Wednesday September 8th, 8 hours since the voicemail
i pace back and fourth as a mafia member gives me excuses for his failed attempt at finding luciano "if you can't figure it out just say that so i can put you out of your misery" i take a gun off the table and put it to his head "nicoletta" dad stands next to me "you can go" i roll my eyes.
"he's useless" i walk over to the computer set up and reach security footage from around the apartment building "they could kill him, and if they do i have a back up plan, i always do" this time the backup plan is worse than you would think.
i take my time scanning footage "what if he's back at the church" stefano bursts into the room "it's their headquarters and they know we won't brave to get in because of the police" i tap against the screen "they couldn't get in last night even if they tried" i shake my head.
"boss" another man walks in "we got a package addressed to nicoletta" i stand up as the box wrapped in newspaper is placed in front of me. my hands touch the box it could be a bomb. but rose doesn't work with explosives she's thinks thier stupid.
I peel the paper to a brown box with words in it. "you have until midnight, the clock is ticking" I chew on my bottom lip and rip the top of the box open with my arms that are still a little sore even through the pain medication.
oh my god. My body fills with anger as i look at the polaroids of an unconscious luciano tied to a chair. picking up the last one my body feel sick.
his wrists are all red from how tight the zip ties and handcuffs that pinch his skin. my fingers brush something smooth on the back of the polaroid what's this? i flip it over.
oh shit. my throat gets tight. it's a piece of his skin with the skull tattoo from his arm. "they are cutting him up" i drop the polaroid as anger erupts into my body so quick i barely have time to process it.i turn around and walk to the door "niki!" stefano calls out after me and i walk down the hall and run up the stairs back to my hotel room.
luciano's pov:
my head hangs low as the cold air hits my shirtless body. I hear people walking around so I keep my breathing and position the same. "we can't touch him and you know that" there's a woman's voice with a french accent "if we touch him we don't get rose back unharmed, and what about Cora!"
there's some shushing heard i'm fucked. a creaking door "louis! Alessia!" a deeper voice enters the room "out! i had enough of your arguing" i hear shuffling that gets further and further away.
"What do I do with you?" The deeper voice gets closer to me. "I can't hurt you, I can only make it look like I'm hurting you" There's some humming and then I hear the man's heavy footsteps walk further from me and the door opens.
Nicoletta's pov:
"have i made myself clear!'' I twist the knife that I've lodged in the man's shoulder "yes! ow! fuck!" his weak body lays on the table I threw him on "I don't think i can hear you" i dig the knife in deeper, "nicoletta!" dad's voice booms in the large room.
"he's being a disrespectful piece of shit! I put him on a job three hours ago and all he's done is flirt with some of our women" I take my hand off the knife and pull his body back and onto the floor. He screams again and the entire room looks at me in shock, frozen "get back to work!" I sit down in the seat that is in front of some monitors.
If you want something done, do it yourself. "if no one will take care of him i have no problem putting that dog down" i see a few men immediately run to the injured man on the floor helping him up.
I look over the footage of the church and the apartment looking between the two screens. I speed through and replay the hours from the time we left the church to the time I got the voicemail.
I hear one of my brothers behind me but then realize it's Antonio when his hand touches my shoulder and I shrug away. "right there" he points to the church screen.
"what?" I look at him "go back a few seconds and then pause" I look at the screen and do as told, pausing as quickly as I can.
"Look" he points to a news van pulling away "why would a news van pull away in the middle of a live broadcast, through all the police hm?" I look at Antonio, there's no way.
"go to 1:30 am on the outside of the apartment" i flick my eyes to the screen and scroll until i get there. "Just watch for a second '' I watch as the footage plays and I keep watching until I see the same van speed away from the apartment. oh my god
"Is there an alley back there or something?" i nod "there's a back door that goes from the basement, they could have knocked him out and took the elevator all the way down without ever being seen" i look at my brother with wide eyes.
