Give up on me E-Book

Sabrina Borchers

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 375

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Aim, release the safety, shoot. Child's play for Camila Bianchi, the only female soldier in the ranks of the Moretti mafia. The life of the mafia is all she knows. She has never lost her freedom. At least that's what she thought until Nero Castello, the Moretti Mafia's Spanish rival, appears on the scene and changes her view of the Mafia and especially of her boss, Luca Moretti, forever. A battle for control of the criminal underworld begins, in which Camila finds herself caught between the fronts. And it soon becomes more than just a power struggle. But who will be hit by the decisive bullet?

Leseprobe

FOREWORD

This is a purely fictional story.

All characters, locations and plots are fictitious.

Any references to real persons or actions are not intended.

Characters, storylines and the emotions that go with them come solely from my imagination.

This novel deals with sensitive topics.

For this reason, at the end of the book you will find

an explicitTRIGGER WARNING.

This contains spoilers for the entire book.

PROLOG

When you were a child, they told you that you could become anything you wanted. Everything you dreamed of could become a reality. The possibilities in this world seemed limitless. And then you got older. And with every year that passed, you had to learn new limits. Your personal, your professional, your emotional ones. The boundaries of this world drew ever closer and you had to realize that dreams are just dreams. Reality couldn't be more different. It is cold. It is cruel. And it is lonely.

And all of a sudden you were an adult. You had a life and yet you had nothing. One wrong decision can determine where your path takes you. Many wrong decisions only accelerate the downhill path. Interestingly, there was always hope. The hope that maybe you could become whatever you wanted after all.

But what if you don't know what you want to be? If you don't know whether you are good or bad? If you don't know whether your actions are right or wrong? Whether they are paving the way uphill or straight into darkness?

You will never get an answer to these questions. Or only when it is long too late. When reality grips you with its concentrated cruelty. Is there still a way out then?

I looked down at the gun in my hand, at the blood on my clothes.

Was there still a way out or was this life my reality?

CHAPTER I

Camila

The stars twinkled that night. The sky was black and yet it shone. The stars were like little glimmers of hope in a sea of darkness. I sucked in the cold night air. I tried to fill my lungs with oxygen and yet I felt like I was suffocating. My eyes turned to the sky. What must freedom feel like?

If there was one thing I had learned, it was that freedom was a privilege. And this privilege was not granted to everyone. Perhaps I had denied it to myself when I took his hand that night and have not let go of it to this day. How would my life have turned out if I had never turned to him, if I had turned my back on this life before it had woven me into its web? It would have been different, perhaps better. But I couldn't say for sure. All I knew was that I was standing here now. And all I had left of freedom was a view of the sky.

My fingers played with a piece of paper. It weighed a lot. Such a small piece of paper that would have so much greater consequences. I could hear the people in the hall behind me. They danced and laughed as if there was a reason for it. It had been so long since my last laugh that I simply couldn't remember it. Happiness never lasts. What remains is pain. Death. That is forever. Life is fleeting.

I was abruptly torn from my thoughts when a figure stepped up next to me.

"Are you still upset?"

I turned to the side and looked into Luca Moretti's face. My hand with the note went up: "The last word hasn't been said yet."

"You bet it is," he replied coolly. "Need I remind you who's giving the orders here?"

"As far as I know, still Giano." I nodded to the inside of the hall, where an elderly man was sitting at a table with friends, toasting his sixtieth birthday.

"Oh, please. This isn't the first job you've done for me and it won't be the last. You've never bothered about that before."

"I've always been bothered by it," I replied caustically. "You just leave me with no choice."

"That's right." He took the note from me and stepped close in front of me. "So let's save ourselves any further discussion, as we both know how it's going to end anyway. You'll do what I want."

He slipped the note under the fabric of my dress at the neckline: "Got it?"

"Of course. After all, that's the only joy in my life. Doing your bidding." I tried to push past him, but he held me by the wrist.

"Stop acting like I ripped you out of the prime of your life. You made this decision of your own free will."

"Our definitions of voluntariness differ greatly."

"I haven't stolen or withheld anything from you. You could have all the fun, all the beautiful things that life has to offer."

"I must have missed them locked up in the cellar."

"Don't provoke me, Mila," Luca warned softly and stroked a strand of my soft purple hair behind my ear. "It's a beautiful evening. You look stunning and you prefer to stand here alone in the corner and mope. You're ruining this evening for yourself. I have nothing to do with that."

"You ruined the evening the moment you gave me the list."

