Page 50 of Blood and Penance
The moment we enter the warehouse, a musty smell of mildew, rust, and animals fill the air. Jagged, broken windows high above let in slivers of sunlight, creating dusty beams that spotlight the floor. Cracked concrete, strewn with rusty nails, saturated newspapers, and dead creatures, echo with our footsteps.
Just steps from the room where Lio is being held, I grab her arm, stopping her from entering. She hasn’t said much after she woke up from surgery, which is unusual for Phoenix. She has a sharp tongue and an infectious laugh. I don’t blame her, but I do miss her. It will take her some time to get back to that person she was before he kidnapped her. Even if she doesn’t fully recover from that trauma, I’ll still be right here waiting.
So many thoughts must be swirling around in her head. Sometimes she looks like she’s one breath away from snapping. Other times her eyes glisten with tears and all I can do is pull her into my arms, reassuring her she’s not alone in this. That I’m here with her.
Scripture says that our God will never put more on us than we can bear. But she shouldn’t have to bear this. She shouldn’t have to deal with the nightmares and the trauma he’s caused. The only peace she has is our son. Hopefully, Lio’s death will bring her even more.
“Are you alright?” I ask for what seems like the millionth time since her recovery. “You know I’ll do this, so you don’t have to.”
“I’m not fine but I will be.” She cradles my face in her hands. “I have to do this, Gianni.” Tears gather in her eyes. “He took something from me that I can never get back. But his slow, painful death will give me some satisfaction. Just a little bit of peace.”
What can I say to that? We both have done whatever we needed to do to keep Giancarlo alive. I just wish I had gotten to her before he put his slimy hands on her. If I could take her pain away, I would.
“Okay,” I answer.
As we near the place Lio’s being held, grunts and screams echo through the door. Phoenix looks at me and I shrug.
“Lorenzo wants to soften him up for you. He said it’s his gift to you.”
A small smile crossed her face.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes,” she says. “I want this part of my life to be done so we can move forward together.”
I nod the push open the old wooden door. An immediate wave of urine, blood, and vomit fills my nostrils. A small gasp escapes Phoenix when her eyes land on Lio who is restrained in the same manner we found her.
Thick, black ropes, which have rubbed his skin raw, bound his wrists to an old rusted beam running along the ceiling. The rough rope also bit into his skin where his ankles are secured to the hard concrete floor.
He deserves so much worse, but we’ll get there.
Large bruises and blood cover his naked body. Lorenzo has done a number on him. When Lio’s eyes land on Phoenix, a predatory grin spreads across his face, revealing a mouthful of blood-stained teeth.
“There she is.” Lio chuckles. “You ready for another round, sweetheart? I can still feel your warm cunt, slick with your juices and blood gripping my dick when I filled you with my cum.”
I rush toward him and land a punch to his side, then another one to his jaw. “Fuck you!” I shout before landing another punch to his gut. “I’ll kill you!”
He wheezes then laughs and coughs. “Is that all you got, Priest? I don’t think your precious God would condone you fucking a married woman. Murder either.”
What the hell does a terrible excuse of a human being like him know of God?
“Gianni!” Phoenix shouts before I can hit him again.
I take a deep breath and step away from him before she doesn’t have the chance to end his life. “You’re right Lio, He wouldn’t. But I’m sure in the eyes of my God, I haven’t slept with a married woman since I have no doubt you’ve committed adultery. And murder.”
“You’re no priest,” he sneers.
“Maybe not. However, all sins can be forgiven, especially since everything I’ve done has been to protect my family from an evil asshole like you.”
He glares at me through his swollen eyes. “If that helps you sleep better at night. But she’s my wife! Mine!”
“Only in name,” I say, smiling. “I’ve always had her heart as well as Giancarlo. And that’s what you can’t stand, isn’t it? Phoenix Blaine has never been yours no matter how much you wanted her to be. And guess what, Lio? She never will be.”
"Her name is Phoenix D'Amico!"
Bloody spit lands on my face, causing me to laugh. I wipe it away. “Looks like you’ve struck a nerve,” Phoenix says as she walks up beside me. I wrap my arm around her waist pulling her closer to me.
“It would seem so,amore mio.” I kissed the top of her head. “But no one can ever come between true love, can they? Not you, not my father, and not even my God.”
