CHAPTER FIVE

TESSA

I was drawn into the embrace of a peaceful slumber, or so I thought.

It felt like I was back home, surrounded by my family, making breakfast as usual beside my mum while she yelled at Ella to stay off her phone for at least a minute and take Snow, our dog outside before he messed up the hallway again.

Every worry was gone. Every anxiety and fear that surrounded me in the span of two days was forgotten and for once, it all felt relaxing. I felt safe and at peace.

But how foolish I was to dwell on the falsehood of this dream.

The sound of breaking glass jolted me up. My eyes flew open and I sat up immediately, taking in the living room but before I could catch-on to what was happening, the door burst open slamming against the wall and three men in black stormed in.

“No no,” I screamed, trying to run towards the room.

But one of them was faster. His rough hands grabbed me by the waist, jerking me backwards. I kicked and thrashed in his hold as I tried to break free, all the while screaming at the top of my lungs.

“Let go of me!” My blouse tore as I struggled, exposing my shoulder.

Two more men grabbed me, pinning my arms tightly to my sides and I could barely move. I was no match for them.

Tears blurred my vision as I kept struggling and pleading. Why was this happening to me?

“Stai zitta, stronza!” One of the men that held my arm spat, trying to shut me up but I was relentless in my struggles.

“Please…please don't do this.”

“I said shut your fucking mouth or I'll do it for you!” The man that held my arm spoke, the lust in his eyes as he looked at my bare shoulders almost made me throw up.

Another man materialized from the broken down door. He looked older and half bald with white beards that showed signs of aging. He didn’t look much taller than I was and his suit did nothing to hide his bulging belly.

“Lei è sexy, capo,” another man that held me down spoke.

The man that just came in walked closer to where we were and at this point all my efforts to free myself were in vain.

“I agree,” the older man spoke.

“Please…I beg you,” I sobbed, kicking my legs uselessly against the weight of their bodies.

He let out a chuckle as his hand came up and wiped a strand of hair from my face. His fingers lingered then trailed down, slowly and deliberately over my cheek, to my chin then lower toward the exposed skin above my chest.

I turned my face away in disgust, trembling as hot tears rolled freely down my cheeks. “Please,” I whispered again with my voice breaking. “Don't touch me.”

The way they laughed made bile rise in my throat.

“She can fetch us real money. I bet Martini gon take real interest in her,” the man spoke, his hands still trailing lower.

“She's feisty too. What a little cunt,” one of the men said, pulling my hair. I let out a pained whimper.

“But I'm gonna have a nice time with this bitch first. I bet you can put your dirty little mouth to use, Si?” I forced my mouth and eyes shut as his hands came back to my face, trying to pry my mouth open. “Little bitch!”

“Enough!” A voice sounded.

And suddenly the hand on my face was gone.

“Mr. Morani, tell your fucking men to get their filthy hands off my woman!” The voice said again, now louder and darker. Anger dripping from each word he spoke.

I recognized that voice, thick with an Italian accent. I opened my eyes to see Mr. Vitale standing by the entrance, his eyes filled with rage and knuckles clenched into a tight fist. He had a trail of men behind him.

The room fell silent and one by one, the men holding me backed away with their hands raising slightly in surrender. I crumpled to the floor, pulling my torn blouse around me, my body still shaking in fear.

Mr. Vitale stepped forward, taking up the space in my tiny apartment. Each step he took felt dangerous. The fury in his eyes intensified as they met mine then he averted his gaze back to the older man.

“Mr. Vitale…I…I didn't know she was yours. We were simply…”

“Simply what?!” Mr. Vitale roared. “You broke into my woman's apartment. You touched her. You terrorized her. Explain it to me like I'm stupid,” each word was laced with an indescribable type of anger. The tension in the room was thick. His jaw was clenched as he stepped further into the room.

