The Body #1: Santo and Fiorella

Chapter 10 (Fiorella): Consider It Done

*** TW for violence and suggestion of non-con ***

I slowly opened my eyes when Dario slapped my face. I'd actually come to earlier, but some deeply-buried instinct kept my eyes closed and my body motionless.

But I couldn't ignore the repeated slaps to my face and slowly opened my eyes to see Dario's cold ones focused on me.

Dario leaned toward me. "We're about to have some fun. Do you want to have some fun, Fiorella?"

I blinked at him, refusing to let him goad me. Dario had an expectation of Body wives, a stereotype we reinforced with our submissiveness and obedience.

Go along with it. Play your role, Fiorella. Your life and the baby's may depend on it. Buy some time.

"I'm scared," I whispered, making my eyes big.

Be what he expects. He'll think you're too scared and meek to fight back. Then make your move later, when he underestimates a woman protecting her child. When he least expects you to fight back, Fiorella, you'll take him by surprise, and if he's going to kill you, he's going to have to work for it.

He leaned closer to me. "You should be because first I'm going to fuck you, Fiorella. Take video and send it to Santo, then take more video while each of my men fucks you. Now get out of the car."

I felt for the door handle, afraid to take my eyes off of Dario, afraid to turn my back on him. The door opened and I stumbled out, my cheek throbbing from where he'd hit me.

He followed me out and grabbed my upper arm, his head turning every way, and his two guards, who had been in the front seat, flanked him.

We walked up the steps to the house, and looking around, my heart sunk as I realized this house was isolated; there were no houses I could even see.

That meant no one could hear me. No one could help me. OK, baby, it's you and me. Mamma's going to try to figure this out.

As we got to the door, I heard two shots and almost immediately, the two guards fell to the ground. Dario hustled me through the front door, one hand digging into my shoulder, the other pressing the gun to my temple as he kicked the door shut behind him.

I was shaking but trying to think clearly. My mother had taught me nothing that would prepare me for this. Cooking the perfect roast wasn't a useful skill in this situation.

From my peripheral vision, I saw Santo walk across the room until he was in my line of sight, and Lucio was moving in the opposite direction.

"Unless you want your wife to be a stain on the wall, stop moving," Dario ordered.

I figured I had a fifty-fifty chance of Santo caring if Dario carried through with his threat. But what if Santo didn't care? He had Tanya and a son on the way; he could have a perfect little family with them if I was eliminated. Maybe he'd gotten tired of my silence, my refusal to talk with him. Although rare, it wasn't unheard of for the mistress to become the new wife if something happened to the old wife.

I felt my breath hitch in my throat when both Santo and Lucio froze. Santo froze. He froze to protect me.

"Now put down the guns," Dario said.

If that happened, if they did that, none of us would stand a chance. So I did the only thing open to me, and I did it fast.

I gave a soft cry and went completely limp in Dario's grasp and slid to the floor.

Two shots came in rapid succession and I heard Dario cry out. Almost instantly, Santo was to me, yanking me up from the floor and kicking Dario's gun away from him.

"Nice," Lucio said as if he were discussing a new suit. He came up behind us and dragged Dario to his feet. "We both got his gun hand."

"Fiorella," Santo said, looking me over, "You're all right?"

I nodded, and Santo tipped up my chin, his face composed, and spoke to me like he was asking what we were having for dinner. "What did he do to you? Tell me exactly."

"He punched me in the face."

"What else, Fiorella?"

Then, without waiting for me to answer, Santo turned and punched Dario in the face as hard as he could. Dario, unprepared for the punch, fell over, knocked out. Santo had taken him by surprise and dropped him with one hard punch.

"What else, Fiorella?" he repeated as he watched my eyes widen. I may have grown up in the Body, but I was never exposed to any of the darker elements that the men were. As women, we were protected from that.

"He slapped me awake."

So Santo began doing the same to Dario until the man came to. Santo kept it up even after Dario was awake, until my husband told him to get on his knees, despite the fact his one hand was practically missing.

Dario was surprisingly steady on his knees, still arrogant despite the pieces Santo and Lucio had trained on him. 

"You even try anything with me, and my men will make sure the sun rises tomorrow without you both to see it."

"What men?" Lucio asked his uncle. "Claudio?"

He held his phone up to Dario. "He doesn't look like he's going to be riding to the rescue for anyone ever again. That is definitely gonna leave a mark. But maybe you meant Francesco."

Again Lucio swiped at his phone and turned the screen around to Dario. "Ouch. Unfortunately, Francesco also seems to be having the same problem as Claudio. But maybe Pietro could -- hmmm. Yeah, it's not looking good for Pietro, either."

He showed Dario the screen once again. "Things are going from bad to worse for you, Dario. Antonio and Gio also appear to be having some permanent issues. Such a shame."

He leaned down to get into Dario's face. "That's just the tip of the iceberg of people who aren't in any position to come to your rescue, now or ever. Every single person loyal to you...gone. So that leaves only you to be dealt with from the old regime."

"Same thing's going to happen to you," Dario spat. "Someday some little fuck is going to start thinking that he deserves to be Head and he's going to go after you."

Lucio shrugged. "It's a whole new world under me, Dario. You made it so everyone had to live in fear. I'm not going to do that."

"You're weak," Dario spat on the ground at Lucio's feet. "You watch how fast the other Bodies will move in on La Forte territory with a pussy like you as Head."

"If that's what it takes to make you happy on your way to hell, think what you want. I do think you might want to be nicer to me, to make sure your wife and daughters are cared for after you leave us."

"Fuck them all," Dario seethed. "My wife couldn't give me a boy -- just three useless girls. So kill them all if you want."

"The fuck?" a new voice answered. Federico Caruso came in through the front door. "What the fuck did you just say about my daughter?"

At that, Dario did sway on his knees. His entire regime had been eliminated, and he hadn't blinked. His father-in-law walked into the room, and Dario started sweating.

"So, you would just let them harm my daughter and granddaughters?" Federico's voice shook with rage.

"Well, maybe Dario doesn't care because he's got a boy on the way with his mistress," Lucio said.

"He what?" Federico wasn't pleased with that news.

At all.

Lucio looked at Santo and me. "Santo, why don't you take Fiorella home? Federico and I will take care of this little problem, and it's not something your wife needs to see."

"He hurt my wife," Santo reminded Lucio. "I would consider it a personal favor if his suffering was prolonged."

Lucio smiled. "Of course, Santo. Consider it done."

Then, shockingly, Santo took hold of my hand in front of other people and walked me out of the house.