"I don't want to hear any more about it. This is my last warning. Otherwise my mood will change and you know how that will end for you." He tightened his grip on my wrist threateningly.

I remained silent.

"Good." He let go of my wrist and waved a waiter over. He took two shot glasses from his tray and handed me one: "Just a few hours of truce. Can you manage that?"

"I'd have to ask you that question."

Luca sighed, raised his glass and looked me in the eye: "Peace."

I knew I had to back down if I didn't want this to escalate. So I raised my glass too: "Peace."

We clinked glasses and downed the alcohol. Luca put our glasses on the railing of the balcony and held a hand out to me: "And now let's dance."

I laughed coldly: "Not in this lifetime."

"We're dancing, Mila." His eyes glowed.

So much for freedom. Reluctantly, I put my hand in his. He pulled me inside onto the dance floor of the hall and pulled me close to him.

"I'm serious," he whispered into my hair. "You look beautiful."

"Stop it."

"With what?"

"Being nice." I turned under his arm before he gently pushed me towards him.

"Are you afraid you might see more in me than a monster?"

"There's no danger of that. You remind me of what you are every day."

"And yet I have proposed peace."

"It wouldn't have been a surprise if this evening had ended with a black eye. It wouldn't have been the first time."

"It won't be the last time if you continue to be so prickly and see me as your enemy."

"What else should I see in you if not my enemy?"

"I don't know." His lips breathed a kiss on my temple. "You tell me."

I got goose bumps and closed my eyes: "Let's just dance. That's enough words for one evening."

"Just as you like."

We danced together in silence for a long time. So long that the hall became increasingly empty. It was well past midnight and Giano's guests all left the party one by one until only the Morettis and their men remained. When the music stopped and Luca lowered his hands, I realized that we were the only ones on the dance floor.

"Was that so bad now?" He grinned and ran his fingers through his dark brown hair.

"I just about survived," I replied pointedly.

He rolled his eyes.

"Luca!" Giano rose from his chair. "Time to go."

"Wait in the foyer. We need another minute," Luca called back.

He waited until everyone had left the room before turning to me again: "It could always be like this."

"Can't do it, Luca." I crossed my arms. "We've always been like fire and water. We'll never see eye to eye. You're my boss. That's why I do what you command. But not out of conviction or respect for you, but because you simply leave me no choice."

"Do you really think you'd be happier if I let you go?"

"That doesn't matter. You would never do that."

"You never gave this life a chance."

"Let's stop talking about it. It's going nowhere."

"Because you always block it."

"You should see the same in me as in Stefano, Vito, Caesare and all the others."

"And what?"

"Your means to an end. You're not interested in them as people. Stop pretending it's something else with me."

"You think I don't care about you?"

I didn't say anything back.

"If I treated you like all the others, you'd be dead by now, Mila. I wouldn't have let Stefano, Vito and the others get away with half the shit you pulled! Just to be clear. So be glad that I care about you!"

He was about to walk past me to the exit when suddenly loud shouts came from there. I reflexively pushed Luca behind me and pulled my gun out of the holster on my thigh at the same moment. Not a second too soon, because the first shots were fired in the foyer.

At that moment, my brain switched gears. Less thinking, more action. God knows this wasn't the first time we'd been in a situation like this.

"Go!" I nudged Luca. "Onto the balcony!"

We ran off while I took the safety off my gun and covered Luca.

Two men appeared in the doorway to the hall. They were aiming directly at Luca. I fired without thinking about it. Within the blink of an eye, the men collapsed lifeless on the floor, hit by a well-aimed shot to the head.

We reached the balcony and I slammed the doors behind us. My eyes quickly examined the surroundings.

"Here - up there!" I ran to a downpipe leading down from the roof. "They won't expect us to escape to the roof! Come on. I'll cover you."

"You should go first and we'll do it the other way around." Luca also held his gun in his hand.

"It's not your job to protect me!"

"Mila ..."

"We might not both make it and they'll definitely kill you." I looked him in the eye. "Go!"

He returned my gaze for a moment and then finally started to climb up.

I peeked inside through the balcony door and saw half a dozen men storming into the hall. They weren't Moretti's men.

Just as I was weighing up whether to shoot them all, a whistle sounded.

Luca had disappeared onto the roof. As quickly as I could and without looking down, I climbed a good seven meters up the pipe. I cursed my plan to climb onto a roof of all things. A shitty idea for someone with a fear of heights, but situations like this left no room for fear. Or for any other sensation that made you weak.