"Do you think that they have police help?" looking back at the screen "not possible" dad walks over "we have to police with us i can talk to santiago hernandez, he's the chief of police here" i nod "go" i rub my forehead.
you're going to have to kill Rose in front of the mafia, become the new leader and free him, then you have to control the mafia for the rest of your life.
my knee bounces and i stare off into space
this is for him.
Luciano's pov:
"hello?" I tug against the handcuffs "hello!" the door bursts open "he's awake!" a man walks through and takes a seat in front of me.
I just stare at him as he intensely glares at me back. a man and a woman walk through and stand next to him. I look around the room. a cross, smells like incense, boxes, and altar server gowns. Great, I'm in the fucking church.
"What do we do with you?" The woman walks around me in a circle and I just stare forward at the two men infront of me.
"nothing" she looks at me "you can't touch me" my voice is sing songy "you are a funny one" the man sitting points to me and i raise my browns "no because you know i'm right, if you lay a finger on me the italian mafia will slaughter you three" i tilt my head "they have already done enough!" the woman yells with tears in her eyes.
i just stare at her with no emotion "Alessia go, we got him" the man standing touches her shoulder and she nods as tears fall.
"i think it's a safe reminder to tell you the nicoletta is better than all of you, because as you know la miséricorde ne sera pas accordée à sa main" (mercy will not be given at her hand)
I don't understand most french but I've picked up a few things from niki, it's not a hard language to learn considering Italian is my first language.
Alessia stops halfway through the door and turns on her heels "where did you learn that?" her face is red with anger and streaked with tears "could you not be distraught when you speak to me i kind of have a lot on my plate here" i tilt my head and tug and the handcuffs.
She stomps over to me and her hand comes into contact with my face okay ouch. "fuck you! you don't know what this feels likes my boyfriend was just murdered and you have the guts to say that!" she starts to get pulled back by the two men.
"you don't know what this is like! I should have people rip your limbs off of your body!" she's halfway down the hall "i'm sure you could try!" I smirk to myself knowing I will be okay.
...
"fuck!" How could I be so wrong? my entire body burns as louis digs the knife into my leg more "i'm sorry it's just our motivation isn't working" his voice sounds anything but sincere.
He pulls the knife out and the pain worsens. My breathing is quick and heavy as I try to collect myself from all of the other wounds on my body.
my eyes shut and i let my neck touch the cold metal chair beneath me. There's the same flash I've gotten the last three days. i don't know what they do with the pictures but i just assume they are sending them to niki and torturing her.
Nicoletta's pov
sunday september 11th, four days after the voicemail
i shove things in my bag as my face is streaked with tears "niki what are you doing?" fuck i turn around to hazel who woke up from all the noise i was just making.
"Just go back to sleep, i'm cleaning up my stuff" the room is dark so she can't see my face" her head tilts as she sits up "your cleaning up your shit in boots and a zip up" she reaches over to the light and turns it on.
her brows furrow "niki." she stands up "hazel please." i tilt my head to the ceiling "nicoletta rivera" she grabs my face and forces me to look at her "what the fuck do you think your doing"
i stop the tears from falling and just stare at her "please don't make this harder than this is" when i open my eyes her face is filled with disappointment "you're not leaving" i move her hands off my face "i have too"
i turn around and pack my guns and ammo "niki!" she grabs my shoulder and i shove it away "hazel i have to! I have to go and grab Rose from the warehouse! i have to bring her to the church and kill her infront of what is remaining of the french mafia becoming the leader i'm supposed to be! and i have to free luciano so they can't hurt him anymore!"
tears fall from my eyes as i yell at her "what you have to do is calm the fuck down" i scoff "calm down?! that's what your saying to me right now! i cant! i cant calm the fuck down because i love him!" the words calm me down the second they fall from my lips and I realize what I've done. shit
hazel looks at me with sad eyes "then you'll have to tell him that when we get him back" i shake my head "you don't get it" i walk over to the couch and grab the brand new polaroid i've received.
i show it to her and she looks disgusted "oh my god" she shoves it back at me "la miséricorde ne sera pas accordée à notre main is the code for a reason, if i let it go on any longer he will die" hazel's quiet for a moment.
