Bella: The Ending: A Sagatori Family Saga

by Kimberly Soto

  My palm circled my belly with my son, warm and safe for the moment, and knowing that had given me strength to go on each day. Everything I’d been through had been too much and… I’d simply had enough. Allowing him to die wasn’t an option.

  It had never been an option.

  “Bella,” a soft yet feral growl came from my side as Chase broke the shrill of silence.

  I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath, calming the annoying pounding of my heart. The terrifying thoughts that ran through my head should have stopped me. Fear could control you and turn you into its puppet, but I wouldn’t allow that today.

  Without another thought, I released my hand from Chase’s, breaking free from him and the fear that had sunken its claws into me. It was time to end all of this.

  I crossed the room, hesitating as my fingers twitched slightly before turning on the bedside lamp. I considered that no matter how strong I wanted to be, how strong I’d convinced myself my entire life that I was, that I could be, simply hadn’t prepared me to see Ivan glow to life when the lights finally blazed inside the room. Another deep breath came, only it wasn’t mine as the lamp’s bright glow bled through the room revealing someone I hadn’t expected.

  A woman.

  She was just an inch or so taller than me, silver wavy hair, ivory cheeks. Her curves filled a beautiful blue dress that flowed past her knees keeping her appearance extremely prim.

  She sighed as I stepped in for a better look. Her poised position became erect with uncertainty as her face softened. The light grew brighter as I waited for her to speak.

  “My sweet Nadia.” She spoke with a thick accent as she moved toward the center of the room coming closer to where I stood. “Is everything alright?” Her eyes narrowed with concern as they fell over us all.

  A flicker of panic snatched my breath.

  Chase’s reaction was a harsh yet quiet sigh.

  We were certainly in trouble, and I suspected Ivan would be arriving at any moment. I couldn’t deny the unyielding what -ifs that tormented me. What if that was Jax in the first room?

  Chase and Tony whispered something to each other that I couldn’t understand. I knew I should’ve been listening, but I couldn’t take my eyes away from the woman who stood in front of us. Her eyes at that moment—peaceful, her voice—confident. I couldn’t pull from my curiosity of her.

  A smile lifted unconsciously from my cool, dry lips. “Who are you?”

  “You don’t know who I am?”

  I shook my head and answered, “No. Am I supposed to?”

  “No,” her eyes fell to the floor, “I suppose not. Just hopeful wishing that he had at least showed you a photograph of me. Told you who I was.”

  “Ivan?”

  She nodded. “Yes, your father.”

  “I’m sorry.” I turned toward Chase, Albina, and Tony who all watched me with wide eyes. “I’ve been locked in this room. I’ve not been allowed to do anything, much less see photos.”

  She blinked rapidly, smoothing a silver lock from her forehead.

  “I suppose not.” She cradled her dainty arms to her chest.

  “Who are you?” I ducked my head toward her.

  Disappointment lifted at her full lips. “You really don’t know?”

  I cleared my throat and stepped back. “No, I really don’t,” I reiterated while my gut ached with suspicion.

  Her face became clearer as she stepped only a foot away. “I know that you’ve been through so many things, my dear.” Her hand lifted to cradle my cheek. “So cold.”

  I shuddered the moment the warmth of her flesh cradled my cheek. “I’ve been kept away from my family, and they aren’t doing very well.”

  Her expression was of concern as she stepped back in response to my unintentional tremble. “I understand.” She blinked, her eyes lifting to Albina. “This… all of this, is a lot,”

  “A lot? Are you kidding me? I just found my husband’s brother and my bodyguard in a dungeon.” I sucked in a breath and pushed away from Chase and Tony who’d stepped forward in response to my sudden notable anger. “I was kidnapped, taken away from my home—my husband… Men were killed! Now, here you are. Who the hell are you, because I’m done with these games!”

  “Nadia,” she whispered softly.

  “My name is Isabella Sagatori-Moretti!” I retorted.

