ROMANO
The cold piece of metal on my forehead didn't frighten or bother me. It was the Red-haired fierce lady yielding it that broke my heart. There was a burning fury in her eyes filled with rage. She wasn't the same woman I had loved.
Her eyes did not hold the spark they held five years ago. What happened to my sweet angel? The one who would laugh at any silly joke I made, I wasn't even a funny person but yet my still words managed to make her giggle.
She was so full of life then but now, it was as if she was a walking… corpse.
Black big bags of skin dragged under her eyes, her orbs dull as the night, and her once smooth hair strands were fuzzy, tucked in the hood she thought concealed her face.
I wanted to hug her but the gun was in the way.
"Why did you do it?" she demanded, pressing the metal piece harder onto my forehead.
My face furrowed into a frown, "Do what?" I asked, genuinely curious and concerned.
She tilted her head, "Are you denying it right now?"
What was she talking about? After five years of sudden disappearance, five bloody years of never giving up on searching for her, and five years of holding on, she shows up with a gun to my head.
From the corner of my eye, I watched Sofia tiptoe away silently as Lynna's attention was no longer on her but on me. She ran downstairs soundlessly, a skill she learned whenever danger lurked. But Lynna wasn't dangerous, I don't know her intentions but she seemed more angry than vicious.
I need to stop Sofia before she calls the police but I can't do anything in this position. One wrong move and I'm gone without fulfilling my promise.
"I honestly don't know what you're talking about," I denied.
"March 24th, 2019. You killed a man, not just any man. A father, and a businessman. He was my father. You murdered him in cold blood." She accused me firmly.
I have taken a few lives, dirty souls that deserved death. They were all Italians. I have never killed a foreign, not by my own hands.
The father-in-law I looked forward to meeting was dead, and she thinks I killed—him? How do I convince her she got the wrong person?
"Uh.." I started. "Honestly I don't have a single idea of what you are on about, I didn't kill your father," I repeated.
"Liar!!" she screamed, unlocked the gun, and pressed her finger against the trigger, ready to shoot. "Day by day, I searched for him, the man who killed my father. To demand answers, answers to why he could be so cruel to take a life. After several months of intense search, I finally found you and you dare to lie to my face? I will ask this. One. Last. Time. Why did you do it?"
Why was I more impressed by her action than I was more bothered by her threats? She was something else. A different breed that I would trade everything for.
My chest rose and fell the more I stared at her. I could almost hear my heart throbbing against my chest, it wasn't fear.
"I will say this the last time too, I did not kill your father. You have got the wrong guy. Do you want to avenge your father? I can help you find your guy but I'm not him." I explained it all in one breath.
"You're disgusting," she spat by the side, the scowl spread wider.
"Listen to me, Lynna…."
"Who the F**k is Lynna and why do you keep calling me that?"
She does not remember me? How could she not remember me? Was it the alcohol? Was that the reason why she never came back? She does not remember me. Should I tell her? No, I can't just say that. I was the guy you f***ed five years ago.
I chose to ignore her question instead, "I bought this house two years ago. An inheritance I had to buy off from my uncle who once lived here with his son, my cousin. They took it away from me, and I had to buy my property back. I am telling you this because five years ago, I wasn't even here. How did you even get the address?"
"From my private investigator," She replied. "Less questions, more answers." she pressed the tip harder.
"Your guy was the former owner, not me. I see we have a common enemy here."
"Who?"
I opened my mouth to reply to her question but the sirens downstairs made me swallow back the remaining words.
Hastily, she unloaded the gun, withdrew it from my head, and tossed it into her gear bag, "Shit, shit, shit," She pulled off her hood to scratch her head, unraveling her strands. "Did you call the police?"
I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, "I didn't but Sofia did. You had a loaded firearm pointed at her boss's head, did you think she was going to sit around and watch you kill me?"
"You killed my father!" she shouted in frustration as she sought escape plans.
"I did not. How many times do I have to tell you that?"
"I should have listened to Richardo," she murmured, pacing around crazily. She bit down on the new nail sprout on her finger nervously.
Richardo? Is that her new boyfriend? Did she find someone else?
"You should have. Your boyfriend was right, you shouldn't have trespassed into a naked man's house to kill him upon mere accusations."
Lynna paused her movement, her dark eyes on me, "Boyfriend? Mere accusations?" she asked anxiously but ignored me. "I need to get out of here without being caught. I have a lot to lose. My company, my sister, and my sweet boy, Aidan." she muttered uncontrollably.
I watched her watered eyes let go of the suppressed liquids, tiny drops trickling down her cheeks. I felt my chest tightened at the sight of those pure tears. The urge to wrap my arms around her, and also wipe off the tears from her face almost overwhelmed me but I remained calm in order not to scare her any more than she was.
She seemed to be in a lot of pain and who is this Aidan she is most worried about?
Loud shoe stumps approaching pulled me away from my thoughts. She froze on the spot, unaware of her next move.
"Come here, I have an idea." I offered but she did not move.
Sighing, I pulled her in close to me before the policemen appeared. I felt her body tense under my touch. Her skin was still as soft as I can remember.
The three armed men advanced toward us with guns strapped to their bodies.
The older one cleared his throat, "We got a complaint that an assailant attacked you, sir?"
I feigned a wide smile, holding her close to my body, "Attacked me? You should have seen the man. Anyways, he got away before you arrived." I lied.
One of them pointed to Lynna, her orbs moved in his direction and back to my body.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" He asked.
She opened her mouth but no words were formed. I looked down at her, my head lifted her chin so that her gaze could be on mine, "Angel, are you okay?"