Captured by the Mafia King Book 4

Half a year later, Talia found herself lounging on a sandy beach, the sun’s warmth seeping into her skin. The cocktail she was savoring made her feel as if she was in paradise.

“I see you’ve finally found peace,” a voice said.

Talia turned and smiled. “I have. I feel liberated now.”

“You’re radiating happiness.”

Again, Talia smiled. “Thank you for standing by me and aiding me in my scheme.”

Mia returned the smile. “How could I not, after all you’ve endured?”

“That’s a chapter I’ve closed.”

“Do you think Axel will come looking for you again?”

Talia’s brow furrowed at the question. “I don’t know.”

“And if he does?”

Talia sighed. “I have no idea.”

“What if he seeks revenge?”

“Well, then we’ll fight. But I doubt it.”

“Why?”

“When I was tormenting him, he said I could kill him if it would bring me joy.”

Mia shook her head. “He truly loves you.”

Talia found herself at a loss for words.

“How do you feel about him?”

Talia pondered Mia’s question. She was unsure of her feelings and quickly snapped out of her thoughts before they could consume her.

She had always avoided delving into that part of her psyche. Axel was a part of her dark past.

“I don’t know.”

“I think you love him too.”

“What? That’s impossible.”

“Your face tells one story, but your eyes tell another.”

“That can’t be.”

“But it happens.”

“No, it must be Stockholm syndrome.”

“But you had a three-year break, and you still harbor feelings for him.”

“No, I went back, and that’s what triggered all of this.”

“I see that you despise him, but at the same time, you love him.”

“I doubt it, Mia. I lived three years without him, and I can do it again.”

“I know you can, but won’t you miss him?”

“Not really. You said it yourself: I either love or hate him. So, that’s settled.”

Mia looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“I’d rather let my hatred for him consume me than this love you think I have for him.”

“So, you’re willing to destroy yourself rather than admit your love for him?”

“Yes, I won’t give him the chance to make me lose myself.”

“What do you mean, lose yourself?”

“When I was living there, pretending to have amnesia, he nearly broke me.”

“Did you want to stay with him?”

“No.”

“Did you enjoy being near him?”

“A little.”

Talia knew she was lying, but if she didn’t answer, Mia would keep probing.

“Did you ever want to forget about your revenge mission?”

“Enough about him, Mia. We’re on vacation.”

“Sorry, you’re right.”

They clinked their glasses together. Talia pushed thoughts of Axel out of her mind. This wasn’t the time.

The day had been beautiful. Back in their hotel room, she turned to Mia, who was fast asleep. She decided to take a walk on the beach, and afterward, she sat on the sand, letting the waves crash around her.

Her mind wandered back to when she had nearly killed herself for the sake of revenge. When she thought about everything she had done, shooting Axel, it was a close call, but she had to trust herself.

Part of her was glad she had done it, as it was part of her revenge. Yet, the other part, the part she didn’t want to analyze, was the part where she had a genuine breakdown after shooting him.

She thought about being given a sedative that would put her in a coma for three months, but it didn’t go according to plan, as she had ended up being gone for six months.

When she saw Axel for the first time after waking up, her heart was racing, and she had to resist the urge to touch his face.

In that moment, her hatred for him had saved her. It was the push she needed to go through with her plan.

It felt strange seeing London again. She remembered how close they had been, and if not for Axel, they would still be together.

She knew by the way he looked at her that he still felt the same way, which made her feel a bit guilty. But that guilt was crushed when she remembered that he was also part of the scheme that led to her kidnapping.

There was no time for sentimentality. Yet, sometimes, when she saw Melissa flirting with Axel, she felt a bit annoyed but also pitied her.

She and Sophie were the same. They wanted him, even after knowing what he had done. What was even sadder was that he didn’t see her that way.

The icing on the cake was that she knew Melissa would be content even being his mistress, as she was still legally married.

She needed to change that, but to file for divorce, she needed Axel’s signature. Forging it wouldn’t work as she was lying low to execute her plan.

Now she could probably forge his signature. He knew she was alive, and if he loved her, he would let her go.

So why hadn’t she filed for divorce the minute she had completed her revenge? The timing was unclear. There was no way she wanted to remain married to him.

Talia checked the time. It was just past midnight when she got up and made her way back to the hotel.

She made sure not to wake Mia and watched her friend breathe deeply in her sleep.

Talia had finally escaped and had stolen a large sum of money. She didn’t know who it belonged to, but she was desperate, so anything would do.

She considered going to the police station, but she knew they wouldn’t help her. Worse, they would hand her back to Axel.

So her best bet was to find Mia. It had been a long time, and a lot had changed. After two hours, she found herself standing in front of Mia’s house.

Her throat tightened as she knocked shakily on the door and held her breath. The door opened, and there stood her best friend.

Mia looked shocked. Her face said it all. It was as if she had seen a ghost.

“Are you real?”

“Yes. Sorry, you’re stuck with me again.”

Talia opened her arms, and Mia jumped in. She was crying. Her heart felt cherished, but crying wasn’t on her agenda. That was lost a long time ago. Now, she was used to struggle.

After Mia had finally calmed down, they sat in the living room. Talia munched on a sandwich, which was a far cry from what she was used to. There was a variety of food—lobster, steak, and so much more.

Talia was trying to eat, but Mia bombarded her with questions.

“Talia, what happened?”

“I was kidnapped.”

Mia looked shocked.

“You were what?”

“Kidnapped.”

“By whom?”

“Do you remember that night we waitressed? The man with the girlfriend who caused a scene?”

Mia looked at her blankly.

“It was a long time ago.”

“The one with the tattoos.”

Mia’s eyes widened. “But why you?”

“That’s what I wanted to know. But he took a liking—or an obsession—to me.”

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“Trust me, that’s what I thought too.”

“What happened then?”

Talia took a few more bites and told her what happened during the time she was kidnapped.

Mia absorbed every word.

“So, what’s the plan now?”

“It’s time for my revenge.”

“How will you do that?”

“I want to make it slow and painful.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Yes.”

“When do we start?”

“In three years.”

“Why wait so long?”

“I need to plan this meticulously. And I also want to enjoy some freedom in case this plan doesn’t work out.”

“That makes perfect sense.”

“Thank you, Mia.”

“You would do the same for me.”