Page 13 of Sworn to My Heart
“Cora, you warned me against Luca but then gave him my number?” I blame her.
She sounds surprised by my tone. “I didn’t give him anything,” she gasps. “Alin, no—I told you to stay away from him like the plague. I wouldn’t give him your number, but I won’t lie to you; they’re powerful people. Money buys everything these days. Finding your information wouldn’t be a problem for them.” She adds, as if she foresaw Luca’s moves and wasn’t even surprised.
“What does he want from me?” I ask impatiently.
“Most likely, he just wants sex with the woman who didn’t melt into his arms the moment she saw him,” she sighs, sounding exasperated, as if it’s not the first time this has happened. I feel a pang in my heart.
“I gather you have experience…” I say, trying to extract information.
“Not with Luca, but definitely with Mariano. They might be different in character, but they’re still brothers. They think exactly alike,” she answers. Instead of asking for details, I felt an inexplicable sense of relief that she doesn’t have first hand knowledge, wash over me.
“When are you coming back? I feel like boredom is slowly killing me,” I reply after a long silence.
She laughs.
“Alin, you need to meet more people. You’re holed up in the house as if you’re punishing yourself,” she says and quickly adds, “Not much longer, I might be back soon, but it’s not certain yet. The aquarium is waiting for us, don’t worry.” We quickly say ourgoodbyes and hang up the call.
I’m not sure how I feel about the fun day at the aquarium Cora planned for us. I can sense sea creatures, and I know I won’t get positive vibes from them there.
Maybe one day, if I’m not careful enough, I’ll end up on display in an aquarium myself. The thought makes me shudder, and I decide to ignore Cora’s comment and continue with my cherished solitude. This life is preferable to the one my parents planned for me in the depths of the ocean.
I glance again at the message Luca sent me, realizing that ignoring it is definitely be the best idea. I might want sex, but I am not ready for the tsunami that would wash away my life here, and Cora confirmed it—Luca is definitely the tsunami that would do it if I let him.
Luca
“Angelo lost consciousness again. We’ll have to wait until he wakes up,” Mariano burst into the office Flavio had set up for us in his villa, his frustration palpable.
He tosses aside another bloodstained shirt, his third since the morning, despite it only being 3 PM.
“If he doesn’t start talking soon, I’m going to lose it. I’m this close to cutting his head off,” he continues, his voice tight with tension, but I remain focused on the laptop screen in front of me.
“Sit down, relax. He’ll break eventually. They all do,” I say, still focused on the documents I received about Angelo’s daughter. ‘Mariana Gonzalez,’ only 24 years old, and yet so many police reports listing her as a victim.
“Father of the year, Angelo,” I throw at Mariano without taking my eyes off the screen.
“Records of rape, domestic violence, relationship violence, trafficking—what hasn’t she been through? How did he let her live like this with all the money he makes?” I shoot at Mariano, unable to comprehend how the daughter Angelo had always described as the ‘diamond’ of his family had gone through all this.
“Do you think she knows about us? About what her father does?” Mariano asks suddenly, making me reconsider.
“With everything she’s been through, I wouldn’t be surprised if he sent her to do some dirty work for him. For now, let’s give her the benefit of the doubt. Send one of Flavio’s men to follow her and report back the moment something looks off. And keep Flavio in the loop,” I order, still pondering about her as Mariano leaves the room to check on Angelo in the basement.
Why did the French let her go? Knowing we would retaliate as soon as we found out, why not eliminate her or force her into their networks? I immediately message Pedro, telling him to gather intel on her kidnapping from his sources. In New York, Pedro and our men razed all of Martin’s properties immediately after Angelo’s capture, dealing a crippling blow they won’t be recovering from any time soon. Pedro confirmed Martin’s death in the house explosion, and his brother Will is now missing. The mission is nearly complete—I just need to unravel Mariana’s role in this puzzle.
Following Mariano downstairs, I find Angelo sprawled unconscious, his face bruised, and his body lacerated, dressed only in torn pants. Mariano’s knife has done its work. I approach, slapping Angelo hard to rouse him. He coughs blood and opens one eye; the other has been cruelly gouged out by Mariano. Despite being soft at times, especially with Cora, Mariano’s expertise in torture is undisputed.
I wipe my hand clean, unfazed by the blood. Behind me, Mariano prepares hot pliers, their tips glowing red with heat. Cora’s husband and this monster are worlds apart, I think, my glance tinged with irony as I nudge Angelo onto his back with a light kick.
“You’ve been working with us long enough to know where this leads, Angelo,” I say with a cold threat.
He chokes on his own blood, trying to laugh defiantly.
“You think I am scared of this? I knew what I was up against.I know my fate. Just end it quick, for the sake of all the years we’ve worked together,” he rasps, turning his remaining eye to me, pleading.
The most dangerous people are those with nothing left to lose, and Angelo knows it well, attempting to leverage it.
Mariano approaches with the pliers, ready to continue the work, but I signal him to stop with my hand. He stops in his tracks, saying nothing, understanding where this is heading. A flicker of hope flashes in Angelo’s eye for a brief moment until his gaze falls on my icy glance. He realizes I have a plan.
“There’s no way you’re getting out of here alive. However, your daughter will be a fine addition to our club. Just yesterday, one of our top girls in the private rooms lost her hand due to a mistake with a client,” I say casually, emphasizing the word mistake before continuing, “Someone needs to replace her. After all, you tried to put a hole in our pocket; it’s only fair your family pays it back,” I say with a smile that the devil himself created, watching the dread seep into him.
