When The Wrong One Loves You Right 3: Forever And Always

Chapter 9: Confrontation

We all stood in the panic room that connected to the safe house. I stood with Sandro's hand in mine on the edge of an anxiety attack while Ryder closed the door to the safe house.
"Breathe Orsetto." Sandro whispered in my ear.
I took a deep breath. I can't do this. What was I thinking agreeing to this. Am I really going to let my husband watch me cheat on him again. He hadn't watched me with Dante a few weeks ago. He didn't even know that I was pregnant. And this with Vince now? I can't do this. I feel the panic growing inside me.
"I can't do this." I say quietly while taking fast shallow breaths as I start to hyperventilate.
"What?" Sandro said.
My eye meet his and I start to cry.
"Ana, are you okay?" He asks concerned.
"I can't do this." I repeat louder.
I let go of his hand and walk to the other side of the room quickly. I go to the key pad. I want the door open again. I can't go through with this. I'm panicking and I feel trapped. My fingers shake as I press the buttons.
"Hey, Ana." Sandro said putting a hand on my shoulder, concerned. "What's wrong?"
"I can't do this. Please let me go back in. I can't."
"Ana we don't have time. If you go back in you stay there and this turns in to a fire fight." Sandro said.
"I can't do it." I sob leaning against the wall and slide down to the floor.
I lean my head on my knees and lock my fingers behind my head. Vince walks over to us and crouched in front of me taking hold of my arms.
"Ana look at me." He said stern but calm.
I looked up at him through my tears.
"Stop it. Right now." He said and glances at the locket and the tattoo I had of it peeking over the top of my shirt.
"I can't do this Vinny. I can't."
He smiles at me.
"You can. Now calm down. No one in this room is going to hurt you and we are all willing to die to keep you safe. Breath with me."
I follow Vince's lead and match his breathing slowly calming myself down. He stares at me, never breaking eye contact.
"Tell me." He smirked.
I shake my head remembering what he used to make me say when I was a child and I was afraid of something.
"Tell me." He repeats a little more sternly.
I roll my eyes.
"My name is Anabeth De' Marco and I'm not afraid of anything." I say quietly.
"Make me believe it." Vince smiles.
"I am Anabeth De' Marco and I'm not afraid of anything!" I say louder.
"Again."
"I am Anabeth De' Marco and I'm not afraid of anything!" I repeat.
"What are you?"
"Strong."
"What do weak people do?"
"Cry."
"Are we weak?"
"No."
"Then stop crying. What are you going to be?"
"Brave."
"Why?"
"Because I am Anabeth De' Marco and I'm not afraid of anything." I answer.
"What are you going to do?"
"Look my problems in the face and laugh."
"Why?"
"I am Anabeth De' Marco and I'm not afraid of anything."
"Where is your fear?"
"In my head."
"What is pain?"
"Weakness leaving the body."
"Are you weak?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I'm a fighter."
"Are you ready to fight?"
"Yes." I answer.
"Why?"
"I am Anabeth De' Marco and I'm not afraid of anything."
"You are the smartest, strongest, bravest girl in the world and you will not let any man make you feel inferior. Do you understand? You are a De' Marco and you going to show me. Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Have I ever physically hurt you?"
"Never." I answer.
"Will I ever?"
"No."
"The pain is in your head. You need to show me that you are the boss. You are going to stay focused. I love you, I trust you, and I know you can do this. Are we going to do this?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I am Anabeth De' Marco and I'm not afraid of anything."
"Let's go."
Vince pulls me to my feet and keeps eye contact.
"Look at me." He said. "Nobody else in the room is important. It's just you and me. Breathe through it, take your time, and think. I will not leave your side for any reason. Forever and always Ana." He said and reaches across my body to lay his left hand over my tattoo.
"No matter what." I say doing the same to his.
"Come here." Vince said pulling me to his chest and wrapping his arms tightly around my shoulders. His hand rests on the back of my head, his lips against my forehead. "Apri la porta." He said calmly. (Open the door.)
I know he's speaking to someone behind me. I don't pay attention to it. I shake in his arms, I know he feels it. That's why he's holding me so tight. I close my eye and breathe calmly trying to keep my mind clear. I know that he will keep me safe. They all will.
Vince takes my hand in his. He gives me a small smile as he plays with his mother's ring on my finger.
"I thought you lost it." He whispered.
"I didn't lose it, I was just keeping it safe."
"You told me you lost it." He smirks.
"I wasn't ready to give it back." I admit.
"I didn't ask you to give it back. I gave it to you. It's yours."
"It's a family heirloom. If you'd asked for it back I would have given it to you." I said.
