Page 73 of Mob Princess

24

Bonnie

My eye hurt.My stomach turned over onto itself. It felt like I’d broken one of my knuckles, and the scratches down my legs had clotted over with scabs. The car I rode in the back of pulled up to my uncle’s estate. I gazed up at it, wondering what other tortures I might face before my death.

You were born into a dangerous life. You always knew that.

The car came to a stop, and my eyes danced along the pressure-washed facade of the house. I reflected on the way I had lived my life up until this point. Quiet. Meek. Mild. Never one to anger people or raise my voice. I had been born into a dangerous life, and instead of owning that, I’d decided to play it safe. I’d become weak. Naive. Acting as if this world didn’t exist, when it really did.

But now, I felt something else blossoming inside me, felt something else taking hold of my soul. The darkness that had always draped me entered through every orifice in my body, filling me from my toes to my nose.

It’s time to get back to Israel.

However, the second my uncle stepped onto the grand front porch, all of my strength dissipated. The wild grin on his face and his growing eyes told me I was about to endure tortures I didn’t even understand to exist. He walked closer to the car, and I slid to the other side. Trying my best to get away from him. My body was sore from last night, but the scratches and the bruises had Giovanni left behind were only an appetizer to what Pava would do to me.

After all, I was privy to his techniques. I’d heard the screams from our sound-proof basement, even as a child. I knew what happened down there. I knew what Pava did once he got his hands on someone he wanted to eliminate.

So, when he opened the door, I expected him to yank me out. I expected him to beat me senseless before tossing me over his shoulder.

But instead, he smiled at me and offered his hand. “Come. It looks like you could use a hot bath and a nice meal.”

As memories of my parent’s death crossed my mind, I shook my head. Because even though he was playing nice, I knew he wouldn’t be that way for long. I knew he’d play the psychological game with me until I begged for death.

Time to get back to Israel, Bonnie.

I just didn’t know how to make that happen.

I didn’t know how to make anything happen anymore.

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