The line goes silent. There are muffled noises in the background. I listen closely. It’s talking, men talking, underscored by heavy, rhythmic footsteps. The footsteps come to a stop. Dani breaks her silence by taking in a sharp breath. When she speaks, her voice is low and rushed, and sounds like shattered glass.
“Help.”
My entire body goes numb. The phone slips through my fingers and falls under the bed.
“Shit,” I say, dropping to my knees to retrieve it. I’m blinded by panic, groping around until I find the phone. I bring it to my ear and shout, “Dani.”
There’s nothing but silence. No dial tone, nothing. I listening carefully through my heart pounding in my ears.
The door to the apartment opens and slams shut, startling me. I scream, and clutch the phone so tightly my knuckles turn white. Leo spots me immediately and rushes over.
“Mia,” he says, dropping to his knees. “What happened?”
My teeth are chattering. I look into Leo’s face, the face of the man I love, and find that I don’t trust him at all. He glances at the phone in my hand, and his face starts to turn red.
“Who are you talking to?” he says.
He doesn’t wait for me to answer. He grabs the phone from me and holds it to his ear. After hearing nothing, he switches it off. He turns back to me, his eyes black with rage.
“I told you not to call anyone,” he yells. “Do you want to get yourself killed?”
I instinctively cringe. Leo is terrifying to me now. He grabs my arms and pulls me up to my feet.
“You have to do what I say, Mia.”
His face is inches from mine, and he grips my arms tightly. He clenches his teeth together, seething.
“Dani needs help,” I say. “Let me go.”
Leo looks wounded for a moment, but he takes his hands off of me. I walk backwards as far as I can.
“You don’t have any reason to call her,” Leo says. “Did you tell her where you were?”
I ignore his question, not wanting to let him know that he’s the only person who knows where I am. Leo’s enraged. His huge chest heaves with heavy breaths. He squeezes his hands into fists. Every muscle in his body is flexed. He can so easily overcome me, but I’m so tired of being threatened by men.
“I needed to know she was okay,” I say. “And she’s not. She’s in trouble.”
Leo shakes his head in disbelief. “That’s not true. She’s fine. I’ve been checking on her.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I had to see for myself, since I just found out I can’t trust you.”
Leo’s face goes blank. He blinks his eyes numbly. His brows slowly furrow. “What did Vince tell you?”
“He told me that everything’s not okay, that there’s been killings. Why did you lie to me?”
“I didn’t want you to get upset. You don’t need to worry. This is my problem. I’m finding a way to solve it.”
I taste bitter bile in the back of my throat. I feel betrayed, and I want to hurt him. “Because I’m yours, right? I shouldn’t worry my pretty little head about these matters. Meanwhile, you keep secrets from me, you manipulate me into doing what you want. Sometimes I wonder if you’re any better than Anton.”
Leo starts towards me, then stops himself. He rests his hands on his head, breathing through his nose. “I’m sorry, Mia. I was only thinking of your own good.”
My lips curl in disgust. “It doesn’t matter now. I have to help Dani.”
I try to walk past him, but he catches my arm.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he says, menacingly.
“Let me go, Leo. I’m not your hostage anymore. I’m not yours anymore.”
Leo yanks my arm, and puts his face close to mine. “You’re not going anywhere. I don’t care if you hate my guts. If Dani’s in trouble, I’ll send Mateo and Vince.”
“And what are you going to do?”
Leo lets go of my arm, then marches to the door. He pulls a key from his pocket, and locks it from the inside. “I’m staying here, to make sure you stay where you belong.”
I breathe heavily, seething. My friend is in trouble, and he wants to make power plays? I rush to the door and try to open it. The knob doesn’t budge when I turn it.
“Open the door. Let me go,” I say. “You’re holding me here against my will.”
