Chapter Four

ARIA

I woke up to the feeling of a cold and hard surface beneath me. A shiver wracked through my body, and I tried to wrap my arms around myself, but the sharp clank of metal stopped me. My brows furrowed as I pulled again, only to hear the heavy rattle of chains. My eyes fluttered open, taking in the dimly lit, unfamiliar room. It was nearly empty, except for the chair in the center and the chains binding me to the floor.

With effort, I pushed myself into a sitting position, my head pounding, my stomach churning. I glanced down at my hands and feet to see that I was chained to the floor.

My heart beat accelerated as confusion clouded my head. I shivered again as my teeth chattered. That was when my memory started to come back to me. The harsh grip. The handkerchief over my nose. The dress shoes stepping into view before everything went black.

A deep groan pulled my attention to the side. Another man was chained to the ground beside me. My breath caught as my gaze traveled to his hands—the same hands that had covered my mouth.

Before I could react, a familiar voice sent a chill down my spine.

“She’s finally awake.”

My stomach twisted painfully. My heart stopped.

I turned my head slowly, and there he was—my stepfather.

He was in Italy? How did he know where I was? How could he come here so quickly? I thought I’d injured him pretty badly, but it seemed nothing could fully stop him.

He stepped further into the room, his movements calm, assured, like a predator circling its wounded prey.

“I told you I would find you,” he drawled, a smirk tugging at his lips.

My throat tightened. “How did you find me?” I spat, glaring at him. A sliver of satisfaction filled me when I saw the bandage wrapped around his head.

He pulled a gun from his waistband and rested it on his lap, tapping the barrel against his knee.

“You underestimate me, Aria,” he said smugly.

A shiver ran down my spine. I was going to die here. My stepfather had always been cruel, but this was different. This was calculated. I looked around me and saw that two of his men were already positioned behind me. The heavy weight on my limbs reminded me that I had no chance of escaping. My eyes slowly crept back to his face. His face glowered in the dark room, but I saw a hint of mocking humor in his eyes.

“You can’t escape,” he added casually, as if he were commenting on the weather.

My breath hitched in my throat as I stared at the man I once called my father. I stared at the man that I once adored.

I gulped as the realization hit me. The money he had, the connections, his violent nature, the way my mother seemed to fear him...

Did he have any relations with the Mafia? Why would my mother marry a made man after running away from the same people? It didn't make any sense. My stepfather was a businessman in America. He owned a legitimate company.

“You used to be such a nice guy,” I whispered, the words bitter on my tongue. “You used to be the best father…”

His expression darkened. “I am not your father!” he bellowed.

“I know,” I shot back. “My mother would never have had a child with a man like you.”

The realization hit me, just as his hand struck my face before I could brace for it. My head slammed against the cold ground as white-hot pain exploded behind my eyes.

But I couldn’t focus on the pain. All I could hear were Evita’s words echoed in my head as the puzzle pieces clicked into place.

“My mother was wanted, so she ran to you for safety,” I rasped, pushing myself back up.

A cruel smile twisted his lips. “I see you’ve done some research.”

“What did you do to make her stay?” I demanded. I knew my mother wouldn’t willingly run to someone who had ties with the mafia…the same people who killed my father.

His eyes glinted with amusement. “I saw her in America and recognized her. I knew she was running. So…”

“You forced her to marry you,” I hissed, fury bubbling inside me.

He shrugged. “It was either that or being handed over to the Don. She chose the best option.”

Fresh tears burned my eyes.

“But I loved her,” he continued, his voice rising. “I married her, even though she had a child with another man, even though she would never give me a child of my own. I loved her!”

His voice turned twisted as he continued. “But nothing I ever did was enough. I took care of you like you were my blood. I took care of us as a family. And yet, she was stealing my money and planning to run away again. With you.”

“You told me she fell sick,” I whispered in a wobbly voice. “She didn’t fall sick, did she?”

His smirk sent ice through my veins.

“No. I killed her.”

The words shattered something inside me.

“You’re a monster!” I screamed.

His jaw clenched as he stepped forward and gripped my throat with both hands. My body jerked against the restraints, my lungs burning as he squeezed. My vision blurred at the edges and my eyes felt like they would pop out of their sockets. Just as I thought I would pass out, he released me with a shove.

I coughed, spluttered and gasped for air.

“Three bullets to the head,” he mused, raising his gun. “That was how I killed her. And that’s how I’ll kill you.”

A shaky gasp left my lips as he aimed the gun at my forehead. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears slid down my cheeks. This was it. This was my end.

Tears trickled down my chin, and my heart stopped as the deafening bang reverberated through the room.

MAXIMO

A trail of smoke curled from my gun as the body crumpled to the ground.

The two men flanking him bolted, and my men chased after them immediately.

I turned back to the woman chained to the floor—Aria.

Fear lingered in her wide eyes as she looked up at me, her body trembling. Anger bubbled up inside me as I saw the way she was chained to the ground like a dirty criminal. What the f*ck was she doing here, chained up like a f*cking criminal beside Marco of all people? She didn't belong in a place like this.

In a flash of rage, I pointed my gun at him.

“You better f*cking explain what’s going on,” I snarled.

Marco swallowed hard. “S-she’s the rat,” he stammered.

I stepped closer, my finger tightening on the trigger. “You should know better than to lie to my face.”

“He’s not entirely lying,” Lorenzo interjected.

I snapped my head toward my brother. “What?”

Lorenzo took a step forward as his dark eyes scanned Aria’s face with chilling precision. I watched the way she cowered under his scrutiny, and my body itched to get her off the floor, to get her to safety.

But first, I had to figure out what was going on.

Then, in Italian, Lorenzo said the words that made my blood run cold.

“She has an uncanny resemblance to him.”

Silence thickened the air.

Lorenzo turned to me with a dark and grim expression on his face.

“She’s the daughter of Emilio Romano, the man who murdered our brother.”

Rage clouded my vision as I turned to Aria whose lips were parted in silent horror and confusion. The fear in her eyes was no longer for her stepfather. It was for me.

“You were looking for a rat. I found one,” Marco said almost gleefully.

He took a slow breath before adding, “After I saw her at the party, I knew there was something off about her. I had someone dig into her background. The long lost daughter of Emilio Alfonsi who just arrived in the city and is back for revenge. Her family was ruined because of the mafia. She’s a spy, Maximo.”

I turned back to Aria, my grip tightening around my gun.

Betrayal twisted inside me. I had slept with her. Let myself be pulled into her.

I’d wanted her. Craved her.

But all I could see now was the ghost of the man who took my brother’s life.

In a fit of rage, I turned back to Marco and pulled the trigger. The bullet struck him between his hopeful eyes.

Aria's shocked gasp filled the room, drawing my attention to her. I no longer saw my Red. All I could see were different ways I was going to torture her before finally killing her, just like I killed her father.