Page 47 of Unbroken (Russo Mafia)

I curl into a ball, in the middle of the floor. I didn’t even get a single hit in. I let those monsters into my place without even thinking about it. How stupid am I? I’m nothing but a weak woman. I don’t have the strength to look at the damage of my place, guaranteed it’s a disaster. Message received assholes. Whoever their boss is, he knows who I am and where I live. That’s what scares me the most. They know where I fucking live. I’m not safe here no matter what. I close my eye, breathing calming breaths. When did my life become such a fuckup.

I jolt awake when a hand touches my arm. A pair of warm brown eyes, sweep across my face. My throat thickens with a sob when Lucca’s hand gently traced the bruise on my cheek.

“Tesoro,talk to me please,” he said. His breath stirred my hair when he lowered, his face next to mine.

I thread my hands into his hair, crying into his shoulder. He lays a small kiss on the side of my head.

“I have you, baby. I swear I won’t leave you alone ever again.” He drew back, staring into my eyes. A warning trumpeted through them. He meant every word he spoke.

Nerves gripped the muscles of my stomach. “They wanted to deliver a message from their boss. Told me you would figure it out. If not, they would be back.” I sniffed.

An icepack comes into view. He grabs it laying it on my swollen cheek. That’s when I notice we aren’t alone in my place. His posse is all here, too. It was Antonio who handed me an icepack. As much I pick on them, they all are good guys.

“Thank you, Antonio.”

“No worries, Charlie. We didn’t see any forced entry, so how did they get in?” he asked, with caution.

Everyone in the room halts what they are doing, waiting for me to explain.Shit.This is where I’m going to look like an idiot. The one that should have known that Oscar would’ve sent me a text to let me know he was on his way over or not. How I’ll get bitched at for not using this thing called a peep hole that’s installed into the door. I have questions too. Like, why did their bodyguards all decide to drive away right before these pricks show up? That seems suspicious right there. Then when the package came to be delivered where were they then? See what I mean? They have their own loopholes they have to be worried about too. Not just mine.

“I was talking to Dad when my buzzer went off. I thought it was Oscar.” I retell them what went down, getting angry glares from Rett and Nico when I get to the part of opening the door without checking. When I tell them about how the masked man hit me in the stomach, Lucca lifts my shirt. A loud growl vibrates from him I look down. A fist size purple bruise is forming next to my belly button. I hiss when he touches it.

“Jesus Charlotte. What were you thinking, letting someone in without checking first?”

I rip my shirt down, haul myself up. “Clearly, I wasn’t. Sorry for not thinking about anything. I’m not used to worrying about my safety. Last time I checked I had your fucking bodyguards located outside of this stupid building. Where the fuck were they when I needed them? Nowhere that’s where!” I yell at all of them storming down to the bathroom, slamming the door shut locking it behind me.

I brace myself on the counter. My chest rose in pursuit of air. How dare he get mad at me. I’m trying my best here. I didn’t ask for this. Looking into the mirror I wince when I see my face. My lip is fat with dried blood, I touch my red cheekbone, pain radiates inside my head. Explains my swollen face. Bastard gave me another bruise.

“Charlie, open up now.” Lucca bangs on the door. His banging only growing louder the longer I ignore him.

I swing the door open, narrowing my eyes ready for a fight if that’s what it takes.

“Don’t even. I’m trying to make you see what it’s like in my world. It’s dangerous. You need to always keep an eye on all your surroundings. That’s all I’m asking you to do.”

“And I get that, I made one mistake—”

“A mistake that got you hurt!” he yells, pounding his chest. “I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you. Charlie, can’t you see? I would do anything for you. I would sacrifice my world for you. That’s my job. My job is to keep you safe, and I fucking failed today.” His knees caved carrying him to the floor. His finger coiling into tight balls, holding his bowed head.

Kneeling in front of me was my Lucca, breaking down. I kneel next to him, setting my palms on top of his knees. Massaging my thumbs back and forth. He inclined his dark head, pressing his forehead to mine.

“I can’t lose you, for fuck’s sake,” he whispered with a haunted look.

“You lost me once already.”

“A mistake I live with every single day, Charlotte. You were my first love and only love.”

“You don’t mean that. You're only talking like this because of what happened tonight, that’s all. I think you should leave.”

His eyebrows snapped together, drawing his head back. “The fuck. You think this is a game. I lay my fucking heart out, and that’s all you have to say?” He stands up suddenly causing me to fall backwards. “Unbelievable.” He scoffs as he walks out. Leaving me alone.

I guess that’s how we handle our problems then. I pick myself up off the floor, grabbing a Tylenol, then I enter my room. He can do whatever he wants. I’m laying down.

I’m done for the night.

It’s been a shitshow all week. I’ve been trying to figure out too many things, and nothing has been going my way. My supplier has backed out after the raid, so I’ve been searching for a new supplier. Seems like no one wants to deal with us anymore. It’s like they forgot who is running this fucking city of theirs. If they think this a free for all, they are sadly mistaken. It’s the Russo’s that landed most of them on the map. Onetime small drug dealers are now killing it all because we did business with them. We can drop them like flies if we choose to. I choose to be the bigger man. My mother once said, pick your battles. This is one battle that I’m picking. If only that worked out for her.

My mother was only partially there for me. I always had a feeling she never wanted to be a mother. She lacked the nurturing factor of bonding with your child. I was a mere pawn in her sick, twisted games with my father. When he finally caught on to what she was doing with me, he gave her an alternative. Either smarten up, become a mother or take two million, leave and never to contact me again. I haven’t spoken or seen my mother in eighteen years. I have no desire to look for her. If I was so disposable to her, she can stay away from my life. I hope she is living her life to the fullest somewhere far away from here. I know father is keeping tabs on her. He told me anytime I want to see her he’ll give me her address. I wanted to at one point. I think I was around thirteen. It was right after I was having my induction ceremony; I wanted her to be proud of me. Wanted her to see that I was turning into a man she could be proud of, not some weak child she had to take care of anymore. Maybe that would bring her back.

Rett, reminded me that if she didn’t put in the effort before, she wouldn’t care now. Sometimes being family didn’t mean shit. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb and all that shit. After my talk with him, I figured I wouldn’t look for her anymore. I realized the battles she wanted to pick were the ones with me. She would rather walk away than fight for her own child.

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