Cruel love

Chapter 31 Barbara

The next morning I woke up and got ready. This is my last time in this room. This room is filled with so many good memories of me and Enzo. I looked at room one last time, a smile pulled up on my lips remembering our moments. It made me emotional that I won't get to live them anymore. Tears started filling in my eyes but blinked them away. I won't cry, I will be strong for Enzo, Lily, Liam and for me. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror for the last time and walked out.

I had breakfast with Lily and Liam. Linda looked at me with sadness in her eyes. I smiled at her and held her hand in assurance, that it would be okay "join us for the breakfast Linda" she nodded and took a seat across Liam.
We ate, talked and laughed and I hugged Lily and Liam a little longer today when I sent them to school with the driver. I would prefer to drive them. But I had to leave with Dante. Arkadi had texted him the place and time and we don't want to be late for it.

Dante came to the mansion to pick me up. I handed a letter to Linda to read to Lily and Liam. They deserve a closure but I am not strong enough to give it face to face so I opted for writing a letter. With a long and tight hug to Linda. I left the mansion with Dante.

Dante drove to the deserted location. I sat beside him. Three men with weapons sat behind us. Dante told me two men are hiding inside the boot of the car. "when you and Enzo meet in the middle tell him to duck low, when both of you will be on the ground we will start an open fire. I will grab you both and we will leave the place."

I was a bit hesitant, I didn't want anyone getting hurt, but I nodded in agreement.
Dante gave me two guns that I hid behind my jeans. He told me to hand one to Enzo and use another to protect myself. I haven't used a gun before but he told me basics how I am supposed to operate it. He told me Enzo would take care of everything I just have to shoot a couple of times to just scare them.

As we came closer to our destination, my nerves started to go crazy. My limbs were shaking with anxiety and my heart was beating so loudly that I felt like at any moment it would burst out of my chest. Dante said "it will be okay, I won't let anything happen to you or Enzo". His words helped a little, my limbs stopped shaking but my heart beat with a loud thud.

We finally arrived at the place. It was a deserted spot in the middle of an abandoned warehouse. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car.

I saw Enzo, he was covered in bruises. His lip was split open, face swollen, eyes black with torture. That was all I could see as his rest of the body was covered in bruises. When our eyes met I couldn't hold the tears anymore. A tear left my eye and fell on my cheek, followed by another one from other eye. Enzo's eyes softened a bit as he saw me but then anger took in.

Enzo growled in fury "Dante how could you do this you should have left me to die and never done this deal".
Dante remains silent.

Arkadi laughed "oh shut up, you little as*hole". Then his eyes fall on me. His gaze was not filled with anger or hunger, they displayed something unexplained, warmth maybe.
Arkadi said again "I don't have the whole day, start the exchange".

I started walking slowly but Enzo didn't move from the spot. Arkadi's men pointed a gun at him but he didn't move. "Start walking Russo" Arkadi said in impatience but he didn't move from his spot. Arkadi points a gun at me "move or I will shoot her". Dante and other three men also pulled out their gun and pointed them to Arkadi and his men.

Enzo started walking. I walk to our gazes are locked in each other. When we met in the middle. I hugged him tight, he wrapped his arms around me. This might be the last time I see him. Tears started falling over my cheeks at the thought. "Take the gun from the back of my jeans" I said in a whisper. Enzo took it.

Dante must have seen it. He and his soldier started shooting over Arkadi and his men. Enzo and I started shooting at them as well as we lay low. Everybody took cover behind their cars and the shooting battle began. Enzo and I were stuck in the middle. Enzo covered me and shot bullets as we moved slowly towards Dante's side.

All of a sudden a bullet hit my arm, gun fell from my hand. I screamed in sudden bursting pain. Enzo looked at me with wide eyes. Blood started pooling from my arm. I thought I would die with pain.

Arkadi screamed "stop the firing, stop it". When his men stopped our men also stopped. Enzo held me in his arms and put me in a laying position, positioning my head on his lap. "It will be okay sweetheart, just don't go into sleep, keep focusing on me". Enzo said with fear filled eyes. I was crying in his arms.

I saw Arkadi rushing towards us. God is he going to kill Enzo?

"Get your hands off my daughter Russo" he said. My eyes widen in shock. "I am not your daughter" I screamed "you killed my father".
"I killed Robert, but he is not your father, I am".
What I, what is he saying. I tried to make sense of the situation, but I couldn't. The panic took over and my world turned black.