"Im sure there would have been terms to that agreement. Nothing with you is ever simple and again you'd said you lost it."
"I would have wanted to meet her first."
"Who?" He asks.
"The woman you were giving my ring to?" I answer.
"I will never replace you. You know that right?"
"You wanted to move on less than eight hours ago." I said breathing heavy with my heart pounding hard in my chest.
"But I couldn't have replaced you even if I'd wanted to. You are far to important for me to just forget all of the wonderful things you do."
"That's not what you said earlier."
"I knew you wouldn't listen any other way." Vince admitted.
"I didn't listen anyway." I reply.
"I know, my sweet stubborn little Ana throws caution to the wind and run with the bulls." He smiled.
"How long will we have?" I ask him.
"What do you mean?"
"Before we leave."
"If I feel like he doesn't believe us we are going immediately. If he does we will have a few minutes to say goodbye but we need to go quickly. Everything is already in my car. So all I need to do is get you there."
"So even if it all goes wrong I'm still going with you?"
"Yes. If it goes wrong I want them to follow us. If I lead them away from the house it will give Pia a chance to get out with the kids. If Mark gets his hands on any of them we may never see them again."
"Do you think he'd disappear with them?"
"Mark and Lila got back together Ann. She wants to take them from you because she is infertile. She's had 9 miscarriages in the last 5 years."
"That's horrible."
"So is her taking your family away because she's jealous that she can't have one. She doesn't deserve your sympathy."
Sandro opens the door and we all move slowly out of the room.
"Stay close Ana. Your hand goes here and doesn't leave this spot okay?" Vince said taking my hand and putting it in the center of his back.
"I understand. I trust you."
We all move in a tight formation through the house. Vince and I in the center. Sandro's security sweeps the house in groups of four. All of them with a designated room. Diego puts his hand on my arm and pulls me away from Vince slightly as we walk into the den.
"Ana if this goes bad I need you to listen to me. Do exactly what I say." He said in my ear quietly.
"What are you talking about?" I ask.
"Roman believes I'm his inside man. Antonio and I have been working to steal his business for years but he trusts us."
"Can I trust you?" I ask.
"Yes. If you're having second thoughts, you trust Antonio yeah? Neither of us are going to hurt you. If Vince can't get you out I need you to do what I say. We are your back up plan."
"What are you going to do?" I ask.
"Okay, I might have to hurt you a little but I don't want it to come to that."
I take my hand off Vince's back and turn to look at Deigo. I grab his arm and push him into Sandro's office closing the door behind us.
"What the fuck are you talking about? What are you going to do?" I ask him.
"I'm sorry Ana. For whatever happens, I'm sorry. I can't tell you what could happen, but I hope we don't find out."
"You're going to get yourself shot." I scold.
"Possibly. We have to do whatever Roman tells us to make him believe we're with him. Antonio and I both do."
"So you'd put your family at risk to secure your business?" I ask.
Deigo shrugs.
"You are fucking stupid." I say angrily. "If anyone I care about gets killed you'd better find a rock to crawl under and pray I don't find you because If I do I'm going to make you beg for death."
"It won't come to that." Diego said. "If something crosses the line, I will end it."
"You'd better. If anything happens I swear to god I'll kill you."
"It won't. Just trust me and do what I tell you. Play into it and don't fight me."
"Don't be stupid Diego." I say and open the door to go back in the den.
I go back to Vince and put my hand on his back where it was before.
"What was that?" He asks me quietly.
"Diego is going to do something stupid." I answer.
"What is he going to do." Vince furrows his brows.
"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me." I reply.
"Stay close then. I don't want you to get hurt."
"He said if something goes wrong I need to trust him."
"I don't care what he said. You stay with me and don't draw attention to yourself. I am the only one who needs to keep you safe. Just me. Who would you rather trust your life with me of him?"
"You."
"Then please stay behind me and do what I say." Vince begs.
"Every word." I nod.
"Keep your hand on my back."
I nod again and move behind him. I stand close and wrap my arms around his middle while we wait for the guards to let the Russians in. I close my eyes and lean my ear against his back to listen to his heart beat evenly and his calm breathing. The tighter I hold him the more he seems to relax.
After the guards confirm that the house and out buildings are still clear they go to let the Russians in. I can hear their expensive shoes click on the floor as they walk quickly toward the den.
Roman Petrovich is a semi short man, standing at only 5'4". He's rather heavy set. His belly hangs low over the top of his pants. He has thin, graying, curly dirty blond hair that reaches his shoulders but the top of his head is shiny and bald. He has a round fat face with a pointed chin and his nose looks like it could have been broken at some point in the past. It has a slight curve and a large ball at the end.