The Mafia's Hostage

| 5 | Showers and explosives.

E M E L I A N A

I open the faucet, letting the water rush out, the small droplets hitting the metallic surface of the tub like tiny bullets. I extend my hand to touch the water but pull my hand back when the ice like sensation makes contact with my skin. I turn the faucet more to the left where the hot side is and let all the cold water run through.

I turn to the mirror of the bathroom and stare at myself. My light blue eyes are surrounded by a haze of light red, due to all my excessive crying. The dark circles are a lot lighter than I expected, but it's probably cause I got the chance to take a small nap. My eyes shift to my cheek where the skin is slightly bruised and tainted with an unappealing redness. I place my finger over it; poking it with little force resulting in me wincing a bit as the skin begins to throb painfully.

I turn back to the shower and put my hand under the water droplets and thankfully they had become warmer. Satisfied with the temperature, I begin to take off my clothes carefully placing them in a neat pile. I am getting a bit anxious because I wouldn't have anything to wear, underwear included.

I sigh in defeat and suck it up, climbing into the tub and standing under the shower. I close my eyes as the warm water flows through the roots of my hair and down my body, relaxing my muscles. It seems like all my problems were slowly drifting away, all my sadness, anger, being washed away like a plank of wood being carried away down a river bed by viscous tides.

For a second, only a fragment of a second, I am at ease.

But then reality sets in.

As quickly as the feeling of tranquillity came, it vanishes abruptly, bringing me back to my own harsh reality.

I try as hard as I can to remember what about my father said about The Genovese Family.

"You'd better listen this time, it's important."

His hoarse voice sounds in my head. Of all times I chose to not listen to my father, why was it then, when he was trying to inform me of crucial information.

"-I was supposed to... With the Don... But he was ..."

I struggle remembering what the important parts of the conversation were.

Frustrated, I pick up the bar of soap and a small blue sponge and begin scrubbing myself.

Once I'm done, I wash off all the white suds of soap and get out of the tub, wrapping a black towel around myself.

I dry all the water off my body and just stand there, unsure of what to do.

I didn't have any clean clothes, any deodorant, any lotion, or underwear. Adriano did say he would get me some clothes, I just felt too embarrassed about asking again. But I'm not going to stay in that bathroom forever.

Sighing in defeat, I walk towards the door, opening it partially and peeping into the hallways.

"Adriano?" I call out hoping for his reply. But to my dismay, I am greeted by another silence.

"Adriano?" I repeat his name again, this time a bit louder. I hear soft shuffling followed by a few footsteps. I swallow audibly and suck in a deep breath.

"What do you want?" Luca's harsh voice speaks as he stands at the edge of the hallway.

"W-where's Adriano?" I ask, hiding behind the doorway, so he won't see my semi-naked body.

He stares at me peculiarly before stepping out of the shadowy hallway and taking a few steps towards me.

"He went to run some errands, he'll be back later. Why are you asking for him?" He says, crossing his muscular arms and creasing his eyebrows.

"U-um, I don't have any clean clothes and, Adriano said he'd get me something to wear," I tell him, trying as much as possible to hide the embarrassment in my voice.

"Hmm." He huffs and comes closer to me. He stands in front of me and places his hand on the bathroom door as if he is about to push it open.

"W-What are you doing?" I question; confused about what he is trying to accomplish.

"I'm trying to get in. Could you move?" He says casually and pushes the door from the outside as I push from the inside.

"N-no, I'm only in a towel," I say frantically as I try with all my might to keep him front entering.

Alas.

He overpowers me and manages to push the door open, causing me to stumble back and almost slip on the wet tiles.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I snap at him, gripping the towel onto my chest. What is worse is that the towel is super short, long enough to cover my butt, but still expose my legs.

"Nothing, I was just trying to get in." He replies me, casually as he eyes me with profound curiosity.

"You have nice legs."

The heat rises to my face as I begin blushing again.

I probably look like a freaking tomato.

"Don't stare at my legs!" I exclaim, going behind the shower curtain.

I probably look insane.

"I cannot help it. They're sexy." He smirks at me, still eyeing me. I shiver at his compliment, as my blush grows deeper.

"J-just tell me what you're doing in here." I quickly change the subject, still hiding behind the shower curtain.

"You said you wanted clothes."

"Yeah?"

He sighs and walks over to the cabinet and starts changing the codes on the small combination lock that I hadn't noticed until now. Once it unlocks with a click, he opens it and begins taking out a black plastic bag.

"Here." He tosses the bag to me; I fail to catch it as it hits me and falls onto the floor.

"You can wear those." He says causally and begins to leave the bathroom.

"Why couldn't you just tell me where they were?" I almost yell at him in frustration.

"You wouldn't have known the combination." He shrugs while standing in the doorway.

"Why do you keep a lock on a cabinet?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

"Because I keep my spare guns there." He crosses his arms, still eyeing me.

"Plus, how could I miss the chance of you... like that..." He smirks at me, with his same stupid eyebrow raise.

"Get out!" I yell and come out from behind the curtain and quickly shove him out of the bathroom.

His laugh diminishes as his voice got quieter and quieter. At least he is gone for now.

I look into the bag and pick out the clothes. There is a dark red t-shirt and some black jeans and surprisingly there is a red lace bra with matching underwear.

Victoria's Secret if we are being specific.

I nod my head in appreciation but I am a little confused as to why they had to make sure I had expensive underwear. Standards I guess.

