Between Esposito and His Weapons Part I

Between Esposito and His Weapons Part I
Maggie’s Point of View

It all happened in the blink of an eye; it was like watching happiness slip through my fingers—impossible to hold onto, impossible to get back. One moment, we were all gathered together, laughing softly, listening to Valentina DeGrassi speak with emotion, while Chiara and Noah exchanged loving glances, both with smiles that seemed to light up the entire room. The delicate decor, the soft lighting, the sound of glasses being raised… everything contributed to that false sense of peace, and then all hell broke loose. The gunshots echoed too loud, too violent, tearing through the air as if capable of destroying everything they touched. My entire body stiffened in an instant, my heart racing so abruptly it actually hurt in my chest. Before I could even process the sound, the doors were brutally kicked in, the wood giving way with a crash that made some people scream. Six… maybe seven men stormed into the hall, all armed. Large, heavy weapons, pointed directly at us.

Chaos broke out in seconds; the smell of gunpowder began to spread, mixing with the sweet scent of the room, creating something nauseating. Some people were crying; others were completely frozen, unable to even breathe properly. I didn’t know exactly who they were, but there was something familiar about them—their posture, the way they moved… they looked Italian, Marco’s men. For a second, a single second, my mind betrayed reason. What if this was a trap? What if Marco had planned this? Gathered us there… to capture us all at once?

Dominic. Nicolai. Yulia. Me.

But the thought had barely fully formed when the sound of clapping echoed through the hall, slow, ironic, sickening. My stomach churned even before I saw him, then he appeared. Stepping through the shattered door, walking as if he owned the whole place, as if he were arriving late to a party to which he’d always been invited.

Massimo Esposito.

The air seemed to vanish from my lungs.

He looked… different, thinner, his face completely bruised, swollen, stained with purple and red; there were open cuts, some still fresh, others already dry, his clothes were stained with blood, both dried and still wet, as if he’d stepped straight off a battlefield, and yet… he was smiling. A crooked, cruel smile that sent a cold shiver up my spine.

He was still a threat, perhaps more so than before.

“How rude not to invite this house’s very special guest to join the party.”

My breath caught in my throat; fear hit me with full force—brutal, suffocating—my heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst out of my mouth. I couldn’t think straight… I couldn’t react… I could only feel. Instinctively, my eyes sought out Dominic; he was already looking at me. His body was completely on high alert, rigid like a spring about to snap. Jamie was in his arms, held against his chest with an almost desperate firmness. He held our son protectively, turning his little face away, hiding him against his shoulder, one hand supporting his little head so he wouldn’t see anything.

So he wouldn’t understand anything.

“Damn it!” he muttered under his breath, almost inaudibly, but I saw the movement of his lips, saw the tension in his jaw, and I understood.

We were unarmed. When we entered, they had taken every weapon from us, and from what I could see now, no one in that room had reacted earlier because there was simply no way to react. We were exposed, vulnerable, and at their mercy. My body was shaking, but even so I turned my head slowly, searching… trying to find someone who could explain this, someone behind it all.

Marco.

But when my eyes met his, I knew. He didn’t know. His gaze was fixed on Massimo, rigid, almost paralyzed; there was something there… something raw, too real to be an act.

Surprise, anger, and perhaps… fear. I felt it deep in my bones; Marco DeGrassi hadn’t planned this, and that was even worse. Because it meant no one was in control of the situation.

How the hell had Massimo Esposito gotten past all that security? I remembered the path to that hall perfectly, the men scattered across the property, from the gate to the interior of the mansion. It was impossible… simply impossible for anyone to get in there like that without being stopped, and yet… he was there, right in front of us.

Smiling and ready to destroy everything.

“Marco, I’m really sad. We used to be so close, and now look how you treat me… at least let me take a shower so I don’t scare the poor women and children now.”

Massimo’s voice echoed through the hall with an almost theatrical tone, as if all of this were just a grotesque performance for his own entertainment. The crooked smile on his bruised lips only made everything more unsettling.

“What the hell…” Marco began, his voice heavy with disbelief and restrained anger.

He walked forward, weaving through the guests as if each step were calculated, until he stopped beside Dominic; his eyes swept over the armed men, one by one, with a coldness that tried to hide his shock.

“You betrayed me.” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

And from the silence that followed for a brief second, it was clear he already knew the answer before anyone said a word.

Massimo laughed. A low, hoarse, completely insane sound.

“Not only did you betray me, but you were eager to do so. To get me out of that damn cell where you put me…” he tilted his head, as if savoring his own story. “But since I had a plan… and very specific targets to hit… I had to wait for this little meeting to happen.”

My whole body trembled. A cold shiver ran down my spine, while the weight of his words sank into my chest. Specific targets, which meant us. I let out a shaky sigh, feeling the air escape my lungs with difficulty.

“What do you want, Massimo?” Dominic’s voice cut through the room, firm, authoritative, filling the entire space like an order disguised as a question.

Massimo smiled even wider, his swollen eye almost closing completely with the movement.

“What do I want?” he repeated, as if savoring every syllable. “That’s a question with many answers, Dominic Volkov.” He clicked his tongue, slowly. “But first… what I want is to thank you for getting me out of jail.” My stomach churned. “You really should have killed me when you had the chance.”

His smile widened and something inside me snapped. My gaze immediately went to Jamie, and my jaw trembled. He shouldn’t be there, Dominic had said, he didn’t want us to come, he knew it wasn’t safe, he sensed it… and yet we insisted.

I insisted, and now… My baby was in the middle of it all.

“Bianchi, hand me one of those little things.” Massimo’s voice yanked me out of my thoughts like a punch.

