CLAIMED - Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Today was the day. Lorenzo woke up earlier than usual because he couldn't sleep. His heart had ached at the thought of giving away his amore to her brother, he was being selfish. However, he told himself that she had promised him. she wouldn't leave. She loved him, right?
While Bella was sleeping away peacefully, Lorenzo was standing in the office with his men. They were all in their business attire. Black suits and blank faces. While he sent one of the girls to wake up his woman, he ushered the other women to hurry up. Lorenzo looked as beautiful as ever. His skin was glowing, looking tanner with the contrast of the white shirt. He had gelled his hair back and it looked darker than it had before. He liked it though, he looked more intimidating. He couldn't keep still and the gang noticed. They were confused as to why their capo was nervous. He had never been before. However, they had their trust in him still.
Bella walked down the stairs after a while. Her blood red dress, making her look like a painting. Lorenzo looked away because if he looked at her any longer, he would not let her go. She looked like a dream. He could hear the family approach Bella and talk about something he didn't care about. Bella had noticed Lorenzo looking away and felt a pang in her chest. Was he behaving like this because he didn't love her back? She cursed herself for telling him that she loved him.
She shook her head at her thoughts and reminded herself of who she was. She was no idiot that would sit and cry because of something so petty. She would tackle the issue like a boss bitch. She took long strides to Lorenzo until she stood right behind him. "Where are we going?" she asked him, as she purposely eyed his cousin. Lorenzo followed her sight and instantly stood in front of her, blocking her view. She internally smirked at the reaction but showed no emotion to him. "We are going to get Marco from the other gang" he told her, not wanting her to be angry with him. "I am not going" she firmly said, before stalking away. Lorenzo held her wrist and pushed her flush to his chest. She could feel his muscles from underneath his shirt and was reminded of last night. He had been brutal.
"You are coming and that's final" he whispered to her, looking at her with venom. She was taken back at that but didn't cower away; "I don't want to go". Her words meant something else to him and he shut his eyes, when he felt his heart clench at the words. "Don't say that again amore, my mind won't be able to win against my heart" he told her lowly, before kissing her. Bella was confused at his behavior but decided not to say anything. He had waited a long time to finally have his brother, she thought as she kissed him back. When they pulled away, everyone was already downstairs and ready to leave. Bella blushed from embarrassment, but it went away quickly when Lorenzo held her hand and walked towards the door, the rest of the familia following right after.
The car ride had been so long, and Lorenzo didn't allow there to be music in the car. Bella looked as he held the steering wheel hard, his knuckles turning white. His jaw was clenched and firm as if he was grinding his teeth together. His posture was firm too and completely stiff. Diego and Sila sat on the backseats, completely silent. The air was tight, and everyone had noticed Lorenzo being off. Bella stretched her hand to his face, lightly gracing her fingers to his jaw. Lorenzos face softened at her touch and Diego secretly smiled at the sight.
"I like your stubble" Bella spoke for the first time through the whole ride. Lorenzo nodded his head and held on to her hand, kissing it.
"I like you" he responded without thinking, watching Bella smile up at him. The smile that reached the eyes. She pecked his cheek and laughed when Sila coughed awkwardly.
Bella leaned forward, trying to fix the music. Lorenzo looked at her longingly, but she shrugged in response. "Its three against one" she sassed him, as she pointed to the boys in the back, who were looking outside the windows looking miserable. They didn't want to face an angry Lorenzo and decided not to agree with Bella even if they were dying from boredom. "Pluss, music eases the nerves babe" she told him, switching through the songs. Lorenzo chuckled, pulling her closer by the neck to peck her lips. Bella snickered, swatting him away.
She settled on a song named "River", when Lorenzo held her hand. "I like this song" he muttered lowly, not wanting the boys in the back to hear him. However, they did.
"Romantic, ey?" Sila joked, hearing Diego snicker. Bella laughed as she high fived the guy in the back.
«Been traveling these wide roads for so long
My heart's been far from you
Ten-thousand miles gone
Oh, I wanna come near and give ya
Every of me
But there's blood on my hands
And my lips aren't clean
In my darkness I remember
Momma's words reoccur to me
"Surrender to the good Lord
And he'll wipe your slate clean"
The song was sad and Bella looked at Lorenzo in confusion. She could see the same expression on the guys faces, making her even more confused. Lorenzo was holding himself tightly or he knew that he would take the first U-turn and go back home. Where Bella would be in her natural attire, smiling and giggling of something. But he couldn't do that to her. He loved her and he knew that. She deserved better and she deserved to know. After that, the decision was hers.
Bella looked outside to see the familiar route to her....home. she flicked her head to him quickly, but he ignored her. The same buildings and small houses came in sight as Bellas heart starting to throb against her chest. She looked back in panic, seeing Diego look at her in confusion; "Are you okay, sorella?". Bella looked at Lorenzo with panic in her eyes; "Where are we going Lorenzo?" she asked, shaking him slightly. He didn't answer, to which Bella shook her head furiously and screamed for him to stop the car. She banged on the car door, hearing both Sila and Diego trying to tell Lorenzo to stop. He didn't, looking straight forward. Bella could cry from panic, but she didn't. She had to be strong now.
