Page 44 of Twisted Obsession

The silence between us on the line was deafening.

‘You have one sister,’ I carried on.

‘What are you getting at?’ Anger consumed his tone, and knowing I had the upper hand I closed my eyes and did my best to supress the smirk on my face before I twisted the knife in a bit further.

‘Is your sister safe?’ I questioned. Concentrating on keeping my joy to myself, I twisted the leather bracelets on my wrist around with the fingers from my other hand. Just as soon as I finished the question, I heard another phone in his car ringing out its distress.

Coraggioso.

I admired their bravery, knowing what they were about to admit to could well cost them their lives.

The previous four days had been a rollercoaster.

Somehow, I’d had to bury the anger. I’d needed to escape sharing the pain of my family’s downfall at the hands of the wanker on the other end of the phone. But I’d also recognised about four days before that the only way I was going to change my family’s fortune was to play the bastard at his own game.

The men who were speaking to Salvatore now on the phone in his car were explaining that, somehow, they’d lost Giovanna somewhere around Naples after being thwarted this morning by my right-hand man Marco, and I knew they’d be lucky to escape with their lives.

‘Why do you ask?’ Salvatore questioned me as calmly as possible and, reading between the lines, I knew without me saying another word he understood our situation. But if he could play, so would I, until the end.

‘How does it feel, Salvatore?’

‘Where is she?’ he demanded.

‘We’re on our way to England, I’m going to show her the sights.’ I laughed at my joke. ‘Your family all but ruined mine. Serafina only married you to save us and now my sweet baby sister has been harmed at the negligence of your brother… A sister for a sister.’

I knew my last comment would hit home.

‘It seems you are incapable of protecting any woman you care about.’ I twisted that knife in as deep as I could.

‘FUCK YOU, Giordano!’

‘I’ll keep Giovanna, until I’m satisfied my family is out of harm’s way.’

‘I’m beginning to wonder if your papa only produces “feccia” and “codardi” for sons,’ he hit back and the coward accusation struck home.

‘Arsehole!’

‘You should be here working with us to avenge your sister… I’ll find Enzo and I’ll deal with him, without your help. Then I’ll come after you. A coward shouldn’t be too hard to find.’

‘I’ll be waiting.’ I disconnected the call, dropped the phone from my hand and looked across at the woman who was just beginning to wake up.

Chapter Twenty

Giovanna

‘I’m sure you’d like to freshen up?’ The question was from the woman I’d just been introduced to as Aunty Mary and all I could do was shrug at her.

Truthfully, I was struggling. I was desperately thirsty after refusing the water Dante had offered me in the car and my head was aching with what felt like slight dehydration, resulting in me feeling like I couldn’t use my brain confidently to think about what had happened in the previous few hours. So, in response, I’d been silent in word and actions since the second Dante had released my constraints on the plane and I’d spat in his face.

Nothing made any sense, especially the way I felt. So, I’d decided to not think, not talk and therefore hopefully to not feel.

But trying to remain numb and uncaring was proving hard.

Dante and I had travelled mainly in silence the short distance from London City airport with him holding my hand nearest to him. I understood that it would have been pointless taking it away from him, and although I wasn’t happy with the given situation, somewhere in my mixed-up head I also needed that connection. I had, however, refused to look in his direction and I didn’t respond to anything he had to say. Even when he’d leant across me to point out a few of the London sights we werepassing by, I’d managed to feign complete uninterest, when for the whole of my life I’d dreamt of seeing the city I’d read about in so many books.

But not like this, whateverthiswas.

So, I’d let London pass me by.

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