"That bastard..." He mutters, clenching his fists.
"Enzo?"
"He's obsessed with you, Line, fucking obsessed. It makes so much sense..."
"What do you mean?" I'm confused at his outburst. Threading a hand through his hair, he continues.
"Think about it. He came to me for a marriage alliance and then you suddenly had to leave Sacre Coeur because you were threatened by the Guerras."
I frown, not liking his implications. Surely Marcello wouldn't go that far, would he?
"Wasn't the time a little too convenient?" He gives a sarcastic laugh.
"But that would mean that he..." I trail off, but he continues.
"He terrified you on purpose so you'd fall into his arms. He became your savior after every event." His lip twitches in disgust. I take a step back, my eyes widening at the realization.
Everything fits.
Father Guerra... The nun... And then the finger.
In his own words, only someone with access to the house could have stolen Claudia's ring.
"Dear Lord!" My hand goes to my mouth, and I blink rapidly.
"He's a monster, Lina. He conditioned you into feeling safe with him, he manipulated you into falling for him. It's not love you're feeling." He sighs deeply. "He was your security blanket, and that made you develop feelings." He continues, probably thinking that I will feel less wretched if I stop loving him.
"It doesn't work like that, Enzo." Even as I rationalize what he's saying, I can't help but ache for him.
Enzo's reasoning makes sense, but I can't imagine someone being that vile. Not even Marcello.
"Lina, you need to let everything sink in. Hell, I don't think I've heard of someone more depraved." He shakes his head, going to his cabinet and pouring a drink.
"Can I have some?" I suddenly ask, hoping it might help me too. He pauses for a second, looking at me like a big brother realizing his sister isn't a kid anymore, before he prepares me a glass too.
I hold the glass with both hands, staring at the amber liquid.
Was Marcello really behind everything?
All those reassurances, the kind words, the tender touches. Were they all a lie?
I feel my eyes tearing up, so I quickly tip back the glass, swallowing the contents. The fire travelling down my throat makes me choke.
"But why? Why me? What did I ever do to him?"
"Some people are just unhinged, Lina. It's not your fault. But it worries me. Someone like that is capable of anything."
"You're right. That's why I'm scared for Claudia. What if he uses her against me?"
"You shouldn't go anywhere for the time being. At least until we figure out what we can do."
"Don't do anything dangerous, Enzo." I add, knowing he has a tendency of putting himself in the line of fire for others.
"I don't like this, Lina. I don't like it at all. I'll double the number of guards. Just stay put, ok?"
I nod, assuring him I'll follow his lead when it comes to safety. The last thing I could ever do would be to put my daughter in danger.
IT TAKES ME ANOTHER few days to come to grips with the fact that Marcello had been behind everything. I still have a hard time believing he could be capable of that. I guess that shows how gullible I'd been and how skillful of a manipulator he'd been. I was easy prey, wasn't I? The girl who'd been abandoned by her family, the outcast who'd been exiled for something out of her control. I'd been ripe for the plucking. Am I mad at myself? Yes. But more than anything, I'm mad for being disappointed it had all been a lie.
I pull myself together, not wanting to cry again. I'd done that enough this last week. I need to step up for Claudia, since she's been extremely confused by our sudden departure. She'd just gotten used to normalcy—a family—and I'd taken that from her.
"What was it you wanted to ask me?" I look down at the textbook Claudia's holding. Her small features are drawn back in hesitation.
"I was reading this problem." She points out at the text and explains to me why she disagrees with the formulation.
"I don't see any issue with it." I say after a long deliberation. She frowns, frustrated.
"Of course you don't!" Claudia pouts, and I'm taken aback by her tone. "Marcello would have agreed with me." She crosses her arms across her chest.
Her words make me reel.
"But Marcello's not here." I say, trying to keep my voice calm.
"And whose fault is that?" She snaps at me before running out of the room.
"Claudia!" I call out after her, but she's already gone.
Damnation! This is exactly what I didn't want to happen. She's already bonded with him, and suddenly I'm the bad guy for separating them.
