Page 26

Bia

I groan as I start to stir awake, each breath hurts every bone in my body.

My head hurts the worst. Why does it feel like someone took a hammer to my head? I lay there for a moment and the memories come flooding back from the past few months. I slowly open my eyes.

Where am I? This is not my bedroom at the penthouse, and this is not the hospital.

I’m in a beautiful room by myself, I see a note on the bedside table telling me to get myself cleaned up, and there’s some medicine for my pain.

I take the medicine and take a quick shower; I open the door to the noise of pots and pans being banged around. Emilia De Luca and another woman I don’t know are standing in front of the stove cooking.

“Hey, sweetheart, how are you?”

Emilia asks.

“Uh…hi.”

“Confused?”

“Um, yes.”

She gives me a smile as she turns the stove off and motions for us to take a seat at the table.

“Oh, let me introduce you to Gabriella. This is my husband’s cousin’s wife,”

Emilia says to me as Gabriella takes my hands in hers.

“I had you kidnapped from the hospital,”

Emilia tells me.

“What? Why?”

“Because we know exactly what you have been through,”

Gabriella tells me.

“You too?”

I asked Gabriella.

“Yeah, my uncle had a gambling problem, and he had one of his loan sharks use my body as payment for years, starting when I was thirteen.

What I found out was the man who had been using me for years was also an enemy of the De Luca family and when I became important to Vincenzo, it put a target on my back.

I ended up getting in a car accident that he caused so he could kidnap me.

While I was being held, he threatened to do the same thing to Alessia, Emilia’s daughter, I refused to let another child suffer like I did.

So, when they would abused and raped me for months, trying to get me to tell them where Alessia was, I refused.

After a while, they got fed up, they thought they killed me, and they tossed me from a moving vehicle down a steep hill the vehicle was moving.

I was lucky enough to be found and taken to the hospital.

I woke up finding out I was handicapped, and a few days later, the De Luca family found me, but I knew the threat of them kidnapping Alessia was still very real, so I went into hiding for another year.

Until Vincenzo forced himself in my life and brought me back to Italy.

We still had our ups and downs, trust me, but if I could go back and change what I went through, I wouldn’t because it made me stronger. One day, you will be able to say the same thing.”

I wipe away the tears on my face. “I don’t know if I can. He killed my baby boy.”

“Oh, sweetheart. Don’t hold it back. Let it out,”

Emilia coos in my ear as she wraps me up in a hug.

I do exactly that. I bawl my eyes out, until my body shakes from how hard I howl out my pain.

“He was never there, even after he found out I was pregnant, he never came by until the one day and saw me b-being raped.”

I stop and take a deep breath.

“Take your time,”

Gabriella tells me as she hands me a tissue.

“He assumed I was willingly cheating on him and the baby wasn’t his.”

I say, crying again, letting all the unwanted emotions up. For the first time in my life, I feel like I can completely let my walls down around these two.

“I should have fought him off or done something.”

“No, no, no. Get that idea out of your head right now. This is in no way your fault. The only one to blame is that raping bastard who will end his pathetic life without a cock or balls,”

Emilia states, cracking her knuckles. Oh my god, she didn’t just say that word. It’s so unlady-like.

“What has you looking like that?”

“You said…”

“I said what, cock?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“So sweet and innocent, and here I thought you were the innocent one,”

she snickers to Gabriella.

“Do you not remember I used to shake my ass before Vincenzo.”

“Oh, I remember, I also remember him storming into Blitz carrying you over his shoulder and punishing you during your bachelorette party for watching another man shake his ass,”

Emilia snickers, and Gabriella laughs.

“He did, but he also gave me a dance and made me want to touch him. Talk about torture,”

Gabriella pouts.

“Hush, you horny little hussy. We all know damn well you and him can’t keep your pants on around each other.”

“What? I don’t deny my husband turns me on. As if you’re one to talk.”

They both laugh for a moment.

“Anyway, Bia, we kidnapped you so you can have time to heal without Cillian breathing down your neck. I’m flying in the therapist that helped me after I escaped my hell. If she can break through my walsl of steel around my heart, I know she can help you. I will keep Cillian away as long as you need me to. Ok?”

“Thank you, I’m not ready to see him right now.”

