One week after the night
I opened my eyes from the calmest and most quiet slumber ever. I had to squint my eyes as the light from the window on my side irritated my eyes. I granted as the pain began to settle in my chest.
I turned my head from side to side, wondering where the hell was I. The room was simple. There was no fancy decor that I was quite used to, but it looked modern. The colours were mostly white and the lightest shade of grey.
I tried to move upwards but the scorching pain in my chest was keeping me down.
"Fuck," I grunted as I gave up and brought my hand to my face. Just as I pinched the bridge of my nose, I noticed an IV. I frowned as I inspected it with my eyes.
Am I in a damn hospital?
The door opening caught my attention and once I saw him walk out, I was about to run. Despite the pain holding me back.
He smiled at me as he fixed his white dress shirt and rolled up his sleeves to his elbows. He wore black pants to accompany the look and his dark hair had been touched up with hair gel.
"What the actual fuck?" I managed to utter. He looked toward the window to my side as he unbuttoned the very top button of his shirt.
"I think you should be thanking me. And some other people," I frowned as I tried to rethink what he'd been talking about.
"What other people, Tyler?" His eyes travelled onto me.
"You're alive. That's all that matters," he walked over to my side of the bed and checked the IV connected to me. I jerked my hand away from him.
"Get the fuck away from me," he chuckled before grabbing my hand hard, making me wince from the pain. He didn't care. He was just a damn traitor. Nothing else.
All those years spent on my balcony sipping wine and talking were nothing. It all meant nothing. He never had good intentions. Al least not after Liam came into the picture.
Oh Lucifer, Liam.
My eyes widened before I looked up at him. "Liam," he frowned. "Where is he?" He sighed as if he was disappointed in me.
"Who gives a shit? If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't be in this mess. And you'd be alive to your family."
I frowned as I took in his words.
"You should be glad you didn't go in a damn coma over this. Imagine the memory loss you'd have to get back." He chuckled before walking away from me and sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You're helpless, Cel. Now, you're under Vlad's watch. And whether you like it or not, you'll stay like that."
"Until what? Until I die?" Tyler turned his body sideways in order to look at me.
"Until you'll give him what he wants."
His previous words resurfaced, making me shiver.
And you'd be alive to your family.
Until you'll give him what he wants.
I started to shake my head as I began to imagine the various possibilities of what that meant.
"It's been years in the making. Morphing the Cosa Nostra and the Bratva could result in huge power for the Usoro. Just imagine the possibilities if you gave him a grandchild," I could feel my stomach twist.
"I'm not sure who you think you are but I think we both know I won't give up that easily." He chuckled before looking away from me.
"You didn't even fight that night." I frowned again.
That night.
The night.
The bullet.
The pain.
Liam's tears.
My family's screams.
I died. Or had died then. That's why I was dead to them. I had died in front of them. But they had no clue I was alive.
"It was painful to see you in his arms, bella." It had been years since I'd heard him call me that. "He got to see you before you closed your eyes for the last time. He got to hear your last breath. He was your last everything."
"Is this what this is all about? Jealousy?" He shook his head before his head dipped down.
"I work for Vlad now. I was there because I worked for him. Not because I was jealous of you and him."
"But you betrayed me out of spite?" I questioned him, getting complete and utter silence from him. But that was what I had expected.
"I'm glad you've awoken."
"I was shot in the heart. Right?" He shook his head no.
"A little lower than that. You should be glad. That's why you had a really faint pulse." He stood up before turning around to face me. "I'm truly sorry this has come to this, Cel. I really am."
"Don't you dare think that you have the right to call me by my name. I'm Miss Rossi to you." He just grinned.
"I loved the feistiness, you know. It was the best sight to see," he admitted. "But after you covered your hands with his filth, I can't even begin to describe how suffocating it is to be around you." I frowned, disbelief set in my mind.
"Then leave?" That came out almost like a question. "I'm not the one who has bound you to this bed in order to watch me."
"You're right. It's Vlad who did," a light knock on the door, made us both glance in its direction. Tyler looked back at me for one last time. "Behave if you want to come out alive," he said and walked towards the door. After he'd opened it, a woman walked inside. He watched her walk over to the opposite nightstand and place a tray with food on top of it. He took in a deep breath before leaving the room and shutting the door on his way out.
I looked at the woman who was bow pouring some hot beverage from an expensive and old looking china teapot.
My eyes skimmed around her figure but they stopped at her face. I cocked my head to the side as something started to flood my mind.
As if I had been graced with the answer to how to solve world hunger, my eyes widened before I gasped. The woman with her dark blond hair put up in a low ponytail looked over at me, worry shown on her face.
"Everything alright, miss?" I could hear the Italian accent.
"Valentina?" I couldn't believe it was her I was seeing. She almost dropped the teapot. She hadn't thought I'd recognise her.