With tears already welling in my eyes, I watched one of the men move. He did it with frightening ease, drawing a gun from his own hip with precision, without even lowering the other one that remained pointed at the group, then he handed the gun over and Massimo took it, cocked it, and aimed it directly at us. The metallic click echoed too loudly in my head.

“Get everyone who isn’t useful to me out of here. Three of you do that… lock them in a fucking room.”

Panic spread immediately. Massimo turned his face toward the guests.

“Nobody moves… or this turns into a bloodbath. I have nothing left to lose.” The way he said it… cold, true… made my blood run cold. “I’m leaving this house alive or dead. And if I’m dead… I’m taking as many people as I can with me.”

My chest tightened, I could barely breathe as I watched the men start to move, separating the people. Some were dragged away brutally, others went almost without reacting, completely paralyzed by fear. There was crying, whispering, stifled screams. The sound of a party… destroyed.

I moved without realizing it; my legs carried me to Dominic as if by pure instinct. My hands found the fabric of his suit, clutching it tightly, as if it were the only thing keeping me on my feet, and he was already looking at me.

Always.

His eyes met mine immediately.

“Stay with me,” he said softly, his voice steady despite the obvious tension. “Don’t do anything. Don’t say a word. You and Jamie will be okay.”

I wanted to believe him. God, how I wanted to.

“Dominic…” my voice came out in a whisper, weak, almost nonexistent.

“Just do what I say,” he continued, his eyes locked on mine as if he were trying to anchor me. “I’ll protect you, I’ll find a way to get you out of here… safe and sound.” His jaw was so tense it looked like it was going to snap at any moment. “How the hell did this happen?” he asked then, turning his face toward Marco, anger overflowing in his voice. “You assured me he wouldn’t be able to escape.”

“Damn it! Can’t you see I’m just as surprised as you are?” Marco snapped, his irritation exploding. “This wasn’t supposed to happen… but you know the feeling of being betrayed by your own, right? I don’t need to explain.”

Dominic let out a heavy breath.

“This is all your fault,” he retorted, his voice low and dangerous. “And when we get out of this shit, you’re going to pay even dearly for putting my son and my wife in danger again.”

Marco held his gaze, his face tense, his jaw muscles clenched, and then, in a lower, almost inaudible tone…

“Under two chairs at the table by the left window… there are two guns strapped under the seat.”

My heart raced as Dominic stared at him.

“Were you planning to shoot someone?”

“Valentina didn’t want any guns here,” Marco replied curtly. “It’s my house, so I gave in, but I would never stay in a place—even if it’s mine—completely unprotected.”

Dominic closed his eyes for a brief second, and when he opened them again, there was resolve there. Cold and calculated. He began to turn slowly, almost naturally, positioning Jamie completely beside me, as if it were just a matter of adjusting the space. I wrapped my arms around our son automatically, pulling him close to me, feeling his little body tremble against mine, and then… I heard the voice behind Dominic.

“Are you two really friends now?” My whole body stiffened. “You’re even full of little secrets…” the voice continued, laced with a sickening amusement. “I think I want to be part of this friendship. How about including me in your conversation?”

It was Massimo, so close. Too close. His presence behind Dominic was like a suffocating shadow, and at that moment… we were on the brink. He had the gun pointed at Dominic’s head. I could see the cold metal pressed against his temple, so close it felt like any false move would make it fire. My whole body went rigid, the air trapped in my lungs, as I fought not to panic.

“Massimo, let my wife, my sister, and my son get out of here. I’m in your crosshairs; I won’t fight back, I won’t do anything stupid. I’ll cooperate fully with you… just let them get out safely.”

Dominic’s voice came out firm, controlled, but I knew every nuance of it. I knew how much this was costing him. He didn’t even turn his face completely; Jamie was still there.

Always him first.

“Dominic… sorry, I can’t do that,” Massimo replied, almost bored. “But if you cooperate and do everything I say, I can promise they’ll get out of here alive.”

Promise. The word sounded like a cruel joke.

“What do you want from us, Massimo?” Marco said, his voice heavy with impatience and contempt. “Isn’t it pretty stupid to have a chance to escape and then decide to attack not only me and my family, but also Dominic and hers?”

Massimo smiled. A slow smile.

“You know, I’ve thought about that a lot,” he began, walking slowly, as if he were telling a story over dinner. “While I was convincing Bianchi every time he came to bring me my food… every attempt to make him remember who I was… how the famiglia is falling apart in his hands… alliances with Dominic Volkov? Lending your men to him, seriously, Marco?” He looked directly at Marco. “I promised I could give them what many have wanted for a long time… a way to get rid of you.” The silence grew heavier. “I thought… I could just do that, run away. But then what?” He shrugged. “Was I going to live on the run? Hidden like an animal? How would I survive in this country?” He shook his head, almost disappointed in himself. “No. I want so much more, and… I need to fulfill what I promised those men.”

My stomach churned. As he spoke, people began to be taken away. One by one. Dragged, escorted, pushed, and the sound of crying grew louder, full of despair.

I saw Chiara out of the corner of my eye, Noah clinging to her, trying to protect her even with his hands tied, thick tears streaming down her face. Yulia was pale, her eyes wide with terror, while Nicolai held her close, steady, as if he were the only thing keeping her from collapsing. Marco’s children… God, they were pale and frozen. Valentina held them close to her body, one in each arm, like a desperate mother protecting her cubs from a predator.

My heart tightened so much it hurt.

The doors closed once everyone who didn’t matter to Massimo had been ushered out, and the hall was left with only those who mattered to him. Me, Dominic with Jamie, Noah, Chiara, Yulia, Nicolai… Marco and his family.

And the men.

Seven.

Seven armed men.

Seven men who had betrayed Marco.