SONIA (Book two of the Mafia romance)

Red blinds my eyes punching relentlessly to the face of the server boy who wheezes under my chokehold. Blood splutters out of his lips hanging slumped in my firm grip taking the blows after blows to the point of passing out. Fellow workers knelt on the floor with my men aiming their guns at each and everyone of them looking scared and fidgeting. All my mind replays is her eyes fluttering close, watching her die, the boat exploding, debris falling, me screaming her name getting no answer.

The blast had me battered and bruised but not disoriented; I forgo the cuts and slashes even the bullet hole leaking blood profusely. Everything, the pains became numb watching debris fall around me and no sign of her. I wanted to do something special for once in my life and instead I lost my guard fucking everything up eventually ruining my life in the process. I ran to the edge of the dock diving into the water, I swim searching for anything, just a glimpse. Nothing.

My whole world crumbles around me, my heart thumps loud in my chest but I kept on looking diving further into the water and screaming her name. Silence. It was all silent. For the first time, I cried and screamed like a madman punching the water and kicking aiming my frustration and anger at it.

I fucked up. I killed her. I killed my baby.

Guilt ate me up from the inside as my mind repeatedly say those words to me. All I want is to see her face again, watch her beautiful smile whenever I make her happy which was rare to none but she stayed, she endured and what did she get from it. Her death and that of our baby. I cried so hard, something I never did when Ma and Pa were killed. I cried for my pride, my arrogance, my unborn child, my Princess. I cried floating on top of the water screaming and searching for her.

"Vlad! Vlad!" Alexei voice calls rushing towards me with our men behind him. I just want to delve deeper, sinking it as I drink in large sums of water till my lungs can take no more and then let go so I can be with her again. "Get him out of there, now!" He commands. The numbness so pure despair took over my soul feeling my men pull me out of the water.

"Brat. Posmotri na menya. Chto sluchilosʹ? Gde net?" (Brother. Look at me. What happened? Where is Nia?) He held my face in his hands forcing me to look into his eyes which held worry and confusion.

Looking at the water and the debris all around us I choked tears streaming down my face. It was suppose to be perfect for her, everything I did it was all for her. I wanted to make it right but I didn't get the chance to do so.

"On zastrelil yeye Alexei. L·endro ubil Niyu, moy rebenok." (He shot her Alexei. Leandro killed Nia, my baby.)

The memory brought a darkness in me as I kept punching at the server's face growling and grunting in anger.

"We couldn't find anything boss." My head snaps to one of my men in anger finally letting go of the young server boy who falls to the floor unconscious. His colleagues scurries to help him nursing him back to health. I couldn't care less when the mother of my unborn baby just got blown up in front of my eyes.

"Search everywhere! No one gets out of here alive. No one!" I growl swiping things off the counter and pantry. Shrieks of terror echoes in the kitchen from the workers. No one gets out of here alive if I don't find that fucker. I was too busy fighting her with the excuse of protection when it has been planned from the onset when the attack will take place. They knew our every move, we got trailed. Fuck! Anya came to Italy for a reason. It couldn't be a coincidence. Alexei was right, I should have killed her when I got the chance and now regret seeps into my heart slowly.

My heart is gone, I felt nothing. It got ripped from me, taken without a second thought. My eyes scans the kitchen and a few dead bodies lying amiss as a result of my anger. When in fact they were sent to spy on Nia and I.

Choking, he spits blood. "Sir, I don't know anything." He coughs more blood taking my gaze to him. "I was only told to give you the note by a passerby at the dock before we left." In anger I snatch him by the collar causing the females in the room to scream in fright. He moans in pains. "Please don't kill me." Wheezing, I squeeze tight to his neck wanting to break it. To watch the life slip out of him like it did to my Princess.

"Vladimir! Vladimir! What are you doing? You are killing him." Alexei cautions.

"She is gone. He killed her!" A sinister look came across my face loving the way his face pales as the seconds tick.

"Vladimir you are not acting rational. Let him go." Stepping further to the scene. The hostages looks at me in fear.

"Alexei, She was pregnant. They killed her. The killed my woman and my baby." Firing a random shot in anger, cries and screams echoed igniting the fire of hate in me.

"Leandro did. Let him go Vlad." When he says that it was Nia's face which replays in my head whenever she chastises me. This is not what she would accept. Slowly I let him go staggering to rest on the island letting out a painful groan. I may be breathing but I knew I died with that boat. The pains inexplicable.

"We need to clean you up. You can't go walking on the streets like this." No response from me.

"We have to leave Vlad. It's not safe for you anymore."

"I'm not going anywhere without killing that bastard who took Nia away from me."

"And you have my full support but first we have to leave here."

I sat in the black escalade missing her warmth besides me. Her facial expressions when we get into a heated argument or her smug grins when she outsmarts me. Her unique scent. So distinctive I always know when she is close by. I memorized it all to the back of my head, she thought I never took notice but I did. I was just too stubborn, just like her to let her win most times. Now, I will do anything to have her get the last laugh.

"Boss. There's someone here requesting to see you." Stepping down the car, the driver says just as he opens my door. I look disheveled but who cares when the only one that does is gone. Taken from me.

"Fuck off." I hear Alexei let out an exhausting sigh.

"Send him in." He says walking behind me into the foyer of the hotel.

"And who the fuck are you?" I question looking at a familiar face glaring hard at me.

"I am Lucien Vatore and I'm here for my sister." And there I realized it couldn't get any worse