Chapter 105: Chapter 105

Ever since I was kidnapped, I had slept fitfully, always keeping an eye open for when Rita and her minions would come to torment me. Not that it would stop her - no, but at least I would be somewhat ready. Now that I'm free, I feel a sense of peace steal through me as the hum of the car engine wraps around me. Soon, I few my eyes close as the movement of the car lulls me into a deep sleep.

I don't know what wakes me up but the car has stopped and Ash is coming down. I blink repeatedly to remove the vestiges of sleep still clinging to my eyes and cloudy head before I come down from the car and look around. What I see in front of me gives me pause for thought. It's a plane. Ash is standing in front of it shaking a man's hand as he nods to something he's saying.

He turns to me and beckons for me to come over. My legs feel a little wobbly from being cramped up in the same position for goodness knows how long but I manage to walk over without falling. Ash introduces me to the man as his pilot and I'm not able to keep my bottom jaw from falling open.

After exchanging greetings and the man goes back into the plane, Ash turns to me with a smirk. "Don't look so surprised, I'm not doing so badly that I can't afford one of these." He taps the body of the plane and my mouth opens wider.

"It's really yours?"

He shrugs. "Yep." His gaze turns serious as he cups my face with his two hands. "We're going to Italy, Hazel eyes, we have to-"

"Italy?" I repeat dumbly, the rest of his words not registering because my brain is stuck in a foreign country and it can't get past that.

Ash sighs and his hands drop from around my face and rubs his eyes. He looks tired. "Yes. I'm originally from Italy, and that's where we're going to hide out for a while until things cool down."

Translation = Until the scorned woman stops looking for me.

Although I doubt she will ever stop and I voice my worry. My heart sinks when he doesn't say anything for a few seconds.

"At some point, I might have to kill her."

He says it so casually like it's a chicken he needs to kill and not a human being.

"Don't look so shocked, it's going to be the only way at the end of the day because I promise you, she won't stop."

"Well, you can take your chances now." A female voice rings out from behind me and I freeze.

There are two voices I will forever remember even if I'm woken up from a deep sleep. Alright, three. The first is the chuckling of my baby, the second is Ash's deep voice, and the third. . . is the scorned woman's disgusting whining tone. Chills race up and down my spine as I stand rooted to the spot. Ash, on the other hand, is calm and cool as a cucumber. He even cocks a brow as he turns fully to face her.

"You damn traitor!" Her voice is close. So close, I swear she's right behind me. "You came back into my life to trick me because of this-" I feel the nudge against my skull and I know she's got a gun placed against my head. "Nobody. Sure, she's okay to look at, but me. . ." Her voice breaks at the end but she plods through. "I am a catch, Batista, I've got the beauty, name, as well as the power to back it all up, instead you go for this thing. This nobody!" I feel two more sharp nudges to my head.

"This is between you and me, Rita, just let her go and we can settle this between us."

She cackles loudly. "You made it her business when you got together with filth like this." I feel yet another nudge at the back of my head and anger rises sharply inside of me.

I don't deserve this maltreatment and I'll be damned if I just stand idly by and do nothing. If I've got to die, I might as well do so with dignity. I put my hand up in a sigh of surrender and turn around. "Rita, right? Why don't we settle this woman-to-woman in a fight? Whoever wins will get to kill the other person."

Something flashes in her blue eyes but it disappears immediately. "As much as I like the sound of that. . ." She looks me up and down with disdain. "I don't want to get my hands dirty. Say your last prayers, bitch 'cause this is where it's going to end."

I once watched a film about two rival gangs. Their feud was almost eternal and they were always killing each other's men. It got to a head one day when the two leaders decided to face off. One pulled out a gun and began to make a long speech. While he kept talking, the other one pulled out his gun and shot him right in between the eyes. Once he was done, he shook his head and spoke to the dead man at his feet -

If you want to shoot, shoot, don't talk.

That was how the film ended that day. As Rita raises the gun to my head, I close my eyes and say a short prayer that she will be the dead person at my feet and not the other way around. I hear a loud pop ring out and when I open my eyes, I find Rita sprawled on the ground in front of me, her eyes open staring lifelessly and in a pool of her blood. I don't need to turn around to know Ash killed her.

Two things I've just learned from this whole ordeal.

1. If you have to kill someone, always come with backup.

2. If you want to shoot, shoot, don't talk.

After this, I'm worried for Ash. Heck, I'm worried for myself as well. Maybe more so now that Rita has been murdered. "What now?"

For a second, I fear his answer, but I brace myself and jut my chin.

"Now. . .we face the music."

