Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
“Oh my God…you promised me! You promised me this was over! You swore you’d never bring our children into this world! You promised me!”
“Calm down, Cariño,” he called her his term of endearment, sweetheart in Spanish, and under normal circumstances it usually worked to soothe her.
“Calm down? Calm down! And don’t you Cariño me! You expect me to calm down when I just witnessed you holding a gun to our son’s head and then committing three murders?”
He reached for her.
“No!” She slapped his hands away. “What is going on? Cruz!” Pushing him away, she ran over to me. “Are you okay?” she asked, grabbing my face in between her hands.
I nodded, unable to form words yet. Having to answer to my father was one thing, needing to answer to my mother was completely different.
“Jesus…what is going on?”
As I got to my feet, my father and I locked eyes.
“I am not going to say it again, someone better tell me what is going on! Now!”
Luciano rushed into his office, his gaze flew from the dead bodies in the corner of the room, to my father who was standing by the door with hands in the pockets of his slacks.
With one look, Luciano understood his silent command. “Gino!”
“Si, Capo,” he replied, “Yes, Capo.” Meaning boss.
Without saying a word, he gestured toward the men and the guard didn’t hesitate, springing into action. Two more men walked into the room and quickly went to work on disposing the bodies.
How often did this happen?
“Alejandro, where is Adriana?”
“Ask your son.”
“Ask my son?” she repeated his words back at him, confused by his detached voice. “He’s our son.”
I opened my mouth to reply but the security surveillance caught my attention when I saw Adriana running on the screen.
“Ari,” I informed, nodding to her.
She was hauling ass out of the property, following some guy I didn’t recognize. Out of nowhere, a white van rounded the corner of the estate and pulled out in front of them. Ari jerked around, a stunned expression ripped through her face.
The door of the vehicle busted open, within seconds someone grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth and dragged her into the back of the van. The doors quickly shut, and the engine revved as they drove off. It was over before it even started. Adriana never stood a chance.
“Gino! I want Sienna locked in her room. Now!” Luciano demanded. “She does not leave your sight until I tell you otherwise. Do you understand me?”
“Si, Capo.”
“Vinny, I need you to shut down the party and no one leaves until we’ve had a word with every person in attendance.”
“Si, Capo.”
“Go!”
Despite hearing his commands, I didn’t pay him any notice. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, experiencing my own demise. The unexpected craze in my mind immobilized me, hundreds of thoughts beat across my head as if I was on the receiving end of someone’s attack.
My jaw clenched.
My fists balled up.
My mind went into fight or flight mode.
An intense, overpowering sense of rage catapulted into my stance, crushing bone-by-bone in my body. My instincts kicked into overdrive, adrenaline coursed through me, searing into my veins and entering my blood. It didn’t end there, my endorphins sky-rocketed, bringing me to my fucking breaking point.
I welcomed the demons that arose from the depths of my soul.
I wanted to fucking kill them.
Slowly.
Limb-by-limb.
Until they were begging for mercy.
The thought alone granted me peace in a moment where I craved war.
Fiending for a life like a fucking wolf in the night. It was wrong, but it felt right. The desire for vengeance became my source of refuge, the air I needed to keep breathing, to keep moving, to push through. Silencing the fact that this was all my fault to begin with.
The forgiveness I sought was a vicious cycle I was wreaking havoc in, savoring every second of it while I could. Because deep down, my worst fear had become my reality—my sister was taken, and I had no one to blame but myself. I wanted revenge, making me realize I was no different than our father, and he knew it too. We were one in the same. It’s why he was so disappointed in me.
I didn’t just betray him, I was his reflection staring back in his eyes.
“Oh my God,” Mamá breathed out, stumbling over her footing as she walked toward my father. Going into what could only be described as shock. “They took Adriana? Someone took our baby girl? How could you let this happen, Alejandro? Where were you?”
“Mamá. It’s not his fault.”
“Alejandro, you promised me you’d always protect our children! You promised me!”
“Cariño, let me explain.”
“Let you explain? Explain what exactly? How you lied to me all these years? How you betrayed me? How our daughter was kidnapped on your watch, when all you’ve ever done is swear to me this would never effect our kids!”