The Mafia King's Rebellious Bride

Episode 3:Found

Alessia's POV

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The knocking on the door of my apartment intensified.

Violent.

Relentless.

The one who was outside was not interested in coming inside.

They were attempting to force their way into the door.

My hands trembled.

“NIKOLAI…” I whispered into the phone.

The line was still in operation.

He said to them, "Listen to me!

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

The quiet that was possible only in the heart of a man of danger.

“Are there any exit doors at the back?”

I swallowed hard.

"Fire escape."

"Good. Take it."

The apartment's other crash occurred.

The door frame trembled and rattled.

I nearly screamed.

"They're getting in!"

"Move, Alessia."

My legs finally obeyed.

I ran.

The phone was held against my ear and I hurried over to the kitchen window.

The rain pounded on the glass.

Thunder rumbled overhead.

I struggled to open the door, my fingers fumbling around the latch.

Come on.

Come on.

Open.

Lastly, the window moved up.

A cold wind blew in.

I jumped on the ledge.

The fire escape was a frightening thing to look at.

It is situated on the fifth story.

My stomach twisted.

"I can't do this."

"Yes, you can."

Then there was a loud crack, and it was behind me.

The front door was beginning to buckle.

I felt as though a giant rush of fear had flooded through my body.

I got on the fire escape.

The rain made the metal surface slippery.

My heart beat so fast it made my head spin!

Then the door of the apartment opened.

A voice could be heard shouting from within.

"Find her!"

I felt afraid as the freight train hit me.

They weren't robbers.

They actually had especially come for me.

Why?

I hurried downward.

One floor.

Then another.

In the rain, all the steps were fraught with danger.

I nearly slipped.

"Faster," Nikolai growled.

"I'm trying!"

I began to gasp for air.

The voices behind me were getting closer.

One of them had been able to see the open window.

"She's outside!"

A gunshot rang out.

Inches from my head, it was metal that spawned.

I screamed.

"Oh my God!"

"Keep moving!"

The other bullet hit the fire escape railing.

These guys were NOT trying to scare me.

They tried to murder me.

My legs went by faster than I could have imagined.

Floor after floor.

Step after step.

Until I eventually got to the alley down below.

I ran onto the wet road.

There was a stabbing pain in my ankle.

I ignored it.

"Now what?" I gasped.

Unnoticed, a black SUV came into the alley.

It has bright headlights to make the night visible.

My heart beat nearly stopped.

The car drove towards me.

Fast.

Too fast.

"No, no, no..."

The SUV came to a halt within inches.

The back door burst open.

A man wearing a black suit appeared and walked on the ground.

He looked totally emotionless.

Professional.

Dangerous.

"Miss Rossi."

My blood froze.

No one had ever called me that anymore.

"Get in."

The telephone kept in my ear.

"Nikolai?"

"Get in the car."

There was no argument offered to the command.

"Shouting" could be heard behind me from the fire escape.

Gunmen were on their way.

I had seconds.

Trust the strangers.

Or stay and die.

It wasn't a difficult decision to make.

I climbed inside.

The door shut with a bang.

The SUV immediately sped away.

Finally, I realized that I was trembling with fear.

I faced the man who was wearing a suit.

Watching.

Studying.

As if he were judging an enemy.

Or an asset.

"Who are you?"

"Enzo."

"That's not helpful."

"That's all you need to know."

Wonderful.

Another mysterious man.

My favorite kind.

The phone crackled.

"Are you safe?"

When Nikolai's voice was heard, my chest constricted.

Five years.

It's been five years since he left us.

Now I couldn't escape him.

"I'm alive."

There was a little release in his voice.

Good.

We could take it easy.

I certainly wasn't.

I had a lot of questions that came to mind.

Who were those men?

How did you get in touch with Nikolai?

Why now?

Most importantly—

What's the motivation for someone to want me dead?

"Nikolai."

A pause.

Then, "Yes?"

Explain to them what is going on.

Silence.

I hated silence.

Especially his.

"Nikolai."

"You've been exposed."

My stomach dropped.

What is it you think it means?

It's a statement that has the power to make people know you.

I frowned.

It doesn't make any sense.

"It explains everything."

His voice darkened.

"We have been looking for you for five years.

I was breathless at the words.

Five years?

So, was there someone who had been looking for me?

Not just Nikolai?

Why?

What is it that they want?

Another pause.

Finally, after a few moments, he spoke, and I was scared.

"You."

I laughed nervously.

"Stop saying that."

"I'm serious."

My laughter died on my lips as soon as he spoke with such seriousness.

The SUV went onto a highway.

It was raining outside, beating on the windows.

The lights in the city were streaked.

Everything felt unreal.

It's like the nightmare I couldn't get out of.

"Nikolai."

"What?"

"Tell me the truth."

Silence.

Then—

I never lied to you.

The rage was building up inside me.

"That's a joke."

"No."

"You disappeared."

"I protected you."

"You abandoned me."

I saved you from dying.

It was like a slap in the face to me.

I sat frozen.

Saved my life?

What was he talking about?

I was about to ask questions when Enzo's phone rang.

He answered immediately.

His expression changed.

Then he glanced at me.

There was some serious menace in his eyes.

"What is it?" I asked.

Nobody answered.

My pulse accelerated.

"What happened?"

Enzo carefully lowered the phone.

"Sir."

His voice was spoken to Nikolai.

They had found her a friend.

My stomach dropped.

Emma.

I turned pale as a ghost.

"What about Emma?"

Nobody spoke.

The quiet was more of a response than anything else.

A sense of dread had possession of my chest.

"Emma?" I whispered.

Enzo looked away.

And that was when I knew.

There was something that was so bad.

A change of something significant.

Then Nikolai spoke.

His voice was as cold as ice.

"Change of plans."

The words chilled, I shivered.

“So we're out of New York tonight.”

I clutched the phone in my hand harder.

"What?"

“You're back home, Alessia.”

My heart stopped.

Home.

Italy.

The sole place I'd vowed to never return.

Where my nightmare started.

Even though I knew that somehow my nightmare was just beginning.

To be continued…