THE MAFIA'S MISTAKEN BRIDE

CHAPTER 41

Jasmine's POV 
 
Like a boiling rage, I can feel his anger. Probably from the way he is holding my hand so tightly as he continues to drag me out of the store.
 
I am supposed to be the angry one. I don't know if he is just angry because of that man or if he is angry with me for even giving him an audience.
 
That man just wanted to help. I can't help but feel sorry for him. I feel responsible for putting him in such a situation.
 
When we get out of the store, he let go of my hand. Then there was another car beside the car which drove us here.
 
Without sparing me a glance, I watch him throw orders around just the way he always does, in that authoritative regal voice.
 
When he eventually turns to me, his eyes expressionless, he mutters. "Get into the car."
 
With that, he stretches the credit card at me, making me look down at it before shifting my gaze back to his face, wondering where the hell he is going. Obviously, I am going home alone.
 
Not wanting to get yelled at, I quickly take the card and move to the open car. I enter the car and the guard closes it while Xavier and I maintain eye contact; me from inside the car and while he is outside watching with a hard stare.
 
To be honest, what he did back there was unnecessary but it made me feel an emotion I haven't felt in my entire life.
 
Jealousy.
 
He acted like a jealous husband fighting to keep his woman right by his side. 
 
I was pleased and relieved to see him. Even though that man wanted to help, he had an ulterior motive and I was scared of him.
 
Perhaps, this is how I have always been. I get scared of men easily. They get to influence and manipulate women easily. I get that it is from my upbringing; where I was born and brought up. It gave me that idea.
 
I can only feel safe with good men but Xavier isn't one yet I feel safe with him. His presence brings me unexplainable comfort.
 
Whenever he is around me, I know he will do all it takes to keep me safe. He might say hurtful words to me, be harsh towards me or be extremely annoying and cold but I know he would never hurt me physically or allow anyone to.
 
I should be glad, right?
 
When the driver ignites the car engine into action with another guard beside him, I finally take my eyes off Xavier.
 
But then, I began to wonder when all this started. When did I start feeling safe around him? Was it the moment he confessed to me that he would never hurt a woman? The day he told me he deals and kills bad men but doesn't hurt women?
 
Was it that day? Was it relief I felt that day because all along, I felt I was kidnapped to be killed or sold to slavery or something? 
 
I don't know how I felt that day. I can't remember what it felt like but now that I think of it, I feel all of this is related to that single word.
 
I let out a sigh as we drive away from the neighborhood. In the next few minutes, we will be back at the villa and I will get to give Grandma her gift. Then I will prepare for the evening dinner with her ladies.
 
Suddenly, I remember the gift. I didn't take it from Xavier. Just when I am about to jerk upright to tell the driver to go back, my eyes fall on the package sitting beside me.
 
I let out a sigh and relaxed back only for another thing to catch my attention, right outside the car window.
 
A red-haired woman.
 
Her back is to me but it brings the thought of Andre into my mind. Still sitting calmly, I watch the woman as I begin to wonder just where that spoiled brat is hiding and when she intends to come back home.
 
Why does she hate Xavier that much? How can I find her without the help of anyone? I thought finding her would be easy but I was wrong. The only thing I have access to is my phone and that is the only weapon I am using which isn't useful at the moment.
 
There is absolutely nothing about her online and it surprises me to the core. I'm sure a wild girl like her ought to have a social handle and ought to be on every social media platform.
 
As for me, I never had any interest in opening any of the social media accounts. I was always too busy making ends meet. The only time I tried doing that was when I wanted to open an account on Tinder to find a man. I never got to open the account at the end. I lost interest even before anything could start.
 
Suddenly, the woman whirls round with a bouquet in her hand and I see her face.
 
Andre!
 
A shiver of anticipation darts down my spine and my heart begins to pound harder than ever before.
 
I blink, sit upright and blink to be sure I am seeing right and it is not my imagination. As the car drives past her just as a man appears beside her, making her let out a laugh, I find my answer.
 
It is indeed Andre. The replica of me.
 
Darting forward, I yell at the driver. "Stop the car!"
 
The guard in the passenger seat spares me a glance but the car isn't stopping. 
 
"I said stop the car!" my heart is racing hard as I stare back to see her going across the road with the man.
 
Fortunately, the car comes to a screeching stop and I shove the car door open before running out into the street, the way I saw her going.
 
I get to an empty street after running for more than a minute without the sight of her before stopping to catch my breath. The guard runs to catch up with me too.
 
"Ma'am, the boss said to take you home, where are you going?" he demands from me, breathing heavily like me as he attempts to grab my hand.
 
I yank my hand free from his grip, pointing towards a direction, even though I have no idea if that is the direction she took. "I saw her."
 
He looks clueless.
 
"I saw her. I saw Andre."
 
She still looks confused and it dawns on me that he isn't Xavier's guard. Probably one of Grandma's numerous guards too.
 
"Let's go", he says to me as tears begin to spring to her eyes.
 
I saw her. But I don't even know whether to believe in myself or not. I saw her. I know I did but I don't know if it is just a mere figment of my imagination or if it was real.
 
What the hell will Andre be doing in Italy? What the hell is she doing in Italy? Is she truly in Italy?
 
Before I can begin to run again in the hope that I will find her, he grabs me and we begin to head back to the car.
 
Just before we can cross the road to the other side where the car is and the driver is out waiting for us, a black van drives towards us speeding heavily. I notice it from afar because of the fast speed but I am about to take my eyes off it when I see a man ducking his head out of the car window with a gun pointed in our direction.
 
No.
 
My direction. It is pointed towards me.
 
"Shit, get down!" The guard barks at me tugging me down as I fall to the ground with fear clawing at my heart.
 
A shot rings out as my eyes close on their accord waiting patiently for the impact of the shot.
 
Another shot rings out and another, yet I feel nothing. No pain. Just numb emotions.
 
Suddenly, someone grabs me and I realize it is the guard. He is shot in the arm just like how Xavier was hurt in the arm the other day. He grabs me with his unarmed hand and holds out a gun with the hurt arm while he groans.
 
"Let's go", he murmurs as a wince leaves his mouth.
 
I don't need a second warning. Seeing that I am unhurt, I race to the other side of the road with him as another van begins to approach us.
 
The driver opens the door and I let him in while he continues to shout at me to get in first.
 
I don't listen. I make sure he is safely tucked in the seatbelt of the car and the windows are winded up before opening the back door. Before I can enter, a shot rings in the air, wheezing past my ear and making me drop to the floor once again in fear.
 
"Ma'am", someone from inside the car shouts in fear that I have been shot but I haven't. I don't know if it's from the guard or the driver but one thing I get to realize from their earnest desire for me to get into the car so we can get the hell out of here is because they will be in trouble if something happens to me.
 
The villa is just five minutes away from here and this is happening.
 
When the shot dies down, I look up and see nothing. I rise from the floor, dusting my dress and I am about to enter the car when a voice stops me.
 
"Nice to meet you again, Jasmine", the familiar voice which makes me frozen with extreme fear and numbness remarks as I turn slowly to meet his brown wicked glint.
 
My eyes drop open alongside my mouth as he points a gun to my forehead.

****
Who is this person? Is it Vicenzo or someone else? Isn't he dead?

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