When I reached the top, a hand grabbed me and pulled me over the edge onto the roof.

It was a flat, multi-pitched shed roof. Luca pushed me onto the tiles. Voices sounded from below.

"Where is he?!"

"Probably jumped off the balcony, it's not that high."

"Search the entire area!"

We remained motionless until the noises below us had ceased.

Luca straightened up a little and climbed further into the middle of the roof. I followed him, even though I didn't know what he was up to now. We stopped at the edge of two roofs. There were several windows here that looked into the large open foyer. They were tilted.

We pressed ourselves against the brickwork next to an open window. I caught a brief glimpse downwards. But that was enough to assess the situation.

The foreign men had brought Giano and some of his men to their knees.

A man threatened Giano with a gun.

"Should I shoot him from here?"

I was ready to take the safety off my gun, but Luca shook his head.

"You're going to kill him," I hissed.

Luca gave me a look to let me know that I should be quiet.

We struggled to understand what was being said in the foyer.

"How dare you attack us?" Giano hissed.

"Shut up, old man!"

"I want to talk to your boss. I find it extremely insulting to make do with a stooge!"

"That's all it will take to put you in the ground. And your son. Where is he?!"

"Did he give you the slip?" Giano sounded amused. "Seems you're not up to it after all, you pathetic weakling!"

"Careful!" The click of a gun could be heard. "Where is he?! I'm not going to ask again."

"Luca will kill you."

This was followed by a cold laugh from the stranger. Then a shot.

CHAPTER II

I stood on the second floor of the Moretti villa and looked down into the entrance hall. Luca's men were standing there together in small groups. They were laughing and joking around. No one seemed to care that we had just come from a funeral. Life had to go on and in this life, losses were part of it. Even the death of the leader. The old leader. Because the new one stood in the open front door and said goodbye to his men one by one.

Luca was wearing black trousers and a black shirt with some of the top buttons undone. The tattoos on his chest, which snaked their way up his neck and down his arms to his hands, were also clearly visible from up here. As was the coldness in his gray eyes.

When the last man had left, they found me: "Mila!Una parola." (One word.)

Fantastic.

I tucked my gun into the belt of my black jeans and slipped my black blouse over it, revealing a black lace-trimmed bra. I walked down the stairs discontentedly. Luca was waiting at the foot of the stairs. And Emilio.

"What is it?" I stood in front of them with my arms crossed.

"Isn't there a 'boss' missing from your sentence?" growled Emilio.

"Leave it alone. Mila will get used to the current power structure soon enough."

"We'll see about that."

Luca ignored the objection: "I've spoken to all the men who were there on the night of the robbery. We know for sure who was responsible for the robbery. You'll recognize his name if you remember the note."

I swallowed: "There are five names on it."

"That sounds so reproachful."

"We had a deal once."

"A deal?" His face darkened.

"You were going to let me decide freely when I was twenty-five."

"So?"

"I'll be twenty-seven in three months. We had a deal," I repeated.

"Was that before or after you tried to double-cross us?"

"I didn't betray Giano or you."

"Oh no?" Luca turned to Emilio. "What do you call it when someone gets a fake passport and wants to disappear in the middle of the night?"

"Betrayal. For which, if you ask me, the bitch hasn't suffered enough." Emilio looked at me with a wicked smile.

"That wasn't..."

"You've ruined your own beautiful deal," Luca interrupted me. "And I thought I'd made myself clear. I'm not discussing this list with you anymore. You're going to wipe out the five people."

"This is murder for hire."

"Right, Mila," Luca scoffed. "Exactly what you've been doing for years."

He looked at me seriously. "Two months for all five."

I jutted out my chin: "I'm not going to do that anymore."

Luca gave Emilio a signal and before I could react, he lashed out and punched me hard in the face.

I grabbed my bloody lip and looked Luca, who had stepped in front of me, in the eye. His voice took on a threatening undertone: "Well, well. Has someone got the upper hand again and thinks they can rebel against us? Keep it up and you'll end up in the cellar sooner than you'd like!"

"You two always find a reason why I deserve to be punished anyway. You're not really surprised that I wanted to get away from you?"

Luca grabbed me roughly by the back of the neck: "If I didn't need you so badly right now, Emilio would be kicking you down the cellar stairs right now."

"If you want, I can teach her a lesson without paralyzing her for her job." Emilio pulled out a knife and stroked the blade.

"Not a bad idea, considering how much she's bitching at the moment."

"I'm not bitching. I'm just not going to put up with everything you accuse me of!"

