S I E N N A
Chiara Nicole Lombardi
1987 – 2013
Here lies a beloved daughter and friend to many.
Those words were engraved on the dark granite headstone placed at the head of the grave. It's been a while since I've stepped foot in this cemetery and nothing seem to have changed, except the dead daises which are always being replaced at my visit. I wrapped my arms around my midsection and take a few steps towards her grave, my heels sinking into the grass at my abrupt stop. I could taste the metallic tang of stone in the air and precipitation.
For once since I've been visiting her grave, I haven't shed a single tear. I just gazed down at the Epitaph written on the headstone in silence. That's how I felt now; numb to all of the grief and pain. Crying and cussing at the heavens seemed pointless to me at this point. Life is too fragile and precious to waste away like that. You never know when it would be your time to leave this fucked up world.
You just have to live life to the fullest. That's something Chiara would want me to do.
I'm trying, I swear.
It's hard when you've lost three people that you love so much but of course life must go on. That's consistent. You can't just put your life on hold because of that. The world doesn't revolve around anybody. The earth rotates on its axis not once looking back at the misconceptions of life or the vain things it has to offer.
Time waits for no man. Eventually it will dawn on you and then you start to question how many years you've wasted grieving over a lost soul. I took that step of channeling my grief by valuing the present and not dwelling on what should have been. That must have been what preserved by sanity.
I released a breath I didn't know I was holding until I felt the constriction on my lungs and turned my head to stare at the grave next to hers. There was nothing left of his body but I made sure he was buried right next to his daughter. I'm sure he would be very pleased wherever he was right now.
His death was very brutal. Whoever butchered his body like he was an animal would die a slow painful death. His death must be avenged. That's something I will accomplish.
I spared the graves one last look while heaving out a dejected sigh, just as I spun on my heels to proceed out of the cemetery, I bumped into someone with my shoulders. It was a slight graze but hard enough to make us stagger back.
I steadied myself before I could fall back on my ass and looked up to apologize to the unknown person for not paying attention to where I was heading but he wasn't where I expected him to be anymore.
He had walked a great distance from where I stood, treading heavily on the grasses along the way until he came to a stop right in front of one of the many graves, head casted downwards and his hands tucked deep in the pocket of his black track pants.
I tilted my head to the side and squint my eyes to get a good look at who it was but he wore a black sweatshirt with the hood over his head, shielding his face from my view.
I'd be a fool to bother him when he's having an alone time with a dead loved one.
Giving a nonchalant shrug, I continued to make my way down the small path and eventually through the wrought iron fence. Immediately I stepped out, it felt like I could breathe again, all my grievous emotions fading away into nothingness and the pang in my chest disappearing.
The overwhelming emotions of being in a cemetery could suck a person's energy. It would feel like you carried the problems of this world on your shoulders and without having a breathing space.
A gust of wind blew against my face, the crisp air making goosebumps to appear on my skin. The early October air was quite frigid despite the radiant rays of the sun shining brightly in the azure blue sky, casting a golden glow upon the beautiful streets of Rome with the lined up decent buildings.
Blade's mansion was located outside of Rome. It's obvious he didn't like to live in the city with the bustling crowd going about their business and the endless traffic.
He prefers to live in solitude with his family and friends. That's understandable.
My sneakers scraped across the asphalt as I shuffled over to Blade's SUV parked next to the curb. The street was full of colorful life and positive vibrations unlike the cemetery that's in a state of melancholy.
I got into the driver's seat of the SUV and slammed the door shut, leaning back against the seat and feathering my eyes close for a bit. I took off the red beanie from my head and tossed it to the passenger's seat. I thread my fingers through my blonde hair, opening my eyes to check out my reflection in the sideview mirror.
Then something caught my attention in the mirror. I straightened out as the same guy I bumped into at the cemetery waltzed back out through the iron fence and approached a black Lamborghini parked a few meters away from the SUV.
I couldn't still see his face because of the hoodie and the bandana tied around his nose downwards but as he got into his car, I caught sight of his blue eyes. The exact shade of mine which I still found weird. I could never forget who those eyes belonged to.
Armando Mancini.
What was he doing here? That question popped in my head as I watched as he got into his car and shut the door. The glasses of the Lamborghini was heavily tinted so I couldn't see him anymore. I looked away from the mirror and gripped the steering wheel tight while gritting my teeth together in annoyance.
That motherfucker! Of course he would stalk me! He's never tired of wanting to make my life a living hell. I would never forget he had a hand in Layla and I's abduction years ago. If Layla wasn't kidnapped then it wouldn't have caused her death so easily.
I wanted to march right over to him and wipe out his entire existence but I decided against it. Killing him can't definitely be that easy. Aside from that, there's just something about him that seems a bit off. I guess that's why I haven't put my plans of ending him into action yet.