The man referred to as Mr. Morani turned to me, his eyes narrowing. “Mr. Vitale, I think there has been a sort of misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?” Mr. Vitale growled. “Your men grabbed her like she was some street toy!” Before he finished the last word he pulled out a gun from his jacket. A loud shot rang through the entire building. I shut my eyes tightly as sobs escaped my lips and before long there was a thud on the floor. Two loud gunshots followed instantly causing a loud ringing in my ears.

I buried my face between my elevated knees, my palms covering my ears as fear took over. I peeled my eyes open after some seconds only to see the lifeless body of the men that held me on the floor. Their eyes were wide open with bullet holes on their head and blood pooling around them. I let out a terrified scream, crawling backwards till my back hit the foot of the couch.

“I take this as a declaration of war, Mr. Morani,” Mr. Vitale's voice rang, now low. “I'm only letting you go because of our family ties but next time I won't be so merciful to you.”

“Mr. Vitale…”

“Get the hell out now! Before I put a bullet in your head as well.” His voice was hard as he spoke. “And let the other families know that I won't hesitate to have their heads on a platter if they touch or even look at what's mine.”

Without another word, Mr. Morani left with his head lowered.

The sobs became uncontrollable. I didn't know if it was because of the fact that I was in danger or because I just witnessed another murder. Three more murders in one night. But I just wanted it all to stop. I wanted the hollow feeling in my chest to go away. I just wanted to wake up and realize that this was just all a dream. And so I let the tears flow without stopping them. I didn't care that I was crying out loud, I just needed to get my emotions out. The sobs ripped through me, shaking every inch of my body.

“Tessa,” Mr. Vitale rushed forward, crouching beside me but I avoided his touch like it burned.

“Don't touch me. Don't come near me,” my voice broke. He paused, his hand hanging mid-air. “I never should have gotten involved. I never should have seen anything,” I cried.

“Everyone get out!” He ordered his men that still stood by the entrance and one by one, they left.

He took off his coat and dropped it on my shoulders trying to cover my exposed skin and I lost the will to fight.

“You walked into a life that no one gets to walk out of alive, Bella,” His voice began, calmer this time.

I shook my head. “I never asked for this. I don't want this life.”

“But it's done already. You're already too deep in it and trust me when I say this, what you've seen is only the beginning. Breaking into your home in the middle of the night? It's the least of what they can do.”

“Why can't I just have a normal life! I just want to work and take care of my family. Why can't life be easy for once?”

“Life is never easy. You just have to choose your battles and go into war with the right armor,” he said, frightening me the more.

“You're not safe here. You'll never be. You saw too much. Families out there…they think you're a threat…”

“What families are you talking about?!” I was getting more confused. First I witnessed a murder and even the police couldn't do anything and now this whole issue of families wanting me dead. What exactly was going on!

“It's best if you know less.”

I scoffed. My life and that of my family was in danger and he's saying it's best if I know less. As if knowing less would save me from the danger I'm already neck deep in.

“You're walking into suicide by staying here on your own. You have two choices now, it's either you stay here and die or even worse, or you come with me and live.”

I looked away, hugging his coat tightly around me like my life depended on it. Tears filled my eyes again. I hated this and I hated how true it all sounded.

Either way, I was in danger. The question wasn't if something would happen, it was who would get to me first. I knew that even if I left with him or stayed I'd still be in danger but for some reason, I felt it'd be safer with him and so I nodded. It was a really small nod although I wasn't so confident.

He stood up, offering his hands to me but I ignored them and tried to get up by myself but my legs were frail under my weight causing me to lose my balance. He caught on to me before I hit the floor and lifted me up bridal style without breaking a sweat as if I weighed lighter than a feather.

I didn't have the willpower to protest anymore and I just let him carry me while burying my face in the crook of his neck. I heard him mutter something like “Cazzo,” under his breath but I was unsure if I heard him correctly.

We got to the car and the door was already held open by one of his men. He carefully placed me inside, pulling his coat tighter around my small frame before rounding the car and getting in the back beside me.

I let my head rest on the window, curling into the seat like I wanted to disappear.

I could feel his eyes on me but I didn't turn to look at him and then he spoke to the driver in a dark but calm voice.

“To the Villa.”