Wrath (Part II): A Mafia Romance (Esposito Series Book 2) Read online

  One of them stepped forward, taking a knife out of his pocket. I was helpless. I couldn’t do anything to help her. She was struggling, begging Carl to leave her.

  “P-please… please don’t do this.” she cried as he wrapped his hand around her arm, hauling her off the chair, “N-no, please let m-me go!”

  “Stop!” I was screaming too, “Don’t do this! Come back. Leave her alone!”

  Our pleas fell on deaf ears and I watched in despair as he dragged Ria through some door at the far end.

  The guards scattered in different directions, talking and joking, acting as if their boss wasn’t going to rape a woman a few doors down.I couldn’t believe this was happening. I sat there, staring blankly at the door, unable to do anything but pray.

  Someone’s hand clasped tightly on my shoulder and I froze. Whoever it was, bent down until I could feel their stubble grazing on the side of cheek.

  “Sixty seconds.” he rasped.

  The ropes around my hands loosened. Was he helping me?

  Unable to comprehend what was going on, I tried to turn around and see who it was. But his grasp on my shoulder tightened, a silent indication to not do what I was thinking.

  I stayed still, watching as one of the guards crossed the room, a handgun clutched in his fingers. He barely glanced at us and walked ahead, joining a group of men in the far corner.

  The person placed something in my hand and then moved away. My fingers clasped tightly around it. A knife.

  And then I heard it.

  Gunshots.

  So many of them.

  The guards sprung into action, cocking their guns in the direction of the door. Yelling, cursing and commands rang in the air as the gunshots became clearer, nearer to us.

  No one’s attention was on me. Taking the chance, I took the knife and started working on my feet, cutting through the ropes and untangling myself.

  Just as I got up from the chair, I caught a movement towards my right. Before I could react, the person grabbed me by the waist and threw the both of us behind a pile of crates and some barrels.

  The exact same moment, a powerful blast ripped through the front of the building!

  I ducked behind the barrels, crouching low and coughing as the heat and smoke enveloped me. My heart was pounding, thumping loudly in my chest.

  Looking around for the person who’d pushed me down, I found no one. Who was he? Why was he helping me?

  I peeked through the gap between the barrels only to see Stefan and Enzo march in, guns cocked in both their hands. I cried out in relief at the sight of them.

  And then the gunshots began again.

  When Ria crossed my mind, I stilled. Just the thought of Carl breaking her again made my heart constrict and my blood boil at the same time.

  In the thinning smoke, I made out the direction in which he’d taken her. And without giving it a second thought, I charged.

  “Zara, stay down!” I heard Stefan yell.

  But I didn’t. I couldn’t.

  All I cared about in that moment was Ria.

  They would never know the hurt and anguish that comes from being forced through this trauma. The nightmares, the anxiety, the panic at the idea of a man touching you ever again. Ria has been through too much, she is finally at peace, happy again. And if Carl did anything to her, I don’t know if she’ll ever be able to recover from it.

  I glanced at the scene behind me. It was utter chaos. There was blood on the floor, the front part of the building had been destroyed and bodies were lying on the floor. The guards were more focused on fighting off Stefan and his men to notice me running across the room.

  I jogged through the narrow corridor like a maniac, looking through rundown rooms with no lights.

  And when I finally found them, the sight before me almost brought me to my knees.

  A barely clothed Ria was lying tied up on the floor as Carl attempted to drag her out the window.

  “You bastard.”

  My voice was low, deathly and enraged.

  Without thinking, I charged forward and rammed my body against his.

  He stumbled, surprised at the attack, and banged his head against a splintered piece of wood jutting out from the wall. Letting out a cry of pain, he fell in a heap on the floor. Lifting my heeled foot, I kicked him in the chest with all my might. And again. And again.

  When I turned around, Ria was lying in a curled-up position. Her eyes had become hollow, she had stopped struggling but the tears were still pouring down her cheeks.

