Chapter 4 4.

Olivia's P.O.V.

After moving to Rome, I had never given much thought to how I would find the courage to rebuild the dwindling faith that I had for myself; to learn how to become an independent woman; to live. Until this moment, I have never felt so awake, so alert, so alive, but this was not what I expected, not what I wanted, to happen to help myself feel this way again.

How can I feel so alive when I am so close to death, sitting next to the devil himself? I sighed and laid my head against the window but frowned when I felt the rough burlap fabric rub against my forehead during this bumpy car ride.

I began to accept my defeat as I allowed my eyelids to become heavy and closed my eyes to rest, but my anger and attentiveness rose when I heard Louis exhale the toxic smoke from his lungs, leading me to smell the strong scent of tobacco as it smothered this enclosed vehicle.

"Do you know why I have yet to place a bullet between your eyes, Ms. Fredinard?" I heard him ask as he took his time saying my name; the letters escaping his mouth so smoothly, yet it was sickening to me.

I gritted my teeth in anger and took a deep breath, wishing that this wasn't real and trying to drown out his torturous voice.

"I believe you are a spy; sent with Patrick to disrupt my business and intercept intel by working in one of my establishments, but you do not truly seem like one, Olivia. Your reactions tonight were real. Your fear right now is genuine. Why is that?"

I remained silent as I was too confused to comprehend the words coming from his mouth and too infuriated to come up with words of my own.

"You are easy to read, Olivia; I can see right through you. The way your hands tremble when you are afraid, the way your chest falls and rises so quickly as you try to control your temper, and lastly, the way your collarbone and neck become more defined as you hold your breath when you are nervous."

My heart feels as if it is going to beat out of my chest, and my hands have become more sweaty as I never felt his stare leave my body. I need to escape.

"You are nervous right now, Olivia, yes? I will not lie; it is quite a tantalizing view."

I bit my lip tightly as I tried to keep my composure, but the continuance of his voice had only added to this torture.

"You see, Ara-"

My name does not deserve to be spoken from your revolting mouth again. I immediately cut him off before he could finish his thought. Growing up, my mother had taught me to be kind; to think about how my words could affect someone before speaking out, but I was too livid at the way which he spoke towards me. I'm sorry, Momma.

"How do you expect me to see if one of your worthless men placed a sack over my head, Louis?" I asked with ridicule and venom laced within my voice.

Suddenly, I was forced down to my side as I felt him loosening the strings around my neck and ripping the bag from my head, pulling some strands of my hair along with it.

Before I could look up and regain my focus, I was shoved against the car door as Louis's calloused hand was placed around my neck, causing me to hit the back of my head against the glass window.

"You do not speak of my men in that way, do you understand?"

Louis's face was merely inches away from mine; I felt his hot breath trail down the cold skin of my neck as he spoke to me with viciousness. I looked up at the man and daringly stared into his dark eyes that only glared back at me with hostility.

"Puttana," he whispered as his grip around my neck began to tighten.

I shut my eyes, breaking my gaze with this monstrous man, as I gulped down the bile that burned the back of my throat and threatened to surface. For the first time, since I have lost my family, I felt so utterly miserable and pathetic that even the thought of death was almost a pleasant one.

As if he could become more cruel, I felt him begin to dig his fingertips into my neck, forcing me to open my eyes through pain. I refused to look at the man, but carefully, I turned my head and took in my surroundings, wishing to see anything but his face.

The moon now dominated the sky and illuminated the trees, which passed by in a blur as the car accelerated through felonious speeds. In this small space, the GPS created a dim glow amongst us, allowing me to catch the eyes of our driver in the rearview mirror, Chris. He watched with a hint of amusement behind his gaze as I was being tortured by this so-called boss of his, but I quickly looked away and scowled at Louis.

He must be used to his henchmen always giving him respect, always following his orders, and always getting on their knees for him. His sense of authority, self-conceit, and superiority are fueled by his men's cowardice. I will never give my respect or dignity to a man like you, I thought as I looked at him.

The actions that I have committed to next stemmed from my anger and dismay towards this disgrace of a man, as he has taken away my life that I was starting to feel content with; a life where I have found my peace.

I spat in his face.

For a second, he held a look of shock in his expression, but that quickly vanished once his eyes became darkened and his glare more inflamed with rage. Through furious and swift movements, he undid the necktie of his suit and brought it towards my lips, gagging my mouth into silence.

I felt the car come to a stop and heard the front doors open, but I was too distracted to care as I tried to scream at Louis. Tears streamed down my face as I sunk into the seats and forcefully kicked him in the stomach. He groaned in pain, but instantly pinned me down and pressured me to submit to terror as he now towered over my body.

The scene between us worsened as he suddenly pulled out a pocket knife from his jacket and held it against my face. The sharp blade had brushed against my lashes once I shut my eyes and comforted myself with darkness, believing that these were now my final moments.

"Open your eyes, Olivia," he demanded, but I refused and began to writhe under his hold.

"Open your fucking eyes!" he yelled loudly as I felt the cold, stainless steel knife come in contact with my skin, at the end of my brow.

