TORN BETWEEN THE TYCOON AND THE MAFIA BOSS

PART 11: THUD

DANE’S P.O.V

“I know there is something bad about him. I just know it! It’s not just the fatherly instinct, it’s recognising oneself within another. I also know that he was behind Pilatte’s murder and from the calmness of hearing it on the news I could tell that his soul is more rotten than mine could ever be. And when I look into Mia’s eyes I can tell that she is already captured by him. Pilatte was my only hope. What do I do now?” I asked, my head buried in my hands, Trey pacing back and forth in his entertainment room. “Troy is my son but you see him as your son as well. Just like that, the day that you have adopted Mia, I have adopted her too. Just like you, I too swore to protect her. We couldn’t save Jeena, Dane, but we have too, at all costs save Mia” said Trey, still pacing back and forth. “My plan failed Trey” I explained. “Well, it’s time to get off your sorry a** and start thinking of a new plan” Trey encouraged. “I have to do it myself! I have to pretend to like that b****** and get closer to him! I have to get inside that house and get the evidence myself! I have to do it for my Mia!” I said, determination burnt bright in my eyes.

…..

Coming home after 12, I saw Mia, sprawled on the brown leather couch of our living room. The lights of the chandelier, along with the many down lights of the spacious room offered her warmth. She was home before me, but here she is sleeping on the couch instead of her comfortable bed. Bending down, I lightly shook her, trying to wake her from her deep and peaceful sleep. “Dad?” she asked, sleep filled in her voice. Suddenly she jumped up, her quick movement making me step back in surprise. Every trail of sleep gone as excitement filled her face. “Dad! Guess what?” she said, the widest smile worn on her face as her eyes sparkled. “What?” I asked, a smile forming on my face to see her so happy. “Take a guess, Dad!” she said, jumping in excitement. “Erm… I don’t know…Is it my birthday?” I asked. “No, don’t be silly” she laughed. “Try again!” she said. “Okay…Xavier made lasagne for dinner?” I guessed. “Dad…will I be this excited for lasagne?” she asked, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. “You normally are…” I said. “Okay last chance…Third time is a charm they say, so maybe this time you will get is right” she suggested. “Okay… You guys broke up” I said, I wide smile on my face while she looked at me completely annoyed. “Dad!!!” she groaned. “Okay, I give up” I said, putting my hands up, showing her that I surrender. She held up her hand showing me a ring. “A ring?” I asked in shock. “Yes dad!!! Xavier asked me to marry him!!!” She said, running over to me and taking me in her big hug. “What did you say?” I asked, still in shock. “Dad, I have the ring on my finger and I waited so long for this moment. Obviously, I said yes!!!” she said, looking up at me, her arms still wrapped around my body. Smiling down at her, I wrapped my arms around her as well and pulled her close to my chest, not ready to lose her to that monster. “Dad are you happy?” she asked, her head against my chest. “Yes, of course I am” I lied and placed a kiss on her head. “Your heart is racing Dad” she said. “Out of happiness, my Dear” I lied again.

Breaking away she walked towards the glass window, overlooking the City of Seattle. “Dad, I’ve never been this happy, Dad. I mean you keep me very happy, but the kind of happiness I felt tonight is like nothing I felt ever before” she explained. “That’s love Mia. Only a lover can make you feel that way” I explained to her. Suddenly I began to feel extremely hot, so I loosened my tie and switched on her airconditioner. “Dad, I love him. I love him so much Dad. I love him more than I love myself” Her words made my past come rushing through, as my memories hit me one by one.

The memory of Jeena running behind me, tears in her eyes “Dane I love you. I love you more than I love myself.” She screamed, as I walked away from her. That was the night on which she told me that she was pregnant, that was the night I left her to bleed out while our child died. Sweat beaded on my forehead and I held onto the couch for support, looking at Mia with her back turned against me as she took in her view on the sleeping city, clueless about what is going on behind her.

“Dad, he is my lifeline. Xavier is my lifeline. I can’t live without him!!!” Mia’s words caused another memory to resurface. This one hitting me like a Tsunami. “Dane I can’t live without you. You are my lifeline” I recalled, Jeena saying as we sat in my car, the night I took her to meet my parents, before we were even married. “Dane Matteo I love you. You are my lifeline Dane Matteo” said Jeena, in her memory of me walking out on her. I held my head, as my world began to spin, the heat which I was feeling was unbearable, all the strength flowed out of my body. ‘Dane you are my life line. You can live in a world without me but I cannot live in a world without you’ the memory of her last words in her sms that she has sent to me, knocked me down.

Still conscious I was able to hear the THUD that my muscular, tall body created as it made contact with the hard, polished wooden floor. “DAD!!!” I heard Mia screamed as the noise caused her to turn around and see me lying of the floor, she rushed to me as I began to fade away…