"You don't have to question what I order or do. You carry out the orders and you can keep what's going on in your head to yourself! I thought we were getting past this and you would have realized where your place is!"

Before Luca could push me into Emilio's arms, the front door was flung open. Armed men stormed into the villa.

First and foremost, a man with light blonde hair, who immediately pointed his gun at us.

Luca let go of my neck and I stepped in front of him. The man was no stranger. It was Giano's murderer.

"Drop your weapons and get on your knees!"

Luca growled.

I briefly considered whether I should draw my weapon, but the men were outnumbered and no reinforcements were to be expected, as they seemed to have already taken out the guards at the gate. All the other guard posts were unoccupied as Luca had given them the day off to celebrate. His lack of sense of danger made it a real challenge to protect his life.

Emilio dropped his knife to the floor at a signal from Luca. Then we both followed Luca's example and were forced to kneel down. Luca knelt between Emilio and me. I was so close to him that our thighs were touching. He shook his head almost imperceptibly. He knew that I was still thinking about launching a counterattack. But he stopped it.

"Weapons on the ground in front of you. Very slowly!" The blond man stopped in front of us. Everyone else stood in a semicircle around us with their weapons drawn.

Luca and Emilio laid their weapons on the ground.

The stranger looked at me: "Your weapon too, sweetheart!"

"She doesn't have one," Emilio tried.

But the man just laughed. He grabbed me and pulled me up to search me.

"Hands off!" I hissed and tried to free myself from his grip.

"Give me your weapon," the man repeated. "Or I swear I'll feel every inch of your body."

"Don't touch her!" hissed Luca. "Mila!"

I turned to him.

"Fai quello che dice." (Do what he says.)

I pulled my gun out of my belt and gave it to the blond, who then pushed me to the ground: "There you go. Now, put your hands behind your head!"

We did as he commanded.

The semicircle split and let another man through.

Luca tensed up next to me: "I can't believe it! I dare you to show up here!"

The man stopped next to the blond man. He was wearing a dark blue suit. His hair was raven black and his dark brown eyes immediately caught Luca's attention: "I'd be careful if I were you, Moretti. Otherwise you'll end up just like your father."

"That's how you'll end up. Only I won't leave much of you left to bury!"

The blonde unlocked his gun, but his boss waved him off: "Leave it alone, Rico. Moretti is grieving. That's understandable. The wound is still fresh."

"What are you doing here?" hissed Luca.

"Well, where do I start? In the last few weeks, three of my most important men have been shot. It wasn't particularly difficult to work out who was behind it."

"And you think you're in the right place?"

"I'm not just thinking. I know it. What other cowardly rat could have done such a thing? Giano would never have been impulsive enough to do such a thing. Hell, he couldn't even hit a tree at close range, but you ... stupidly, you disappeared so quickly at the party that I had to make do with your father. But now I finally have you in front of me."

"I didn't shoot anyone, Castello."

"Let's not quibble about words. You didn't shoot anyone, but you ordered it."

"Your evidence?"

"I don't need that. I'm not here to discuss this with you, Moretti." He drew his gun and pointed it at Luca's forehead: "I'm here to shoot you. An eye for an eye."

"You've already executed my father."

"Collateral damage. He was never the mastermind. And who knows if you didn't shoot my men yourself? You're a lying bastard, but you're a damn good shot."

"Now that's what I call a compliment." Luca winked at him with a nasty smile.

Castello's face remained expressionless: "Perhaps I should take this opportunity to remind you that we have an agreement."

"About what?!"

"About who owns this city."

Luca laughed coldly: "You mean the ridiculous agreement you made with my father? Forget it, Castello. He's dead and now we play by my rules."

"This city is mine. I'm not playing your dirty game."

"This is not a game. This is war and you're losing it."

"I don't think so. I might have been willing to put up with your existence and rule over you, but you had to murder my men. Three contract killings and two dead in last week's raid. That makes five deaths on your account. You've overstepped the mark." He took the safety off the gun. "I see no reason to let you live anymore."

"But I do."

The stranger looked at me, still pointing his gun at Luca. A smile came to his lips: "Lavanda, think carefully about whether sex with Moretti is worth sacrificing yourself for him. One wrong word and you're dead too."

"She had a gun, Nero," Rico intervened.

He raised an eyebrow: "Really?" He looked at Luca. "Since when do you give women weapons?"

"This life is dangerous. It would be a shame if something happened to her. She's a pretty thing."

"She stood in front of him," Rico interjected again.

