Strapped: A Second Chance Mafia Romance (22 page)

E
ven as I
wake up the next morning, that good feeling is still there. Things might have been crazy yesterday, but I truly believe that somehow we’ll get through this. It might not be an easy road, but I really do think that Sophia and I will come out of this at the other side.

I actually whistle with happiness as I walk through the apartment, feeling much more positive about everything. Okay, so yesterday wasn’t a great day with everything that went on, but it did allow me to show Sophia a little more of who I am, and she still accepted me which means a whole lot. I’m perfectly aware that I’m not good enough for her, so for her to simply embrace me for who I am really is something.

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock.

At first I don’t hear the knocking at my front door, because it’s so quiet and I’m more than a little distracted, but as it grows in volume and intensity, I finally realize that someone is trying to get my attention.

“I’ll be right there,” I call out loudly, wondering who it could be. My main guess is Diego – he’s probably come to give me shit about what went down in the betting shop, and although I still don’t really want it, I’m a little more prepared now than I was yesterday. I can take it and defend myself now that I’ve had a little more time to think it over.

But as I swing the door open, I instantly see that there’s no one there. “Hello?” I call out confused, glancing from side to side, but of course I get no response. Just as I’m about to give up and go back inside, something catches my eye. A small white box on the ground, with my name written across it. “What the hell?” I mutter to myself, picking it up. As soon as my fingers grip onto the box, a ringtone blasts out loudly, which almost causes me to drop it in surprise.

I tug the box open and find a cell phone sitting inside, with one name written across the screen. A name that causes my blood to run cold:

Aiden.

He’s playing me. I’ve inadvertently become a part of his little plan, and he knows that. I need to answer though, as much as I don’t want to, because Sophia’s life is on the line. I hate that he has me so trapped, but there’s nothing that I can do about it now. I just need to play along for the time being.

“Hello?” I ask, holding the device to my ear, praying that it isn’t some sort of bomb or something. I wouldn’t put anything past them at this point.

“Enzo,” he says smugly back in his thick Irish accent. “It’s nice to finally make your acquaintance.”

“If only I could say the same about you,” I shoot back angrily, causing him to explode in laughter. I curse myself inside for getting riled up at the first sign of bait, showing off some of my immaturity in this business. “What do you want?”

“Oh, I think you already know that,” he growls back. “I want what everyone seems to want. Sophia Murphy.”

“Why?” I find myself asking, allowing curiosity to get the better of me. “What do you want with her? You killed her father after all, it isn’t like you care about her or anything.”

“I’m willing to pay you of course,” he states, completely ignoring both of my points. The way that he completely blows over my murder accusation just proves to me what I already knew – he did it, and he doesn’t even care about that. “She’s very important to certain people.”

“Her mother?” I hazard a guess. Sophia hasn’t really mentioned her mom very much to me, which suggests that they don’t have a close relationship, but family is family after all. Maybe her mom needs her now that her husband is out of the picture. Maybe she’s finally realized how much she misses her.

“It doesn’t matter who… it only matters the amount, surely?” He actually sounds incredulous that I’m trying to figure out his plan.

“I’ll be honest with you, buddy,” I start, deciding to lay it out on the line for him. “There isn’t any amount in the world that would convince me to let you have her back.”

He’s silent for a moment, but I can hear the heavy breathing there, which means that he’s raging now. He’ll probably turn to threats at any given minute…

“You know that I have my eyes on you right now?” He states, wanting me to look up and around for him. I keep my eyes fixed in one place on purpose, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. “I have a sniper, I could take you out this second.”

“You won’t though,” I reply confidently. “Because you know I have double the men around me, watching you too.” I’m lying of course, but he doesn’t know that. If I say it confidently enough then he will be left with no choice but to think that it’s true.

“You
will
fucking give me Sophia… one way or another. I
will
make that happen.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong,” I finish this stupid conversation swiftly. “What is actually going to happen is that I will kill you with my bare hands before you can get anywhere
near
Sophia.”

Then I click the phone off, with the power in my hands, and I stalk back inside.

It isn’t until I see Sophia lying asleep on the bed, looking like a sweet angel that I start to crack a little under the pressure. This has become too much for me to tackle alone, and much as I don’t want to after our last conversation, I know that I’m going to have to get my father involved.

I sigh deeply, and call some of the guys to come and watch my apartment while I make that journey. Because Sophia is still sleeping and I don’t want to disturb her, I write a note before heading out on my way.

