Chapter 27: Chapter 27

"Give me back my rings right now!" This fury yelled at me indignantly, but I had left her in Enzo's office anyway, so I gestured to the door behind me without saying anything.

"You can pick her up there," I replied indifferently and yet, my heart tightened painfully at the thought of their wedding.

"Better for you!"

She ran past me, but not before nudging me with her shoulder, causing me to stagger and try to grab her, but my grip missed her arm and I inadvertently yanked at the thin veil, which with a faint sound kept spreading tore apart.

I stared wide-eyed at the insanely expensive piece of fabric in my hand as she turned to me and glared at me hostilely.

"Giovanna, that was a mistake," I immediately defended myself, dropping the rag on the floor, but she didn't seem to believe me.

Like a mad bride she suddenly pounced on the dress I had chosen for her wedding and yanked at it violently, but the fabric seemed to be quite a bit thicker than hers and wouldn't give in to her tugging, so she looked at me through clenched teeth and I just raised an eyebrow and grinned.

Sure, I was sorry for sleeping with her fiancé, but if she really was responsible for almost getting me shot, she more than deserved it.

"You disgusting piece of filth!" she yelled at me and grabbed my neck, but I pushed her away from me defensively, causing my clothes, which were previously on my arm, to fly all over the entrance area.

"Leave me alone! I didn't do anything to you!" I yelled now, thinking about how ironic it all was.

Of course, as always with such hysterical furies, she didn't listen at all and jumped at me again, throwing me a few steps backwards and hitting my back squarely against the wall.

"What's going on here?!", I heard Enzo's stunned voice and while Giovanna tugged at my hair and gave me a hell of a headache, he came towards us and wanted to pull her away from me, but she seemed out of control.

"Let go of me!", I brought out tormented and felt someone who grabbed my arm and also wanted to pull away, but when I recognized Dario out of the corner of my eye, I snatched my arm and got so angry that I clasped my hands the cleavage of her dress and pulled it with a violent jerk so that I heard the tearing of the fabric and she pulled my hair even harder.

"Stop it!" Enzo yelled at us, sounding like he just didn't know what to do. Dario was only standing next to us and we seemed overwhelmed by the two women scratching each other.

typical! torture works! Shoot it! But keeping such a fury away from me was too much for the Mancinis!

"You're going to pay for this dress!" Giovanna yelled, letting go of my hair to spit ice-cold in my face, which got me going again so I wanted to attack her again, but I watched in horror as suddenly Gino came into the house and grabbed her neck so hard that Giovanna gasped, wide-eyed, as she put her hands on his.

"Gino!" Dario warned, but my fiancé gave him such an angry look that even he got more involved.

"One more time and I'll wring your neck! Do you understand that?!"

"Have you forgotten who I am!", Giovanna choked out under his firm pressure on her neck and was slowly blushing, which scared me a bit now.

"I don't give a fuck! And if you were the devil himself! If I see you anywhere near Ludo again, you'll regret it bitterly!"

"Gino!" Dario suddenly said menacingly and took out his gun to point it right at Gino's head. "Let her go!"

Gino turned to his brother and raised his eyebrow unfazed as he let go of Giovanna and glanced at me.

"Do you allow?", he asked and got a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket while all you could hear was Giovanna's rattle.

As if caught in a trance, I nodded and watched him with a racing heart as he lit a cigarette and drew on it vigorously, then took a few steps towards Dario, who released his gun.

"You would shoot me for that?" Gino wanted to know and breathed the smoke at his brother, who stared at him calmly.

"Less would be enough," Dario gave him coldly as an answer and after Gino nodded and dug out some bills, he held them out to him, but Dario didn't accept them, so that Gino turned to Giovanna again.

"Maybe buy one that reflects your personality better," he grinned and threw the money at her feet. "Cheap I would find suitable."

My gaze fell to Enzo, who was also staring at me at the moment and I knew he blamed me even though I hadn't done anything. But I also knew that I was the only one who could resolve this situation, so I walked up to Gino and put my hand on his back, which made him look down at me immediately.

"It was my fault," I explained, looking over at Giovanna to take a deep breath. "It does-"

"You won't apologize!" Gino interrupted, grabbing my hand to pull me towards the front door. "We'll see each other tomorrow when everyone has calmed down and brother," he turned his gaze to Dario again. "On your marriage only the best congratulations!"

Gino pulled me to his dark BMW and obligingly held the door open for me to take a quick look at me in my dress, which actually wasn't even mine.

"Everything okay?" he asked, taking out a handkerchief that he suddenly handed to me. I didn't understand why he was doing that at first since I wasn't crying or anything until I realized Giovanna had spat in my face.

How embarrassing!

With red cheeks, I hurriedly took the handkerchief and wiped it over my face, only to scrutinize Gino again.

"Yes, everything is okay. Thanks."

I let myself fall onto the warm leather seat and while Gino closed the door, I once again wistfully looked over at the front door. Basically I hadn't done anything to anyone and yet somehow everyone was against me. I didn't expect more from Dario since he seemed to be in a shitty situation himself anyway, but at least Enzo should have quieted this beast.

