Chapter 32

“Get out,” Luca shouted to the other guy.

The guy looked at Maisie for a second and shook his head. Without saying another word, the guy stood up and left. The sound of the door cracking as it shut echoed throughout the silent room. Maisie felt her breathing quicken as her eyes bore into Luca’s. He stood there staring at her as though they were strangers. His eyes looked vacant of emotions. Maisie felt foolish forever believing he once felt something for her. But who was she to kid herself? Looking back at things now. She never fully knew him.

Seeing the emptiness in his eyes she could already guess her answer. Maisie releases a snort. She leaned her head forward and began shaking it from side to side. The laughter that erupted from her throat sounded forced but heartbreaking.

She suddenly stopped and jerked her head up in his direction.

“What someone paid you to do this, it was all for money or no… no, let me guess, you did this for revenge. You could not get your hands on my brother and now you are using me as bait?” She paused for a mere second. She stared into his eyes, but he only looked back at her emotionlessly. She was screaming inside for him to tell her she should play along with his plan and that he would get her out, but she knew that was her own wishful thinking. She needed to stop and face reality. She was now in this fucking mess because of herself and had no one to blame but herself.

“DON’T JUST STARE AT ME. YOU CAN AT LEAST TELL ME WHY THE FUCK I AM HERE.” Maisie cried out.

Luca stood rooted like a fool. For some reason, he could not get himself to move toward her. He could not even get himself to open his darn mouth and shout back that she was nothing to him. ‘She was just a job, another woman he has used. She was simply born into the wrong family and loved and doted on by the wrong person. Why does he need to get blamed for this?’ He thought to himself. But he could not get himself to say anything. He never meant to hit her in the car. But he had to try and convince himself that she meant nothing to him. He has had a lot of women before. He treated them like dirt so why every time he thinks of Maisie his heart clenches. ‘NO. NO. Stop with all these bullshit thoughts.’ Luca screamed inside his head. He felt suffocated, like she was taking up all the air in the room. The last time he felt like this was the day his mother’s died. ‘Why are all these feeling flooding back to me now?’

The loud sound of the door bursting open and banging against the wall shook both attention to it.

Luca suddenly stood straight and bowed his head. “Boss,” Luca greeted.

Maisie's brow furrowed as she looked at the man standing in the doorway. She narrowed her eyes making sure her eyes were not playing tricks on her. The room was instantly filled with the smell of tobacco. It seems the man was a heavy smoker.

The man looked with a cold expression at Luca, without greeting back he turned his focus to Maisie.

“Maisie Rodriguez… I hope your stay with us has been pleasant.” The man said. His raspy voice made unpleasant chills run over Maisie. His voice was anything but pleasant to listen to.

Maisie looked at the man and silently took in his appearance. The man looked as though he was in a fatal fire accident and had barely escaped. The left side of his face was burned. The scars still looked as though they were still healing. The redness in them could not be ignored. He had no eyebrows or eyelashes. The only thing that looked decent on him was the black suit he was wearing. ‘He does look somewhat familiar,” Maisie thought to himself.

The man took three steps forward then stop. “Oh, I’m sorry. You probably can’t recognize me. Let me introduce myself as you have probably heard of me. I’m Leo Labrato.”

Hearing him saying his name Maisie thought she had misheard. Seeing her confused expression Leo continued,”

“No, I am not dead.”

“Leo - Leo Labrato? But, but how…? Maisie whispered. As his name left her lips, she wished she could swallow them back immediately. The expression on Leo’s face turned even uglier.

“Unfortunately for that bitch, that did this to me. I am still alive.”