‘S,

Had to go to a meeting. I’ll be back soon I promise.

Miss you.

E xx’

* * *

B
y the time
I reach my dad’s place, my thoughts are a little more in order. I now know that we need to strike now before Aiden manages to build his mob up. He’s proven to me more than once that he’s weak, and if we go in hard, I think that we can really wipe his group out.

But I can’t do that alone.

My group might be good, but we aren’t enough to take them all out. I just don’t have the numbers I need.

Unfortunately, I have to wait for a while because my father is in meetings with other people, which makes me anxious. I don’t like leaving Sophia for any amount of time, especially not when Aiden has been outside my home, and the longer I’m away, the more irritated I become. I’m only comfortable when she’s with me, which makes this extra hard.

I consider sending her a text message, to let her know where I am, but since she hasn’t contacted me she could still be asleep. Plus, communications have been monitored in the past, and I really can’t be sure that isn’t happening again. I don’t want the Irish to know how long I’ll be away for.

“Son,” my dad eventually booms loudly. “Come in.”

Once I’m in his office again, I can feel the same tension that we had before. The subject of Sophia is a really tricky one and I’m not sure that we’re ever going to agree on it. I just hope this doesn’t spark yet another row. We need to have an adult conversation about what we do next, to make sure that something stupid doesn’t happen.

“Now, what can I do for you?” He’s already trying to use his intimidation, to remind me of my place in the organization. This has made me back down more than once, but not this time. It can’t. This time it isn’t just about me.

I slam Aiden’s cell phone down on his desk, and start to tell him everything that’s been happening. “Aiden left this at my home. He called me on it and told me that he would pay me for Sophia…”

“Right,” dad looks unconcerned by this, which riles me up once more. “Well, of course he did.” He shoots me a look that suddenly makes me feel about two feet tall. “After all, you’ve been very busy lately, haven’t you?”

Of course!

He knows about everything – all of the killing and the harming that I’ve been doing. I should have guessed, nothing gets past my dad. I’m just surprised that he hasn’t jumped on me about it earlier. Usually he is on things like a rocket, especially when it affects him and his reputation.

“And considering all of that, I’m going to suggest that we give the girl up.”
No, no, no.
“We don’t need her, and it’ll get this dickhead off of us. It might bring about a semblance of peace all over again, which is really what we want…”

“Are you fucking crazy?” I hiss angrily. “This man is power crazy. He only wants Sophia to torture and kill her. It won’t stop him coming after us. Nothing will.”

“I honestly don’t give a shit what he does with the girl when he has her,” he tells me coldly. “And we will strike a deal. I won’t just give her up for nothing. I’m not a fucking idiot.”

“No,” I shout, not caring anymore. “That’s not what we should do. We need to strike now, taken Aiden down while he’s weak. He hasn’t come after us, not really, and that has to mean something. Maybe he’s struggling to get everyone to listen to him, or maybe… I don’t know…” It suddenly hits me that I actually don’t know why he hasn’t attacked us yet, which is strange, as is his obsession with Sophia.

There’s something more to this, I just don’t know what it is just yet…

“I’m telling you now that you are
not
to act on your own anymore. I have let you run free for a while, to get all of this pent-up aggression out of your system, but that is to end today.”

A red mist of boiling rage descends over me, and it takes all that I have just to keep myself under control. My body is pulsing with anger, hot with temper, and I’m pumping my fists to keep it all inside.

“And I’m telling you to leave Sophia out of this.” I stand up, preparing to leave. I can clearly see that dad and I are never going to agree on this one, and there’s no point in arguing about it. We’re both as stubborn as each other, which means we’re like bulls fighting with our horns, neither one of us stronger than the other. “She isn’t involved, and I won’t let her get in the middle of this – I thought I made that clear last time.”

As I turn to stalk out, he calls out from behind me, having to get the last word in. “You’ll soon see that she isn’t worth all of this, and you’ll give her up anyway. Don’t be so childish about this, Enzo.”

I stop for a second, panting angrily, before forcing myself to continue. He wants a reaction from me, and I’m determined not to give it. I’m not childish, I’m the only one seeing things clearly around here! He’s weak, acting foolish, giving in to the Irish mafia at the first hurdle. What sort of message does that send? Walk all over us – that’s what!

No, not a chance in hell! That’s
never
going to happen, not on my watch.