Leo takes a step forward, then leans in so close I can feel his breath on my face. “That’s right, Mia. I don’t care how much you beg, I’m not letting you go. I said I’d protect you, and that’s what I’m going to do.” He holds the key up in his palm for me to see. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Chapter Fifteen
———————-
Leo
So much for the safe house being my escape. Now, it’s hell, and I can’t leave. Mia and I are locked in this small space together, but we barely talk. She stays as far from me as she possibly can. To respect her wishes, I sleep on the floor at night. For the first two days, Mia refused to eat, thinking that I’d let her go before I let her starve. What she doesn’t understand, is that letting her go simply isn’t an option. I kept bringing meals to her, and finally, she broke her fast. But after that, her fear of me turned into something like contempt. Even though she doesn’t speak, I can feel it clearly.
It eats at my soul. I’d felt myself opening up with Mia, letting the light shine in. Now, I’m locked up tight again, and the heavy darkness is returning. I could grovel to her, but it wouldn’t make a difference. She doesn’t trust me, and maybe she shouldn’t. Maybe I’m not a good enough man for her. Maybe I’d fooled myself into believing that I deserve her.
But I still won’t give up on her. Even if I can’t have her, I won’t let her be hurt, or Dani either.
Mia’s sitting at the dining table, gazing at the wall as if it were a window, when my burner phone starts ringing. It’s Mateo.
“Mateo,” I say. “What’s the word?”
Mia’s head jerks towards me. She listens closely to my conversation. I hope what she hears proves that I’m looking out for Dani.
“We sent one of our guys, Maurice, to check on the friend,” Mateo says. He hesitates. Something stirs inside of me, telling me this won’t be good news. “He went to the Palace Apartments to look for her.”
“And?” I say, impatiently.
Mateo takes a sharp breath in. “Maurice never came back. We’ve been looking for him all day. My best guess is that Dani tried to trap her.”
I tell my brother to call me when he knows more, and hang up. I sense Mia staring at me, her eyes hopeful and expectant.
“Did they find her?” she asks.
It’s the first words she’s spoken to me in days. Her voice is sweet and musical. It’s a dark feeling, knowing that I’m about to disappoint her. I shake my head.
Mia lower lip quivers. I think she’s about to start crying, but she hardens her face.
“How can I be sure you actually checked on her?”
I throw my hands in the air in exasperation. I just can’t win.
“Do you want to talk to Mateo yourself?” I hold the phone out to her.
Mia stares at the phone bitterly, and shakes her head. “I won’t believe him either.”
I lower my head and struggle to keep my voice down. “What’s it going to take, Mia?”
“I want to talk to Dani. Call her number.”
“No,” I say, quickly. I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Mia, I think Dani tried to trap you.”
Mia glares at me icily. “Dani wouldn’t do that.”
“She might if she’s scared.”
Mia turns back to the wall, her lower lip trembling. “I can’t trust anyone anymore,” she says under her breath. “Has anyone else died?”
I immediately think of Maurice. When someone goes missing, it’s not long before we find the body. I can’t figure out what to tell Mia, so I stay silent.
“I’ll go back to Anton,” she says so calmly, it’
s chilling. “I’ll sacrifice myself to end all of this.”
“I won’t,” I say in a clear voice.
Mia slumps over, and begins to cry into her hands.
———————-
My plan was to stay with Mia and never leave her side. But one morning, Vince calls and says Pop wants to meet with us. I can’t sit this out. I still need my family’s help if we ever want to resolve this.
I pay two of the Chinese gangsters to keep watch outside of Mia’s door. Before I leave, I let her know that she has no way of escaping. Mia doesn’t argue with me, she doesn’t fight at all. Her face is stony with grim acceptance. I almost wish she’d yell at me, hell, throw a punch at me.
No one’s talking when I walk into Pop’s office. Pop’s behind his desk. Vince is sitting on the leather couch, hunched over. Mateo stands in the corner of the room, avoiding my gaze. It’s a strange vibe. I get the sense I’m not going to like what this meeting’s about.
“There you are, Leo,” Pop says, looking up from some paperwork. “Please, have a seat.”
“Why do I feel like this is an intervention?” I ask, sitting next to Vince.
