Page 6 of Surprise Twins for the Mafia Heir

“You think turning on some movie and talking about your criminal family can make me forget about why I’m here?” she asks with tears in her eyes. “Jesus, I’m so stupid. You are not a good person, Vinny.”

I also stand up, no longer in the mood. “Watch it! I’ve been nothing but nice to you.”

“No, you haven’t. Because if you were, you would’ve let me go!” Rosa screams as she pushes me as hard as she can. I barely stagger.

“Go to your room,” I demand coolly. Rosa swiftly races to the room and slams the door shut. I sink onto the couch with disappointment.

I doze off and wake up to the TV turned off and moonlight shining through the window after the storm passed through last night. The house is unnaturally quiet. Usually, with Rosa’s new equipment, I hear Netflix or soft jazz coming from the room.

I should probably check on her. I was pretty rude.

I stand up and make my way down the hallway. My hand hovers over the door before knocking firmly.

“Rosa, are you alright?” There’s no answer. I take a deep breath and wait a few moments.

“I’m sorry for what I said. I was being insensitive,” I add. The silence persists and it makes my stomach flip-flop. I pound my fist on the door.

“Rosa, I am coming in!” I barge through the door.

The room is dark and quiet. The bed is made and all the clothes are neatly folded and stacked in little piles on top of it, the bed is empty. The chair, normally placed by the desk, now sits on top of it. And above, there is a gaping hole in the damp and moldy ceiling, with small pieces of debris scattered on the floor below.

My heart sinks, she’s escaped.

CHAPTER 5

Rosa

Scratches cover my face and arms from the climb and jump. I hadn’t realized how far off the ground the roof was for a one-story house. I don’t care. I have to get out. Vinny isn’t a protector. He is dangerous and would’ve killed me eventually. I must flee to stay alive. If I can sprint swiftly enough, there's a chance I'll come across someone on a nearby path and ask for help.

The journey stretched on for what felt like an eternity, the last thirty minutes dragging out like a never-ending nightmare. The tall grass and gnarled trees clawed at my clothes, slowing my escape through the dense underbrush. But finally, as I emerged onto the road, the moon's light illuminated my path and I could see clearly in the darkness.

Maybe this is a mistake. I have no idea where I am and he’s likely going to find me,I think frantically. There’s a light at the end of the road that looks slightly promising. It flickers on and off. I assume it has to be a fire so I make my way to it. The sound of my heavy breathing and the wind fills the air.

Now, as I get closer, I can see that the flickering light is definitely a fire, but I hear voices. Men’s voices. I stop. I’m only a few feet away and the figures of the men come into focus. Thereare four of them and I spot tattoos on their faces. Even without them seeing me, I know I shouldn’t be anywhere near. My heart pounds as I take baby steps backward. There’s a small pathway I can take to try the other way.

A twig snaps.

The men stop talking and look up. I’m in plain sight. Initially, the tattoos made me think they’d rob the small Kindle in my pocket. But now, as smirks take over their faces, I realize my situation is a lot worse.

“Looks like someone is going down the wrong road,” one of the guys with a blonde buzz cut says. My throat feels dry as I see the huge, dark trees surrounding me. I’m all alone and no one would hear me scream.

“My…my boyfriend is on the way,” I lie as I start to back away but without me realizing it, one of the guys is already behind me.

“She’s got real pretty hair. Nice and blonde,” he mutters as he runs his fingers through it. I jerk away and slap his hand. They all erupt into laughter.

“Oh, this one is feisty,” the buzz cut-blond says. “I think that’ll make this even more fun.”

I take the Kindle out and hurl it at them but it misses. They roar with laughter and bolt in the opposite direction. I know I won’t get far. There’s no place to go. One of them grabs me by the hair and drags me closer to the small fire. I kick and scream, wailing like a banshee. My cries pierce the quiet night but they only make the men laugh harder. Dread washes over me as I see the darkness in their eyes. I thought Vinny was awful but these men are pure evil. I wish I’d never left. This feels like an awful punishment that I somehow deserve.

In between kicking and scratching, a blow lands on my left cheek. It knocks me to the ground and my vision gets hazy. I can taste the metallic flavor of blood in my mouth and my hair is pulled again. I swear they pulled a clump of it out.

This is it. These thugs will kill me and I’ll be out of this world for good. Maybe then my parents will—I start to think to myself before three explosive gunshots sound through the darkness. The heavy shadows behind me all fall to the ground like a thunderstorm. Whoever had my hair is still grasping it in his fingers, taking another clump as he falls to the ground sputtering. It takes a few moments for me to turn around and see all three men bleeding out.

I push myself away as a fourth shadow approaches the last living guy. I see the barrel of a shotgun.

“Well, I’ll be damned. You Montoyas are like rats in the city,” he says right before another shot fires. I close my eyes. I can’t bear to see any more bloodshed.

“Just shoot me,” I whimper. “I know that’s why you’re here.”

---