W
aking
up alone is something that I’m starting to get used to, but this time it’s actually welcome. I need some time by myself to really think about the sad thoughts that are plaguing me. I just cannot believe that my dad is gone, and that Arial betrayed me – it’s horrible. I feel like I have nothing left in the world. All the people that I’ve spent my whole life relying on have turned away from me and left me by myself.

I feel totally and utterly alone in the world.

As I eventually force myself out of the bed, I spot a note sitting on the side from Enzo – the only one that I seem to have left.

‘S,

Had to go to a meeting. I’ll be back soon I promise.

Miss you.

E xx’

“Typical,” I mutter to myself. “Evasive as ever.” Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t bother me at all, but because my emotions are so up in the air already, I felt hurt at him not just telling me what it is that he’s up to.

I pad into the kitchen and grab myself some breakfast, all the while thinking about what it is that I actually have with Enzo. I know that I feel strongly about him, but is he the same? When he’s with me, I really feel like he does like me just as much as I do him, but whenever he’s gone, I’m not so sure. I start to doubt all of the signs that I’ve been so certain about, and I start to nitpick everything about myself.

I just don’t know if I’m good enough for him to fall in love with, and I wonder if I should try and protect my heart before I get hurt. I’m falling too hard and too fast, and I’m scared that my heart is going to end up in a million pieces.

In a real state of stress, I do the one thing that never makes me feel any better, no matter what is going on in my life, and I call my mom. I guess I just want to speak to someone who has always been there. She might never have been the best mom in the world, but she’s been in my life from the start, and since I don’t have anyone else like that anymore, I don’t exactly have any other options available to me.

“Sophia?” She instantly gasps into the phone, sending that familiar guilt flooding through me. “Are you okay? Why haven’t you called me? I’ve been worried sick. I thought something bad had happened to you.”

“I… I…” I don’t know how to answer that question when I have no real excuse. Then again, it isn’t exactly like I’ve had any communication from her either. “I’m sorry,” I finish lamely, accepting the full blame even though I don’t really feel like I deserve it.

“Look, Sophia, you
really
need to come home. I need you here. Aiden has been trying desperately to get Enzo to allow him to meet with you…”

“But… hang on a minute, Enzo said that Aiden killed dad. What the hell are you doing communicating with him?” I know that it’s bold to go right in there, but I’m sick of being so clearly out of the loop. Everyone else seems to know everything, and I know nothing! It’s driving me insane.

“Umberto did it!” She exclaims angrily, throwing me off track all over again. “Aiden saw Enzo’s dad at the scene of the crime. He’s just saying that to throw you off the scent. Enzo has been threatening us all like crazy, it’s been really horrible. He even told me that he killed you already.”

“No,” I try to argue, but my voice doesn’t sound quite as confident as before. All of a sudden, I’m a confused mess, which allows her to get under my skin. “But… but Freddie threatened me. He and Arial were in on some plan together…”

“They were against Aiden, they wanted control themselves. They tried to overthrow him.”

Is she serious? Why do I feel like I believe her?

“Look Sophia, will you at least come and meet me? We can go to a public place for half an hour if it helps you to get away? I just… I want to see your face again.”

“Me too.” All of sudden that’s all I want in the entire world, to be around a familiar face, a parent who loves me unconditionally. “I’ll do it, mom, wait at the mall entrance, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

The mall is the only good memory I have with my mom – clothes shopping when I was younger – and I want those happy times to flow inside of me when we’re together again.

“I’ll wait for you,” she promises, and I hang up the phone with a new plan inside of me.

I quickly throw some clothes on and I walk down the stairs ready to make my escape. Since Enzo isn’t here, I know that he’ll have men outside, but they won’t stop me from going to see my mom surely. That’ll be insane.

As soon as I step out into the cool fresh air, three men are by my side in a heartbeat. They’re so tall and muscular that they swamp my frame, making me feel really scared and intimidated.

“I… erm…” I start, feeling my face heat up with shock. “I just want to go out for a bit to see my mom…”

“You can’t,” one of them snaps almost instantly. “We’re under strict orders to keep you here under any circumstances.”

“Like a prisoner,” I try to joke, but it doesn’t really play out well and I end up feeling even more embarrassed. “Look, I just want to see my mom… there’s no crime against that, is there? Can’t you… come with me or something?” Of course I really don’t want that, but I need to get out of here one way or another.

“Enzo said under no circumstances, and we have to stick to that.”

