Screams in New York - Book Three

~Chapter Twenty-One~

Chapter Song

Heart Upon My Sleeve – Avicii, Imagine Dragons

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The silence in the room was almost deafening. Nobody moved, not even the sleeping infant as Adriana stood firm, weapon in hand ensuring she was being perceived as someone who meant business. And she truly did mean business. This was the moment she has psyched herself up for, had been working towards for so long now. There was no way she was going to back down; there was no deal they could possibly make her that didn’t include Elena returning back to New York with her. Whatever she needed to do to get that done was her primary focus.

“Dov'è Elena?” (Where’s Elena?) Adriana asked, finally breaking the silence between them.

Without taking a step he cautiously placed his iced cold beer on top of the dresser to his right before responding.
“Signorina…” (Miss) His voice already trailing with the last syllable. “Hai sbagliato apartamento”. (You have gone to the wrong apartment) Placing his hands defensively in the air as if to surrender he attempted a step toward her but was instantly taken back when she stepped towards him, the loud click of the safety disarming putting him back in his place as he quickly resumed his previous position.

“Hai sbagliato tu invence!” (You’re the one who made a mistake)

Keep it together. Keep it together.

The mantra repeated over and over again inside Adriana’s head as she stood firmly on the outside yet felt as though she could crumble on the inside at any moment.
Was this man actually being serious? Did he regard Elena so highly that he would blatantly lie for her with a gun pointed in his direction?

“Senta Signorina-” (Listen Miss) he made an attempt to continue reasoning with her without moving this time around, but he knew he was in no shape for this. He was definitely high from the concoction of drugs he had set out to obtain and was expecting to return to the apartment to have a drink and pass out, not confronted by a mad woman with a weapon.

“Vuoi proteggerla?” (You want to protect her?) She demanded an answer, shaking her head in dismay.

He slumped his arms down, raised a palm to his eyes and rubbed hard attempting to wake himself up from the daze. “Ma stai parlando di Ivana?” (Are you talking about Ivana?)

“Ivana?” Adriana repeated with an equally as confusing tone mirroring his own as the infant stirred. “La ragazza che vive qui, si chiama Ivana?” (The girl who lives here, is her name Ivana?”

He nodded his response and even dared to smirk. “Vedi!” (See!) He gleamed. “Hai sbagliato apartamento!” (You’re in the wrong apartment)

This time it was Adriana’s turn to smirk and she even followed it up with a condescending chuckle. “Oh boy…” She almost pitied him. “Ti ha truffato” (She scammed you). She wasn’t even surprised; dishonesty had been Elena’s go-to way of life the entire time she had known her. She had to assume it was how she went through life on a regular basis. She knew it was hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but she had promised herself that she would put all her energy into forcing Elena once and for all to own up to her mistakes, by any means.

“Siedeti nel soggiorno.” (Take a seat in the living room) She motioned towards the door behind him encouraging him to take a few steps backwards and slowly make his way back into the main room. Keeping a watchful eye on him at all times she placed the now sleeping baby back into the crib and quickly flicked on the monitor.
The pair made their way out of the bedroom, Adriana closing the door behind them, no child had to bear witness to what was going to happen next.
“La sedia!” (The chair!) She demanded pointing to a flimsy looking dining room chair, she certainly wasn’t going to allow him to sit in comfort on the couch, there was no way he deserved that.