The Mafia's Pet

Chapter 74

Vanessa

Diego rushes forward, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and rage, and swiftly disarms me before I can pull the trigger. "What the fuck are you doing?" he barks, tossing the weapon aside. Cradling me into my arms as if I'm as fragile as glass, and maybe I am, he buries his face into my neck. "Never, ever do something like that again."

"I-I'm a whore," I manage to choke out between sobs.

"You're not a whore, Mama," he whispers, his voice a soothing bomb to the chaos raging inside me. "You did what you had to do in order to survive. I'd never hold that against you, and you shouldn't either. Everywhere he touched you, I promise to replace with my mark. No other man will ever put his damn hands on you again-"

"Y-You can't promise that."

"Yes, the fuck I can," he cuts me off, his tone fierce and determined. "I don't care if I have to find a way to medically attach you to my body, I'll never let something like this happen to you again. This is my failure. But I swear, I'll spend the rest of my life making it right. A king is nothing without his queen. You are every fucking thing to me, Vanessa. Everything."

His declaration pierces through the walls around my heart, thawing the numbness that had settled there. A rush of gratitude floods over me, mingling with the pain and anguish that still linger.

My emotions overflow, spilling out in a torrent of sobs that echo through the empty basement. I cling to him desperately, finding solace in the beat of his heart against my chest as he holds me close.

With a tender touch, he brushes his hand against the nape of my neck as he kisses my forehead. "I'm so sorry...for everything," he murmurs, his voice strained. "But you kept your promise. You kept fighting, and you came back to me. I'm so damn proud of you."

His words swell my heart, and I sob even harder.

"I'm here, Mama. Let it all out."

It feels like an eternity until the tears finally dry, and I can find my voice again. "Nathan had said you were making a business deal with Viktor. That you were letting him have me. That you had forgotten me," I say, my voice barely above a hoarse whisper.

"I would've never given up on looking for you. What do you think I've been doing the past five days?" Diego pulls back slightly to look into my eyes, his gaze filled with emotion. "I've tortured and killed too many motherfuckers to count. Just so I could feel you like this in my arms again."

When I don't respond, he leans in and brushes his lips against mine. I flinch away, remembering the last person who kissed me was his brother. He tenses but moves to cup my cheek instead.

"Please, can I take you home?" he pleads in a whisper. "Once we both get some food and rest, we can start searching for your mom."

"What about my sister? Did you find her?" I ask.

His jaw clenches. "No. Were you sure she was here?"

I release a shaky exhale. "Honestly, I don't know. Nathan showed me a picture of her tied up the first day, but I haven't found any trace of her."

A shiver courses down my spine as a shadow crosses his face. "Fuck," he mutters before touching the inside of his ear. "Leo, I've got Vanessa. Have you found Sal?"

The shadow deepens. "And?"

After hearing Leo's response, Diego curses again, his features contorting with rage.

"What happened?" I whisper, my pulse quickening with each passing second.

Before he can answer, Danny shouts from the top of the stairs. "Jefe, we've wiped out everyone here. Brian said someone called the police, and they're on their way. We gotta leave, pronto."

Diego turns to me, his eyes reflecting a mix of hurt and vulnerability. "Are you coming with me, Mama? Or do you want to make me hunt you down?

A rush of warmth spreads through my chest. "I want to go home, Diego."

His lips curve with a small smile. "Thank you," he whispers.

With me still cradled in his arms, Diego carries me up the stairs, where a gather of familiar faces awaits us. Camila flashes me a wide grin, while Danny's usual stoic expression shifts with palpable relief as he gives a subtle nod. Diego's men offer a round of applause, undoubtfully grateful to be free from the looming threat of their boss's wrath and able to return to their families.

Although, the rescue mission isn't quite completed yet.

They haven't found my sister.

And from the knotted dread in the pit of my stomach, I don't think they will.

A truly terrifying man with blonde hair, carrying a machine gun on his shoulder, strides forward to join us. "Diego, let's get out of here before I have to kill a bunch of cops tonight."

I involuntarily flinch as his blue eyes lock onto me.

Viktor.

The very man who was ready to start a war with Diego over me is now helping us. Diego must have reached a point of desperation to seek out his aid. And all the while, Nathan had woven his own narrative, turning me against the man I love.

I was such a moron for believing a single word he said.

"Your wife is prettier than the pictures. Love the eyes." The predatory edge in his voice makes me shudder in fear.

Diego's hold on me tightens. "Don't even breathe in her direction, or I'll cut your fucking eyeballs out and feed them to you," he says in a menacing promise.

Viktor only smirks in response. "Possessive much, are we?"

"You have no idea," Diego murmurs as he strides past him. "Mama, there's going to be a lot of bodies on the ground. Shield your eyes."

I obey his command just this once, knowing that the horrors I've endured are enough to haunt my dreams for a lifetime. Once we're in the car, Diego gently removes his brother's suit jacket from around me. Taking in the full extent of my wounds, a low growl escapes him. "If my brave, feisty mama hadn't killed him already, I would have tortured him for weeks before I finally allowed him to bleed out slowly."

He retrieves one of his t-shirts and pulls it over my head, the fabric draping loosely like a nightgown. From the soreness between my legs, I won't feel comfortable wearing underwear or bottoms for a while anyway.

I close my eyes, breathing in Diego's familiar scent.

Home.

Danny and Camila sit in the front seat and pull away from the warehouse. While Diego peppers kisses on my forehead, a deafening explosion sounds in the distance. My head shoots up to see what it is, but Diego shakes his head sternly.

"Viktor really is a crazy bastard," he mutters.

"Is he like an ally now?" I venture to ask.

"They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. For now, it serves both our interests, but one day, that may change. One of us will inevitably turn against the other," Diego replies softly.

I'll kill Viktor myself before I let that happen.

"Diego, what did Leo tell you back there?"

He tenses, but he maintains a steady tone. "Sal's team was killed and he was rushed to our doctor for urgent treatment. He was shot five times and is currently in critical condition."

"I'm so sorry. I know you were close with him," I reply genuinely.

"He'll pull through. He's been through a lot of shit, a few bullets won't keep him down," Diego says with conviction.

I desperately hope he's right. The last thing I wanted was anyone to get hurt or die because of me.

Suddenly, Diego's phone vibrates, and he retrieves it swiftly. Whatever he sees makes his expression morph into an emotionless mask.

"Mierda (fuck)!" he curses under his breath.

He's cussing in Spanish. That's not good.

"What's wrong?" I press, my voice tight with concern.

Diego's eyes soften with sympathy as he meets my gaze, but he doesn't speak.

"What's wrong, Diego?" I repeat, urgency creeping into my tone.

Wordlessly, he hands me the phone, and as I gaze at the horror on the screen, my blood runs cold, my heart halting in my chest. There, staring back at me, is a photo of my sister, a gunshot wound visible on her forehead. Beneath the gruesome image, a message reads: "An eye for an eye."