ISABELLA'S POV
Marko's eyes blaze with anger after the mocking tone I use.
"Even if you hide me under the ocean, my Sydney will always find me." I taunt enjoying it. "Do you know why?" Marko's eyes don't leave mine but I notice him clenching his fists from the corner of my eye. "I am his. And he'll always destroy whoever touches what's his."
The gunshots increase and become louder. Marko screams in frustration and I smirk. "He'll get you Marko Russo. And I'll be the one to end you as he holds you down." His eyes shift to my belly and I see a smirk form in his mouth.
"I see the water Ringo gave you is working." I furrow my eyebrows in confusion until.
"What water? And who's Ringo?" I question. There's no water I was given.
"The drinking water that you ate with your 'lunch'." Marko clarifies and makes a sign of quotation marks on the word lunch but I start laughing.
"You mean the water he poured on me?"
"WHAT? You didn't drink it?" I shake my head no and laugh. "He said she drank the whole bottle." He says to himself but I catch the words.
"Ah. The taste of betrayal. How is it?" I mock but he comes and slaps me hard. Ouch! Could've just told me it hurt rather than showing me. I spit out the saliva mixed with blood in disgust. 'Now I have an aching cheek too.' I groan internally.
He yanks me and opens the chain around my wrist. "Let's get going! " He takes his phone and calls someone. "il cazzo di elicottero è qui?" He stops talking and eyes me. "Porta Ringo al quartier generale. È una talpa." (Is the fucking helicopter here?) (Get Ringo to headquarters. He's a mole.)
I don't understand anything but his grip on my hand tightens making me wince. My tummy is now hurting and I'm so worried about my baby. Oh Sydney. Where are you?
"Hurry up, fucking bitch." Marko sneers and moves even faster.
"I can't." I want to tell him my tummy hurts but I don't. He might take it as an advantage. He moves the rusty bed to another side revealing an old door on the ground. "Brilliant." I praise mentally. We go through the secret door to the underground. I take longer since I'm pregnant and in pain.
"Fucking slow down Marko. I'm pregnant." I hiss when he pulls me roughly but of course, he doesn't care. The narrow underground route is so dark and smelly. I wonder how he's moving so fast without a flashlight on.
"I'm tired." Can't he see that? I'm struggling here. We finally reach a locked door. Marko lets go off my hand to take out what I assume are keys. Should I fight him now since I'm free? But my baby... Before I finish my thought my hand is yanked roughly again by his stiff and rough hands. Sydney is a Mafia lord but still has soft hands. I'm so tempted to ask Marko if he works at the construction site. Who knows. He might be a builder? But uses his bare hands without something to protect them to carry the stones.
'No, no, no don't think of how he got those bad hands Isabella. Focus.' I scold myself. we climb up a lot of stairs for about five minutes and end up behind another door. I hear something like blades slashing through the air on the other side the door.
Marko opens the door with another key and pulls me to follow him. Oh no! We're going into a helicopter. Looks like I'm flying with Marko. "Where are you Sydney?" I mutter under my breath as I rub my belly soothingly with my free hand to release some pain.
Marko orders something in Italian and turns to me aggressively. "Get inside. No funny business." He tells me sternly.
"You're funny." I retort but he only moves aside and a large man covered in tattoos takes me. "Don't fucking touch me." I hiss.
"Don't cuss. Your baby can hear you." He smirks and the first thing I notice is his accent.
"You're not Italian?" I question as he handcuffs me. "Hey, don't handcuff me." I say even though I know he'll do nothing. Wow! I'm so talkative these days. The man says nothing and takes me to the helicopter and places large headphones on my head.
I feel a sharp pain in my abdomen. Is it time? No. It can't be. I just turned eight months. Will it be the same as my mum? Early birth due to trauma? "Oh God. Oh God. Oh God." I'm panicking.
"Breath in." I follow what the voice tells me. "Out." We continue for a couple of minutes till I feel better. I can't believe I almost had an anxiety attack. It's been months since I had one. I open my eyes amd see the large man!
"Thanks." I shout through the sound of blades cutting through air. He gives me a curt nod and gets in next to me. I look around and notice Marko is gone but I see a hand holding a pipe. Looks like someone is trying to get up to the roof. Could it be Sydney? I scream and the large man moves to me.
"I'm scared of heights." I say. Lie. I notice the pilot is looking at me in annoyance and I internally smirk. "Can I have a minute to get myself together?" I ask shyly. I knew I should have gotten a drama degree. I'm such an actress. "It's okay if you don't understand. I mean this is a lot to take in when you're pregnant and going to do something that you fear the most." I shut my eyes and exhale and say unrecognizable things under my breath pretending to panic. I open my eyes and look at them then the large man just shrugs and the pilot who looks undecided takes a minute before he exhales. "Okay. A minute. Nothing more." I smile gratefully.
I look ahead but at the corner of my eye I register the movements happening outside. "Your minute is up." I hope I bought enough time. "Thanks so much. I think I'm now ready." The pilot looks in front without a word and starts pressing buttons. I see the large man take a piece of paper from my peripheral view and moves closer to me. He drops it down and bends after it. He comes up.
" You heard what boss said. No funny business." He says as he tilts his head towards my feet and I look at him in confusion until realization dawns on me. I lean and see the paper wide open with words.
The American Mafia will be here for you. I'll help you if you promise to do something for me.
l look at him in shock and nod. He brings his hand for me to shake and I take mine cautiously and shake his sealing whatever it is we're sealing. He then gets up gets his gun out and shoots the pilot through the head.
"Marko has my sister at his headquarters. Cataliya Richardson. Send your men to get her and give her this letter." I nod and shakily take the envelope with my handcuffed hands. "Tell her Luis sent you." I nod again. We both look outside and notice Sydney's men are here. "Good acting by the way." Luis says and my eyes widen in shock. He noticed? "You had an anxiety attack earlier. Cataliya has them so I can detect a fake one." He explains and I nod.
He takes my arm and I flinch. "Act along." He says and I nod. I was just talkative some minutes ago but Luis just made me speechless. Shocker. I look out and see the men confused as they point their guns at the helicopter. Luis opens the door and gets me out making the pain in my stomach ten times worse and he stops.
"I think I might be going to labour soon. Let's get this over with." I say and he only looks at my face for some time before he gives me a curt nod.
"Shoot and I kill her." He says his voice booming and I jump a little. The door breaks and a limping Sydney comes through. He has blood covering his shirt. A cry escapes me. "Sydney." The pain in my belly intensifies and I fall in pain on my knees.
"Izzy." Sydney shouts and runs to me but stops when Luis points a gun at me.
"Don't move closer." Luis says.
"Sydney. He helped. Let him go." I cry and Sydney glares at Luis. "Sydney. Help me. Let him go." I shout and Sydney looks at me in panic.
"Go! Get out of here." Sydney shouts at Luis and Luis moves back cautiously. Everybody follows his movements and he eyes them. This is taking long and I'm in pain. Eventually he goes through the door.
"Follow him." Sydney orders and before anyone moves I shout. "Nobody move. Go to the Italians headquarters and get me a girl. Cataliya Richardson. And kill everyone else." I add to my order. The men look at Sydney in question.
"You heard your queen." Sydney shouts and everyone moves. Fast. Sydney runs to me and takes me into his arms. Safe. Heaven.
"Sydney. It hurts." I cry before everything goes black.