Page 104 of Like An Animal
“Oh, I don’t?” Isaac throws his head back laughing before squatting down to my level. He smirks before muttering, “Blood is thicker than water, child, and you didn’t blink twice when you killed your own father.”
“You’re saying that quote wrong, Isaac.The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.Massimo Aronin was my family and he fucking earned that title ten times over. He loved me like a brother and even willingly gave his life without complaint to protect me. It’s not because I’m married to one of his best friends in the world. It’s because Max, Jer, Xavi, and I have always been the family we found together. That’s something a disgusting sack of shit like you could never understand. And, in case you were unaware, I fuckinghatedmy father. No one who is a part of your band of pedophiles deserves to call themselves a father or a mother. And thankfully, you’ll never find my child. They are well hidden and protected.”
Dimitri pipes up. “Why would they want–”
I turn my scowl on him as more tears fall. “Didn’t they tell you? They want me because the one they really want shares blood with me. Sure, they see me as their property, but I’ve outlived my usefulness to a group of kiddie diddlers. They want to torture the truth out of me, but it won’t work. That’s one secret I will take to the grave.”
“We’ll see about that.” Isaac tries to grab my arm, but I yank it out of his hold before gently laying Massimo’s head on the ground. I stand on my feet, my knees shaking the whole way.“One last thing before you take me away. Trust me. You’re going to want to hear this.”
Isaac crosses his arms as if to say he’s going to humor me.
I lean down to the ground and pick up the phone I dropped before lifting it up, tapping the speaker phone button.
“Did you catch all that, Jeremy?”
The horror that registers across Dimitri’s face is priceless. He knows what this means. His days are fucking numbered.
“Every last fucking word, little ghost.” The rage in his voice speaks volumes, but Isaac looks confused. “My husband, also known as Dimitri’s grandson, has been listening to everything and he put out a red alert to send everyone here a minute after the first shot was fired. Max gave me his phone before sending me into the panic room. Also, Isaac, you’re out of time. You had three minutes left when I walked out, but instead of grabbing me and running, you decided to let me fill it with my chatter.”
It’s unlikely that they’ll make it out of here unscathed.
I drop the phone on the floor and step down on it, crushing it with my stiletto.
Then, I can hear out the window men screaming, “Spread out and find them!”
Even if they manage to escape with me, it will be with very few men left.
I hope Isaac dies and he chokes on his own blood knowing it’s Massimo’s retribution for a life cut too short.
CHAPTER 42
THE GHOST
Istare out into space as tears flow down my face, even as the van moves around. Jeremy’s men captured Dimitri on his orders along with his guards and every one of Isaac’s men were killed on our way to the van. Isaac managed to push me into the van and get in himself without catching a stray bullet.
My heart hurts so bad. I wish we had more time with Massimo. I wish we had all just come to Newark sooner then I wouldn’t have lost the last five years of Massimo’s life to running, sans a few weeks.
Most people talk about being able to feel someone’s spirit after they’ve died, but that’s not my experience. It’s like he just vanished from existence on the physical planeandthe spiritual one.
At least I have the memories to look back on.
I lay down in the van and fold my hands under my head, giving myself time to grieve over my loss.
Massimo Aronin was a grumpy stone wall unless it was just the four of us. Then, he was still quiet for the most part, but a smile was on his face. Our little group made him happy and that’s the only thought that is keeping me from completely breaking apart.
I’m so sorry, Max. If love could’ve saved you, you would’ve lived forever.
I’m pushedinto the compound by a few masked men as Isaac walks in front of me. However, I can’t see shit because Isaac has a sack placed over my head and my hands bound behind my back.
Immediately, I’m hit with the stench I'll never forget…incense. They’re burned all throughout the compound in every single room. They claim it blesses everyone and absolves them of all their mortal sins, but it's bullshit. It’s to cover up the smell of bodily fluids and blood that permeated the walls so heavily that no amount of scrubbing will ever remove the smell.
They think if you can’t smell it that you’ll forget the horrors that take place in these walls.
It has the opposite effect. The smell of incense reminds me of what I’ve seen and experienced, including screaming into the night as I brought my baby girl into the world all by myself.
No pain medication.
No anesthetic.
