Saving Her

Chapter 10: Train The Pain Away

One Week Later

Audriella's POV:

It's been a week. A week since I last saw Zayn. A week since I learned he has been lying to me my entire life. How did I not put this together sooner? His name is Zayn Luca Ricci, and his father is Lorenzo Ricci. A mafia don that every law enforcement agency is after....was...after. The news said Zayn Ricci had mafia connections. But he's the leader. He's in charge of it all.

What does this mean for my family? How is my father connected? Does my mother know? What is happening?

How is this even possible? There is no way that this is my Zayn. My Zayn was sweet and kind, and he never raised his voice. He let me play with his hair and lay in his lap. He'd cry over Disney movies. He painted my nails and tried to do my hair. He would help me with homework. He never got angry, he never made me feel less than perfectly safe. My Zayn wasn't cruel, or a murderer. I thought I knew him, he was my best friend. How does someone so kind, turn into a completely different person? Or has he always been this way? Have I just been blinded?

How can the person I felt the safest with, be the most dangerous person in the world?

I get out of bed, rubbing my eyes. Maycie disappeared shortly after Zayn left again. She's been replaced by a young woman, named Alice who is around my age. I tried not to get too close to her. But it was nearly impossible. She feels like family, and she's only been here for six days.

I quickly brush my teeth and get dressed into leggings and a sports bra before heading out into the hall.

"Morning, Papa" I speak as I see him standing outside his study, giving him a quick kiss and descending the stairs. Heading into the living room. I've been giving Pa some space, I am still upset that he didn't tell me about Zayn. This seemed to have mama's mood increase significantly lately and has been around much more often, always seeming to follow Pa around like a lost puppy.

Shaking my head, I go into the kitchen and grab my bag, it's extra heavy today as I put extra knives in. I broke the set my father gave me. Apparently, they are not indestructible.

I walk out into the field and see Elio already stretching, I quietly put my bag down, stretch and start on the laps without speaking a word. Elio says he understands that I am going through something, and he has continuously tried to be here for me, but I just really want to train and be alone.

Next, we begin to go over hand-to-hand, I don't know if Elio is going easy on me, or if I am just that much angrier today as I am clearly winning. We go over some more foot movements and dodging techniques, before heading down to the gravel pit.

I pull the two sets of throwing knives I brought and strap them to each leg, I stand in the middle of the pit, glancing around at the targets spread out at different lengths and heights, forming a circle around me. I look at each target individually before closing my eyes for a second. When I open them again I begin throwing. Turning myself around hitting each target perfectly. When the last target was hit, my anger seemed to be turned down as I threw my last blade into the first target again.

I then move on to the moving targets. Widening my stance, glancing between the two targets closest to me, and taking a deep breath; I throw both blades at the same time. Hitting both targets at almost the exact same rate. Continuing to throw my knives at the targets, barely pausing between throws.

I turn to look at Elio who just nods in approval, failing to hide his shock. I leave the knives there, and take off the belt with the remaining knives on it from my leg, handing it to Elio who is walking to the targets to retrieve the knives I threw.

I walk over to the shooting range and then grab my guns from Elio, who has already loaded the clips.

I slide the clips into the gun and empty each one into the targets, and every bullet hits. Not all shots are perfect. But I least hit every shot. When the slide slams to a stop, I place it on the table, and pull out the next gun, moving to the next target.