Act like my wife

42. Oh, cara madre

Patrizio's Point of View

  I was still uncertain of who had taken Veronica. There were no traces, nothing that could help me catch that bastard! Someone is playing with me, but who is it?

I know that over the years since I became Don, there have been people who were not too pleased with me and vice versa. But our rivalry had never gotten to the point of kidnapping family members, it was never that deep. Out of all my enemies, I couldn't think of anyone who would dare lay a hand on my woman.

I took one last look at Gio's sleeping form. I didn't think I'd have to leave Italy anytime soon, but I can't just sit here while my pregnant girlfriend is somewhere in Spain wondering why it's taking me so long to save her.

I walked out of my bedroom with no luggage, except for a few traveling documents, and my phone. My parents can't know I'm leaving the country, Lord knows what they might try to do.

I met Felicia standing in the hallway, she had on a flowy turquoise dress that complimented her glowing skin. Her eyes were filled with worries.  "Do you have to go like this?" She asked.

I held her shoulders. "Yes, Vera needs me."

She looked away to the side, then looked back at me with a glint of hope. "I hope I find someone who loves me just as much as you love Miss Veronica."

"From your lips to God's ears, Feli". I hugged her and she returned the hug. For a moment there, I felt her tighten her hold on me, as though she wanted to say something but couldn't say it. With a little effort, I pulled away. "Please take care of Gio." I cleared my throat in a bid to clear the awkwardness lingering in the air.

"I'll take good care of him as if he were my own," She smiled.

"Thank you" I headed for the door.

Just then, Leo showed up from downstairs. He stood in my way, "Thank God you're still here, Don"

"What is the matter?" I asked.

He answered in his thick voice. "Mamma Bianca tried to escape"

"What?" I made a full 360 and headed for the dungeon, this woman is trying so hard to get on my last nerve.

I got to the entrance of the dungeon and caught sight of the man on guard. He bowed his head, "Welcome, Don--"

"Open it!" I ordered, too mad to return his pleasantries. though, deep down, I felt bad for yelling at the poor guy like that. It could be that a part of me was mad that he almost let my mother escape.

He opened the door and I walked in...

Mia madre's room had been turned upside down, the curtains were torn and so were the bedsheets. I found her sitting on the floor—with her arms hugging her knees to her chest—rocking back and forth like someone locked in a mental asylum. Her hair was let down and she watched me through hooded eyes. "What do you want, diavolo?!"

"I heard you tried to escape"

"What's it to you, figlio malvagio?"

I ignored her insults as usual and walked up to her. I bent down to meet her eye level. "Trying to escape won't help you"

"But at least, it will get me as far away from you as possible." She spat on my face. "Curses!!!"

I took out my handkerchief and wiped off her spit. "Whatever." I got up and walked toward the door.

"Why haven't you gone to see your father?" She asked from behind me, in her voice was a mocking undertone.

I turned to face her. "How do you know that?" Mio Padre is locked in another room far from this one, how would she know I haven't been there unless...?

She chortled. "I know that because I know you. You are too much of a coward to hear what he really thinks of you; a disappointment of a son! I wish we aborted you, a daughter would have been better. Antonio was better than you ever will be!"

I scoffed. "Yeah, like I haven't heard that before."

Her forehead creased in anger. "Well, here's something you haven't heard before... Mira never loved you, she was only using you."

I could see what she was doing, she was trying everything in her power to break my spirit. She was grabbing any weapon she could find to jab at my heart, but unfortunately for her, I wasn't taking her foolishness today so I turned to leave.

She wasn't giving up, she continued to scream profanities at me. "You're a traitor! No one would want to work with a traitor who supports his father's enemy!"

At this point, I'd had enough of her shenanigans, so I snapped, maybe I shouldn't have, but I did.  "Spare me the guilt-tripping, you think I don't know the real truth? A little birdie told me that you are with Lorenzo only because you were rejected by Federico." When I saw her shocked expression, I smirked victoriously.

She shot up to her feet and tried to grab my shirt, but I caught her hands just in time. She moved back, "Who told you that?!"

I raised an eyebrow, "Can you guess?"

"Federico?" She dropped to her mattress and pulled on her hair. "Liar"

I continued, "Federico was the son of the most powerful family in Sicily and you wanted him so bad, but when he rejected you and chose another girl, you were bitter. You decided to settle for your father's little errand boy, Lorenzo."

"Shut your mouth-!" She yelled like a mad woman.

"You are the reason for the feud between my father and Federico. You still couldn't get over his rejection so you filled Lorenzo's head with jealousy and hatred for Federico." I laughed as I brought her truth before her.

She fell to the floor crying, but in a split second, she launched at my legs before I could see it coming. She sunk her teeth into my kneecap and bit hard. I yelped from the pain and grabbed her jaw so she could let go. She eventually stopped biting me and moved back to her old spot.  "Get out. GET OUT!!!"

I walked out of the room while she threw more cusses behind me, I shut the door and walked out of the dungeon. The bite mark was evident through my trousers and it hurt like hell, but I played it off. Enough of this tomfoolery, it's time to go find my woman.

I walked up to the living room and headed for the main entrance. This time, I was in a worse mood than before. I kept promising myself that I would never let her get to me, but the way I reacted today, I didn't like it. Why does my mother bring out the worst in me?

Without giving it much thought, I twisted the doorknob and flung the door open.

I froze in my spot when I saw her.

Standing on the porch was Veronica. She wore a pink dress and had a smile on her face. "Patrizio, I have missed you so much." Her voice was smooth as silk, she was beautiful and radiant as ever.

Still perplexed, I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. But she was really there! Standing beside her was little Bella, and in her arms was a swaddled baby.

She showed me the baby's face... "Our little boy."

Translations:

🇮🇹 Diavolo: Devil

🇮🇹 Figlio malvagio: you evil son