After some minutes with painful cries and cussing, Lorenzo stopped in front of the address Khalid had sent him. Jibril Anwars house. Where he was murdered by Lorenzo. Where Khalid had helped his sister escape and taken a bullet for her. Where Khalid had cried tears seeing his father and mother's death in front of his eyes. It was all there, right in front of Bellas face.
Lorenzo walked out of the car, along with Sila and Diego. He saw as the other cars also stopped and his family walked out. They looked at the place in confusion, they had expected it to be a warehouse or a broken-down apartment. However, the thing that shocked them more was seeing Lorenzo walk to the passenger seat and dragging out Bella from her forearm. Sara quickly walked towards them to stop him but was stopped when he held his hand to Sara. Telling her to back off. Bella looked at him with hurt evident on her face. "I hate you! What are you going to do? Sell me to the man who murdered my parents?! Huh?!" Bella screamed at him, kicking and trashing in his hold. The family looked at the couple with wide eyes. They had never seen him act like that with her. He looked almost animalistic.
Instead of answering her, he dragged her to the door and kicked it open. It wasn't locked and it was completely silent. He entered the living room, with his family trailing behind him. It didn't seem to be anyone in the house, but they were proven wrong when they heard someone walk down to stairs.
"We have guests" Khalid smirked evilly at Lorenzo, who seemed to be furious. His hands were in fists and his jaw was clenched. Khalid almost snickered at the sight.
Their staring battle was cut short, when Bella whipped her head at the familiar voice. "Khalid!" she cried out to her brother, pushing away Lorenzo to jump in his arms. Khalid responded back immediately, holding his little sister close to him. He saw the shocked faces on everyone, except Lorenzo. He looked as if he could murder someone.
"We came her for Marco" was the only thing he said, not looking at Bella. Khalid nodded his head, before calling; "Ali!". Just in time, they all saw as Ali walked out with Marco by his side. Marco was in handcuffs and Ali held him by his collar. Bellas eyes bulged out at the sight of Ali and she gasped loudly. Lorenzo was pissed, his eyes darkening by each minute. This had happened in front of his eyes and he hadn't suspected anything! Khalid scratched his buzzcut as he looked at Bella. She had grown a lot, no longer the little girl he had help escaped. Her hair was darker now and he smiled at that. She looked like their mother Yasmin. Bella had also inspected her brother. He had a beard now and what looked like a scar on his eyebrow. It looked badass, but she was sure that it must have pained. His tan skin matched hers and his eyes too. He looked like the typical Persian, she thought and smiled at her brother, tears staining her chin.
"How didn't I guess that earlier" Marcos comment made everyone recover from the shock of seeing Ali in front of them.
"You wanted Bella. You have her now" Lorenzo spoke with no emotion in his voice. Khalid shook his head in return, surprising him. "I wanted your family here to watch as I fucked up your life, piece by piece" Khalid answered, as he let go of Bellas hand, guiding her to sit down on a chair. He saw as his friend, Osman, came with a glass of water for her, to which she thanked him silently. Lorenzos family was shocked to say the least. They had seen Bella become an important part of their lives and this was a nightmare for them also.
"You see Moretti, my plan was originally to kill your brother" Khalid spoke with power, even if he was clearly out numbered. It didn't faze him one bit. Lorenzo growled at the thought of Khalid killing Marco, but he was silent. "Until my friend Ali told me that you had fell in the trap of loving a woman and guess what? Fate just wanted us to collide because the woman was none other than my princess Isabella" he continued looking around.
"Why are you doing this son?" Charles uttered in behalf of Lorenzo, who was staring at Bella. "Do you know what hurts more than losing a loved one, old man? It's to see your loved one not loving you back" Khalid taunted Lorenzo, sitting down. Lorenzo punched the wall beside him, watching some of the girls' gasp. "Why?" he gritted out the question, walking towards him and holding him up by the collar. Khalid muttered; "Ya Allah" before pushing Lorenzo away. "You are dumber than I expected Moretti. You killed my parents in this house and broke my heart. Eight years later, here we are. But this time, I will be the one breaking your heart" he hissed, hearing Bella gasp. The boys were inches apart from fighting, but Bella stopped them, pushing at Khalids chest lightly. She looked at Lorenzo with betrayal, as tears welled up in his eyes. "Tell him that he is wrong Renzo" she whispered to him, watching him look down. Khalid chuckled evilly as he saw Lorenzo hurt inwardly.
Tears streamed down her face, but she swatted Lorenzos hand when he was about to wipe them away. "Why aren't you saying anything?" she asked him louder, fearing for the words that were about to fall from his tongue. "I am sorry amore" he whispered, hearing Sara sob lightly. Diego consoled his mother who was hurting for Bella. Scar looking at Lorenzo with hatred. It took everything in him not to go over and console Bella, whom he looked at as a daughter.
