𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐨

FOURTEEN

I hear a few men speaking in Italian when I finally come to. They have a bag over my head and my hands tied. My chest heaves with fear as I try to undo my binds.

"Let me go, please." I cry out. A hot tear rolls down my face. The voices silence as they hear my pleads.

I feel a rough hand rip the cover off. My eyes squint from the harsh brightness. An older man with grey hair and dark eyes stares back at me. "So you must be Lina." He says harshly, giving me a once over.

"I-I don't know who you are or what you want-," He cuts me off. Walking towards me, he grips the back of my hair in his hands and tugs roughly.

I let out a hiss of pain, "You know exactly who I am." I clench my teeth together, trying to swallow the vile words that want to come out.

"Please, I swear you will never hear from me or see me again." The man lets out a dark laugh, causing a chill of fear up my spine.

"I can see why Elio was so taken with you." He licks his lips as he devours the sight of me. My mouth curls in disgust.

"Keep your pig hands off me." I spit out, unable to contain the anger. He was looking at me like he had a right to.

Before I could blink, I feel a sharp sting on my cheek. The bastard slapped me, hard. He mumbles out something in Italian to one of the other men before stalking out of the room.

The man he spoke with cuts my restraints free, roughly ripping me from the chair. I take it as my opportunity to fight against him, but he's much stronger than me.

Slamming my body into the ground, he pulls me by my hair and drags me to a small closet. Throwing me in, he shuts and locks the door behind him.

I curl myself into my body, letting my face fall onto my knees. Sobs escape my lips. How did this happen? How did I get here?

For hours, I'm kept in the dark. The door opens, light flooding the room. I look up quickly, being met with the man who slapped me.

"Let's go, puttana." He says while gripping my arm and pulling me up. I try to fight against him, trying to free my arms from his grasp. Nothing seems to work.

He drags me across the warehouse, tying a rope around my wrists. "On your knees." He barks out. "Fuck you," I reply, not letting him order me around.

He grasps my shoulders, digging his nails into my skin. I let out a yelp before finally complying and falling to my knees in defeat.

I keep my head down, not making eye contact. The click of a gun causes my breath to turn ragged. Squeezing my eyes shut, I prepare myself for the impact.

The door to the warehouse slams open, catching both I and the man off guard. "Drop the fucking gun, Alessandro." A familiar voice fills the room.

Alessandro underestimated me. He only brought a few men with him. Matteo and Enzo handle them while I search through the warehouse rooms. Reaching the last door, I take a deep breath before entering.

I wasn't sure what to expect. If I'd find her dead body laying limp on the floor. The thought causes me to see red.

Kicking open the door, I'm met with the sight of Lina on her knees and Alessandro hovering a gun above her head. "Drop the fucking gun, Alessandro," I shout, aiming my gun at him.

He glances my way, keeping his finger on the trigger. Lina's eyes are wide with fear, her lip quivering. I try to give her a reassuring glance but I'm cut off.

"This is for the better, Elio. She's making you weak." I tighten my grip on the gun. If I shoot, there's a chance he'd take a shot at Lina.

I had to think of a way to get the gun out of his hand. "You always knew I was going to leave you one day. My debt is paid." I state, trying to compromise with him.

He smacks his teeth, "I can't let you go. You're my best man, Elio. You're my second-in-command." His eyes are empty holes.

"I'll come back with you, just let her go. She won't tell anyone. Please, Alessandro. I love her."

The words fall out of my mouth before I could stop them. Lina's green eyes snap to mine, filled with an unknown emotion.

Alessandro fires off a shot, "No!" I yell, watching Lina's body slump against the cold ground.

Firing off a couple of rounds, I hit Alessandro a few times in the chest before he can pull the trigger on me.

He falls back, gasping for air. Running over to Lina, I pull her into my arms. "Lina, please." My anger consumes me as I watch her struggle to catch her breath.

Picking her up gently, I rush out of the warehouse towards our car. Matteo and Enzo come running down the hall, covered in blood.

They see Lina laying in my arms, their faces pale. "Is she,-" I shake my head and continue to the car. Laying her down in the back seat, I rush her to the emergency room.

The hospital is hectic as they ask questions and disappear with Lina behind the double doors. I can't bring myself to answer anything as I watch after them.

The nurses leave me alone after I tell them my name. This was a small town, they knew better than to interfere with mafia business.

For hours, I pace around the room. Giana and the twins sat with me, watching with nervous faces. I couldn't bring myself to drag my mom into things so I asked them to keep quiet.

When the doctor finally came back, I shoot up from my chair. "How is she? Is she alright?" My nerves course through my veins as I wait for his answer.

"She's just fine. The bullet did hit her in the stomach but missed all vital organs. She's asleep now, but she kept calling out for an Elio?"

My stomach flutters, my heart aching in my chest. "I'm going back," I say roughly, not waiting for his approval.

Every step felt heavier than the last as I approach her room. Her sleeping frame comes into view, causing me to let out a sigh of relief.

Sitting next to her on the hospital bed, I scan her full length. Her face contained a few bruises, but she remained nothing less than angelic.

I run my hand against her smooth cheek. I'm not sure what came over me, but seeing her in this hospital bed made tears well in my eyes.

I was never one to cry, but the fear I felt was indescribable. Something I had never felt in my life. Her green eyes flutter open, making me suck in a sharp breath.

"Bambola, I'm so glad you're OK," I say. Her eyes fill with sadness but are quickly replaced with anger.

"Elio, you need to let me go. I can't do this anymore."