❝He was a killer and I was his darling puppet. ❞
• • •
A sinner in the disguise of a smaller one.
Antonio Giordano was a cold-blooded murderer. His intense gaze and sickening smirk was the last...
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F R A N C E S C A
I WAS TOO late. My sister's body laid unconscious on the rich marble floor after Father threw her down. Blood oozed her forehead, covering her tan face and the corners of her ears. Yet, Father was not done yet. My footsteps echoed in the large house as I ran down the stairs only to be held back by a tight grip on my elbow.
"Father, please stop!" I yelled before I could stop myself and our abuser's hand stopped midway. He sat up slowly. My heart froze. I was next. He was not going to spare me anymore.
Silvio's grip on my arm loosened as Father stalked toward me. "I'm sorry, Father. I'm so sorry. Please," I begged helplessly. So, so helplessly.
"How dare you, whore?" he snarled as he raised his hand to smack me.
But it never came.
"Mr. Lastra, the Don wants Miss Lastra clean." There was a slight warning in his voice as Silvio stepped in front of me, protecting me from my very own blood.
Father lowered his hand even though he didn't like it at all. His glare never left my face as I stood timidly behind the bodyguard. It wasn't the first time Father had hit me but it was for sure the first time he did it in front of the Don's man. Father's abuse always took a step back in front of Silvio.
His eyes never left my face before he stalked past us and up the stairs. Once he was out of sight, I ran toward my sister.
"We need to take her to the hospital, Silvio!" I cried, cradling Arianna's head on my lap. I heard him come closer.
"The Don has not permitted you to go out. I'll send men to take her," Silvio said as he crouched beside me.
I immediately shook my head. "No, please. I need to stay with her."
Silvio didn't spare me a glance as he picked her up and started moving towards the large glass doors. I ran after him, my shirt scattered with red but I didn't care. She was much more important than my shirt.
He didn't think I'd follow so when I slid onto the back seat where he laid my sister, he glared at me.
"Start the car," he told the driver. I didn't think Silvio would've come. That soon changed when he sat in the passenger seat and ordered the driver around, highly annoyed.
Arianna looked close to death and if not for the small pulse that I could feel on her wrist, I would have assumed that she was. I could not lose her. She was the only light in my life full of darkness. I could not lose my only hope of love, as selfish as I did sound.
I did not even realize when we arrived at the hospital. In fact, I did not even think we were supposed to be here. What would we tell them if they asked? How would we explain this to them?
●●●
"Miss Lastra, it would be better if you stay in the car now," Silvio spoke once they started the procedure on Arianna. It was a deadly hit to the head. When they asked, Silvio lied and told them that she fell down the stairs. That she did but it wasn't all that had happened. It didn't exactly matter though because the doctor was following the code. He was with us.
