Page 33 of Inevitable

He tries to pull me away, but I stay firmly planted, my eyes locked on to my Angel as she is being worked on. I can’t look away. I am afraid if I do, I will never see her again.

“Come on, let them work. She will be okay.”

I look down at the ground and blink hard for a moment, banishing the tears that are begging to fall. When I lift my head, the mask has slid in place. Fear and regret have left my body and only one feeling remains…rage.

I step into the dining room and see it is jam packed with every man within a 25-mile radius. All others are likely hauling ass to get here. I walk over to the head chair but don’t sit. Gio and Mario are on either side of me. The rest of the seats at the table are taken by Capos and a few higher-ranking soldiers. The remaining line the walls and spill out into the foyer. All eyes are on me and each gaze I connect with holds the same anger that I feel, hardened on their faces.

“Every last one of them will be slaughtered. I want their bodies lining the streets in pieces. None of them are permitted to die by a bullet, make them suffer. Show the world that an attack on the Mariano family is accompanied with excruciating death.”

My voice is detached and measured as I speak carefully to my men. They all have clenched jaws and balled fists as they nod along with every word I say. On the walls I meet a few soldiers' eyes that look downright blood thirsty, good.

“I want a phone call from each crew every hour with an update. Make them regret this day for the last few moments they have left.”

I slam my fist on the table and everyone stands as they make their way out of the room. I hear them discussing strategies of where to go first and how to attack.

I walk out of the room and head back to where the doctors have been working on Ashlynn. I see Dr. Stratten walking towards me. I must have a panicked look on my face because he puts his hands up trying to ease me.

“She is okay for now.”

I blow out a sigh of relief, until I hear the for now part. I raise my eyebrow for him to explain more on that.

“She lost a lot of blood and if you wouldn’t have had that rag applying pressure there is no doubt, she would not have made it. Unfortunately, it was very dirty before it was used on her and we are very worried about infection. We have given her the max amount of antibiotics for now and have informed your staff of how much she will need and how often. As long as no infection comes to light she will be just fine. I am sure she has a concussion from the blow to the head, but a couple of stitches took care of the cut. Call if you have any questions or concerns.”

I nod my head and shake his hand before I walk over to see her. She is still unconscious, but color is already returning to her cheeks. I caress her face reverently, reveling in the smooth skin beneath my hands. I can’t believe I almost lost her. The doctors are getting ready to move her when one doctor addresses me.

“Mr. Mariano, we are ready to take her to her room so she can recover.”

I shake my head. “She will be recovering in my room. I will show you the way.”

They nod and follow me, carrying the gurney with my angel on it up the stairs. When we get to my room, I help them get her arranged in my bed. They leave her IV in so she can continue to receive fluids and pain medicine for now.

Once they leave, I am left in the room with an unconscious Ashlynn. She looks so peaceful like she is just taking a nap, like none of this horrible day happened. Someone washed the majority of the blood out of her hair and off of her face. It looks like someone also slipped her into a cotton night gown. I brush my knuckles across her rosy red lips and think back to the first moment I was lucky enough to kiss those sweet lips.

8 years ago

I am staring at my bedroom ceiling wide awake. I have been trying to fall asleep for the last hour, but no luck.

Tonight is Ashlynn’s homecoming dance and some rich prick picked her up in a limo hours ago. The way he looked at her like she was a meal made me want to throttle him right there in the driveway. I tried and probably failed to conceal my disdain. I sat back and pretended to be fixing the gutter in the front of the house just so I could catch a glimpse of her before she left.

Holy fuck.

She was breathtaking. Her dress was sapphire blue, just like her eyes. Her long hair was done up in beautiful curls that cascaded down her open back. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw her, but she only had eyes for her date. She didn’t even see me standing there, she jumped in the limo and they were off.

She is in high school and I just graduated this last spring. Not that we ever went to the same school. She goes to Riverside Prep while I went to McKinley High. I don’t know who her date is, or if they are together or not. I don’t know anything outside of her life in the house, I guess that is all I am supposed to know. But I want to know so much more about her, I want to be around her all the time. And now it is around 11:30PM and I just can’t stop thinking about her.

I get out of bed and shrug on a sweatshirt before slipping on some shoes. I can’t sleep so I might as well go for a run. I jog around the backyard, which is more like a damn golf course, for a little while until I hear something. I stop dead in my tracks and listen; there it is again. It sounds like…crying?

I come around a corner and see a girl curled up in a ball in front of the pond in the very back of the property. She seems to be crying and rocking back and forth…holy shit it’s Ashlynn, still in her homecoming dress and everything. I can’t help myself. I jog over to where she is and kneel down in front of her. She keeps her head buried in her arms when I approach her, I don’t think she even realizes I am here right now. Story of my life.

“Ashlynn?” I ask gently as I tentatively touch her bare shoulder.

Her head shoots up and a look of shock registers on her face. Her beautiful face has black streaks from her mascara running down her face, her usually sparkling blue eyes are dull and blood shot red. All I want to do is wrap her up in my arms right now, but I don’t want to cross a line with her. Especially if she is with Richie Rich.

“Are you okay?” I ask. Of course, she isn’t you idiot, she is crying.

She shakes her head before more tears fall. She lets out a strangled sob and I can’t handle it any longer. I scoop her up and haul her into my chest as I hold her tight to me. She instantly clings to me and buries her head into my chest as she cries. I rock her gently and take one hand and lightly smooth it over her hair, occasionally running my fingers through her silky strands. I hope it is comforting for her. I know it sure as hell is for me, I have thought about being this close to her too many times to count.

After a couple of minutes, she pulls away from me and wipes at her eyes quickly trying to hide the fact that she has been crying. I hate to break it to her, but she can’t hide it. It doesn’t matter though. She is still so damn beautiful.

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