"How extremely brave." Nero smiled at me. "Do you have any idea who you're trying to protect?"

"Please, Castello." Luca tried to draw attention to himself. "Look at her. A defenceless woman. I don't know what your foot soldier saw there, but I don't need anyone to stand in front of me to protect me."

Nero was still looking at me: "I'm always sorry when innocent people get involved in the dirty business of the mafia. And I'm even sorrier when they have to witness a murder."

Nero

He turned away from the young woman and towards Moretti. His finger was already over the trigger.

"Two shots in the head."

The woman's voice made him pause and his gaze wander back to her: "What?"

"That's how the men died last week. With one shot each in the head. It happened so quickly that I couldn't shoot right between the eyes like I usually do. Like the other three times."

"Chiudi la bocca!" Luca shouted at her. (Shut up.)

"Shh, Moretti. Now it's getting interesting." He put his gun away and crouched down in front of the woman with the purple hair. She had slightly tanned skin and was dressed all in black. Countless piercings adorned her right ear. Nevertheless, she looked innocent, almost fragile. The dried blood on her lip did not escape his notice.

"Do you know what you claim to have done?" he asked threateningly and quietly.

"Fivefold murder, although the two at the party were probably more - what do you call it? - Collateral damage?"

"What's your name?"

"Camila Bianchi," she replied without avoiding his gaze.

"So, Camila. You're telling me that you murdered my men?"

"Sí." (Yes.)

A simple word and no emotion on her angelic face.

"Do you work for Moretti?"

"Shut your mouth!" he snapped at her again.

Nero straightened up: "It seems this conversation is only going to get more disturbed. But I've become really curious." He beckoned Rico closer. "Tie her up. We'll take her with us."

"Keep her out of this, Castello! Since when do you drag innocent people into this? She's a simple bed story."

"And how does she know the details?"

"You just talk about what's going on in this city after you've been screwed."

Nero watched as Rico tied the woman's hands behind her back. Her gaze was expressionless. For the second time, his attention fell on the blood on her lip.

"You know, Moretti ..." He stopped in front of him. "... your version of things and hers seem to be very different. I'm curious to hear what Camila has to say. But let me tell you something, it would be better for you if her story turns out to be true. Because otherwise you'll have a bullet in your head sooner than you think."

"And otherwise you'll shoot her and send me her body?"

"Nice idea."

He noticed how Moretti's jaw twitched.

Rico pulled Camila up from the floor by the arm. She looked at Moretti. The two of them exchanged a look that Nero didn't like. He watched as she swallowed.

"Take her away!" he ordered. Rico and Axon pulled her out of the villa.

Nero took a step back: "One way or another, Moretti. I won't let these murders go unpunished. I'm not someone who forgives easily. But don't worry. I'll leave them whole. Then you'll have something to bury."

He turned and followed his men.

CHAPTER III

Camila

My head was pounding. It was only when I blinked that I realized they must have drugged me. I was in a room I didn't know. It had no windows and consisted of cool, smooth concrete walls. A single light bulb burned on the ceiling. There was a table in front of me and a metal cupboard in the corner. My wrists were tied to the back of a chair. I could move my legs freely, which made me suspect that Nero Castello had serious doubts about my story. He had no idea that I was the deadliest thing the Morettis had to offer. He still didn't need to know that either, but I had to give him enough so he wouldn't kill Luca.

Nero Castello was not only the head of the richest family in Vontane, but also a name on the hit list Luca had given me. This could become a real problem, as I wasn't sure if I would even survive Castello. The Castellos had come to Vontane from Spain many decades ago. They had a lot of money, which seemed to double every day. Unlike the Morettis, the Castellos had always kept up the appearance of a harmless, noble family on the outside, while operating on a different level in the background. A few years ago, the old Castellos had died in a tragic plane crash and from then on their son Nero had taken over. Unlike his parents, who had strictly distanced themselves from the mafia business and would never have dared to attack the Morettis, Nero obviously pursued a different tactic. He interfered in the Moretti's business, so much so that Luca had gradually ordered me to kill important Castello henchmen. This had not had the desired effect and now Nero Castello himself was on my hit list.

I still didn't know exactly how best to wriggle out of this situation. If what Luca said was true, and according to what Nero had said, he didn't like dragging innocent people into his business. I was far from innocent, but mercy was a weakness and if he spared people, maybe he would spare a woman like me. I wouldn't reveal my dark depths to him.

The door to my left opened and Nero Castello entered the room alone. He was still wearing the suit, which told me that I hadn't been unconscious for too long.

He was a muscular man and he looked anything but bad. But he could hardly be more different from Luca in terms of looks. Luca made no secret of his viciousness to the outside world. Everything about him looked dangerous. Castello, on the other hand, looked almost unconcerned as he leaned against the table in front of me.

"What did you give me?" I demanded to know.

"Only a light anesthetic. Safety first."

"And that's why you're tying me to an old wooden chair with duct tape?"

"I can replace the tape with wire that slowly cuts into your skin if you prefer. But I don't think that will be necessary. After all, we just want to have a nice chat."

"Nice? Luca, you were going to shoot him for what I did."

"For what you claim to have done."

"You don't believe me."

"Why should I? I know the Morettis. I knew Giano. I know Luca. I know his men. But you,Lavanda, I've never seen you before, and believe me, I would have noticed you. A woman has no place in the mafia."

"A very simple-minded view, don't you think?"

"Not at all. However, two things bother me about you."

"Which are?"

"You were armed and this situation seems normal to you. Far too normal. If you were one of Luca's bed bunnies, you'd be whimpering and begging me to spare your life."

"That's not going to happen."

"And why not?"

"It has something to do with pride, but very few men understand that."

He laughed and looked amused.

I scrutinized him. I hadn't expected him to really just want to talk. But someone who didn't use violence usually tried to achieve their goal on a different level. Manipulation. But even that wasn't something I couldn't handle.

"So, to make one thing clear at the beginning: Unlike the Morettis, I have principles. Innocent civilians are not among my victims. Tell me that what happened earlier was a cover-up for Moretti and I'll let you go. Instead, I'll go after the real culprit. You have my word. However, I also expect an explanation for the gun and your behavior. A truthful explanation."

"Luca has nothing to do with the murders," I said firmly.

"But you?"

"I want your word that you'll let Luca Moretti live unscathed. Then you'll get your explanation."

He thought about it and actually agreed: "My curiosity wins out in this case. Moretti will give me plenty of reasons to kill him in the future. I'll give him a free pass for this one. You have my word. On the condition that you tell me the truth."

"Good."

"So?" He folded his arms.

"I know the details of the murders because I was the shooter."

His lips puckered, "Oh, please."

"As you so aptly pointed out earlier, Giano Moretti was not made to use a weapon. He always kept me in the shadows. Nobody would have guessed that a woman was capable of murder."

"Are you saying that Giano placed the orders?"

"Every single one."

"It's an open secret that Luca Moretti was already calling the shots during his father's lifetime. Giano was not a good fighter, but he was a clever man. His son, on the other hand, is impulsive. Even without my intervention, he will plunge the Moretti family into the abyss. Having my men murdered suits him much better than Giano."

"You said it yourself. Giano was clever. He would have been pretty stupid if he'd let anyone look at his cards. I was the ace Giano had up his sleeve. Not even Luca knew about the murders. At least until Giano died. Then I had to tell him about it so he could understand why you killed him."

"Now that Giano's dead, you seem to have ended up right with his son, which isn't much better. I know Luca well enough to know that he's always wanted to see me fall. So what's he going to try this time to achieve his goal?"

I leaned back and grimaced mockingly: "Let me make one thing clear. I'm telling you about the murders. That's what I did. That's all you'll hear from me. I will never betray Luca Moretti. Under no circumstances."

"How has this man of all people earned the loyalty of such a strong young woman?"

Strong? I had to stifle a laugh. Luca Moretti had broken me. That wasn't strength. That was indifference. I didn't care what they did, what Nero did, what Luca did, what Emilio did.

"Do you love him?"

I flinched in surprise at the question and couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"What's so funny about that?"

"You said you knew Luca. Then tell me, how can you love someone like him?"

He frowned thoughtfully until his gaze fell on my lip: "Loyalty comes in many different ways. You can earn it or you can make sure that you are so feared that no one dares to betray you. With violence, for example."

"I'm not the victim here, Nero. I'm the killer."

"And yet you got a good slap in the face. Was it Moretti?"

I remained silent.

"Lavanda ..."

"You won't hear anything from me. I've said everything I had to say. Now do whatever you have to do."

Nero pushed himself off the table and drew his gun.

I felt the cool barrel on my forehead and closed my eyes.

He took the safety off and I heard him pull the trigger. It clicked and ... nothing.

I opened my eyes abruptly.

Nero had stepped back and smiled, "You just proved two things to me."

"You wanker!" I hissed.

