Page 95 of Hearts Held
Why don’t you ask the mafioso about mother dearest?
I tried asking Bobby about his statement days after the incident, but he claimed he had no recollection of it because of the drug-filled haze he’d been in.
So, I make the poor decision to spy on Louisa. Something doesn’t sit right with me.
In between my work shifts, I run over to her townhome a few blocks from the bread factory and hospital, trying to gauge her patterns of behavior and identify anything suspicious. I even involve Biscuit, who gladly assisted with keeping watch over her whereabouts.
But Biscuit keeps getting caught and questioned by Freddy, which gives me the notion that he must be tied into her sinister endeavors.
As I finish a shift at the hospital, I round the corner of Louisa’s townhome. It is nearly two in the morning and no one is around outside.
Peering up at her home, I notice the kitchen light is on, so I sneak through the gate to investigate.
I gasp in shock as I find Louisa in her kitchen smoking a cigarette—with the head of the Italian mob, Mr. Sabini, sitting directly across from her. He is affectionately grasping her hands and his thumb caresses the back side of one of them. Before I can turn to rush back to my townhome and call Everett, I run into the frame of a large man.
Freddy.
A slimy, wicked smile spreads across his face. “I think you’ve seen enough.”
Then my world goes pitch-black.
Chapter 33: Louisa
Madness, Ruelle
Freddy pulls up to the establishment Sabini secretly gifted me several years after the death of my husband.
It is a bit run-down since I hadn’t been able maintain it, but it made do, and it looks inconspicuous to bystanders roaming the outskirts of town.
It is essentially a run-down stone cottage.
Ivy grows on one side and two windows are boarded up, and the tattered roof has clearly lived through various storms and seasons.
I proved my worthiness and sold the details of so many trade routes to Sabini, in hopes he would surpass the Afton family and begin overthrowing their enterprise. Though so far, the Aftons always have been ableto stay one step ahead, recuperating any stolen goods, avenging any men who are struck down. After the war, my boys became more brutal especially Everett. Though I felt no sense of pride in this—only disgust.Iwas the queen of this enterprise, and no one ever treated me as such. They should have worshiped at my feet, forIbirthed those boys. One could not truly understand why I fucked over my so-called family unless they were in my position.
Luckily, I have Freddy.
He’s easy to manipulate and was pining for my attention while the others ignored me. All I had to do was convince him he needs to earn my love and affection. Now he does everything I instruct.
We need to get rid of our problem. It disgusts me how all the men treated Brielle so well, kneeling before her feet and providing protection. The small gestures of respect they show her light my jealousy on fire.
It isn’t fair. Just because she displays her fake niceties and occasionally bandages their boo-boos, they have the utmost respect for her—yet I was cast aside.
I realized this bitch was catching onto Freddy and me. She was going to potentially ruin my fun and exposeme for murdering those stupid whores in the massage parlor.
Instructing Freddy to pull Brielle out of the trunk, I open the cottage door and place a wooden chair in the center of the small kitchen. The inside of the cottage is much nicer than what the exterior might suggest. The kitchen, dining room and living room are attached and form an open area.
Her body is limp as the drugs remain in her system, but I need her fully awake, so I can watch the life drain from her eyes, just like with those stupid whores.
Freddy straps her to the dining room chair. She makes soft whimpering noises and pathetic attempts to push him off her.
With one swiftslapmy hand strikes her face, causing her eyes to jolt open.
She begins to struggle in her bindings, which causes a small chuckle to escape my throat.
She glances up at me, her eyes filled with hatred but also dark and heavy from the drugs coursing through her system.
“Why?”she asks in a strained voice.