Pop laughs boisterously. “It is, of sorts.” He takes his glasses off and folds his hands on the desk. “I was going to let you boys figure out this ugliness with the Nabatovs on your own. I’ve given you plenty of time, and since you haven’t found the solution, I’m stepping in.”
An icy chill runs through my veins. “What do you suggest we do?” I ask, carefully.
Pop sighs, then settles his eyes on mine. “You’re going to have to give up the girl, Leo.”
I shake my head instinctively. “No. We have to think of something else.”
“It’s the most simple way to solve the problem,” Pop says. “The simplest solution is always the best.”
“It’s not the simplest. It’s the most complicated,” I say. “I love Mia, Pop. What if someone asked you to give up Ma?”
“I knew you’d be resistant.”
“Resistant?” I start to stand, then quickly sit back down. My hands fidget, and I can’t stop tapping my feet. “You want me to send the girl I love to a rapist and murderer.”
“Love. Is that really what you think this is?” Pop asks. “Vince told me a little of this Mia’s background. She’s an orphan, who’d whore herself to the Nabatovs for money.”
Vince looks at me apologetically. “I didn’t say that.”
Pop waves his hand. “Let’s not argue semantics. A Romano shouldn’t associate with that class of person. If you’re ready to settle down, son, then I can find you a nice girl.”
I could launch into a tirade right now, but I know what Pop does to people that disagree with him. Though I don’t think he’d launch me into the river with concrete blocks strapped to my feet, I know I’d lose his respect forever.
“It’s not happening,” I say, stubbornly.
Pop stands and walks around his desk. He stands in front of me, and lays his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Leo. It’s been decided. We know where she is.”
I turn and glare at Mateo. He has his hands in his pockets, looking at his feet. Pop squeezes my shoulder.
“We will give her up tomorrow,” Pop says. “You have the rest of the day to say goodbye.”
I focus on Pop’s polished black leather shoes. It’s not rage I feel, but something deeper, heavier. My family is asking me to turn over the most precious thing in the world to me, to someone I know will destroy her. Pop goes on and on about loyalty, about serving this family, but he has no problem ripping my heart out when it’s convenient for him.
I throw his hand off of my shoulder, and rise to my feet.
“In this line of work, we all have to make painful sacrifices,” Pop says. “While you were gone, it was us that made the sacrifices. Now, it’s your turn.”
Heat rushes through my body. Here comes the rage, I think. My vision is tinged with red, and my hands itch to destroy. I want to tear apart this office from top to bottom, including the people in it. But there are more important things to think of. I storm out. Vince stands to go after me, but Pop holds him back. I burst out of the pool hall, into the gusty street. Temperatures have dropped, but not one part of me feels the cold.
We have to get out of here, go somewhere far away and safe. I just hope I can convince Mia to go along with me.
Chapter Sixteen
———————-
Mia
I still love him. That’s what makes this so painful. He’s dangerous. He’s brutal. He scares the shit out of me. And I love him.
But we can’t continue on like this, not while others are dying. And Dani… Even if she did set a trap, that means they have her. They could be torturing her, and if I don’t show, they’ll kill her. I can’t have that on my conscious. My love affair with Leo has not only been red hot, it’s been life changing. I could stay with him forever and be happy, if happiness was a possibility for me. I’m starting to see that luck does exist, and I don’t have any.
I’m going stir crazy in this basement, trying to figure out what to do. There’s no way out, and knowing that makes my skin crawl. I hear the two men Leo stationed outside of my door talking to each other. I don’t even consider trying to get past them. Their faces are marked with scars and tattoos. They’re both heavily armed. They seem like mean characters, and I don’t want to test their loyalty.
Leo will never let me go, but it’s the most obvious solution to this problem. I can’t stay here, fucking Leo and pretending everything’s fine while people are suffering because of me. I need to find a way out of this prison, and a way to live with myself, no matter how miserable my life becomes.