Whatever it is, was quite unnerving.
Deciding to leave that issue for another day, I turned on the ignition and put the gear into drive, speeding down the road, the wind blowing through my hair and making it messy. That's how fast I was driving. I push some strands away from my face so it wouldn't shield my view of the road.
I can't remember when last I drove a car. It gives you a certain adrenaline rush and a chance to explore the new places and discover fresh sights and sound, and even the impossible.
My car sat in the garage untouched for months or years. I took pleasure in taking Blade's SUV for a ride instead. Now I know why he's obsessed with the vehicle. It's practical because of its large frame, versatile, a certain touch of ruggedness that makes it durable and superior handling; you could drive through rough terrains with ease. It made you feel on top of the world.
Blade got a bunch of them parked in the garage with different colours. That man is obsessed, I tell ya.
The smile on my face falter as I glanced at the rear view mirror to see three Honda Odyssey driving behind me. Naturally, I would ignore it thinking it was just another car on the road but these particular ones were tailing me very closely.
I turned to another street, staring back at the mirror to see if they were still tailing me. They were!
"Goddammit," I cuss, slamming my fist on the steering wheel. The minivans weren't in any rush to catch up with me. They just tailed the SUV in a pace that wouldn't make their intentions of following me more obvious.
My first guess of who it is was Armando. That man was insufferable.
I've never been a reckless driver, but I think it's time to surprise myself. I sped past the shops and buildings and ducked around a corner, hoping to elude my tailers. A string of cusses escaped my lips at the sight of the minivans in my rearview mirror a few meters away.
I'm not sure if SUV's are built for road chase but it's been good so far. The vehicle roared down the street, screeching around a corner on two wheels making me lean to the side, while gripping the wheel as tight as I could.
The SUV sailed into the busy traffic, jetting past the cars lined up on the road with maximum speed while avoiding getting into an accident. Still maintaining a close watch on the minivans, I stepped on the gas and the vehicle practically jumped the road. I'm pretty sure when it landed it would make huge clouds of sparks.
Like the situation couldn't get any worse, the engine sputtered a bit showing signs of fuel starvation.
"You've gat to be fucking kidding me," I spat in aggression and reached for my phone that's tossed carelessly in the backseat while driving with one hand. Scrolling through the contacts, I dialed Blade's number. It didn't even get a chance to ring before his deep voice fills my ears making my heart flutter uncontrollably against my ribcage in this dire situation.
"Baby," He rasped into the phone. I could hear the sound of children laughing in the background.
"Blade," I mumbled his name, placing the phone on my lap and tapping the speaker, my gaze glued to the road ahead of me and keeping tabs on the minivans not far behind.
He sensed the sheer panic in my voice and then I heard footsteps moving around in the background hurriedly, the laughter drowning by the second. I guess he walked away from wherever he was around the kids for privacy. "What's wrong, baby?"
I almost burst into tears at the concern in his voice. Get it together, Sienna! This is not the time to be weak. "I'm in a car chase, Blade. I don't know who these men are but they don't seem to be slowing down at all. I'm running out of fuel here."
"Don't panic, baby. I'm coming. Turn on your location and please be with your phone at all times, okay?" He cautioned in a gentle tone, trying to make me feel at ease but I was far from that. My pulse rate increased at the thought of getting killed by these unknown men. I could literally feel the harsh beat of my heart pounding in my ears.
I turned on my location and wiped the perspiration on my forehead, tucking strands of hair behind my ear so it wouldn't stick.
"I love you," He whispered.
"I love you." I whisper back and ended the call, glancing back up at the road to see a gas station not faraway from where I was. Staring at the mirror again, the vans were at a great distance away from me so I took that opportunity to park next to the gas station and turned off the ignition.
B L A D E
I grab a black T-shirt that was thrown haphazardly on the floor of my bedroom and put it on. My hair was wet from swimming in the pool with my kids and Camilla's kids so it made the top of my shirt a bit damp.
Manuelle appeared at the doorway of my bedroom looking frantic as I shoved my other leg into the pant leg of my black jeans and tugged it up over my wet swim trunks. It would be extremely uncomfortable for me but I gat no time to spare. My woman needed me.
When I heard her panicky voice through the phone, I swear I couldn't breathe. My lungs were stiff and frozen in fear of her getting hurt.
"I really hope nothing bad happens to her. I swear, Blade, I'm gonna murder those bastards if she gets hurt." Manuelle spoke through gritted teeth, keeping his gaze locked on the wall behind me, lost in thought.
I did the zipper of my jeans, not bothering to use a belt before retrieving my phone and my car keys from the nightstand. Glancing swiftly at my phone to make sure there wasn't any missed calls or texts from Sienna, I shoved them into my pocket.