“And that is okay and completely understandable. Come on, let’s eat then we can binge watch whatever you want. What is your favorite movie?”

“Dirty Dancing. I think Partrick Swayze is very handsome.”

“Love it.”

An hour later, while we were all bundled up on the couch watching Dirty Dancing the door bangs open. I shuffle deeper into the couch while Emilia stands up aiming a gun at the intruder, but we all hear, “GAbrIELLA!”

“Oh, for fuck's sake.”

Emilia sighs before yelling out,

“Vincenzo, she is fine. She won’t poof out of thin air if she isn’t in front of you every second of the day.”

Vincenzo walks into the room. I watch as he picks Gabriella off the couch before sitting down with her in his lap. He gives her a kiss before turning to glare at Emilia, but when he sees me, he sighs.

“Why is Bia O’Sullivan here when she has every member of the O’Sullivan family out of their mind worrying about her since she has been kidnapped,” he asks.

“Because she needs time away from her dumbass husband,”

Emilia states.

“Do you want to know the chaos that man is leaving behind searching for her?” he asks.

“Well, it wouldn’t be an issue if he didn’t treat her like shit,”

Emilia says back.

“How bad?”

he asks, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“How bad is catching a man raping your wife and believing she is cheating on you? Oh, and she was pregnant at the time. Then abandoning her for two months until the raping bastard comes back and beats her until she lost her baby.”

“Okay. Fine, I know nothing but don’t keep her away too long,”

he says before he turns to me.

“Bia, from one dumbass Mafia husband to another I’m so for sorry what you went through, but I can tell you Tristan has been taken into custody by Cillian. He will be dealt with.”

“Thank you,”

I say softly.

“Don’t worry, Cillian will learn the error of his ways soon,”

Emilia says chuckling.

“What is your diabolical mind up to now?”

Vincenzo asks.

“Oh, he is going to get the same treatment you got after Gabriella got admitted to the hospital.”

He cringes. “He deserves it, but leave his cock and balls alone, no crazy, diabolical tools.”

She pouts. “I know. Peter wants grandkids, and Cillian can’t give him any if I take those away, so they are safe…for now.”

“Does Mateo know where you are?”

“Of course he does.”

“Liar.”

“Okay, he knows I’m in Italy.”

“I will be quiet when it comes to not telling the O'Sullivan's about Bia, but no way in hell am I keeping a secret about where your Houdini ass is hiding from your husband. Tell him or I will.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, but I will, as soon as he picks up the phone.”

We listen to it ring once, twice, then we hear a man say.

“What do you want?”

“Are you missing something?”

Vincenzo asks.

“Yes, my fucking wife. Any idea where she is?”

“I’m staring at her right now,”

Vincenzo snickers.

“Vincenzo, you fucking bastard,”

Emilia shouts.

“Thanks, Vincenzo. Emilia, your ass is in so much trouble. Do not leave his sight. Text me the address, I’m on my way.”

Then the phone call is disconnected. Emilia grumbles and glares at him, Vincenzo just smirks.

Twenty minutes later, Mateo walks into the house. He sees me and starts asking the same questions. After Emilia fills him in on what happened. Mateo’s face becomes angry. I sink further back into the couch.

“MATEO! Would you calm the fuck down? You’re scaring Bia.”

Emilia yells at him. He takes a couple deep breaths before turning to me.

“I’m sorry, Bia. Women being abused angers me and the fact that Cillian didn’t do his duty as your husband to protect you makes my anger worse. You are under De Luca protection now; you take all the time you need to heal.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Now, my diabolical queen.”

He says turning to “Emilia what are you planning?”

he asks, wrapping an arm around her.

“Maya is flying out here to help Bia, and then, once she is here, I’m going to Ireland to go have a chat with Cillian about how to treat his wife.”

“Would this kind of talk involve some of your tools?”

“Maybe.”

“None that can damage his family jewels.”

“Yes, I know, I won’t do any damage to his balls or cock.”

“You better not even be looking at his cock or balls. Otherwise, you are going to be wearing a red ass.”

“Hmm getting to get my hands bloody and fucked. Sounds like a good time to me,”

she says. He shakes laughing as he bends down and gives her a kiss.

I stare in awe but also a tiny bit jealous that Cillian will never look at me like that.