The Storm Before the Calm

Chapter 22

Dominico Vicious Vitale
We lived in that hell hole together. We survived together.

Survived. Together.

So, they did know each other. Apparently, a lot more intimately than I had initially assumed. It helped me to think about the fact that Elizabella wasn't alone. I wasn't there to protect her, but at least she wasn't alone. She has a complete stranger still visiting her grave on her birthday years later. Bringing her her favorite fucking flower. That had to stand for something, if anything at all.

She was right, I don't trust her. But I can trust her broken heart.

I wasn't sure where exactly I was following her to, but I walked closely behind her, with my hands in my pockets as I followed her towards the kitchen where there would be no guests aside from the caterers, and then to a door I'd never been through before. I reached around her, opening it for her to walk through, taking in our surroundings to detect any possible threats as I followed her out the door.

It led to the driveway where her Audi from yesterday stood, only a few spots in front of mine. So, we were leaving here? Together?

"Get in your car, and follow me." She spoke louder than she was inside, not bothering to turn to look at me as she bossed me around, and I obeyed her order, parting ways with her. As I sat in my Aston Martin, bringing my engine to life, I watched as her long legs climb into her Audi, shutting the door and bringing her engine to life also.

I followed her not 10 minutes away before we turned down a long, blind driveway, through thick woods. Was she bringing me to her house? She must be having the same thoughts as I was. She wasn't trusting me, but she was trusting my anger. My mission to kill Nico Russo. Our shared mission, now.

I promised myself to never refer to him as her husband again. Clearly, he was anything but a husband. He was nothing short of a sick monster who deserved death more than anybody in this world, in my eyes. As we pulled up to a clearing in the woods, a lit up house came into view, and I knew this was her house. Aside from the fact that it just felt different, like coming through those woods to her very private oasis that she was allowing me to come into, had a complete different air. But, I also knew because the other cars I'd seen her driving were parked in front of a large garage.

She parked her Audi next to her Range Rover, and I parked behind that, killing my engine, but not exiting the car yet. I saw her heeled, tanned legs as long as my list of sins step out of her car and I felt like I was in a trance for a second. Her toned muscles clenching as she put her weight on her legs, rising from the car, and shutting the door behind her, looking back at my car.

I stepped out, my large frame feeling more free now that it was out of the enclosed space of my luxury car. I rebuttoned my suit jacket, and followed her up the front steps to her large porch, leading to her front door. I wanted to look towards where I knew Zach had hidden our tiny cameras, but I didn't want to make it obvious, so I refrained.

"You scared of dogs?" She asked me as she punched a code into her door, and set her fingerprints on the pad right after. It made sense that she had this level of security, but why nothing else besides some easily guessed codes and some dogs?

"No gates, no security team, nothing to deter anyone from walking right up these steps? But you have a simple security system that is pointless if you lose electricity, and a furry Fido?" It just didn't make sense. For someone who's endured something as traumatic as what I'm slowly piecing together, for someone who was fucking kidnapped by her own husband, and tortured, you'd think she'd live in a fucking palace with 24/7 guards.

"It's almost like I'm daring my husband to walk up these steps. So I can finally give him a taste of his own fucking medicine." The vile ripped through the air as she said that, and it all made sense suddenly. She was trying to look vulnerable. Trying to persuade someone to fuck with her so she could finally unleash her years of training and trauma on them. I'd spent all of 20 minutes with her and she was slowly becoming someone I admired.