What would she do if she knew he's her father?
She'll understand... she must.
I'm still ruminating about how to best handle Claudia right now when someone knocks on my door.
"Come in."
Allegra peeks her head inside, a shy smile on her face. Shocked would be an understatement for what I'm feeling as I see her walk inside, her countenance completely different from before.
"Am I bothering you?" She asks in a voice that I don't recognize. Too saccharine and lacking her usual bite.
"No," I frown. "What did you want?"
"Enzo called. He said the house's been compromised."
"What do you mean?" I draw back, panic overtaking me.
"He wants us to go to a safe house. It's urgent. Get some things, a car is waiting for us."
"Let me get Claudia." I stand up, grabbing some clothes on my way.
"She's already in the car with Lucca."
"Why didn't she come to me?" I ask. It makes little sense. Claudia would have come to me first...
But then I remember our argument and I sigh. Ok, maybe not this time.
"Never mind, lead the way."
In front of the house, a big SUV is waiting. Allegra is the first one to get in the front seat. I don't even think as I get in the back.
"Allegra? Where are the children?" I ask, noting there's only one other guard in the car, but no sight of either Claudia or Lucca.
Allegra chuckles, shaking her head in amusement.
"You really fell for that."
"What?" I frown, immediately making to open the car door. Just as my fingers touch the handle, the man in the other seat presses a cloth to my mouth.
My eyes go wide and I start struggling. It's only for a moment, though, as I lose consciousness.
I WAKE UP WITH A MASSIVE headache, my eyes barely opening.
"Wake up, bitch." I think I hear Allegra's voice before she slaps me across the face.
The blow is strong enough to make me see stars, but also to get me more alert.
"Claudia... where is Claudia?" Good Lord, did she harm my daughter? The mere thought of something happening to her has me trembling wildly with fear.
As I regain my awareness, I realize I'm laying on the floor, my hands and legs bound. Allegra is pacing in front of me.
"I don't care about your daughter." She shrugs her shoulders. She stoops in front of me, a disgusting smile stretching on her face. "But you... you're finally going to get what's coming to you."
"What do you mean? Why are you doing this?"
"Why?" She laughs hysterically, before slapping me again. A ring catches in my lip and I feel a rip. Damn! "It's all because of you." Her eyes are manic, her nostrils flaring with anger.
"What did I do to you?" I never understood her attitude. I can even count on one hand how many times we've interacted before, and never was I anything but courteous to her.
"You stole Enzo from me. Don't think I don't know. He's been visiting you weekly at that fucking convent. No brother, not even a concerned one would do that. You think I don't know you've been fucking him?"
What is wrong with her?
She keeps on going with her delusions, implying that I'd been staying at Sacre Coeur so I could have illicit assignation with my own brother. What in God'
s mercy is that reasoning?
The more she talks, the sicker she sounds.
"Enzo is my brother, how can you even say that?" I ask, repulsed by the very thought.
"You..." She spits out, coming closer and jabbing her finger in my forehead. "You are the reason he rejected me. You... you..." Her words are hurried and incoherent. "You made him hate me."
"Allegra, do you hear yourself? Enzo is my brother, for God's sake! There's been no impropriety between us." I try to reason with her, but she becomes even more volatile, her grip bruising as she wraps her fingers around my neck. She's sputtering so much nonsense that I become lost.
"... after he's done with you, I'm going to enjoy breaking you." Her mouth turns into a twisted smile, and I can only see a deranged person acting on delusions. Good Lord, does Enzo know? But then I suddenly catch what she's saying.
"Who's he?"
She chuckles, falling back on her butt and laughing.
"He's going to play with you first. And I get to watch." I don't understand what she's saying, but the more time I spend in her presence, the more afraid I get. She's mad, and that means she's unpredictable. Does anyone know I'm missing? What about Claudia and Lucca, are they at home or did she take them somewhere too?
