Him (A mafia story)

Chapter 28

I sat, terrified, as Dante Corinthos stood in front of me. The last time I'd seen him he had told me to finish the job or that I would regret it. I didn't know if this was what he meant, but I knew I probably wasn't going to come out of this unharmed.

It took me a second to remember how I'd gotten here and my heart ached for what had happened to Julia. I felt terribly guilty and couldn't help but blame myself. If I hadn't been with her, she'd be alive right now. Nikolai would never forgive me for this.

"Destiny, how lovely to see you again." Dante said with a smile.

"Can we just skip the pleasantries? Why am I here?" I insisted. His nonchalant attitude was making me uneasy and I didn't like the way he was smiling at me. It was almost as if he knew something I didn't.

"No need to be rude." He feigned offense. "You look like a smart girl, Destiny. So tell me, why do you think you're here?"

I felt so vulnerable it was almost laughable. took a deep breath before speaking again. "I'm sorry about what happened at that casino." I mumbled. "I-"

"Destiny." He cut me off. "You disappoint me. This has nothing to do with what happened at the casino. Although I will admit, I'm impressed you got out of there alive. You just can't seem to die. You're like a cockroach."

"Then why am I here?" I asked again, pulling against my restraints.

"I wanted to personally congratulate you on your bundle of joy." He said sarcastically. "You're here because an enemy of mine seems to be very fond of you. That same man has taken one of my men, so I've offered him a little deal. You and your child for Julian." He explained casually.

"What?" I asked. "How did...... How did you know?"

"A little birdy told me." Dante said casually.

"Portatela!" He ordered.

(Bring her.)

Two men dragged a struggling, crying Charity into the room. "Destiny, I'm so sorry! I didn't think he would do this, he told me you'd be fine! You have to believe me, I-"

"'Sta 'zitto!" Dante yelled, backhanding her.

(Shut up!)

"Charity?" I whimpered, crying. She had asked me where I was going so she could sell me out. She was the reason Dante had known where to find me. She was the reason Julia was dead.

"Have you figured it out yet?" Dante mocked. "Charity was never your friend. Not really, anyway. She was helping Julian the whole time."

"Why?" I whispered, closing my eyes.

Dante laughed. "Why? Because she loves him! It's
funny what people will do for the ones they love. That's why you're here."

"But I'm not even with him anymore! I have nothing to do with any of this, I left him!" I insisted.

"Oh, fiore, don't you get it yet?" Dante asked. "Just
because you left him, it doesn't mean he wouldn't give up everything for you."

"That's the thing!" I screamed, border line hysterical.

"He would never put his family ahead of me! You're all the same! You Italians pledge blind loyalty to some stupid family and don't care about anyone else!" If my only hope at being saved was in Nikolai, I was doomed. After all, I had just pushed him away for good and gotten his mother killed.

"Maybe you're not family to him, but the life inside of you is." He said with a dark chuckle.

I blanched. "But he doesn't even know!" I tried to take a deep breath and calm myself down, but it was useless. I couldn't help but think that the doctor would disapprove my her inability to avoid stressful situations.