Torn between choices

AXEL SALVATORE ROSSI

She was right in front of me.

The traitor.

The one who’d broken the omertà.

Isabella…

I narrowed my eyes, trying to see if I was hallucinating. But I wasn’t. She stood there, right in front of me, held firmly by my number one enemy and rival— La Mano Nera.

“I told you I had good news, Ace.” The dirty old thug smacked his lips, trying to forcefully pin down Isabella who’d become another version of the one I knew.

She wrestled in his arms, heavy grunts escaping her lips as she fought hard to break free. Her whole body was a mess. Scars and fresh wounds lingered everywhere. I knew she’d been tortured.

I took a step forward, gritting my teeth together as I stared right through her. I only needed one thing from her. “Where’s the item?”

She raised her gaze to me, her lips pressed together. Her eyes blazed with fury and I was surprised. Was she annoyed? I was the one who was supposed to be angry. I could kill her right there.

She bit down her lips and grunted. “Where is my sister?”

Olivia. So, she knew she was here.

I scoffed, kissing my teeth with my tongue. “Why? What do you—‘’

“—You need to let Olivia go right now!”

I hated being interrupted or yelled at, and she knew. I raised my right hand to her face, slapping her hard across both cheeks. Twice.

“You little slut.” I growled, clenching my fists as I tried to refrain myself from hitting her the second time. The pressure from the hit threw her hair down her face, covering half of it.

Viper strolled in, grabbing my arm to pull me away. “You shouldn’t be the one doing this.”

I turned my face away, my anger slowly building up. And the fear… the tension… the feelings I had knowing that item was still out there somewhere. And the fact that she remained silent about it.

La Mano Nera’s husky voice tore through the air, refusing to let the tension die down before increasing it with his words. “I have a deal for you, Ace. That’s why I’m here.”

I creased my forehead, tightening the towel around my waist. “I don’t need any fucking deals.” I huffed, “I need the item she stole.”

“It’s right here.” He tapped his pockets slightly, giving me an awkward smirk. “She gave it to me. And now I’m going to give it back to you, but only at a little price.”

That damn motherfucker. He was as cunning as a fox.

“What’s your deal?” Viper broke in, and I could sense the hint of impatience he had. It was building inside of me too.

He gave another smirk. “I’ll give this to you.” He pulled out the item from his pocket, waving it in my face. I couldn’t believe it. My whole life was back in his hands, and then I heard him slowly add. “In return, you’ll give me the girl.”

The girl?

I furrowed my brows, and then exchanged looks with Viper who appeared just as confused.

“What girl?”

“Olivia!”

That was Isabella. She yelled so hard it felt like the roof of my mansion was about to be brought down.

I rushed to her, my hands grabbing her hair as she yelped in pain. She was trying to outsmart me, to see if her sister was right in my possession.

“You fucking—‘’

“—Stop it, Ace.” Viper pulled me away from her roughly, while La Mano Nera gave her another smack.

My chest burned with fury. And the next thing I heard was the door opening, and I knew who it was without looking back.

Olivia ran out, wrapped only in a towel with her hair dripping in trails behind her. I turned my gaze to her, my eyes flashing with fury as she met them.

What was she doing out here? Wearing nothing but a towel that stopped just above her thighs, exposing the perfect sexy legs she had. And with the men around too…

I didn’t want her there. La Mano Nera could take her. And there was nothing I’d be able to do. He had something he could use to blackmail me.

Where was Rosa? And why wasn’t she keeping her locked in?

“Isabella?”

Her voice conveyed sadness, and a hint of relief. I watched both sisters stare at each other, tears threatening to fall down their cheeks. Although Isabella had been crying for a while.

“Isabella, I—‘’

I pulled her back immediately. She tried to reach for her sister, but it wasn’t happening. Not under my watch. My hands went straight to her wrist, pulling her back forcefully as she tried to move.

She winced in pain from my touch, and then turned to me, her eyes pleading and twitching. “Please, I— I need my sister.”

