Kendra
I hadn't eaten at all. How could I when, for the first time in a long time, it felt as though I was not in control of my own life.
Watching Il Diavolo calmly chew on his food, barely sparing me a glance, I replayed the words he said to me just moments ago.
"This devil is going to enjoy breaking you, Sister."
I shuddered at the implications of those words. My mind ran wild with imaginations. Some thoughts were gory, others were… bold.
At this point, I was sure that he had no plans of killing. At least not anytime soon. But why was I being spared? The devil knew nothing about mercy and everyone knew of his unforgiving reputation.
Yet here I was, still alive, dining with a man who killed at the slightest provocation. Question was, why?
"Why are you keeping me alive?" I blurted.
He paused, and then slowly put down his cutlery. When he lifted his gaze, I felt a chill run down my spine.
He leaned back, picking up the glass and taking a long sip. I watched his every move, how his lips kissed the rim of the cup, and how his Adam's apple bobbed as the liquid went down his throat.
I averted my gaze for a second and when I looked at him again, his eyes were on me. It almost felt as if he was searching my soul.
"Why are you in such a hurry to die?" His voice came out in a low rumble. He sounded almost genuinely curious. "The world is a beautiful place," he added. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
"I'm sure that man you made me kill on the boat would've wanted you to ask him that," I retorted, feeling disgusted with myself for taking a life. "You're a monster, you know that?" I spat.
"For executing a thief?" He cocked his brow.
"His name was Barry!" My voice rose. "And I'm sure he stole for a reason."
"Hmm," he nodded once. "Everyone has a reason for doing what they do. But people need to understand that every decision comes with consequences."
"Death is extreme."
"I think it's fair."
"Then why am I here?" I asked again. "Why bring me to your home? You could have finished me off alongside Barry since you're convinced I stole from you too."
"Since I'm convinced?" His expression changed to something that looked like amusement. "Are you still going to pretend that wasn't you in Monaco?"
I lifted my chin, ready to deny it again. After all, lying was an easier sin than murder. But a different question came out of my lips. "Why did you pay so much for a woman?"
The amusement in his face quickly creased into a frown and I adjusted in my seat, a small smirk playing on my lips.
"Tell me, Alessandro De Santis," I went on. "How is it that it was so easy to scam a man like you?"
His expression darkened, and I did my best not to flinch even though he looked intimidating. Seeing that I didn't react, the corners of his lips lifted up in a small smile.
"For someone who wasn't there, you know quite a lot," he said.
"And here you are, changing the subject," I replied.
He was quiet for a moment, like he was thinking of what to say.
"So a man like you can be at a loss of words?" I teased, finally getting my appetite back. "This nun has no problem toying with the devil," I smirked, slicing the piece of steak in front of me.
I chewed slowly, completely ignoring him as I savored the meat's flavors.
"Mmm," I nodded. "Your chef deserves a raise."
I wasn't sure where this boldness was coming from, but if I was going to die soon, I may as well do something daring before I go.
I ate in silence. A part of me appreciated the silence but that was dangerous because I couldn't be sure what was going through Alessandro's mind.
What if I had ticked him off? What if he decides my time is up and he suddenly shoots me in the head?
I knew there was a pistol somewhere close. Every man in the mafia always kept one close for protection. My Dad used to always holster one around his waist, and he taught me to always be prepared.
As if he could read my mind, Alessandro picked up a gun from God-knows-where and suddenly fired a shot in my direction.
I ducked and the bullet barely missed me.
There was a piece of meat in my mouth, but chewing on it was the last thing on my mind as the gunshot was still ringing loud in my ears.
I was trembling, still trying to recover from what just happened, but Alessandro's voice made me look up at him.
"Impressive," he said, and he certainly looked impressed. "Don Julio taught you well."
'Are you out of your fucking mind?' I wanted to scream at him, but I could only stare. The calm confidence I had been feeling only seconds ago had now been replaced with dread, and I was sure he could see it.
"I'm a simple man, Sister Maria," those words were like a warning. I watched him slowly make his way toward me and he leaned close, his lips just inches away from my face. "If I wanted that bullet to kill you, you would already be dead. Barry died because it was his turn. You'll get yours."
Without waiting for a reply, he walked off. It's not like I had anything to say at that point…
The meat in my mouth fell off and I dragged a deep breath, realizing I'd been holding my breath all this time.
I looked back to see the bullet hole in the wall, and I imagined that hole in my head if I hadn't moved out of the way.
Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, my eyes darted to the door. I was alone and the first thought that crossed my mind was escaping.
I couldn't stay here. Alessandro was a mad man, and he just said he would kill me when it was 'my turn'.
Well, I wasn't planning on sitting here while waiting for that day.
Searching my surrounding, I realized there wasn't a single soul. I couldn't hear any sounds either and the sky was already dark.
'Now's your chance, Kendra', I thought to myself, slowly getting on my feet.
I knew there were cameras everywhere, but I wanted to believe there were blindspots.
I remember the front door wasn't so far from here. What if there was a chance it wasn't locked?
Without wasting any more time, I slowly got up, trying not to make any sound. As I turned, I crashed into something that felt like a wall of muscle.
"Going somewhere?" I heard Matteo's familiar voice and I looked up to see him staring down at me.
Fuck! The man was like a ghost. When did he get here?
I took a step back, gripping my black dress as I stared at him. He narrowed his gaze, looking slightly irritated.
"I'm sure you got up because you're done with the food," he stated, glancing at the food which I didn't really get to enjoy because his boss tried to blow my brains out.
"I've been ordered to escort you back to your room," he added and I shook my head, taking another step back.
"I barely survived dinner," I said, taking a third step back. "There's no way I'm going to allow you lock me up like a damn prisoner."
"But that's what you are." It felt like he was reminding me of my place, but I shook my head again.
"Nah. Fuck you!" I hissed and rushed past him, running as fast as my legs could carry me.
I wasn't sure where I was going because every corner was starting to look the same, but I trusted my instincts and took whatever turn it led me.
I kept looking back, hoping to see Matteo running after me. But he wasn't. It was almost as if he didn't care that I was getting away, but I knew better.
The fact that he wasn't running after me only proved that escaping was impossible.
I slowed down when I arrived at the parlor. I could see the front door. My exit. It was right there, but I knew this was just too easy.
As I took one step closer to it, the sounds of guns cocking echoed from all around me.
I paused, slowly lifting my gaze to see all the men aiming their guns at me, ready to pull the trigger. I wasn't even surprised. In fact, I would be disappointed if leaving was so easy.
"Your room is not that way," that annoying baritone voice reached my ears. "Matteo was going to take you to your room. You should have waited for him to take you."
I scoffed, turning around to see the man who thought keeping me here was such a fun game.
I could hear the sarcasm in his words but he was no longer looking impressed.
"Stop doing stupid things, Sister," Alessandro said as he disappeared into the darkness. "You're not going anywhere."
Those words made my skin crawl. As I watched his silhouette disappear, I could only imagine how long he planned to keep me alive before suddenly deciding it was time to kill me.
"Come on," Matteo, who just joined the scene, signaled to me.
I began to make my way back into the house, refusing the urge to count how many men were aiming their guns at me.
'I'm not going to die here, Il Diavolo', I said in my mind. 'If he planned to break me, then I was going to end him.'