Page 53 of The Casella King

We walk through a dark hallway, toward the back of the house, the walls beginning to close in until we stop at an old wooden door. He opens the door and gestures for me to enter. I begin descending the steps into the darkness with only the small amount of light filtering through the hallway into the room. I reach the ground and look up the stairs as the door locks behind him. I slump down into the cold corner of the basement, wrapping my arms around myself and hoping I made the right decision. Even if I didn’t, it’s too late now.

I spent the entire night awake, my eyes feel heavily strained, my skin cool against the wall of the basement. A shiver rolls down my spine at the thought of what Ezra might be thinking or feeling right now. He hasn’t come for me, and that’s what I wanted. I smile.

He trusts me.

I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, and I realise I’m in way over my head, but it’s too late to back out now. I want to prove to him that I can do this. That I belong in his twisted world. I don’t care what it takes for me to make this right. I want him to see the side of me I’ve been hiding for so long, afraid of judgement. It’s easy to say I love you, it’s easy to give people promises you don’t intend to keep, but it’s harder to prove love. To prove you truly want someone because of who they are instead of what they have to give.

I look around the room, taking it all in, trying to formulate a plan, but the room is bare. Four walls with a table on one side, an old, dusty bookcase next to it, and a small bed on the opposite side. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t move from the spot I am in right now. Not until I know for certain that the Brayfords have fallen for it. Not until I know I have them right where I want them. I hear faint footsteps from above me, the voice of two men, and I strain my ears to hear, but it’s no use—they’re too far away, and the floor is too thick. I lick my lips, my mouth dryer than ever, and all I want is a glass of cold water. The door to the basement creaks open, and all thoughts of my discomforts vanish, my body stiffening, and my eyes darting to the door as I stand from my spot.

I watch as a figure moves slowly down the stairs, and as soon as their face comes into view, my eyebrows shoot up.

A woman.

She’s petite, probably the same height as me. Her long auburn hair curls down her front, bouncing as she takes thestairs. She’s pretty and looks somewhat familiar. I clench my jaw as she begins to inch closer to me. Her moss-green eyes shine in the moonlight creeping in from the small window of the basement. She looks me up and down and smiles, lifting a brow.

“Mrs Casella.” She singsongs, placing a hand on her hip and shifting her body weight to one leg. “You don’t look too bad.”

I lift my chin, not wanting to engage.

“Look, I get it, the whole ‘proving yourself to fit in’ and all that bullshit because you suddenly feel like you belong in this world.” My heart catches in my throat at her words.

Fuck.

“But you know what, Aries? You don’t.” Her tone is stern, the smile dropping from her face, replaced with a scowl. “The world you want to be part of is fucked up, morally unjust, and unethical in every way.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I clench my fists, preparing myself for a fight.

“Spare me, honey.” She drops her eyes to my fists and looks back up to me. “You don’t stand a chance.” She turns and begins walking up the steps before she stops and looks back at me, her eyes piercing into mine. “One word of advice. Don’t let them see you sweat.”

Her words confuse me. Was she warning me, or was she threatening me?

She disappears as quickly as she came, leaving me with a swirling mind and churning gut. I need to come up with a solution quickly if they return empty-handed. The fear sizzles inside my veins, coating every surface until it reaches my middle, but then something else happens, something I thought I had to work for, something that I believed would never happen to me. The deep-seated darkness I harbour inside me awakens, the thick black cloud rolling in waves, snuffing the fear, coating my insides with a velvety calm, and I let it take over me. A smallsmile creeps across my face, my heart thumping faster beneath my chest.

If I can’t convince them, there’s only one other way.

My jaw aches from clenching as I pace back and forth in our warehouse, Nico and Henry beside me. It’s been almost twenty-four hours since she’s left, and I still have no word from anyone if she’s okay. A sickening feeling rushes over me at the thought of her hurt, and I think I just might kill everyone in my path to get to her.

“Will you fucking quit it?” Nico lifts his cigarette to his lips and takes a puff, letting out a breath of smoke, clouding his face for a second. “Pacing isn’t going to change anything. Sit down.” I let out a low grumble, cursing him under my breath, cursing the moment I decided to listen to my brother and not go after Aries and storm the Brayford house. I don’t care that we had plans to bring them to their knees. I don’t care that we wanted them to surrender to us, giving us all they own, because right now all I can think about is ripping them from the fucking Earth.

“What do you suggest I do, huh?” I continue pacing, raising my voice. “This isyourfault. She is there because ofyou, becauseyoucouldn’t keep your fat mouth shut!”

Nico shakes his head, and my blood boils, gripping him by his shirt and getting in his face. “I swear Nico, if your plan goes to shit, I will dig that grave myself.”

Marco runs into the warehouse, out of breath, causing me to let go of Nico and face him. “Ezra, Nico, they’ve raided the base. The stock is gone.” He puffs as he tries to catch his breath.

I turn my head to Nico who is smiling, the cigarette hanging between his teeth. “So, they took the bait.” He chuckles, reaching into his pocket and sliding out his phone. He taps away on the screen with a smirk.

“Bait?” I watch as he slides the phone back into his pocket.

“Don’t worry, brother. Now we know she’s safe because now they have half of their product thatwestole, andshewas the one who delivered it to them.” He slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Seems she knows what she’s doing after all.”

That was beside the point. IknewAries was smart. I know she knows what she’s doing, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe, that doesn’t mean she should be with my lifelong nemesis. She should be here, under my protection, where I wouldn’t let even a fly land on her shoulder. Even after Nico’s words, nothing inside me has calmed, the storms still rage, and I grow impatient as each minute passes without her by my side.

“Do you have a contact inside the Brayfords that you’re not telling me about?” I question him, knowing he wouldn’t hide such information from me, but I have to be sure.

“If I did, we would be on our way to retrieve Aries right now.” He takes another puff from his cigarette. “Unfortunately for you, brother, it’s still a waiting game.”

The problem with revenge is not the bloodshed or the hate. I’s when it becomes so deeply engraved into your soul that you see nothing else. You need to be cold and calculated to be able to stay true to a promise like revenge, and although I have alwaysbeen true to my words, I’m not doing this for my father. I’m doing this for our family.

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