Page 71 of The Casella King

I see Henry emerge from the side of the house, the phone to his ear. “Done, meet us there,” he speaks into the phone as he nods to me, sliding into the driver’s seat of the McLaren. “We have fifteen minutes to get to them before they vacate the premises.” Nico nods at Henry and is already starting up the Bugatti. There’s no question that I will be going to hell for the number of lives I’ve taken, but I’m going to thoroughly enjoyhurting these motherfuckers who would use an innocent baby as a pawn in their vile games.

Tick-tock, fuckers, your time’s almost up.

My foot meets the double door as they barrel over, hitting the floor with a thud. Both my guns are raised, as Nico and I walk through the old, dank office of a warehouse. My eyes cut to the basket sitting on the desk in the middle of the room. Immediate relief rushes over me as I walk up to the desk, peering into the shallow basket, Ryan’s steel-blue eyes staring back into mine.

“It’s empty.” Nico says in a low voice. “Why would they leave the baby and go?” My mind doesn’t register his words as I holster my guns and cradle Ryan in my arms. I watch as Nico pulls out a piece of folded-up paper from the bottom of the wicker basket, his eyes meeting mine as he unfolds it. “Even the King can be commanded like a dog on a leash.” He reads the words off the page, and the dormant fire within me roars to life. “It doesn’t make sense for them to leave the baby here.” His voice barely a whisper, as if he’s talking to himself, and that’s when it hits us both, our eyes clashing.

“Get everyone out of the building right now!” I yell to Nico as I hold Ryan tight into my chest. My legs fire as I sprint towardthe entrance, the innocent child in my arms my main priority. I have a few metres until I reach the open entrance, and all I can hear is the pounding of my heart beneath my chest and hurried feet hitting the ground behind me.

Explosions ring in my ears as I escape through the doors of the warehouse, leaping onto the tall grass. Pain radiates through my shoulder and back as I land on the hard ground, cradling Ryan into my chest. Fire bellows into the air as the entire building slowly collapses into itself. My eyes search for Nico, and panic ensues when I don’t immediately find him. Ryan’s cries fill my ears as I stand, ignoring the pain, desperately in search of my little brother.

A sting spreads across my cheek as I look up at my father. His dark eyes unimpressed with my efforts. Nothing I do ever seems to be good enough for him.

“Fucking disappointment.” He spits at my feet as he walks back towards the punching bags. My knuckles feel raw, the skin scaling off in layers as blood seeps through the wounds. “I’m not raising a fucking pussy! Now hit like you fucking mean it!” he yells as Nico sits in the corner of the gym with wide eyes, his knees clutched to his chest. My fist flies into the bag once again, the flesh on my knuckles ripping further. I pick up speed as my fists ram the bag harder and faster with each punch. Tears brim behind my eyes, but I fight them back. There is no room for weakness in front of Dominic. He would feel no remorse. Instead, he would make you lick your own tears off the floor. He doesn’t relent until my blood coats the punching bag, dripping onto the floor.

“Nico!” His voice is hard as he demands my brother’s presence. “Take your brother’s place.” My brother’s eyes flare as he stands and walks over to us.

“No. I want to keep going,” I state, watching as Nico releases a sigh, his shoulders relaxing.

“Nico!” I yell through the ringing in my ears. “Nico!”

My heart constricts as I see his still body on the gravel just outside the warehouse. I kneel with Ryan in one arm, shaking my brother with the other.

“I swear to Lucifer, you better not be dead.” I lean over him, my ear to his mouth, listening for his breathing as I place two fingers on his pulse. A low groan rumbles from his throat as he turns over onto his back. A sigh of relief escapes me as I sit back on my heels, clutching Ryan to my chest. “Oh, thank fuck.”

Nico coughs, clutching his arm as he smiles up at me. “You won’t be rid of methateasily, brother.”

Ipick at the skin surrounding my nails, my heart sinking further with each minute that passes. My eyes skate over to Giselle, head in her hands, seated on the couch across from me. A lump forms in my throat as I imagine all that she’s going through.

It’s all my fault.

Guilt rushes over me, suffocating me ,and all I want to do is apologise to her. Her little sobs seep through the silence, and my heart breaks even further.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen.” My voice is small, afraid if I speak loudly, that I may set her off again.

She looks up at me, her hands clasping, falling between her knees. “You thought that marrying into the city’s most notorious mafia family wouldn’t come with consequences?”

Her words send a spear to my chest, but she’s right. The space between us grows even more at the silence that falls in the air. Arthur steps into the lounge room from the kitchen holding a cup of tea. He hands it to her as he settles into the couch beside her.

“It’s not her fault, G,” he whispers to her, an arm over her shoulder. “Remember when we met, how infatuated we were with each other?” He tries to make light of the situation, and I admire him for it. Always the rock in their relationship. I’ve never seen my sister lose her temper in the slightest, and the way she looks at me now as if I’m a stranger that purposely caused her harm makes me curl into myself.

“I think I’ll give you guys some space.” I stand and take the stairs up to the second floor. I hold my phone in my hand hoping, praying that Ezra will call with good news. I stare at it, trying to will it to call as I walk into my study. I slump into my chair, tears stinging the back of my eyes.

She will never forgive you.

Is it wrong to want this life?

Is it wrong that I feel the power within myself continue to grow, the longer I am with Ezra?

I love my sister, but I don’t know if I could ever be without Ezra. He’s brought to life something within me that had frightened me since that very first day I felt it. The first time I ever wanted to hurt someone was the day my mother died. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs as I hacked into my father’s chest for hurting her. She never knew happiness, although she tried to hide it from us, I know she didn’t. He was a pig, a drunk and an abuser, and she never should have stayed with him, but she did.

For us.

Although the darkness incites fear at first, it’s only when we journey into it where we are able to find some sort of comfort in the silence and peace. No matter what, that darkness will always be a part of us. Some people may only have shadows within them, and others, like Ezra, have a chasm, swallowing up everything in its path like a black hole. The day I met Ezra, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I thought we’d bemarried for a few months and divorce, just like he said, but somewhere along the line, I didn’t want him to let me go.

I never knew a love like this could exist.

An all-consuming love.

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