by Lane Hart
I reached the Ricci house and was greeted by Mrs. Ricci. She showed me to my room. It was a beautiful house and a gorgeous room. I closed the doors behind me and walked out onto the private terrace to call Blake and let him know everything went seamlessly and we could begin the operation.
I still had my sunglasses on as I called Blake. I tried to breathe easy. “Hello?” Blake was shouting on the other end. I sensed he was tense and lowered my voice.
“It’s me, Madeline. I just wanted to tell you I made it to the Riccis’ house and—” I couldn’t even finish what I was saying.
Blake was shouting in rage at me. “How could you do that, Maddie? You don’t know the danger you just put yourself in!” All I could hear was his heavy breathing.
I was shocked and scared at the same time and I tried to find my words. “But this was your plan. You came up with this,” I hissed at him. I was afraid someone would overhear me. I crouched and waited for Blake to respond.
“Yes, originally, that was the plan. But I’ve been in contact with a connection on the force and he has revealed a dangerous history between the Riccis and your family. Trust me when I say you are in danger by being there.” He was trying to lower his voice, but the anger was still there and very intense.
“Then why did you come up with this plan?” I was still so confused by him. What did he mean by keeping all of this from me? It was starting to make me really angry now.
“It seemed like the logical thing to do, and then I just started feeling guilty about putting you in that position and I was investigating other options to keep you safe. Then I came home and you’re not here!” He began shouting again.
I could just imagine how he looked, a white T-shirt that was barely able to hold in his pulsing muscles. His cheeks were probably redder than my lipstick.
“You know what? I kind of hate you right now.” I couldn’t control what I was saying. And he didn’t say anything. All I could hear was coughing or something.
“Maddie! Please listen to me. You have to stay in constant contact with me and let me know everything that is going on. I’m going to do what I can to get you safely out of there.” I could hear the coughing noise again. And then I realized it wasn’t coughing but possibly crying. He was really upset, and I felt like I’d caused it.
I kept saying his name and heard no response on the other end. “Blake?” I said a little louder.
“Look, Maddie, what’s done is done. All I want to do is protect you, but that’s going to be more difficult with you not with me. Please protect yourself and stay in contact with me.” He sounded like a drill sergeant.
“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. He was being a jerk and I wanted to hang up on him, but I fought that instinct.
If he really wanted to protect me, he wouldn’t have come up with this stupid plan to begin with. I was starting to feel my blood boil the longer I was on the phone with him.
Blake went on and on about calling him and protecting myself. I just wanted to get off the phone with him and let myself breathe. I agreed that I would, and we hung up and I went inside to the room and unpacked.
I wanted to make it look like I trusted them and wasn’t trying to pull anything over them. Blake was right. I had put myself in danger by coming to the Riccis. I had to stay hopeful that I was going to get through this and back into Blake’s arms, and I would leave for Italy the moment I could.
Chapter Ten
Blake
I couldn’t believe she just up and left to go live with the Riccis without my guiding her through it. Or even was patient enough to wait for me to come home and tell her the whole plan was out. I couldn’t stare at the pathetic note she had written in big bold letters with a sharpie and had taped to my fridge.
As if I was feeble and needed assistance with . . . I was so angry and worried about Madeline that I couldn’t even think of a scenario where she was insulting me with her stupid taped-up note.
How did she think I was going to react when I saw she was gone and noticed her sloppy work with that note? It was mocking me by staying up on my fridge.
I ripped it off and tore it up. I was so upset with her that I almost wanted to teach her a lesson by not helping her at all. But even thinking that made me even more upset that she was in the hands of danger now. She wasn’t here with me and that made me even more upset.
My anger became deeper and deeper the more I thought about everything. She just left! How could she be so stupid and just put herself in danger without even considering anyone else? I mean, she was twenty-one years old. But when your family has been murdered and you were supposed to be murdered with them, wouldn’t you be a little more careful?
She had come to my house and hidden under my trap door, hoping to find me and ask for my protection. This showed me she had good instincts when it came to her survival skills. She had total faith and trust in me and wanted me to protect her. I wanted to protect her. I really wanted to protect her. I really cared about her and she just didn’t listen to me. I felt beside myself. The day went on and my madness deepened. I didn’t know what to do with myself all day. I wanted to go for a drive, but if I did, I wouldn’t be here in case she came driving back and asking for me to take her away.
I was a prisoner in my own home, and I wasn’t even sure how long I would be in my house. If the property went to the bank, which most likely, it would, then I would be out of a place to live. And if the property went to other family members of the Biancos, then I knew I could stay here a little longer.
I began to look up apartments and I found myself only looking at apartments that would meet Maddie’s standards. Everything I did reminded me of Maddie and made it hard for me to focus.
I went back to not knowing what to do with myself. I just couldn’t get myself to focus on anything other than Maddie. The only thing I could think of was to work out my stress and feelings in my little home gym.
I was working up a sweat in my home gym and was blasting music. It was distracting me from everything else in my mind for the moment.
