Bleeding Sunset

Chapter 21

The word terrified doesn’t even begin to describe what I was feeling at the moment. The past 19 hours have been horrendous, sitting in close proximity to the very man that was the relative of a man that I hoped was dead- it was gut wrenching. The don was calm and casual, as if he had done this one too many times. And finally, here I was, back in that damned town, the Cadillac Escalade parked in the driveway of the dreaded modern mansion that belonged to Agostino. 

“I have to say, Autumn dove, I didn’t think that someday this would be you.” The don finally said, breaking the silence and managing to speak over my pounding heart and short and panicked breaths. 

I couldn’t stop the flow of tears, or the way that my body was trembling. I knew that once I stepped out of this car and into that home, horrors only awaited me. I knew that the don was Agostino’s cousin but at this point, I just needed someone to listen to me. I just needed to talk, even if it was to an enemy, “I don’t want this life,” I said in between quivering and weak cries. I let out a saddened breath, watching as the door was opened for me by one of the men outside. I turned my head and looked at the don, “I’ll die running from him.” I bravely said, before I turned my head and accepted the hand that the man was offering. 

I let him help me out of the car before he led me into the home. Each step, it felt as though my feet were being cemented into the ground and it got harder to move forward. If it wasn’t for Gabriela and the kids, I probably wouldn’t have come all this way. But then again, I realise that Agostino is a man that has no heart and he was going to kill them either way so I shouldn’t have made the effort to come back because it won’t change anything. 

The home looked as spotless as it always does, the servants walked around the house, brushing off invisible dust and making sure that the home barely had any space left for a microsome of dirt. I didn’t look at any of them, kind of feeling judged by their wordless behaviour, as if they scoffed at me and my attempt of getting away…again. I wondered if some saw me as brave or if they all just saw me as stupid. I had a feeling it was the latter. 

I tried to think of other things, trying to put myself in a more positive mindset preparing for what was about to come but my impending doom was all that I could think about. The man led me to the very spot where Agostino and I had our first date, the night where we sat and dined over his stingrays, overlooking the town of Merton. The sun had set long ago and goosebumps broke out over my arms, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose. It felt too much like the very day that he and I had begun. Except this time, I wasn’t naïve, I knew exactly what he was capable of and I knew that no good could come of this. 

He stood, with his hand in his pocket, and the other holding a glass of whiskey. He stood as though he were a king overlooking his kingdom. He wore a black pants, and he was shirtless. The wind blowing through his curly hair that wasn’t as done as it usually is. My feet were rooted to the ground, not wanting to get too close to him because I didn’t want to get hurt. 

We stood in silence for what felt like forever, my body shivering from the cold and fear. “I’ve been thinking of ways to hurt you,” he finally said, his voice coming out calm and collected, but the words being carried by the winds to my ears. “I give you everything, and you turn and run.”

I dug my nails into my palms, trying to catch my breath, “I wasn’t happy. I was afraid,” I began, slowly raising my voice and being surprised that I was talking, “afraid of you, afraid of your love- afraid of everything. That’s not okay.” I said with tears, crying and hoping that my words would somehow make sense to his delusional mind. 

He turned and I evaded his eyes, “I’m going to hurt you, so bad…so bad, that you will never be okay again.” he told me, walking towards me while I took an unsteady step back, my eye sight blurry and my heart racing with more vigour.