The Harlot

I was soaked from the raindrops as I got out of Ângelo's car and ran to the entrance, bursting into the mansion, still in the dead of night, almost dawn.

The entire journey here was filled with tears of agony and anxiety. The overwhelming desire to see my brother consumed my entire being; I couldn't think straight about anything. How did he, Ângelo, find him? How did he learn about my brother? So many questions… I would leave them for later.

There was only one thing I survived for: Faruk was that reason, my brother, always him, everything for him. He was my oxygen, my fuel; it was for him that I endured all the hell of that place. It was always for him… I was capable of anything… I would never lose him again, not to anyone.

Never!

"Faruk?" I shouted in the living room and ran to the stairs, climbing hurriedly, holding my breath with every step because I couldn't do everything at once.

In the hallway, I saw two of the hitmen who lived in the mansion, and they came toward me, smiling broadly.

I stop walking and breathe, touching my chest.

"You're here, my God!" one of them commented, and I felt his touch on my arm. "You're freezing. You need to calm down, Lavínia. Your brother is here and eager to see his sister."

I don't focus on what he says and look at the door where the two were standing; it's the door to Ângelo's room.

"I need to see him," I say, agitated, my tearful eyes shifting between the two, who nod and step aside to let me pass.

Slowly, I move my feet and reach the door, resting my cold fingers on the handle and sighing.

Without wasting more time, I open the door with more slowness than my longing demands and push it at the same pace. Then, through the small crack of the door, my eyes saw my brother on the bed, lying down. For a second, I felt my world would collapse, that I would faint before reaching him and touching him. It had been months away from my brother, almost a year…

He is all I have left of my late mother… my beloved mother…

My legs weakened, and I trembled uncontrollably, only managing to enter the room when someone much stronger than me held me and made me look at him through my tears. It was Ângelo… and he hadn't lied… It's my brother… he saved my brother.

His hand pushed the door open, and he helped me reach the bed, guiding me.

And I saw him, I saw Faruk sleeping… it was him… my little brother.

Crying, I covered my mouth with my hands and turned, pressing my forehead and face against Ângelo's body, sobbing with gratitude.

"It's over, Lavínia," he said softly, and I found myself crying uncontrollably, clutching the fabric of his open suit jacket, sobbing as I looked at his face and into his dark eyes.

"Thank you… for God's sake! Thank you!" I hugged him with a strength I didn't have at that moment.

"Lavínia? Sister?"

My heart raced, and I felt it might leap out of my mouth. That sweet voice… my brother's… my Faruk's.

Unable to control my crying, I let go of Ângelo and slowly turned to my little one. His eyes also filled with tears as he finally saw me after so long.

With uncontainable happiness in my heart, I approached the bed and sat beside him, touching my brother's face and hair to make sure this was truly real, or if I was living a beautiful, wonderful dream of reunion… the reunion I had dreamed of so much…

"Faruk…" I carefully rested my face on his chest and closed my eyes. "Oh, God…"

"Sister… it's really you," he realized, absolutely certain it was me as he stroked my cheeks, as he always did…

I raise my shoulders and look at him, so disbelieving that my chest aches and bleeds… is it really real?

My brother sat up on the bed and, with everything, hugged me so tightly I thought he might break me and never let me go… don't let go, my brother… don't let go.

I looked for Ângelo in his room with my eyes, but I didn't find him; he had already left me alone with my little brother.

"Sister… I'll protect you now."

I hear him and close my eyes tightly.

"And I'll protect you, my brother. I won't let you go ever again… never!" Suddenly, I was showering his entire face with kisses, memorizing every moment of this beautiful day.

From today onward, my brother wouldn't leave my side, and I didn't care if I had to kill people for it.

***

After everything Faruk told me, he fell asleep, and I covered him with the sheets, kissed him as if there were no tomorrow, and left the room so he could rest.

My heart was wounded; I couldn't comprehend why they tried to kill my brother. He wasn't even 10 years old yet, a good boy with no malice whatsoever, and I was doing what they wanted. A freezer… they threw my brother into a freezer. That's why he complained about feeling so cold… my little one was terrified by the cruelty of human beings.