"You would die for Moretti. And above all, you would rather die than go back to him."

With these words, he turned around and left the room. He had won this mind game.

I waited for quite a while and listened. But I didn't hear any voices or noises. I certainly wasn't going to wait for this to go into the second round. So I started to work on my restraints. I bent forward with my upper body so that I could reach my earring with my bound hand. It was a square tapered diamond. I pulled the stud out of my ear and used it to work on the tape. It took less than two minutes before I was free and put the earring back on.

The door was locked. I had heard Nero turn a key exactly once. It was an old lock, so it was child's play. I pulled two hairpins out of my hair and picked the lock in seconds.

The corridor behind the door was empty. It was a basement. Several doors branched off from the corridor. One of them was open. I saw a basement window that led into a shaft. The shaft was barely a meter deep. I wasn't far underground. I ran towards it, opened the window, pulled myself up and quickly climbed through. I paused briefly in the shaft and listened. Nothing could be heard. It was suspiciously quiet.

I pushed aside the grating on the shaft and heaved myself out of the shaft onto the grass. It was dark night. I was at the side of an elegant building that looked like a castle in the darkness. But I didn't take the time to look at it in peace. There were lights burning behind some of the windows. Otherwise, the property was sparsely lit. I spotted a forest directly adjacent to the estate and took off running. As fast and as far as I could.

At some point I came to a road and was able to get my bearings. I was outside the city in the mountains. Only a few miles from the edge of the city, though. I wondered what I should do. Luca was pissed off. That hadn't escaped my notice when I was dragged away. And I knew that Emilio also had unfinished business. I didn't want to see either of them. I would allow myself a short break. After all, they didn't know that I had escaped. And if they did, I would just tell them that I had injured my foot and had taken several days to get back to the villa.

I walked on without stopping until I reached a posh residential area on the outskirts of the city. Milena, a friend of mine, lived here. When I thought about it, she was the only friend I still had.

I took the elevator to the eighth floor. When I stood in front of her apartment, the sun was just coming up. I knocked.

It took a few minutes, but she finally opened the door, sleepily dressed in her robe.

But as soon as she saw me, she opened her eyes: "Holy shit, Cams!"

I had to look ready from the hour-long jog through the forest. I had thrown away my high heels, so my feet were bloody, and my blouse was torn by some bushes. "Can I come in?" I asked, exhausted.

"Of course!" She stepped aside.

I shuffled into the apartment and flopped down on a sofa in the spacious kitchen-living room. Milena hurried into the kitchen and came back with a carafe of water and crackers: "Do you want me to call a doctor?"

"Oh heavens, no!" I poured myself a glass of water and drank it down in one go. "Stupid story. My car broke down outside the city and I had no cell phone or money with me. That's why I had to walk here. I tripped and busted my lip in the process."

"Ah yes." She looked skeptical.

"Can I stay for a while?"

She raised an eyebrow: "Do I get the rest of the story then? Looks like a huge fight with a guy to me."

"Something like that." I laughed softly.

"Stay as long as you want and make yourself at home, Cams. We haven't seen each other for so long. Now we can finally make up for lost time."

No sooner said than done. As it was Saturday morning, we spent the whole weekend with Milena on the sofa. We drank wine, she told me about her job, her godchildren, her new acquaintances and we had a really good time. Even though I didn't have much to say, or rather couldn't say much, it was good to talk to a normal person.

Milena left for work early on Monday morning. She had to go to the office. She worked as an architect for a large property developer and wouldn't be home until late. I slept in and then went to the bathroom for a while. I did my eyebrows and put on my make-up. Then I rummaged through her closet and discovered some pieces of mine that I had left here earlier. Milena's father was in politics, just like mine. We used to give each other alibis when we stole away to parties.

I had to smile sadly at the memories of such a normal life. But it didn't help. My life had changed.

I slipped into a pair of tight leather jeans, high heels and a top that could easily pass for a bra. I stopped in front of the mirror. When I turned around, I saw the scars on my back flashing out like a bad omen. I shook myself, went to the wardrobe and quickly threw on a loose white blouse that hid my back.

That's when I heard the door open. I looked at the clock. 2:50 pm.

"Hey, you're back early!" I walked into the living room.

"I would have come sooner if you had told me you were hiding here."

I stood there transfixed. Luca was standing in the middle of the living room. He held Milena by the arm. She avoided my gaze.

I swallowed, "Let her go."

"You don't need to defend her at all." He pushed her onto the sofa. "She betrayed you right away."

"Milena ..."

