Page 48 of Depraved Lust
“What the fuck is going on?” Tommy asks with a pain that breaks through his words. He’s worried. He’s worried for me and it’s all my fault.
“They have her; I know it.” I say just above a whisper.
“Catherine?” Tommy asks, confused. It breaks my heart to know I’ve betrayed him. I betrayed all of them.
“Why? Why would they do that?” Tommy asks.
“War. It’s the start of war.” I answer him with pain in my chest.
“What’d you do?” Tommy demands to know as he shakes my shoulders, and I have to look him in the eyes, but I still can’t tell him.
“Catherine’s a rat. She’s supposed to be dead.” Vince answers over my shoulder and Tommy’s grip loosens until his arms fall to his side. He looks at me like it can’t be true. But it is.
“She had no choice.” I try to defend her. They have to believe her; they have to believe me. She needs me. She’s mine.
“This is over Catherine?” Tommy asks with doubt.
“She’s mine,” I say with finality. A look of hurt flashes in my brother’s eyes. He doesn’t understand. They’ll never understand.
“You fucking bought her as a slave--” I understand Vince’s anger, but I don’t need it right now. I need him on my side. I need my familia to help me get her back. I need her. I need her right fucking now.
“I don’t care if you don’t understand. None of you ever understand me. That doesn’t make me any less family. If I say she’s mine, then she’s fucking mine,” I growl out.
“If she’s yours, then how did they get her?” Vince steps up to me like he knows. Like he already knows that she left me. But that makes no difference to me. I let her go because I love her, and I’ll save her because I love her. Even if she doesn’t love me back.
“She left me.”
Tommy grips his hair like he can’t believe this shit. I hear the men walking around us, waiting on their orders, even though they already made up their minds. No one fucks with us. They mess with one of us, they fuck with all of us. The only thing that would hold them back is if Vince told them not to.
“You didn’t let her go?” Vince asks with disbelief.
“I watched her leave me. She needed to.” I swallow the lump in my throat as I add, “But I know they have her. I know they found her.” He looks at me with doubt and then nods slightly.
Vince looks past me and addresses the familia. “It doesn’t matter what started it. Get your guns ready, boys, and call for the rest of ‘em.” I nod my head. Thank fuck. Thank fuck I have a real chance to save her, if they didn’t already kill her.
“Anthony,” Vince says to get my attention. I look up at him. “We’re going in first.” I put my hand on his shoulder before he has a chance to move away. I lean in and give him a quick hug. He's shocked, and it takes him a moment, but he pats me on the back in return.
I don’t let him go. “I have to save her, Vince.” I pull back to look him in the eyes. “She can’t die. I can’t let her die.” His brow furrows with confusion and I know I’m not getting through to him. He doesn’t have to understand. He just has to give me his word.
“Don’t be stupid--” he starts to answer me, but I cut him off.
“If it’s between the two of us, save her. I can’t let her die,” I say.
That’s the moment his look changes.
He gives me a small nod, and only then do I release him.
* * *
THERE SHE IS. Just like I fucking knew she’d be. Fuck! She couldn’t run fast enough, could she? It’s my fault. She’s on her knees with that fucker's hand gripping her shoulder, pushing her down. She looks up at me with the saddest expression and cries out, “I’m so sorry.” The man behind her whips his hand across her face and she lands on her side. My hands fist at my side and my blood boils.
Not her. He’s not going to get away with it. He cocks the gun in his hand and aims it at her head. His eyes are on me though.
“Was this little bitch worth it, Anthony? Was she worth war?” I hear the words, but I can’t take my eyes off of her. Lorenzo is still standing behind her. And behind him are a dozen or so of his men. I know I’ve walked into a sentencing. Her sentencing.
“Knock it off, Lorenzo.” Marcus finally speaks. He puts his hands out as if to welcome us.
“What’s this?” Vince asks from behind me as he walks up to my side. It’s just the two of us, for now. “It was just supposed to be us, