He was being secretive, and as we climbed out of the car, several other women came out, and that was when I realized who I was seeing. These were women and girls I had met at my parents’ home. They were the girls that had been torn from their lives and plunged into my world.
One of the girls moved to the front, and I think her name was Dana. She was blonde, beautiful, and to save herself, she had scarred her face. As punishment for her crime, she was sent to my father’s home, where he put her to work.
My father would randomly beat her. I heard people say that was her punishment, if she wanted to be ugly, she would live an ugly life. Every night, I would hear her cry, and I would go and soothe her wounds. I would do anything to try and help her. One day, I was able to. I found an exit in the backyard. The fence had been old at the time, and I was able to work open the wires. While everyone was busy, I snuck her out of the house.
Now, she rushed toward me, and I wrapped my arms around her. She was one of the first women I saved. I honestly never thought I would see her again, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything but to hold on tightly.
“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
I pulled away and smiled at her, seeing the scar she had created on herself just across her cheek. “I don’t understand. What happened?”
“Odin happened,” Dana said.
“I was tracking missing girls in the area where I knew they’d been taken. Dana wasn’t aware that the Serra Mafia had made a stop at her grandmother’s house. She lived with her grandmother and was not going down without a fight.”
I had a horrible feeling this story was not going to end well. I looked between Odin and Dana, and the sadness on both their faces was clear to see. Her grandmother was murdered. I gripped Dana’s hand even tighter.
“They were waiting for me.”
“I was there,” Odin said. “I’d been keeping an eye, and the one time I left was when they came, and I knew what had happened the moment a couple of guards turned up wearing the Serra mark.”
“He didn’t have to wait long, and then, after getting me checked over by his doctor, he brought me here,” added Dana.
I knew in that moment I was completely in love with Odin Kemp. My husband.
“Come on, I’ll show you around.”
For the rest of the day, Dana showed me around, and I got to meet a few more girls I helped to save. I thought they had been reunited with their families, however, Odin was the one who informed me they were reunited when it was possible.
After dinner, Odin and I were standing in the gardens, and I stared up at the house.
“Why can they only be reunited with their families when it is possible?” I asked.
“Because the Serra Mafia doesn’t like when people steal from them, and these girls are considered a commodity, the men as well, and they have been more than happy to help guard this home.”
I couldn’t help but shake my head. “It’s because it’s never going to stop, is it? They’re never going to allow the girls to live freely.”
“I brought you here, Alba, for a reason.”
I spun around in his arms and wrapped mine around the back of his neck. “What is it?”
“I want you to remember this place and to understand who I am and what I’m about to do. I’m about to hunt the Serra Mafia, and once I start, there is no turning back. I’m going to kill a lot of people.”
If anyone had said that to me a year ago, I would have panicked. But I hated the Serra Mafia with a passion. I didn’t even understand, but I knew they were a bunch of bad guys that needed to pay for what they had done.
“And I’ll be waiting for when you’re done, like this.” And then, I went onto my tiptoes and kissed him.
****
Odin
“Where are we going?” Alba asked.
“It’s a surprise.”
I hadn’t let her out of my sight in the past few weeks, not since I took her to the safe house for the men, women, and even children I managed to get out from under the Serra grip. The moment she saw the young girls, Alba had fallen apart. Seeing the evidence of what her family and the Serra Mafia had done nearly destroyed her.
They were closing in, and this was all part of my plan. I’m attempting to show weakness to those spying for the Serra and even Roberto Marini. My time with Alba was purposefully done. It looked like I was not paying attention, when in fact, I had seen the change around the street where my studio apartment was. My men were prepared and on high alert. There was going to come a moment when they struck, and I would be more than ready.