A Bond by Marriage

Chapter 21

Dino's POV-

“What did she say?” Riccardo yelled, pulling out his gun. A loud gunshot rang and he screamed. Vito had just shot him in the hand and kicked away his fallen gun before he took Aldo upon himself.

“Dino, what is the meaning of all this? You cannot disrespect my son like that,” I heard Umberto.

“Can’t I, now?” This was Umberto’s house, he had to know what his son was doing.

“What is the matter?”

“Your son has wronged my wife,” my eyes didn’t waver from Riccardo cradling his hand. “I’m going to have to s*******r him like a pig.”

“She is a lying w***e!”

“What happened, Dino? Hear him out, you can't just trust anyone,” someone called out.

“Anyone who feels bad about Riccardo is free to join him now and later when I kill him.”

“And join his way to hell.” Vito chimed in.

“What is the matter, Dino?” Aldo spoke up again. He was livid and I could guess the reason but I still had to confirm if it was anger towards his little brother or Gia’s revelation.

“My wife has been sexually assaulted by Riccardo. Not once and not today but several times for the past six years, under this roof, and you are acting as if you never knew?”

“That… can’t be true?” Umberto’s confidence in his own son was wavering.

“What is the proof?”

“You are saying that you never noticed how uncomfortable she has been among people?” Vito asked incredulously.

“That’s because of what she did with that bodyguard—”

“Did she now?” I cut Umberto. “Did she really do what everyone was told?” I shed my jacket and rolled up my sleeves. “We’ll know soon.” There was no point in delaying anything. I glanced at Aldo being held by three men before grabbing Riccardo and letting my fists loose on him. He tried retaliating, staggered back and hit the floor but his eyes held no regret, no fear, no humiliation, no guilt. I’d make sure that changed by the time I was done with him.

“What exactly did she do with the bodyguard, Riccardo?” His jaw clenched but he fought against his torment with each punch I threw at him. But I had to make him scream. Straddling him, I put my knee on his hand that was shot.

That is what made him howl in pain.

“Tell the truth, Umberto. It won’t do anything for your son but getting it off your chest may feel better,” Vito said.

“I don’t know what this is all about!” His father yelled before his face went blank as I stepped in front of him. I didn’t know if he knew or not, but either way, he deserved punishment. The old man’s eyes were watery but it could be just another sign of his old age. There was concern in his eyes but it was crowded by the fear of humiliation in front of his kinsmen.

He gasped a little— the first reaction proving his fear— but did not question when I pulled his coat aside and reached into the pocket on the inside of his coat and took the cigar cutter. Behind me, I heard Vito curse and saw him smashing Riccardo’s head as I approached him.

“Admit the truth,” my voice was low, just loud enough for Riccardo to hear despite the blood pumping in his ears. He instead chose to spit at my feet and grin menacingly showing his teeth coated in blood.

“Son of a b***h,” Vito muttered and the bastard grinned at him too, which didn’t last long after I fixed his finger in the cutter and cut it off with one quick tug. His knees gave in but Vito held him upright as I took another finger from him. Riccardo watched his pieces drop on the floor. I pulled his hair but his eyes were fixed at my feet, where his fingers lay.

“Admit the truth. You r***d my wife, and have been for six f*****g years. She did not have an affair with any bodyguard, she was never with anyone willingly. Admit the truth; I want you to.” I just wanted to rip his f*****g head off.

That time would come soon too. Just not so soon. I left his head lolling to the side. He was still smiling, proud of himself, proud that I still needed him to do something. He might resist but I would make it happen.

“You b***h! You f*****g w***e!” He suddenly yelled glaring over my shoulder. I saw Gia beside Marco on the floor above. Covering his mouth, I glanced back at her. She was on her knees, her hands around the railing as she peeped through them. Scared and fearful. I threw Riccardo on the floor and pushed him on his back. He was already too weak from the previous few minutes to resist when I put my foot on his shoulder and held his arm before wrenching it and breaking it with a clear c***k of bones.

“Nobody talks to her like that,” I grunted, pivoting his arm before letting it go, leaving him mewling in pain. I did a quick check around the room, making sure they all knew the message wasn’t for him alone. The ladies seemed disgusted by the scene, men had their poker faces on and Aldo… three men still held him but he seemed lost.

“You want me to admit, huh?” Riccardo rasped. “Why? To take away the shame from her? Ha! Change things for her?” he scoffed. “But nothing will change in her. The fear she feels is never going away because she knows,” he coughed, “that even if I die, there’ll be more people.” He let out a chuckle, “Look at her. She can’t even look me in the eyes. So, how are you gonna fix her, huh? Taking revenge for what I did will do no better to her. She’ll still be afraid, scared to lift her head in the crowd.”

“Riccardo, no,” Umberto said suddenly. “Don’t admit to something you haven’t done.”

“Oh, I did it!” He yelled. “I f****d her! I— I— f****d—” he started choking on his words and it was because I was choking the life out of him.

“What had happened with the bodyguard?” I asked clutching his collar instead.

“He found out. She confided in him.” His words heightened the murmurs among the crowd.

“You killed the man who wanted to help her.”

“I didn’t kill him. I tortured him in the basement. She killed him,” he said breathlessly. “She killed him out of mercy. Who knew she could kill?”

“She wouldn’t have if you hadn’t pushed her to it,” I said, hauling him up. “Where is the basement?” I asked no one in particular but Umberto’s guards directed me to the way.

I would kill him where he had tortured and killed men for committing lesser sins than his own. Signalling Vito to take over, I glanced at Elio before going for the stairs. Elio fell behind me quickly and stayed at a distance as I helped Gia back to her room. Marco followed closely until I signalled him to wait out.

“Gia,” I wanted to touch her in some way that’d reassure her but my hands were bloody. “Marco will stay with you here and Elio will be outside. If you need anything, just let Marco know.”

“Where are you going?”

Her question made me pause, but there seemed no point in hiding this from her when she had gone through much worse. “I think you know where I am going.” She nodded. “Do you want to watch him? Or even kill him? You can do it if you want. You can do whatever you want.” I saw her visibly shudder at the thought. She was still afraid of him. Threatened even when he was in no place to harm her. But not for long. She would rise above all.

When Gia did not answer, I took it as a ‘no’ and let Marco rejoin her. I might avenge her; I might kill him but I couldn’t kill the fear that gripped Gia.

She’d have to win over her fear alone and I'd make sure I was there every step of the way.