Unforgivable Secrets | One Mistake Away Series Bk 1 [Mob Romance]

Chapter 26 - Trusting Through The Pain

Smitty's POV:

My fingers quivered as my achy muscles tried to relax. I'd been trained to withstand torture, didn't mean it didn't still fucking hurt. Groaning, I twisted to my side, trying to find comfort in an unforgiving concrete slab. I could smell the blood and urine from those before us. The scent reminded me of our own room of torture, which I was sure would be in use very soon. Siobhan would be out for blood. The thought made me smile.

Remembering back, I thought of the innocent girl sitting across the table from me. I'd seen the intelligence radiating from her murky brown eyes, but I'd also seen how naïve she was. When I'd told her about her real father, she'd listened eagerly. I'd expected her to refuse my offer, but she hadn't. Instead, I saw a fire burning through her, a thirst for revenge. A little training had brought her a long way. She'd started out a naïve girl with a passion; now she was a queen in her full glory. She was my queen. And I was fucking proud of her.

I didn't want to think about what was happening to Vitali. I wasn't going to say he was innocent, but he definitely didn't deserve to be swept up in this war. He could have stayed quiet or spilled his guts like a weasel; instead he chose to help me, protect me the best he could. Assuming he wasn't being tortured into talking, I could say he'd earned my respect. It'd be hard for Siobhan not to think so too.

At this point we had to stick this out until we were either killed or rescued. If we were killed then it'd be to make a point. If we were rescued then it meant Siobhan had dished out unnecessary resources and risked countless lives.

I didn't want that, and I honestly couldn't justify it.

I'd have to make Vitali realize that when we had some down time.

As if on cue, the door's lock cracked and old hinges squeaked like great granny's falling apart rocking chair. Turning my head to the side, I waited in the darkness for the door to swing open. It did. Light filtered in as Mason was dragged back to me.

His feet slid along the floor, the men dragging him completely supporting his ability to stand --- or lack thereof. He looked worse off then me, his eyes closed and blood dripping from him.

The Italians dropped him to the ground, letting him hit with a thud. Chaining him back up, they left the room, taking the light away with them.

Waiting a few seconds, I tried to see Mason's silhouette form. "Vitali?"

"I'm not sure whether to be relieved to hear your voice or wish harder that I was dead." He groaned.

Painfully chuckling, I looked up at the ceiling --- or what I assumed was the ceiling. "Did Ricci say anything useful?"

"He's got something up his sleeve, but he wouldn't let on what it was." His breathing sounded labored. "I don't think he's going to kill us anytime soon."

"Ain't that fucking great." My sarcasm had little to be desired.

"We don't have much for him to use against us. He's getting desperate." Mason's comment surprised me a little bit. "I mean, my parents are in hiding and you speak of nobody that you're attached to."

A pain stabbed through my heart, tugging at it as my silence kept the room more than quiet. I had something to hide. Someone that meant the world to me. More than just one someone to be specific.

"Right?" Mason moved a little with a groan.

"Let's pray Ricci continues to think that too." I breathed out quietly.

"What are you talking about, Smitty?" I could feel Vitali's gaze on me.

"Trust me, the less you know the safer it is for everyone involved, Vitali." My voice came out quietly. It was the truth. Everyone knew a secret could be kept between two people if one of them was dead. Why give a reason for my secrets to come out and endanger the innocent?

There was a pause of silence.

Vitali cleared his throat. "You know, after what happened back at the Gala, I made sure to get my parents hidden. I figured it would be safer for them."

"It probably is." I commented.

"But what if we die here? What happens to them then? Do they stay in hiding until they die? Or do they come out? And would they be safe?" His questions filled the room, more like loud pondering instead of true questions.

"I guess we'll be dead and will never truly know." I shrugged, my shoulder scraping the concrete.

"I guess so." His voice was quiet, a quiver of sadness echoing through it.

"I don't want Siobhan to rescue us." I blurted out, there really was no need for subtlety. We were locked away in a dungeon awaiting a fate that may or may not ever come. We didn't know when our last breath would be. I didn't want to waste our time with senseless jabber when a point could be made.

More silence greeted me; the only thing heard was Vitali's in and out breathing.

"There's no need for more people to die to find us." Vitali finally breathed out. "But how do we tell her that?"

"We may never get the chance." I thought about it. It wasn't like we could get out messages. "But if we get the chance, we need to make it clear. Even if it becomes our last breath."

"I won't argue with that." A weakened strength teased through Mason's voice. I could hear him shuffling his body closer to me. "Do you know how to pull a finger back in place?"

I looked over at him, brows arched. "Yeah, why?"

"I think Ricci dislocated two of them." He winced as his hand found my arm.

Feeling in the dark, I pulled his hand closer to mine, feeling his fingers in the dark. Ignoring his winces while holding his hand tight I grabbed the odd-angled finger and pulled.

Mason cried out in pain, but I knew I'd gotten the finger to where it needed to be. Before he had a chance to recover I grabbed the second and tugged it, adding pain on top of pain to get the job done.

Lying back down, I let him cradle his throbbing hand. "I would have given you some recovery time, but I figured you'd just want it done with."

"Thanks." He mumbled, his breathing starting to calm down.

Staring back up, I tried to relax the best I could. "I don't know how much time we have before they come back for one of us. Get some rest, Vitali." We needed as much strength as we could muster. We needed some form of hope. It was time to sleep on it. Or at least try.