become angry, would he really just walk away? Would he let me stay in the safe room?

“What’s there for me in L.A.? Our families are officially at war.” Could I survive there? Would it be possible to live amongst the very people who shed blood in my home? Was Anthony worth it all?

“I’m there.” He said simply. Looking at me like that was obvious. Like that should be enough.

He was obviously nuts.

“And would you still marry me, despite all that’s happened?” Because I couldn’t perceive a scenario where that happened at all, in fact I saw myself being assassinated once in his territory. “And what’s to stop your father from killing me once I’m in L.A.? I’d be an easy target. And you are not the capo, you said so yourself.”

Though he could certainly kill me now.

Anthony glared at me, he didn’t like being interrogated, but too bad— if he wanted me to go willingly, then he’d have to answer my questions. It was my right to know. He was asking me to trust him with my life.

“I told you once before I never had any intentions of leaving you…” He replied, frustrated. “I will keep you safe. I will protect you. I can promise you that no physical harm will ever come to you if you join with me today.” The worst part was that he looked completely sincere. 

“I thought this was just a means to an end. Political ties…. to stop a war…” My voice shook now, because despite how much I was supposed to hate this man, there was always that undeniable pull that refused to be ignored.  The invisible strings that pulled at my heart, begging for more of Anthony— All of Anthony. And I didn’t think I could live knowing that we’d never see each other again. How could I live knowing that? Despite everything in our past— that’s the one thought that had somehow always comforted me—that one day he’d be my husband…but now…now everything was falling apart. And the promise of a future with him was fragile moments away from being snatched away.

He pushed me and Eliza out of the room and closed it, safely enclosing Max inside. I almost wanted to object, say that my sister and I should stay in the safe room with our cousin. That we should stay with my family. But he quickly turned to me then with such intensity that the words died in my throat.

“This is your choice Isabella. Stay here…and you know our story ends. If your father survives this, he will never allow our marriage.” His eyes clouded over with darkness and for a moment I pretended that the thought hurt him just as much as it hurt me.

He took a breath as if trying to calm himself, “Or come with me...” he pleaded with only a slight hint of want embedded in his tone.  Leaving the rest to my imagination.

My choice. The one thing in the world that I’d never had: a choice. Anthony was actually letting me decide. And what did I really want?

A million questions flooded and wracked my brain. Why did it seem like there was a possibility for solace at his side? And why did I yearn to become a woman with him at mine? Why did I desire to share his bed in a manner that was not as corrupt as had been our first time?

What the hell was wrong with me?

My hand unconsciously went to the necklace around my neck, the one object alone that had allowed me time and again to collect my thoughts during troubling times, the object that had given me hope as I lay awake at night, thinking of the killer that was before me now.  It was both affronting and relieving… that he was here, that he’d come, that he hadn’t forgotten all about me.

Could I shut him out now? Of all the times I’d tried, of all the times where it made perfect sense— right now was the one time, that life altering moment where it would matter the most. It would decide my future. Our future— Anthony’s and mine.

And it was my choice.

My chest constricted from the pressure that came upon me then, fighting against tears, never feeling more susceptible to my vulnerabilities than now, as Anthony gave me one of his cold, soulless stares— a look that promised no affections or love. It was calculated, as always, it was all he could offer. And almost poetically he stood still, patiently waiting for my decision, like we had all the time in the world, like it affected him on a very minor scale what it would ultimately be.

So could I just toss it all away? Forget this man and move on with whatever was left of my family? To stay meant tossing away the chance of a life with him, to make him love me, to make right what he had so terribly wronged.

But if I left, if I followed him…. It’d be worse that stabbing my father in the heart. He would never forgive this treachery. I’d be turning my back on my family and everything they’d ever done for me. Regardless if it wasn’t much— this choice still proved to be a burden on my heart. It was the flames of uncertainty that plagued me. And if I was going to play with matches, I’d have to be careful not to leave them around to start an uncontrollable fire. One that perhaps not even Anthony would be able to put out.

“You need to decide now,” He spoke again, breaking through my internal debate.  “If you do not have enough resolution to follow your heart, you’ll need to join Max in the safe room. I need to leave the property soon.” Very soon, at least if he wanted to make it out of this both alive and without being caught by the authorities.

But my resolution, in that moment, was found.  “I can’t go with you. As much as my heart breaks… I could never do that to my family. You should go, Anthony.” And at my words Eliza’s let out a breath of relief and clung to me even tighter.

Anthony’s whole body tensed, his jaw clenched and his eyes hardened. He looked from me to my sister…like he was trying to work out a problem. Then his eyes finally landed on me again, and the look he gave me was that of a man who had an agenda, who had a purpose, and I had never been more afraid of him in my life than in that moment.

“I’m sorry, Isabella. I’m not a good man….”   Was what he said, right before two men with guns stormed into the garage. 

“Hector, Carmelo, take these girls back to headquarters.”  Anthony said to the men.

My heart stopped. “No, Anthony, you said I had a choice.” I tried desperately, eyeing his cronies.

Anthony nodded to the men, sparing me an expressionless look, as one of the men took Eliza, forcefully ripping us apart from each other and dragging us out of the garage. He followed closely behind us, never far away.

And then I heard him speak two words and I knew they were final.

“I lied.”