by Anna Widzisz
The bomb had exploded.
She tried to ignore what she saw, focusing on getting out of this hellhole. Elio still kept a strong grip on both his drawn guns.
They went out of the villa, two of many other people coughing, shouting, crying and running around, panicking. Some men also had their guns. Made Men.
It all felt like a dream.
A nightmare.
Especially when she looked at the villa, realizing that all the windows were shuttered, fire coming out of them. Smoke. Lots and lots of smoke.
"Savannah."
Unbelievable pain gathered in her legs. She had pieces of glass stuck in them. Without thinking about whether it was a good move or bad, she reached down and took them out. Blood resurfaced.
"Savannah." Elio shook her body, bringing her back to reality. He dragged her with him towards the parking lot. She was barely able to properly walk and felt like Elio was putting way more strength into it than she had.
He opened her palm and handed her keys.
His car.
"Go," he ordered and once again looked at her. "Go home and wait for me there. Don't talk to anyone and don't stop. Understood?"
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
She nodded. Her lips trembled.
"Be careful but please drive."
Savannah didn't have a driver's permit but knew how to drive. And getting a ticket, whatsoever, seemed like the least of her problems. Her eyes moved to Elio's bleeding arm. There was even more of the red liquid seeping through after she’d let go.
"Elio," she whispered, barely finding her voice.
"I'll be alright. But you cannot stay here," he said. "Go," he pressured.
Chapter Forty-Two
It was a fucking mess.
Once Savannah drove out of the estate, Elio needed to focus on the explosion. There was no doubt that the Bratva was behind it, especially since they’d sent out a few soldiers after that to finish off the survivors. Without any luck. The bomb itself had been set up right under the stairs and most of those who had no chance of survival had been close to it. The others had mostly suffered because of the shrapnel and ricochet. Their wounds were still serious, but nothing compared to the sight of ripped bodies Elio saw when he went back into the villa.
As he strolled down the hall, his head was still filled with ringing under the pressure of the explosion. He had also hurt his arm, however, he couldn't really feel it, still intoxicated with the adrenaline rushing through his veins. Soon the firefighters would be here and the Made Men had to be quick and ease all the evidence of the event being filled with mafia. Whoever could, had to get out as not to be then questioned by the police. It wouldn't turn badly since most officers were to turn the blind eye, yet spending time on planning revenge was more satisfying.
"Elio," he heard Flavio's voice. The man came up to him, his own gun tightly gripped in his hand. They could never be absolutely sure that whatever Russians remained on the property were dead. As far as they could see, there were Made Man, however, it was better to be safe than sorry.
The Enforcer looked behind him, seeing Noah Falcone leaving the villa. "Where is he going?"
"He needs to make sure that the auction documents were destroyed. He'd smuggled some of the items across the border himself. The police will open an investigation and even if they do nothing about it, the reporters and perhaps FBI won't leave it be," explained Flavio. "Where's Savannah?"
"I sent her home. I couldn’t focus with her here."
Falcone rolled his eyes. He didn't approve of what they had, especially after he’d been forced by his brother to deal with the matter within the Conte household himself. He believed that it was bound to end badly and if anything, today was an indication as to how easy it was to lose everything in a matter of seconds.
"Don't be such a judgmental asshole," snarled Elio. He could deal with his twin or Father being this way since they cared about their own behind only, but Flavio was nowhere near being the same. No matter how arrogant he was, he had more empathy than most Made Men. Perhaps it was also his way of seeing this unfolding. Caring about the girl more than he should. Outsiders weren't their problem and yet Elio made it seem otherwise.
"You're putting her in unnecessary danger. She's never going to be safe with you, Elio. That's not me being judgmental but fucking rational. Moreover, you turned your back on her when you found out she has a kid to take care of. You knew exactly that it wasn't your place to drag her into this world."
"I know what I fucking did. But you forget that even if I hadn’t been in the picture, the Bratva would still get involved with Hunter, and she was still a waitress there. She'd be pulled into all this either way."
Flavio shook his head as he gestured to the man to go with him further into the villa to check whether they were, in fact, the last of Made Men to leave this place.
"Don't get me started on that. The fact that you love her doesn't change the fact that it'd never work. Noah won’t change the rules for you, and you simply followed your fucking heart rather than think reasonably. If not for your benefit, then for hers."
Silence fell upon them. There was nothing more to say. Elio still wouldn't be able to let go. Not when Savannah was exactly what he wanted and needed. He'd keep her safe no matter what. Commenting on whether he loved her or not was also irrelevant. It wasn’t Flavio who should hear the truth about that. Nor would Elio grant him that, knowing his standpoint.
Other than the dead bodies, some outsiders who were only barely connected to the Famiglia were left when they heard the firefighting trucks approaching. They quickly destroyed any camera recordings, losing the very last evidence that they, in fact, were here and jumped into the car, driving off.
"We'll swing by my apartment. I need to make a list of people who were there before we can be sure how many we've lost. You can stitch yourself up and change clothes. Then I’ll drive you to Savannah," Flavio murmured.