  Stefan and Vincent barged into the room, panting heavily. Vincent took a sharp intake of breath and his eyes welled-up when he saw Ria’s state. In one swift motion, he took off his jacket and moved forward.

  But to our utter shock, she screamed as soon as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She began struggling with her ropes, trying to move away from him,

  “No, no, no. Please don’t. D-don’t… I c-can’t… Please…” she was sobbing hysterically, begging.

  Vincent turned to me, helpless and in tears, “I-I don’t know what to do.”

  I didn’t know what to do either. I was crying myself and I hated everything about this. But I also knew I had to do something. We had to get her out of here; we had to get her home.

  So I took a deep breath, grabbed the jacket from Vincent’s hand, and dropped to my knees in front of Ria.

  Her eyes snapped to me, and the sheer horror in them was like a punch in the gut. I reached forward and placed my fingers around her cheek, careful not to touch the bruise forming there.

  “Ria, hey, it’s me.” I whispered though my tears.

  She clutched at my hand tightly, recognition lighting her eyes a little, “Zara… h-he hurt m-me...”

  “It’s okay.” I hushed her, “It’s going to be okay.”

  Whether I was trying to convince myself or her, I couldn’t tell anymore.

  I draped the jacket over her shoulder, easing her arms into it. Her entire body was shaking, and her skin was cold to touch. There were scrapes and bruises all over her face, arms and legs.

  “RiRi?”

  Vincent’s voice made Ria stiffen for a second and then she relaxed, hesitantly raising her eyes to meet his. It took her a few moments but then she reached her hand out for him.

  “Vincent?”

  And that’s when he dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. I never thought I’d see him cry. But in that moment, he hugged her to his chest, whispering apologies, over and over again.

  “Let’s get you out of here.” he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He helped her get up, wrapping his arm around her waist.

  “I must say that was quite the tearful display.”

  Our attention snapped to the man in the corner. Carl.

  He was smiling through the blood dripping down his chin, his chest heaving with the struggle to take a breath.

  “Don’t forget, bambola.” he mocked, “I’ll always come back for you.”

  It was Vincent who moved first. Something came over him. Darkness. Rage.

  “Well, how about we fix that right now?” he clapped his hand, “It’s high time, no?”

  His smile was malicious, and his eyes were livid. A dangerous combination.

  Motioning for me to hold Ria, which I promptly did, he picked up a broken piece of wood from the floor, twirling it around in his hand.

  He moved closer to Carl, at an agonizingly slow pace that even made me bite my lip in anticipation, “I mean, the plan was to tie you up and literally beat the shit out of you.”

  I winced when he smacked the wood in Carl’s face. The bastard fell to the side with a thump, clutching his face.

  “But then again, I don’t want my girlfriend spending another second dreading the fact that you’re alive.” Vincent spoke, hitting him again as he tried to get up from the floor.

  We were silent spectators as Vincent lost all his control. It was hard to believe this was the same goofball who was always smiling and cra
cking jokes.

  He picked up the rope from the floor and with the other hand grabbed Carl by his hair, dragging him to the center of the room, throwing him at Ria’s feet.

  “You underestimate these women.” he said, “Don’t take this vulnerability for their weakness. What you did to my girl, and what your buddy Valentin did to Zara may have broken them, but their strength now is incomparable.”

  He strung the rope around Carl’s neck in the most ruthless, vengeful way.

  “Hell awaits, you fat fuck.” he spat, “We’ll be sending your buddy soon.”

  The sickening crack echoed over and over in my ears as Vincent twisted the rope and snapped Carl’s neck.

  Three:

  Tears

  Zara

  “Zara, wake up. We’re home.” Someone gently shook my shoulders, rousing me from my sleep.

  My eyes blinked open and the first thing I noticed was that my head was pressed against someone’s chest, my arm was around their waist, and since I could pretty much recognize that cologne anywhere, this someone was none other than Stefan.

