20. Madelyn

CHAPTER 20

Madelyn

I was exiting the bathroom when someone grabbed me from behind, locking my arms behind my back. I tried to scream, but whoever it is also managed to cover my mouth. He or she was strong enough to drag me despite me kicking and screaming the entire way. Fear races through my heart as I’m pulled into a narrow hallway. The person behind me opens a door and then pushes me inside.

The door shuts behind them with a click. My jaw tightens and I whirl around to face my assailant. My heart skips several beats as I do, out of shock more than anything else. The person standing in front of me is an older man, in his sixties maybe. He’s wearing a black hood over his head, long enough to cover his forehead as well. I stare into cold black eyes, but what’s even more frightening are the scars running across the side of his face—burn scars. His face is completely disfigured, the scars stretching close to his mouth and left eye. He has a short white beard that really ups his scary persona.

But even more worrying is that his eyes feel familiar somehow. But I can’t place it. There’s no way I would have ever forgotten meeting someone like him, though.

“W-who are you? What do you want from me?” I ask with a glare.

“Actually, Madelyn, this isn’t about what I want, but about what I’m going to give you.”

When he speaks, his voice is at a low, scary timbre that sends a shiver down my spine. He has a slight British accent.

“I don’t… I don’t understand. How do you know my name? Why did you drag me in here?”

“For some privacy, of course. We have a couple of things to talk about before Dominic finds us.”

My mouth dries. “You know Dominic?”

“I know a lot of things,” he says creepily.

I inhale softly, trying to calm my racing heart. I’m going to be fine. Whoever this old man is, I can take him. Granted, he was strong enough to subdue me and drag me all the way here, but I was caught by surprise then. If he tries anything now, at least I’ll see him coming.

“What do you have to say to me? Say it so I can leave,” I say sharply.

He walks toward me then, a lot more agile than I would have expected, given his age.

“You don’t give me orders, little girl. You shut up and listen to what I have to say. Do you understand?” he asks, the words delivered calmly.

“Crystal,” I bite out.

“Good. We can be friends, Madelyn. I’d like that very much. For us to be friends before I die,” he says sadly.

I notice the emotion doesn’t reach his eyes, though. Nothing seems to. They’re cold, dead, lifeless.

“You’re… sick?” I hedge.

“I was diagnosed with cancer about a month ago. Stage four. So you see, I’m in a hurry to do some things before I’m eventually dust.”

This is so weird. “What has any of that have to do with me?”

“Only everything, little girl. Only everything. You have no idea how much you mean to me. You and Dominic. I’ve spent a long time thinking about you both,” he states.

I make a face of disgust. Okay, this situation just got even weirder. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He smiles. “Don’t worry, Madelyn. All will revealed to you soon, but it certainly won’t be revealed by me. That’s not why I’m here. I’m here to tell you a few interesting things about the man you’re falling in love with. I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear what I have to say.”

My hands clench into fists. How does this man know so much about us?

“Doubtful. I don’t give a fuck about what you have to say about Dominic.”

“You’re a good liar,” he notes with a smile “It’s a good quality to have. A man like that has secrets. Secrets you want to know about.”

Tell me something I don’t know. I’m very aware Dominic has secrets. But I don’t want them revealed to me by a creepy old man.

“This is ridiculous. I’m leaving,” I state, starting toward the door.

“He’s a member of the Cosa Nostra.”

Those words stop me in my tracks. I look at the old man, my eyebrows raised.

“What?”

“You know what that is, don’t you, sweetheart? The Italian mafia. They’ve got quite a hold in the city of Chicago. And Dominic is a member of that organization.”

I shake my head. “No. He’s not,” I say vehemently.

The old man laughs. “You’re sweet, Madelyn. So very innocent. It makes me want to ruin you.”

I think I’m going to be sick.

“Dominic’s not in the mafia,” I deny again.

“But I can assure you he is. How do you think he found you? Why do you think he was looking for you in the first place? These are all very important questions, Madelyn. Questions I’m sure you’ve asked yourself already. You’ve wondered, too. Where he came from? Why he is the way he is with you? I have so many answers for you. Fun, truthful answers.”

My heart races as I consider his words. On one hand, I’m pretty sure everything he’s saying is a lie. But a part of me is smart enough to recognize the possibility that it’s not.

“Okay. Tell me,” I prompt. “And if I find out you’re lying, old man, I’ll break your limbs.”

“Such fire,” he murmurs, cold dark eyes gazing right into my face.

“Talk, old man,” I grit out.

I feel my phone buzzing in my purse but I don’t pull it out. Dominic’s probably realized I’m missing. It’s only a matter of time before he finds us.

“Yes of course. Where to start…? It’s such a fun story. Novel-worthy, if you ask me.”

“I’m not asking,” I say dryly.

“Dominic lost his parents. You’re aware of that, yes? Well, after he did, he was fostered here in America by an uncle. Not blood-related, of course. This uncle was called Marco Vitelli.”

My eyes widen. No freaking way.

“You work in the FBI, I’m sure that name means something to you. Considering all your research on the mafia. Plus, Marco Vitelli was particularly infamous in his day. You’re aware the Italian faction has a governing body of five members. Marco was one of them till he retired. He raised two children, your dear boyfriend and his cousin. And those two children went on to follow in his footsteps. Now they currently occupy positions at the highest level of the Cosa Nostra.”

“I-I don’t understand,” I say, feeling a little light-headed.

“What’s hard not to understand? You met Camila Vitelli tonight, did you not? She’s risen quite far in the mafia. It’s admirable, really, that she has a seat at the table of leaders. Dominic does as well.”

“You’re saying Dominic and Camila are a part of the mafia?”

I think about her saying she grew up in an Italian household. I think about all of Dominic’s secrets, the locked office door in his home, his ability to find out anything he wants to. His blatant disregard for what’s legal and not legal.

My hand starts to tremble. Yeah, I definitely feel sick.

“Breathe, sweetheart. We’re just getting started,” he says, grinning triumphantly. “Let’s go back, shall we? To Marco Vitelli’s time at the table of the Cosa Nostra. It will interest you to know that one other man sat at that table. Everyone only knew him as Sebestian because he rebranded himself from a pack rat in the slums of Mexico into someone with great power in the Cosa Nostra. He killed whoever he needed to kill, ruthless enough that he became the late Don’s right-hand man. He even pretended to be Italian,” the old man says on a chuckle. “He went to great lengths to hide his former identity. Do you want to know what his name was before he became Sebestian, Madelyn?”

“What was his name?” I whisper.

Even though I already know. There’s only one other man that means anything to me with a similar story. Only one other man that abandoned his family, his life, to chase power in the Italian mafia.

“Gabriel Hernandez.”

My heart stops for a minute before beating again.

“My father,” I spit. “Do you know where he is? How I can find him?”

It makes sense that he changed his name. No wonder I couldn’t find anything on him. All he told my mother before he left was that he wanted to make a better life for himself by moving to Chicago. And the last she heard of him was that he had joined the mafia.

The old man lets out a soft sigh. He actually looks sad. But from where I’m standing, the emotion is fake, meaningless.

“My poor, dear girl. Unfortunately, your father died about three years ago.”

I fall still. “What?”

“Hold your breath, this is where things start to get even more fun,” he says gleefully. “There was an internal war in the Cosa Nostra a few years ago. A tussle for power so to speak. The Don had just died and it was time to choose a new one. Sebestian or Gabriel was vying for the position. But he ended up losing it to a younger man called Nicholas Ramirez. Sebestian wasn’t daunted, though. He went to war for the position, going so far as to kidnap Nicholas’s wife, which is how he ended up dead. There was a confrontation. He was about to kill the young Don, but he ended up getting shot instead. He was shot by the Shadow. I’m going to give you three guesses as to who that is?”

I don’t even need to think about it before the name leaves my lips.

“Dominic.”

“Bingo,” the old man says.

I never realized a person’s heart could shut down before. Because as soon as I say his name, I feel it die. It just shrivels up and falls away.

“That is the real reason he was searching for you, Madelyn. He murdered your father. Everything he’s done for you, he’s done out of guilt, not because he really cares. He’s a monster like the rest of them in the mafia. A cold-hearted, bloody murderer.”

I feel hot and cold simultaneously. And then I feel nothing.

“You’re a monster as well. Aren’t you?” I ask.

He smiles, and it feels more genuine than his other smiles.

“Sweetheart, I’m the stuff of nightmares.”

“Okay, then. I’m going to go. And I want you to never show up in front of me again,” I tell him.

“I’m afraid it’s likely I will be showing up in front of you again. I’m sure it’ll be under less than pleasant circumstances, but oh well. There’s lot of ways to die. I’m choosing the poetic one.”

I have no idea what the fuck he’s talking about. And I don’t care. My mind feels like a dark cave, threatening to collapse on me. I need to get out of here.

“Can I go?” I ask.

“Sure, but don’t go out the front. Use the back. I’m sure they’re searching everywhere for you by now.”

I realize I’m curious about the man who knows so much about my life and the people around me.

“What’s your name?”

“You can call me Scepter. We’ll see each other again, Madelyn.”

With those words, he steps out of my way, and I don’t hesitate to rush out the door. He’s right. It’s a little hard for me to dodge the numerous guards that seem to be keeping an eye out for me in the house, but I manage it. Thankfully, there’s a back gate close to the mansion that I’m able to use as an escape. A taxi passes as soon as I’m outside and I quickly get in and leave.

As soon as I’m inside the safety of my home, I collapse to the floor. It’s like my whole body just gives out on me. I don’t cry, though. I can barely even feel. I just sit there in shock, trying to come to terms with everything I’ve just learned.

Dominic arrives ten minutes after I get home. It’s not surprising. I was expecting him.

“Open the door, Flowers,” he calls, knocking on my front door.

I release a staggering breath before getting to my feet on shaky legs. My hands are trembling, so it takes me a couple tries to turn the key and unlock the door. Once I do, he bursts in.

Relief shadows his expression for a full minute when he sees me. He gives me a once-over to check for injuries, and when he finds none, his expression changes. To one of caution.

It’s funny how the sight of him starts my heart up again. But it also brings back the pain. I see a vast sea of red in my vision, and before I know it I’m slapping him across the face. His head snaps backward before he rights it again, rubbing his jaw.

“I probably deserved that,” Dominic starts. “If you want to hit me again, you can do it. I’ll let you hit me all you want, baby. But first, you need to talk to me. What happened at the party? What did the Specter say to you?”

“Did you kill my father?”

It’s amazing how steady my voice is despite the question I just asked. Dominic clenches his jaw and I’m pretty sure I glimpse the light leaving his eyes. He stares at me for a silent beat before answering.

“Yes.”

But I’m not done. “Are you a member of the mafia?”

“Yes.”

“Did you approach me knowing who I was and who my father was?”

His expression grows even tighter. “Yes.”

“That was a nice, simple Q-and-A session, wasn’t it? I asked questions, you answered, and we both found out a lot of interesting facts about each other. So why the fuck did it take you so long to tell me the truth!” I scream.

Dominic winces. I’ve never seen him like this before. He looks scared. No, scratch that. He looks terrified, and that more than anything breaks me. The well of tears inside of me overflows, and then it just spills over. I’m crying harder than I ever have before. Dominic tries to reach for me, but I slap his hand away.

“Don’t touch me,” I screech. “Do you—Do you even know what the worst part is? It’s that if you’d told me all of this yourself, I could have found it in my heart to forgive you. Because I knew—no, I thought—you weren’t a terrible person. So what if you’re a part of the mafia? I thought I knew your heart. I was so sure you weren’t a monster, Dominic. So why didn’t you just tell me yourself?” I ask, feeling my heart break into tiny pieces.

Tears stream down my cheeks, blurring my vision until it becomes distorted.

“I killed your father, Madelyn,” he says softly, in pain, staring at me like I stabbed him.

“So fucking what?” I snap. “He was a piece of shit and was probably better off dead. You didn’t know he was my father when you killed him and you didn’t know me. Why the hell do you think it would have mattered that much to me? You could have explained, given me the benefit of doubt, but instead you did whatever the hell you wanted. You were never going to tell me, were you?” My voice cracks on the last word. “What have we even been doing all this time? Is it all a game to you? See if you can get Sebestian’s daughter to fall in love with her father’s murderer?”

“Don’t say that,” he says. “I fucked up, okay? I did everything wrong. It’s all on me. I could spend the rest of my life apologizing and it still wouldn’t be enough. But I need you to understand something, Madelyn. You’re my life. Everything we shared was real. My feelings for you and the way I treated you was sincere. It wasn’t because of guilt and you’ve never been a game to me.”

His words bounce right off. They don’t mean anything to me. Not anymore.

“You said you’d protect me from all my pain. But instead you ended up causing me the most pain I’ve ever felt.”

The words have the intended effect. Raw agony slashes across his features.

“Madelyn—”

“Leave,” I say coldly. “Leave me alone. I never want to see you again, Dominic. Don’t ever come near me.”

He must see it in my eyes that I’m being serious. He closes his eyes for a moment and, without another word, walks out my door.

I cry for a long time after that. I cry until my tears dry up and then I feel cold. Like ice. And I realize, it’s really possible to drown without being in water.

Two days pass without me leaving my house. I lie in bed for most of it and manage to eat a few bites of food, but mostly I just sleep. I’ve ignored all my calls and texts in favor of my bed. I see my mom in my dreams and I have nightmares, too, but even those don’t seem as scary as the reality I’m currently living.

Today’s Christmas Eve. It’s pretty clear I’m not going to have a happy Christmas tomorrow. The last thing I feel is merry.

I hate myself for being so weak minded. I hate myself because despite everything, a part of me still wants to crawl into Dominic’s arms and never let go. He was always so good at comforting me.

He made me fall in love with him and now I wish I could scream loud enough to erase those feelings forever. But that’s not how it works.

My doorbell rings around four in the afternoon and I frown, wondering who it could be. My heart skips a beat when I think it could be Dominic. When I open the door, though, the person on the other side isn’t too far off.

Camila Vitelli stands there with a frazzled expression and offers me a small smile. There’s no way he sent his cousin over here to intercede for him.

“Hi, Madelyn.”

I’m about to close the door in her face but she stops it with her palm.

“Wait, please. I need to talk to you.”

She reaches for my hand and holds it in hers, her expression pleading.

“You don’t know me very well. But just know that I’m so sorry for what you’ve had to go through. I empathize with your pain and I know nothing I say will make it better.”

“As long as you know,” I say dully, pulling my hand out of hers.

The last thing I want to do right now is see Dominic’s cousin. She reminds me of him, and reminders of him come with an aching pain that makes me feel like drowning.

Camila pauses. She doesn’t look like a badass mafia leader right now. She looks like someone desperate.

“What do you want from me?” I ask her.

“I need your help. Please. Dominic’s in trouble.”

“Why should I care?”

“The Specter let himself get captured. The old man. Dominic’s been searching for him for so long and now that he’s found him, he’s doing everything he can to make him feel all the pain that he’s unleashed.”

I frown in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Camila doesn’t seem to hear my question.

“Dominic’s been at it the past two days. Torturing him, making him suffer. He hasn’t slept, he hasn’t eaten. I’ve done everything to make him stop but he refuses to listen to me. The old man is on the verge of death. It’s time for Dominic to let him go. He needs to kill him and be done with it. But you’re the only one that can get him to do that.”

“Again, why should I care about his sick revenge? I don’t give a fuck about them, Dominic or the old man. Why do you think I can stop Dominic from hurting him?”

Camila’s lips purse. “Because he’s the one that killed your mother. And Dominic’s parents as well.”

My heart drops. Once again, I feel like someone swept the carpet from under my feet and left me free falling into an abyss.