"You looked confused." He laughed and pulled a chair over to sit directly in front of me. "Okay let me catch you up, you got into a car accident, slipped into a coma for roughly 6 months, left Cosa Nostra without a Padrino, oh and didn't attend your Daddy's funeral. Today is the 12th of September."
"Sounds about right." The woman replied.
Coma? 6...6 months. So I was right, my Dad was gone. Why didn't the family elect a new Padrino?
"Here's the catch, doll. We need you to join Stidda." He stated. Ha! Give up my name for Stidda? He must be crazy.
I burst out laughing which made him angry. He slapped me across the face then threatened, "That wasn't funny. It's either rot in that room we kept you in or join our families together."
"Why me? Why didn't you just kill me and claim the glory?"
"Cuore, you are more valuable alive than dead!" He yelled then grabbed hold of my face. "Plus there are better uses for a pretty face like yours."
I turned my head to the side and saw Alexio across the room. He didn't even seem bothered by what this man had just implied. He kept his gaze down and remained on his knees. They had broken him.
"Ah, yes. That one took quite a while to tame." The man added when he realised I was watching Alexio. "Months of torture and he still refused to give up any information. Now he's just a brainless sack of bones."
I hissed when he said that and tried to break free from the chair.
"I'm going to kill you!" I shouted and struggled against the ropes that held me back.
"You know I never expected much from you. Yes, we all heard the stories of the slayer Cuore, or should I say, Taylen Nova." He smirked. How... how did he know my birth name? My father had banned that knowledge from the family back when I was 11. It was to protect my identity and I was known as Cuore Nova from that day forth. No one knew my name. Not even Alexio.
"Yes, we know your name. Your father muttered it just before he passed away, the priest had given us that information after a bit of... persuasion. You see, I can answer all the questions you want and give you all the names you need because I know that you are never going to leave here alive."
"You still underestimate me," I remarked. The ropes around my hands were beginning to loosen ever so slightly. The Stidda was known, for one thing, their stupidity.
"Enough small talk. You will join us; you will return home and take your place as Padrino. Then declare our families as allies. We want the power and strength of Cosa Nostra, but we need the fear people feel when the name Cuore surfaces."
"Good luck with that. I won't ever let us become allies." I barked.
"Stubborn girl!" The woman muttered and dragged Alexio closer to me. "I know torturing you won't get us anywhere, but making you watch him..."
"Don't you dare." I interrupted.
"Then tell us the names of the major members of Cosa Nostra." She demanded and pulled out my dagger and held it to Alexio's throat.
"Your mom, and his future daughter," I replied. She grunted and stabbed the dagger into my leg. I flinched but refused to cry out, never let them see it hurts.
"Where is the meeting location of your family?" She asked while pulling the dagger out and held it up full of my blood. Shit, that stun.
"Beautiful isn't it?" I asked and gave her a smile.
"You are fucking crazy."
"Enough. Last chance Cuore, talk or else we kill him." The man thundered. Blood started to flow from Alexio's throat as the woman moved my dagger deeper into his skin.
"Omertá," I whispered as a tear ran down my face. The code of silence.
Alexio's eyes flew closed as she cut deeper and slit this throat. I watched him drown in his own blood and shouted his name while the life drained from his body. My hands were finally free so I flipped over which broke the chair. I then grabbed my dagger and slit the woman's throat and proceeded to snap the man's neck with my feet all in one swift movement.
I grabbed their guns and fired at the remaining people in the shed. I quickly tied my hair into a bun and stuck my dagger through to keep it all together. It was a trick I had learnt to hide away my dagger at events. I gathered up bullets from the bodies and turned to look at Alexio for one last second.
I stormed out of the shed with guns blazing as Stidda members realised what was happening. I had an excellent aim, bodies fell from one single bullet and the ones who got close enough had their necks broken. I dropped the Tommy guns I had and pulled out the pistols I shoved into the waistband of the tights I had on. I flipped over the line of guards that came my way and shot each of them while I was in the air.
I then grabbed a grenade from the one guard, flipped him over and crushed his chest as I landed. I pulled the pin and threw it into the building in front of me. I sprinted away and was thrown aside by the explosion.
I had a second of recovery as I ducked down behind a barrel. I was out of bullets. My left arm was hit and blood oozed out of the bullet wound. I quickly pulled my hair free and held my dagger in my hand. Today was the day I was going to die, but at least I would die fighting.
"Ah!" I screamed and readied myself for close contact defence. I stood up but nothing was around me, I was surrounded by a black unknown.