I heard the ghost like whispers that flooded the living room, my heart pounding as I tensed behind Lorenzo.
It's been a while since I've seen everyone, I've been waiting for this day for so long now.
"It's alright, Mar." Lorenzo rubbed my back now pushing me in front of him, gently.
"I know but I'm nervous." I looked up at him, holding his hand and he softly smiled at me.
"I know, baby," He caressed my face. "But they've missed you a lot, especially Flavio." Oh, I know. "Probably more than me." We both just let out a small laugh. We know what he's like. This must've been hard on him, alongside everyone else. This whole situation was so fucked up.
I finally gathered the courage and stepped out in front of everyone, entering the living room as everyone zipped up their mouths and looked at me, as if they held their breathes until I spoke. Like after all this time, they can't believe it's me, here, standing in front of them.
"So..." I looked around at everyone, Dominic, Flavio, Grey. The rest were just people I knew of, they don't really matter to me, those are Ale's people. "Do I get a hug or wh—" Didn't take long until I felt Flavio engulf me in a tight hug, taking me off the floor as he held me tight against his body.
The sweet, familiar scent of his cologne wrapped around me too; his comfort, his love, I felt it radiating off his body. Oh, I missed him so much. I felt my neck suddenly being wet, he's crying... it's his tears that soaked my neck, his body now gently and slowly shaking as he sobbed in my neck so quietly.
"Oh, Vio." I hugged him back tighter, rubbing his back and the back of his head. I comforted him, just like he's done with me multiple times.
He moved away, wiping his tears and I felt my chest tighten just by seeing his sunken eyes, his waterlines red and so were his eyes. His long lashes soaked as he smiled down at me, giving my forehead a kiss and now Dominic came over to hug me.
He gave me a tight hug, rubbing my back and I hugged him back, never thought I'd see this annoying man again.
"It's crazy to see you here, actually standing in front of me," Dominic pulled away as he rubbed my arms. "And I know it's you... but it's like the Amara we know has lost herself somewhere." He scanned my face as he said that and I felt that pierce my heart because he read me so easily. I have. I've lost myself. I don't know who I am anymore.
"You're right." I muttered out and now Grey kissed his teeth at Dominic, brushing him aside as he hugged me.
"Don't listen to him, Mar, you're still the strong, amazing woman we all know and love." And that was it, I burst into tears. I felt my heart pounding and my chest tightening.
All those thoughts went through my mind, how Luis had me at my most vulnerable state, then proceeding to strip me of my identity. He did this repeatedly . Over and over again, until I lost myself. I'm not the strong, witty, confident Amara I once was. I have been stripped naked of my personality, of my dignity. Luis left me naked, backed into a corner in this dark room and I can't see the door that'll lead me out of this hell hole.
The power a woman holds is unbeatable by anything, a woman's power can bring men to their fucking knees. But take that woman's dignity and self respect, her body, her shrine, and you're left with nothing.
"Mara." Both Enzo's came and hugged me at once and I felt disgusted all of a sudden.
My skin burned and felt as if I was on fire, I let out a cry of pain as I struggled to push them off.
"Get off me!" I screamed, collapsing on the floor as I hugged myself, to stop anyone from touching me, I felt dirty.
"Ama--"
"Don't touch me!" I screamed until I felt my throat burn, my veins prominent in my neck and forehead as I cried out the pain in my chest. "Please..." I begged as I left myself going lightheaded. "Don't touch me." I couldn't see clearly, my eyes filled with tears. All I could see were everyone's feet, rushing around.
Voices muffled but I could make out where they were saying.
"Get her some water!"
"Fucking Luis." I cried even more and everyone had seemed to suddenly snap into silence. I remembered the way he looked at me, his eyes glossy with tears, his face so sunken as if he had accepted what was about to happen to him.
I remember how the car felt when it collided with his body, how helpless he looked as he laid there on the cold concrete floor with tears spilling out his eyes and blood tipping out the side of his mouth.
The room was only filled with my cries.
"Leave her be." Someone else spoke. "Let her cry it out... she needs it." I looked up to see Ajax.
"Ajax." I cried reaching out for his hand he hurried over to me, holding it. "Tell me he's dead... tell me I did it." Ajax looked at me, his jaw clenched and he looked around the room.
"You did it, Amara." Ajax answered my question. "You killed him."
"Luis is dead?" I muttered so quietly and I felt my head spin, my eyes suddenly so heavy to keep open. Ajax only nodded and that was it.