Bella sobbed lightly, her legs giving up. She fell on the floor as she cried, her cries echoing in the room. Lorenzos heart clenched at the sight as he crunched down to her level. "I trusted you Lorenzo. I fucking cried on your chest while you rubbed my back and told me that you wished you could ease my pain! I expressed to you the feeling of feeling lonely without realizing that you were the reason for my pain to begin with. I gave my all without expecting anything in return. I loved you for fucks sake. I loved you for you! The bad, the good and the fucking evil! I loved you!" Bella screamed at Lorenzo, trying to speak in between the sobs. She punched his chest several times and cried harder when she heard Sara cry in the background. Tears had welled up in Lorenzos eyes, threatening to fall. "I didn't know amore. I promise I didn't know. I would have never gotten close if I knew" Lorenzo desperately tried to tell his love as she cried. He cupped her cheeks, wanting her to look at the sincerity on his face. She looked into his chocolate brown eyes that she had learned to love. He looked into the ocean blue eyes that looked even more real with the liquid covering them.
"Your promises mean nothing Lorenzo. You were a murderer. You are a murderer and you will always be a murderer" she cried out, as she heard Lorenzo cry out loudly. "no, no, no" he rambled out, tearing his gaze away from her. "You fucking bastard! Your father was a snitch and chose to rat out to the cops" he screamed at Khalid, his heart paining at hearing Bellas sobs. Khalid threw the glass on the wall, seeing it break and fall into pieces. "My father didn't snitch on your father you fucking idiot! In fact, he resigned from his work because of your father! My father was a loyal man and no fucking rat" Khalid spoke with tears in his eyes too. The moment was emotional for everyone. They were grieving for their loved ones. "Babas co-worker snitched to the FBI because he knew that my father wouldn't! The fucker was blinded by money, for fucks sake" Khalid hissed out, angry at the accusations on his father.
Jibril had always been a loyal man, he would never have turned his back to his friend Juan. Misunderstanding and anger had gotten the best of the youngest Moretti who had worked on impulse, instead of his mind. "And why should I believe you?!" Lorenzo screamed at Khalid, standing up. "Ask your fucking old man! And ask him why the fuck he didn't tell you that he saw your brother escape! Ask him! He saw you cry and still lied at your face!" Khalid screamed back, while pointing at Charles. His eyes were completely wide, raging with anger. Charles looked down, grief and sorrow giving away all the answers Lorenzo needed. He sighed lowly, trapped in a stance. "it can't be" he whispered to himself, pulling his hair in stress.
"You killed my parents because of your fucking anger and stupidity" Khalid spoke calmly, not looking at him. He breathed in and out slowly, "My father didn't demand power, he earned it. Now that I look back man, I wish I was more like you. Because if I was, I would have killed your brother. However, my hands couldn't kill your brother because I saw my sister in him. Lost and fucking confused, but I regret nothing. I will find my happiness in my sister, but you.." Khalid said, laughing "You won't ever find that. You will sleep with the thought of Bella hating you. You will wake up wishing you were dead. Just like I have for the past eight years Moretti. God doesn't do his people wrong" Khalid said while he held the keys and threw it to Ali. Ali unlocked Marcos handcuffs, to which Marco nodded and went to stand beside Charles who was crying.
Khalid went to Bella, helping her to stand up. She held on to her brother, pushing herself up. Her heart pained as she looked at Lorenzo. The man she had learned to love. She sniffled as she walked towards him. His hair was messy from running his fingers through it, his eyes completely blank. He felt as if he was drowning. He felt as if he was going to die. Bella stood in front of him and smiled at him softly through the tears that were clouding her eyes. Lorenzo saw as she wriggled her fingers out of the rings, that felt much tighter than they had before. He tried stopping her, as tears streamed down his face too. The pain being too much to bear.
"Don't leave me amore. I love you" he whispered in her ear, holding her close to him. The words coming straight out of his heart. He didn't seem to need practice in this moment, he truly meant it and the words flowed perfectly.
"I hope that happiness finds itself lurking in the alleys of your stone-cold heart" She answered him, kissing the tear that was about to fall. Lorenzo sucked in a breath as he felt her put the rings in his pockets.
"Don't leave me alone" he uttered again, kneeling down in front of her. Bella lifted her chin, looking at the familia she had considered her own. She nodded at them with teary eyes, to which they nodded back with broken hearts. "You aren't alone Moretti. You have yourself and that's all you need" she told him, ripping her hands from his before following her brother and Ali out.
"BELLA! I WILL DIE WITHOUT YOU!" Lorenzos screams echoed in the whole house as he saw her back turn to him and become blurrier. He was losing energy and his head felt lighter. Bella sniffled lowly, not wanting Khalid to hear her. she could hear him scream for her and that made her cry even more. She felt heartbroken.
Lorenzo stood up from the floor and was about to run out to her until his uncle blocked his way. Bella sat in the car and looked at the door and hoped that he would come for her. her heart praying for him to fight for her. Lorenzo, who was on the other side of the door, looked at his uncle with desperation and told him to move. "I can't let you do that son. You can't" he told the young Moretti, who shook his head. "I am going to get the woman I love" he answered, his vision going blurry. His head throbbed, his knees giving up. Just when the man fell unconscious on the ground, Khalid sped down the road with his sister and Ali. Screams and cries where heard in the Anwar house, but this time it was the Morettis crying for their son and not the other way around.