"Hmmm" I held my head, groaning as I stirred. The place I was felt squishy.
"Hello dear?" A voice called. It sounded like a whisper to my ears.
I fluttered my eyes open, taking in my environment. It wasn't bad. Suddenly, I was alert as I sat up, harshly staring at the lady.
"Who are you?" She just smiled at me.
"I thought you were going to sleep your little life away. You almost got me worried" She chuckled, standing up to get me the water that was on a table.
I watched her closely. She looked like she was in her late 50s, if not early 60s. She also looked harmless. But don't everyone look harmless. Note my sarcasm.
"Where am I, please?" I took the water from her, still skeptical about chugging it's content down.
"It's not poisoned and you're safe here." She said softly, sitting close to me. "You came in unconscious. You were brought by a cop"
I closed my eyes trying to remember what happened. "How long have I been out?"
"2 days" She answered quickly.
"2 days?!!! Nobody came to look for me?" I looked around for a phone or something. Unfortunately, I didn't have his number.
Wait, I saw Romano yesterday.
"Nobody apart from the man who brought you home." She frowned slightly before smiling. "And disappeared. Nonsense boy"
"Romano?" I asked, raising up my eyebrow.
"Who's Romano?" She gave me a confused look. "Oh! Is that your husband?"
"Hus ... No!" I shook my head, finally chugging down the content of the water bottle.
"Sorry for asking that." She said, taking my hands into hers. "Oh dear!"
I shut my eyes, snatching my hands back as I held my spinning head. What was happening?
"What was in the water?" I asked, my voice barely audible as my throat felt blocked.
"Nothing. It was sealed." She touched my head. "Oh! You're burning"
I am?
"What ...."
"All those stress. You're ill dear" She said sadly, standing up. "I'll go get you a drug from across the street okay?"
"No! Stay with me here. I'll be fine" I held her hand, pulling her to sit down back.
"Are you ... Are you sure?" She asked, worry etched in her voice.
"I am sure, Ma." I nodded. "Are you from here? This is Italy right?"
I was having serious trust issues in my heart and I just wanted her to keep talking so I could at least trust her a little.
"No dear" She chuckled. "I... I moved down here years back because I was running away from something but I'll soon return to my home place. It's high time" Sadness was written all over her face
She was running away? What could she possibly be running away from?
"Sorry, is it an abusive marriage?" I muttered the courage to ask.
"I'll beat the shit out of any man that raises his hand on me. If you like, be a capo or mafioso." She said sternly before laughing softly as she saw my shocked expression. I followed her to laugh eventually because she was indeed funny.
"At least, that's not the case" I smiled at her.
"I don't trust all men. They'll use you and dump you whenever you're not of use to them. However, that's my own view. I really appreciate men though but the good ones and they are rare." She shrugged.
Something about how she said it made me question if I've been dumped. Has Romano forgotten about my existence so fast. He should be here by now.
"Indeed. So, you don't have children?" I asked, looking around the empty room which had no pictures.
"Like I told you, I'm packing. If not, I had pictures of my child everywhere." She smiled. "Ah ya yai! I didn't ask if you'd like to eat anything. Sorry, I don't know how to raise girl children"
That made me chuckle. "It's fine." I held her hand. I was enjoying her company
She stretched her hand to my head again. It was so fast that I couldn't dodge or block it because I knew it was still burning. "Sorry, I'll leave you in here to go get your drugs. I'll lock the door okay?"
"But..."
"No buts!" She shook her head, dropping my hand gently before running out.
I am so going to ruin Alberto Giovanni for everything. If I can't get to him, I must get to that big guy and just leave him for Romano to deal with
Urghh! Romano again? Maybe I should start thinking without him in the picture.
I tried to close my eyes for few minutes but I didn't close my ears as I stayed alert. I was in a foreign environment and I didn't trust anyone. I could hear people speak Italian from outside. It was a nice language and I made a mental note to learn it.
I came down from the bed. As I stepped my leg on the ground, I winced at the temperature. It was cold. "Maybe I could find something else about this lady."
Just as I was about to move again, I heard the door being shook. The sounds of jiggling chains were heard from outside.
The people outside began to speak Italian to the person and then gunshot was heard in the air, startling me. People's yell were heard everywhere and then few minutes later, it got so quiet.
"They're here again. They've traced me" I held my chest, shuffling around the room for some sort of knife or anything for defence.
The jiggling of chain sound was still being made. I used that opportunity to go find the kitchen, maybe I could find a knife there. After finally finding the kitchen, I took the butcher on the table. It wasn't clean but it'll do the job. I also picked up the lighter too.
Just when I was about to find a place to hide, the loud sound of a gunshot was being heard, followed by the marching down of the door.
Sorry, ma'am.
"Don't move!" A male voice said, stopping my movement. I froze, raising my hands up in surrender
I was going to fight, even if it was with my last breath.
"Turn around. Now!" He ordered. "I'm with a gun so be careful"
I closed my eyes, turning around slowly. I felt defeated but that was only inwardly. I didn't let my knife go as i held it firmly.
"Jadelyn?" The voice called out softly this time. "Jadelyn!" Tears rolled down my eyes when they met the familiar ones.
"Romano!" I cried, running to hug him, letting go of the lighter and the butcher. "What took you so long?" My shoulder shook as I cried into his chest
"Shhh! I'm sorry, Peach" He cooed, patting my head softly. "Who's house is this? The captors? Burn it down, Suka"
"No! No, don't do that!" I jumped out of his hand, stretching out my hand to stop his men. "Are you not the one who dropped me with the lady? Have you forgotten?"
He frowned slightly, pulling me into him. "What did you take? Was that what she told you?" He opened my eyes. "Ketamine"
"What's ketamine?" I slapped his hand away from my eyes.
"You were sleep induced. Burn this shit hole!" He roared.
"You will not do such!" I yelled, wincing afterwards
"Peach?"
"Please don't. She was so nice to me." I begged. "She only offered me water and she went out to get drugs for my little sickness"
"Oh" He touched my head, nodding in understanding. "Let's go, everybody."
"Can you at least, drop money for her broken door. Please" I pulled out that puppy doe eyes trick.
"Urghh! You're just too soft" He muttered under his breath but I heard it and just smiled as I watched him bring out a wad of cash, dropping it on the kitchen table.
"Thank you!" I nodded, following him out.
"Let's go home"