I pulled the satin sheets down my face, the concerto of the birds successfully brought me back to life. The very soft bed, an incentive to roll over and fall back to sleep, but I fought the urge and sat up. The black pajamas that was given to me, a perfect fit, I don't know how they got my size, correct.
The events of yesterday played like an unending loop in my head. Out of all the reactions I expected from the don, that was the least of them. I mean a little bit of discipline would have sufficed, not-. My body shivered, remembering the sudden red painted walls, and my face.
I stood up from the bed, and walked to the bathroom to get ready. After another fit of sobs in the shower, I gathered myself together, and stood in front of the full-length mirror glued to the white walls of the closet. I willed myself to put on a brave face. I will not be broken, they will not break me! I affirmed to my red bra and thong covered self. Don't ask me why I'm wearing a thong, I've no idea.
I finished putting some clothes on, which included a black Puma top, and a sky-blue boyfriend jean paired with a black puma sandal. Whoever picked these clothes deserves a hug from me, it was as though they knew everything I'd want.
I went for the door knob, half thinking it'd be locked, but it wasn't. I pulled the door, and it gave way for me to pass. Stepping out of my room, I made my way to the sitting area, the murmuring sound of different voices grew louder and louder as I strode from the far end of the long hallway to the point where, I turned the familiar corner and came face to face with at least 19 women occupying the sitting area to the kitchen, all chatty and normal like they weren't uprooted from their normalcy like me. What the actual fuck!
"Ciao, da dove vieni?"
One of them approached me. Her hair, a dirty blonde, was let down in waves that framed her heart shaped face down to her shoulders. She wore a thin silver dress, a very short dress that did nothing to shield her curves and body overall. I gave her a confused look. Is there no fucking translator in this joint! I almost screamed out.
"Non sei italiano? Questa è una novità."
She added again, seizing me up and down like a predator would a pray. I could only make out the word Italiano in what she said, which I know means Italy or something like that- Hold up! Fucking hold up! ITALY?????
"We're in Italy?"
I asked, raising my voice up an octave, so that all the chatter subsided, and hopefully maybe an English-speaking person would hear me and respond, because my heart was about to burst out of my ribcage right fucking now.
"Yes girl, now keep that voice down!"
An older woman walked into the space, and her presence made every girl in the room to re-compose themselves, a look of surprise, and curiosity mixed with fear settled on their faces as they all directed their gazes towards the elevator. Who the hell is she?
"No! No! fuck no! I need my phone, where the hell is Romano!?"
I yelled, purely out of frustration, my eyes stung with unshed tears. My mom, my little brother, do they know I'm literally so so far away from them? I've never been this apart from them, ever!
I'm not him! I'm not him! I can't leave them too! No no… no God no!
My breathing quickened and became uneven with very hysterical movements I made. I tried to stride past the older woman who was directly in front of the elevator, but she held me back and would have been successful in pushing me back into the sitting area, if I hadn't yanked my shoulders away from her grip, and pushed her out of the way, so hard that she stumbled.
A symphony of gasp rang aloud, but I didn't pay them no mind either. My hysterical state made me completely unaware of the other figure that stood behind the woman, now thinking about it, he seems the reason for their collective reaction earlier, and not the woman.
I stood in front of the man who looks even more rugged than late Matteo, and scarier. His jaw clenched, and before I registered what he was about to do, a very hard slap had landed on my left cheek, forcing me to the ground.
It burned like hell, and the pressure to cry felt more profound now, but I held it in. He's just like him, and I promised myself I'll never let him make me cry ever again. I will fight back, with everything.
With that thought in mind, I stood up with a burning cheek and a burning anger I reached for the nearest thing I could lay my hands on, which just happened to be a glass flower vase, and smashed it on his head.
Surprised and scared screams broke out throughout the entire living area, even the older woman's mouth was agape as she stared at me in shock.
"Cazzo!" The man growled out, loosing his balance as blood gushed out from his head to the tiled floor. I took that as an incentive to run for my life, with maximum speed, I ran to the elevator, smashing the button so hard I genuinely feared it would break, but someone already beat me to it, because the button didn't work, meaning someone else currently has it in use.
Frustrated tears streamed down my cheeks, and I have never been so scared for my life than in this particular moment. I didn't think things through when I smashed that vase on his head, I wasn't- my thoughts were interrupted with a rough, hard yank of my hair from behind me. I yelped with a loud voice.
My scalp felt as if it was on fire. "Plea-" My words were cut short by a punch to my face, effectively splitting my lip, and making my head pound so loud I could hear the sound in my ears. I shielded my face with my hands, expecting another agonizing impact of the man's fist, but it never came.
Romano stopped him, thankfully. "Vai in infermeria" he ordered the man, who had turned pale from the effect of blood loss.
My gratitude was rather short-lived as I came face to face with Romano's extremely angry expression.
"Tornate nelle vostre fottute stanze!" he barked at the ladies, and with effective reflexes they automatically scrambled out of the sitting area, back into the hallway no doubt ending up in their respective rooms.
"Leave, Gianna" he calmly directed his order at the older woman, who walked out of the room, with a slightly red face. Gosh I feel so bad for what I did to her! My breathing came out ragged as I slowly stood to my feet.
Romano's silence was making me feel very weird.
With the don it was more of nervousness and fear, but with Romano I felt… ashamed. Like I had disappointed him in some way. Why am I feeling like this? I'm not the bad guy here!
Even if I felt the heavy weight of his silence, I still refused to apologies, the only thing I did was swallow back the lump in my throat, and stared at him with a swollen lip and a bruised cheek.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his right thumb, and gave me a cold look, before saying
"You seem so hell bent on dying, I have no idea why, but sooner or later, you'll get your wish."