Chapter 6

Mía

Before going to the bus station, I change my address. I want to see my family one last time. I know it's risky and I could be caught, but my father has been my only family along with my brother since my mother died.

Maybe what I want is to see if he is sorry for the decision he made, or maybe he just corroborates it and helps me disappear forever.

It takes me a few hours to get there. I try to hide by walking through small streets to avoid the security cameras of banks or some stores. I don't know how powerful my father and Marcus are, but I'm going to be as careful as I can.

When it begins to get dark I arrive at the urbanization where I have grown up. I have hidden myself in the bushes staring at the entrance of my house, Big and stately. I feel the tentacles of sadness squeezing my heart. He was so ignorant ...

My brother walks out the front door, he's thinner, he has dark circles under his eyes and there's not a hint of the love with which he always looked at me. He is frowning.

Without realizing it, I have come out of my hiding place to see it better. I am only aware of my mistake when he fixes his eyes on me. He stops short where he is, recovers and walks deterMíadly up to me.

As he approaches I give him a small smile. He's my brother and I really wanted to see him, but when his men surround me I feel like he doesn't feel the same way I do. I have returned to being the naive Mía that everyone fools.

His cold gaze has not relaxed at all, although we are barely a meter apart.

- I thought you had died - Loose in disgust - You should have continued like this.

I don't know how much pain a heart can take, but with each word I feel more betrayed and hurt.

- Paul, I've missed you - I'm honest.

He lets out a ghoulish little laugh that makes my hair stand on end. Nobody has missed me, they just want to continue their revenge on all things. Family, blood, it means nothing to them.

- Mía, you do not understand the seriousness of what you have done - One of his men grabs my arm - Come on, father will want to see you.

Pull my arm to walk towards what has always been my home, but now I see it as my condemnation, the place where you will die.

Before I can step back and get away from my brother and his bullies, Marcus takes aim right at Paul's head. Dante stands next to me and a half dozen more men surround us.

- Drop it if you don't want it to decorate your head with a bullet - Threat.

Stick the gun to my brother's head. I don't think I'm capable of hurting him. He's my brother! But Marcus wouldn't be so powerful if they weren't afraid of him ... And that can only mean danger.

I decide to intercede for Paul.

- Marcus, please, put the gun down - He looks at me blankly.

What part do you not understand? The part where I don't want him to kill my brother? This is crazy.

- Shut up, Mia - He growls full of rage - This has happened because you are unable to follow two fucking orders. I've certainly been too soft on you.

Instead of panicking at the contemptuous tone in his voice, I feel like I'm getting more and more angry. Anger causes my cheeks to turn red. Who does he think he is? Orders? Why the hell would he have to follow his orders?

When I'm ready to reply, he interrupts me.

- Beni, take her away.

Arms like shackles pull on me without giving me the option to let go. This Beni climbs me on his shoulder and walks away from the scene. Dozens of men in the middle of a power struggle with their pistols pointed at their heads.

I want to fight and scream. I want to discuss my rights as an adult and free woman that I am, but I cannot, what is happening has me petrified. At what point have I ended up in the middle of a war between mafias?

Beni, Marcus' henchman, takes me back to the duplex. Instead of getting on the elevator, we go down some stairs that end in a kind of basement.

The walls have no paint, you can see the dry cement and every few meters there is a metal door. This is not what I expected. I'm starting to get nervous because whatever awaits me, I'm sure it's not good.

- What are we doing here? - I ask - Marcus has told you to take me to his house.

I'm starting to put up a little resistance. I tug on the arm, hoping I can let go and run up the stairs.

The man looks at me with all the contempt in the world.

- You have lost his favor, now you are going to meet the real Marcus - Smile promising me pain and tears.

I push him with all my might, he staggers and before he falls to the ground he grabs me by the side of my head and hits me against the wall. In his daze, he opened the nearest door and dragged me inside.

I see everything cloudy, with a haze around the edges that blurs the colors. I blink repeatedly trying to focus my vision. Although I am not a doctor, I know that so many blows to the head in such a short time is not good.

I get on all fours to get up slowly. Let's see if with a bit of luck everything stops spinning around me.

Two hands close on my sweatshirt. He pulls it without contemplation and takes it from me. I grab his hand and twist it at an angle of nearly a hundred and eighty degrees, until I hear the crack of a broken finger.

The moment is dangerous, but I can't help but smile at him. I thought it would be easy, because even if I can with me, I'm going to fight and stand up to him, Marcus, my father and whoever it takes.

Beni yells around the finger with the other hand. His face turns into pure fury. He screams in rage as he clenches his teeth, tiny strands of saliva escaping from between them.

He grabs my shirt and rips it apart in two pulls. He pushes me very violently, I lose my balance and fall to the ground. I begin to prepare to break another finger if necessary, but a kick to the stomach takes my breath, literally cuts it off. It is impossible for me to breathe without feeling tremendous pain.

- Are you not smiling anymore !? - He screams with red eyes and the look of crazy painted on his face.

He repeats the action and kicks me two more. His chest rises and falls uncontrollably, unlike Mía that hardly moves, I have to breathe slowly so that my ribs don't hurt.

He runs his fingers through his hair to comb his hair and calm himself down. I don't even look at it. I don't want any more hits, I just want him to leave me alone and think of a way to escape.

He walks to the door, without turning to me, he closes it with a slam that startles me.

I feel the tears in my eyes. They fight to get out and I clench my teeth so they don't get out. I don't want to cry, not for them, but it's a losing battle. It hurts that my husband, the person I loved the most, wants to see me like this, it hurts that my father wanted to murder me and that my brother wanted to give me up after realizing that I was alive. I am surrounded by monsters.

I crawl over to my sweatshirt, before putting it on I finish tearing my shirt off and set it aside. Then I lie down on the cold ground and let the tears flow.