Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

DANI
God, I was so stupid. Naive and stupid.
Men in my life were a traitor, a liar, a manipulator, pretentious, and a murderer. Everyone was an asshole. What was I even thinking, falling for his lies and marrying him? He was a mafia.
Right, I shot him. I had to marry him, or my life would be forever indebted to him.
My life was a complete mess. Everything that had happened to me was all my fault. I shouldn’t be blaming everyone but myself.
I shouldn’t have gone to Russia. I should have just forgotten my father’s very existence. If he ever wanted me as his daughter, he should have shown himself a long time ago.
When I was a kid, I always wanted a father figure. My mother dated men, but I never felt closer to them.
I celebrated birthdays without a father. I rode my first bike without him, and on my first dance, and I finished college without him. I was fine until he showed up, pretending he cared.
My childhood memory flashed through my head, revealing the harsh reality. That I didn’t need a father to enjoy life.
Then I met another asshole who thought he was some kind of hero. And I believed him. I even learned to care. I thought he was genuine, but the truth, he only wanted something. He was a cold-blooded user. They were all the same. Assholes.
“Ehi, stai attenta, stronza!”
I jumped, yelping. I didn’t realize I crossed the road, and the people here drove like madmen as if on a drag race. “Sorry!”
The driver just gave me his middle finger. Great.
At this moment, I didn’t know where I was going, what I was doing, and I didn’t know anyone in town. I stood at the corner, trying to find the nearest hotel or Airbnb on my phone to check in just for the night before I flew back to the States. Every room was fully booked.
“What the hell?” I looked up as I felt about to cry.
I took a breath and began walking again. The street of magnificent Roman architectural style was beautiful, colorful, and even romantic. It was rich with culture, art, and food. My stomach twisted, realizing what I’d done for the last weeks of my life. And I just had sex with him without protection.
I wanted to throw up. I wanted to get a shower and scrub off every part of me he touched. I began shaking, crying in silence. God, I was such a loser.
I stood before an open restaurant with outdoor seating. I grinned as I remembered I had his credit card in my bag, if he hadn’t called the company and closed it. I sat at one of the empty tables and ordered the finest wine on the menu.
“Thank you.” I smiled at the waitstaff as he placed a bottle of wine, poured a glass, and left.
I swirled the dark red liquid, inhaled, and sipped it. It tasted divine. Before I could put the glass down, I saw someone familiar. I recognized him from earlier, from whom I snatched a gun. He was tall, with buzz-cut hair and mesmerizing brown eyes.
“Son of a bitch.” I placed the glass down and cursed under my breath. I gestured with a finger at him to join me.
“Madame.” He smiled, joining me at the table.
I narrowed my eyes at him, not appreciating his appearance while I was savoring the taste of the wine. “Why are you following me? And don’t lie.”
“It’s my boss’s order.” He gestured at the waitstaff. “Bring me a glass. Thank you.”
Well, honestly, I needed to get drunk and sleep throughout the night, and I couldn’t do that while I was alone.
The glass arrived, and he thanked the man and politely said to leave us alone.
“You’re paying for this.”
He helped himself and clinked his glass with mine. After he took a sip, he grabbed the bottle and read the label. “Nice. Wanna order some food?”
“I just ate with my manipulator father. I don’t think I can have another fork of pasta.”
He chuckled. “You made me. You have a really good instinct.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t. I just realized I’m too gullible. Men in my life are complete liars, and I let them manipulate me. My brother was hurting people for money. My father wants that damn book more than his daughter. My husband is a walking lunatic.”
“Good. Good. Let it out.” He gestured. He seemed like a good guy, but he was here just doing his job. Nothing personal. “I’m Memphis, by the way.”
“Your parents named you Memphis?” I chuckled. “Johnny Rivers fans?”
“It’s Julien, but my brothers call me Memphis.”
“Oh. You served?” Of course, they do.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Thank you for your service.” I raised a glass and sipped. “But you don’t have to follow me. I know you’re just doing your job, but I’m sure no one knows about me here but my father.”
“Can’t be too confident, Mrs—”
“Don’t call me that asshole’s name. Just Dani.”
“Apologies.” He raised his hand. “For what it’s worth, I’ve met a lot of terrible people, but Siciliano is different. He may have broken a lot of laws, but he’s done a lot of things for the country without getting credit. Just like everyone, we all do bad things for the right reasons. We do bad things to protect the people we love.”
I snorted. “Right. What good things did? Tell me. He killed my brother. He breathes violence. He’s an apex predator.”
“That’s a little bit harsh, don’t you think? Believe it or not, your brother did unspeakable things, too. Do you know he sold drugs and owed someone a huge amount of cash? Your father made it clear not to help him. That’s why he took the job from a rich guy.”
I flinched. “That’s not true.”
“Look, Dani. We do have unlimited resources at Osmium. My boss, Lynx, looked into your brother’s whereabouts before he died.”
“Before he was murdered,” I grunted.
He shrugged. “He was not a good man. He may be good to you, but we’re always good with our families. Do you think he wouldn’t have done the same thing as Siciliano did if the tables had turned? I’m sure he wouldn’t blink an eye to rescue and protect you from danger. Siciliano just did what he thought was right to protect his sister.”
I looked away. He was maybe right, but it didn’t change the fact that he murdered my brother in cold blood. “He could have just called the police. That’s why we have the justice system. And I believe people can change.”
“Then maybe Siciliano can change.” His tone was cautious.
“I’m not talking about him.” I grabbed the bottle and poured it into the glass till full. Then I drank it till empty. “Of all people, you should know to abide by the law that you took an oath to protect.”
“You’re right. We should not take the laws into our own hands,” he agreed and looked at me with a flicker of respect.
“Pay the wine and leave a generous tip.” I stood up.
“Where are you going?” He sounded the alarm.
“I don’t know, but I’m leaving Palermo in the morning. Maybe I’ll fly to Ireland to find myself a new rich Irish Mob. Good night, Julien.” I smiled and walked away.
I made it far without him. It was past midnight, but the street was still crowded with tourists.
A few minutes later, I heard heavy footsteps approaching. Everything inside me jolted. An icy air crawled all over my skin. I looked over my shoulder and saw two tall men in dark jackets looking scary. The other guy just met my gaze.
I swallowed hard, feeling lightheaded, probably from the effect of wine. My heart raced in terror. The faster I walked, the closer the footsteps behind me.
Then I heard a thud like something heavy just dropped, making me jump.