Chapter 42-- A heavy price to pay

Chapter 42-- A heavy price to pay
CRYSTAL

I felt sick in my stomach. My stomach churned and I almost gagged. Standing right in front of me was Leonardo and about three other men of equal muscularity.

But that wasn't what got my attention. Strapped to a chair with heavy amount of blood tainting his shirt was a man. He was bleeding profusely, screaming for help and I happened to walk in on them the moment Leonardo snapped his neck broken.

I held on to the door frame to keep myself from actually collapsing on to the ground.
What the hell did I just witness?
The air had this stench of blood and death in it.

Leonardo did not notice my arrival at first due to the adrenaline rushing through him, vexation and rage eagerly dancing within his eyes until I whimpered and gasped in horror and shock.

Only then did his blue eyes trailed up to look at my trepadised form. I could tell his jaws dropped on seeing me. Blood was smeared over his shirt, along with his arms and some splattered on his face.

"What..... are you doing... here?" Leonardo asked like he had seen a ghost. His face became pale--just like the dead man he had killed.

A sob escaped my mouth and I shook uncontrollably.
This man was deadly.
I can't stay with him. Hell I can't stay here.
I can't believe I actually envisioned staying with a killer.

"What the hell did I just see?"I choked on a sob, allowing hot fat tears to roll down my cheeks.

"Crystal...wait...I..i can explain" Leonardo spoke hesitantly, fear pooling in his eyes as to how I'll react.

The men around Leonardo looked as shocked as he was and not one of them had a clue on what to do.

My eyes glanced at each one of them before dropping back at the dead limp man. I felt a gag haul up my throat again but I held it back, my head spinning in fear.

I looked back at Leonardo and slowly shook my head in disbelief, my footsteps retreating out of the room.
In a flick, I paced downstairs, running with fear and dread coursing through me.

He was a bloody killer. He just killed that man with no remorse and I was envisioning spending my life with him.

I thought I could handle this type of life but I can't.
No no.
I just can't.

I was scared to the bones on what I just saw, tears distorted and blurred my vision as I ran past the multiple doors in the hallway.

"Crystal!"I heard Leonardo scream out my name. He was coming behind me.
My legs seemed to pick up speed. My breathing became heavier as a result of the amount of running I had done and also from the nervousness and fear that infused within me.

Leonardo was hot on my tail and when I turned my head back a little, I could see he was already very close to me.

I managed to reach the huge oak doors of the mansion but Leonardo roughly dragged one of my hands in a swift motion, pulling me back into his house.

"CRYSTAL! Please. Hear. Me. Out!"he breathed heavily, staring at me with concern and worry in his eyes.

I yanked my hands away from his hold, unable to stare back at him.

"Leave me. I don't want to stay here with you Leonardo!" I yelled, trying to control the tears threatening to spill out.

"Here me out please Crystal..that man...you don't mean this..he.."Leonardo stuttered with his words, giving off half complete sentences.

There was fear in his eyes.
I almost felt sorry for him but at the same time I was scared for my own sake.
What was I thinking by believing I could stay with this man?
I would live in fear all my life. Fear of getting shot, fear of being kidnapped, fear of dying as a result of the brawls, guns and criminal activities he was into.

I can't. I just can't.

"You killed a man Leonardo. You didn't even flinch. You snapped his head like he wasn't a human. You ended his life like he was an animal. Even animals don't deserve to die in such a gruelsome manner" I voiced out. With each word I uttered, my stomach churned and churned and I felt nauseous.

"You don't understand. He was not an innocent person...I had to end him..He was the one..."Leonardo attempted to justify himself.

At this point, the workers had already gathered around us, watching the whole commotion in fear of what would happen but none of them dared to come close.

They maintained quite a distance from us.

"You had to kill him?! Can you hear yourself? What sort of a man are you!?" I yelled absolutely flabbergasted.

I shook my head in disbelief at him.
"Can you just calm down Crystal"he said to me.

"You murdered someone without any remorse. You are a beast...a murderer..a criminal" I lashed out, my voice hoarse.
The tears I had been dreading streamed down my face.