Chapter Forty-Three
The chains had been broken. But she wasn’t truly free.
Savannah packed the last few things she had around the room with tears streaming down her face. Leaving was wrecking her soul just as surely as a dagger could stop a beating heart. It wasn't easy to leave even when it was the only option available. Because it was.
She heard the sound of breaking glass. The sound of a bomb exploding. Shooting. Shell casings falling to the floor one by one. Cries. Yelling.
She saw body parts scattered all over the villa. She saw pools of blood. She saw people dying.
And she couldn't shake it off. That's where she had to draw the line.
Even if she didn't want to.
Even when it hurt.
Physically and mentally.
She didn't want to leave the people that made her feel loved. All of that would soon be gone and she would be left with just one person.
Aiden.
But he was the only one who mattered.
The only one who'd always matter.
The next two hours were chaotic as she gathered all the necessary things. With each piece of clothing she threw in her bag, she felt sick. As if she was going to start throwing up. But she had to.
When she came home, she quickly bandaged her legs, swearing that she would take care of them better when she was far away from him. Safe.
Because there was no mistake that she wasn't. Not when Elio was around. Not when he was connected to mafia. And she would not risk it.
She had a plan.
She was going to execute the plan.
"Are you ready?" Megan asked, appearing in her room.
Savannah had called her, asking if she could give her and Aiden a ride to the bus station. She wouldn't take Elio's car. He would find her.
With a long sigh, she nodded, grabbing the bag and dragging it after her as they both exited the apartment for the last time. Aiden was already waiting downstairs with Frank. He was confused. Rightfully so. He was only five and extremely smart, but even then you coul
dn't really be prepared to be asked to pack everything in a matter of minutes. Without any further explanation.
Explanation that he wouldn't get.
Not now.
She looked at her brother, giving him an encouraging smile. One that didn't reach her eyes. Her deep blue eyes that were filled with tears. She was a mess. Both on the inside and outside, however, she refused to think about it. Set on just one goal. Getting the hell away from here.
She walked towards Frank who she surely was going to miss and just hugged him. She hugged him and sobbed into his chest. Again. All because of Elio.
"You're going to be alright, Savannah. Just remember that the pain becomes easier to handle. Time will show you how strong you are," he said. "Keep Aiden safe."
She nodded, pulling away. "Thank you for everything. I'm sorry I'm leaving you like this. But Megan assured me that she's going to check up on you every other day. Take care of yourself, please. You're too precious of a man to lose."
The man smiled.
"Savannah," Aiden whispered, tugging at the hem of her t-shirt as he pointed his finger in the direction of a car that just turned right into the parking lot. The car she recognized from the car race.
Flavio's.
He was driving, however, it was Elio who got out from the passenger seat, heading in her direction. His face flashed with confusion, then he saw the bag in her hand and pain morphed into agony.
"Megan, please take Aiden to the car and wait for me there," Savannah pleaded.
The girl followed her request. Frank, too, realized that she wanted to talk to the man alone. He backed out to his apartment doors, watching from the distance. He wouldn't give them total privacy, though. Because this could go two different ways.
Savannah, as if in a zone, closed the space between her and Elio and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer, gently rubbing her back. Despite the heaviness in her stomach, it fluttered at the feeling of her body pressed against his. She sunk into the warmth of his chest, appreciative of the simple gesture. His touch made her warmer somehow, her future seemed a little less bleak. Even if it was a lie.
He was already wearing different clothes. A hoodie and jeans. She touched his arm slightly, remembering that he was hurt. It must not have been a bad wound since he could move his arm. However, she needed to hear it.
"How is your arm?" she asked.
"It's alright. It'll heal in no time," he said. "Savannah, what are you doing?"
There came the question she feared to answer.
She didn't want to let go because she knew that if she let go she wouldn't be able to hold him again. "I don't know how I'm supposed to do this without you," she whispered.
"Do what?" he pressed, pulling away. He already knew what she was talking about. It was obvious and he wasn't stupid. But he refused to believe it.
Elio shook his head and cupped her rosy cheeks. He was looking into her eyes with such intensity that it physically hurt her. She was overcome with a feeling of pain. Yet, she let him because after that she knew that she wouldn't see him again. Leaning into his touch, she closed her eyes for a little bit, inhaling his scent. It always calmed her down and made her feel safe. It still did, and at once she wanted to change her mind. Risk one more time.
But then she looked at Flavio's car.
"For someone who has little Aiden to worry about, you sure as hell don't think about the danger Elio's brought to your life. Which can increase at any moment."
Those had been Flavio's words.
The ones she knew she had to believe in.
Because he was right.
Rolling dice was no longer an option.
The danger had increased and she was out of moves.
"Savannah think about what you want to do for a second. What you're holding against me."
Pulling back, she had to stay strong. Even if looking at Elio made her feel anything but. She loved the time she’d got to spend with him and would always cherish it. He’d helped her open up to something more than just learning to survive each day. To new emotions and experiences. There was nothing that could possibly even come close to that. She wouldn't forget it. Wouldn't forget him. Because he’d left his marks so deep that no amount of surgeries could ever remove them.
