Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 53: Chapter 53

DANI
“Is this what you want?” He stood before me, eyes blazing. His intimidating figure towered over me, imposing control. His expression was beyond fury. The tension in his shoulders showed otherwise.
I instantly sensed violence. It was everywhere. I felt a monster lurking. I felt his rage, and it was overwhelming. I wanted to back away, but my feet were rooted to the ground.
We were supposed to be at Winston’s house right now, but he chose to turn around rather than let the car stop. I chose not to reply. I chose to keep my mouth shut. We had already exchanged arguments. I already said something I regretted, and his words hurt me beyond anything. It was embarrassing and unforgivable.
Without uttering another word, he grabbed me by the elbow. His grip was firm, burning my skin, and he strode towards the elevator. He punched the button many times as if the car would rush down for him.
The guys stayed behind quietly, not a word on the way back when he threatened them.
Once it opened before us, he dragged me inside. His grip tightened like iron, and he leaned closer. “Look at me.”
Three words are enough to make my heart rate spike. I lifted my gaze. His eyes so dark, as if soulless, terrified me more than at gunpoint. My breath caught in my throat. Fear and adrenaline coursed through me.
A part of me wanted to scream, but I put this to myself. I knew who he was before we got married. He was soon to be the most dangerous mafia boss. I played with fire. Now I was paying for it.
There was always a chance of running, but instead, I chose danger because I wanted an adventure and thrill for myself.
My chest began to heave. My mind began to reel, and the flashback became imminent. I fought back, forcing those memories away.
“Starting today, you won’t go out until I say so.” Anger grated in his voice. His features turned 180, blocking those emotions off, showing me the other side of him, of his truth beneath the man I married, the monster in everyone’s nightmare.
Whatever came next, I knew one thing for certain, our relationship— our mutually beneficial agreement would never be the same.
With my elbow still around his grip, he strode back to his apartment. He fished the key from his pocket, unlocked the door. At that moment, he released me and walked past me. He went inside, grabbed the phone, dropped it, and crashed it with the heel of his boot.
When he turned around, his face was unrecognizable. My world came to a halt. There was no going back from this. As he stalked in my direction, I held my breath, preparing myself for the inevitable while my entire body trembled in terror.
“Give me your phone.”
I swallowed hard and tightened the grip around my bag. “This is ridiculous.” I found my voice, but it was low and shaky.
“Don’t make me take it from you.” He offered his hand. “Don’t test me, wife. You’re not gonna like it.”
I flinched at the acid of his tone. With my shaky fingers, I struggled to undo the lock on my bag and fished out my phone.
Terzo grabbed it from me and turned to the door. I let go of a shuddering breath.
“Don’t plan an escape. I have Gio and Marco watch you twenty-four seven,” he left a thrilling warning before the door clicked and shut behind me with the finality that broke my heart into pieces.
His words alone hit like a physical blow. He may never lay a hand on me, but it was worse than the physical pain.
I took a deep breath and looked up as my eyes began to overflow with tears. I stood there until hot tears slid down my face. I sobbed in silence until my body shook.
I found myself curled up on the couch in the hope of falling asleep, and waking up, this was just one of my nightmares.
“Oh, my God.”
“Maverick?” I gasped at the familiar voice, jolting to sit. The first thing that registered with me was the fight and Terzo leaving me.
“Where is he? When he called me earlier to say you were sick, I expected an explanation to come next.”
I smiled tightly. “Hi.”
“Why are you sleeping on the couch?” Her gaze found the empty bed. When I couldn’t find myself to explain, her eyes widened at me. “Oh, my God. Did he lock you up inside?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s—” Why the hell am I still defending that asshole?
“You and he had an argument, and he chose this? He left you and locked you up? Jesus.” Even his sister couldn’t believe what he’d done.
I blinked to stare at her. “How did you get in?” I knew she had a key to the apartment. I still remember how she almost gorged my eyes out. “How did you get passed by his wild wolves?”
She stared at me, shocked. “No one is there outside. Terzo would never leave all by himself, or Papa would curse him to his grave.”
“Oh.” Son of a bitch.
“I’m calling my brother.” She started scrolling on her phone. “Why didn’t you call me?” Her gaze fell to the crashed phone on the floor. “Jesus. Did he hurt you? The fight must be huge.”
“No.” I shook my head. “He did not hurt me. He never laid a hand on me.”
“This isn’t right.” She pressed her phone to her ear. “Brother, where are you?” She took a seat next to me and put on the speaker.
“My wife is sick.”
“Liar. I thought you were better than those thugs. How could you lock your wife alone in an apartment because you two have a misunderstanding? I gave so—”
“Maverick, you’re in the apartment?”
“Don’t interrupt me when I’m talking, Terzo, or I swear to God, I will call our father and tell him you abused your wife. Marital abuse isn’t just physical, moron. You really disappointed me. I can’t even look at you right now without spitting on your face.”
“Mave—”
“Shut up, asshole. Here’s what you're gonna do, brother. Your wife is listening, and I want you to apologize.”
“No. It’s her fault why we’re—”
“Fine. Don’t. Did it even occur to you that there might be a fire in the building while you locked up your wife? She’s a human being, dickhead. I’m sure you’d go ballistic if Lake did this to me. You’re an asshole. I’m taking Dani with me.”
“Maverick, I’m on the way. Wait for me until I come.”
“No. You had your chance to apologize, but you chose your own ego.” She hung up the call and looked at me. “Pack up your things. You’re staying with me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? I know you love my brother, but this isn’t marriage or love if he can do this to you. If you consider his mistake and accept his apology, he’d do it again and again until he hurts you physically. Let him learn that what he did to you is unacceptable.” Love? The word love was even sounded strange to me.
“What if he comes to you and makes trouble?”
“No. He won’t. We’re staying at Lake’s penthouse. He can’t go through security, and he doesn’t have access up. You’d be safe there. And I’m so sorry, Dani. Trust me, he’ll pay for this.”
I was more surprised when she hugged me.
“I want you to make him pay. Let him cry a river, bring the moon to you. If he really cares, he won’t abandon you. He will climb through the ledge to get to you.”
I rose to my feet and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You’re my new sister. Now, go hurry up before he gets here.”
I packed my things and left with Maverick. I was grateful he hadn’t arrived before we left.
“This is Huxley,” she introduced her black driver, who nodded through the rearview. “Terzo won’t dare pass him, or I will call the entire Hover and Osmium to lock him up in the basement of that building.”
“He took my phone.”
“What?” She looked more shocked. “That’s not the brother I knew.”
“Yup.” I could only shrug when my emotions became too much. “That’s not the man I knew. I guess I just don’t know him at all.”