"I'm counting on that, Manuelle. I'm gonna do more than just killing them. I'm gonna rip out their organs and make them suffer for even glancing in her direction." I told him in a grave tone. He stepped back a bit so I could walk out of the room and slammed the door behind me.
Together, we walked down the stairs taking it two at a time until we reached the bottom, my gold chain hitting my chest lightly from my constant step. All that spiraled my mind was the thought of getting there and seeing Sienna murdered in cold blood.
That caused something deep inside of me to explode and all I saw was red. I bite down on my bottom lip so hard until the metallic taste of blood reached my tongue.
My woman was smart. I'm sure she would be able to escape them or hide until my arrival.
Camilla waltzed in from the pool area with a juice box in her hand and a sleeping Bianca in her arms, the little girl's head leaned on her shoulder.
"Bring her back safe or else you're dead meat." Camilla threatened. I'm not sure if she was joking or not but I could see she was also scared for Sienna. Manuelle kissed her lips gently and I had to look away, not out of privacy but awkwardness. I constantly had to remind myself that Camilla was a grown married woman now and not the girl I was trying to protect from the world and all the ungrateful men. She could make her own decisions without my opinion.
I stared back to see them pulling away and Manuelle placing a kiss on his daughter's forehead. "Watch over my kids, Cam. Leonardo might be a handful but I'm sure you can handle him." I said to her, pressing my lips to her forehead in a firm kiss.
Damn! She reminded me so much of Matilde. My heart wrenched in my chest at the thought of my late second mother.
She chuckled and watched as we walked out of the front door. I added more security to the mansion and instructed my men on what to do while I was gone before approaching one of the SUV parked in my garage with Manuelle walking behind me.
I fished out my keys from my pocket and unlocked the doors. We both got in at the same time and I start the engine of the car. Swerving out of the garage packed with different cars, most of them being SUVs, I drove in light speed out of the massive golden gate with my initials engraved on it and increased the speed when I got to the road.
The wind hit our face like broken shards of glass from the maximum speed in which I was driving at. Manuelle didn't seem to mind at the speed. We were eager to get there in time and rescue my wife.
My mind was chaotic from the irrational thoughts that swirled around in my head, my stomach in knots of never seeing her again. I might seem like a pussy but I couldn't control my feelings when it came to her and I didn't want to either. She's my life and loosing her will drive me to insanity.
I knew it was my father that had his men to chase her. I still don't know what his plans her but I've got to stop him one way or another before he harmed any of my loved ones.
Manulle tracked her location and I didn't waste any time to weave through the entire streets of Rome until I approached a certain gas station that had my SUV parked next to it and three minivans.
"Where is she?" I asked, coming to a stop behind the vehicles. I killed the engine and hopped out, running over to the side of my SUV to see no one in the driver's seat. My heart sank.
"I think her phone's dead, Blade. I can't track her location anymore." Manuelle replied in a frantic tone and stared up at me with eyed eyes.
I thread my fingers through my hair and tugged at the roots in aggravation. "She can't be that faraway. Let's look around."
The gas station was located in the farthest place away from the city which seemed to be less populated and almost looked abandoned except for the few people that walked in and out of the convenience store.
"Yo, Blade! I found something." Manuelle's voice hollered from the back of the convenience store. I didn't even think twice before running over to the direction of his voice. There, Manuelle stood right next to a hatch with a wooden door, a small window above it that led to the backroom of the store.
"Footprints," I say in a mumble at the sight of footprints of large boots leading right straight to the hatch. I yanked the door open and was instantly greeted with steep stairs that led down to the darkness.
"Damn! I really hope Sienna is down there.... alive," Manuelle mumbled.
"She must be." I gritted out. We took out our phones from out back pocket and turned on the flashlight. I directed the light into the hatch to see how far we were gonna go but all I saw was more stairs leading down into the unknown.
"You have a gun with you?" Manuelle asked as I took the first step, him following behind me and shutting the small wooden door.
"Shit!" I cursed under my breath and he gave a small chuckle, knowing the answer to his question already. I was so focused on getting to Sienna on time that I forgot to carry any weapons with me. Fuck!!
We wandered farther down the stairs avoiding tripping down onto our two feet. After minutes of aimlessly walking around, we reached the bottom. I raised my phone higher so the light would shine to the path that awaited us.
"She isn't picking up, Blade." Manuelle told me, his boot making a crunching sound against the granite. His words only made my rib tighten.
"Let's just keep looking for her. She's down here somewhere." I mumbled, not wanting to entertain the thought of something bad happening to her. I took cautious steps into what looked like an underground tunnel with railway tracks. It wasn't that visible because of the granite that covered it like it had been built decades ago.
