Page 35 of Sacrifice

Walking into the casino and seeing the massacre, I make my plan. Calling my oldest brother, I wait impatiently for him to pick up the phone. Now,Miguel, hewould stoop to something like this. The longer the phone rings, the angrier I get.

Finally, he picks up. "Hermanito, ¿por qué me llamas tan temprano en la mañana?"

"Like you don't fucking know," I spit out as he laughs.

"What, what the hell?" The shock in his voice makes me rethink what I'm about to say. "Is there trouble, Vincent?"

Taking a deep breath, I go ahead and accuse him. It's the only way to flush him out. "Did you do all of this, Miguel?"

There's not even a second of pause from him. "What the fuck are you talking about,hermanito?What has happened?"

Pulling the phone from my ear, I hit the Facetime button. When he pops up on my screen, he looks confused. "Look for yourself." I show him the casino.

"Madre de Dios. No, hermanito. I didn't. Fuck. I'm on my way." He gets up from his bed and I sigh.

Shit, it wasn't him. I was hoping it would be a brother thing. But I should have known. It wouldn't have been that easy. "No. I don't know what I was thinking that you were behind this. And honestly, if it wasn't you, I don't know who would do it."

I swallow a lump in my throat before speaking again. "Stay where you are. I can't lose you, too."

"Leo..." His voice trails off and I see the anger building in his features.

“Si, he is gone. Whoever did this killed him.” I can barely get the words out of my mouth.

“Then I'm coming. Have you contacted Diego?"

"No, Miguel. Our brother is in a war with the Bianchi's. He needs to keep his focus there."

I watch Miguel kiss his wife and leave the room to go to his office.

"Hermanito, you need assistance. Whoever is doing this wants you dead. Our brother, God rest his soul, has already lost his life. Diego may be indisposed right now, but I'm not. We stand together. What do you need?"

Within ten minutes, Miguel and I have agreed to meet up and continue making a plan. But for some reason, I don't feel good about this. I'm putting more people in the line of fire.

Driving to the meeting spot, I call the police about the casino. Normally, I wouldn't involve the police, but innocent lives have been lost and their families deserve closure. Of course, I've already downloaded the original video footage. If it's been tampered with when the police view it, I have proof I'm not the one behind this.

Besides, I need the footage to see who the fuck is messing with me. My phone goes off, pulling me from my thoughts.

A picture message comes through from an unknown number.Mi reinais being held by her chin and she's crying. Another message comes through, this time a video.

My stomach rolls and my hand fists. I can't describe the feeling I have right now as I look at Aribella being groped through her clothes. Acid pungently runs along my stomach and I get dizzy until I hear the man's voice. I've heard it before, but cannot put my finger on it.

"Tell him, bitch." His face is obscured behind Aribella, and there are no distinguishing marks on his hand holding her chin.

"No." Ah,mi reinastill has her feisty spirit.

"Good girl," I whisper with pride.

The man's other hand comes up and grabs her breast and I see red. The mother fucker will die slowly for touching what's mine.

"Don't touch me!" Aribella grits out through her swollen mouth and squirms in the man's hold.

"Then do what you're told."Mi reinalooks into the camera and I see the fear as well as pain in her teary eyes.

"Vincent, you have until five this evening to choose. Mossimo or me."

I scream at the phone as the man punches her in the back and Aribella closes her eyes in pain. "Now, was that so fucking hard?"

My phone screen begins to crack from my crushing grip. Throwing it in the seat, I clench the steering wheel to try to keep my emotions from erupting. I cannot be raging if I want to get to the bottom of this situation. I need to keep a cool head.

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