*

I honestly don't know how the flight was because I'm mostly asleep. It must seem odd to Ash because when he wakes me up at one point and asks if I'm okay, I look at him blearily and reply "Just peachy," before falling asleep almost immediately. He wakes me up once again to eat and if you ask me what food it is, I would draw a blank. What I do know is that after eating, I fall asleep almost immediately again.

By the time the plane lands in Italy, it's already evening and my body feels like it's been beaten although my mind feels strangely refreshed. A car and driver are waiting for us when we come down from the plane. I honestly don't know what to expect about Italy, but it's hot. Oppressively so. I look toward Ash to see a thin film of sweat already forming on his forehead the moment we step down from the coolness of the plane. He doesn't seem to mind anyway, but as soon as I sink into the cool interior of the car, I hear him release a contented sigh.

I could get used to this. Being feted and treated like a princess.

I look at the busy streets of Italy as the car speeds past. You would think that almost after thirteen hours of sleep, I would not feel sleepy anymore, but as the car eats up the road, a sense of calm and peace washes over me and I find my eyes getting heavy. I don't know how long it takes, but I'm lost to the world shortly after.

Ash wakes me up with two words. "We're here."

I open my eyes, and just in time to see the car driving past sprawling lands and soft rolling hills. Large elm and beech trees line either side of the road going forward as far as my eyes can see. My heart quickens at the raw beauty of nature before me. The windows are wound down and I take in the smell of honeysuckle and the sweet mixture of citrus fruits hanging in the air.

I turn to Ash. "You never told me you grew up in the countryside."

He shrugs. "My childhood is not something I readily like to talk about."

I sense the undertone of sadness so I don't bother asking him anything else. It must bring back a lot of mixed memories for him. Instead, I focus my attention on the view splayed out in greenery and sigh happily. The driver takes a sharp left and as we do, I'm afforded the view of a clear lake, teeming with fish. I'm spellbound, I can't look away even if I want to.

"It's breathtaking," I say with hushed reverence.

"Yes. . . it is." Ash's voice is close to my ear and I flinch and look at him but his eyes aren't on the road. They're on me. I turn away from his piercing gaze as I feel my face warm.

Soon, we are driving through a brown open gate and a paved driveway. Sitting, not far on a large expanse of land is the most beautiful manor I have ever seen. Ash tells me it boasts over thirty rooms and sits on two hundred acres of lawns and woodlands. From what I'm seeing as the car moves further along the long driveway, the estate grounds are glorious and still well-kept.

When I mention this to Ash, he shrugs and tells me he pays people from the town to keep it clean every fortnight. For all his affectations of nonchalance, I know he's proud of his childhood home and won't let it go to rot. I don't know how to feel when we come down and Ash takes my hand in his and leads me to the door. My mouth drops open as he opens it and leas me inside. High-arched ceilings from which large chandeliers, the kind I've never seen hang from the ceilings. Velvet-draped windows cause dramatic shadows to dance over the walls.

There's a clash of red and black sunken sofas with throw pillows scattered all around on them. Everywhere I turn, elegance strikes me. A fire pit sits in the center of it all, regal and grand. Even if I can, I can't look away. The sitting room is extensive and my eyes sweep every corner, as Ash leads me away and into another section of the house. Strains of classical music reach my ears bringing back a memory of me seeing him with Rita for the first time after a year.

As we get to the threshold of another room, it's like an overload of sound and symphony. Ash's hand tightens on mine but doesn't let go as he beckons for me to follow him. I do so grudgingly, reluctance stealing into me. I'm not ready to mentally go back to the past. As he opens another door, I'm beset with haunting music that immediately roots me to the spot.

A live symphony of about twenty men play at the forefront of what seems like a medieval ballroom, complete with marble floors and high-arched ceilings. The only difference is that it's empty, save for the people playing. I turn to look at Ash but he's already looking at me, a mischievous sparkle dancing in his gaze.

His gaze tells me that he understands the unspoken words we share as if we're the only ones here, cocooned in a world that exists solely for us. Ash's thumb traces soft circles on my palm and with his touch, I feel a sense of belonging as if our hearts are orchestrating a symphony of their own, playing a melody that belongs solely to us.

Yet, the weight of our unspoken agreement hangs heavily upon us, suffocating the very feelings that threaten to consume our hearts. We dance on the possibility of rekindling what we had, our hearts teetering on the intoxicating allure of want and need. As the echoes of the final note fade away, the tension between us still lingers, floating in the air.

Our eyes clash and a myriad of emotions flit across Ash's face. I'm quite sure mine is a bare canvas, but I'm distracted by the appearance of a flash of white to my left. I turn to look, but instead, I'm met with a smiling apparition. My mouth goes dry and my heart thunders in my chest as the ghost floats toward me.

"Tanya?"