CHAPTER 19

When I entered my room I found her lying in a fetal position, closed like a shell, occupying a piece as small as her body in my huge bed.

She looked so sweet, it was disgusting.

I was very angry with myself, for caring, for not having ordered Lorenzo to solve the problem right there, and even more for seeing his innocent expression. No, she was not innocent, Ellie ploughed behind my back, went to him myself saying that she would kill him in front of her, she kissed him and let him touch her.

They are all like that, they never have choices, they say.

She slept, her sobs said how much she had cried, it remained to be seen why.

— What made you think you could fool me like that?

She got up in an awkward jump, kneeling on the bed.

— Riccardo! I... I, I'm sorry, I didn't want to disobey you, but he threatened Alex, I had to go, please forgive me!

— Lie — I grabbed your hair tossing it to the floor — I don't believe you, you're like them, it's like your brothers. You are worth as much as they are. — I hit her with the back of my hand, and I felt a boiling rage for losing control of my actions — You made me waste my time Ellie, and it makes me very angry.

— Maybe I'm like them Riccardo, but they are all I have, I couldn't let them die, I did what I had to do.

— And I will like what I have to do, now tell me a story Ellie, one that is worth listening to.

— What you want to know?

— Everything, start with your family.

She told about the death of her parents, and the death of her sister when her nephew was only eight, how she took care of him, but her brother took him the wrong way, said she tried to do the right thing, and even when she got involved with Diego she didn't know what he did until he set her up, but it was when her brother was threatened with death that she agreed to submit to Diego for a while until she paid the debt, but the idiot never gave up.

She gave herself to the bastard just as she submitted to me for her nephew. Either Ellie is the biggest liar on the planet or the most selfless of human beings. I prefer to think that she is a liar and that she was cheating on me.

— What did he want with you besides getting into your panties?

— He wanted to know who you are? And if you had anything to do with the money that André appeared with him that time.

— Explain this!

— He wanted to know who you are, what you do and I said I wouldn't say, that's why he kissed me he said he would make me remember who's in charge, I knew I was in trouble and that you would know what happened, so I hit him, and he freaked out, tore my clothes, and ... and, he tried — she gasped at the words. — I just said no to him. I can't find my nephew, he doesn't answer the phone, and neither did André, I was afraid, so I went there.

— Why didn't you tell me or Lorenzo? He would have investigated you feared him, but not me, bad choice girl.

— I'm so sorry.

— You must feel it, I'm going to hear another story now, hope I like your story more, or your life ends here. — I swore to leave the room leaving her in a pit of lamentations.

In the basement, I was facing the brave Diego, a drug dealer, and a girl scout.

Reception, robbery, possession of weapons, and murders were some of his criminal offences, I could hand him over to the police and receive a medal for that.

But the idiot touched what was not his to touch, she is mine and no one touches what is mine, I want his hands, I want his eyes, I want his balls, and fuck, I want to rip his mind off with any thought he has about her.

— Who are you? Oh, you're the black starter, what do you want man, do you take my girl and still want to have the right to be offended?

— Go on, I don't need any more reasons to end your pathetic existence, but I'll give you a chance, tell the truth and I'll let you die fast.

— You're crazy bro! I have nothing with you. I even thought you were just a little house of hers, just cash, you know, the brother's nutcase is always putting Preta in these stolen ones.

— What do you have against her brother?

— He is a lifeless addict, the idiot “plays too much” he spent my goods it was my right to charge the bastard, but I told him I would clean his record if he brought it to me, and he did it, I don't know how he convinced her, but Preta came back to me for a while.

— Was she your girlfriend?

— It was in high school, but I hit the ball with her, and she dumped me.

— What did you do?

— No big deal, I just kept some goods at her house, but she managed to prove they were mine, they were inside a backpack with other things from me, she was good, she knows the type who works and studies and as we were not there was nothing at the time.

— But you wanted her again, why?

— I like her man, she's not just hot, she's the type of girl that makes you want to be better off ca, that of lust and anger as well. The problem is that Preta doesn't care about someone like me if you want to take the strength, and as she does anything for those useless two, I use them to get what I want from her. They don't deserve it, if she weren't so "sweet ass" would I make her my faithful one?

— And you deserve it? — my conscience asked me the same question. Now tell me, what scared you at the Griss nightclub?

— I may have hinted that I wasn't happy.

— What did she do at that party?

— I sent a message for Maria, I just wanted to see her, ''bro'' she was cool, but when I tried to kiss her she cursed me said I didn't know the shit that had stuck us both, and that I was rubbish, ''bro'' she made fun of me, I lost my mind.

— You threatened her nephew, is that why she came to you?

— Okay, I think that was it, I said that and if it wasn't, the blondie would be stuck the next morning with so many drugs that he would spend twenty years behind bars, it always works for her.

— I will ask her a question, if it is satisfactory I will let you go.

— You can do what you want. I said everything I had to say.

Later I went back to my room Ellie was still curled up in the corner of the room when I entered her swollen and wounded eyes stared at me pleadingly.

— Come — I ordered giving space for her to follow me.

Upon entering the basement she first opened her eyes wide, looking at the pathetic figure of the ex in front of her, then she knelt before him and begged, not me for his worthless life, but begged him for news of his nephew.

— What did you do with him, Diego? Because you don't leave us alone.

— Tell your boyfriend what he wants to know, I have nothing to do with Alex, I don't know where he is.

— You said you were with him, did you lie? Did you lie again?

— It always works for you, my Preta, I call and you come, now settle there with your lover, so we can leave.

She looked at me with empty eyes, as if she no longer wanted to fight or react to anything. It was my answer, I pulled out my gun and threw it between the worm's eyes, she screamed in panic, I don't think she had ever seen anyone die before her, I know how shocking it was the first time.

— I made you a promise Ellie, I told you I would kill him in front of you — I made her stretch until her hands touched the warm blood that came out of the imbecile's head.

— He died because you feared the wrong man, don't do it again this is your second warning.

She was shaking, she was pale, and her eyes were unfocused and in a second she fell and I caught her before she touched the floor.

*****