‘Blood?’ I questioned looking up at him. His facial expression hardens at the mention of his stained knuckles. He harshly snatches his hand out of my grip.
‘Whose blood?’ my mind screaming out the name, my mind telling me to run and don’t turn back every fibre of my body telling me to escape, but my feet stay firmly planted on the ground as I look at him. ‘Answer me, Vincenzo’ I demanded.
‘Who the fuck are you?’ He responded his voice would have made anyone else tremble at his feet or flea, but not me. ‘This mafia boss act might scare everyone else, but not me.’ I reminded him, ‘Vincenzo whose. Blood.’ I asked him one last time although I knew the answer to my own question, I needed to hear it from him. I needed to hear it from his lips.
My patience began wearing thin. He straightens his posture and takes a step towards me. ‘Your dates’ he answers my question with a stone expression his face inches away from my own. “After what he said and did … he is lucky I didn’t kill him” he pressed not feeling any sort of remorse, I sucked in a breath watching him, whether he wanted to show it or not he was very protective and in the only way he knew how he protected me.
and me? I possessed no sense of guilt, no remorse. Others in my position would think I was crazy that I should at least be scared, or sad at the fact that Sam is either close dead or about to die. But I just didn’t care, instead I felt safe, protected, because it has been a long time since I was the one being protected rather than protecting.
I should care but I don’t, and it scares me. It’s like whenever I’m around him my body is numbed to all that is good and bad, it fades into a blurry line, and I can’t decipher what’s what. His intentions were pure, but his actions were evil but who am I to judge when all my actions and intentions only consisted of evil.
‘Isabella?’ he looks at me as though he was expecting me to scream or even cry, but I just stand there looking at him. I walk past him and towards the exit. ‘Isabella!’ He roared causing once again the whole restaurant to fall into a deadly silence. I stop on my heel and turn around.
I open my mouth to speak but what was I going to say? My mind was puzzled, in chaos I couldn’t even think straight let alone form words. Shaking my head, I turn back around, and I calmly walk out.
‘Sam!” I called out looking around the alley, “fucking hell where are you?’ I shout trying to find the idiot, I’m still fuming from his comments earlier but he could be dying right now so I’ll consider us even. From a far distance, I hear a low groan, I quickly sprint in the direction. In front of me I see a beat up, broken boy.
His shirt was ripped, his face and body covered in blood. He looked dead. I edged a little closer seeing the open scars on his cheek and jaw, “Oh my” I looked at his beating intrigued how did he do so much damage with just his hands.
I rush towards him and slowly lift him up, ‘Come on’ I hold his weight up and slowly make our way to his car. Laying him flat in the backseat I drive to the hospital. The car ride was silent the only sound was Sam’s painful moans and groans.
I parked the car at the entrance and screamed for help as medics came with a stretcher and rushed him inside. Not wanting to answer questions about who or where or what happened I gave his keys to the reception and began walking home.
Yes, it’s late, yes, it’s cold but I needed this time to think. Alone.
I had so many questions, it’s making my head spin. In a normal situation, everything about Vincenzo would bother me, it would make me not only hate him but also fear him. Fear the opportunity of history repeating itself once more if I give in to the darkness. If I give into him, upon every encounter I had with him he was doing or done something that people would consider evil or bad. But whenever I think about those acts all I can think is about is why he did it.
The first encounter at the mall shot his men to save me and Maria from being shot, the second encounter saved me from being raped the third encounter he protected my self-worth by silencing Sam.
He was a rare breed of bad? If I’d even call him that, a man who has evil running through his veins but deep down he also had a speck of innocence pumping through his heart. This man holds so much power, so much authority and so much responsibility. Yet isn’t someone you can automatically understand or take from just appearance.
He was pure darkness, but I always found darkness alluring and beautiful. there’s something to the feeling of not knowing your surroundings, not seeing the colour of things as they appear, but as they truly are. There’s something about the unknown, the quiet, the cold. There’s something unspoken about the dark something I can never quite put to words.
Darkness is painted as evil and scary but judged too quickly. For there’s something terrifying yet beautiful about it.
Deep in thought, I didn’t notice the droplets of rain landing on my exposed skin. Shit! Running under a shelter I hold myself to try and retain as much warmth as I can. Lights blinding my vision I see a familiar jet-black Mercedes Benz approaching me. Does this man have me bugged? Did he shove a GPS in me at some point?
‘Isabella get in the car’ He orders me, scoffing I roll my eyes and continue walking through the rain trying not to look at him ‘No I’m fine’ I respond knowing damn well that I’m not fine. I’m going to get sick and I’m freezing my nipples off.
‘Get in the fucking car leonessa’ I stop in my tracks and look at him frustrated, ‘Stop fucking calling me that it’s Isabella and no’ I continued walking when his threat made me stop dead in my tracks again, ‘Are you going to make me come out of this car and fucking carry you in?’ his threat sent goosebumps all over my skin. “I dare you” I smiled crossing my arms over my chest.