I check the size to see if it would fit. 36C. At least it is my size.

After I put them on, I wear the red top and jeans and I am surprised at how well they fitted. Kinda creepy actually, the way they are my exact size... I run a towel through my wet hair and tie it up into a messy bun.

Once I'm done I come out of the bathroom and go to the room I woke up in, placing the clothes on the bed as soon as I enter.

"You change fast." Luca's voice comes from behind me causing my heart to jump as I scream in fear.

"Don't do that." I drawl with a frown on my face. I turn to face him, leaning on the doorway.

"What do you want?"

He doesn't say anything; he simply continues to stare at me, eyeing me from head to toe, analyzing my body.

"When Adriano gets back, we are leaving." He says as his eyes meet mine.

"You still haven't told me where we are going..."

"It doesn't matter for now. I want you to know that when we do get there, you are not to say a word. Just listen to our instructions and let us do all the talking. Got it?"

"I'm not some kind of puppet. Why do I have to listen to you?" I retort. Why do I keep forgetting that this guy is a vicious murderer?

"You will if you want to get there alive, and with all your limbs intact."

Right, there we go.

"F-fine." I mutter, not knowing what else to say.

He turns to walk out of the room but before he could leave I call him back.

"Luca."

"What?" He asks, his pink lips parted as he stares at me questioningly.

"W-when you attacked my family... D-did you do it all on your own?"

He stares at me for a moment, his chest rising and falling slowly, his eyes searching for something in mine.

"Mostly. Everyone else died before I entered the mansion..." He replies me and exits the room, leaving me standing in my spot, completely baffled.

. . . . .

"Are you ready? Did you get what I asked for?" Luca asks Adriano, who is loading the car with some duffle bags.

"Think fast," Adriano says and tosses Luca something in a small black pouch.

"Perfect," Luca responds, placing the bag in the centre of his hand and weighing it.

"It's a thousand short though," Adriano comments while loading one more duffle bag into the car and closing the boot with one hand.

"30k is a lot. I'm sure 1000 won't make that much of a difference." He replies Adriano, putting the pouch in his jacket pocket. "Emeliana. Get in the car." He instructs, walking to the car.

I nod before walking over to the car, seeing that there was no reason to argue.

"Ah, one more thing." Luca catches my attention just as I am about to enter.

"We need to tie you up." He lets out casually, standing in front of me.

"It's not like I'm going to escape out of a moving vehicle, why do you need to tie me up?" I ask, irritation grazing my voice.

"Here we go with questions. Can't you just be a good little hostage?" He says, grabbing my arm and holding it tightly.

"Ow! That hurts!" I wince as he maintains his grip.

"We need to leave now-" Adriano says before his eyes land on and Luca.

"Mariano let go of her, why must you be so aggressive?" Adriano scolds, but Luca ignores him and continues to drag me. He pushes me against the car and has his arm against my neck holding me down, but not in a way that would choke me. I gasp as my back hits the hard exterior of the car with a painful thud. Luca looms over me, staring me in the eye with a menacing and extremely volatile glare.

"Fine I won't tie you up, but if you say one word, try any bullshit, anything that'll make me regret not tying you up, then I'm dropping you on the side of the road. Am I clear?" He says in an extremely calm voice.

"Mm-mhm." I mutter, flustered by the close proximity.

He lets go off me and opens the car door, c*****g his head to the side and motioning for me to enter.

Once I do, he wastes no time and slams the car door and walking off.

For a split second the thought of escaping crosses my mind as I stare at the door. Maybe when they're about to enter the car I can make a run for it...

Are you stupid? Luca would shoot you with no hesitation.

Damn, I do sound stupid.

I just have to remain calm at this time. Even though I have absolutely no idea where we're heading to, I can't show them that I am scared.

The car doors open and Luca slides in the driver's seat with Adriano in the passenger seat.

"Put your seatbelt on." Luca grunts, slamming his car door and doing as he had asked me.

I reach for the seatbelt, strapping myself in.

"Did you make sure the explosives are in place?" Adriano asks his brother as he starts the car up.

"Did you say explosives?!" I blurt out before slapping my mouth shut, making Luca turn to me with an ominous glare.

"Yes I did," Adriano responds without shifting his gaze.

"Strike 1." Luca lets out, starting up the engine and pulling the car out of parking.

He speeds out of the driveway and joins the main highway, changing the gears and driving extremely fast.

"Detonate it." He says as I feel my heart skip a beat as Adriano takes out a remote that resembles a walkie-talkie.

It all happened so fast.

One moment we are driving and then the next, the house that we left behind is being obliterated into a billion pieces, pieces of wood and debris flying all over the place. The sound is deafening, nothing like I've ever heard before. I scream and cover my ears but it isn't enough the noise from leaving my eardrums with an uncomfortable ringing sensation.

"Why the f**k did you just blow up the house?!" I yell at both of them. They weren't even affected by the sound of the blast.

"Strike two..." Luca exhales deeply as if he was bottling up his anger.

"So we can't be traced... and the house was scheduled for demolition anyway," Adriano replies while putting the detonator in his bag.

"That doesn't mean you had to blow up the entire house!"

"I suggest you stop talking now before Luca loses it." He advises glancing to his brother.

I huff and take his advice, trying to keep my mouth shut this time, turning back to watch the large mushroom clouds of smoke make their way up into the atmosphere.