Page 116 of Relentless Oath

She sat back away from me, and I couldn’t read her expression. I waited for her to say something, anything, but she didn’t say anything at all.

That hurt worse than my shoulder. It hurt almost as much as...I couldn’t let myself think about that. I never thought about that. But what had I expected?

That she would forgive everything and go flying into my arms? Declare her undying love for me? This was the real world. That wasn’t going to happen.

“Dario!” I heard Joseph call out.

“Where were you?” I asked, and then I noticed the handcuffs. Why were his hands handcuffed?

“What happened?—”

“It was Ivan, he?—”

The sound of Matteo’s scream pierced the air right before the sound of two shots.

I looked in the direction of the car and saw Ivan standing there, looming over Matteo’s body, the gun in his hand.

“I told you to take him home.”

Luis had his gun drawn on Ivan, and Joseph looked from me to Luis, to Ivan.

“He handcuffed me to a fucking tree—” Joseph started.

“Quit your bellyaching,” Ivan said, “I could have killed you instead.”

“Ivan,” I said, “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m eliminating the competition.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You think you’re the only bastard your dad sired? Or should I say,ourdad? Surprise, big brother.”

I had heard rumors that there was another, but I had chalked it up to just that…rumors. So, Ivan was my brother. This whole time. I didn’t know.

“You’re my favorite. So, let’s let bygones be bygones. I did you a favor. Nico was an idiot. And well, Matteo, he was greedy and messy. What he did to Vicky?—”

My head began to pound. “What do you know about Vicky?”

“Vicky?” I heard Mya ask, a question in her voice.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” Ivan said. “It was meant to be you. So, as you can see, I did you a favor, two birds with one stone…or one gun, so to speak.”

“So, what happens next, Ivan? Are you going to kill me too?”

“Too many witnesses. Maybe some other time. But I plan to rebuild what you left behind. Thanks for that. I’ll see you around, bro.”

Slowly a car pulled up behind him, and he kept his gun on us the whole time until he had climbed in. And just like that, he was gone.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Mya

It had been two months,and I was finally getting used to moving from place to place every month or so. It was Dario’s way to make sure Ivan didn’t find us.

I wasn’t even sure Ivan was looking for us. Dario wasn’t either, but he didn’t want to let his guard down.

---