Rolling his eyes, he got out of the car and approached me like a madman, letting out a squeal I ran. Yes, I ran in the rain, in heels like a child being told to come inside. ‘Isabella I’m not playing with you! Get in the car!’ He roared, but it didn’t stop me, I picked up speed and yelled from over my shoulder, ‘you’re gonna have to catch me Italy”
I ran onto an empty field taking a quick glance behind me he was hot on my tail. ‘Not fair I’m in heels!’ I shouted whining at the un-advantage. As I’m running, I take off my heels and throw them behind me like you would in a Mario cart game. ‘Catch Italy’ one of my heels landed on his head I fist-bumped the air ‘YES!’ forgetting to keep running he tackled me to the floor.
We rolled around a little before he finally pinned me down. Laughing I looked at him drenched from the rain and a small bump forming on his head. ‘Ti ho preso’ (I got you) his Italian accent sent shivers down my spine as I stared into his eyes I whispered. ‘Mi hai beccato’ (You got me) not saying anything he kept his gaze fixated on me. Staring at each other for a second before he caught onto himself. Coughing he quickly gets off me reluctantly extending his hand out, I take it as takes me to his car.
As we’re seated in the car the tension in the air is thick, this man is hot and cold. One minute we are running around in the rain and the next he looks like he is about to murder me. He almost killed a man, yet against my better judgment I’m in his car. His jaw tensed; eyebrows furrowed in a knot. The concentration in his eyes indicating his deep in thought. What are you thinking about? I mentally asked watching him.
The car came to a stop as he kept looking straight ahead, ‘get out’ I slightly jumped as his tone came off way harsher than I expected. ‘No need to be a dick, last time I fucking checked you forced me in this car’ I opened the door as he grabbed my arm and pulled me back in the car.
‘You need to watch your tone leonessa, last time I checked I can kill you. That tongue of yours is going to get you killed.’ He warned me I laughed dryly smirking I leaned into him ‘An hour ago, you liked my tongue’ I purred into his ear. I got out of the car slamming the door and ran inside. I press my floor level as I stepped into the elevator. Apart of me feared his threat but the other part of me was terrified of myself that his threat turned me on more than it scared me. What is wrong with me? why does nothing he does scare me? why am I not scared of him? of the man he is?
His dangerous, impulsive, ruthless, and simply doesn’t care. Vincenzo King is what he says he is the devil. Then why am I so drawn to him? I hate him yet I don’t, I’ve always been someone who looks too deep into something or someone. That’s because from a young age I’ve learnt there’s always more than meets the eye.
The elevator doors ding open as I snap out of my thoughts and walk to my apartment. ‘What are you doing b-‘ I look up at Maria still somewhat soaking wet, heels in hand and what I can assume my makeup ruined. ‘Bella, what happened?’ she asked me worried, sighing I explained I just wanted to shower and sleep, but of course, she wasn’t going to let this go. So, I showered, and we sat on my bed as I explained everything to her.
‘He beat him up that badly?’ I nod, ‘I took him to the hospital avoided the security cameras and left’ I shrugged my shoulders casually. Maria stared off into space, I looked at her curiously ‘you’re dangerously quiet’ I analysed her silence carefully.
‘I’m trying to desperately erase the image of you and Vincenzo from my head’ she shivered in disgust, and I couldn’t help but burst into a fit of laughter. ‘Bella, I know this goes against everything I said before but … maybe he would be good for you’ he spoke softly still deep in thought.
‘No, you were right the first time. He can go fuck himself’ I shot up and made my way towards the kitchen. ‘Isabella your mouth is saying one thing, but your eyes and body say something else. It’s okay to admit your feelings for him, I saw it the second you mentioned his name your eyes lit up like they do when you talk about Mama and Papa. With admiration. What he does and who is never bothered you because of who you are. Besides you need a man like him to keep you on your toes. Despite my better judgement”
‘Who I was’ I corrected her. ‘Spain my lifestyle everything about me I left, and I buried in Spain.’ I reminded her sternly.
‘You might think you killed that side of you, but it’s always been a part of you Isabella. It’s the part of yourself you wish you can hide and deny but it’s a part of you. It’s who you are, and you can’t run from it.’ She shrugged her shoulders, accepting me for all I was the good and the dark as cliche as it sounded.
She walked out of my room leaving me in my thoughts as I stare off into space I think about Spain, who I was.
FLASHBACK
‘NOOOO’ I cried out. ‘THEY’RE NOT DEAD THEY CAN’T BE DEAD’
I cried on top of my parent’s bodies, ‘YOU BOTH PROMISED YOU WOULDN’T LEAVE; YOU PROMISED SO WAKE UP DONT GO’ I buried my head on my mum’s chest ‘Mama please wake up, I’m begging you open your eyes’
I turn around and hug my dad ‘Papa, please … don’t go’
I looked up at the ceiling and let out a blood curling scream.
Greif, emptiness, sadness. Maria and I walked hand in hand along with my grandparents behind the coffins of our parents. The whole town gathered to say goodbye. My eyes were swollen, and my heart was shattered.
“Stay here Isabella, take care of Maria if we don’t come back my dragon” Papa’s whisper echoed in my head, the family feeling of his gentle kiss on my head.
END OF FLASHBACK
I witnessed my parent’s death, and I saw who killed them. I swore to avenge them. My father called me dragon as a child, because of my strength, fight, and my loyalty to my family. I did whatever I needed to do to protect them. My childhood wasn’t like normal. We came from a crime organised family. I was Isabella to my family, but I was Dragon to the world, and they feared her even at such a young age.
So, when he and Mama died, I was on a killing spree trying to reach him.
And I did