I wrinkled my nose at the dank odour from a large gutter extruding rainwater from somewhere within it. We walked further into the underground chambers that's associated with complex of connecting tunnels and shafts that were used for storage and water, and water-treatment plants. From the looks of it, decades ago it used to be a railroad before they changed it for the purposes it served years ago.
Then we heard voices coming from the hillside tunnel. I turned off the torch light of my phone and Manuelle did the same. There was no discreet place we could hide so we just leaned against the wall next to the entrance of the portal across from each other.
When two men stepped out talking in hushed tones armed with guns oblivious to our presence, I lunged across the minimal space towards one of the men while Manuelle went for the other guy. Before they could process our actions, I pulled back my arm clenching my fist, I threw it forward with a force that knocked him backwards when it connected to his chest, the full thud and gasp of breath confirmed that I'd winded him. Manuelle's fist slammed against his nose, giving a final one to his chin that knocked his companion completely.
"That felt good, man." He smirked as we took away their guns and ventured into the hillside tunnel they came out from. I licked the salty sweat from my lips and continued to match forward until we came across few of my father's other men. What followed next was the exchange of bullet back and forth. There wasn't any place I could hide to avoid the bullet so I got shot in my right arm. When Manuelle fired three shots to the last of them, We heard voices. One was very familiar and it made my heart to skip a million beats.
"Let go of me, dickhead." Sienna struggled against the man that had her hands pinned to the back, nudging her aggressively so she could walk faster.
"Shut your fucking mouth, you bitch." He spat in her ears and when he saw a livid me approaching them in long stride he froze and that gave Sienna the advantage to escape from his clutches and land a hard punch to his stomach making him release a loud gasp.
"Fuck, Sienna. You scared the shit outta me." Manuelle ran over to his sister and pulled her into his arms, kissing her face continuously and she chuckled.
Tossing the gun to the side, I got down on my kneels and pinned the motherfucker to the granite ground with my hand around his windpipe. Ignoring the pain in my wounded arm, I began to punch the daylights out of him. All I saw was red as my fist continued to disfigure his face making him unrecognizable.
He had his goddamn filthy hands on her. This wretched pathetic fuck! As I punched him into eternal oblivion, who I pictured beneath me was none other Leandro Armani. That man must die by my hands.
"That's enough, Blade! You're injured." Sienna said in a concerned tone as she grabbed my arm and Manuelle grabbed the other.
"He's dead, man." Manuelle told me. They pulled me away from the bloody mess and instantly, I wrapped my arms around my woman, resting my chin at the top of her head.
"Thank, Goodness. You're safe, baby.... fuck shit." That was when I felt the pain of the gunshot wound.
"Blade you're bleeding." Sienna pulled away to examine the wound but I waved her off with a cheeky smile.
"That's not a problem, baby. I'm okay." I took off my shirt, leaving me shirtless, and handed the piece of cloth to Manuelle to tie it around my arm to temporarily stop the bleeding. I winced in the process, clenching my teeth hard to prevent a loud growl of pain from escaping.
"You're not okay. Come on, let's go home." She said and threw my good arm over her shoulder, wrapping her hand around my waist. I could walk perfectly fine but I just decided to let her do her thing while glancing around her face to make sure she had no injuries.
The three of us trod back over to the exit and shut the wooden door when we walked out into the open.
Minutes later, we drove back to the mansion with the SUV I came with leaving the one Sienna parked by the gas station behind for my men to bring back. The entire ride back home, I sat in the backseat with Sienna seated on my lap with her hands wrapped around me in a tight embrace, scared if she let go I might disappear while Manuelle drove us back.
I didn't even realise that Manuelle parked the SUV back in its spot in the garage until he tapped the window and informed us that we were back home. I was preoccupied listening to our breathing that was in sync.
Sienna and I got out of the car, assisting me with each steps like I couldn't walk on my own.
"You know I can walk right?" I quirked an eyebrow as we stepped onto the front steps.
"Just shut up and let me help you!" She gave me a stern look and turned the glass door knob to open the door. Manuelle chuckled and froze at the sight of Camilla sitting on the couch with a terrified look in her eyes and tears running down her cheeks.
"Cam what's wrong? Why are you crying?" He walked over to her and cradled her face between his hands. She didn't speak. It seemed like she was paralyzed in fear. Then she stared at something behind him. We followed her line of sight over to a small brown box placed on the coffee table.
The children's voice could still be heard coming from the pool side unaware of our arrival.
Confused, Manuelle retrieved the box and opened the lid.
"Holy shit!" He cursed out loud
There, placed in the box with a small message carved in it, was a human heart. We all froze. I squinted my eyes at the small writing with clenched teeth.
You're next, bambino.
~•~
Yo, babes!
What's up with ya?
This chapter took me two days to write. I neglected my homework and now that it's been posted, I can get back to studying for my exams.
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