CHAPTER 4

Laying on the cold cement floor in the dark, Melina remembers the day she found out Thomas’s true identity.

Six Months ago

She wakes up the day after James stole Thomas’s money, to discover that he’s run away with all the money, leaving her signed divorce papers. She’s happy he divorced her but she wonders why.

She picks up her phone to call James, wanting a real explanation when she notices he sent her an email.  It’s a video. Playing the video, Melina is horrified by what she sees. It’s the most gruesome thing she’s ever seen in her life. It’s Thomas standing in a bar beating someone. Thomas takes the man’s head, banging it against a table over and over again. Melina cringes as she hears the bone in the man’s nose break and his bloods splash all over Thomas’s face and shirt. He grabs a bottle and breaks it on the man’s head. Glass fills his hair and some gets stuck in his face. Thomas smirks before slamming his head into the table again. The glass slices his face and blood is everywhere.

Melina covers her mouth, shaking her head. Thomas must not feel like he’s tortured the man enough because he grabs his hands and pulls them behind him, twisting them. Melina hears bones crack as his hands dislocate. Thomas throws the man to the ground and kicks him over and over again.

She shakes her head, whispering, “That’s not Thomas! This video is fake” She throws her phone across the room and wraps her arms around her body. She wipes her tears away. She can’t believe her eyes.

As the room is silent, Melina hears the video continue to play. She gets up from the kitchen stool and walks to grab her phone. She bends to pick up her phone but freezes when she hears Thomas’ voice.

"No one messes with me. I’m second in command to the Costanzo mafia. No one crosses me and lives to see tomorrow," Thomas says, followed by a loud bang.

“Oh my God!” Melina shrieks.

He shot him.

She quickly picks up her phone to confirm what she heard. The color drains from her face as she sees Thomas standing with a gun above the man who now lies still on the ground.

Her legs become weak and she falls to the ground. She stares blankly in front of her as she tries to comprehend what she just saw.

“What the fuck just happened?”

Melina covers her mouth with her hand as things she noticed while they dated start to make sense. Thomas and his bodyguards had the same tattoos. She found it a little odd that a boss and his bodyguards would have the same tattoos but never put two and two together. The tattoos must be the mafia family’s symbol, she realizes. He also had a gun, though that never bothered her because a lot of people have guns for protection. But as she thinks about it, she realizes he had a lot of guns.

“Oh my God! How did I not see this?” she asks herself.

She starts to understand why James divorced her and left. James must know he’s dead if Thomas finds him. She wonders what he'll do to her. Her body goes cold thinking about it.

Melina gets up from the floor and runs to her room to start packing. She needs to get out of here before Thomas arrives. He’ll be coming for her soon. She doesn’t want what happened to that man to happen to her.

Present

Unfortunately for Melina, she couldn’t escape him. She stares at the ceiling wondering when Thomas is going to torture her again and how long she’s going to survive.

Melina’s head turns to the door as she hears footsteps approaching. She sits up and waits for them to enter the room. Her eyes widen when she sees it’s Thomas walking in. "Thomas," Melina says once he stands before her. He doesn't say anything. He stands there and just stares at her. She tries to hold his stare, but the burning rage in his eyes is too painful to look at because she knows she’s the reason for it. Thomas bends down, his face right in hers, his breath fanning her face. She closes her eyes when he raises his hand. She waits for him to smack her, but instead she feels his fingers on her cheek. Flinching, she opens her eyes and feels him pushing her hair out of her face. He takes out a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes the sweat off her face.

"I still can't believe it," Thomas says.

"Believe what?"

"Believe I didn't see it."

"See what?"

"See the vixen that you are," he says, through gritted teeth.

"Oh." Melina sniffs as she blinks her eyes. She knows she’s a vixen but hearing him say it feels like a bullet piercing her heart. Her head drops forward as her heart cracks.

"Look at me," he says, lifting her chin. Melina locks gazes with him and the crack in her heart expands. There’s so much hatred in his eyes. She turns away, trying to stop the fracturing in her chest.

"Keep eye contact with me." Thomas moves her face back in front of his but she looks down at her fingers. There’s dried blood on her broken nails. She shakes her head thinking her suffering hasn’t even started and her hands look like this.

"It’s fascinating.” Thomas says, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“What?”

“How amazing that I, Thomas Costanzo,” his Italian accent rips out as he says his name, “fell for you and let you dupe me."

"I am sorry." 

"I don't want sorry,” he yells, pushing off the ground and standing straight. Melina flinches and puts her hands up in defense as she begins to shake. “I want you to fucking tell me where James is.”

"I don't know." 

"So, the torture you underwent tonight wasn’t enough to make you talk?"

"I’m not lying.”

"Then tell me where he fucking is!"

“I don’t know,” Melina cries out, frustrated he won’t believe her.

"You’ve decided then."

"What do you mean? Decided what?"

"You’ll see tomorrow," he says, walking toward the door.

***

A few hours later they bring Melina food but she barely touches it. She sighs remembering how Thomas used to gaze at her. Those beautiful eyes of his will never be soft and adoring as they used to be. Her heart squeezes in her chest, thinking about it.

Melina remembers the day she realized she’d fallen in love with him. They’d been dating for four or five months. She knew she had feelings for him, but she denied it until that day. Thomas got into an accident, and the thought of being in the world without him scared Melina more than James’ wrath. It made her realize that she’d fallen in love with him. It still amazed her. She didn’t think she could love another man after the hell she’d been through with James, but she did.

If only Melina could tell Thomas that her feelings for him were real. But she doubted even that would save herself from whatever’s coming. She never wanted to steal his money. But he’d never believe her. She approached him for his money, and that’s always going to be a fact. If only she could tell him James forced her to do it. If only he’d believe her. Unfortunately, she doubts she’ll be that lucky.