I fearfully followed his command and glared at the man as he began to glide the tip of the blade down my cheek and towards my lips, slightly grazing my skin.

"I would cut your tongue out right now, Olivia, but I need it." He began to trace the knife along my jaw and then followed my pulsing artery as a pathway to my neck

"I need you to answer some questions for me first."

The knife trailed past my collarbone as Louis ever-so-slightly pressed the edge of the blade into my chest and nicked a line of malice, only stopping when blood began to trickle out of this hideous wound. I then held my breath, seeing his face lower against mine and his foul lips brush against my ear.

"When I am done with you and you give me the answers that I want, I will kill you," he whispered in a voice so soft, but delivered an uproarious message.

Louis placed the knife back into his suit and left the car, leaving me breathless as I felt immense pain start to settle in from every bit of force that was brought upon me tonight. I was weakly enduring the hurt that they caused as my head now became a throbbing nuisance and my body a collection of aching limbs.

This brief time alone had given me a moment of relief, but my heartrate spiked, hearing footsteps drag along the gravel road. The door opened slowly, and my tired eyes stared at one of Louis's men, John. He reached his hand out towards me, but I flinched back in fear as I was afraid that he was sent to do more harm.

"I am just here to help you out from the car," he frowned with furrowed brows.

I looked at him carefully, having a difficult time trying to read his expression, is there sympathy behind those eyes? I wondered while I moved along the seats towards him and felt his hand grab me gently, helping me to my feet.

Once my heels met the gravel road, the wind lifted my hair from my shoulders and caused it to dance around my face, creating a flowing mess of frizz and tangles. Although this open air was fresh and freeing, I started to feel a surging sting as the coldness blew against my freshly wounded chest.

John lightly tugged on my arm as we began to walk towards another vehicle where Louis and his men were gathered. This night was filled with horrific scenes, but when my eyes trailed up from the gravel road, I gasped when my sight met the grand estate that stood before me.

A warm glow surrounded the villa as the lights from the inside pierced through the windows. Lines of Victorian styled lampposts illuminated our surroundings and created a bright pathway towards the grandiose entrance. My eyes then trailed over the perimeter of this property, seeing vines climb along a bulwark of stone, as Mother Nature was claiming this home as her own.

It is beautiful, I thought to myself, but for a man who led a heinous life, this estate was ostentatious and boastful. A façade.

I was quickly pulled out of my trance when John stepped behind me and began to undo the necktie. Relief washed over me once the silk fell from my mouth and gave me the chance to run my tongue over my dry, cracked lips.

I felt the urge to pull away from his grasp as his fingertips met my wrists, but my hands suddenly fell to my side as the zip-tie was removed. Slowly, I turned around, wanting to meet his face, but glanced down at my shoes when I felt tears start to gloss over my eyes.

"Thank you," I muttered out softly.

He stepped forward, now standing beside me, and I looked up at him as he gave me a slight nod and pressed his lips into a line. My attention was pulled away from him as I became distracted by Louis and Chris, who were now walking towards the doors of the villa.

"Bring them to the cellars!" Louis shouted before disappearing from our view.

As the pathetic men that they are, two guards fulfilled Louis's orders and pulled Patrick out from their car, but his body fell limp, as if he was lifeless.

"What did you do to him?" I managed to yell out in a hoarse voice.

"Chloroform, puttana! You want some?" The guards laughed as I tried to make my way over to them, but John put a firm grip on my shoulder, pulling me back.

"Fermati," he said sternly in a low voice (Stop).

Standing still, I watched as Patrick's shoes began to drag along the gravel road while Louis's men pulled him towards the entryway. John had taken this chance to push me along, but I glared back at him angrily, and immediately shoved myself away from his hold.

"I can walk on my own," I said, following the men who had drugged Patrick.

When I took my first step through the front doors, I could not help but admire my surroundings, it is just as beautiful as the outside. My eyes widened at the sight of grand staircases and corridors of endless windows, but it is a shame that this is all under the care of a man with a beastly heart.

My adoration for the estate soon vanished once we reached a large door that was bolted shut with many locks. Once opened, I saw that the stairwell leading down to the cellars was bleak and grim, quite the stark contrast to the lustrous hallways of the estate.

Fearful of becoming a guest of darkness, I looked back at John and pleaded with my eyes, refusing to walk down the steps of a nightmare.

"It won't be for long," he spoke in a whisper that was only meant for him and I.

"Non avere paura," he muttered as his hand met my back, pushing me lightly (Do not be afraid).

As we reached the bottom of the stairs, a cell was unlocked by a guard and Patrick's body was dropped inside. I was forced to join the unconscious man and shuddered as the metal gate was shut, sealing me into this confined space.

I stumbled into the dark corner, careful to not trip over Patrick's body, as I slid my back against the cold rock wall and sat down, closing my eyes. I shut my eyes tighter as I began to focus on something that I was all too familiar with. It followed me when I was alone, it filled the cellar with its ominous presence, it filled my mind.

I ran my hands along my head and gripped my hair in fists through frustration; the growing silence had caught up to me again. It was my reminder that I had no family to surround myself with and no home to return to. I was now truly alone, and the silence was dreadfully deafening.