I began to relive that moment and it scared me all over again. I began to pump iron and refocus my mind. I couldn’t afford to lose it right now. I had to find a way to rescue Maddie and keep her safe.
I waited around and kept checking my phone for a call or text from Maddie. There was nothing so far, and that made me nervous. I didn’t dare try to call her, seeing as the enemy surrounded her right now.
It might put her in an awkward position since we hadn’t come up with codes yet. I was so upset with her before that I didn’t think to come up with a code we could speak to each other over the phone and in texts.
A code. That’s something I could work out while I waited for a call or text from her. I would write a simple code she and I could use. I instantly went to my kitchen and grabbed a pen and paper as I began to scribble out a code. I was good at codes.
When my mind had a pause in thought, I would think about Madeline in the Ricci house. She must be so terrified there with no idea what to do or look for. She didn’t know what I knew. I wasn’t able to tell her about anything. She left me no room or time to protect her.
I sat with these awful thoughts formulating in my head. I had never felt so fearful of anything, and I had never been so angry about anything. What was worse was I couldn’t even escape any of this. There was nothing I could do to make this feeling go away.
I wanted to leave, but I was too nervous to be seen too much around town. Everyone knew I was security for the Biancos and I wasn’t sure how many people may have put a hit out on me.
I was convinced some of the Riccis had seen me with Maddie around town before the explosion. They would for sure put the two of us in a romantic angle and be looking for me or use Maddie to torture me. All I could do was keep myself low-key or out of sight so I could get Maddie back to me and keep her safe. She was my only reason to have any kind of hope for the future and I felt lost without her.
I had such a respect for Mr. a
nd Mrs. Bianco, and my way of paying my respects to them was to make sure their daughter was safe and was going to live out her dreams.
And beyond that, I really cared about her. I even loved her. That was clear to me now more than ever, and that’s why it killed me to realize this when she was in danger and not with me.
Chapter Eleven
Madeline
I tried to stay in my room as long as I could to stay away from the Riccis. I began to miss Blake’s room and I really missed Blake. I couldn’t believe I’d just left Blake and come to the Riccis’ house. I should’ve used my better instincts instead of taking things into my own hands in this situation. I should never have thought this was the way to go. I would’ve slapped myself if I hadn’t just put on a full face of makeup.
I began pacing back and forth as I wanted to call Blake and hear his voice. He sounded so angry with me that I started to feel sad that I’d made him feel that way. I looked at the phone he gave me that was lying on the bed. I tapped my fingers on my bare legs and then grabbed the bottom of my dress.
I was told to dress up for dinner, and when I got out of the shower, I saw a Marchesa box all neatly wrapped and set on the bed for me. There was a note from Donato that said he was happy to have me stay with him and his family during this hard and troublesome time for me.
It made me nervous that he signed it with XOXO, but I liked the dress and thought that I’d better play along until I could make an escape. I was also disgusted that he’d picked a designer I really liked.
I kept looking at my phone and wanting to call Blake, but I was afraid he was still angry with me and wouldn’t want to talk to me. Maybe he even changed his mind about protecting me. That was a scary thought, but I knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t going to not help me. He was probably just surprised to find me gone.
I began to reach toward my phone and call him when I heard a knock on the door. I went to answer it and it was one of the staff to tell me dinner would be served in ten minutes. I said I just had to apply more lip gloss and I would be down. I closed the door and looked back at my phone and grabbed it.
I could feel myself breathing heavier and my skin felt hot as I hesitated to call him. I threw the phone back on the bed and under a pillow. I would try to call him after dinner.
I felt like an obedient puppy, and my new masters wanted me in ten minutes at their side. Then that thought disgusted me and I shuddered and left the room in a hurry.
As I approached the kitchen where the entire family was cooking and drinking, I held my breath. I could see Mr. Ricci, which was a huge blow to the stomach. I felt like I was walking down death row coming toward these people.
They killed my family! What was I doing here? What was I thinking, coming here and asking for sanctuary? I didn’t have any kind of sanctuary here.
I saw Donato Ricci eyeing me as he came toward me with two wine glasses. It reminded me of Blake and then I looked away in pain just thinking of him. “Hello, Madeline. I have a glass of wine with your name on it,” he said with an evil-looking smile creeping across his face.
I wanted to smack the wine glasses out of his hands and then him. But instead, I accepted the glass of wine and took a sip. As I gulped, I wondered if there was any poison in it, and then I felt that hot feeling rising in my skin.
Donato put his arm around me and pulled me close to him. Now I was feeling bile rise in my throat. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, “I see you like the dress I picked out for you.” I dry-heaved, but I played it off as a cough.
He asked me if I was okay and I waved him off. He wouldn’t let go of me and I was choking on the smell of aftershave and hair products. He guided me to the rest of the family, and they all came up to me and hugged me and offered their condolences.
It all made me sick as I let the killers hug me. This must be what hell feels like. I wanted to give them an Academy Award for Best Group Performance.
