Repaying the Mafia’s Dept

Tristan I lift Isabella’s lifeless body into the truck while Dominic holds the door open.

His face speaks of what I feel as he looks at her lying on the soft leather of the back seat.

I’m on autopilot as I get in, but as I look at my brother emotion seeps in and I wonder when I truly became a monster.

I’ve been so consumed with vengeance I never thought about this part, and how I’d truly feel about what I’m doing.

When Pa announced he was retiring after our grandfather’s death he gave us all a chance to be boss of the family. His four sons had a shot at power. He knew though who he was going to choose because he saw something in each of us that made us who we are. He picked right when he chose Massimo because he’s the epitome of my mother and father.

Me though, no. I’ll always believe I wasn’t chosen because Pa saw this side of me. The beast.

What else am I if I can do this to an innocent woman?

An innocent woman who trusted me.

I look down at her and I find I can’t take my eyes off her. That last kiss I gave her was my sorrow for what was about to happen. The first kiss was me … the real me giving into the call to explore her.

It wasn’t an act.

“Tristan,” Dominic says, pulling me from my thoughts. “You have to strip her clothes. We can’t take the risk.”

Fuck… Dominic’s right. We can’t take any risk whatsoever. I wouldn’t put it past Mortimer to put trackers in her clothes. I look at him as he hands me a plain white gown comparable to what you’d get in a hospital.

“I need some privacy,” I say taking the gown. I don’t want anyone seeing her but me.

He nods agreement and when he closes the door, I start undoing the buttons to her romper. She’s weightless so it’s not hard to lift her and slip her clothes off.

Her head lulls back when I take off her bra and panties exposing her perfect naked form. Not wanting to be more than the bastard I am, I keep my eyes on her face. Her soft, vulnerable, angelic face.

I know Alyssa’s captors didn’t pay her the same respect. She looked like an angel too. The devil messed her up and allowed his animals to butcher her. They sent me her head in a box but I found parts of her scattered all over L. A.

There was never any sign of her clothes anywhere. What I buried were parts of the woman I loved. It was the worst experience of my life.

My father’s killing was enabled by Mortimer’s hand, but there was more at work when it came to Pa. Alyssa died because of Mortimer’s greed and selfish desire to teach a lesson because we crossed him.

I want to compare and contrast the violent death Alyssa suffered to what I’m doing to Isabella to justify my actions. I want to see myself as better because I’m allowing her to live. I want to think of this pursuit as a means to an end because Mortimer Viggo took so much from me and he needs to be wiped out. But I can’t do any of that because this doesn’t feel fucking right.

Nothing in my world feels right and this is just one more thing.

Confliction roils within me and I fight to remember the reasons why this has to happen. No matter how right or wrong this feels, Isabella Viggo is collateral damage and leverage. What I’m doing now is a giant step for all of us.

Mortimer Viggo is a man who is deemed untouchable and the woman before me is a way to touch him. That is what she is.

I put the gown on her and shuffle to sit so I can hold her to my chest. It’s gonna be a long night but she’ll be out for several hours. The tranquilizer I used on her is the type that would knock out a horse.

“Ready,” I call out to Dominic.

He jumps in the driver’s seat and tears out of the parking lot.

We arrive at the landing strip an hour later.

Massimo and Candace are already there. Next to them is the group of guards and enforcers including Leo and Nick who will be staying in Rhode Island to keep an eye on things. Keeping watch for what Mortimer will do when he discovers Isabella is gone.

For security reasons it will just be a small party going to the island. Five guards and our doctor.

They’re already onboard the jet.

Candace’s face goes rigid the second she sees me lift Isabella from the back seat and Massimo tenses his shoulders.

The jet looks ready to go. Everything looks ready, ready to start war.

Isabella feels smaller in my arms. She’s out so cold and in such a deep sleep she doesn’t even stir when her arm flops down by her side. I pull her closer to my chest and as it’s cold I place my jacket over her.

Massimo walks up to me and Candace follows closely behind.

“You ready?” Massimo asks looking from me to Isabella’s still form.

“Yes. I’ll make contact when we arrive,” I answer.

“I’ll dispose of her things,” he states.

Dominic tosses the keys to the truck to Massimo and he catches it.

This is where we split off.

Dominic and I will head to the Island with Isabella, Massimo will go back to L. A., and Candace will join Emelia in Chicago. Massimo has made arrangements with Claudius Morientz and a few other bosses in our alliances to protect them.

“Um guys,” Candace says quickly cutting in. “I feel bad just going to Chicago to sit around and wait. I want to help.”

It’s not a good idea for her to come. I don’t like her in the middle of this as it is, seeing us up to no good being the criminals we are. But I take note of the secret message she sends me when her eyes dart quickly to Dominic. Instantly I remember what we spoke about last night. It never left my mind, but I was so focused on Isabella I pushed my worries to the back of my mind. She’s worried too that’s why she wants to come.

“You need to head to Chicago Candace,” Massimo answers.

“I think I could help by going to the island. She’s gonna be scared when she wakes up. It might help having another woman there.”

She might be right about that, even though fear is what I want Isabella to feel.

“She’s right,” I say, and I can almost sense Candace’s relief. “Everything will help get the information we need.”

Massimo runs a hand over his beard and nods his agreement. “Okay, head to Chicago at the first sign of trouble,” he tells Candace.

“I will,” she promises.

“Okay let’s do this,” I order. “Clock’s ticking.”

“Watch each other’s backs and be safe,” Massimo cautions the same way Pa would and I feel a pang of grief for my father.

“And you.”

Dominic and I nod our acknowledgment then make our way on to the jet with Candace.

I set Isabella down comfortably in the cot and strap her in.

It won’t be long before Mortimer’s men discover she’s missing. Because of the easiness in the way I took her I think they’ll believe she tried to escape. They’ll believe that at first until they don’t.

I sit in front of her, watching her lying there and remember the feel of her lips on mine.

I remember how she tasted and think of the night she thought we were going to have. It’s a night we could have had in another life. A fantasy is all it will be because when she wakes, she’ll hate me the way she’s supposed to.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I’m her enemy now, but she was always mine.

I don’t expect her to wake until morning. Maybe even later.

By then we’ll be on the island.