"I can't do it, Giana." I cry, setting my bags at my feet. "I love him. Every piece of myself feels so entwined with him, I just can't."
Sitting on the staircase, I let my face fall in my hands. Why did I have to be this way? He hasn't come home for days all because I couldn't make up my mind.
But this time, I was confident in my decision. Every fiber of my being needed him craved him. Giana gently lifts my head, "He loves you, Lina. He will do anything to protect you."
Her words make my heart swell. "Call him, please. I want to talk to him." Giana quickly pulls out her phone and dials his number.
"Weird. His phone went to voicemail, it never does that." A pit forms deep in my stomach, something didn't feel right. "Let me try again." I hear vaguely. My head thrums with a headache as I think about him.
"He's not answering. Let me run the security tapes back." Giana says while stalking off further into the house.
Security tapes? Since when did they have those? I pace around the living room, anxiously chewing on my nail.
When Giana finally comes back into the room, her usual tan face is pale. "What's going on?" I ask panic already flooding my voice.
"He left with Alessandro." She mumbles out. My eyes filled with tears, he left because I told him I was done. "This is all my fault." I cry out, slumping to the floor.
"It is not your fault. Elio thought he killed Alessandro, it doesn't make sense for him to leave. He had to be threatening him." Giana deducts.
Her words make me cry harder, what if he kills him? "Lina, I love you but I need you to stand the fuck up and put your big girl panties on." I glance up at her with a sniffle.
She was right. If Elio was in danger, he would need me to be strong. "Alessandro has a compound here in Italy. I'm not sure if they are still here but it's worth a try."
Giana pulls out her phone, dialing out numbers. I listen to her bark orders in Italian, in awe of her strength. I stand up and dust my skirt off.
After she was done, she glances down at my attire. "We need to change into gear. All black so we blend in with the night. The twins are on their way home."
She says, her voice almost cracking. She leads me upstairs and into her room, disappearing into the huge walk-in closet.
When she walks out, she has a pile of black clothes on her arm. "What's your plan, Giana?" I ask, feeling unsure.
"Elio has a group of men here that he never discussed with Alessandro. He always felt that things might go south with him and wanted to be prepared."
I nod my head, thinking back to the group of men I had seen before. Elio is so smart. It was something I admired about him, he was very tactical and didn't like the element of surprise.
"I sent them all the emergency texts. They'll be here shortly." Giana says sharply, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"I know you're worried Lina. You can stay here, it's fine." She says gently. I shake my head vigorously. "Absolutely not, I'm coming with you." I stood firm in my decision. Giana hands me a stack of clothes.
Walking into her bathroom, I slip on the black skinny jeans and black long sleeves. Giana was a bit smaller chest-wise, so the shirt clung to me tightly.
I pull at it, trying to loosen it. Walking out, she hands me some combat boots. Luckily, our shoe size was the same.
A knock at her door breaks the eerie silence. Walking down the stairs slowly, Giana swings open the door.
The same burly bodyguard that stood outside my room was back. "Ms.DeLuca." He says, nodding his head at her.
I don't miss the way Giana blushes and glances away. I look between them, noticing the admiring look in his eye.
The man was handsome, with a tall build and bright blue eyes. I don't say anything as they converse in Italian.
"Dante says that he knows a way to slip into the compound quietly. The rest of the men are going to meet us there." I nod my head, feeling a bit sick.
Everything was happening so fast. I had never been involved in this life, I was nervous. Giana slides a sleek, black handgun along the counter.
"This is a 9-millimeter glock. It's pretty easy to use." She says, grabbing it and showing me how to release the safety. I take the cool steel in my hand, my breaths coming out uneven.
I had never held a gun before. "Lina, are you sure you want to do this?" Giana asks, taking in my nervous expression. "I'm going to bring Elio back."
When I came to, I shoot up in a panic. Where am? What day is it? Glancing around, I notice I'm not restrained and am laying on one of Alessandro's guest beds. What is he playing at?
Patting myself down, I check for my gun. Nothing. I let out a sigh of frustration. I wonder if Lina left? A pang of sadness takes over me as I lay there.
Shaking my thoughts, I stand from the bed and march towards the door. If Alessandro wanted a fight, I'd bring him war.
The door glides open with ease. I step into the quiet hallway. I had grown up around this compound and knew it like the back of my hand.
Heading down the stairs, I spot Alessandro sitting on his sleek couch. "Finally awake, huh?" I hear him say.
"What the fuck are you playing at, Alessandro?" I ask sharply, my patience wearing thin.
"I'm not playing at anything, Elio. A few of my men are making a drop then we're on the first plane out of here."
"What's it going to take to let me go?" I say while taking a seat across from him. "I already told you, Elio. You aren't going anywhere. Your life is the only way out of this famigila."
His voice holds nothing but contempt as he looks down at me. "I thought I raised you better than this, Elio. How can you let a woman get you so caught up?"
I grit my teeth, "I didn't expect it to happen. It just did. I love her, Alessandro. Don't you know what that feels like?" I explain.
His eyes flash with anger, "No. This life is too brutal for love. You will have enemies everywhere you go, Elio. Your woman will be the first target, just to get to you."
His words settle a harsh reality over me. He was right. I had killed many men in my lifetime, and done barbaric things.
I was fooled to think it would end any other way. "I can't go back with you, Alessandro. My family needs me here, and I need them."
He contemplates my words. "If you try to escape or leave, I can promise you will never see your precious family again. I will rip your humanity into shreds until you've become who I need you to be."
I grit my teeth, my anger reaching it's breaking point. Lunging for him, Alessandro points a gun at me. It stops me in my tracks. "Make one wrong move and I'll end your life right here." He hisses out.
Suddenly, I hear a pad of footsteps approaching. "Drop the gun." Lina's voice fills the room, making me snap my eyes up.
She stood behind Alessandro with a sleek gun pointed at his head. I hear her remove the safety, causing Alessandro to let out a dark chuckle.
He holds his hands up in surrender. "You found a brave one, Elio. Coming into a mafioso's compound with nobody but yourself."
Lina smacks her teeth, "That's where you're wrong." Before she can explain further, one of Alessandro's men tackle her.
Dante comes out of nowhere, along with Giana and the twins. Alessandro glances around, realizing he is outnumbered.
"Elio!" Lina shouts, I glance over. She slides the gun against the hardwood floor, landing it a few inches from me.
Alessandro and I share dangerous look between the gun and each other. We both lunge for it, our bodies colliding on impact.
He begins to swing as we roll around, fighting each other off. I hear Lina cry out in pain, watching as a few more guards come filing in.
With a final blow, I'm able to throw Alessandro off me and grab at the gun. We stood in a standoff, each pointing our weapons.
"What's it going to be, Alessandro? Let me go." I spit out a mouthful of blood on his pristine white floors.
Just when I think he's going to surrender, he goes to pull the trigger. I fire off a single shot, hitting him right in the forehead. The men snap to attention, hearing the shot.
They look between me and Alessandro's dead body. "If you chose to follow me, I'll be a fair boss and give you the treatment you deserve. Or we all die, right here right now."
Lina's eyes are wide with fear, her face bruised and bloody. I clench my jaw, keeping my gun pointed.
They share a glance between each other before setting their guns down and holding their hands up in surrender. I let out a shaky breath as I run over to Lina.
"Elio, I'm so glad you're alright." She cries out, wrapping her arms around my neck. I pull her close to me, picking her up gently.
Rubbing her back soothingly, we all begin our walk towards the door. "Call Romano. Clean this shit up." I spit out, before heading back home with my woman.