Page 97 of A Taste Of Darkness

“Do you want me to repeat myself?” I spoke even harsher. “Don’t you remember what happens when you disobey me?”

He was clenching his jaw, balling his free hand into a fist but eventually, he lowered the gun. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Ask me another question and find out what happens.” I walked past my brother and into the hallway where all of my other siblings and cousins were already waiting, aiming guns which slowly dropped one after the other.

Their shock at my return was obvious, their grief for our father or uncle to be expected, but none of them dared utter a word, dared lose a tear, or show any sign of emotion.

I stopped in my tracks as I stood right in the middle of them all.

“Congratulations,” I said, my voice almost robotic. “Your call for my return was successful. But if you thought I was going to come back under his terms, you were wrong. From this day forth, you answer to me. Your inability to leave me the fuck alone comes with consequences, so piss me off once, and you’re gone.” I looked at Dante since he was the first to barge into the room. “I want his body gone. If it’s still there in five minutes, I’m sure he’ll greet you at the gates of hell.”

My eyes met Adriana’s as I walked past my family to get to my mother. Up until this moment, I thought my sister was going to be the only one happy about my return, but when I looked at her, there was resentment on her face.

48

HOW COULD YOU?

Sterlie Adams

“Sterlie, please,” my sister begged through the phone. I could hear the tears in her voice, but I was so devoid of emotions, I couldn’t even care. “Milo will be fine there. It’s his family. But… you, Sterlie…”

“I don’t care.” One after the other I threw my dresses into my suitcase. Usually I’d fold them, but I wasn’t in the mood for folding my stupid clothes.

Honestly, I wasn’t even sure why I was packing.

“Sterlie,” Arlo’s voice came from my bedroom door.

My head whipped around, tears streaming down my face as I looked at him. “How could you let him do that?!”

Before Arlo could respond, I snatched his phone from my bed. He called Flora because he was hoping it’d calm me down, but in reality, it only made me angrier.

“And how can you be okay with Milo leaving?” I yelled at Flora. “I thought he’s your best friend?”

Flora sighed. “He’s an adult, Sterlie. Even if I tried to reason with him, he still would’ve done it.”

“No, he wouldn’t have!” I clutched the phone in my hand, and if I had been strong enough, it probably would’ve broken in half. “Milo is so much more than just the bad guy! He doesn’t even want to be there. He’s doing it because he thinks there’s no other way.”

“There is no other way,” Arlo said.

“YES, THERE IS!” I threw his phone back onto my bed, facing him. “There has to be.”

My heart was beating so fast, I could feel it pound in my ribcage. The throbbing in my head got worse with every second Arlo and Flora acted like this was what Milo wanted.

Apparently, they didn’t even know him.

“No, Sterlie,” Flora said.

“What about Kai?” I asked. “I’m sure he would know a way to… to get Milo out of there.”

“Even if he did, you know Kai wouldn’t do shit for Milo.” Arlo laid his hand on my shoulder, but I immediately swatted it off me.

“Yes, he would. Milo helped him out before, and if Flora asked?—”

“The only thing I could do is send a couple of people to Palermo, Sterlie,” Kai’s voice came through the phone. I suppose my sister had her phone on speaker. “But even if I did that, this is the mafia we’re talking about. It’s not a random group of criminals who have it out for him. If I intervene, they’ll come after me next. I know my life means nothing to you, but coming after me also means they’ll be after Flora. The moment I do anything to help Milo, I’m signing her death certificate, and I’m not going to do that.”

“Fine.” I suppose he was right though, even if I didn’t want him to be. “I don’t need any of you anyway.”

“Ster—”

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