  Her silver hair fell forward as she bowed her head. “Yes, that is the name you’ve had your whole life, but that is not the name you were born with, my sweet girl.” She blinked several times before turning toward the window hiding her expression. “I understand, I do; it’s just difficult.”

  I swallowed, unsure of what to say as I stepped toward her. “I’m scared,” I admitted for likely the first time in my life.

  Quickly she turned, her hair loosening as she moved toward me. “Tell me what scares you, my sweet girl!” Her demand was full of urgency.

  I felt compelled to tell her everything, “I-I’m, scared for my husband, my family.” I gestured toward Chase and Tony. “I don’t know if Jax, my husband, is alive.” I paused, uncertain of what I should share with her.

  She pressed her palm to my cheek before taking my frozen hands into her own. “No need to worry, my sweet girl. Your husband… Jax?”

  I nodded.

  “Yes, well… he’s here and alive.” She smiled warmly.

  “Oh my God!” I smiled into a cry. “He’s okay?” I fell forward lifting my head toward the sky. “Thank you, God!”

  “Please.” She gestured for us all to sit.

  Anxious to hear what she would say, I hurried to help Chase sit in a wide red chair while Albina assisted Tony into another. Once I was certain they were comfortable, I sat next to the woman.

  She drew in a deep breath as she observed me. “Nadia…” she paused, “Bella, I’m the one who sent Albina to wake you… to find them.” She pointed. “I have no intentions of keeping you prisoner.”

  “Really? But… you aren’t the one keeping us here, Ivan is.”

  “Yes, he’s been responsible for several things as of late.” She rubbed her palms and turned back toward me. “But I’m the one who’s going to set you free.”

  “Why?” There had to be a catch; I wasn’t going into this blindly.

  “Because, my child, I love you and want you to be happy.”

  “Why?” I searched her eyes.

  A sweet chuckle released from her. “I’m your mother, Bella.”

  I tilted my head, unbelieving of her words. I didn’t breathe, didn’t move as what she’d said vibrated off my thoughts.

  A small chuckle vibrated from her lips as she watched my expression. “My child, you were taken from me when you were just a baby.”

  Shock kept me quiet.

  She continued. “While my husband and I are very different, and while his motives are that of his own—that no one can possibly understand; rest assured that I’ll be ending all of this today.” She stood and crossed her arms over her chest.

  I stood after her. “What will you do?”

  “I know that you have no reason to trust me, but I will handle this in my own way. Rest, all of you. I’ll have food sent up. When it’s time to go I’ll have someone come for you.” She bowed her head then moved toward the door.

  “Thank you,” I shot.

  She stopped mid-step. “Nad… Bella,” she paused, “maybe one day, when you’ve had time to digest all of this, maybe I can see you. Perhaps we can be friends.” Her head tilted toward the floor.

  “Yes, I’d really like that. Wait!”

  “Yes?”

  “I-I don’t know your name.”

  She turned with a smile lifting at her cheeks. “Helena.” She said nothing further and closed the door behind her.

  “That was your mother?” Chase winced.

  I ignored his question, being more concerned with the pain I knew he was in. “Where are you hurt? What is it?”

  “It’s nothing, just…” he moaned.

/>   “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  He pressed his palm to the left side of his abdomen. “Those bastards,”

  “Let me have a look.” I waved his arms away so that I could unbutton his shirt. He winced as my cold hands touched the dark purple bruise. “That’s really bad. How the hell did they do this?” I lifted my eyes seeing nothing but a pained expression.

  “Nothing I didn’t know they would.” He shrugged, leaning back into the chair.

  I lifted my eyes to Albina “Where’s my husband?”

  She swallowed hard and pressed her lips together. “I don’t know.”

  I let go of a frustrated sigh and turned back to Chase. “What happened?”

  “He was snatched at the airport, took one for the team.”

  “Being a hero,” Tony shot.

  “How long ago?”

  Tony shrugged. “A week, maybe. I don’t know how long we’ve been here.”

  He’d been here that long? “Where?”