They are hellish… They are demons!

Going down the stairs, I wandered through the hallway and reached the dining room, where the four were gathered and talking. When they saw me, they fell completely silent.

"How's the little one?" Hitman 1 asked—that's what they wanted to be called, because that's what they truly were. I wondered if there would ever come a day when I'd know the real name of each one, after all, Faruk said they had all saved him.

I cross my arms and lean against the doorframe, looking down and closing my eyes tightly to keep from crying.

I looked at the ceiling and blew out the trapped air, letting some breeze dry the tears in my eyes.

Finally, I extended a grateful gaze to each one at that table.

"I need to thank you all so much for what you did… for rescuing my brother," I say, controlling myself to not cry.

Then, I was surprised by the three hitmen from the so-called clan that Ângelo commanded—1, 2, and 27. They all came to hug me, and I swear I really needed that. I still feared that this hadn't truly ended. You know, after going through such unhappy days and being far from those we love, being so happy now almost feels like a mistake, because I've only known misery and suffering lately. Believing it's over, that it's really over, hurts even more because of the lingering doubt.

The pain, the fear, the suffering—it all corrupts you, corrupts to the point that a moment meant to be beautiful and special is tainted by distrust that it's real.

But I would be strong. My brother was rescued. I was taken out of that damned brothel, and I would do anything to never go through that hell again.

"Come sit with us and have a strong coffee," 27 pulled me, and soon 2 was dragging a chair for me, and I sat down, spotting Ângelo at the end of the last chair at the giant table.

A cup of coffee was poured and slid toward me. I thank them with a nod and take a deep breath, wiping my eyes and picking up the cup with both hands, blowing on the hot liquid, inhaling the strong aroma of the steam, and taking a small sip.

I felt Ângelo Fontana's gaze burning my face.

I set the cup on the saucer and unleashed my red, judgment-free gaze on him. He saved my brother and rescued us… I owed this man so much.

"So you always knew my true story, since that time when…" I censor myself, avoiding recalling that dark night. "You always knew?"

"No, Lavínia. I only found out recently. I went to your country, Syria, and spoke with locals there, and they told me the story in bits and pieces. Your father no longer lives in the neighborhood, and the house is abandoned," he revealed.

I look at the cup and pick it up again.

"Was that during the time you disappeared for months?" I look at him again.

He nods.

"It was exactly during that time. It was supposed to have been resolved much earlier, but I ran into problems in Italy and had to deal with them, and that's when I was caught and tortured for months."

Ashamed, I shift my attention away from his eyes. I judged him… and wished he would die.

"So that's why you came back so injured," I realize, almost biting my tongue in shame.

"I needed to see you. I needed to make sure you were okay. After all, it was five months away, a period when a lot changes, a lot happens, and many people change…" He paused, and I raised my eyes to him, feeling sad. "I know what the old madam did to you. I know where she put you to work… and I understand why I came back and you had changed so much."

Ashamed, I set the cup on the table and abruptly stand up, wanting to leave the room because that dark part of my life would haunt me forever.

"Lavínia," one of the hitmen calls me, but I shake my head, reaching the door. I dared to feel disgust for Ângelo, even though he knew I was a thousand times dirtier than him…

But I stopped in my tracks immediately when his deep voice, laced with traces of vengeance, seemed to caress deep within my ears.

"Join me, Lavínia… Ally with me, and let's set fire to every one of those miserable souls who made you suffer." I turned, and he continued in a murderous tone: "I would burn and destroy the entire world for you, so you could live without bad memories. But I want to do this with you by my side. You just need to make an effort and accept the darkness that lives within me. This isn't about what I do for you anymore; you're free now, but know that it's about what I wouldn't stop doing for you before even any idiot air I breathe."

Tears bathed my face, and my body trembled wretchedly with each of his words.

There would be no more masks or pursuit from him; Ângelo was willing to show me his true face.

He was giving me the freedom to embrace his darkness and his wretched perversity.