Dark Souls

38.the gangster's housekeeper

It's cold, freezing cold. It seeps through my thin, soaked clothes and drains my soul, but that's the only thing I feel, cold.
I find myself wandering over a dark bridge, my bare feet leaving heavy prints on the white snow. I lean over the bridge's railing, noticing there are bright headlights shining from inside the lake. I squint my eyes realizing there's a car down there. My car.
"Bella? Eva?" I call in a hoarse and strained voice, feeling my insides cringe as I climb the rail, "I'm coming, Bella, mommy's coming," I say soothingly, tears running down my cold, burning face.
I stand straight on the railing, balancing myself as the wind blows harder. The dark water calling out to me, letting me know I belonged there with them.
All the hairs in my body stand up as I feel someone coming close behind me, when I look over my shoulder Salvatore is standing there in his devil form, a smug smile on his face.
"You should've died with them, Katarina. See you in hell," he laughs cynically and pulls out a gun, pointing it right to my chest.
BOOM!

I emerge from the heated water of the bathtub, taking big gasps of air as I push my hair away from my eyes.

What the fuck, did I fall asleep in here?

I close my eyes and wrap my arms around my shaking self as I wait for the tightening in my chest to loosen up.

"It's not real, Kat, it's okay," I whisper to myself over and over again.

In my mind there is a long list of the many horrible things that I've been through. I've lost so many people, including myself, my parents are pieces of shit, I've tried to commit suicide and I've overdosed, but I must admit, Salvatore is among the winners, right there in the top of that motherfucking list. Not that I'll ever say it out loud, but he'll always be nagging me in that little, dark corner of my mind. He'll remind me that he smelled, kissed and touched me without my consent, but not only me, also dozens of young girls and women. He's there laughing at me right now, at the green and purple bruises all over my body and face, as if telling me he has won because he'll never be forgotten— at least not by me.

I think I hear a knock on the door and I immediately relax my face, because I didn't want anyone knowing how much Salvatore actually affected me. No one would ever know.

"Come in," I say, hoping that on the other side of the door is Wolf.

I slightly frown when Olga walks in, sitting straighter in the tub as I notice she is quite young and beautiful to just be a gangster's housekeeper.

She's carrying a ivory, slip dress on one hand and on the other a Versace, shoe box.

"Good morning, Ms.DeLuca," she gives me a warm smile, "Mr.Vier is in an important call and told me to check on you. Would you like some more medication or are you feeling better this morning? I could also call a doctor, gynecologist or psychologist of your preference if you wish."

She carefully places the shoe box on top of the sink's counter and puts the dress on a hanger, hanging it on a hook on the wall.

"Thank you, Olga, but I feel much better," I lie politely, even though I'm imagining hundreds of steamy scenarios between her and Wolf.

I mean, how could I not? She's easily still in her early 40's, she's like 6 feet tall and look at how flawless her pale skin is. Come on, does she even have a wrinkle or gray hair?

I had a quick encounter with her in Pantelleria when Russo and Victor took me to her for my other belongings and I do not remember her this hot.

"That's great news. The girls are also feeling better," she adds, bringing me a towel and laying it on a chair next to the bathtub.

I give her a curious look, "How do you know?"

"They're out back in the Cimorelli Chateau," she says matter-of-factly, tucking a loose, brown curl into her messy bun.