"So you're going to leave without saying goodbye." I let the breath I was holding out "niki." i just stare at her "yes. someone will try to stop me and it's gonna be too hard" i wipe the tears from my face "i'm bringing him back but i can't stay for long" hazel's quite before she turns to the floor and grabs the black jeans slipping them on.
"what are you doing" she just looks at me "i won't let you do this alone" i sigh "hazel you can't you'll get hurt" she grabs a hoodie putting it on "i never said i was fighting" she walks up to me "for life remember" she holds her pinky out and i just stare at it.
"if you don't grab my pinky right now i'm going to be disappointed" i shake my head "you'll get hurt" hazel sighs "i won't" my throat gets dry "you will not do this alone" tears fill my eyes again and i just grab her pinky for a second tightening the grip before i pull her into a hug.
she grips my body just as hard as i grip hers and i collect myself from crying harder "thank you" i speak into the hoodie and i feel her smile "don't, this is what we're supposed to do, be there no matter what" i nod and she pulls back.
"pack your shit and let's go" i turn around quickly packing my things.
...
my throat gets tighter as hazel drives up the same dirt roads that used to fill my body with nothing but fear. my knees being to be bounce stop being so weak and suck it up niki
She pulls up in front and I see the dim lights from the warehouse window 8 or 9 feet up. Hazel's hand grabs mine and I look at her "i've never been here" she turns the car off.
"it's going to be scarier for me than you" i tilt my head and she grabs my hand for a moment. "You got this" I nod as we both pull away, opening our car doors and shutting them.
I notice more cars here than there are supposed to be. probably just some more members. walking up to the sliding doors and I feel throwing up.
grabbing the door handle I slide it open to a very pissed off vinchenzo. fuck "what do you think your doing?" hazel and i just stare up at him "fixing my mistake,what are you doing?" the air from the wearhouse makes my body shiver.
vincenzo steps forward "niki" he just glares at me before his eyes shift to hazel "you know hazel your supposed to help her not make mistakes, not fule them" her brows raise "i'm not fueling anything" she folds her arms as the wehouse door shuts.
"So you just weren't going to say goodbye to me, you were just going to leave with niki without a second thought?" she gets quite "i went into our room and i just couldn't vin" he rolls his eyes "that's not the point your being a shit girlfriend" my brows raise "woah!" I step in between them.
"What did you just say to her?" vinchenzo scoffs "she's being a shit girlfriend niki and you know that" I raise my hand and slap him as hard as i can "don't speak to her like that!" he's shoves me back "oh really! i can't be honest now" i grab his arms and pull him down to punch vinchenzo in the face.
"don't be a dick!"i kick him in the stomach and he pushes me to the ground before pinning me down and punching me.
After the third punch I grab his hand and push his body weight off of me. "guys stop!" Hazel yells at the both of us "not right now hazel" we both stop for a moment before i proceed to punch him in the face and pop my body up stomping on his leg.
"i'm gonna rip your fucking stitches out!" I go back down to his leg and he just kicks me causing me to fall back "you're going to rip mine! I would love to see you try niki!" his forearms stay at my throat and i use my knee to kick him in the stomach.
it doesn't take long before i'm being ripped off of him "niki enough!" Stefano yells at me "no let me hurt him he's ruining everything" dad and Antonio help Vincenzo up and he brushes the dirt off of himself.
the metallic taste of blood fills up in my mouth and i spit it out "both of you leave in separate cars! Stefano take niki, antonio take vinchenzo, and Hazel come with me" dad barks orders at us, "No, I have to fix this, dad you can't stop me, please don't stop me" Dad walks up to me as I struggle against stefano.
"And what was your big plan, hm? get yourself killed by the French mafia!" Dad yells in my face "I was going to lead it, it's how I'm wired. i need to murder her infront of them and lead the mafia! I need to save him dad ther-" i pause.
