My eyes slowly opened and I winced in pain as my head was pounding. Not only did I wince because of my headache but the bright light that lit the room.
Flashbacks from the night at the club recurred in my mind.
Where am I?
Everything dawned on me one after another. My hands were tied above my head. I finally opened my eyes to be in what seems to be a dungeon. It smelled awful here. The floors were flooded with water and there were dead bodies stacked in a corner on top of each other.
It hurt me seeing others suffering, about to die. I was cold. The clothes I wore last night were not on my body. I'm tied up with my lingerie. I couldn't help but cry.
I needed Giovanni. Will they kill me? Did anyone touch me? I'm not ready to die. The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard on the steps and I closed my eyes pretending to still be asleep.
"Он придет за ней" One of them said in a low husky voice.
(He will come for her)
He spoke Russian. Why am I wanted and who is 'he'? I wondered.
At this point I'm thankful that I was taught Russian. It was a must that Piero and I learned it. I'm not too sure why.
"Она хорошая девочка."
(She is a good girl.)
The other added and I can clearly hear him walking towards me. He stopped directly in front of me and tucked my loose hair behind my ear. My body shivered on feeling his rough and cold fingers.
I was disgusted.
How dare this stranger lay awful hands on me.
"Don't fucking touch me. You son of a bitch!" I screamed and kicked him in the groin. He fell to the ground in pain but this man didn't take long to get up.
He reached in his pocket and swiped the object across my thigh and I shrieked.
What the fuck is wrong with these people?
"Get these fucking ropes off me, you pig!" I hissed and spat in his eye. This infuriated him, I could see it in his eyes, his fingers curling to a fist turning his knuckles white and his jaw clenched.
He swung a punch at me aiming at my eye, the same eye that I spat in. He continued the abuse to my stomach and face. The other men stood there watching and sipping alcohol from their glasses. They looked scary. One had a scar across his right eye, going down to his left cheek. They all wore black outfits and had beards. They reeked of alcohol.
By the time he was done, my body was weak, covered in blood. I could barely see from my right eye. I was hurting, I could no longer cry. Everything hurts. I'm going to kill this son of a bitch. I slowly drifted away as they walked to leave.
"You'll pay for what you did." A voice across the room scolded. The only thing I heard before I blacked out was multiple gunshots being fired and the screams of others in the room.
***
Their cries, screams were like a replay in my thoughts.
It's been two days of torturing. I am on the edge of losing hope that Giovanni will ever come for me. I'm all the way in Russia and he is states away.
Does he even think of me?
"Итальянцы планируют атаковать в любой момент."
(The Italians plan on attacking at any moment.)
A deep voice could be heard walking past the dungeons. "Босс хочет, чтобы все были готовы, а здание хорошо вооружено." He continued.
(The boss wants everyone to be ready and the building to be strongly armed.)
"И девушку нужно спрятать." Another added.
(And the girl needs to be hidden.)
Are they talking about me?
Giovanni runs the Italian mafia. He's the one coming. They will kill him. Even if he hurt me, I didn't let him explain himself. I need to get out of here. What do they plan on doing with me? My stomach ached, I was hungry, I lacked sleep, my mouth was dry. I lacked energy. I looked over my shoulder and saw a girl my age sleeping in the corner, curled in a ball. She looked pregnant.
Who the fuck captivates pregnant women and cage them with no food. This is fucking crazy.
If you're not strong enough for this type of business, you're dead. I was so caught up in my thoughts not realizing that she was trying to protect her baby.
The door creaked open revealing one of the guys who visited earlier. In his hands held a plate with bread and a glass of water. "Take this. Eat up fast." He whispered as if trying to not get the others' attention.
I was confused that he was actually giving me food. But why? He saw the confusion on my face as he proceeded to speak. "I'm not trying to harm you."
"What the fuck makes you think that I will trust you." I rolled my eyes, placing my hands on my hips.