  “Bella, we don’t know where he is. That’s how we ended up in that hell hole. We were looking for him too. The other guys though, I’m not sure what happened to them.”

  “There’s more?”

  Chase nodded and turned toward Tony. He drew a careful breath as he said, “Everything’s so fuzzy, hard to remember what happened.”

  Tony anchored himself out of the chair and slowly walked to the window. “Every corner.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “There’re so many guards.”

  I nodded as I set out to get a cold cloth for Chase’s battered rib cage. “It’s early though; usually we’re talking twenty-five or more just in the yard.“ I peeked out from the bathroom. I assume there are many more.”

  “Bella, what are you doing?” Chase groaned.

  “Getting something for that nasty wound, So how are we getting out of here?” I stepped out.

  “We aren’t,” Tony answered, walking toward the bed as he surveyed the room then looked at Chase. The look the two gave each other sent chills across my skin. The hair stood on the back of my neck, and all the hope I had mustered gave way. I knew that look all too well.

  “What?” The word was only a whisper. I drew in a slow, deep breath and fisted my hands to my sides as I waited for a miracle.

  I knew a miracle wasn’t coming when Tony’s body sagged against the bedpost and his head fell forward in defeat, but I couldn’t let him feel defeated.

  “Tell me what’s happening.” I blinked daggers toward Tony.

  “Bella—”

  “No! Nothing is going to stop me from leaving.” When his eyes didn’t meet mine I approached, meeting his flesh with the cold towel. “Look at me.” He didn’t. I wanted to cry, I did, but knowing that Jax could be alive changed everything for me then. “We can do this, she said she was going to get us out of here.” I glanced around the room, seeing that everyone had the same look as him. Hopelessness. “Stop!” I screamed. “Stop!”

  Tony shook his head. “Bella, you trust too easily. Why would she let her daughter leave after all this time?”

  Chase nodded, agreeing with Tony. “He’s right. I’m sorry, Bella, but I don’t believe a word of it, and you’d be smart not to yourself.”

  Ignoring their negativity I asked, “How did you get here?”

  “I told you, we were looking for Jax and got snatched, walked right into their trap.”

  My body felt heavy, tired, leaving me unable to move as Tony continued explaining the events that led them there. I wanted to vomit when the details I’d always wanted in the past were given to me. My mind was sickened with images of them being beaten and drugged. I imagined that Jax had seen the same if not worse.

  Much, much worse.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  —Bella—

  My eyes laid heavy making it difficult for them to open. Once the weight dissipated, I blinked in the image of Albina; her milky flesh hovered as I laid in the bed wrapped tightly inside heated blankets. I raised my sweaty body breathing harshly.

  “What? Has something happened?” I lifted from the mountain of blankets onto my palms.

  “No, Miss. You were having a bad dream. I was worried.”

  I looked out into the room seeing Chase and Tony with their eyes closed on the two red chairs they’d been sleeping in when I climbed into the bed. I’d asked them to take the bed so that they could rest sufficiently, but as I assumed they would, they declined. They were frustrating to say the least.

  Before slipping from the bed, a sharp pain stabbed at my stomach. “Ahh!” I winced the moment my feet reached the coldness of the floor.

  “Miss, what’s wrong? Do you need a doctor?”

  Chase lifted from the chair and searched the room. “Bella?” He breathed when his eyes found me.

  Ignoring them I said, “I need to see him. I need you to make that happen… Today!” I had turned my attention to her.

  “I-I don’t know how to… make that happen, as you say.” She was tiny; I could’ve breathed in her direction and she would’ve tipped over and she was terrified of Ivan, the big bad wolf, but I wasn’t, and today I’d be showing him just how serious I was.

  Chase made a brutal moan as he lifted from the chair. “You have to be smart.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He shook his head, pulled up his shirt, and assessed his wound.

  The wound was black and covered his entire left rib cage and most of his chest and stomach. “Oh my God. Is it getting bigger?”

