Red's Redemption ✔

Chapter 10 - Shockwaves

I did not want to know what that sound was. All I wanted was to be inside the safe house feeling safe and protected. At this very moment, I longed for my comfortable bed. Moments later, Vinchenzo called out for us to enter and locked the door.

"Aren't you going to see what that was?" I asked as I watched him light his cigar.

"No." He said.

I sighed but chose not to say anything. My first thought had been that someone was chasing a woman into the forests and she was crying out for help. All I could picture was a sweet innocent young teenage girl being chased. I shuddered as I shook my thoughts away.

"Per quanto tempo resteremo qui?" Francesca asked as she wrapped her long hair up into a lazy bun.

[How long are we going to stay here.]

"Non lo so." 

[I don't know.]

Francesca did not press him more. For some reason, as I studied his face in the dimly lit room he looked stressed. It was not something I had seen before. He was always sure, he was always confident and he always believed in himself. I knew that there was something huge bothering him.

I decided not to ask. I didn't want to add anything more onto his plate as it seemed pretty full already. As I looked around the gloomy room, I saw how tired everyone looked. Francesca was barely awake as she fiddled with her nails, Vranchesco was staring at the same page of an old magazine for a while now, and the rest of the boys were fully asleep. 

"Red, you can sleep if you want." Vinchenzo says as he pointed at his chest, "We are safe in here." 

I nodded and moved closer to him. The minute my head hit his chest, I fell into a deep sleep.

I woke up with a start. I felt something trickling down my face and I rubbed it away using my hands. As soon as my eyes focused I screamed as I saw blood covering them.

"Cosa ti è successo!" Francesca yelled as she saw my blood-covered hands and most likely face.

"I don't know what happened!" I cried out as I looked at the disgusting mess in front of me. It looked like I had ripped a ton of raw steaks apart. The sight made me feel rather nauseous. 

When I looked up to see why no one was talking, I looked up and saw that everyone was looking at the ceiling. Their mouth hanging wide open. 

"Don't look," Vinchenzo instructed when he saw me looking at everyone.

But I didn't listen. I regretted the decision to ignore him.

As the scene registered in my mind, I felt all of what I had eaten churn in my stomach and make its way up and out through my mouth onto the floor. I could not move. I felt paralyzed. I could not move a muscle. I felt so disgusted but so pained at the sight.

"Claudia?" 

As the realization hit me and I put a name to the face of the dead woman hanging above me, a huge wave of tears hit me. I immediately got off the old dusty couch and tried to find the bathroom. The task proved to be very difficult as all I could think about was the disturbing sight from earlier. My gut squeezed as I recalled the image.

"Let me help you," Vinchenzo called as he followed me.

I allowed him to grab my arm and take me to a small little corner of the safe house. There was a small tap hidden with a little drain. Vinchenzo opened the tap and a small stream of cold water flowed out. He ripped off his shirt and wet it, and then began to gently scrub all the blood off my face. 

I looked into his beautiful green eyes. They were drained of emotion. He looked like a robot. Cold. Unfeeling. But the tenderness in his gentle swipes proved otherwise. I had come here to take him and his empire down, I had come into his life to wreck it and send him to prison for his entire life. I was here to tear his walls down. Only, he has succeeded in tearing mine down. 

The only part of him that I now knew was the one where he showed me the compassion he had, the strong love for his biological family and for those who he considered family. Vinchenzo was fierce. He was strong. He was caring. People from the outside see the intimidating side, the brutal side but to me, he showed me something of him that the world had never known. He showed me love in his own way, he supported me and was beside me throughout my worst injuries. He saved me, not only from physical danger but from myself. Vinchenzo had a complex yet compassionate side that rarely anyone saw. 

He had shown it to me and trusted me with it.

I had seen it.

I was in love with him. I am in love with him. I will always be in love with him.

He simply completes me. He was like my missing puzzle piece.

"All done." He whispered as he gently stroked my cheek with a faint smile.

"Thank you," I muttered back as I stood up and admired him.

Vinchenzo just pulled me into a hug. It was like he knew how desperately I needed one. At that moment, it was the best comfort I could ever have asked for. I sobbed into his shoulder as I waves of terrible memories hit me one by one. 

What I loved the most? He never asked me a single question as I let my tears roll out. As I unbottled my emotions. He just stood quietly, holding me and caring for me. I couldn't seem to stop crying. All my tears flooded out of me. I couldn't stop. I didn't want to. The more I cried, the more relief I felt.

Everything had just become too much.

Hey Reddies

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Who do you think did this to them?

Don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter and let me know all of your thoughts in the comment section! 

XOXO

Perla