Page 67 of House of Lies
“Leave her be for now. Keep two men here with her. I’ll deal with that later.”
Mattia continues to make all the wrong choices. The thought of his death no longer satisfies me. I have to make him suffer until he begs for it.
CHAPTER 44
Caelia
“This was not the deal, Benedetti. We can’t take her like this. No one will want her.”
I blink, attempting to regain my senses. The cold air feels harsh on my skin. I have no idea where we are or when we left the warehouse. I’m on the floor, but my surroundings are different. I try to stay as quiet as possible. Unbearable things happen when I catch Mattia’s or his men’s attention. The guy talking to Mattia has an accent, but I can’t place it.
“I’m giving her away for free.”
“Because you need to get rid of her. You want her gone, so don’t pretend you’re doing me a favor.”
If he wants me dead, why doesn’t he simply kill me? What have I done to deserve this torment? I resist the urge to scream and beg for death. It will amuse him, but he will show no mercy. I’m so, so tired of fighting. He blew out the last spark of hope when he said no one was looking for me. My family thinks that I am dead. And even if they thought I was missing, I don’t have any guarantee that they’d look for me.
“What the fuck happened to her?”
I avert my gaze as the man scrutinizes me.
“My brother had some fun with her.”
“You’re giving me spoiled goods.”
“She wasn’t a virgin, for fuck’s sake, Gabriel. Are you taking her or not? Give her some time to heal. Those bruises will fade. You can sell her for a decent price afterward.”
His words sent a chilling dread coursing through me. Sell me. I don’t recognize him. Perhaps I never truly knew Mattia, but it makes no sense. What purpose did his manipulations serve over the past few months if this was his endgame? Did he want me to fall for him so the betrayal would be unbearable? I have been listening quietly to their discussion, but now I can only half pay attention to their words as I focus on what’s happening outside the warehouse. Suddenly, there’s a loud commotion, and the sound of gunshots echoes through the air.
“¡Estamos bajo ataque!” A man rushes through the door, only to be shot in the back of the head before he can advance further.
Fear and panic surge through my veins, my heart pounding in my chest. I want to flee and hide, but my feet remain bound, and the men are blocking my path. Only one exit is located on the other side of the vast warehouse. I will never reach it in time. Desperation knots in my stomach, and my breathing becomes shallow and rapid as I try to make sense of the mayhem surrounding me. The men draw their weapons, shouting at each other in Spanish. They’ve been caught off guard, except for Mattia. As I observe him, I decipher a mix of fear and anticipation in his expression, as though he knows who is coming for him.
“What the hell is going on, Benedetti?”
Instead of responding, Mattia locks his eyes with mine. Adrenaline surges through me, prompting instinctive action before rational thought can catch up. I struggle to rise to my feet.
“Don’t let her escape!” He shouts, darting in the opposite direction as I move toward the back of the warehouse.
My feet feel heavy, as if weighed down by bricks, every muscle and bone protesting against movement. To my right, there is a partially open window. On any other day, I could have pushed it wide and attempted to climb through, but my feet and hands are in chains. I can barely move. The warehouse seems endless to me. I will never make it to safety.
I must be imagining things once again. Domenico appears through the doorway, his gun aimed in my direction. I hear the shot, but I don’t understand what’s going on. A smile plays on his lips as he gazes beyond me. I turn to witness another one of Mattia’s men collapsing to the ground, a bullet piercing his forehead and crimson blood staining the concrete. I wonder where Domenico has been. I hadn’t seen him in quite some time. I would have broken down much sooner if I had, as I endured too much time trapped in that penthouse with him. Silly as it may be, a small part of me views him as a friend. But that doesn’t mean I’m safe. I lunge toward the lifeless body on the floor, reaching for the gun in his hand.
Mattia did it. He finally broke me.
There is nothing left for me in this life. I don’t know what will happen next, but I won’t stick around and find out. I would rather die than allow him to sell me into slavery. Death has become an alluring prospect. I spent so much time in darkness that my good eye has difficulty focusing and distinguishing things. I hear the fight going on around me. The shouting. The swearing. There’s so much death and blood, and what for?
“Caelia, don’t!” Dom’s voice reverberates, filled with desperation, as I aim the gun at my head.
I shake my head. I can’t tell if I want to chase away the dark thoughts inside my head or if I want to tell him that this life is not worth living. I release the safety, my finger trembling on the trigger. I’m distracted by a figure entering the warehouse behind Dom. My heart skips a beat as I witness Dom crumpling to the ground. I can’t make sense of this. There are spots in my vision. There’s not enough light, and everything is moving in slow motion.
Mattia?
Why is he returning? I saw him fleeing in the opposite direction, attempting to save his own life. Something’s wrong. Everything’s wrong. Tears are running down my cheeks as he runs toward me. He won’t get to me in time. I only need a second to pull the trigger, and he’s still too far away.
“Wildfire! Don’t you fucking dare!” His voice crackles with anger. I stifle a laugh.
Is it because I will strip him of the power he wields over my life? Is it because I will spoil the fantasy by denying him the role of my executioner? That stupid nickname makes me pause. It holds power over my heart. He led me to believe he had forgotten it, but I heard it clear as day. Though I do not lower the gun, I loosen my grip, allowing my finger to shift slightly. It is enough time for him to seize an opportunity I should have foreseen.