The Mafia's Bride (Book 2)

Chapter 35

I stood just in front of them, Harley stared down not wanting to look into my eyes for I would see how much this was tearing her apart. Her forehead touched with Rina's own drawing strength from her.

Light from the opened garage flooded in with the air taking out the fumes from the running Kawasaki Ninja H2R having placed all the bags and tied them leaving only one strapped to my back tightly. I had done this too many times but never had it been so difficult with everything I had to lose. I suddenly realised what my men had to give up going on these missions, not knowing if they would come back or not because after all we were all humans, getting hurt as everyone else.

I took another step closer bringing my head down where it rested on Harley's hair, it was a moment of silence, saying a prayer to the lord to please protect my family, protect them till the end even if I don't come out alive from this. Pulling a deep breath I raised my head placing the tip of my finger under Harley's chin bringing her face to me where I kissed her softly hoping it was not a goodbye. She pulled me back as I pulled away, not wanting to let go. I kissed again then pulled away, giving my Rina a long kiss which did not make her giggle as usual. She stared at me with sad eyes suddenly having caught her mother's mood when we had walked down to the garage.

I gave them a hug again, pulling them both to me and holding them as tight as I could knowing that this may be my last. I tucked the feeling of their touch to the back of my mind, the feeling of their warmth. They were my heart, my love and my family, something I did not deserve yet still there they were giving me their all.

I pulled back, taking Rina in my arms saying a prayer in my heart.

Her head lay on my shoulder as soon as I brought her to my chest, her head was turned, staring at my neck with her hands grabbing tightly on my t-shirt. The sad face she had, had my heart breaking.

I kissed her forehead.

"Daddy loves you." I said softly to her as Harley started weeping again trying to be strong about it but failing.

Fuck this was hard. I held on to Rina, grabbing Harley with the other hand and squeezing not wanting to let go.

'I have to let go,' I told myself.

'Let go,' the voice said again as I let go of the hand, feeling it slip from my grasp.

I gave Harley a kiss on the forehead before picking Rina up and trying to give her back to Harley but Rina did not have any of it. She grabbed on my t-shirt, her long nails scratching my skin as she did not let go. I tried to peel away her fingers but her grip was so tight I was shocked. The sight of her eyes well up with tears had my heart breaking as she realised she was not winning this one. After a struggle she was finally back in her mother's arms crying her heart out clawing at everything near her, struggling to get out from her crying mother.

I had to do the hard thing, the thing that tore me apart. I turned and walked away from the weeping ladies. I could hear Rina's screams getting louder and louder with each step, in a way that I thought she was dying. There was nothing more I wanted than to turn and walk to her, scooping her in my arms while holding my wife, telling them I would never leave. There were so many times where I wanted to just say ' fuck it' and run back to them. I don't even care how cheesy it would be but I wanted to run and scoop them up in my arms.

My legs were shaking with my hands in fists as I took one step after the other.

"Da....da," the word came out as a desperate plea, it hit me so hard I froze as it tore me apart.

My baby.

Her first word.

It tore everything inside me as it came out as a plea, a plea of why I was leaving her, a plea of why I was abandoning them. I did not even fail to notice the gasp from Harley, as shocked as I was.

I had never walked so fast in my life, climbing on the bike and driving it out and passing the two guards at the garage door watching the whole scene unfold. I sped away leaving the screams and cries from the people I loved. I knew that if I hadn't left that moment I never would. I went down the driveway, speeding and passing through the gate, moving in such speed everything became fuzzy. I kept telling myself to stop so I could pull on my helmet but the adrenaline had me pressing on the gas even more. I needed to put distance, needed to leave. I could feel the bike bouncing around trying to make its way on the rough road with such speed.

The trees blew away with my eyes getting sore and teary from the wind. I wanted to cry, needed a let out but there were no tears. I felt hallow and broken inside, so dark and torn it had me pressing down on the gas with the bike standing on the back tyre then bouncing back down. I wanted to kill someone, needed to make whoever was responsible pay. They needed to bloody pay, with that in mind my eyes saw red as I pressed on the gas.

It was when I got into the nearest petrol station when I parked, pulling my phone out to dial out a number. The phone rang twice before the other person picked up.

"Yes Sir," Alejandro answered.

"Where are you?"

"Left the hide out two hours ago and now two more to the spot." He answered.

"When you get there brief everyone and get ready, I will be there in six hours and I do not want any delays when we get there. Anyone who wants to pull out better not be there when I get there and remember its 5, 7, 0 then 1." I said back.

"Yes boss," he replied before the line was cut making me sit back, pulling the helmet over my head and start the bike again, driving out the station.

