The night he took me away

Chapter 36

Ava

       Four months have passed by and I almost cried when I saw through Lily's pictures on her public social media account, that she finally got engaged to Domenico.
     A tear fell on my cheek as a smile spread through my face, making it fall into the top of my lip so I could taste the saltiness of my emotion. My nostalgia. My wish of going back to them. Including Matteo, which I know he might be looking for me. I think.
       I'm taking away from the contemplating and thoughtful moment when the lights go off.
What the...
    I carefully stood up and walked towards the door, but the voice made me froze. The voice that echoed in the house. The voice that made my body tremble and fear. Deeply I began to regret staying in this place. It was obvious they could track me. But how?
That's why we came alone...and the captain...
     "Search the place."
    Suddenly I heard a lot of footsteps coming upstairs and all I did was run towards the bathroom and lock myself. There was a small window, but I couldn't go through with my belly. Or even risk my baby to a fall. Running towards my sink, I bent a little to grab my hidden gun, the one Francesco left for me just in case, and lift it firmly towards the door that seconds later was opened by one of his guards.
       "Do you even know how to use that?" He laughed at me.
    I smiled. "I'll use it if you get near us." 
   His stare fell on my belly and it only made him smile wider.
      "That's bad news because now that, " he paused. "Is going to get ripped away from you." 
     My legs began to shiver but I still covered my belly with a free hand as a way to protect my baby from him.
      "If that happens, I'll kill you myself."
    And before he got closer, Alfonso stopped him. The man I've hated all my life. His reaction was...unexpected. He looked at me as if he had won something.
       "Beautiful, " he said excitedly.
   I took a step backward.
       "Ava Collin. Doesn't pregnancy suit you?" He takes a step forward.
       "If you get closer I'll kill you, " I spat.
       "And if you do, my men will you both at the end."
   My hand shook as he got closer.
        "It's time to leave, Ava. You'll be better at my hands now. I'll take care of you until your mother returns to me."
     I laugh bitterly, unbelieving every word he says. "What? Didn't you rape and killed her last time? You fucking murderer!"
        He tilts his head. "I would never kill her. I'm not that...crazy."
She's alive?! She escaped? How?
        "Now put that down before you hurt yourself or the baby."
      My chest rose and fell with rapid breaths and the realization he was going to take me away. Perhaps keep me hidden where not even Francesco can find me.
        "Don't you want to be reunited with him? With Francesco?"
       "I—"
     And before I could answer everything went dark. Except that through the darkness of the bag in my head or during my unconsciousness, I could see him. Francesco.
   It felt like a dream.
       But his voice kept calling me. I'm not sure.
    Once I woke up, feeling vulnerable and scared for my baby, I was forced to be on my knees.
     The floor felt soft yet cold. Through sensation, my yellow dress was a little bit ripped from the back, I was barefoot, and my lip was bleeding.
     But what hurt the most was the pain inside. The guilt of ending this way. The guilt of letting this to happen to my baby.
I should have left.
       "I've got a surprise for you, son."
Suddenly, The bag in my head was pulled and finally our eyes locked. After four months he was standing in front of me, looking handsome and confident like he is. But this time, he looked at me differently.
Perhaps furious, surprised, and scared. I can't assure myself which one exactly.
"She looks very alive to me, don't you think?" Alfonso spoke again and goosebumps arose in my skin.
Francesco still kept his glance at me, but now he only stared at my belly. He even ignored the malicious glances of the many guards in here.
"Did she escaped?" Alfonso continued. "Or did you help her?"
"Isn't obvious?" He said miserably that I had to look away. "And I don't regret my decision because I love her. I own her. You have no power over her. You lost that privilege when you gave her to me. She does not serve you." He got closer and I looked at him surprised.
"You're right but you. And somehow you'll have to pay with the consequences, " Alfonso said disturbed in a deep tone.
Suddenly he gave a nod and Francesco men got killed at the same time. A shot in the head. Shot by different men with different target.
Francesco looked unfazed, somehow he expected what his father was going to do.
"She will stay here and your baby will be your forgiveness."
At the words, I screamed in pain a 'no'. But those words didn't affect me only because Francesco had already placed a knife in his father's throat. Suddenly I gasped when a man did the same to me. The knife was closer than what Francesco's knife was. His glance turned to me.
"At the same time shall we?" He said darkly.
And so they did. They both lowered their knifes.
"Let me be with them."
Alfonso looked disappointed at his son and even felt ashamed for what he did for love. But for me, it felt the opposite.
"You prefer her to what you already have? An army? A bunch of privileges?"
"What I have is the wrath I'll carry with me for what you are doing to your own son."
They both remained silent. Until Alfonso finally says, "I never considered you my son. And after this, you will no longer carry my name."
There was a bit of sorrow through Francesco's look but he didn't get near me until everyone left and we remained alone.
A part of me felt humiliated and all I wanted to do now was to hide from him. I lowered my head and it was seconds later that he stood in front of me and offered me his hand.
I hesitantly grabbed it and he helped me to straightened. We looked to each other for a while until he finally said, "They found you were I left you." His eyebrows furrowed. "Why? Why didn't you leave?"
"I...I..." I lick my lips and my voice breaks. "You said I couldn't go back because if I did it, I was just going to put our lives in danger. So, I waited for you," I sob. "I'm sorry."
"You shouldn't have waited." He gets closer and crushes his lips with mine to kiss me deeply. I felt how his warmth covered me. So did protectiveness. And for the first time in four months, I felt the sparks again. "You shouldn't have waited."
He wrapped me with his arms but slowly his hands fell in my belly.
"I—" Francesco fell speechless but I only smiled.
"I think it's a girl." I shrug. "I think Kiara will suit her."
Slowly he got into one knee and whispered her name. "It's perfect."
After staring at it for too long, he firmly said, "I'm going to get us out of here."

I mimic his position and nod. "I know you will."

.