"Just like your mother I see." He chuckled.
How does he know my mother? She died years ago.
"I can't eat with my hands tied." I scoffed, trying to wiggle my hands out of this stupid rope. He untied my hands, trusting that I won't hurt him. I bolted for the food he had and ate like I haven't in years, my mouth hurting as I chewed.
I hurried over to the pregnant woman and gave her half of the bread. I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I hadn't given her some. She hesitated at first but gave in. I turned my gaze back to the guy and he had no expression.
"Yes, you sure are like your mother."
"First you let this woman go." I shrugged. "How do you know my mother? She passed away many years ago." I said.
He laughed whilst removing the ropes from the woman's hands. I wanted to strangle him but he helped me which I won't.
"You really don't know huh?" He questioned. I cocked my head to the side making him watch me like he had seen a ghost. "Irene Costello?" He said, like I'm supposed to know who that is yet again it rings a bell.
"Why does everyone say this name? I'm tired of it. Just explain." I whispered.
"Your mother died when she gave birth to you. Your dad took the news badly and became more dangerous." My mother? Everything was a lie.
Muffled voices could be heard outside the door and I rushed back to my spot and the guy tied me back but loose. I know he did it on purpose. There wasn't any time to think about what this man just told me.
"Tell Giovanni I said hi, from Lorenzo." He left in the vent with the pregnant woman, before the rest caught him.
How does he know Giovanni?
Cigarette smoke filled the room as they entered, almost choking me. One of them blew the smoke in my face and they all laughed. They were drunk again.
Maybe this is a time to escape but wait not too soon. I'm no bitch. If I'm to be queen of this mafia business, it's my time to shine. They're dead after this.
"Итак, принцесса, где твой дорогой бойфренд хранит свои наркотики?" One of them asked. "Oh you don't speak Russian so I will ask again. Where does your boyfriend keep his drugs?" I did speak Russian but it's not their business, I'm not going to answer any of their questions.
I stared at these men with hatred, anger. The smallest of them all slapped me and I grasped.
How dare he slap me?
I yanked at the rope and pounced at my prey. I dug my finger in his eye mercilessly and he cried in agony.
I didn't stare for anything, I grabbed the gun from his waist and fired at the other two who had theirs pointed at me. I felt fierce again thanking Piero for making me train to defend myself. He always told me that this world is cruel and I needed to protect myself. I didn't fully understand until now.
They layed on the floor, the stagnant water turning crimson red. I have always hidden that part of myself. Acted innocent and pure but I'm not. I had used a gun before, killing the guy who tried to rape me. He deserved it and I felt no remorse.
I turned back to the son of bitch who slapped me and saw him struggling to get to the door. "не такая быстрая сука."
(Not so fast bitch.)
I went over to him and kicked him in the groin. He groaned in pain. "Yes , I speak fucking Russian." It was my turn to torture him to get answers. "Who the fuck do you work for?" I asked, stooping to get a closer view of him. He laughed and ignored me. I shot him in the leg and yelled, "Who the fuck do you work for?" Before pointing the gun in between his eyes.
"Alexander Costello, please don-." He cried and I pulled the trigger. I fell to the floor crying. I killed him after he told me who he worked for. Why does Alexander Costello want me? I remember the name. The person I thought to be my mother had mentioned it multiple times over the phone.
Did she keep in contact with them?
Well my dad, since Lorenzo said that my mother died giving birth to me. I heard voices rushing to the doors but they were locked.
I hurriedly took the guy's pants off to throw it on. If I needed to keep this gun, I needed to conceal it. The door flew across the room and the men who entered looked baffled.
I lowered my head crying as if I did nothing. They aggressively pulled me off the floor, yanking me towards the door, and I made them.
They all deserve to die. Something told me that I will see Giovanni today.
Maybe I had hope that I would escape without being caught. The handcuffs on my wrists burnt my skin. I had no idea where I was being taken to.