Both Allegra and I turn our heads as footsteps echo down the hall. Soon, the figure of a man dressed in a suit appears in the doorway. Allegra jumps to her feet and dashes to his side, wrapping her hands around his neck and peppering him with kisses.
"Enough!" He raises his palm to stop her.
"Why?" Allegra pulls a face, but the man simply pushes her aside, heading straight for me.
"And the girl?"
"I don't care about the brat." Allegra shrugs, her expression bored.
The man turns towards her, his expression murderous.
"What did I tell you, Allegra?"
She straightens herself, probably realizing the displeasure in his voice.
"To get Catalina and Claudia." She lowers her head in subservience, a first.
Who is this man?
"And?"
"I couldn't be bothered looking around the house for her. She was easy to get." She points at me, puckering her lips like a spoiled child.
"You disobeyed me." The man simply states, unbuckling his belt.
"I'm sorry, Master." Allegra suddenly says, getting on her feet and knees.
"You need to be punished." The man's steps are calm and measured. He reaches behind Allegra, and in a smooth swipe, he slides the belt over her back. There's a piercing sound as the leather meets her back, but she doesn't even whimper. In fact, if I look closely, I can see her purring.
What?
"You did it on purpose, didn't you? You wanted me to punish you."
"Master..." She moans.
What seemed an erotic dance, suddenly turns gruesome as he grabs her by her neck and smashes her face against the floor. A whooshing sound escapes her lips, her eyes rolling back in her head. The man seems disappointed by that, so he kicks her in the stomach with his foot.
"You must excuse me." He turns to me, shaking his head in disgust at Allegra's pitiful form on the ground. "Where are my manners?" He dusts the sleeves of his suit before regaling me with a smile.
"Long time no see, Catalina. Let me introduce myself."
Chapter Twenty-eight
"NO, I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING I know." I groggily open my eyes, squinting at the harsh light of the day.
What...?
I turn my head ever so slightly and I take in my new surroundings. Hospital... I'm in a hospital. I feel pain radiating from my thigh. One quick glance and I see an IV drip connected to my arm.
"Officer, I think there's a misunderstanding. He did not intend to take his own life. The mirror shattered, and he got injured." I hear Sisi's voice and it seems she's arguing with someone. Still disoriented, I raise myself to a sitting position, wincing at the sharp pain. I look down and note the white bandage on my upper thigh. It takes me a moment, but then I remember.
She left.
Watching her retreating figure, I hadn't been in the best mindset. My foremost thought had been to make it all stop. I hadn't intended to kill myself. I'd just wanted some peace, that calm that only pain can bring.
Sitting among the shards of glass, the reaction had been an immediate unconscious thought. I'd focused on a bigger piece, and wrapping my hand around it, I'd stabbed it into my leg.
Head thrown back, I'd closed my eyes, reveling in the exquisite pain; the way it made my mind blank... forget about her horrified expression. Forget about everything. When the pain threatened to become numb, I'd removed the glass, waiting for the cold air to make the sting more potent.
I don't know how long I'd stood there, but every moment brought me closer to the state of lightheadedness that I yearned for, where even the simple task of thinking was impaired.
With a deep breath, I wake up to my reality. Catalina is gone. Claudia is gone.
"Marcello?" Assisi calls my name, noticing I'm awake.
"I'm fine." I croak, my throat dry.
"What happened?" Her brows are drawn together in a frown as she looks at my leg. I don't answer. What can I tell her? How despicable I am? She probably suspects anyway.
A nurse stops by to check on the IV, and she mentions how lucky I'd been that my sister had called the ambulance on time because I'd lost a lot of blood. Eyes blank, I stare into nothingness, an empty void forming inside my chest.
I'm alive—again. And she's gone—again.
The nurse keeps talking, but I register nothing. It's only when she reaches for my wound, probably to redress it, that I snap out of it.
"Don't touch me." I yell, flinching away.
"Marcello?" Sisi intervenes before apologizing to the nurse.
"Mr. Lastra, I need to check your wound." The nurse adds, and I just shake my head.
