Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 36: Chapter 36

DANI
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I blinked at Celestina. I was even surprised she helped me find her brother. Apparently, Terzo didn’t even try to hide. She knew where he would be. “An underground fight club? The punches he received last night weren’t enough? He wanted more. Is he trying to kill himself?”
Celestina smiled, almost grateful.
“God, you guys are crazy.” Anxiety tightened my ribcage as I shook my head in disbelief while she was securing tickets for us.
We gave our tickets to a guard who was twice as big as any man I’d seen. The moment the thick steel door opened, the smell of sweat and blood assaulted me, taking me back to the slaughterhouse.
“Watch your step,” Celestina said as she took steps down towards the audience.
People were yelling, standing, and there were people in the front seats, watching two people fight to the death inside the ring.
“You guys watch people kill each other?” I shivered in shock.
“It’s a sport. Welcome to his world, Dani.” She grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the aisle to the front row.
“I don’t think I can watch him receive punches again, Celestin.” My stomach churned with bile. “Can we just wait outside until he’s done?”
“He might not gonna be done until there’s no one left to challenge him.”
“Is he insane?” I wrapped my arms around my body in horror. “If he wanted so bad to die, why didn’t he just fight back last night?”
“You’re overreacting. I bet on my brother.” She smiled confidently. “Come on. Let’s sit.”
We took the two empty seats in the front row. Then two men pulled the man sitting next to me, and another one to Celestina’s left voluntarily left.
“Hey,” I called the other guy. “You can’t just pull someone out of their seat. They paid for it.”
Celestina snorted. “They’re here to protect you, bitch.”
“What? Why?” I looked at the men again. They didn’t even care, but focused on the passers and watched the surroundings like bodyguards. “I don’t need one.”
“You complain a lot. Let’s watch.”
“Oh, my God.” I sucked a bracing breath and gripped Celestina’s arm tight as my gaze landed on Terzo inside the ring. “I think I’m gonna pass out before he takes another punch.”
Celestina just clapped her hands and enjoyed the fight. It took me a while to adjust and finally breathe that Terzo was good. I mean, really good. He didn’t even take a punch or a kick from his last two opponents, but knocked them down flat, cold.
The last opponent got in. He was bigger and taller with a face scarier than Terzo, and that scared the hell out of me.
“God, this man is gonna be the death of me.” My heartbeat jumped, and I started to hyperventilate as the memory from last night flashed back in my head. I squeezed my eyes shut until I felt a grip on my arm. It must be Celestina. She must have seen my face leach in color.
“I think that’s the exact words he said last night. Let’s watch. If you don’t know the rules, both fighters can yield if they accept the defeat.”
I cracked my eyes open. “Do you think your brother would accept defeat in front of these people chanting his name like he’s a god and bruises his ego?” Yeah, right. He was like a god in the ring. In all fairness, he was great. “I don’t think so. He’s so proud to lose the game.”
I flinched the moment he got the first punch on the face, adding to his bruises. They both exchanged punches and kicks that I had to look away from.
“You’re missing the best part, signora,” said the guy beside me, tipping his chin. “Look.”
Terzo tackled the man and cornered him with punches. The opponent called for a timeout. Terzo walked to his side, and Gio and Marco were there, whom I didn’t even realize. Gio whispered something that made him still.
I watched his spine stiffen and his nose flare. Then his head turned in our direction. Son of a bitch. I didn’t want to distract him until the fight was over.
“Crap.” My eyes widened. I wanted to hide and disappear. It was too late. His eyes narrowed at me. I smiled and raised my hand while his jaw nearly cracked at how hard he tried to hold his anger at bay.
The fight resumed. I could feel the rage radiating through his body. The punches he threw were brutal, like he wasn’t there long enough to knock down opponents.
Did I mention how hot he was, sweaty and shirtless? He was only wearing denim jeans hanging low around his narrow waist. No wonder he was so fit without an ounce of fat, and his body was ripped because he did this brutal sport, too.
Every kick, every punch, every swing, I winced as if I felt the pain, and I received those blows. Instead of running away, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This was my life now. I should learn how to adapt. I couldn’t show them that I was weak.
I straightened my back and sat with poise. I knew Terzo was made for this. I trusted him to fight fair and win.
It didn’t take long, he put his contender down. He was announced the winner. I couldn’t be prouder of him. I stood up and cheered for my husband.
Celestina and I walked out of that brutal floor with pride, with men behind us. We got in the SUV, the door shut, and drove off towards the main road.
“Where are we going?”
“Don’t know. My brother just ordered Sandro to drive us.”
“He doesn’t do much talking when angry, does he? He’s not fond of calls and texts either.”
Celestina had never been amused and said, “I really like you, Dani. I talked to Maverick this morning about what happened last night. She cursed and cursed in my ear. Then she told me how you two met.”
“That she wanted to punch my face? Yeah. How could I forget?”
We arrived at the restaurant and were welcomed to the VIP area, where we met a mad lion, glaring at us.
“What the fuck were you two doing there?” His question was intended for his sister.
“I could ask you the same thing.” I took a seat across from him, my hands on the table. “You left me last night after I almost got you killed, after I was terrified for life, after someone just aimed a gun at my head, and the first thing you could think of was blowing off steam. Is that how you justify protecting me, husband?”
He didn’t even look at me.
“For fuck’s sake look at me.” The room went silent. His men left, leaving just the three of us while Celestina kept her mouth shut, calmly sitting next to me.
He finally met my gaze. Terzo was in pain, not physically, and it tugged at my heartstrings.
“You can’t take all the blame, Terzo. It was my fault, too. I pushed you away because I got mad, but I have the right to get mad. Don’t I? If there’s one person to be blamed, it’s my father. He didn’t believe me when I said, I didn’t have that damn book. And you almost died because of that.”
Shock flickered across his face. His hard features softened, replaced with warmth and tenderness. But that was it. He didn’t say anything.
Silence stretched, and I was tired of waiting.
“For fuck’s sake say something!” I slammed my fist on the table. Terzo didn’t even react, but it startled Celestina. “If you won’t talk to me, then I have no reason to stay. I’m going back to the States with or without you. Consider that shooting you, the danger that you put me through, is a payment for killing my brother. I paid my debt.”
His gaze found mine again, alarmed.
“Let Deckard come to me. Let my father take me. He can have my head, I don’t give a damn.”
“Let’s all calm down, Dani. Don’t do something reckless. My brother isn’t known for sharing his emotions. He’s not used to having a heart-to-heart. Let him work it out. I know it may take a while, but he’s more of a walk-the-talk kind of man. We can’t protect you while you’re in the States. We can hire people, but not the same way we do, and trust me, what your father’s doing is just the beginning, and he doesn’t care if you get hurt to get what he wants. You saw what happened last night.”
“Do you have something to add?” Still furious, I asked my husband.
“I’m glad you found her, T. I wouldn’t have had a sister-in-law as tough as her that made you this speechless.” Celestina rose and left the room, leaving me to deal with my stubborn husband.