But it was he of all people.

I shifted my gaze to Gino, who was just starting the engine and putting on a pair of sunglasses. As if it were my duty to show him some kind of gratitude, I put my hand on his as if by remote control, with which he put the car into first gear.

"Don't you want to know why Giovanna freaked out like that?" I asked him, but he shook his head almost imperceptibly, linked his hand with mine and drove out of the driveway.

"People like her don't need reasons. She's just pathologically jealous of everything and everyone," he explained, glancing over at me. "Besides, I have other things on my mind, piccola anatra. I still have no idea which bastard shot you."

He squeezed my hand a little too hard for a moment, which made me feel only too well how much hatred he felt for it and I immediately put my other hand protectively on his to run my fingers soothingly over his skin. I had absolutely no idea why I suddenly felt the need for him to be okay, but the explanation I got was that at that moment he seemed the only one who cared about me.

How ironic when you consider that he had insulted me at first and even wanted to sell.

We were silent for the rest of the drive and with my eyes closed I enjoyed the feeling of the sun on my skin while I tried to completely switch off mentally, but I didn't quite succeed.

At least, inside, I was grateful to Enzo for one thing. Grateful for forcing me to stay away from Dario. Now I didn't have a choice anymore, at least that's how it felt and once again someone else had taken control of me and my decisions. It seemed my destiny not to be in charge of my life and while it felt good, it still didn't feel right.

Shit Happens!

When the car suddenly came to a stop, I blinked several times and then recognized the club, which looked much more peaceful in the light than in the dark of night.

Gino took his hand away from me, got out and I did the same, then followed him to the entrance. I was surprised that the door was just open, but inside in the cool, albeit smoke-smelling air, I quickly realized why.

Several cleaning ladies took care of the floor over which we walked and when we arrived in the large room, I saw a few women polishing glasses and wiping the counter.

A few men, including the bouncer I already knew, were sitting on the armchairs at the back tables while they smoked and played cards.

"Ciao, Gino," a woman I didn't know drew my attention and just hugged my fiancé, only to then blow a kiss on his cheek. She looked at him as if she wanted his full attention, but Gino held his phone in his hand and just stared down at it.

"Ludo, this is Kelly. If you want to drink something, let her know. I have to clarify a few things," he said without looking at either of us and then put his cell phone to his ear while he disappeared to the other men in the back .

My gaze fell on Kelly and I took in her skimpy, red outfit and her really short blond hair, while she looked at me as well and crossed her arms.

"You can see where the counter is. I'm going to entertain the men," she said provocatively, then turned her back on me and followed Gino to sit on the armrest of the chair he had been sitting on.

What the hell .

I rolled my eyes at the counter, where the two women who were polishing glasses were eyeing me hatefully, causing me to wide-eyed and turn to the other side.

"What have I actually done to this world?" I whispered to myself, took a deep breath and was about to make my way to an empty table when I felt a hand on my arm, which jerked me along.

"Are you crazy?"

I looked startled at Nunzio, who was leading me down the dark hallway and then out into the parking lot. "What's that? You could just say hello instead of kidnapping someone over and over again!"

"It's always an honor for me," he replied with a grin and let go of me to hold out his pack of cigarettes, which I eyed critically.

"I do not smoke."

"You should better now," he retorted and pulled out a cigarette, which he put in my mouth without permission. "And now pull!"

He held a lighter to the cigarette and reluctantly I pulled once so I immediately caught the cigarette between my fingers and coughed heavily. I've really never had anything disgusting like that in my mouth and that had to mean something, after all, the old bastard had just stuck his shit in my mouth!

"So," Nunzio said, amused, and also put on one to suddenly darken his facial expressions. "I know who shot you. Gino mustn't find out though."

Okay, now I understand the cigarette. He tried to calm me down, but my second hit made me feel dizzy and my heart seemed to be beating faster. How could you voluntarily inhale that shit?

"And why not?" I asked with a skeptical look, not knowing why he was telling me that.

"It's someone from Giovanna's family and also the best friend of the guy Gino beat to death because of you."

"And that means he's so dangerous that Gino messes with the wrong person?" I concluded his statement and looked at him expectantly.

"Not quite," he said. "He's a big shot in the police force. Not someone to bribe or just make disappear."

My eyes widened in disbelief because I felt like I was in a bad movie.

"Why would someone from the police shoot me?" I asked, gripping the bandage around my neck with one hand before tugging on the fag again and making a disgusted face. "Besides, someone like that would still hit. I should be dead."

"Unless there was someone with him who wanted to stop him."

"How do you mean that?"

He threw his cigarette on the ground, put it out with his shoe and I did the same.

"Let's say the guy wanted revenge for his best friend, you would surely be dead. But what if Giovanna was behind it and maybe was there, but felt guilty at the last second and tugged at him, causing him to miss would have?"

"You don't believe that yourself," I laughed hysterically. "Giovanna would not stop anyone from shooting me. In fact, she would do it herself, as she would not begrudge anyone else this triumph."

"Then it's just that this guy doesn't want you dead at all, he just wants to spread fear or put Gino in a situation where he can shoot him with impunity."

great prospects.