  I pulled away from him, moving to exit the SUV from the opposite side, and cursing myself for blindly falling into his arms.

  When I walked through the front door of the mansion that I now called home, Vincent was carrying Ria up the stairs and Mama Bella followed them. The rest of the people dispersed to their rooms. The sudden attack had left everyone drained and it was going to take at least one night to recuperate.

  The desperate need to be alone compelled me to forget everyone and jog up the stairs and towards my room.

  Guilt pressed heavily on my chest. It was all happening because of me. It was me that Valentin wanted, and he was leaving no stone unturned. The biggest realization tonight was that we could not underestimate him.

  The moment I shut the bedroom door behind me, I broke down.

  Every single moment since the lights went out in that restaurant to the moment Vincent snapped Carl’s neck- it hit me like brick wall.

  My knees gave away and I crumpled to the floor, clutching my face in my hands.

  And I cried. I cried hard.

  Tears ran down my cheeks in an endless stream and my body shook with each sob.

  The reality of what had happened and what could have happened hit me hard. The adrenaline in my body was taken over by a storm of emotions. The relief of making out of it alive, the guilt over Ria, the anger over Valentin’s actions. The fear, the trauma- every single emotion was amplified.

  Visuals of tonight flitted in my mind like a well edited movie- the blood and bodies strewn across the ground, the blast and gunshots resounding, echoing all around, bullets whizzing past.

  Right at that moment, I wished that I had never called back that lawyer. All I wanted was to go back to my old life where I worked in a nice little restaurant and all I needed to worry about was how I was going to pay my rent. And here, people don't even think before spilling someone's blood or putting a bullet in their head.

  I cried for so long that by the time I was done, my throat was sore and my eyes were burning.

  The bedroom door was pushed open and someone quietly stepped inside.

  It wasn't until strong arms wrapped around my body and the intoxicating scent travelled to my nose that I realized it was Stefan. And no matter how much I hated it, his touch brought me the comfort that I desperately needed.

  “... whoring around...”

  Alas, his words from before were far more powerful than the comfort he provided now. It compelled me to move out of his embrace and stand up, wiping hastily at my cheeks.

  “What do you want, Stefan?” I asked, turning towards him and folding my hands over my chest. My throat felt dry and scratchy, in desperate need for some water.

  Stefan had the audacity to look confused.

  “I was worried sick when I found out that you’d been kidnapped. If anything happened to you-”

  “Your debt would remain unpaid.” I finished looking him dead in the eye. He was silent for a whole five seconds before I saw the realization dawn on his face

  “I shouldn't have said that. It wasn't true.” he defended himself quickly.

  “Is that so?” I laughed humorlessly, amazed how quickly he backtracked, “Because you sounded quite sure a couple of weeks ago.”

  “Zara, listen to me-” he began, but I held up my hand.

  “No, you listen to me, Stefan. I have had enough of you and your bullshit. If you think you can say shit to me and get away with it by saying that you shouldn’t have, you’re dead wrong.”

  “Would you listen to me for a second?” he yelled, his voice pleading, “It was a mistake. I made a mistake. I know I acted like an asshole. And I want to apologize for it.”

  “Really Stefan? You’re realizing that now?” I retorted, “Where was this realization when I laid out all my feelings for you like a fucking idiot and you stomped all over it?”

  “You think I enjoyed that?” he said, “You have no idea how scared shitless I got when you were kidnapped and how good it felt to finally have you back in my arms. And don't tell me you didn't feel it too.”

  “My mind was fucked up because I had been kidnapped, hit, and I saw my friend almost get raped by a man old enough to be my grandfather, who, by the way, was later going to hand me over to my rapist.” I screamed in one breath, “Do you think I was even in the right state of mind?”

  “But you hugged me back.” he exclaimed, as if that was the solution to all our problems, “You slept in my arms.”

  “What else would you think? I was messed up, Stefan! I would've felt comfortable in anyone's arms.” I cried hysterically, “Oh look at that, I guess that does make me a whore!”