The cable’s coming in fuzzy again, so I don’t have the television to distract me from these painful thoughts. I pace the small apartment, walking rapidly and turning sharply when I encounter a wall. I’ve spent too much time letting other people figure things out for me. It’s time for me to take control, to stop being the victim.
I spot a pair of Leo’s pants lying in a pile on the floor, and I’m struck with an idea. I pick them up and go through all the pockets. His musky smell still clings to them. I want to hug the pants to my chest and breathe in their scent, but I can’t.
His pockets turn up nothing, so I turn to the rest of his possessions. I go through every pair of pants, every coat, every boot, and lastly, his duffel bag. Nothing. I’m about to give up, when I notice a hidden pocket, deep in the duffel bag. I open it, reach inside, and feel metal.
It’s a .22 caliber pistol. My dad had plenty of guns growing up. Though I’ve never fired one, they aren’t foreign to me. I hold it in my hand, feeling the weight of it. I point it at the wall, and feel a rush of power. With this, I can get what I want. I check the chamber, and see that it’s loaded. Clutching the gun tightly, I sit at the end of the bed, face the door, and wait.
I sit there for thirty long minutes. There are several times when I lose my nerve, and go to replace the gun in the duffel bag. But then I think of Dani, I think of the eighty year old woman who should be enjoying her golden years, cold under the ground. I can’t turn back.
I hear echoing footsteps coming down the stairs, then Leo’s voice as he greets the two guards. My arms tremble as I raise the gun, and point it at the door.
Leo bursts in, barely noticing me at first. He’s red with rage, and he breathes hard through his nostrils. I watch in slow motion as he focuses on me, then makes sense of the gun in my hand. The heartbreak in his eyes threatens my resolve, but I stay firm.
“Mia,” he says, raising his hands up slowly. “What are doing?”
My arms are shaking violently. I narrow my eyes, trying to get a hold of myself. Leo takes a step forward.
“Stay back!” I yell as loud as I can.
Leo nods slowly. “You don’t understand. They know where you are. We have to get out of here.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m leaving.” I hold the gun with one
hand as I gather my bag. “Stay where you are.” I gesture to the door. “Are your goons gone?” When Leo hesitates, I shove the gun in his direction. “Are they?”
“We need to go, you’re right,” Leo says calmly. “Put down the gun, and we’ll talk it out.”
I thought I had my mind made up, but my thoughts are swirling with confusion. After all that’s happened, and being locked away like this, I don’t know who’s with me and who’s against me. In a way, it feels like everyone’s against me. I turn away from the door, but I keep the gun raised.
“Sit down,” I say. “Sit the fuck down.”
Leo shakes his head. “You wouldn’t kill me.”
I cock my head. “No, probably not. But I would shoot you in the kneecap. Sit down.”
Leo’s mouth twitches with a smile, and it almost melts my heart. Almost. He takes a seat, then leans forward, burying his face in his hands.
“What can I do, Mia? What can I do to make you trust me again?” he asks. He looks up at me, his eyes dark and deep. “Please. Tell me.”
“You can start with the truth. All of it. No more lies.”
“Everything I’ve done has been for your own good.”
“You’re not getting it, Leo,” I yell. My tone obviously frightens him, since he flinches. I take a shuddering breath to calm myself. “I know you’re trying to protect me, I know. But I want to know what’s going on. I want some say in what happens to me.”
Leo sighs. “You’re right. I should’ve trusted you with the truth.”
I pull a chair up in front of him, making sure to keep the gun on him at all times, and sit down. “Now’s your chance. Tell me about Dani.”
Leo looks away, his lips pressed together. I point the gun between his legs, aiming for his balls. This makes him come around.
“We sent a guy to check on Dani, that’s the truth,” Leo says.
“And?”
Leo exhales, lowering his shoulders. “Maurice. No one’s seen him since.”
Another death on your conscious, I think.
“What else?” I say. “Any more dead, like the old woman?”
Hostage: A Dark Mafia Romance (Romano Brothers Book 1) Page 11