"the tourture is getting worse!" i force myself not to get sad over the situation and just turn it into anger. dad just looks at me "nicoletta. I'm here to help, you can't do things like this alone" i shake my head "i have to, i can't have you guys get killed, they won't hurt me" dads brows furrow.
"what are you talking about?" i take a deep breath "during the fight, this man was choking me and when he saw who i was he stopped and said i was lucky they were told not to kill me" i just look up at him "let me save him and fix this please" dad looks behind me for a moment to what i assume would be stefano
"Nicoletta we can't" I shake my head "you have too!" then that's when i feel it. The prick sends my body into more anger. Stefano lets go of me and I turn around to antonio.
"i'm never going to forgive you for this" antonio looks at me with sad eyes as my body tingles and my joints start to feel weak "fuck you, fuck all of you" i fall back into someone's arms and the corners of my eyes gets dark and my limbs fail me.
Lucainos pov:
I just stare at the new woman in front of me. She's black with her curls in a bun at the top of her head. She wears a gold cross on her neck and she's wearing all black except for her socks.
i just keep my gaze on her distracting myself from the pain in my body. i wonder what nikis doing right now?She has the mafia rose tattoo on her ankle and it peeks out of her sock.
I look back at her eyes and her thighs push together. Sometimes I forget I have that effect on women. just to look at them and their body wants to respond to me.
you could flirt your way out of this luciano "you have a boyfriend or something?" i tilt my head even though it hurts "no why?" She starts to play with her hands and I glance down at them before examining the rest of her body.
my eyes slowly make it back to her face "i'm surprised, someone as beautiful as you should really have people slaughtering each other just for your attention" she smiles but drops it.
i keep the intense glare on her "don't you have a girlfriend?" I shrug as much as my body will let me "nicoletta?" i tilt my head and she nods "no we're just sex, she's just a warm body if you must" the biggest lie i've ever told but if i want to get back to the woman that i love i need too.
i need to lie to see her face again
i need to lie to hear her laugh again
i need to lie to touch her skin under hands again
i need to lie to smell her scent when she's in my arms
i need to lie to taste her welcoming mouth of comfort again. i need to lie for her.
she smiles a bit but hides it well
"It makes you feel dirty doesn't it?" her brows furrow "what are you talking about?" she shakes her head "that i'm available, the slight chance that i might wanna fuck you, the thoughts of me fucking you" her eyes widen and her cheeks raise.
"no- no that's not what i thought about" my brows raise "you sure, cause you could just be a good girl and tell me" she crosses her legs "is it still Sunday?" i look at the clock on the wall
11:24
through the darkness coming from the tiny dirty window above the clock, I know it's night time.
"yes" she nods and i tilt my head "want me to give you a real reason to go to confession in the morning" her soft eyes widen again "you could tell the father all the dirty things you've done with the murderous mafia man" i smirk.
"you could tell him how he took off that cross on your neck and placed it to the side before he touched your body in places you know are wrong" i smile
"you could tell him how he pinned you to the wall and held you by your throat as he fucked you until you came over and over again, you could tell him how much you enjoyed ever minute of the dirty act"
i just keep staring at her "you would like that would you, to get treated like the whores you were told are going to hell" she nods for a moment but stops herself "no no no it's wrong i can't" she shakes her head squeezing her eyes shut.
"Come one, give in, you know you want to" she stares at me and I can tell she's fighting against the choices "in the eyes of God he will always forgive sins with a few prayers" she chews on lip and looks at the door.
she takes the keys to my cuffs out of her pocket and relief washes over me. she chews on her lip as she walks behind me and I hear the cuffs release me.
My body hurts but I know I can fight through it. She walks back to me and I stand towering over her. her eyes look up at me and i touch her face gently fighting against the burning in my body.
"turn around for me" her eyes light up and she turns around. my hands unlock the necklace and take it off placing it on the seat behind me.
she turns back around and i step forward pushing her lightly towards the wall. her body clearly fills with excitement as her back hits the wall.
my hands feel around her body trying to find a gun or a knife. I feel a knife in her back pocket and I take it out tilting her head up distracting her. my lips gently press on her neck and a gasp falls from her lips.