  His nostrils flared in rage at that word, “Don't say that.”

  “Why?” I crossed my arms over my chest, “You want to hold the sole right to call me that too?”

  And for the first time I saw Stefan at a loss for words and utterly defeated. The sudden fall of his shoulders satisfied me to a great degree as I watched him close his and exhale a breath.

  “I want you to leave.” I whispered. I could feel my own self slowly crumbling and I wasn’t going to let Stefan stay and enjoy the show. I wanted to be alone and cry my heart out.

  I didn’t have to tell him twice. Without a word he turned around and headed for the door. Before closing it behind him, he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes boring into mine.

  “I will earn your forgiveness. No matter how long it takes me.”

  And then he left.

  Breakfast the next morning was quiet and tense. Everyone was still reeling from the sudden attack last night. It just proved that Valentin was a threat not meant to be taken lightly. Had Stefan and the others been late, I would’ve been handed over to him.

  Ria and Vincent did not come for breakfast. As Rafael and Enzo helped Mama Bella clear the table, I slipped out and headed to her room. I knocked lightly on the door and opened it, peeking inside.

  The scene in front of me was endearing yet gut-wrenching.

  Ria was asleep, her head rested in Vincent’s lap as he lightly stroked her hair. And he was crying. His sobs were silent, and tears fell from his eyes as his hand moved softly over his girlfriend’s head.

  When he looked at me, he wiped at his face and motioned for me to come in. He desperately tried to give me his usual, goofy smile but failed.

  I sat down next to him, careful not wake the sleeping woman, “How is she?”

  “Barely slept last night.” he whispered, his voice raspy from crying, “She’d wake up each time kicking in her nightmares.”

  “I can understand.” I nodded, my eyes going to Ria.

  “I don’t know what to do, Zara.” he confessed, his eyes pleading, “How did you get over it?”

  “That’s the thing, Vinny.” I replied, giving him a sad smile, “You don’t get over something like this. There’s a chunk of your heart that breaks along with it. It gets lost. The scars may f
ade over time, but that hollowness, that sudden heartache, I don’t think that ever goes away.”

  I shook my head, wiping at the tears that had gathered in the corner of my eyes, “All she needs right now is you. Be there for her Vinny.”

  With that I moved to get up from the bed to head out. But Vincent’s hand shot out to grab mine.

  “And who’s going to be there for you?”

  His sudden question stumped me and at once an image of Stefan flashed through my mind. But I got over it, giving Vincent a small smile and patting the back of his hand, “I think I’ll be just fine on my own.”

  “Or you could give Stefan another chance.” he prompted.

  “I don’t know if I have any strength left to do that again. It took me a lot of courage the first time.”

  “Strength?” he whispered in a mocking tone, “You kicked the shit of Carl last night. It’s pretty hard to take down a guy that heavy.”

  “I was talking about emotional strength, you idiot.” I laughed lightly.

  “I know, I know. I’m just kidding.” his smiled lightly, “On a serious note though, think about it. The two of you deserve some happiness, peace.”

  “I will think about it.” I nodded, “Thank you, Vinny.”

  With that, I got up from the bed and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door behind me.

  Since I didn’t have anything to do today, and there was still time left for lunch, I decided to catch a couple of episodes of a new series on Netflix. I jogged up the stairs and towards my room.

  I was in for a surprise when I opened the bedroom door.

  Frames had been aesthetically arranged on the wall opposite the bed. I walked closer only to realize that these were my picture frames. From my apartment. The ones of my family that I had lined up in my living room.

  A couple of boxes had been placed on my bed. I walked over to them and excitedly tore off the tape, rifling through its contents. It was all there- my books, my journals, my albums. The fairy lights from my old bedroom had been arranged over my bed, throwing a light pink glow around the room. And finally, placed on the bed, neatly folded, was my mother’s old comforter.