Chapter 17
Isabella
I’ve just fallen asleep as my eyes are ripped open with the intense sound of the door being slammed shut. Immediately I’m on the defensive, heart pounding in my chest, glancing around the room to see what in the world is going on.
Franco has his hands on Madigan, both of them wrapped around her slender neck, choking her like she’s a chicken. “Stop it!” I scream, tears streaming down my cheeks. I’d love to say the tears are solely for show, but I’d be lying. Hopefully my emotion makes it look like I’m an innocent girl.
“Shut the fuck up, will you? I’ll deal with you later.”
“Franco,please. I beg you, stop hurting that girl. This isn’t the you I’ve come to care for. You wouldn’t do something like this to a girl.” In my training I was always told to stick with your story until the very end. Don’t let your mark sense you’ve lied to them, it will give them leverage over you and no one wants that.
“You don’t know me and I certainly don’t know you!” Franco rips his hands from Madigan’s throat and comes over to me, skimming his hand from the base of my neck, over my breasts and down my stomach. “I knowpartsof you, but I think you were playing me the entire time. Weren’t you?”
“I wasn’t!” I holler, thrashing my body against him. I will do anything I need to make it look like I’m Teresa Erins. Franco doesn’t know the truth about me and he won’t. I’ll make damn sure of it.
“Then what were you doing snooping around, hmm?”
“I was looking for a notepad. I wanted to write you a fucking note and your sons found me and put me in whatever the fuck this is!” I scream at him, continuing to play the role of an innocent woman.
“A notepad. Is that a joke?” He cackles, taking his hand away from me.
I shake my head from side to side, “No. You told me once that a woman has never done sweet things for you, that you’ve always bought things for them or showed your appreciation for them in a materialistic way. I wanted to do something to show you I’m not like the others, Franco.” I say, changing my tone to a pleading voice. I bow my head and look down at the floor, hoping he’ll believe the bullshit I just spit out.
Franco doesn’t say a word. He simply rises and walks over to Madigan, staring down at her. “Your brother might’ve tried to save you, but at some point everyone has to pay for their sins. I bet you thought you could move on and live a happy life while my son’s body rotted wherever you dumped him at. Newsflash,traditore, the Falcones always serve justice. You were one of us Madigan, and then you ran like a scared little girl. It was a sign that you were never supposed to be a Falcone. You were never worthy of the life we had planned for you.”
“I—” Madigan is cut off by Franco rising his hand in the air to silence her.
“Whatever you have to say, don’t bother. We both know the truth, Madigan. It’s why you’re going to pay for what you did to my son,andmy grandchild.”
I notice Madigan’s eyes widen at that. I’m guessing her pregnancy must’ve been a secret. “I had a miscarriage you old fool! I didn’t abort my child.”
“No, but because of you my grandchild died and for that you will pay dearly.” Franco hisses, yanking her up by the zip ties on her wrists. “Entra subito,” Franco hollers, and in come two men who take Madigan from Franco’s grip and lift her up in the air. I wonder what the hell is happening before my eyes when they slam her back onto one of the empty meat hooks across the room. She screams out in debilitating agony and I try my best to not vomit. No amount of training can ever prepare you for this.
Blood slowly comes down her back and drips down in a puddle on the floor. I have to turn my face so I don’t see it, but Franco comes over to me and turns my neck to face forward. “Thisis what happens to people who betray my family. Lazzaro, please ensure she can’t look away from what’s about to happen.” One of Franco’s men comes over, kneels down and takes my face from his boss’ grip, forcing me to look at Madigan.
Franco heads over to where Madigan hangs, pulls a knife out of his trousers and cuts off her top so her breasts are exposed but doesn’t stop there. He continues so her pants are free and they fall to the floor. My eyes divert immediately to the blood which is now staining her clothes, and I notice it before Franco does.
Her stomach protrudes in a such a defined way and I pray that I’m wrong.
I pray that she isn’t, because I’m fearful for what Franco will do.
His cackling laughter greets us once again when his eyes land on her stomach and I scream out, “Franco,please! Please don’t do this. Please stop!”
He shifts his gaze over in my direction, “Shut up.”
“If you care about me at all, you won’t do this.”
He laughs yet again, “Care about you? I’ve been paying you to stick my cock in your cunt. I don’t give a flying fuck about you. All you are is a dirty little whore. Let that sink in for a bit.” He might not realize it, but his words do somehow get to me. I was a virgin, an innocent angel in the opinion of the Romanian bloodlines. I would’ve made the perfect wife for any man, but this mission . . . doing what the government has required of me to clear my name and somehow get out of the mess my father created. Well, it’s corrupted me. It has turned me into the dirty thing Franco speaks of.
“An eye for an eye, Madigan. You took my blood from me, so I’m taking this one from you.” Before I even realize what’s happening Franco is dragging his knife into Madigan’s flesh, tearing her uterus in the process. Blood flows down the front of her and I can’t fight back the bile rising in my throat, I vomit all over the Falcones goon.
This can’t get any worse, can it?