Page 39 of The Beast of London & His Pet

The man carried me into the cottage, which looked like a normal house. He took me into a room and threw me onto a bed. I kept my eyes closed and tried not to tense my body. The man left but my heart sank when I heard him lock the door. The only good thing I could think of was the fact he hadn’t taken me up any stairs.

I warily opened one eye before I opened the other and looked around the room. It had dirty pale green walls, and nothing but the bed, a wardrobe, and a side table. I listened out for footsteps, but when there was silence, I sat up, to my dismay, the window had iron bars on it.

Fuck!

I glanced at the floor, it had a brown carpet that had seen better days. I heard heavy footsteps approach and fell back on the bed, closing my eyes as he unlocked the door. This was only one man. If it were one of Alessio’s enemies there would be more. They all worked in gangs.

My hands and legs were freed and the man left again. I remained on the bed, trying to figure out how I could get away and what this person wanted from me. My head continued to throb and I drifted into unconsciousness again.

???

This time when I woke up there was no confusion as to where I was because I was determined to find out what the fuck was going on. The bed creaked as I sat up, touching my temple, and I felt the cut and dried blood around it before I noticed the black bucket in the corner of the room.

The door unlocked and this time I remained seated on the bed. I frowned as I looked at the man. He was around Alessio’s age or perhaps between thirty and forty. I was never good with ages.

“Hello,sister,” he said with a nasty smile.

“I don’t have any siblings,” I said flatly.

“Not from your whore of a mother’s side you don’t,” he spat out viciously.

I swallowed as I looked at him. His hair was a sandy colour and he had blue eyes. He looked nothing like me. I’d never met my father so I had no clue what he looked like.

“I think you have made a mistake. I don't have any siblings.”

“You are Francesca Nardini, daughter of Bella Nardini, recently married to a big shot. Your family killed my father over twenty years ago and you're going to pay the price.”

I slowly shook my head.

“My family aren't murderers and as for my father, he ran away when he found out my mum was pregnant,” I said, narrowing my eyes on him as he walked closer.

“He didn’t run anywhere because he was killed. He never came back home to us,” he screamed at me. “And you're going to die for it.”

God, Alessio had no idea how lucky he was to have no siblings.

I didn't say anything to him because he was already losing it. I kept my eyes on him as he began to pace up and down the room.

“Because of you and your bitch of a mother, that fucking whore. My dad left us behind. My mother became dependent on alcohol. Do you fucking know what it’s like to pry an empty bottle of vodka from your mother’s hand, trying to help her only to be beaten?”

I had to admit it was difficult to feel sorry for him because it made no sense why he would blame me. Shit happens and sometimes you have to manage the cards that you're dealt with.

“What’s your name?” I asked softly.

“Clive,” he said running his hand through his hair.

Clive? Yeah, I would be pissed at being given a name like that too.

“Clive, what will it solve if you killed me? I wasn't around when all this happened and my mum died while she was giving birth to me. We didn't do anything to your dad,” I said trying to talk some sense into him.

He turned to face me and I repressed a shudder at the dead evil look in his icy blue eyes.

“Your grandfather used to have ties with the Mafia. You all ruined my fucking life.”

I gulped at his words because I thought back to the day Alessio turned up at our house. No, he knew his dad, Gavino. The timeline matched because they hadn't seen one another for over twenty years.

“That can't be true. My grandfather—” I stopped because Nonno might have been in a lot of pain after losing his only child.

The thought of my doting grandfather being capable of taking a life plagued me. I made the mistake of looking away because I didn't see the blows coming.

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