14. Adriana

Chapter fourteen

Adriana

"Are you sure no one came around?" This is the fifth time I have asked Beatrice.

It's been five days now and I've heard nothing from Alessandro. Only Daniel had reached out yesterday with flowers and a note. But the man to whom I'm supposed to be married hasn't bothered showing up.

"Are you expecting someone?"

I stare at my wrists. The nurse had changed the bandages this morning. I try to slow my breath while thinking about him. "It's not important," I mutter.

Beatrice sits beside me on the bed. Both our legs dangle in the air as she joins me to sit. "Alessandro?"

I keep mute, not wanting to admit it out loud.

"You can't get mad at him after he got shot twice."

I know he's alright. Otherwise, Daniel would have said something in the note.

"Yeah, sure." I reluctantly agree with her to end the conversation. She doesn't know Alessandro like I do.

"I don't know how long it will take to still prove to the doctor that I'm not fully fine yet."

Beatrice stares at the door and her eyes meet with one of Father's men. We are whispering words.

"Just act it out for a few more days. Gabriele and I are still searching for the perfect place for you."

The confused look of Father's guard staring at us, whispering, makes us erupt in laughter. He has a funny expression while trying to eavesdrop.

Beatrice stands up from beside me and drops into her seat in front of me.

"I have to tell you something." I adjust on the bed and fall to my back to avoid the stares of the guards outside.

"Father did it. He was the one who tried to kill Alessandro," I whisper.

Beatrice arches closer to me, shocked. "What? But he had just agreed to the deal. How sure of this are you?"

"It was Yuri who shot him. Yuri wouldn't have made a move without Father's orders."

I still haven't told the Malgeris that my Father is a lying, double-sided scum they shouldn't trust. I had to lie to Daniel when he asked if I had seen those men before.

"Everything's going to change if they find out. You. The deal," Beatrice mumbles.

"I wouldn't be safe when they do so I need to go. Disappear far away from here, from the Malgeris and from Father."

"To where? Father's men will always find you. We've seen that now too many times."

"Not when I change my whole identity in another country. I can't stay here any longer. He'll have me as his slave for threatening to expose him."

I'm not just going to be running away from Father this time but also from Alessandro and the charade of a marriage I agreed to. It was all a huge mistake in the first place.

I'm the stupid one here with an ache in my chest for him, just to hear his voice or see his pretty gray eyes. When all I am to him is a deal.

He would never have found me if I wasn't his only option to get a coke supply. I stop myself from letting out the tears building up in my eyes when I come to the bitter realization that I'm literally nothing to him.

I was so foolish to think he wants me the way I want him. Alessandro is so damn good at playing these games. I'll never be more than a deal to him. Or granted, a sex toy at most.

"Adriana, what's wrong?"

I feel hot, damp moisture roll down my cheeks. I had no idea I had let my tears out.

"I miss Mother," I lie. Not that I don't miss her, but right now, my tears are just flowing to confirm the misery I am left in. She falls for it quickly and doesn't question me any further.

I can't let her know I've fallen in love with Alessandro… this ignorant son of a ‘Malgeri'. No one can know. I just have to find a way to stop these stupid feelings and stop him from intruding into every space in me. And I mean both emotionally and physically.

"I'm here for you," Beatrice says. She holds my shoulder and squeezes gently. She lets go of me as Father enters the room. He has a brown hat on with a toothpick hanging low at the edge of his lips.

I stiffen on the bed, not allowing him to see me all vulnerable now.

"Beatrice, leave us." He has a black and white suit on. His white hair is in a ponytail at the back of his hat.

"Father, I need to-"

"Leave us," he repeats firmly, cutting Beatrice off mid-sentence. She locks eyes with me as she stands to her feet.

"Be careful," she whispers before turning to the door.

Her beautiful, flowing yellow sundress sways with her body as she leaves.

I keep my eyes glued to the ceiling as Father takes the seat she stood from.

He smells of vodka and cigarettes. I can feel his eyes on me with the uneasy silence in the room. We haven't spoken since I got here. And I still don't want to speak to him now.

"I always knew you'd be as tough as your mother."

I keep silent, with my eyes still fixed on the ceiling.

"You've always been like this since you were little. Stubborn and a little bit spoiled because of her."

I finally drop my eyes to meet his.

"You won't keep this going forever, mia figlia (my daughter). I'll make sure I crack you and make you come to your right senses. Then, you'll wish you had actually died that day."

He stands to his feet. His belly shoots out with just one button saving him from a wardrobe disaster.

"No one questions me. That deal is just to buy me some time while I plan on taking them down. And you, you will not ruin that. You will be my warning sign to others," he proclaims.

I'm breathing heavily, taking a fistful of the sheets. I want to jump at him and use my fingers to hurt him, just as he keeps hurting me.

"The doctor said you'd be discharged tomorrow. We'll see you at the house again."

He bends a little to whisper to me. "Your little bastard isn't saving you from me."

