The Vindication Gents

Chapter 2.24

5 years ago…

Antonio Romano’s POV

So, here we were, trying to get inside the most secure location in Budapest, maybe on Earth. And I was ready to die for trying to do it because I was bound to serve my country.

Damn my father and his influence.

I was breathing hard as if it was my first mission. I did not sign up for this but somehow, I was in the middle of the front row to get inside the building.

“Are you ready for this?” My friend and doctor, Charles, was asking me. Maybe because my face was so white and pale that he thought I was ready to die.

“Relax, you have been training your whole life for this,” he joked as I was smiling weakly at him.

Only if he knew the truth.

The truth was, I never paid any attention to the training. I was merely passing and I could sense that my father wanted me to die young. Heck, I was only 22 years old. I still have dreams that I wanted to achieve and do what I liked the most.

Makeup and hairstyling.

Wedding planning.

All the good stuff.

I sighed as I was trying to get my mind back into the game. I could lose my s**t if I was freaking out right now.

“Ow,” I shrieked as Charles was putting the syringe inside my arm.

“Dude, a warning would be nice,” I said as I was looking at him before he pulled out the syringe.

“Well, a warning will not do you any good. Besides, you’re supposed to be a tough guy,” he said as he threw the syringe in a designated box for disinfection of the syringe.

“Well, I would have if I had to fake my toughness,” I said as I was rolling my sleeves down my arm. I was getting ready for the mission retraction. It was a heavy one and I think I might puke after all of this.

“Well, I wish you good luck. Not that you need it or anything,” Charles joked as he went away to prepare the others as well.

“Thanks, I might need that,” I mumbled before I was looking at my mother’s picture. The truth was, my father was Hungarian and my mother was Italian. I was brought up by my Hungarian father with an occasional visit to Italy during the summer. So, I was having the best of both worlds.

Until they got a divorce.

My father was so obsessed with serving his country that he neglected my mother. She was left alone in that big mansion he bought during their first year of marriage, promising her that he would always be with her.

What a joke.

And now, I was the one that had to suffer. He severed his ties with my mother, but I did not. I refused to be like him.

To be alone.

To be a soldier for his country.

All I ever wanted was a family, but my father failed to see it. He thought that having one would only bring him down. So I kept quiet of my vision and mission after I was legal enough to be out of the house.

But no, he had to tie me up with the service to his country.

I was sick of it. I was sick of him trying to control my life. That’s why I told my mother that I would be living in Italy after that. I will be coming home.

To her.

“Alright, listen up!” My father shouted as he was looking at each of the young men that he snatched to get on with this mission. Including his son.

“I know that this mission will be a stepping stone for some of you,” he said as he was looking at me.

“But to the country, you will be in great debt from the King and Queen. They will be forever grateful to you. And I could not be any prouder than I was,” he said as he was thumping his chest as if he meant it.

Yeah, right. Don’t trust my father’s words at all. I repeat, at all!.

“So, you go out there and show those terrorists that have been messing with our country, they will pay dearly with their lives. Long live Hungary!” He shouted before the others followed him. I just raised my hand as a gesture that I was with them.

“Agent Romano, come with me,” he said before we went out of the tent. Why did he just call me out in public? Now people would think I was in trouble.

With my dad, nonetheless.

“I know you think that I was a heartless person, son,” he started as we were walking around the base camp where the mountain that held Princess Christine captive was in front of us.

“I don’t think I know you are,” I gritted my teeth as I was trying to control the rebellion in me right now. He chuckled.

“Ah, your temper. Just like your mother,”

“You know nothing of Mama,” I gritted my teeth as he turned to look at me.

“I beg to differ. I was happily married to your mother for 15 years,” he said.

“But, you abandoned her all because of your stupid service to this country,” I said before he grabbed my collar. I had no time to respond to his attack. He was that fast.

“Do not talk about this country like you have anything to say about it,” he hissed at me.

“I can talk about anything that I like about this country. I was not its citizen after all,” I said as he dropped me to the ground.

“Yes, you are and I will make sure of that,” he said as he went away from me. I got up before I turned to look at the mountain where the stupid princess was being held.

“All of this because of you,” I shouted in Italian, which made some of the people there stare at me, dumbfounded to know what it was that I was saying. I cleared my throat before I went away.

The time has come. I cannot believe I will be doing this s**t. I had cold feet but my face was stoic as I had nothing to fear.

Maybe for my life.

“Okay, Alpha team, Beta, Charlie, in position,” my father’s voice was coming into my ear as I told my teammates that they were ready to go. I was looking at the situation like I was trained to do.

I know what you might think that I was being ignorant and all, but I still can’t help my habits. I have been trained that way since I was 10 years old, when my mother was still with us. Like I said, old habits die hard.

“Alpha, Beta, go! Charlie, search for the princess,” my father said before we went inside the mountain as we had planned. Well, that was the usual plan.

Until I slipped because I was a klutz.

I was sliding down the hole that I mistakenly stepped on and I was rushing down the mountain before I fell on my butt.

“Szar!” I cursed before I looked around and I saw her.

Her blonde hair.

Her white complexion.

Her slate orbs.

She could not be any younger than me. We might be the same age but she was afraid as I was looking at her. She was being held by the chains on the wall. She was shaking her head before I knew what it meant.

We were not alone.

I turned to look at the guards that were guarding her coming at me. I did what I must do. My fighting instinct was taking over and I was kicking those guys’ butts. I was breathless before I turned toward the missing Princess.

She was more beautiful than she could ever be.

“Hey, hey, hey,” I soothed her as she was flinching at my touch to get her out of the chain. My heart broke because of her condition.

“I will get you out of here, I swear,” I said as I took the pickpocketing tools and worked my way onto the chains before she was hugging me.

“Thank you, thank you so much,” her timid voice was sobbing as I was caressing her back.

“It’s going to be alright now,” I said before the others were coming inside the room. I was looking around until I saw my father was standing, judging me as I was walking out of the cave.

“I did what you asked me to do. Now, take me home,” I said, before I had anything else to do back in Hungary.

*****

“Why are you so keen to get out of the service?” King Peter asked me as I was standing in front of him. I sighed as I was trying to control my nerves.

“This life was for my father. I was not born for this but forced into it. All I ever wanted was to be reunited with my family again back in Italy,” I said as I was smiling at the king. He nodded before I saw some movement behind the curtains. I was about to mention it before the king spoke.

“Very well, I have granted your wish, but in time of need, I will contact you.”

“As long as I have my freedom, Your Highness, I will be in debt to you,” I said as I was swearing to myself that I would never, ever be involved with royalty again.

Until I saw her again.