Page 19 of Rising from the Ashes

“My dad has no interest in taking over their organization. They didn’t feel threatened, so they felt like my revenge was futile.”

“Okay, I know that you want revenge on your father, but you have never told me why. I find it hard to believe you just woke up one day and wanted to kill your own blood.”

She pauses, staring down at the table, her hands clasped together.

Reaching over, I rest my hands over hers. “Come on Cal. We can’t work together if there are secrets. You have to trust me.”

The familiar words escape my mouth like burning bile in my throat as I say them.

Fucking hypocrite.

She sighs before she begins, “You know my father is Enzo Silvestri, Edinburgh's most wanted crime lord. After my mom died, he convinced me I was weak. He taught me how to use a gun, once he deemed I was old enough.

“He sent me out on nightly excursions to get rid of the people who were getting in the way of his plan, to level the playing field.” She pauses, her voice cracking. “I was proud, ya know? Working for my father. I never was told the extent of his plans and I learned not to ask questions.”

“Seven years of doing his dirty work, finally bit me in the ass. He decided to branch out. The money wasn’t enough for him; he wanted more. Instead of just dealing in weapons trade, he realized that he could make more money in more illicit drugs and human trafficking. But he needed Demassi off the board as well as Owen Black. When I overheard the plans, I was disgusted. How could my father, who has a daughter, want to do that to these women?”

Her eyes begin to brim with tears, but she blinks them back before continuing.

I stare at her in silence, my heart ripping out of my chest, knowing the part of the story that comes next.

“Well my father doesn’t like when people disagree with him. In his eyes, I became the enemy when I let Demassi know of his plans. Everly did my father a favor by taking out Black, and taking over his old Order, but it also put a wrench in his plans. She is now a roadblock in his journey to power.”

“One night, my father and my fiancé kidnapped me, bringing me to where they did all of their persuasion. My father let his men get their rocks off while my fiancé, the man who was supposed to protect me, watched. He set the building on fire with me in it. I don’t remember how I got out or where he took me after. I just remember the shadow of a man and the words he spoke.”

Choking on a sob that she is struggling to hold back, she continues, “A guy took care of me for a couple of weeks, but I had heard of the Silent Guardians and their methods. I knew I needed a way to become stronger. To do something with the anger that was billowing inside me like the fire did that night. I couldn’t go back to my father. I had seen the papers and news reports about how I tragically died in that factory fire. They orchestrated the whole thing. I was a ghost, so a ghost is what I became.”

When she finishes, she exhales and leans back against the booth, holding her arms out. “Welcome to my trauma.”

Twirling a french fry in her chocolate shake, she pops it into her mouth, trying to feign a smile.

“Daddy’s little girl,” she mutters.

“Cal, I am so sorry. I didn’t know, and I don’t know that I would have ripped that bandaid off, had I known.” Regret consumes me as I feel the need to tell her the truth about Drake and why I am really here.

I saved her that night. I can’t kill her now. She’s not the real threat anymore.

Our phones ping, breaking the silence between us. Simultaneously pulling them from our pockets, she looks up at me when she sees the new assignment flash across the screen.

E: Go to the docks. Eliminate who you need to. Bring in Allister Craye.

Shado: Got it.

Cal: Headed there now.

E: Accept the assignment later. Do this now.

Cal throws her jacket around her shoulders and slaps a wad of cash onto the table.

“Boss says time to move,” she says urgently, as she quickly rises from the booth.

Following suit, I say, “Yep.” I walk behind her, grazing my hand on her back. I swear I feel her shudder against my touch.

Now is not the time to be over analyzing shit. There’s a job to do.

Chapter seven

Calista

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