4: Run Away

VITO

“I don’t like repeating myself,” I warned, but she stood frozen. I took a step toward her, but a knock on the door interrupted me.  

“Don V, I need a minute with you,” Enzo’s voice came from outside.  

I exhaled sharply. “Okay.”  

Ortensia let out a quiet sigh of relief, but I wasn’t going to let her off that easily.  

“You’re wrong if you think I’m fucking done with you,” I said venomously. “You better wait for me. We are not done.”  

Her face paled with confusion. I grabbed a pajama shirt and trouser, threw it on, and stepped out of the room to meet Enzo.  

“Che diavolo?” (What the hell?)  

“I’m sorry, Don V, but I need to show you something quickly,” Enzo said, handing me a file with details about Ortensia.  

It stated that she didn’t know her biological father.  

I arched a brow. “So what are you implying? That Ortensia might be innocent?” I let out a cold laugh. “You amuse me, Enzo. This is exactly why we should suspect her. They’ve hidden her real identity so well that no one can make the connection. She’s a spy. I have no doubt.”  

Enzo hesitated, but I was done with this conversation.  

I yawned, exhaustion washing over me. I had flown all the way here just to buy Ortensia at the auction house. Now, I needed rest before heading back.  

“I’m sorry, boss. I just thought I should share it with you,” Enzo said, but I ignored him and returned to my room.  

I stopped short when I got to my room, Ortensia was asleep in my bed.  

My jaw clenched. Where the hell did she expect me to sleep?  

Without hesitation, I shoved her to the other end of the bed and lay down on the opposite side. I pulled off my shirt and closed my eyes. Sleep came easily.  

Six hours later, a loud scream jolted me awake, and the voice belong to Ortensia.

“What the freak, psycho?!” I yelled angrily.

Ortensia shrieked, pointing at my bare chest. Then, her hands flew to her body. Her eyes widened in horror. 

“What happened last night? I slept in your room… in your bed… Did we? No, no, no…”  

Her frantic rambling was giving me a headache.  

I groaned. “Great. Now get the fuck out of my room.”  

She scrambled up and rushed out. I sighed, running a hand through my hair before checking the time.  

I called Enzo on phone. “We need to move,” he said. I took a quick shower and sent a maid to inform Ortensia that we were leaving.  

Moments later, she stormed into my room.  

“We’re leaving? To where? Please, just let me go!” she pleaded.  

I rolled my eyes. “Here we go again with your headless pleading. Whether you’re prepared or not, I’ll drag you onto the damn plane myself.” I flicked my wrist. “Now, get the fuck out of my room.”  

She exhaled sharply, arms crossed, staring at me with something close to disbelief.  

“You curse a lot,” she muttered. “Do you even have a heart?”

“That’s not the right question,” I corrected her.  

“Huh?” She furrowed her eyebrows.

“The right question is: What will I do to my enemies and betrayers when I finally get my hands on them? Do you know what I’ll do?”  

I leaned closer, my voice dropping to a sinister whisper.  

“I’ll tie their hands behind their backs, make them kneel, and shove their heads into a bowl of water. Then, I’ll cut them… bit by bit. They won’t be able to scream because of the water. If they try, they’ll swallow it and drown. I love to torture my enemies… watch them die slowly. Does that answer your damn question about me having a heart?”  

She was speechless. I shook her again.  

She swallowed hard. “You’re a mafia now?” she asked, disbelief filled her voice.  

I scoffed. “Your brain is so empty that you’re realizing this just now?”  

She threw her hands up, frustration written all over her face. “What wrong have I done to you, Vito? Tell me, and I’ll beg you.”  

“You and your father will pay,” I said through clenched teeth.  

The memory hit me like a sledgehammer, my brother, the gunshot tearing through his throat, the way he choked to death. The blood, the gasps, the life draining from his eyes… The pain was unbearable.  

“What father are you talking about?” Ortensia snapped. “I don’t even know my father, Vito!”  

Her voice was laced with exhaustion, frustration, desperation.  

I smirked coldly. “Lies, but don’t worry, doll. When Daddy realizes you’re missing, he’ll surely come looking for you.”  

I grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out of my room before locking the door behind me. I leaned against the door, trying to catch my breath.  

But fuck… it wasn’t working. The memories clawed at me, suffocating me.  

I fumbled in the drawer, pulled out pills, and swallowed them dry, chasing them with a swig of alcohol. The familiar burn calmed the storm inside me.  

This was how I survived. This was how I fought my demons. Once I steadied myself, I left the room, my mind still clouded with the remnants of my past. The alcohol and pills dulled the pain, but it was always temporary. The ghosts of my brother’s death still whispered in my ear, reminding me why I could never let go of my hatred.  

Ortensia stood at the entrance of the villa, dressed in a simple yet elegant outfit. The soft fabric clung to her in just the right places, accentuating her curves. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, slightly tousled, giving her an effortlessly beautiful look. She looked delicate, too delicate for the kind of world she was about to be thrown into.  

I raised a brow, crossing my arms over my chest. “Dressing to impress, huh, doll?”  

She scoffed, rolling her eyes like the spoiled little princess she was.  

I smirked. Feisty, good. I enjoyed breaking people with a little fight in them, it made their downfall so much sweeter.  

Enzo opened the car door for us, and without another word, Ortensia got in, her expression unreadable. I slid in beside her, our bodies close, but she immediately scooted as far away as possible. 

The drive to the airport was silent, she kept her hands folded on her lap, her knuckles white from gripping her fingers too tightly. Her gaze remained fixed on the window, but I knew her mind was racing.  

The car came to a smooth stop at the private airstrip. The sleek, black jet stood waiting, engines humming softly, ready to take us far from here. Enzo stepped out first, motioning for me. I followed, adjusting the cuffs of my shirt.  

I stepped onto the tarmac, inhaling the crisp morning air, my eyes scanning the area out of habit. Years in this life had taught me to always be aware of my surroundings.  

That’s when I felt it, an absence, I turned around and froze. Ortensia was gone. My jaw clenched as rage anger through my veins.  

She had dared to run away. That little bitch.