“Well, where is Enzo then?” I ask, growing increasingly frustrated. This is like talking to a brick wall, and I’m started to get pissed off. “He isn’t here, and he hasn’t said where he is or how long he’s going to be or anything. I’ve arranged to meet my mom.”

“I can’t tell you anything.” They all step even closer to me in unison, making me feel like a mouse trapped in a lion’s cage. “I suggest that you go back inside now, before something bad happens to you.”

My heart starts to pound noisily in my chest as I’m left with no other option. Enzo might have brought these men in to protect me, but I’ve just been threatened by them.

“Yeah… okay…” I gasp, before running back inside.

Once I’m back in the apartment, the place starts to spin around me, trapping me in. I might have joked about this being like a prison, but that’s actually what this is.

I start thinking about my mom’s words all over again:

“Aiden has been trying desperately to get Enzo to allow him to meet with you…”

“Aiden saw Enzo’s dad at the scene of the crime.”

“Enzo has been threatening us all like crazy, it’s been really horrible. He even told me that he killed you already.”

Maybe I’ve been allowing my sexual attraction to Enzo overshadow the truth. Maybe I’ve been allowing his sweet talk to convince me of a truth that isn’t real. I really don’t know anything anymore, and that’s harder than anything else in the world to deal with.

I need to get out of here, to get some space. No matter what else goes on, I really need to meet with my mom one way or another to find out what she has to say. I can’t go on without at least hearing out her side of the story too. I know for a fact that I can no longer blindly believe Enzo – just because he seems kind of perfect, doesn’t mean that he is. I haven’t been smart, despite all of my promises to myself, and I need to rectify that.

But how am I going to do that?

The men outside will not let me go, no matter what I do, but I have to get out eventually. In a state of panic and shock, I grab all of my belongings and stuff them into a bag quickly before stowing it under the bed. Maybe I’ll have to get out when Enzo is back, and there’s no one else outside.

While I wait for him to return, I pace up and down the room, just trying to work out how I’m going to make the big escape…

* * *

T
he sound
the door makes as it opens makes me jump about ten feet into the air. I’ve been waiting for it for so long that by the time it actually happens, I’m a quivering mess. I quickly try to rearrange my face, but I’m not totally sure that I succeed.

“Hi,” Enzo smiles at me as he walks through the door, trying to act like everything is normal, but I can already tell that there’s some stress there. Whatever his meeting was, it clearly didn’t go well…

He’s hiding as much as me by the looks of things. But what?

“Hello,” I reply in a voice that sounds just as strange as his.

Get it together,
I scold myself.
You need to look normal. Don’t let him suspect. His boys have probably already told him that you tried to leave!

“Are you okay?” I ask. “Can I get you a drink or something to eat?”

“No, I’m good thanks.” He wraps his arms around me, and pulls me in for a hug, which I reciprocate, but it doesn’t quite feel as right as it did before. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s because of all the crazy emotion that’s swirling around inside of me, but whatever it is I make myself pull back quickly before I can fall apart in his arms. “Are you okay?”

“Erm… honestly, I’m a little freaked out.” I admit to him, wanting to be certain that there’s no one left outside… just in case. “I went to speak to your men earlier, to find out where you were…”

“You did?” He asks, sounding a little stunned. Clearly, they didn’t tell him about it before me, which is a good sign. It means that I got in there first, and that I can spin the story in the way that I want it to go.

“They were a bit… much. They scared me.”

I watch as he pulls out his phone, rings one of them and he orders them to leave. As he speaks, he grabs onto one of my hands and he grips it tightly between his fingers, making me feel a little guilty about the way I’ve been feeling.

“I won’t let that happen again,” he tells me sincerely. “I’ll… get different guys or I won’t leave you alone again. I promise.”

“Thank you,” I reply, trying to muster up a smile, but finding it impossible to do so. “I appreciate that.”

I can sense that he’s about to hug me again, and I really don’t want that. It’ll make me fall apart, which I cannot afford to do. I need to stay strong, and I can’t do that when I’m so close to him.

“Okay, well, I’m going to take a shower,” I tell him. “I haven’t managed to have one yet because I’ve been so worried about you. I know you said that you were in a meeting, but you didn’t tell me where or for how long…”

“I’m sorry, it’s just a bit… difficult,” he tells me looking saddened. “I’ll try not to let that happen again.”

I turn to walk away from him, trying to keep my pace normal so that he doesn’t suspect anything about my shift in feelings, and it seems like I succeed because he calls out from behind me. “As soon as you’re out, I’ll sort us out something to eat.”