Page 42 of The Mafia's Captive

“Bruno,” I hear Rob behind us say. It sounds like a tentative warning.

He can intimidate me, but he can’t scare me. “Whatever.” I look at him square in the eyes, “But I’m here now, aren’t I? And as far as I can see, I’m above you.”

What happens next, I don’t see coming. It happens so fast that I’m too shocked to react. All I see is the contortion of Bruno’s features and feel a sudden and hard impact on my cheek. I stumble to the floor on my side and my vision blurs as the pain moves from my cheek to my temple and spreads down to the side of my neck. I’ve never been punched. Maybe a long time ago in kindergarten, but I don’t remember it being this painful. When my vision clears, I see Rob tackling Bruno to the ground. He’s screaming at him. I’m trying to get my bearings straight. “What the fuck!” I hear Rob say. “You’ve fucked up, man!”

Bruno laughs. “You’re being hysterical!”

Rob rushes over to me and helps me stand up. I feel a throbbing in the back of my head. Holy shit, he packs a punch. “Are you okay?” Rob says to me.

“Yes.”

He turns to Bruno. “What is wrong with you?”

Bruno is making his way back to the couch where he sits back and takes hold of his phone. “Stop acting like a bitch. It was just one smack.”

Rob looks me over. Panic is setting in his features. “He’s not going to like this at all. You’ve really fucked up, man.” To me he says, “Let’s get you an icepack,”

As Rob is helping me get up, we all hear the door open and close. Dante marches in and immediately takes in the situation. He first glances over at me, then to Rob, then to Bruno. “What the fuck just happened here?”

14

Even though the trip went well and the deal was done, I still feel anxious. It feels like the plane is moving backwards instead of forward. I want to say I don’t know why I feel this way, but I do. It’s because of her. Her body, that is. After spending time away from her, I’ve finally figured out what’s driving me crazy. Sex with Corina. Thing is, I had an obsession that lasted for a year and now that we’ve finally slept together, that obsession has ratcheted and the only way to be rid of it is to fuck her until it’s over. That’s my new mission. And that is why I’m eager to get back home. It has nothing to do with missing her. I don’t miss her contentious manner, which I hate, or her stubbornness, which I hate even more.

The car ride back to the casino feels like forever. I sent her a message as soon as the plane landed that I’m back, but she hasn’t responded yet. Whatever, I’m sure she’s seen it. I don’t want to bother with a call or another message. It will seem a little needy and I am not that needy, I assure myself.

When the car stops in the parking bay, I get out, not even waiting for my men. The elevator also feels like it’s dragging and not going at its normal speed, and after what feels like forever, it dings and the doors open. Fucking finally. I enter the apartment slightly exhilarated. I can’t wait to see her again. I check the app. She’s in the living room. Great. We might even start there. Have sex on the couch and then carry it to the bedroom. Hers or mine, I don’t care. Maybe mine. It was time we gave the bed a christening. I wonder how she will feel when she sees me again. Happy? Sad? She would probably give me her usual bored look. Acting as if she isn’t as affected as I am. That’s her style, but that is not how she reacts when I enter the living room.

A rush of jealousy and the need to remove Rob away from her overcomes me until I look at her face. She looks relieved to see me, but also hurt? Her face is swelling. Rob looks relieved to see me too. Not guilty. The guilty looking one is Bruno, who gets up from his seat. “What the fuck just happened here?”

“Dante,” she almost slumps in the shoulders of Rob. Why was he holding her? And what happened to her face? I don’t realize I’ve said the last sentence out loud until Rob responds. “She was hit.”

“By who?” Both Corina and Rob cast their gazes on Bruno. I rush over to her. Rob immediately lets her go as I take her face into my hands to examine it. She looks like she has been punched and her face is swelling rapidly. I rub her temple, and she winces. Rage builds up inside me like a rumbling volcano. I can barely keep it down. It roughens my voice. “Who touched you?”

She glances again at Bruno and says, “It was a misunderstanding.”

“Who hit you?”

She sighs. “Bruno.”

Bruno flashes a faltering smile. He doesn’t seem to take it seriously. “Why did you hit her?”

“Listen. She was acting all crazy man. She was disobeying orders.”

“I wanted to go for a walk and things weren’t out of control. I swear I’m okay.” Corina is adamant to make excuses for him. I don’t get why she thinks she has to. I ignore her and focus on Bruno.

“What orders was she disobeying?” Bruno must have sensed my anger. His demeanor changes, the cockiness is now gone. “You said she’s staying here, and she didn’t want to.”

“And you punch her? Your job is to protect her!”

“Yes. But…” I don’t give him time to finish. I’m so blinded with rage, I punch him in the gut and he falls to the floor. It doesn’t stop me. I pummel him as he’s on the floor. He rarely fights back as I throw punch after punch in his face. I hear Corina screaming in the distance, telling me to stop. I feel hands on my arms, and turn around to see that it’s her.

“Stop!” she says. It’s not her words, but the horror in her face that gives me pause. She looks terrified. I look at the person I was pummeling mere seconds ago. His face is bloody and so are my fists. In my rage fueled quest, I didn’t even notice how much hurt I caused. All I want is to make him pay. I straighten just as Colin and Tiny enter. “Take him to the basement.” The guys do as I say, taking him by the arms and dragging him out of the apartment. They don’t seem as shocked as Corina. Even though I’m not one to blow up like this, they seem to understand.

With everyone gone, I concentrate on Corina. She still looks a little shocked. It makes me feel like a brute. My carefully cultivated suave act is in shambles right now. “He shouldn’t have hit you.” I say it as if to justify my display of violence. This isn’t how I wanted to start my day back in the city.

“It's okay. It’s not a big deal.”

“But it is. No man should hit a woman. No man of mine should hit a woman of mine.” It comes out before I can take it back. Her eyes widen. “What I mean is, he’s supposed to protect you. I’m the one who decides what happens to you.”

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