Disoriented, I search for a way out. I can't stay here.
Using my left hand, I rip the IV from my arm. There's a small prickling pain as I jump out of bed. The nurse gasps, and Assisi calls out my name, but I keep going.
Ignoring everyone, I rush towards the exit, my only thoughts centered on escaping. I know I'm not thinking clearly, but that doesn't stop me from stumbling around, shouting at people not to touch me as they try to help.
I vaguely realize that someone is calling for security, and then I see Vlad.
Raising an eyebrow at me, he shakes his head. My feet give out, and I succumb to my knees, wetness dripping down my thigh. Vlad's eyes twitch for e moment, but he puts out his palm to a form a stop sign.
"Kill me, please." I rasp out, the agony in my chest building to in an unstoppable crescendo.
"Now, Marcello, what did I tell you before?" He drops to one knee in front of me. He looks over my shoulder and nods.
"Please," I continue, wanting out. Out of my skin and away from this Tartarian torment of my own making. I'd known the moment I married her that she would despise me if she ever found out. I knew, and yet I continued, a selfishness spurned by my sinful nature. For once, I wanted something for myself, aware of the price I'd pay at the end. And here it is—the reckoning; and like a coward, I can't even withstand the inferno I myself sparked.
"If you ever die, it won't be by my hand." He snaps his fingers in front of me, trying to get my attention. I frown at him, my comprehension lagging.
"Pl..." I'm about to say when someone sticks a needle in my neck. The effect is almost immediate, as my limbs become light.
I'm still conscious though as hands grab at my body.
"How come you're here?" Sisi asks.
"Let's just say I heard through the grapevine that someone was in trouble." Vlad remarks.
Their voices become a mere echo as I finally lose consciousness.
A WEEK LATER
"Nice to see you all chipper." Vlad slides into the seat next to me. "Did you rent out this whole church, or what?" He says as he scans the empty rows.
"Hello to y
ou too, traitor." I reply tensely, closing my fist over the rosary I was holding.
I'd barely got myself out of the hospital and managed to dissuade the doctors from committing me. Instead, I'd agreed to have weekly therapy sessions. No matter how much I'd tried to tell them, they hadn't believed that it wasn't a suicide attempt.
Just yesterday I'd had my first appointment, and it had gone as well as it could, all things considered. I'd merely scratched the surface in what I'd told the therapist. At the end of the session, the doctor had point-blank asked me if I even wanted help, because my deflection wasn't helping anyone. On my way out, I'd told her that if I was any more truthful, then I'd have to kill her.
She'd laughed.
I wasn't joking. Not really. I'd had several therapists over the years and just when I opened up a little more, they had to report me to the authorities. Good thing I wasn't too trusting to begin with, and I'd been able to take control of the situation before it came to blows.
But now I am to be monitored by close family, Assisi being the one tasked with making sure I don't harm myself further.
Funny, because if I'd been just a little more selfish, I would have taken the plunge. But I know what awaits my sisters should that happen. Or Lina... There's still someone out there gunning for me, and by extension anyone who means something to me. Even if she continues to hate me for the rest of her life, I'll still protect her.
The incident with the glass had been... well, a slight lapse in judgement. I'd just wanted the high I know I can get every time pain floods my senses. For the first time, I might have taken it too far.
"You should thank me instead of whining." Vlad says, raising his legs and propping his feet on the row of benches in front of him.
"Stop it! It's a church." I grit. Even if no one's inside, it's disrespectful.
"Don't get your feathers ruffled, Marcello. I didn't come here to commit sacrilege, or God forbid, sin." He shudders visibly as he utters the word God, and I roll my eyes at him.
"So why did you come?"
"Your sister's worried about you. She says you don't come out of your office for days on end."
"I won't kill myself, don't worry." I purse my lips. "Since when do you talk to my sister?" I narrow my eyes at him.
Morally Blasphemous: A Dark Mafia Romance (Morally Questionable Book 2) Page 31