I don't know what happened but it felt good. I felt painless, I felt free from the shame, from the guilt, from everything as my head dropped like I was dead; my body limp as I completely connected with the floor. Darkness had completely taken over my mind and I felt at peace.
Third Person POV
"Let's get her on the couch." Grey covered his mouth, dragging his hand down until he held his chin in worry.
"Oh, my baby." Lorenzo carried her, scooping her up in his arms as he laid her down on the couch, sitting down with her head on his lap.
He felt angry, so, so angry that he wasn't there for his girl. It pained him to see her this broken, to see her in so much pain.
"You guys don't understand..." Ajax now spoke, everyone looking at him now intently. "Luis... he broke her. For a year, it made me feel guilty to see her, covered in bruises, to see the abuse she's tolerated." Every man in the room, they felt their anger bubble inside them, the temperature in the room rising bit by bit. "And what made me feel sick is the fact that if this is what I was seeing... then what must've went on behind closed doors--"
"I'm going to fucking hunt down his family," Flavio snapped, his face red. "And kill them all slowly, one by one." Flavio paced around, his eyes glancing at Amara's face. "Is he actually dead?" Flavio looked at Ajax.
In all honesty, Ajax was more intimidated by all the men in the room than he was by Luis. Especially Flavio. Ajax was petrified by the way Flavio held this hint of crazy in his eyes, how red his face was and he knew, that if that man is making threats, they are in fact not empty threats.
"I-I'm not sure," Ajax answered truthfully.
"Fuck." Grey spat out as he raked his fingers through his hair.
"No -- no, that's good." Dominic stood up straight. "I wish he's alive."
Dominic and Flavio now looked at each other, completely understanding one another as a sick and twisted smile crawled onto their faces.
Ajax just gulped in freight, his legs unable to hold him up any longer as he sat down.
Lorenzo kept quiet, his attention on Amara's face as he caressed her soft cheeks, his ears picking up on everything, however. He kept his eyes on Amara's beautiful face, his jaw clenched tightly as he now looked up, taking in a deep breathe.
"I say we find this fucker and skin him alive." Dominic suggested and Flavio smirked.
"What do you say, boss?" Flavio asked Lorenzo with a wicked smirk.
"Him and his family..." Lorenzo looked so calm yet so much anger burned in his eyes. "The Luis family is going to be wiped clean from existence." Lorenzo added and the rest of the men couldn't agree more.
"We'll destroy his companies." Grey was sat on the other couch, elbows on either knee as he clasped his hands together in front of his mouth. "When you say wipe their existence clean," Grey looked at Lorenzo now. "We go to the furthest extent."
Ajax's nerves were on fire, panic was spreading across his chest as he felt scared, breathing becoming harder to him.
He had not realised how scary they all really were until now. Yes, he heard rumours. But rumours and rumours. And this is reality... which is much more scarier than any rumour there has ever been.
"You're right." Lorenzo agreed with Grey, now shifting his focus towards his brother. "Call Alec, call the D'Angelo's, call every fucking person that work for us... tell them we're going to war."
"It's a war he wants, it's a war we'll bring." It was Amara talking, no one had realised she had regained consciousness, as she laid their with her head on Lorenzo's lap. "Destroy his companies... leave him bankrupt with no family, no one."Amara spoke and meant it.
Amara knew what she wanted and that was for her to see Luis suffer.
She listened to everything they had said, she felt so safe and secure. She was with her people again. Now sitting up, she brushed her hair back as she took in a deep breathe.
"Let me tell you all a little something..."
Amara
"And that is everything..." I sighed. Looking around this room, all I saw was a hell lot of anger. "I don't want a further discuss on this, I don't want to talk about this ever again either. Let's just see if Luis is dead or alive, then fuck up his whole world." And that's that.
"Yes, sir." Flavio nodded, I could see the anger on his face but he kept his cool. My legs sprawled on his, my back against Lorenzo's.
Flavio gently ran his fingers over my ankles and Lorenzo's arm around me, protectively.
"Can we all just go out tomorrow?" I asked. "When everyone gets here?" I looked around.
"What do you wanna do?" Flavio asked.
"She's been a prisoner for a whole year," Dominic spoke. "She wants to go out, get a couple drinks, some music," Dominic now faced Ajax who had just fallen asleep right besides Dominic. "What do you say, Ajax?" Dominic nudged a sleepy Ajax and Grey shook his head at Dominic.
"Depends what kind of alcohol."