"I thought I could stay with you. I thought I could have a future with you. But now I know I can't. I can't be with you Leonardo. Your world are mine are two different worlds that shouldn't relate"I broke down in tears.

Leonardo looked destroyed as I uttered those heart breaking words."Please don't say that. You don't mean any of that"he attempted to touch my face but I pushed his hand away and took a step back, flinching.

"You knew what I was and you accepted me Crystal" Leonardo said with a serious but pleading expression.

He was right though. I knew he was in the mafia but I overlooked it. I felt it didn't matter. I felt his lifestyle wouldn't cause a problem between us but I was wrong. I knew what the mafia entailed but I choose to love him. I had fallen in love with a monster.
The tears streamed more heavily.
I shook my head. "I can't do this. I was a fool for thinking I could stay with you. I just can't Leonardo"

I thought out of sight was out of mind. I thought ignorance was bliss and I felt as long as I didn't see him commit any crime, it wouldn't affect me.
I had managed to convince myself that even if I did, I could still see a future with him.
But I was wrong.

"I can't be with you Leonardo. I can't be with a killer"I managed to speak again.

"Don't say that Crystal" Leonardo practically growled at me.
I shook my head at him. He looked distraught, broken and completely helpless.

"Please Crystal" Leonardo frantically begged. I could see fear pooling in his eyes for me.

I slowly began pacing backwards as Leonardo took slow steps forward. I just could not be with him.

Adrenaline suddenly rushed through me and in a flash, I burst through the double-side doors and ran desperately towards the line of neatly parked cars waiting to run the beast's errands.

"Crystal!" Leonardo screamed my name from behind.

The voice in my head commanded me to run faster than ever and I obeyed it. I sprinted towards the numerous parked cars.

Leonardo was gaining up on me and if he did catch me, I knew for a fact I would be his trapped doll for ever.

"Hey!"one of the drivers in the vicinity yelled at me the moment I slipped into a parked Mercedes --"Stop!" he yelled but I paid no heed.

I pressed the start button and the engine roared to life just the moment Leonardo roughly pushed the driver's car door open.

"Crystal please--"He reached to drag my hands immedately but I slammed at the gas pedal with such agility. The Mercedes lurched forward with speed, the door to my seat still hanging opened.

I didn't care. All I wanted was to get far away from these people.
The tires made screeching sound as they dug through the lawn, leaving a trail of muddy tracks.

I fixed my undivided attention on the huge metallic gate as the guards shuffled to have it closed and sealed tightly. They were Leonardo's faithful dogs but they clearly had no idea how desperate I was to get away from here.

One attempted to jump in front of the car, probably thinking I would stop but I didn't.
The car collided with his body and he hit the windshield before rolling off the ground. Blood smeared in front of the glass and I almost gagged.

The Mercedes sprinted past the guards and out of the gate just before it was closed.
Some of the metals of the closing gate clashed against the Mercedes, making screeching noises and ripping off the driver's door completely.
The blood on the glass and tears in my eyes almost made it impossible for me to see anything.

I heard the sound of roaring engines hotly pursuing me.
Fuck.
The cold wind had its full access to whip ferociously at my skin as I sped down the road in such a brutal speed.

My hands maintained its grip on the wheels of the car and I increased the speedometer.

Oh Lord. I just wanted to get away from Leonardo.
Through the side mirror, I could see his BMW closing in on me along with other roaring engines that were eager to catch up with my damaged Mercedes.

Panic and fear rooted within me, clawing at my insides.
I was now speeding along a bridge and I felt very horrified.

I could hear the loud honk of the BMW. It was by my tail at this moment.
If he gets me, I won't be able to escape again.

I turned back to see how close he was and he was so close, almost tailgating at my car.
I flicked my eyes back on the road and a piercing, horrified scream left my hoarse throat.

Before I could swerve my car, I heard a vociferous crash. My head spinned, hitting violently and repeatedly on the wheel of the car as the Mercedes crashed strongly into the iron rails of the bridge.

The strong collision mixed with the speed of the car sent the car flying down the bridge into the raging river waters with me in it.

I had escaped the beast but it seemed I had exchanged my life for my freedom.