  He dropped his eyes again and shrugged. “Could’ve been worse.” He released a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. “I’d like to kill that piece of shit.”

  I sighed because I knew how true that statement was as I lifted to his reddened eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Meh, not your fault. It is what it is, but you didn’t cause this.”

  I turned toward Tony who slept with one leg hanging off the arm of the chair and his mouth wide open. “Do you think he’s comfortable?”

  Chase laughed and then winced from the pain it caused. “He’s fine.”

  I pressed my lips together and turned toward the window. The sun was out, and it was just after eight in the morning.

  Albina sat in the corner near the bed with her feet flat to the floor and palms flush with her thighs. “Miss?” she asked when I’d let my stare mindlessly rest on her for several minutes.

  I shook my head. “Nothing… I was just wondering what’s going to happen… what we should expect.”

  Right then there was a loud knock on the door and she lifted from the chair. Chase stilled with his eyes hard on me.

  I lifted my eyes wide. “Should you answer?”

  Uncertain, she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth as her tiny frame approached the door. She pressed her palms down her white apron and then clenched her fists to her sides.

  The door opened wide, surprising me when a woman—one I’d seen many times in the dining room—pushed a covered cart into the room. The woman’s gray curls bounced as she approached with a warm smile. “Breakfast, Miss.” She turned and looked at Albina who had closed and locked the door. With satisfaction, she said, “Your mother requested several entrees.” She smiled as she removed the lids from each dish. She scooped eggs, bacon, bread, and pancakes onto several plates handing one to each of us.

  I’d nudged Tony awake so that he could eat. I had no idea how long it’d been since he’d had a meal, and I didn’t want him to miss out on the opportunity.

  Chase and Tony ate everything on their plate as if they’d just been at boot camp. My plate sat on my lap untouched as I watched them enjoy the food. There was so much food I insisted they eat more when they’d finished. I smiled as they agreed without hesitation.

  I turned toward the woman who waited with her hands folded in front of her. “Helena… is she coming back?”

  She turned to Albina and then back to me. “Miss, she won’t be back. It’s too dangerous.”

  A p
ing of fear had me unsettled. Already nervous and afraid, I sucked in a deep breath. “Why?”

  “Miss, I-I only know what is being talked about amongst the staff.”

  “Okay.” I dipped my head, wanting her to continue.

  She hesitated and looked back to Albina. “We love her. She’s always been very good to us and we know how desperately she’s wanted to find you all of these years.” She drew a breath and swallowed. “The master isn’t as kind as she is. She wants to help you to get home, but he won’t allow that. He does very bad things and will stop her.”

  “Will he hurt her?”

  Her head fell. “I don’t know, Miss, but we fear that he will.” She slouched with defeat into her black and white uniform.

  I fought the urge to run to him and beat him, yell at him. I wanted to hurt him for all that he’d done.

  I took what she’d said and tucked it away into the pit of my stomach. “Do you know where my husband is?” I pleaded.

  She quickly whipped her head to Albina once more, but didn’t respond.

  “Please,” I continued.

  “Miss, I don’t know where he is… but”—she drew a breath—“there’s been talk that he’s been kept in the master’s den,”

  “Where is it?” A snarl moved across my lips.

  “There’re guards everywhere.” She shook her head. “It would be impossible.”

  I pinned my stare searching for any sign she’d give me the information I wanted, but there was nothing. Dread twisted a knot in my chest.

  Chase attempted to sit in the red chair. “Bella, we can’t go against them, not now.”

  “We need to try to reach out to Dominic and Sal, see where they are,” Tony interrupted.

  “They’re here?”

  They both nodded.

  I thought about what they’d said and I knew they were right. If I went in there, they might look for Chase and Tony, and then what would I do. I couldn’t put them in the line of fire.

  “Miss, if I may say. Your mother is arranging your release. I think it best that you stay here and wait.”

  I sighed and sat back on the couch where my untouched food still waited on an ivory dish. I lifted my attention to her again. “Could you check on him?”