"You look like a tequila kinda guy." Dominic inspected Ajax who sniggered in response, his arms still crossed across his chest, slowly closing up his eyes again.
"Tequila." Ajax laughed to himself. "Yes." We all let out a small, quiet laugh at his response.
"You and I will get along just fine, Apex." Oh, how I missed Dominic's childishness.
"Don't be so sure, dusty dick--" Ajax fake coughed and I let out a short yet loud laugh. "--Oops, I meant Dominic." Ajax's eyes slowly opening as he laughed with me.
"I used to call him--" Flavio cut me off.
"--Domidick!" Now we all laughed at the memory of the good old days.
"Goodnight." Dominic got up and left. Oh, he's always so sensitive.
"Domidick," Flavio yelled out. "Don't go!" I laughed so hard.
"Is he always this sensitive?" Ajax laughed too as he looked at us.
"Since he popped out into this world." Lorenzo answered and I looked up at him, smiling at his beautiful face.
"Hi baby." He whispered and placed a kiss on my forehead. I only snuggled my face into his chest and the room was quick to fall into silence.
I now looked around, seeing Grey's tired face. "Grey," I called out and he looked at me as he quickly snapped his eyes open. Oh, that poor man. "Go sleep." I told him and he shook his head no. "It's fine, Grey, we've got a whole day of catching up tomorrow, go sleep for now." I told him and he yawned, looking at me with tired, watery eyes.
"Are you sure, Mara?" He asked and I nodded. "Okay," He stood up, stretching his arms up as he let out another big yawn; his tee lifting up as his v-line came into view, a happy trail growing and I quickly looked away.
I caught Flavio looking at me and he smirked and I rolled my eyes. He loves to take stuff out of context.
"I'm off to bed, goodnight everyone." Grey looked around, giving me a smile and a small wave and I smiled at him.
"Goodnight, Grey."
"Me too, I'm so tired." Ajax yawned as well now.
"We know." I laughed and he smiled so droopily.
We watched everyone heading off to bed, Lorenzo now rubbed my arm. "Shall we?" And I nodded.
"We shall." I moved, now standing up as I stretched. "Let's go." I told him and he nodded, Flavio also standing up to leave. "Goodnight, Vio." I stood on my tiptoes, slinging one arm around Flavio's neck as he wrapped one arm around my waist.
"Goodnight, beautiful." And we're back.
"I will beat you the fuck up." Lorenzo pulled me away from Flavio, who was laughing, as we all headed upstairs.
"Come on," Flavio laughed. "The Enzo's and Amara." Oh my, I missed that saying.
"The Enzo's and Amara..." I gasped as I stopped in my tracks, looking back at them once we made it upstairs in the hallway. "It's been so long since I've heard that." I poked out my bottom lip and both Enzo's stood next to each other; Lorenzo with his arms crossed and Flavio with his hands in his grey shorts. "I missed you two so much." I engulfed them both in a tight hug, an arm around each one's neck.
"We missed you more." He can shut up, I kissed my teeth at Flavio.
"Come on, baby." I held Lorenzo's hand in mine, leading him to our room.
Once we headed inside, I stripped, taking off the joggers and leaving the tee on, I watched as Lorenzo got in bed after doing the same; just in his boxers.
I sucked in a deep breathe and mustered up the courage, Lorenzo would never hurt me or treat me the way Luis did. I don't need to be scared, I don't need to feel anxious. This is the love of my life, he makes me feel safe.
It's like he knew what was going on in my head, lifting up the covers as he patted the space next to him.
"It's nice and warm." He smiled softly, me smiling back as I climbed into bed, next to him with my face resting against his smooth, warm chest.
"It is nice and warm." I smiled and Lorenzo looked at me with soft eyes; his finger brushing against my jaw as he caressed my face, my face so small in his large hands.
"I love you, Amara." He whispered. "I failed you... I failed to keep you safe, you were in my arms, just like this... I couldn't save you." He spoke softly, "I've been thinking about that night every single day, wondering what kind of man that makes me." It hurt me to hear how Lorenzo felt.
"Enzo," I caressed his cheek. "You are an amazing man, I couldn't ask for anyone better."I told him. "You know how I made it through all of this for a whole year?" He hummed to know. "Because I thought of you each time. You got me through everything, the fact that one day I'll get to see you again kept me going." I told him truthfully.
Our eyes kept contact, I lost myself in his beautiful dark eyes.
"I love you, Mar."
"I love you too, Enzo."