Matteo's Eyes

Chapter 3

I sit and watch the stars the entire night until Matteo and Shay say it's time to leave. I walk behind them in the darkness once again unable to see where I am going.

I am walking right behind Shay when something pulls me backward. I feel a hand cover my mouth before I can scream. I kick and thrash and do everything mom told me to do.

I bite the hand which makes my kidnapped hiss in pain.

"Ivy?" I hear Shay call out hearing the noise.

I try to say something back to him but the hand muffles all of my screams for help.

"Ivy? Ivy! Matteo, Ivy's gone!" Both Matteo and Shay start shouting for me.

Eventually, their shouts become distant as I am dragged away. I play dead. I leave my entire body limp so it's almost impossible for them to drag me.

"So, which mafia are you guys from? Wait let me guess. Um, the American Mafia? They tried to kidnap my mom one time. That's how she met my dad actually. Also the Russians tried to kidnap her but now Mom runs them so you aren't them. Or are you some small gang?" I ask when the man's hand releases me and I can talk.

"None of the above. I am your grandfather, Marcello."

"Uh well if you wanted to meet me you could've done it a safer way."

"You are so much like your mother. It's annoying." I laugh at him, "You do however have Matteo's eyes, unlike your siblings."

"What do you want from me?" I ask sharply.

"Nothing from you little lady. I just want my mafia back. My son is doing a horrible job with the mafia and your brother will only do worse." I've never met my grandfather. I never questioned why though because I trust my parents and I know they only want what's best for us.

"My father will never give you the mafia. He's not dumb. Once he finds out that you have me he will kill everyone and everything that stands in his way from getting to me."

"I'm counting on that."

Marcello takes me to a sketchy abandoned building. I walk in behind Marcello. I think about running but I know that I've never been fast. One time my dad signed me up for soccer and told me to run to the ball and I just sat down. I didn't move the entire game. I was even offered ice cream if I got up and ran but I didn't budge. Mom says I got my stubbornness from her.

I look around the building. I watch the rooms and hallways we pass and look for any exits. I notice windows at the ends of the hallways.

Marcello walks me to my 'room'. It's really just a cell with a mattress on the ground.

"Here's your room little lady." Marcello stands in the doorway.

I turn my back to him, pull out my phone, and call Matteo. He picks up on the first ring.

"Marcello? Where am I?" I ask in hopes that he will give away anything to help Matteo and my parents.

"I'm not stupid, little lady. I'm not giving anything away."

"Well is this abandoned building even safe? It looks like it could collapse at any moment." I try to give them all the information I have without giving away I'm on the phone.

"Yes, it's safe. Now I have business to attend to. I am off to call your father and bargain you for the mafia. A deal he can't refuse." Marcellos not wrong and he knows it. He smirks as he begins to shut the door.

Before he closes the door I get an idea, "You can only bargain me if you have me." I don't know if he heard it and if he did he didn't react at all.

"Ivory, if you can hear me I heard everything. I think I know what you are getting at. We will get you back as soon as possible." Matteo whispers.

"Stay strong Ivy. I know you can." I hear Shay say right before Matteo hangs up. I quickly stuff my phone away in my back pocket.

***

I don't know how long I am in the room for but it feels like forever. Eventually, Marcello comes in to get me.

"Let's go. We have to get you prepped."

I expected them to torture me or starve me not 'prep me' for whatever it is I'm about to do.

I walk into a room with a small group of five men. They all stare at me. Marcello gives them a thumbs up and then walks out of the room. Oh no. Mom always said if a guy tries to do anything to me to bite their dick, but I don't think I could bite all their dicks.

The first man walks over to me. I size him up, he's probably triple my size and extremely muscular. Yeah, I'm not winning this fight. I watch as he raises his hand and slaps me.

Oh, so this is some sort of torture. "That all you got? I'm pretty sure I can hit harder than you." I smirk at him as he gets angrier.

All the men take their turn hitting me and punching me and kicking me. Some say things like, "That's for your father taking over." or "This is for what your mother did to me."

By the end of the beating, I am very badly bruised and can barely move. Every muscle, bone, and cell in my body burns and aches. Marcello comes back in and looks at me.

"You and your disgusting family deserve this. Your mother turned Matteo soft and for that, I will get my revenge. These men are all men who either your mother or father hurt in some way. We will bring hell on your family."

I look at him through the only eye can see through and laugh. "You really think you can bring hell on the Lombardis? My mom has been through hell and back and my father has dealt with you his whole life. You're an old prick that will shrivel up if anyone touches you. I would let me go before you get yourself into something you won't survive."

Although I don't what my mom has been through, I know it was bad. Every now and then I will wake up to her screaming. Some nights she screams names like Rose or sometimes she just screams. But those are the nights that Dad is working late and isn't with her. Whenever she screams Dad comes running into the room to help her. One time when I was little I walked into the room to see if she was okay and I saw Dad holding her closely and whispering words I couldn't hear into her ear.

Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever find a love like Mom and Dads but now is not the time for that. I get to my feet and walk out of the room. Marcello holds my wrist as he walks me back to my room. I try to wrench my wrist free of his grip but I am too weak to even lift my arm.

Before he can get me into my room a window crashed from behind us.