Salvador

Chapter 18

Mona

We arrived back in Rio this morning. I already miss the serenity and beauty of that beach house. But we both know that it's time to stop running away, and time to face all the fucking problems.

But for now, I'm sitting on my sofa and looking out of the window. The weather is gloomy today, rain is falling down hard. I get the sudden urge to call my dad. Now that Ive accepted being the leader, I can communicate with him.

"Hello Papa." I greet once he answers the line.

"Mona. Are you okay?" He sounds concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine now. You? And the boys?"

"We're good. We're protected here amor. You are not safe there."

"I know, I know. I'm working on it." I mutter, rolling my eyes.

"Listen to me amor," he says sternly "the Estaban famiglia are ruthless. They would kill you like you're a bug and move onto the next problem."

"As if we aren't the same Papa."

"I know we are the same. If anything we are worse. But these people Mona, they're not afraid of war. I will always settle for peace. But it's like they chase the conflict. They love it."

His words overwhelm me.

"Just promise me Mona, that you will be safe and you will come home soon. I don't need to hear your plan, I trust you and I know how intelligent you are. I just want you home."

"Yes Papa. I promise."

He quickly hangs up after an "I love you" and an interruption. Despite his reassurance, I know how much he underestimates me. I'm just as ruthless. Doesn't he see?

***

In the evening I hear a knock at the door while cooking pasta. I open it slightly and look to see who it is. A tall, quite big man. Wearing a suit and a scary look on his face. He looks a bit like Salvador, but much older. He looks down at me and a creepy, angry smile spreads over his face.

Fuck. I know who this is. I run for my gun on the counter and the man busts into my apartment with rage in his eyes. I hold my gun up at him, while his is held to the side. He looks unnaturally calm.

"Mona Capriotti." He whispers with a smirk.

"Carlo Estaban."

"I see now why my sons are so taken with you."

"Shut the fuck up." I state and his angry face intensifies.

"Did your father send you here," he asks walking towards me with slow, thumping steps "does he hate you?" He snickers.

I don't answer and his face changes back from a smile to a cold stare. He stops in his tracks, closer to me now.

He turns around and walks around my apartment, sitting down on the sofa "my bones hurt when it rains. Those stairs were a fucking nightmare."

I still don't speak. I don't move, I just hold my gun up to him. I walk over to him and stand in front of him. He sits with so much entitlement. "Kill me." I state, he looks at me in confusion.

"You want to die?" He asks with a smile.

"Since the day I was born into this world." I keep the gun held at him and he stands up.

"Certo-" i shoot him. Interrupting his slow speaking, painful words.

He falls back into the sofa looking down at his chest, at the wound. He pulls his gun up to shoot me back but I shoot his hand quickly. He hisses through his teeth in agony.

I get closer to him. "Let's get one thing straight," I whisper as his eyebrows furrow and a vein pops on his head "This world: the world that people like you and me are in, was created by Capriotti. My family is the creator of your pathetic, violent world. A world where I am your God," I look at him psychopathically "and you think I am going to die like this?" i scoff and roll my eyes and begin to pack my stuff, I have to get out of here now. I hear him groan as I move around fast, passport, money.

"What about Salvador?" He asks and my heart aches.

"I love your son. But look at us, people like us, we don't love,"

He looks at me in the darkness. "If you survive, and if you still have a heart somewhere, tell Salvador that I'm sorry."

"You think he'll forgive you after you shoot his father?" He scoffs.

I face him in the darkness, my silhouette reflects on the floor as the light from the doorway projects behind me.

"Goodbye Carlo."