The moment I saw light gleaming through the small rectangular hole, I rushed towards it and when I looked up, out of it, there stood Ivan, glaring down at me. I could feel the thick coat of grime and dust all over my body. It itched and a small cough escaped me as he reached out. I took his hand and he pulled me up and out. Marco followed close behind, and then I was sandwiched by two very mad goons who looked at me like I was the bane of their existence.

Same.

Ivan put a finger to his earpiece. “We got her.”

Marco’s eyes lowered as he listened to the instructions being relayed through the feed, nodding. “Yeah. I wouldn’t worry about that. She’s not going anywhere.”

But I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than who was on the other end of the earpiece. “Is that him?” I leaned into Marco and he leant away from me as I all but yelled into his ear, “We need to talk.”

“No, she isn’t hurt.” Marco looked me up and down, his lip curled. “Just covered in dirt.”

“God,” I blew out, maddened, running both hands down my face in frustration. The laugh that left me was pure delirium and even though I looked Marco in the eyes, I was sure it was clear who my message was for. “I get it. You’re pissed. But I can’t change what happened. I am your wife and you are being a really shitty husband, Tor. I’m not asking for much here. What is it going to take?”

I stood there, panting wildly, looking into Marco’s eyes, my own pleading for an inch.

Marco remained unmoved, but after a short while, he reached for his earpiece. He removed it and my heart stuttered when he held it out to me. I took it with trembling hands, slowly placed it to my ear and then he spoke. “Every time I’m satisfied things are going well, you go and do something that puts us back at square one.” The sound of his rich timbre had me breaking out in goosebumps all over. “What do you want, Vittoria?”

What did I want?

I wanted out. Out of this pretty, glorified cell.

My lips quivered and my voice cracked pathetically as I accused pitifully, “You abandoned me.”

“And you broke my heart,” he clapped back and my stomach ached with how freely he admitted such a thing. “So, I guess we’re even.”

My face crumpled, I dipped my chin and my shoulders shook gently as tears fell from my eyes. I was convinced then. We were never going to get passed this. I spoke through a torrent of tears. “You should have killed me.”

My heart broke to pieces with his agreement. “You’re right. I should have.”

I nodded to myself. I sniffled then let out a hushed, “It’s not too late.”