I brush my lips against her neck and collarbones. flipping the knife in my hand I grip the handle and pull back looking at her.
"your such a beautiful woman" i smile down at her and she smiles back "but your so incredibly stupid" her smile drops and i slit her throat with the knife in one swift movement. her body slides to the ground and i don't waste a second to run to the door.
my body screams at me to stop as i rip the door open and run down the hall just following all the turns until i reach a set of stairs. my weakened body fights the painful streaks starting in my legs up to my arms. opening the door i'm met with two backs. fuck
two men turn around and my throat gets dry. One of them pushes me down the stairs and I hit my head that's going to hurt in the morning.
Nicoletta's pov:
My eyes open to the sunlight peeking through the blinds of the hotel room sitting up. My body Screams at me in pain because the medicine has worn off. Looking in front of me my eyes focus on antonio.
my head and stomach hurts, my body feels weak and my stomach growls.
"I hate you" he looks at me "get out" i grip the sheet under me as he just looks at me "you need to eat your body needs nutrients" he points to the large breakfast on the table next to him.
"I don't want to see you get out" Antonio just glares at me "eat it's been three days" my eyes widen "three days?" i stand up and the pain makes me sit back down "i've kept you drugged up, eat" i just stare at him.
"i've gone longer without food" i lay back down "i'll eat but get out" he throws his hands up "fine" i roll my eyes and antonio stands walking to the door.
"i never wanted to keep you drugged up but it was to keep you safe, dads orders" he goes to open the door "stop" antonio pauses and turns around "i'm still your sister, you could have just not listened to dad"
he walks over to me sitting on the bed "niki you were going to get yourself killed, and if you did survive we would have all lost you" i just stare at him "your our baby sister, we don't care that your "almost nineteen" we have to protect you from being you" i just look at him.
"i don't need to be protected" i reach over to the plate of food and place it into my lap "have you gotten anymore polaroids" i take a bite of bacon and the food makes my mouth water "yes." I look up at Antonio's sad face "it's gotten worse hasn't it" he nods.
"please don't tell me they are cutting him up, when i get my boyfriend back he'll be all in one piece right?" Antonio nods "it's just alot of stabbing '' I nod eating more food.
"we'll go save him soon right" antonio nods "soon"
...
I rummage through my bags for some medicine to help my aching body. there's a knock at the door and i open it to vincenzo. he looks down at me with a busted lip and i just go at him "i apologized to hazel three days ago" i nod stepping out of the way "now i have to apologize to you"
I just look at him "I'm listening" I walk back to my bag looking through it again "I shouldn't have hit you back, we were both stressed and it was wrong" I nod "I shouldn't have slapped you" he nods as I find the medication.
"that girl you had us take" i swallow the medicine dry as i look at him "what about her" i sit back down on the bed "we had people bring her to milan, her body was reacting to the sedative we gave her too much" i nod.
"I ordered them to use metal chairs" I smiled a bit.
"So show me this trick" Vincenzo and my father stand in front of me "all you do is break the chair, it's wood." I throw all of my weight back and the chair breaks leaving the chains to grip onto nothing.
i squirm out of the chains and stand "that's why you should use metal chair" i rub my arms "you're just a kid how do you know this" i shrug "training"
"that's good" i nod "her name is cora" i nod "she reminds me of you, we did some background and she's 15" i hum "there is one more thing i have to apologize for" i look at him "okay what is it"
vinchenzo gets quiet and he opens his arms. i smile softly and hug him, holding him tight "please don't hate me for this'' he speaks into my shoulder. "What is it?" I lean my chin on his shoulder.
"Forgive me when you wake up" another prick into my lower back and i pull away with betrayal "when you wake up things will be better" i just glare at him as my body begins to weaken "why vin. why"
yea i think the biggest take away from this is we all need a ride or die like hazel in our lives.