Mr. Ricci wanted me to sit by him, and he announced me as his honored guest. Everyone gave me a toast. And all I could do was eye the man who killed my father, and the other thing I could do was lean away from Donato, who decided to sit right next to me. They served me fish and I knew exactly what that meant.
Dinner felt so long and never ending as the volume was high. For the first time, I realized what it was like to not contribute to the conversation at a table. It was loud and there was way too much food. Everyone kept making me eat and I had a hard time even digesting anything. It was like my throat had closed up and wouldn’t let anything through.
What made matters worse for me was that Donato was sitting next to me and crowding my air. He was disgusting, a complete rat now and when we were kids. I was trying my hardest to talk to the oldest-looking aunt sitting right across from me, but Donato would just interrupt us and put his finger under my chin and turn my head to him. Mr. Ricci would bombard the other side of me.
The last thing I wanted to do was vomit all over this table. So, I stopped trying to talk to anyone altogether, just to save myself the temptation of getting sick all over the table. That would show them my weakness, and I was not going to let that happen.
By the time desert rolled around, I thought I was going to lose my mind. When would they release me from them so I could go upstairs and call Blake? I needed to hear his voice to know that he wasn’t mad at me and that he was going to help me get out of danger.
Even though I put myself here. I tried to eat my ice cream cake quickly, and then I stopped when Donato told me he liked a girl who could eat. This man was out to completely ruin my appetite.
The family sat around and drank in the kitchen while I excused myself because I was feeling exhausted. I did feel exhausted and I wanted to call Blake before he went to bed. I hoped he would take my call.
I had to fight off Donato who insisted on walking me to my room. “It’s just up the stairs. I can make it,” I said, fighting off his wandering hands. I thought I was safe until he grabbed my ass with both his hands and practically yanked the skin off me. I let out a little yelp of pain and this only seemed to excite Donato.
I was a little frightened until someone called him from the kitchen and he excused himself from torturing me. I ran up the stairs and into my room. I locked the door and took a nearby chair and pushed it in front of the door.
When I finally caught my breath, I kicked off my heels and jumped onto the bed and grabbed my phone. I called Blake and dug my nails into the satin duvet as my heart pounded with each ring.
“Maddie?” Blake sang breathlessly, and I knew he wasn’t mad at me.
“Blake, I have been wanting to hear your voice all day,” I whispered as a few tears ran down my cheeks.
“Why haven’t you called me then?” Blake sounded so sad and it hurt me a lot. “Maddie, I have been waiting by my phone all day to hear from you. It’s been killing me.” He sounded so intense and it made me want to cuddle up in his arms.
“I thought you were mad at me, so I avoided calling you, but I wanted to. I was afraid that you didn’t want to protect me anymore.” I dropped my voice.
I heard him exhale deeply. “Maddie, I will always protect you. I . . . I care about you, and I want to see you happy.” Blake became silent.
I had to catch my own breath as I realized he’d almost said that he loved me. That gave me a sensation that shot through my whole body. I was about to say something when I heard a loud knock on my door and then I heard Donato’s voice calling my name. I became silent because I wanted him to think that I was asleep. Eventually, he gave up on knocking and calling out my name. Blake kept repeating my name and I had to not say a word. I told Blake that Donato was knocking at my door.
I told him everything that happened in the day and night. We even discussed a secret code to say over the phone in case someone overheard me. We went on talking until I fell asleep.
Chapter Twelve
Blake
I felt comfortable enough now that I heard from Maddie. My last meeting w
ith the detective was more informative, and we were getting somewhere with the Ricci family. I was starting to feel pretty good about pulling this operation off after all.
In my free time, I was looking for places to live and this became a comforting thing for me to do. I kept seeing the bank people and realtors snooping around the property. Some other Bianco family members who came by the property told me not to worry about it just now.
It made me a bit nervous even though they never seemed to bother me or say anything about what kind of timeline I had in the back building. But then again, that made me nervous too.
I started to fear that I would leave and come back to find my stuff in a pile on the lawn and the back house all boarded up like a foreclosure, or just somebody else living there, and then I would really be homeless with no place to go.
I woke up the next morning to the local news reporting that my detective friend had been killed and found dead in a dumpster behind a Starbucks. The one that we had met in the one time.
Panic struck all over me when I realized that someone was sending me a message. Someone knew that we had been meeting and talking about the Ricci family’s hit on the Biancos. I suddenly felt sick and I went numb all over. Then my vision became cloudy and I started to sweat profusely. I fell off my couch and tried to hold myself up between the couch and the coffee table. I couldn’t hear anything anymore as a ringing filled my ears.
It was all a whirl, and the fear of this episode not ending made me feel like I was going to die. I lay myself down on the carpet and closed my eyes to wait until it passed.
Eventually, it did pass. I opened my eyes to see the ceiling, and the sound of the TV came rushing back into my ears. My skin was cold from all the sweat that was no longer hot. I pulled myself up and sat back down on the couch.