Chapter 45 - Beggar

Chapter 45 - Beggar

He always laughs.

“You lie, you always lie Amariya, it was the biggest problem with you. I know you got her somewhere, it's only a matter of time until I find out where.”

“I won’t lie about this Lucca. I wish it was a fucking lie, I wish I had her.” I scream, “but you, you took her from me. You raped me! You took what I would've given you for free, what I gave you for free, so YOU killed her, not me.”

“It was consensual, you SIGNED the contract.” He shouts and I swear if he was here, he would've strangled me.

“I was sixteen, what the fuck did I know about signing contracts? I trusted you! It was you who left me with those men, you told them to take me back. Do you know what they did to me? YOUR. MEN. Your loyal fucking servants. DO YOU?” I scream, and snarl.

He’s silent and normally I would keep quiet. But no more.

For the first time in four years I tell Lucca exactly what I have to.

“They left me in a god damn ditch for two days. My voice is fucked from screaming. Do you know I didn't even have it checked out, huh! Let's not forget the week I walked around naked without clothes, begging with a cardboard box on. And the days I went without food, without water.” I laugh but it's hollow just like my soul.

Shaking my head, I say, “You wouldn't understand the idea of being hungry, or the reality of it if you're pregnant, but I’ll explain it to you, our daughter didn't stand a chance.”

He's quiet, and for a second I swear I hear him breakdown but he clips the phone off, so I guess I’ll never know.

I look up at the men, there's like twenty different men in the room and Venus looking at me with shocked expressions, except Zero because he already knows.

I didn't tell him everything but I told him what was important.

He didn't take it very well but he hid it well.

I hand Storm back his phone and regain my position.

“I need to make a phone call. He’ll be here soon.”

They all move aside as I climb off the bed. Everyone is silent.

These new people must think I'm crazy. They just walked in, and the first thing they saw was one of my episodes.

Maybe I am crazy.

But I'm the best and only hope they have of getting Jade and Falon back.

I walk out of the lounge and go to the front door, aware Zero is behind me. I dial up the only person I've never doubted.

The person I met when I was sixteen and pregnant, he was my last hope and he never failed.

The price I paid was worth it.

A life for a life. Una vita per una vita.

“Talk.” The bark of his voice makes me smile even in my darkest of moments.

“We spoke about that, it's mean.”

He’s quiet for a long minute,

“Fuck you Riya, where the fuck are you? You just vanished overnight.”

“Nice to hear your voice too Boss man, but this isn't social.”

“We're Italian and family of course it's social.”

My voice drops,

“Lucca called. He seems to think our daughter survived.”

“Fuck,” I hear him throw something.

He never could control his temper.

“I was thinking the same thing. He's coming here, I know it, he won't wait until Wednesday.”

He knows what I'm talking about, why I'm saying what I'm saying, but only him.

“I’ll bring your stuff.”

“That's exactly what I wanted to hear.”

“But, I don't fucking like it, this is the last time Riya, that Strunzo better be clipped by next week or I'm sending Vince with a Moe Green Special.”

I shake my head, “See you soon Boss man.”

I clip the phone off and face Zero's tired gaze.

“Come on, you need to sleep. Falon will be fine.”

He pulls me in closer as his hands squeeze my ass.

“You damn well know it's not Falon I'm worried about.”

I kiss his cheek, “And you damn well know I have to do this. I know Lucca, he doesn't make empty threats and his men won't stop at just killing your men. They’ll hunt your family down, rape your children and burn your houses, this isn't a war ground with rules Zero, this is the outfit, there is no fucking rules.”

I push away from his warmth and walk past him, no doubt he’s following. He's always following me.

“Beauty, whatever you thinking about doing don't. We've hardly had anytime. We haven't even really spoken.”

When I'm silent, he shakes his head.