Chapter 85: Chapter: 85

SHADOW

An Hour Ago.

When the cars parked at the gravel driveway of Villa Marchetti, Casio quickly got out of the car and opened my door. The other soldiers who went to receive me at the airport, as I had expected, also got out of the two other SUVs.

Word of my arrival must have gotten out because all the men guarding the villa were suddenly at my side, greeting me and welcoming me back with fear and respect, fuckers and ass lickers most of them.

They were welcoming me back as if I had traveled out of the country for a vacation, not being forced into a situation where I had to choose between jail time and becoming the head of the Marchetti famiglia, which was the last thing I wanted.

Of course, none of them knew these. Born in blood, raised in blood, it is what it is. I know if it were anyone else, they'd have chosen to become the most powerful man in Italy. But I was me, and the last thing I wanted or needed was to be the Don of this famiglia, tied down.

It was the reason why, after I broke out of jail, I didn't come back here. Being a Shadow means only a few know my real face. The rest just know me by my family name—the grandson who was no better than a hunting dog.

I ignored the bastards and strode into the house I've lived most of my life, with Casio, also known as Crow, trailing behind me. Nothing has changed in the six years I left here; everything is the same yet different. Standing in Don Marchetti's favorite part of the house, the cigar lounge, it almost feels like time hasn't passed at all.

The cigar lounge looks the same: a large bar with hundreds of liquors on the glass shelf, the dim lighting casting shadows over the black leather chairs, and the familiar scent of cigars, wine, and leather filling the air, anchoring me to a place that feels both unchanged and haunted by memories.

I noticed the mansion has undergone its fair share of changes, though not much. The people here were the same familiar faces I have known all my life, though a few were missing. But then it's normal in our line of business, life goes hand in hand with death.

I strode out of the cigar lounge. I already knew Don wasn't here in the villa at the moment. I suspect Andrea is here under this roof. My face hardened when I saw Enzo pointing a gun at Casio's head, who was cool as a cucumber. Not the least afraid.

“Lower that gun before you do something stupid, Enzo,” I said, my tongue automatically reverting to my native language. Enzo whirled around, pointing his gun straight at me. His surprise was clear on his hard face; he hadn't heard me come in and hadn't noticed me until I was a few steps away from him.

It shouldn't have surprised him that I moved lightly, after all, there's a reason I was called Shadow, and it certainly wasn't just because I had a dark heart. I could move undetected anywhere, and you wouldn't know I was there until I decided I wanted to be seen. Yeah, a lot of things have definitely changed.

The boy who had followed me around like a lost puppy, growing up, is now a man and could even point a gun at my head. Lorenzo had also changed. He's more mature, darker, and harder; any ounce of softness that was in him before I left years ago has been bled out of him, just like the rest of us.

I certainly wasn't the same Ombra that left here and was left to rot away in a strange country. I was even worse than I was, harder and darker than I was taught to be.

After a tense pause, I finally asked, my voice low and trembling with a mix of anger and desperation, "Where is she?" The question hung heavy in the air, revealing how much I was risking emotionally, not just physically, to find her.

“Where is she?”

“Who are you talking about?”

Lorenzo asked blankly. He was lying straight through his teeth, pretending he didn't know what I was asking, and he was darn good, too. But I’ve known him longer and better than anyone, and I can tell when he’s lying.

“Careful, Enzo,” I warned

“It would be in your best fucking interest to tell me where she is, or else you wouldn't like the consequences of lying to me.”

“I don't k…” he began.

That's when I heard it, that light, gentle scuff of shoes on the carpeted stairs. Even before I lifted my eyes, I knew it was her; she was standing on the stairs in a black dress. Andrea!

Beautiful, gorgeous, innocent Andrea. My Vixen! When my eyes collided with hers. Emerald green is so fucking beautiful, something hit me straight in the fucking heart!

There was no word to describe what I was feeling; I was no poet. But it's like a ray of sunshine after endless nights of darkness, a hammer beating at my heart door. She was so fucking beautiful it hurt.

I looked her over, trying to see if any scars, bruises, or welts weren't there when I last saw her. Fortunately, there wasn't, otherwise I would have fucking raised hell.

On the plane, I kept wondering if she was hurt or injured, if anyone had touched her inappropriately. I had to cut off that line of thought fast, otherwise it wouldn't bode well for anyone. I know without any doubt that she must have been terrified, being kidnapped to another country and alone. I was fucking angry at Don for this.

But seeing now that she was okay, not abused…she even seems to have added a little bit of weight, though she also looks pale, like she hadn't been in the sun in weeks. I feel like I could finally breathe; it was like a massive boulder that had been suffocating me ever since I knew he'd kidnap her, has suddenly been lifted off my heart.

My Andrea is okay, at least physically. I have every intention of finding out if she was in any way mistreated, and if she was, blood will fucking flow. I was surprised by the vehemence of my thoughts; I had never been this possessive of anyone or anything.

My Vixen had always made me behave like a neanderthal! With her, it was pure unadulterated obsession; she's mine!