Maybe she had even hoped I wouldn't.
"Celeste," she said under her breath.
"Che diavolo ci fai ancora qui?" [What the hell are you still doing here?] She looked overly surprised to hear me speak in Italian.
"Non sapevo che parlassi italiano," [I didn't know you spoke Italian] My browns pinched together for what had seemed like the millionth time since I began questioning everything around me.
"Come non potrei? Io vivo li. E io sono il capo di Cosa Nostra. Sarebbe una vergogna se non sapessi parlare la lingua delle mie radici." [How could I not? I live there. And I'm the boss of the Cosa Nostra. It would be a disgrace if I didn't know how to speak the language of my roots.] From that point moving forward, she only spoke in Italian around me. Only I switched between the two languages.
"I don't have any contact with your family."
"They're your family too. I'm your family." She smiled faintly before placing the teapot on the tray.
"I don't even know any of you. Apart from you, my parents and your father."
"And your grandparents?" She shook her head.
"Very faint memory." I tried to carefully sit up and this time I didn't have to suffer through immense pain.
"And how do you know me then?" She chuckled lightly before clasping her hands in front of her.
"You're quite the persona here." I tried to hide my smile. It wasn't a nice comment. Nor was it insulting but I couldn't lie there and say it didn't flatter me to know I was very well known amongst the family. Even if it didn't predict a positive outcome for me.
"You helped Luciana get the kids. How did you know it was them?" She sighed before looking away from me.
"Do you want anything from me? Maybe you might like something?" I was about to say something but shut my mouth.
Why did she so easily change the subject? It wasn't like I was trying to offend her.
"Miss Rossi?" She questioned, bringing me back to the present.
"No, thank you, Valentina. I'm good for now," she gave me a faint smile before walking over to the door. Once her hand touched the handle, she stopped. I wondered what she would do but something told me she was hesitant to leave because she was frightened.
Hell knew what he had to go through around Vlad. I just imagined it wasn't good. She was forced to work for him. They made her go through hell knew what and I knew she was traumatized. But I couldn't get over the fact that she seemed distant. I wasn't going to hurt her. I doubted she would want to harm me but considering she's been under Vlad's wing since she was a child, I had no idea what was going through her head at all times. I had no clue just how much she was brainwashed.
"Don't give them anything. No information, no names. Nothing." I listened to her carefully. "Wait to strike when you're healthier." I frowned but didn't say another word. "Trust me on this one," she glanced at me before she sighed and walked through the door.
I looked away from the door and turned my head towards the windows. There were no trees, no other buildings around. I squinted my eyes as I tried to make out what I had been seeing.
Clouds. Not fog but actual clouds.
I wasn't even on the ground. I carefully lifted the light duvet off my lower body, leaving me with a white sleeping gown. I looked ridiculous. It was as if I had been at the damn hospital this whole time. And the fact that the room almost resembled a hospital room, didn't help.
I moved my legs to the edge of the bed. Wincing, I carefully sat up and pulled the IV out. It stung just a little before it dropped onto the ground and I was able to move freely. I walked over to the window. I tilted my head from one side to the other, trying to stretch out the muscles that were already sore.
I saw clouds.
Like I was in heaven.
And I would believe that if Tyler hadn't emerged from the bathroom and said things I know I wouldn't hear in heaven.
Hell, I wouldn't even be in heaven.
That should've been my first hint I wasn't anywhere near the god's place. The devil had a seat reserved for me since no made member was a saint. But neither were regular people.
Except we took the sins to a whole different extent.
I started to think about how Vlad got into this mess. Luca was the one that was trying to catch us. Not Vlad as far as I remembered.
But the phone call. My mouth slightly parted from the realization. He had called me. He had warned me. The call wasn't just to threaten me. It was to hack into my phone. To make sure he was able to track my every move. I had been so blinded and overwhelmed by everything happening around me that I couldn't see the red flags that shone brighter than blood.
Even the guys around hadn't realised it. As I remembered the night, Liam's state came into view. He cried. Something that was rare to witness. I couldn't believe what was happening at that moment but somewhere deep inside me, I didn't want it to end.
I liked knowing that the suffering would end. That I wouldn't have to hold so much responsibility. But I hated hurting everyone around me. God, I couldn't even imagine what my parents and brothers are going through.
What hurt the most was knowing that my mother was in pain. The kind that doesn't disappear just with the snap of the fingers.
But I was alive. And she didn't know that.
She had to cry, and lose sleep over this and she didn't even know her daughter was alive and somewhat well.
As I stared further into the view behind the windows in front of me. I couldn't make out the place that I was at. It felt like I was on a skyscraper but as far as I was aware, Vlad didn't own any buildings so high up that no others showed around.
Only a few minutes later did I realise that I wasn't anywhere civilised.
I was in his estate.
One in the Himalayas.
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