[1] A War of Blood and Hearts | ✔️

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

IGNAZIO

Two days of utter chaos pass. Both Ignazio and Lucas declared Alonso and Nicholas' kidnapping to their mafias. What both men did differently however were the things that concern Crystal. Lucas has not talked to his best friend ever since he found out that she has been keeping things from him; he has not even acknowledge her presence. He even ordered some men from the Brazilian mafia to join him. Ignazio has the feeling Lucas did that so he can prove that he does not trust Crystal.
"Are you alright?" Ignazio asks Crystal who sits in front of him in Alonso's private jet. They are on their way to meet Milo and the Italian man can tell that Crystal is on edge; like she is waiting for some kind of explosion to occur. He knows she will not confide in him. still, he wants to show her he disagrees with everyone else who practically have been taking Lucas' side in believing she is a liar and a hypocrite, save for Alberto who claimed that he would have done exactly what she had done if he was in her place. If Crystal appreciates them standing by her, she does not show it. In fact, all she has done is be distracted and be stranded in her own mind without talking to anyone.
The one thing Ignazio feels irritated by is Crystal's tight hold to secrecy. She did not tell anyone their destination, she did not even tell the pilot. All she did was give the poor pilot a map that does not have any names or borders and told him to follow the red line. Ignazio does not know if the pilot can understand the map, he does not even know if the pilot figured out the destination. Either way, something inside him tells him it is a bad idea to ask. Thus, he keeps his thoughts to himself.
"I am fine Nazi." Crystal replies with a quiet voice.
Ignazio knows that Lucas, Mila, Leora, and even Camilla have an urge to give Crystal a piece of their feelings and their thoughts. They do not, however, due to Lorenzo's anxiousness to see Milo after all these years. Although Ignazio has a feeling that Lorenzo is trying to decide how he is going to kill Milo for lying to him for all these years.
The Italian man cannot understand the others' anger because he believes that he would have done exactly what Milo did. After all, his son's life was and still is on the line. Ignazio believes that they are accusing others of hypocrisy when they themselves are no better.
Lucas lied to Crystal for years about critical important things, he claims that it was Nicholas' decision to keep things from her, but Lucas had the choice to not listen.
Leora is not actually mad because of Crystal's secrets but rather because she managed to make Alonso fall in love with her. Also, Ignazio has not been missing the glares Leora has been giving Crystal whenever he talks or sits with her.
Lorenzo is the former Italian mafia boss thus he has endless of secrets. He has no right to be angry at someone who has some secrets as well. Although Ignazio can understand why he would be angry especially since Lorenzo blamed himself for what he believed happened twenty years ago.
Camilla has the annoying tendency to feel whatever her husband feels; co-dependence. Ignazio has never liked it, but he never talked about it simply because it is none of his business and he is not willing to seem ungrateful for all the DiFronzos did for him. It is bad enough that they know that their daughter is in love with him and he does not return the feeling.
As for Mila her whole life is build on lies and manipulation. That is how she married Alberto, but Ignazio refuses to think about that. Thus, he shakes his head to clear his mind from these ideas and these memories.
"Nazi, are you coming?" Alberto asks as he stands at the jet's door. Ignazio looks around to see that he is the only one left on the jet, he was in deep thought that he did not realize that the jet has already landed.
All he does is nod before he follows his friend. Once out of the jet, Ignazio looks at the area around him to try and figure out where they are but he fails.
"Where are we?" Lucas asks Crystal in a rather harsh tone. The Brazilian woman does not acknowledge him as she starts to walk towards the woods. Ignazio sighs at that; the first time Lucas talks to Crystal in two days and this is what he says. Still, the Italian man keeps his mouth shut as he follows Crystal. Alberto does the same as he walks with Ignazio side by side. Neither of them bothers to turn around and see if the others follow them.
"She dragged us all the way to a foreign country and she does not bother to tell us where we are or where we are going! On top of all of that she is making me walk in five inch heels." Mila's annoying voice rings through Ignazio's ears causing him to roll his eyes. He will never understand how Alberto tolerates her.
"She also found a way to brain wash your husband and my man." Leora adds in a lower voice, but the venom in every word is evident. Ignazio is tempted to turn around and tell her that he is not her man but he thinks better of it; fighting with her in the middle of nowhere is not a good idea. They have better things to do with their time.
Crystal stops in her tracks and waits for both Ignazio and Alberto to catch up with her. When they do, she stands in the middle and holds Ignazio's and Alberto's hands before she resumes walking. Ignazio chuckles at her actions while Alberto smirks.
The Italian man can practically feel the rage radiating from the two women behind them but no one says anything. As they walk through the thick trees and large rocks, Ignazio cannot help but think how things have changed since this mess started. For instance: Leora and Mila have never liked each other. Now, they are teaming up based on their dislike or perhaps hatred towards Crystal.
Ignazio knows that part of the reason for Leora's behavior is her need to always be in control and to have things go their way. He has always hated that trait of hers especially when she uses it to remind him that he is 'hers' even though he had clarified on more than one occasion that he does not care about her that way. Apparently, his words fell to deaf ears.
He tries to conceal it because he does not want to seem like a jerk, but it always pisses him off. It makes him feel like he is a possession of hers. Which is weird because it is women who usually feel like that, but that is how Leora makes him feel, and he does not like it. If anything, he despises it.
"It is good to see you." A male voice says causing Ignazio to stop dead in his tracks. Crystal immediately lets go of his and Alberto's hand and runs towards the older man who Ignazio believes is Milo.
Crystal practically jumps on Milo and he hugs her as tight as he can. Ignazio turns to Lucas and although the Brazilian man tries to hide it, Ignazio can see that Lucas is jealous. From what he had told Ignazio, Lucas believed that he was the one Crystal had trusted more than anyone else, that he was the one she would get emotional when she sees after a long time, that he was the family, aside from Nicholas, that she would ever need. But right now Lucas is seeing that he was wrong, and perhaps he realizes that the reason for that is because of all the deception he had done. After all, you cannot trust someone who does not show you every single page of your book, or at least the pages that are important.
Once Milo and Crystal pull away, Milo's gaze turns to Lorenzo and then to Camilla. And before Ignazio can react a punch is delivered to Milo's face.
Milo gives him a soft smile before he encourages him to hit him harder. No one moves as Lorenzo does just that, the guilt and the pain of twenty year were finally being let go.
After a few minutes of making Milo a human punching bag, Lorenzo lets out a deafening shout before he hugs Milo as if his life depends on it. And although the former mafia boss tried to repress them, Ignazio can see the tears in his eyes. As expected, Camilla cries as well, but she does not make a move towards Milo. In fact, she takes a few steps away from him.
"Where is Zaire? I want to see him." Crystal interrupts the emotional moment.
"Follow me." Milo says as he pulls away from his best friend and starts to walk deeper into the woods.
"Great; more walking." Mila grumbles.
"Tell me about it," Leora agrees.
"Where are we?" Lucas asks for the second time.
"Armenia." Milo answers without turning back.