Chapter 113

Luca’s POV

“What exactly do you plan to say or do when you see your father?”, I asked, creasing my eyebrow at Marabella. Mara shrugged as she walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. She frowned at it as she popped the cap off and took a large swallow of it. “I haven’t thought that far ahead, yet. I figured I would let whatever came to mind come out of my mouth”, she threw her hands out to the side in a shrug.

I sighed as I shook my head. “You can’t do that, love. You have to go in there with a clear mind. With clear questions in your head for him. Otherwise, the conversation will sway, it’ll get choppy, and you won’t get any answers out of him”, I informed her, with a gentleness to my tone.

“My mind is too clustered for that right now”, she frowned, looking down at her feet. “Let’s go for a walk then”, I suggested, holding my hand out for her. She placed her hand in mine, and followed beside me. “What do you want to know from him, piccolo?”, I questioned, trying to get her mind on one thing. “I want to know why? Why did he do everything he did to me? You are strong and your father was present”, she said, choking up with tears.

Pain hit my heart, gripping it tightly. “I know, baby girl”, I said softly, pulling her closer to me and wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “But, that doesn’t mean your life would have been any easier with him in your life. In fact, it most likely would have been much worse, love”, I said in a low voice.

Marabella sighed as she followed along next to me. “You’re right. Then what should we really be focusing on?”, she asked, looking up at me. I could see how lost she felt through her irises. “We should start by trying to locate his compound and find out how many men he has on his side. This will give us an advantage. Let us know where we stand”, I said calmly.

I led her through the garden, the place where everyone seems to go to clear their minds. This place seemed to have that effect. “I want them all dead, him included”, Marabella said, taking me by surprise. “Are you sure?”, I asked, arching an eyebrow at her. She nodded her head, “Yeah, there isn’t anything I want from him or his posse”, she answered.

I understood where she came from, but I still worried about her decision. She doesn’t realize the damage she can cause herself by doing this. Yes, he made her life a living hell. Yes, he made her mother’s life a living hell. Do I think he deserves to die? Absolutely. However, I also feel like there may be things that Mara will want to know from him. Maybe old traumas that she needs to heal from, and needs answers for in order to do that. It’s hard to explain, but I can feel it. I know the time will come.

The question is not even when the time will come, but can I keep him alive long enough to make it to that day? “Marabella”, I whispered, sitting on the bench by the pond. I pulled her down into my lap. “Yes?”, she uttered. “I agree that your father deserves to die. However, I have a gut feeling that you are going to have questions for him later. Can you trust me and hold off on killing him?”, I asked calmly.

Marabella frowned as she looked at the pond. “I can’t see myself having any questions for him”, Mara muttered under her breath. “What about you being kidnapped as a child?”, I asked gently. I know that it is a sensitive subject for her. But I also know that she never got answers for that. It did still bother her, that was obvious in the way she had talked about it.

Mara groaned as she relaxed into me. “Fuck”, she whispered. I rubbed my hands up and down her arms, letting her curse slip this time. “Fine”, she answered. “I see your point”. I grinned at her, knowing that I had finally made it through her hard head. “Good girl”, I whispered, wrapping my arms around her.

“When we walk in there. I need you to try and hold a poker face. It’s one of the most important tactics for interrogation. If he knows that he can get through your barrier and affect you. He will do everything in his power to break you. Do you understand me?”, I asked. “Yes sir”, she muttered, nodding her head. “Good. Do you want me to lead it?”, I questioned. She nodded as she peeked up at me through her eyelashes.

I nodded, “I can do that, piccola”, I whispered. “Thank you. I am not sure if I have the stomach for it at the moment”, she admitted. “I love how honest you are with me. I believe that’s very important for our relationship. So, thank you for telling me that”, I said, admiring her strength in relying on me.

When she is honest with me about how she feels, and her strength levels, then it allows me to step in and take over. Giving us a higher success rate in completing our task at hand. I don’t expect her to be strong all the time. She needs time to rest and recover. This is a stressful life that I have provided her with.

“Mara, you need to mentally prepare yourself for the mind games that he will most likely try to play on you”, I warned. “My mother played mind games with me my whole life. I don’t think it’s going to matter what he says to me. He wasn’t in my life to actually mean something to me”, she shrugged.

I studied her closely, trying to decipher if those were her true feelings, or the ones of a hurt little girl. Mara watched the ripples that spread across the pond. Her eyes shimmered with pain. Immediately telling me what I had feared. She was responding out of pure hurt. If he says the wrong thing to her, it’ll push her over the edge.

So how am I going to protect her from that? Do I take her back inside and go by myself, or do I allow her to come and chance him sending her off the deep end? Fuck. I sighed heavily, as I argued with my innerself. “Tell me, piccola, what should I do? Because I really don’t think you can handle a meeting with your father right now. It’s late, you are tired, I’m tired. Therefore, not at 100%”, I murmured, cupping her chin.

Marabella frowned, “Can you really see through me like that?”, she whispered. “Yes”, I answered. Her not arguing with me about going is another big tell-tale sign. “Alright, how about this?”, I began, ready to make a deal with this woman. “We get a shower, and some rest. Then, first thing in the morning, we will handle any business that needs to be attended to”, I suggested. Marabella looked from my eyes, down my nose and to my lips before she nodded. I sighed with relief that it didn’t turn into a fight with her.

“Good girl”, I whispered, kissing her softly. “Can we sit here for a little bit longer?”, she asked meekly. “Absolutely, piccola”, I agreed, holding onto her. I cherish moments like these with her, because unfortunately, I never know how long they may last. Especially with how things have been recently.

The moon was at it’s peak in the sky. A beautiful full moon reflected off of the pond, casting the perfect amount of light around us. Illuminating our surroundings.