Whispers in New York - Book Two

~Chapter 23~

The blow to his face came so quickly Jason didn't get a moment to brace himself. Luca's fist cracking him upwards into his jaw forcing the chair completely off balance and backwards onto the floor.

"What the fùck did he do to her?" Stefano asked remaining back against the sliding door as Luca turned to walk away from Jason's body and back towards him after his magnificent blow.
He knew he had to stop immediately. They had already beaten him senseless on the way to the room and Stefano had displayed some of his very advanced boxing skills using Jason as his dummy.
But Salvatore wanted him alive and conscious; he wanted to be the one to decide what was to be of Jason's life. He would not die at their hands tonight. Only Salvatore's if that was his wish.

"Nothing." Luca breathed gritting his teeth together trying to find the strength within him to control the rage burning within him.
He didn't feel right revealing Adriana's secret. Although he was sure the men were more than capable of putting two and two together where this situation was concerned, he didn't feel right revealing this type of personal information. She had kept it a secret for a reason and he respected her enough to keep it to himself.

"Did he, you know?" Stefano's voice suddenly dropping to almost a whisper. He looked to Luca for answers but he did not provide them.
Stefano slowly made his way to the corner of the room near the cupboard discarding his cigarette bud into an ash tray. He stood there briefly in silence, his back to Jason's restrained body. Bringing a hand up to his face he rubbed his eyes with thumb and forefinger simultaneously letting out a long hiss through his teeth trying to internally talk himself into calming down and making the right decision.
In the background he could hear the men drawing the chair back up to a seated position, rearranging a beaten Jason back up.

"Don't do it Stefano." Luca called out to his friend knowing very well what he wanted to do. "Leave this to Salvo." 

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"What did you say?" Adriana stood before Salvatore in complete disbelief. There was no way he had said those three little words...

"I said I-"

"STOP!" Her right hand coming up so firmly she could have been mistaken for a traffic instructor, but she was in no state of mind to carry out such an important role. The traffic around her currently threatening to collide into each other.
"Don't you dare!" Shaking her head she finally released her firm hand down. "Don't you dare do this to me!"

"Do what? Love you?"

"Stop. Saying. That!" She took short quick breathes in panic. She wanted to calm down, tell herself to breathe normally and regain oxygen to her brain. She felt deprived of air, like she couldn't suck in enough tonight.
Nothing was making any sense to her.

Jason was here. He had warned her against Salvatore, her boyfriend. Her ex, her ràpist had the audacity to warn her against her boyfriend? And Salvatore was beating him?
How had he found him? When did this happen? Why?

The questions processing through her brain, scrolling through over and over again not coming any closer to answers.
Would a relationship with Salvatore always be this way? A life without answers? A life tainted with secrets?

"You can't do that Salvo!" She stated louder than he expected. "You can't just reel me in by saying those words. That's not how it works!"

"Are you kidding me Adriana? Jesus. I don't have time for this!"

She watched him turn his attention back to the magazine swiftly loading his gun. The loud clicking sound of the canister sliding into the unit and securing sending a shiver up her spine.