Debt to the Mafia

Chapter 19

—MICHELE—

Fuck! What kind of monster have I become? I’ve done the one thing I swore to myself that I wouldn’t do. I’ve hit Amelia! The fit of rage overpowered my ability to think straight. As soon as she mentioned my mother I instantly went on the defensive. I lost control when that piece of s**t was compared to me. I’m nothing like my father! He was a twisted, sick minded man and I loathed him with every inch of my body. 

I charged down the stairs and headed towards the back door at the far side of the main floor. Before I could reach for the handle of the sliding glass doors, Ricco stopped me. 

“Boss!” He called out and I turned to him with my fists clenched.

“What?!” I barked. Ricco took a step back and paused for a moment.

“Renzo and Donte have arrived with Jace” he informed me. I made them take a separate plane back to the house because I didn’t want Jace anywhere near Amelia; for her sake and for mine. I nodded at him and walked out of the front door. Following the side path to the outhouse, I was relieved I had someone to take my anger and shame out on. It was time for Jace to finally be given his punishment for betraying me. 

I opened the metal door and walked down the steps to the underground basement. I turned it into a prison for the scumbags that try to cross me. At the bottom of the stairs was another metal door with huge bolts and locks on. Renzo and Donte were standing there guarding the door. Donte has tanned skin and black hair that drooped over his brow; his hair colour matched his dark eyes. He’s fairly muscular but quite short. He didn’t really say a lot but he got jobs done. Renzo was quite the opposite to Donte; he has light, hazel eyes and his hair is slightly lighter in comparison. His hair is shorter and swept back and his skin is a bit paler. He’s 24, older than Donte and he’s a bit skinnier. I unbolted it and used my key to unlock the padlocks. With a loud squeak of the metal, I pulled the door open and stared at Jace. He was hanging from the top of his cage by his arms, chained and bound in the most uncomfortable position. The skin on his forehead was dampened with sweat and he was shivering with fear. I narrowed my eyes at him and slammed the door shut behind me. I spoke only in Italian to intimidate him.

“Comfy?” I grinned as a muffled groan escaped through the cloth that was tied around his mouth.

“You know, it’s really unfortunate for you that you’ve decided to betray me when I have got so much going on. However for me, it’s a blessing in disguise” I began as I paced slowly up and down the room. 

“I’ve had a very stressful couple of days which has caused me to be a very busy man. Now that we’re back here, I’ve got as much time as I want to make you pay for your actions”. He started to rattle the chains around his wrists, panicking about what I planned to do to him. I unlocked the cage and leant against the bars beside the door. 

“Did I not give you a strict order to protect Amelia? To keep her safe and inside that penthouse?” I asked knowing that he couldn’t reply with the gag in his mouth.

“I didn’t say anything about you bringing her into your office and taking advantage of her”. He started to hum, trying to speak and defend himself. I wanted to hear the pathetic excuses he was going to make before I killed him. I wanted to hear him beg for his life. I removed the gag and waited for him to lubricate his mouth so he could talk.

“Boss... she said that she had left something in your office so I escorted her to get it. She played me!” He sobbed. 

“And that gave you the f*****g right to try and f**k her did it?!” I shouted aggressively. He lowered his head to face the floor. 

“I’m sorry boss. I swear; I will never do anything like that again” he quivered and I moved towards him. I gripped his throat and snarled in his face.

“No you f*****g won’t. You won’t get the chance to” I growled. His fearful expression encouraged me to throw my fist into his cheek bone. His head forced sideways as he wailed out in pain. I pulled out my gun and placed it to his temple, enjoying the way he flinched as I pressed it deeper. 

“Please boss, I’m sorry! Don’t kill me!” He begged. It was like music to my ears and gave me the sense of power as I held his life under the tip of my gun.

“You should be thanking me for making it a quick death. I could have dragged this out and made you suffer for days” I chuckled.

“She isn’t yours to touch. She’s mine...” I reminded him and applied pressure into his temple.

“She’s f*****g mine!” I repeated and c****d the gun. A loud shot echoed against the walls and he dropped lifelessly, hanging by his wrists. I took a moment to compose myself and wipe the splatters of blood from my face. I called in Donte and told him to clean up. I had other jobs that I needed to do. 

—AMELIA—

I sobbed uncontrollably that night. Imagining the hatred that was on Michele’s face before he lunged and at me and punched me. I never thought that he would attack me like that. I could tell that he wasn’t in control and that frightened me. He needs to let go of his guilt for his mother and the pain that his dad caused; it’s tearing him apart. Even though he has caused me physical damage, I’m still sitting here defending him. Why can’t I just stay mad at him? 

Nico called in their doctor that they hired. He told me that they always have their own personally doctor so that they don’t have to be admitted to hospital and asked questions by the police. His name was Karmelo and he looked like your average Italian man. Dark hair, dark eyes, tanned skin and fairly well built. He seemed quite mature and looked older than a lot of the men here, maybe 35 or 36 years old. He took good care of me. He said that I needed to stay awake for the day and make sure I didn’t fall asleep in case I had a concussion. If I had any signs or symptoms then he was to be called straight away. My throat and face was badly bruised but there was no other damage which was good to hear. He gave me instructions to rest and keep my mind busy so that I don’t fall asleep. 

I didn’t have any symptoms related to concussion throughout the day and only suffered with a croaky voice, a sore throat and a headache. I haven’t seen Michele since it happened, not even to apologise. After seeing the regret written on his face when he realised what he had done, I thought that he might have at least come to check on me. A sudden knock at the door disturbed me from my self pity. 

“Who is it?!” I called out. 

“It’s me darling, I’ve come to bring you some food” Sandy called from the other side of the door. I gave her permission to come in. She walked in and used her back to open it wide, holding a silver tray steadily in her hands. She placed the tray onto my lap and turned on the lamp beside me. She didn’t react to the bruising on my face and neck, instead she just explained what she had prepared for me.

“I know that your throat is sore so I made you some homemade soup, there’s a bit of bread there if you can manage it and a cold glass of milk” she smiled. I grinned and thanked her.

“Can I get you anything else?” She politely asked and I shook my head. Before she left I called her name causing her to turn to me.

“Where’s Michele?” I asked. A flash of shock wiped across Sandy’s face, as if she wasn’t expecting me to care. 

“He’s out at the moment” she replied. 

“Out? Like gone to the shops or out on ‘business’” I said sarcastically. 

“He just said that he’s going out and to keep an eye on you” she explained before exiting the room.