She looked up: "I'm sorry..."

"Get out!" Luca shouted at her.

She jumped up, ran into the bedroom and slammed the door.

He came up to me.

I tried to stand my ground and resist the urge to flinch: "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?"

He stopped in front of me: "A birdie told me that you had run away Castello. I waited at home, but guess who didn't turn up. I could count on one hand where you went, because God knows you don't have many friends. So I visited your friend at work and asked nicely after you."

"I know yournice questions."

"She would have been spared that if you had shown up. But you didn't! Was this supposed to be escape attempt number two?" He grabbed me by the back of the neck.

"Nero is looking for me first!"

"Oh, he did too."

"Oh really?" I swallowed. "When?"

"Saturday. He was slightly out of tune." Luca pointed to a hematoma under his eye, which I had completely ignored until then.

"Luca, I ..."

"We'll talk more at home." He pushed me towards the door. "Diego's waiting downstairs with the car."

I just nodded wanly and admitted defeat for a second time within a few days.

The return journey was in absolute silence. Luca didn't make a sound. Diego stopped at some point in front of the villa on the cliffs. I got out and went into the house.

"Mila!" Luca followed me into the entrance hall.

I stopped and turned around.

Unprepared, I was hit in the face with a punch that made my lip bleed again: "That was for not coming home."

He struck a second time and hit my left cheekbone: "And that was for what you did here on Friday! I could whip you for that!"

"Luca ..."

"No, Mila! What kind of action was that? You're our secret weapon. What don't you understand about secret?" he shouted at me. "You gave our enemy the only trump card we had left!"

"He would have shot you!"

"He wouldn't have shot."

"Of course he would have!" I shouted back angrily. "Didn't you see it in his eyes? If I hadn't done anything, you'd be dead as a doornail!"

"And you couldn't think of anything better than to give him the truth?" Luca hissed back. "Why is he still breathing at all? You should kill him!"

"Oh, sorry, but I was a little too busy saving your ass!" I snapped at him, my eyes burning into his. "I won't waste any more time on that next time. Don't worry."

"Mila ..." He wanted to hold me.

"No, Luca!Onestamente, vaffanculo!"(No, Luca! Honestly, fuck you.)

I bumped into him and stomped past him angrily.

I leaned my arms on the railing of the terrace and looked out over the sea that was beating against the rocks below me. I took a deep drag of my cigarette and puffed the smoke into the night.

The sun would soon rise and I still hadn't slept a wink.

I heard footsteps behind me and shortly afterwards Luca stepped up next to me. He took the cigarette from me, took a drag and flicked it into the darkness. I straightened up and turned to him. He gently put his hand around my neck, pulled me to him and kissed me. I returned the kiss, albeit cautiously, because I was still very angry with him. Luca seemed to sense this and provoked me by caressing my tongue with his. He provocatively bit my lip and pulled on it. Why was it so easy for him to appease me? I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned the kiss fierily. I wanted him to burn himself on me, to feel that I wouldn't forgive him so easily. Our bodies were pressed close together and it was strange and beautiful at the same time to be so close to him after I had felt his fist just a few hours ago.

When Luca's hand stroked along the hem of my blouse, I held on to it. He detached himself from me breathlessly.

"I see," he said in a rough voice, gave me a kiss on the forehead and moved slightly away.

I pulled out a new cigarette and changed to my original position.

Luca cleared his throat: "We need to talk about this. I need to know what he wanted."

"You mean you need to know if you need to send Emilio to me?"

"Mila, please. I'm trying to solve this sensibly. You know I could have called Emilio a long time ago."

"Charming, Luca." I looked out to sea. "Nero was about to go back and shoot you. He didn't believe a word I said here. I made a deal with him. I tell him the truth about the murders and he lets you live unscathed. Looks like he kept his word. Fortunately, you're still alive."

"That's not what you said earlier."

"Did you give me the chance? No."

"You know what I'm like, Mila."

"Damn right, but I'm tired of being the first port of call when you're in a bad mood! Take it out on Stefano or Diego or whoever for a change. Not just on me! Your impulsiveness is no excuse for anything." I expelled the smoke.

"Be glad I'm apologizing to you at all. I'm your boss."

I just snorted. Had I missed something? When had he apologized?

"What exactly did you tell Castello?"

"That Giano ordered the murders. You're out of the picture. He knows that I killed them and that I'm a good shot, but he still doesn't believe it. But he doesn't know anything else."

"So he doesn't know that you're my sniper and my bodyguard?"

"No."