I scream as Father walks out of the room. I've never despised anyone as much as I despise him right now. I loathe him so much.

Beatrice jumps right in as he leaves. She stops me from hitting the drawer beside my bed and scattering the drugs on the tray.

"Adriana!" she yells, holding me tight.

I cry on her chest, feeling a weight inside me. It's crushing my insides. I can't go back there.

"I can't go back to his house," I murmur into her chest. She holds me tight for a few minutes, letting me cry in her arms. I don't know what I'd do without her.

"Gabriele is on his way already. He'll help us out. I promise." I hold on to her as the tears keep flowing. I don't have the strength to hold them back anymore. I cry so hard that my head starts to hurt.

I lose track of how long we stay in that position until we both fall asleep on the bed.

Beatrice crouches beside me. My eyes flutter as I feel a hand on me.

Beatrice has gotten up already as my vision becomes clearer. She's the one touching me but we aren't the only ones in the room. Gabriele is also here with his friend, whom I had met in my father's house before.

"Adriana, Gabriele is here with Leonardo. They are here to help us."

"There's no saving me anymore. Father would only punish the rest of you when I get caught. I can't drag all of you into my problem."

Gabriele is dressed in a casual striped shirt with black pants and Leonardo is in a light blue shirt and black jeans.

"My wife has told me what you need. Leo can help with it even though it's a hurry now," Gabriele says. A guard opens the door and walks in on us.

"Boss says only one person at a time is allowed in here."

"Are you disrespecting my husband and trying to push him out?" Beatrice says with a stern look.

Gabriele turns and walks closer to him. He grips his neck tight and stares at him.

" Ti darò da mangiare ai miei cani (I'll feed you to my dogs)," he grunts. He forcefully releases his neck and the guard leaves the room in haste.

"Name the country; I'll have someone process your documents right now and give you another identity. It will be like starting a new life somewhere else," Leonardo whispers to me.

My head is blank, with only thoughts of Father's words replaying in it. I stare at them, confused and unable to speak.

"If you need more time to think about it, that's alright. Beatrice would relay whatever you choose to us. We aren't staying here for long," Gabriele says.

"I'll get back to you through Beatrice. I'm so sorry but I haven't really thought about everything yet."

"It's fine, Adriana. I'm always here to help if you ever need me," Leonardo replies.

"Thank you," I mouth as he hands me a paper. It has his number written on it.

I turn to Gabriele. "Thank you so much, Gabriele."

Gabriele holds Beatrice and kisses her lips before he steps out with Leo. She returns to sit on the bed and holds my hand.

"Father said he was going to break me. He didn't even deny his involvement in sending his men to shoot Alessandro."

"Alessandro should know who he is dealing with. Both our families have been rivals for so long now and a stupid deal isn't enough to change that so quickly."

She adjusts on the bed and lies back down.

"Father wants to be L'Uomo and you know he'll stop at nothing to get there. He has changed ever since Mother died. I don't recognize him anymore," she adds lowly.

I take deep breaths with deeper thoughts about the entire situation. A big part of me is scared of running away and the idea of starting somewhere all alone far away from Beatrice. She's my only family left.

My head is in a mess. It makes me want some whiskey. I haven't had any in days now.

"Can I ask for something right now?"

Beatrice shifts to get her back off the bed and looks at me.

"What's that?"

"I miss the taste of whiskey."

Beatrice smiles, poking my shoulder gently.

"What? It helps me forget about Father and think straight."

"I could sneak a bottle for us." She stands to her feet and straightens her dress with the palms of her hands.

"I should probably have a change too. I already smell like a hospital," she grimaces before reaching for her bag in the chair beside the bed and hanging it on her shoulder.

"I'll be back soon, Adriana," she says with a kiss on my forehead.

"Get some rest." She opens the door and steps out.

I sink further into my bed, troubled by the decisions I have to make soon.

Yet, somehow, I find myself thinking of Alessandro, wishing he actually showed up and, at least, acted like he cared.

A female nurse dressed in blue scrubs opens the door. She has a wheelchair with her as she rolls it into the room and shuts the door behind her.

"It's your toilet break," she says with a smile. She doesn't look familiar. Or like any of the nurses that had taken care of me before.

"I've never seen you here before," I blurt.

"I'm Felicity. I'm new here."

"Oh. Nice to meet you, Felicity."

She smiles at me as she helps me off the bed and onto the wheelchair. "Are you comfortable?"

I nod in response, tugging at the edges of the bandage on my wrist. The guard is still outside the door when Felicity wheels me out of the room. His gaze is firm on me as I leave the room.

"She has to be back in 15," he says to the nurse. She nods a yes to him.

"Fuck off," I retort.

The smell of the disinfected tiles and rooms leaves me nauseated as Felicity wheels me to the toilet. I spot more nurses walking around with patients as we go down the hall to the bathroom. My eyes widen as she pushes me into the room.

"Adriana."

No fucking way.