The Mafia's Maid

Chapter 53

Vlado POV

"I didn't know you felt this way." I try to fill the silence, but Leah doesn't respond. "I thought you would rather forget."

My steps falter when her hand slips from mine, and she surges forward, leaving me behind. I rush to catch up with her, and I grab her hand desperately. "Leah, please. You have to understand."

She whips around with a glare. "Understand? Understand? You kept this from me. How can I trust you when you can't even tell me something this important?"

"Don't act like you haven't done the same." As soon as the words escape my mouth, I regret it. The pain in her eyes almost makes me fall to my knees.

"That's different." Her voices croaks. "That was my past, a story that I should have told you, not the others." She pushes my chest, hard. "You, on the other hand, are a leader in the mafia. You should have told me because you hired me. You can't hire a group of people without telling them they would be in danger because of your enemies. Not only that," again, harder this time. "But you found him, you found Lucas, abducted him, and didn't tell me."

I let my hand drag down my face. This is not how I planned our relationship to go. "The same Lucas who abused you in so many ways, amore. Can't you see this from my point of view?" I reach for her hands, rubbing my fingers across her skin. "I just want to keep you safe."

Her teary eyes slide up to mine. How can someone so tortured be so strong? She didn't deserve a single thing that happened to her, but he did it all anyway.

Why haven't I killed him yet?

"If you don't keep anything from me, I will be safe." Her voice was clear, strong, and she levelled me with a stare. "Just do that, and everything should be fine."

My teeth grind together unwillingly and I look down at her. "As long as you do the same."

"I plan to."

I can't think of the right words, not even as we step through the large, steel door or walk down the stairs to the basement, and it's as though every word has burned from my brain when we ginally stop.

"So, he's in there?" She eyes the door warily. I'm not sure what she expected. A thick, metal door like the one upstairs. Or a cage fenced with iron bars. But it's just an ordinary looking door.

I wonder what she's thinking.

"Alive and..." The word dies on my tongue. "He's alive."

I ignore the rolling of her eyes and turn all of my attention back to her. "Are you sure you want to do this? I'd much rather take you back upstairs. We could watch a movie, any movie you want–"

"I'm doing this, Vlado." She cuts off my rambling. "You can't change my mind."

I sigh. "Alright. But if you ever want to leave, there's nothing stopping you."

"I know." A shaky breath escapes her lips, her hands glued to her sides. So I reach for the door.

"Oh no," her hand falls on my chest, and she looks up at me.

"You're not coming in."

I immediately shake my head. "The fuck I'm not. You think I'm letting you talk to your douchebag of an ex alone?"

"That's what you are going to do."

"No, I'm not."

"This isn't a discussion, Vlado. I'm going in alone."

Leah challenged my glare with one of her own, and it didn't take long for me to back down. I need to respect her decisions, no matter how much I disagree.

"If you're not out of that room in five minutes, I'm coming in."

That didn't mean I had to agree with them though.

She nods and turns back to the steel door. With a shaky hand, she turns the handle and steps through, closing the door behind her with a click.

I count the seconds down instantly, glancing between my watch and the door. It's when I reach 219 when I start to pace. I know I said five minutes, but who could possibly want to be in a room for so long with a monster like him? It seems ironic coming from me, but I have never treated someone so poorly who didn't deserve every bit of pain.

Leah had done nothing, absolutely nothing wrong, but he hurt her anyway. I should have put a bullet through his skull as soon as he waltzed through my allies' territory.

But he deserves to suffer.

Miserably.

The door clicks open, and Leah appears, not an emotion out of place. It's unnerving. She just looks so...calm.

"What did he say to you?"

She turns to me. "It doesn't matter."

Doesn't matter? Doesn't matter?

That is the most bullshit fucking lie I have ever heard in my life.

She walks right past me, but she doesn't get far. "Leah," my hand wraps around hers, and I savour the soft touch of her skin. "It's alright if you don't want to tell me, but I need to know if he said anything you didn't like."

"Why?"

"So I can kill him."

"It looks like you already have."

"What?"

She scoffs, folding her arms across her chest. "Have you seen what you've done to him? It looks like he's been dragged through hell covered with nails."

I notice the indifference in her gaze and straighten my shoulders. "That is not half of what he deserves."

Something tells me I said the right thing when her eyes glimmer and she steps closer. My hands find their place on her waist as my lips fall onto hers. Her fingers thread through my hair and pull me close, and I let her lead the kiss with a smile.

"I'm still upset with you." She murmurs against my lips.

"I'm sorry." I hum, never breaking the kiss. "I'm so sorry." I pull her hips to mine and deepen our kiss, and she responds quickly.

Eventually, we pull apart, but I can't pull my hands away from her waist.

"Can we go now?" I open my eyes just as a tear slides down her cheek. "Please?"

My heart shatters with her. I press my lips to hers softly, cradling her face and wiping away her tear. "Of course, amore." So I take her hand in mine and lead her back up the stairs, away from the nightmares that lurk underground, far happier than this morning.

Because tomorrow, Lucas will be where he fucking belongs.