And that was fine. That's what love was after all. Whether it lasted or not. It happened for a reason, and that's what Savannah chose to hold on to.
"I'm not holding anything against you, Elio. I get it. I get it all. You have to stay and do what you did. But I cannot do that."
His eyes hardened as he closed his palms into fists, trying to overcome the anger that was slowly tearing through his walls. "Yes, you are. You think that it's so easy to simply change your life. Turn things around, and you think that I can do the same. Just because you are about to."
Tears welled up in her eyes and she felt dizzy.
"I love you," he said. And he really did. There was no doubt in his mind. No matter how much he didn't want to accept it. That was reality. He needed her. He wanted her. The moment he’d seen her laying on the floor after the explosion he could only think of saving her. Keeping her safe. Because he couldn't be without her.
And she was leaving him for the same reason he wanted her to stay.
"I love you," he repeated.
She burst out crying. The same words were on the tip of her tongue. However, she fought extremely hard not to say them, because it wouldn't make anything easier. Elio said them to make her stay as his last resort, believing that his love was enough.
Savannah knew better.
This was it. This was goodbye.
He brought her closer to his chest, hiding his face in her hair. The tips of his fingers caressed her back while she cried for what was and would never be. It hurt like a bitch and she almost felt all the pieces of her heart that Elio had somehow put back together over such a short period of time, the ones her parents had broken, fall apart once more. Crushing.
It took some time for Savannah to be able to look at him again.
"You cannot leave me, Savannah. I refuse to let you. You're not fucking leaving. Do you understand?"
Anger took over the hurt. His eyes darkened, lips curved in disgust at the thought of what she wanted to do. Because he could see that he didn't change her mind. Or at least not for long enough so she’d decide to stay.
And a fire lit within Savannah, too. Simply to match his.
Because ending it with soft words and a calm approach didn't fucking work.
"Don't you get it? No matter how hard we try, it will never be enough. I'll always be an outsider. Always waiting for you to come to me, hoping you're alive. Always fearful that my brother can get hurt because of the life you live. I don't care about myself. But I do about Aiden."
"What do you want me to say, Savannah? That I'll tell my Capo to go fuck himself and run away with you into the sunset? How fucking foolish are you to think that it would work? I would be dead by the end of the day. You and Aiden, too," he spat out.
Savannah's heart skipped a beat. She felt drained. Fighting Elio was the last thing she wanted. It was the second time they fought and she, again, had enough. He looked more terrifying than ever before. Because he was terrified himself.
"Don't you dare put it all on me! You knew the rules. I did not. You left the moment you heard about Aiden, and it's you who decided to come back. I went to that goddamned club because I wanted to be honest by telling you about Hunter. Because I cared about others." Pause. "So don't flatter yourself thinking that I was specifically looking forward to seeing you. I was terrified of you even back then. I still am. Now more than ever."
She was, and she wasn't. It was his life. Not necessarily him. But he didn't need to know that.
"Yet here you are talking to me as if I had a fucking heart, to begin with. As if I'd care."
Savannah smiled sadly. "You have a heart. You just don't use it properly. And I wish you would. Because what's inside is pure perfect
ion. Under all that cruelty, you hide more gold than black."
"Savannah, fucking stop," he grunted. "You're saying one thing but doing the complete opposite."
She just didn't want to leave him without making him see what she did. At one point he'd have to use what was within. And he needed to realize that there was more to hold on to than just darkness. Mafia was a brutal organization. He didn't have to bury his goodness in order to be a good Made Man.
He rubbed his chin, pacing through the parking lot. It was how he processed things. Then he stopped and his eyes bore into her. "I won't turn my back on the Famiglia, Savannah."
"I don't want you to." Another tear rolled down her cheek. "I just want you to let me leave. Because I have Aiden to think about. He was and will always be my priority. I've been blinded by my feelings. By what you showed and gave me. Now I realize how selfish I was. And I almost paid with my life for it. But no more. I cannot pretend like it can work. Because it can't."
Elio looked at her. Pain. Misery. Sadness. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her roughly, crashing his lips into hers. He put his all into the kiss. Every little emotion, whatever he’d been keeping locked away was finally unleashed. What else could he do?
"You're giving up," he said. "You're just like my mother. It was so foolish of me to think that you're not. For the first time since we’ve met, I think that you're weak. Unable to fight when it's all you should do. You're giving into fear and condemning yourself to a life full of misery. You're fucking giving up, Savannah!"
His eyes were glossy with tears. Never before had he been so raw when it came to showing what he felt. Back in the bedroom when they were talking about their parents, about them together, she’d seen him vulnerable. Now it was worse. He was devastated.
"Being strong comes in many different forms, Elio. It's just the case of how you look at it. For me, I'm being strong for my brother. To do what's best for him in the long run."
"No," he whispered, shaking his head. "Please tell me what to do to change your mind. Anything. Savannah, I cannot lose you."
He begged, and her heart sank down to her stomach. He begged.
