Adopted – Episode 40

ADOPTED – Episode 40

© Happy William

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Emilio

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Augusto, Felipe, two uniformed cops from the policia d’Italiano pulled up in my estate. We got outta the car before even letting it stop and I ambled inside as fast as I can.

Firstly, I knew I shouldn’t have left Anne alone and vulnerable.. But I didn’t want her getting mixed up in all of this.

And secondly, Prudence. It needed no telling that Portia was dangerous and hardhearted, and Prudence wasn’t safe alone with her.

But I had to pay a surprise visit to Dante….

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PREVIOUSLY

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General

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Dante knew already that things were going outta hand.

“Hey,” he called to one of his boys, “Secure the area, OK? Don’t allow any man in except Portia.”

The boys, three of them, stood staring at him unflinchingly as he walked about packing up stuff and loading his guns.

“What are you doing standing there! Get going!”

The boy in the middle, Roberto, turned to look at the other guys on either of his side.

“Guys, do you really think Dante is in the position to give orders to us?” he asked.

Dante stared at them in consternation and panic

“What the hell are you —”

“Yeah man, he’s such a loser,” another cut in smirkingly.

“He promised us riches once he took over the Salvatore’s businesses. I wonder which century that would be?”

Dante realized that he was in a tight spot.

He took out his gun and pointed it to them, and they took out theirs, with five other guys joining them.

“I’m the boss here!” he said.

Roberto angled closer to him.

“Not anymore,” he kicked Dante in the stomach, and Dante doubled over with a groan.

Roberto signalled the other guys, and they gathered around Dante, beating him allover and raining curses on him for tricking them into supporting his empty cause.

While they weakened him, the door burst open and Emilio and Felipe and Augusto with backup barged in, commanding the guys to drop their weapons or else they would sh00t.

Seeing no place else to go, the guys surrendered.

They took the weak Dante and dumped him in the car, while his men from the House bounded the other guys up and took them to the mafia house.

Then they proceeded back to the mansion.

*******

Emilio

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Just as we were entering into the house, I heard a scream. Quickening my steps, I hoped with all of me that it wasn’t sth bad.

We bursted into the kitchen to see Portia crouched on her toes and running her hands over Prudence’s body which was sprawled out on the floor in a pool of blood.

“NO!” I shouted, and Portia stood up.

“Emilio!” she gasped.

“You monster,” I gushed out and made to walk to her.

“Stop, don’t come any closer or else I’ll ki*ll her, she’s still alive,” she said, pointing the gun to Prudence.

I halted, and immediately she ran up the stairs.

“Felipe, take care of her!” I said and hurried up after her.

She disappeared through the bend of the stairwell and ran along opening doors along the west wing.

Then it hit me what exactly she was up to.

Anne.

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Anne

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Noises all around.

At first I’d linked it to my dreams, but they became persistent and when I opened my eyes, they were still there.

Shouts of anger, and footsteps, and buzz of activities downstairs.

What was going on?

I felt for the other side of my bed.

No Emilio.

Ugh. He got out again.

I pulled on my nightie, slipped my feet into a pair of slippers and went to the door.

The footfalls grew louder.

Hesitating just a bit, I turned the knob and pulled the door open….

only to be dragged out with forced.

I screamed.

I felt myself against someone’s body, and an arm circled my neck, choking me.

I felt the coldness of a metal against my temple, the side of my head.

Rolling my eyes sideways, I saw the nuzzle of a gun.

I shivered with fear.

“Please don’t hurt —”

“Shut it!”

What, Portia? Goodness what’s going on?

Looking up, I saw Emilio hurrying towards me, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw the danger Prudence posed to me.

“Drop down your gun, Emilio!”

He dropped it. “Portia I swear if you so much as harm a hair on her head I’ll —”

“What? ki*ll me? Then we’ll both be dead, so keep your empty threats to yourself and listen to me.”

”Emilio — Emilio what’s happening? ” I asked shakily.

“Be calm amora, don’t worry nothing will happen to you.”

“But why’s she holding a gun to my head?” I asked again, hysteria threatening to take place.

“Just don’t think of anything OK?”

I nodded quickly.

“What do you want Portia?”

“The recordings. And Sergio too.”

I ran a hand through my hair while clenching the other in a fist as I struggled to keep my calm.

“Your son, right!? My half brother. Portia do you know how….disgusted I am with you? For chrissakes I’m your child too!”

” Oh spare me the melodrama Emilio, it doesn’t suit you, ” she said with a roll of her eyes and a tightening around Anne’s neck.

“You’re my child with my worst enemy! Do you know what Leonetti did to my parents? My family? My life? No, you don’t. You’ll never understand!”

“’Course I understand, ” I said.

“You don’t. I loved Dante. We were poor, but we were happy. I was going to marry him. But then he came. They ransacked our place, our home. Everything!” With each anger wave, she tightened her grip around Anne’s neck.

Anne was struggling to breathe with her eyes shut tight.

I had to do sth.

“But I’ll save you the history. Assemble any evidence you have against me and Sergio and let me have it. We’ll leave you peacefully.”

“No,” Anne choked out, “If you have something against them then don’t give it out.”

I was torn now.

“OK, Portia. I’ll do as you want. But let her go.”

“Where’s my son!” she demanded.

Augusto and Felipe came up too.

“Emilio she —”

“Wait, go get Sergio,” I said.

Augusto signalled a man of his to Sergio’s room to bring him.

The minutes seemed like ages.

The man returned with Sergio, who was blabbing nonsense out.

“I’m telling you she was there. I almost got her. I was hiding under my bed…..what the hell!”

He began chuckling loudly. “You men, you’re here to…” he laughed again. “I’m telling you you won’t —won’t —won’t…. mamà!”

Portia looked around in confusion, as the rest of us except Augusto.

“He’s haunted,” he said.

”I’m not haunted! I’m catching her. I was hiding under my bed… what the hell!”

He laughed again, ignorant of the way he was being manhandled.

“Sergio! What’s wrong with you?”

“Mamà it’s Cosima. Were playing hide and seek, like web use to when we were little…what the HELL!”

I was confused.

Portia stood aghast, and her grip loosened around Anne’s neck.

While she was distracted talking to Sergio, I gestured to Anne to swing Portia’s armed hand away and escape.

She was too scared to try.

I motioned her to remain still.

Swiftly, I kicked the gun out of Portia’s hand and pulled Anne to myself, while the other men grabbed hold of her.

“Emilio! You’ll regret this I promise!”

I hugged Anne to myself, stroking her hair as she whimpered clutched my shirt tightly.

“I was scared Emilio….”

“Shhhh amora, it’s OK. It’s over.”

“Over!?” Portia shouted from the base of the stairwell. “Don’t be fooled Anne. He’s the monster. The liar.”

Anne hugged me tighter.

“What’s she talking about?” she asked me.

Personally I wondered what she meant too

Did she know about Anne…. no. It wasn’t a possibility.

“She’s raving love.” I cooed. “Augusto, please take her away.”

“Emilio you think you can ruin my family and you’ll be happy? Well guess what Anne. You’re adopted. Your parents aren’t your parents. And Emilio knows about that!”

I froze, and Anne froze too. She uncurled her arms from around me.

How the hell did Portia know?

“Take her away!” I ordered.

They took her out.

Anne took a step away and looked up to me.

“Is that true?” she asked softly.

“No,” I said.

“Then how’d she —”

“Anne, it’s not true.”

But, even as she slowly entered my embrace, I saw the doubt creep into her brown eyes.

God, not now.

Not when things were settling down.

To be continued

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