…if two of them are dead. – Benjamin Franklin
ANGEL
I took one look at my gagged and bound mother and wanted to cut down everyone involved. “That’s far enough, and you can drop your gun.”
I stopped walking but didn’t lower my gun. “Not a chance.”
“Then I’ll shoot her now, and your mother can join her in hell.” He aimed his gun at Mian’s head. The true test of control was ignoring my rage. Reacting in anger would be stupid and fatal. I needed him to think I was calm inside and out. It meant control.
“If you shoot her, what will stop me from killing you?” I rationalized.
The fucker pursed his lips as if he hadn’t thought about it. I almost snorted. He thought he could actually kill me. “It seems we are at an impasse.”
“What do you want, Castro?” There was only irritation in my tone, but the truth was, I was scared as fuck. This was the first time I was the one with something to lose besides my life.
“Revenge before I take your family’s empire.”
“Not going to happen.”
“When you’re finally dead, I’ll inherit your power.”
“Not. Going. To. Happen.”
“I have your book. It will happen.”
“Then why do you need me dead? Why do I still sit on my throne while you hide and creep among my court like a coward?”
“Because fear creates a false sense of loyalty. Having the book isn’t enough. No one is willing to believe you aren’t smart enough to keep a copy. It seems I can’t do business unless you’re dead.”
“Whispers can ruin you.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“I don’t have a copy. I guess I’m not as smart as people think.”
“You’re lying.”
“Maybe. I would be smart to lie. But since I’m not…”
He exploded. “Enough with the mind games! Do you have a copy or not?”
“If you’re going to kill me, will it matter? Without me to refute it, you can make them believe anything you want.”
“Is that the same thing you told your mother the night your father died?” I watched his gaze move to Mian while he continued to speak to me. “Isn’t that why you want Theo dead?”
I felt the first crack in my control. “Shut up, Castro.” But it was too late. Mian’s ears were already wide open.
“A dead man can’t talk,” he continued. He had a death wish. I started to pull the trigger and unload on Castro until he was as dead as my father, but her voice stopped me.
“What is he talking about?” I didn’t answer. I didn’t look at her. She would never forgive me if I did.
“My dear, your father didn’t kill Art.” His cold gaze watched me as he delivered the final blow. “His mother did.”
I did pull the trigger then. Just as he glanced away to smile at Mian, my bullet pierced his skull, shutting him up forever. His lone henchman fired a shot, but before he could fire a second, I sent him to hell.
Eliana stared down at her father as blood poured from his head onto the concrete. I aimed and whistled to get her attention.
“Any last words?”
She dropped her gun and threw her hands up pleadingly. “Plea—” I shot her before she could finish.
Through it all, Mian kept her head down, and I knew it wasn’t fear that made her curl into herself. Even now, I could feel her pain. Her shoulders trembled, and I knew when I looked in her eyes there would be tears. I cut through the tape binding her and dropped the knife to pull her into my arms.
“Mian?”
She wobbled when I stood her up so I held her tighter. “Is it true?” Her voice was so small.
Suddenly, I was falling from a cliff and reaching for anything that would keep me from hitting rock bottom.
“Fuck.” My voice was shaking too.“We can’t talk about this here. Let me untie my mom and get you two somewhere safe.” It was hard letting her go, but I managed and turned to remove my mom’s gag when I stopped short. I couldn’t move, speak, or think. My mom’s eyes were open and staring down at the ground as her head hung, but there was no life in them. Blood poured from the side of her head. “Mom?” It was my turn to sound small. I barely recognized my own voice as I called out to her again.
“Victor’s guard killed her,” Mian answered when my mother didn’t. I couldn’t stop staring and waiting for her to move. She couldn’t be dead. “Angel,” Mian called more forcefully. I answered her demand by facing her. Tears poured down her face as she moved into my body, but I couldn’t bring myself to hold her. I was too numb.
“I know how you’re feeling,” she said into my chest. “I know how it feels to lose a mom and even a dad. I know how it feels to lose everything. That’s how you’re feeling, aren’t you?” I didn’t answer. “Everything I had lost was because of you and your family and your lie .”
A sharp pain in my stomach punctuated her claim. We both stared down, mesmerized by the sight of my knife in my stomach. “That was for my son.” I parted my lips, I heard the words in my head, but nothing came out. “I couldn’t fall out of love with you, Angel. Even when you refused to love me back.” I watched a lone tear trail down her face just as she drove the knife deeper into my gut. I struggled again to speak, but a pain filled gasp was all I could manage. She was tearing me apart inside in more ways than one. “But the man you hate is my father, and since the moment I was born, I also promised him I’d love him. This is for him.”
She let go of the knife as if it burned her and stepped back. I tried to keep my eyes from closing so I could see her one last time, but then she turned and ran before I could force more words past my pain.
“Sprite,” I whispered too late.