Page 24 of Sworn to My Heart
Mariano grabs Cora’s hand, and Luca pulls me by mine. We quickly walk back to the parking lot, getting into the car. Cora hasn’t said a word at this point.
We leave the parking lot, and Luca drives at top speed. I’m pressed against the back of the seat, hearing him bark orders into the phone. I stop listening to him and turn my attention to Cora.
“Cora, say something already, enough with this silence!” I say in frustration, turning to look at her. I realize I made a mistake when her tears start to fall. I broke her instead of breaking the silence.
I don’t understand what’s happening, but I pull her into my embrace.
“Alin, I’m so sorry. You were my escape to the outside world, and now I’ve messed you up too,” she says in a low, choked voice, her tears not stopping.
I understand that now isn’t the time to question her, “I don’t know what you mean, but I’m much stronger than you think. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” I comfort her, hoping I’ll get answers soon.
Alin
The four of us head up to Luca’s apartment, Luca is still gripping my hand and pulling me forward forcefully as we enter the apartment. The door slams shut behind us, and we all stand in a tense silence.
After what feels like an eternity, Luca finally turns to Mariano. “This has to be done tonight,” he asserts. Mariano nods, and I try to free myself from Luca’s grip, but he seems reluctant to let go.
However, when he realizes he’s still holding my hand, he quickly releases it, almost as if I caught him doing something wrong. Then, he turns and walks away.
In a split second, Luca and Mariano disappear into a room on the apartment’s first floor, locking the door behind them. I sigh and look at Cora, whose color is slowly returning to her face now.
“I hope you have a detailed explanation to give me. I’m not letting it go this time; you’re going to tell me everything,” I say, surprising even myself at the coldness in my voice, but I’m determined. She nods sadly, avoiding eye contact, and we sit down on the couch in the living room.
“You’ve gotten involved with some very dangerous people,” she says after a few moments of silence. “And it’s not your fault,” she quickly adds, stating a fact we’re both aware of.
“I already figured that out. I want a more detailed explanation,”I reply impatiently.
“Mariano is going to be very angry that I’m opening up about this to you, and Luca might even punish me for it because once you know, there’s no way for you to escape. But I know you might be in danger now, and you’ll find out sooner or later,” she says and sighs, intending to continue but clearly struggling to share the information.
“Cora, stop talking!” Mariano commands in a harsh tone from the other side of the room, approaching us with the cold business look only the Spallo family could wear. She looks back at him, surprised at his quick reaction, but immediately protests, “Mariano, she needs to know. She’s at risk now too.”
Mariano’s gaze softens as he looks at her closely.
“It’s not your place to tell her; it’s Luca’s responsibility,” he says and then turns to me.
“Alin, come with me,” he requests, his empty stare sending cold waves down my spine, making me even more impatient with all this tension.
Mariano leads me to the room where I saw them enter earlier. He opens the door using his fingerprint, revealing a wide conference room. In the center is a large oval table surrounded by chairs, and to my right is a large desk where Luca is currently sitting, engrossed in his phone.
I cautiously approach Luca, while Mariano immediately leaves the room, closing the door behind him. I look at Luca, who finally lifts his head from his phone, and our eyes meet.
“Luca, enough with our battling. Explain to me what the hell is going on here,” I plead, my voice now desperate.
He stands up and immediately asks, “Can you handle the consequences of what you’re about to hear?” His voice is cold, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Yes,” I reply without hesitation, impatience lacing my tone. Ijust want to understand what’s happening around me and why those men were after Luca to the point of trying to hurt me.
“I’m part of Cosa Nostra, the Italian mafia. I’m the Capo of New York, and the son of the Capo dei Capi,” he says slowly, emphasizing each word so I grasp every detail. But I don’t understand.
“What’s a mafia?” I ask, and immediately realize it’s something I should know by the frustrated and angry look that replaces his usual icy expression.
“How can you be so naive? I shouldn’t be dragging you into all this!” he says, slamming his fist on the table. It seems like he’s talking to himself because it doesn’t sound like a question for me.
“Luca, as I explained, my life hasn’t been normal. I’ve lived under the radar for almost twenty years,” I remind him, pushing him to explain his statement further.
He sits me down on the chair in front of his desk and begins to explain how the mafia is structured, what they do, and how they control territories. He tells me about their drug operations, prostitution, weapons, and their enemies.
I’m appalled by his words, but they don’t instill fear in me. I’ve faced worse things in the ocean.