You would think that six hours later the anger would have toned down but I was basically shaking in so much fury, my heart pumped in my throat fuelled by rage, such rage I craved something I had not craved in a while, something bad, really bad. I realised how soft I had grew, how Harley had changed me so drastically over the months without me even noticing but I had to leave her and that part of me back home. I had to leave that humanity back there, I had forgotten a part of me that had kept me alive all these years. I could feel the wheels turning in my head, ideas floating around of what I would do.

I parked the bike down at a filling station then went into the forest going up for hours until I could see the pitched up tents with my men scattered around, readying themselves.

"Happy to see you boss," Will, one of my youngest recruits who was mainly in IT came running wearing all black to camouflage in the darkness of the night.

"Will, what are you doing here?" I asked perplexed.

"I am here to fight boss," He said pushing his chest out a little trying to seem bigger.

"I can't keep you from fighting but stay at the back line, are we clear?"

"Yes boss," He said smiling before running off somewhere. We had captured a lot of people's attention who came by saying their greetings and moving on.

By the time I got to Alejandro a bit of my anger had chirped off, looking at that all my man had shown up even those who had never fought in their lives like Will. Their support and loyalty was something that always amazed me.

"How are things?"

"Everything is smooth boss, Alex sent two hundred men and they will arrive in less than two hours."

I nodded my head, grateful of Alex's support, definitely was not expecting that.

"The camp?" I asked looking down at the lights far ahead.

"Same, about eight hundred military men fully equipped, high tech."

"Do all the men know the plan?" I asked taking a bottle of water from the cooler just outside Alejandro's tent.

"Yes boss,"

I nodded, looking around at my men, some of them sparing with each other, some eating and talking by the fire, others were in their tents. It was a large camp as we had more than five hundred men here. This was going to be a large fight where there will be a lot of casualties.

"Did anyone leave?" I asked.

"No, I told them to leave if they were having cold feet but no one left."

I nodded my head looking off at the three men who were plating some food for the others.

"Did you set up the money?"  I asked, it being important that the money for those who won't be with us after the battle was set up and ready to go to their families.

"Yeah, everything is in order. Did you see Will?" He asked

"Yeah, that kid will get himself killed." I said shaking my head.

"Not on my watch." Alejandro said back taking a bottle of water for himself, looking off at a distance.

"We have been through so many battles my friend but this one feels different."

"How different?" I asked back looking at him feeling the same thing he was feeling yet waiting for him to say it out loud.

"I feel like something bad is going to happen, something is just not sitting right with me." He said before taking a huge gulp.

I patted his shoulder, looking away only to be trapped in my own mind thinking of what I felt deep down. It was something I had not felt in a very long time and I did not like it one bit.

"Let's gather the men," I said giving him one last pat before we both walked up to the fire where most of the men were standing.

A whistle was heard as we got there, the buzzing noise vanishing in seconds with every man getting closer to where we stood. I looked as they slipped from tents, putting down their food and taking huge strides to get to us. By the time everyone got there I could barely see past the second line so I looked for something I could step on.

"Here boss," one of my men said passing me a block of wood.
I took it, placing it down where I stood on top of it.

I could see all the way to the back, everyone quiet and waiting on what was to be said.

"Firstly I want to thank everyone who came to this rescue mission. Our hand was forced and now we are here to wipe them out. We will follow the plan and attack at the break of dawn, with the strike of three in the morning. No one shall be left behind. Sadly we will lose some of our own which is unavoidable but please be assured that your families will be well taken care of. Secondly we follow our rules, no men of ours that is still breathing shall be left behind. We fight for each other till the end. In two hours, two hundred men will arrive from the Xender family, you men know well, we protect those who fight with us.  That being said, just after this, the twenty runners, please take what you need and run ahead to do your tasks. I want to see our spies after this meeting. Now let us close our eyes and say the Lord's Prayer before our runners leave."

Silence befell the crowd, every man bowed down, saying their own personal prayer and asking for protection through this dark time. It was ten minutes when everyone was done with their eyes open again, waiting for the next command.

"God bless us all, thank you everyone." I said summing it up and stepping off the podium. The twenty runners were the first to part from the large crowd. They made their way to the armoury to get suited up.

I watched as the others dispersed to what they were doing before, leaving my thirty spies which ten of them were tiny females who could blend in any environment. Whilst they looked like fourteen year olds, they were lethal.

"Come closer everyone," it was Alejandro who spoke up, calling them closer.

"Please go get ready, as soon as we have word from our runners you will leave for the camp. Keep safe and blend in as much as possible, as soon as the network is scrambled you go for the cellars and get her out. Is everyone okay with the plan?" I asked waiting for a response. No one said a thing so I sent them to get the armoury.

I turned to Alejandro who stood right next to me as we watched the ten women with the twenty men walk away.

"What now?" He asked.

"We wait," I said back sighing, this was going to be such a long wait.