Chapter 19: Retribution or salvation

Belle Rose

“What’s happening?” Gia questions, even though she’s already aware. We’re all a bit taken aback. Marissa advises us to keep our distance, which is probably a good idea. I know Enzo is deeply attached to his family; they mean the world to him. If Leo is injured, he’ll be upset and irritable.

“Belle,” Marissa beckons, motioning me towards her. “The doctor needs everyone else, except the nurse, to leave the room so she can work. They won’t leave unless the boss does. Luca wants you to go talk to him.”

I nod, understanding that I need to do this for Enzo, to help Leo, even if it means I might get punished for it. I walk into the room to find all four brothers, Leo unconscious on the gurney, Luca and Rafael trying to soothe Enzo, who’s furiously yelling at the doctor.

The doctor is just trying to do her job. The nurse, clearly scared of them all, is staying out of the way, obviously not doing his job. The doctor is an older woman of Italian descent, who seems to be intimidated by Enzo.

I take a step towards them and cough, announcing my presence. Enzo doesn’t pay me any attention, perhaps not even hearing me enter as he continues to berate the doctor.

I move closer to him, taking his hands.

“She can’t help him if you keep yelling at her,” I whisper so only he can hear. He stops. He turns to me, his face a scowl, red from anger and frustration.

His skin is hot, burning my own, but I don’t care. His eyes search my face and I just look back at him, my eyes watering with sadness at his pain and seeing Leo in such a state.

I notice that Enzo’s injured too, the blood seeping through his shirt on his arm, the tear from the bullet obvious. I tug at his hand but he pulls away, still filled with rage.

I keep hold of his hand, feeling the tension ease the more I touch him.

“He’ll die if you don’t let her do her job. Come with me,” I plead, tugging his hand again.

This time, he follows me, out the door. The other guys sigh and follow out too, allowing the doctor to do her job. I lead Enzo upstairs to his room, sitting him down on the bed.

He just watches as I undress him, peeling his shirt off his dried bloody arm. It doesn’t look too bad, just a scratch.

I fetch a wet hand towel from the bathroom and clean him up, staining the white cloth red.

“What are you doing?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper as he grapples with the fear of losing his brother and confusion.

“I’m taking care of you,” I tell him, finishing cleaning his wound. As I’m bandaging it up with some I found in the cabinet, he grabs my hand, and then my jaw, forcing me to look at him.

“Why?”

“Because I’m yours.” I pull back from his grip and gaze and continue to bandage him up, tying it off. He pulls me into his lap and holds me tight, almost suffocating me. But it makes me feel warm, desired. I push him further onto the bed, sitting on top of him, straddling him, as he watches what I’m doing. He still needs calming, and I want to do this for him.

I start to unbuckle his belt, feeling his erection pressing against it and my hands. I unzip him, freeing his member more and pull his pants all the way off.

Taking his thick long length in my hand out of his boxers, I slowly stroke him, eliciting a groan from Enzo. His sounds are primal and deep, making me wet thinking of more. But this is for him.

I bend down, placing my lips at his tip and flicking my tongue over it and circling it. I then run my tongue up and down him, licking him sensually.

“Aw... ~Cazzo~ (fuck),” he moans as I take him in my mouth, getting him as far into my mouth as I can. I widen my mouth to take more of him, suck and then pull up slowly. “Belle, fuck.”

As I bob up and down at a steady pace, my hands begin to play with his balls, fondling them in my hands.

“Belle!” he exclaims, yelling in pleasure as he cums in my mouth, shooting his load. It tastes salty and hot but tastes sweeter than any other I’ve tasted. Maybe because I actually wanted to pleasure him, I wanted to make him climax, I enjoyed it. He screamed my name.

I crawl back up to him as he rests back on his elbows, looking at me with lust and admiration.

“~Gattina~, that was...” he trails off, still dazed from his orgasm. “Leo, he’s... I should be there.”

“You should. Relaxed.” I pull his boxers up and he puts on his pants and the fresh shirt I got for him. He still watches me as we head back down to where Leo and the doctor are.

“Is he better?” Enzo questions, almost yelling again and I pull him back into a seat, calming him down again. He realizes he’s being too harsh again and sits back, letting me talk to the doctor. The nurse relaxes as Enzo stays silent.

“How’s he doing?” I ask.

“It was touch and go. But he’s stable now. We removed the bullet and hopefully, with no clotting or infections, he should get better,” the doctor tells me, getting back to treating her patient. Enzo pulls me into his lap, breathing into my ear as he hugs me to him.

“He’ll be okay, Enzo,” I whisper.

“Yeah, he will be.” He strokes my hair. “We’re gonna talk about what happened later, ~gattina~.” What does that mean? Is he talking about when he went out or what happened in the bedroom? I hope he liked it. It sounded like he did, and he was definitely less agitated after.

Soon enough, I fall asleep in his arms, exhausted from my day. His arms are so warm and safe and comfy. I feel safe...

***

~“J, good morning,” I greet, flashing him a big smile after my rough start. I was robbed last night, and I have to move again.~

~I was already planning to, the neighbors were too loud anyway. But now, I start with nothing again.~

~“You look beat,” J says, his hand cradling my face, his thumb brushing under my eye. “You’ve got bags that could sink a ship.”~

~“I got hit again,” I confess, letting out a weary sigh.~

~“I helped you secure this place. How’d they get in?”~

~“Busted the windows. They hit other apartments on my floor too. Same way. I’m moving out anyway.”~

~“I’m sorry, Baby Belle.” He pulls me into a hug, his strong arms enveloping my small frame. “You got a new place lined up?”~

~“Yeah, I’ll be okay, J,” I reassure him, slipping out of his embrace and getting back to work. But the truth is, I’m far from okay.~

~The next apartment is just as bad as the first, second, third. They’re all the same, all in rough neighborhoods. I can’t expect safety. Not ever. I’ll never have safety.~

~But I guess freedom is something. But what do I want more, safety or freedom? Before, I had neither. Now, I have one.~

~But would I trade my freedom for safety? I think I would. Safety is a luxury. A luxury I’ll never have.~

***

Now I have it. Maybe. I can feel it. But I can also see it slipping away. I can’t keep my secret forever. He’ll find out soon enough. And then I’ll be anything but safe. I could be dead.

If Enzo turns his back on me and hands me over to my uncle, I’m a goner. If he decides to keep me but as his plaything, I might as well be dead. There’s only one way he’ll save me.

That’s if he truly cares about me. And I can’t be sure if what we have now is strong enough. I care deeply for him, as weird as that sounds. But does he care enough for me?

Will he shield me when the storm hits? This is the calm, and I can feel the storm brewing. I could always sense it, even when I was free. I was always hiding.

I couldn’t make a life for myself because he’d find me. I couldn’t go to school, couldn’t graduate, for fear of him finding me.

I took every precaution, only accepting cash, paying for apartments in cash. They knew me by my fake name and no one could identify me as Isabella Moretti, having been locked away in that house.

But I just had to cover that shift. And I just had to be the last waitress there. And Enzo just had to notice me. It was all payback, really, for my crime, the patricide I committed.

This is my punishment.

Yet, Enzo could be my salvation.