Rosa rushed in, panting and holding her chest to catch her breath. Her eyes widened when she saw me gripping Olivia firmly, and she pleaded with her eyes.

I pushed Olivia into her hold roughly, making sure she held her down and without making her towel fall off.

“Take her back in.” I ordered, my voice thundering.

“No! You can’t do this.”

“Axel, leave her alone!” Isabella cried, her hands were being tied behind her back by my men while Rosa tried to pull Olivia away. But she was fighting so hard to stay.

Both sisters were getting on my very last nerves. And it was infuriating.

“I want the girl.” He repeated, this time, more firmly. My eyes traced his hands as they pointed in a particular direction— her direction.

I forced the name out of my mouth, my thoughts turning into a thick fog. “Olivia?”

He nodded.

Olivia’s eyes widened, but she didn’t stop trying to reach out for her sister. My poor kitty didn’t even know the danger she was in.

He needed Olivia in return for the item. I swallowed hard, feeling a lump in my throat refusing to be forced down.

“I’m taking my sister with me.” Isabella uttered, shooting me a determined gaze as she fought to break free from the ropes. “I’d rather give her to La Mano Nera than allow her to be with you.”

That was how much she hated me. And I knew why. All the nasty things I’d done to her were part of the reason she held so much resentment.

“Give him the girl.”

I heaved a deep sigh. Hearing Viper utter that without hesitation felt like an order I couldn’t resist. But it was impossible.

I turned to La Mano Nera. “You’d have to choose someone else.” I blurted out, and heard a scowl from Viper, “Or something else.”

Viper walked up to me, his lips whispering in my ear. “What the fuck are you doing, Ace?”

La Mano Nera chuckled, a heavy smile dancing at the corner of his lips as he pushed forward, eyes fixed on me. “I don’t want anything else. I want the pure virgin—‘’

“—Don’t fucking try to complete that sentence.” I spat in his face, my fingers inches away from digging into his bulgy eyeballs. “You can’t have Olivia, and that’s final.”

Isabella sounded out of breath when she parted her lips, and I saw a vein throbbing in her forehead. “You have no right over my sister!”

I scoffed, running my hand through my hair in restrained anger. “You know what? You can have her.”

I turned to Olivia, still in Rosa’s hold, but already standing still without a fight. I watched her tremble and then hesitate for a moment, probably unsure of what to do.

Viper walked towards her, his hands trying to pull her by the wrist as she fought back.

“Let go of me!”

“Leave her alone!” He swerved back to glare at me, but I stood unfazed, “He’s not taking her,” I pointed in another direction, my hands leading their gazes to where Isabella knelt, bound in thick ropes. “She’s going back with him.”

Fear crept into Olivia’s eyes. She shook her head vehemently, trying to disapprove of my decision.

“No. You can’t take my sister away—‘’

“—Take her back into the room, Rosa. Right now!”

Rosa shuddered, bowing slightly as she tried to pull Olivia away without much success and so much difficulty. It was surprising to see how strong she was even with her petite body.

Rosa tried to coerce her. “Let’s go in, dear.”

“I want my sister,” she kept crying, her voice shaking with emotion. “Isabella…”

Her cry was a heartbreaking sound, but I hardened my heart. I couldn’t be seen falling.

Isabella’s voice grew thicker. “You’re going to regret this, Axel.”

I signaled at my men, and they rushed to her side, pulling her by the hair and tightening the ropes on her. She squeezed her eyes shut, a gut- wrenching scream exiting her lips. Olivia kept screaming with fright. She gasped repeatedly, sounding like she was struggling to breathe.

“You made the wrong decision, Ace.”

I couldn’t care less about what La Mano Nera was saying. I knew my choice had a price. He didn’t have to remind me.

Somehow, Olivia managed to break free from Rosa, and I saw her rush over to Isabella, her figure running past me.

Anger flooded through my veins.

How dare she disrespect me?

I grabbed her with one hand, just as she was about to hug her sister. And with all the fury and contempt I felt, I wanted to slap her hard across the face but...