32 - Last wishes

Mia's POV.

A splash of ice-cold water on my face jarred me awake.

I shivered, trying to move my arms, but realized I couldn't. Ever so slowly, I blinked my eyes open, the water in them making my sight blurry.

What happened? Where was I?

My head throbbed as another splash of water hit my face, some of it going into my mouth, too.

I shook my face from side to side, trying to get the water out of my eyes so I could finally see clearly.

I blinked hard a few times, the room around me slowly coming into focus.

It was rather tastefully decorated with a marbled floor, textured walls covered with abstract paintings while I sat in the middle of it on a cushioned chair, my hands tied behind my back and my legs tied to the chair.

In front of me stood Alfonso, looking down at me with a stoic expression on his face.

"You!" I sputtered out glaring at him. The last thing I remembered was drinking water from the bottle he had given me, and then, nothing. "You brought me here! Why? What do you want?" I asked, my glare turning hotter by the minute.

He did not say anything, simply staring at me with a stern expression in place.

"Answer me, dammit!"

"Because I told him to bring you here," a familiar voice answered and I looked behind Alfonso to see Luca entering the room.

"Luca?" I whispered, shocked at what was happening. Luca brought me here? Why?

"Yes. It's me," Luca said, smiling down at me now that he was standing right in front of me.

"Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?" I asked, turning my glare to him. I didn't understand. I got that he didn't like me all that much but to actually kidnap me like this? Why?

"I want to get rid of you. Like I did Julia, Rico's ex," he said casually.

I frowned. "But wasn't she killed by some mafia family?"

Luca chuckled. "That's what Rico thinks. You see, he was never groomed to be the Boss like his brother was. He does not understand that there is no place for love in the life of a Boss. He gets distracted easily. First, it was by Julia, and now, by you."

What the hell? How could he, of all people, say that there was no place for love in Rico's life when he himself seemed to be crazy in love with Rico's sister? Or was that a lie too? A front to hide the hideous person he truly was? "You're fucking crazy, Luca. Rico's going to kill you when he finds out about this," I said to him, seething in anger.

He smirked at me, his expression full of malice. "I'm not crazy. I'm loyal to the family, much more than he could ever be. I did what was best for us then. Rico was getting distracted by his girlfriend, so not only did I get rid of her, I also used it to the advantage of our family. Her murder angered Rico enough that he annihilated the entire family who he thought had killed her. It provided us with the power and stability we needed at that time and solidified Rico's stance as the Boss."

Bloody hell. This man was sick, alright. He and his twisted logic were completely deranged. He killed an innocent woman simply because he thought she was distracting Federico from his path of becoming a Boss when all she had really wanted was to help him after the death of his family members. "Fuck off, Luca," I spat out, getting angry on behalf of the dead woman and Rico. God, Rico still thought it was his fault that Julia had died when it was his own brother-in-law who had killed her in the name of helping the family.

"Now, I'm going to kill you and frame the Russians for it. That would get Rico right back on track to killing those fuckers," Luca continued as if he hadn't even heard me, grinning to himself like a madman.

Christ, this man had lost his mind. I had to find a way to get out of here or he was going to kill me. I couldn't let that happen. I still had to find my sister. I realized I had to keep him talking for as long as he was speaking, he wasn't going to kill me. Or at least, I hoped he wouldn't.

"Look, don't kill me, Luca. I'll not be a distraction to Rico. In fact, I'll help him attack the Russians. I've been—"

"Shut up," he said harshly, cutting me off mid-sentence. "You are nothing but a distraction. Rico has not left his room ever since you got injured when he should be in his office working. Besides, you're an outsider, an American. You're not fit to be the Boss's wife. He needs to marry a pure Italian woman who would give us an heir to carry forward the legacy of this family."

I scoffed. Who was he to decide what kind of a woman Federico should marry? "You're a biased motherfucker, Luca," I said, spitting at his face in anger.

"You will not disrespect me!" He all but growled, punching me square in the jaw.

I hissed in pain, blood filling my mouth as tears stung my eyes. No. I refused to cry in front of him. I would rather die than show any weakness in front of him.

I spat the blood in my mouth onto the white floors, willing myself not to cry even as I felt my cheek swelling up. "You're not worth respecting, Luca," I said, my glare as sharp as my tongue.

He gave me a sardonic smile. "It doesn't matter what you think. You'll be dead in a few minutes anyway."

No. I couldn't die like this.

"Any last wishes before I kill you, Mia?" He asked, pointing a loaded gun at my forehead.

I stared straight at the barrel of the gun, my entire life flashing before my eyes. Surprisingly enough, it was Federico's face that came to my mind. I could hear his laughter, feel his touch, his love as he cared for me. The way he would always make sure I was well taken care of. The way he would always ensure I was safe. The way he would look at me sometimes, like he couldn't decide if he wanted to hold me close or devour me whole or both.

With a jolt, I realized I'd come to care about him just as much, if not more. That there was another person in this world who mattered to me other than Delilah. Another person in this world I'd come to think of as my own.

Another person in this world I'd come to love.

Too bad I was going to leave him before I got the chance to confess it to him.

Unfortunately, I was going to have to leave it all behind. Leave him behind, too.

I knew without a doubt that Federico would find my sister for me even after I was gone.

The thought brought the slightest of peace to my mind.

I closed my eyes, then, knowing my time on God's green earth was coming to an end. I'd never thought this was how I would go, but oh, well.

"I'll see you soon, Mom and Dad," I whispered to myself as I waited for Luca to end my life, briefly wondering if it would hurt too much.

Then, a loud bang echoed in the room, silencing all else.