The door was barely closed behind me before I was slamming Enzo against the wall. My hand instantly went to his throat and choked him, squeezing hard until his eyes turned red and bulged out of their sockets. The stubborn fucker didn’t try to fight me, only smirked at me, the little shit.

I didn't let go; I needed him to understand the hell he would be inviting if I ever saw him look at her that way. Enzo tapped on the hand, squeezing the life out of him and trying to get me to let him go. Not fucking happening, yet. I need to make a point.

“You will stay the fuck away from her, if you value your life. Otherwise, I will be forced to end you, I will fuck you up so bad no one would recognize you. Blood or not. She's mine. remember that the next time you're eye fucking her, ” I growl out, my face hard. I'm sure he could see how damn serious I am in my eyes.

The crazy bastard stared at me defiantly. I'm really impressed, but it's best he stayed away from Andrea; she might not notice how he was watching her, but I did. Fucker wants what's already mine. Staring at her like he would like to fuck her. Bastard was courting death.

His face was a sickly shade of purple when I finally released him. He wheezes and coughs for a while, rubbing his neck where it now bears the mark of my hand and fingers—he coughs for a long time, breathing greedily to replenish his starved lungs with air, before he starts to chuckle.

“Oh, this is priceless, the prodigal son is back, and he’s in love,” he taunts. “I'm sure nonno would be overjoyed. “Don’t think I will let this go, you know me, I'll make you pay for that, Stronzo.”

He glared at me, eyes bloodshot. Now that he has his breath back, he seems to have gotten his strength back, too! The idiot!

“I can't wait,” I said mockingly. “Now, why don't you explain to me why Don Marchetti has to stoop so low as to kidnap an innocent woman so that he could bring me home? Why not just call me?”

“As if you would have answered, the fact that you think I have any idea what Nonno is thinking proves that you have forgotten what he is like,” he muttered.

“I might have forgotten something, but not the fact that you're his little spy, surely you must have heard something during one of your eavesdropping?”

“Fucking stronzo! I'm not telling you shit,” he smirked. You know, there's only one reason he'd go to this length to bring you back. Did you think you could escape this life? Born in blood brother, and we'll fucking drown in blood too. You, better than anyone, know that the man likes to play games! You should have come home on your own, Ombra.”

“Watch it! If you call me an asshole a third time, it would be your last word,” he glared at me but didn't say a word.

I know I could beat him to bloody pulp, my thoughts ran rampant, and everything Enzo said was true. I should have come home sooner. I know Don would not overlook the fact that I had broken up our pact. But what's done is done.

And, no! I haven't forgotten anything. I know that if Don kidnaps Andrea just to get me here, then he's planning something nefarious that would benefit him only, and it's something he knows I wouldn't agree to.

That's why he needed some leverage over me; the fact that he thinks kidnapping Andrea would make me do what he wants is a wild guess on his side. Unless there's more, I know this particular monster. He's a heartless bastard, a man who the devil himself came to get a few pointers on cruelty.

Don Marchetti only does things that serve his own purposes, though I could guess one of his reasons for luring me here. I know that can't be all of it.

“Vaffanculo! Keep your distance from Andrea. This is the only warning you will get from me. I hope you heed it.”

With that said, I unlocked the door and went back to my Vixen. There's an urgency in me to wake her and get her the fuck away from here. It would be hard, and people would die. But I know Don Marchetti, he would be expecting me to do just that, try to take her.

Which might not be the best decision I've made; I have made a similar play. I suspect he already has Andrea's loved ones, her friends, being watched. Not to mention the instant I take Andrea and run, I will become a traitor of the famiglia.

All the Capos and soldiers would be out for me; the hunter would be the hunted. Andrea would have a hit on her, and anyone who meant anything to her would be killed. There would be no peace for either of us. We'll be hunted anywhere we go.

Yes! I am Shadow. I have the power and means to escape into the world, but that was before. Now I have Andrea. It's true I have loyal men who would kill and die for me, but I would never let my men endanger their lives when I could handle things on my own.

At the moment, my grandfather has me by the balls. I'll wait to see how things play out while I develop my own plans. Being back here, under his thumb, grated on everything I am.

I hate him more than anything in this world, the man who wielded his power over me, the man who denied me my birth name given to me by my parents, saying I needed to earn it. I have so many scores to settle with Don Marchetti.

The man who taught me many different ways to kill and maim. To say I'm not afraid of this man would be a lie, but I was no longer under his control, and I have learned from him.

With time, he would understand that I was and will always be the fucking predator and never the prey.

As I hugged her to me, her body molded perfectly into mine. She sighed and turned towards me, her hands curled into my sides, her legs thrown over mine; she was perfect, made for me.

I was instantly hard, my cock pulsing with the need for her walls to milk me, when I remembered how hot and tight her pussy felt, she was wet for me, it was clear I wasn't the only one who had missed our fucking.

I will allow her a few hours' sleep after that, I will be balls fucking deep inside her. Reclaiming her!

Tonight, the surprise of seeing me must have blindsided her, but come morning, she would be wanting some answers. Which I'm afraid she can't have just yet.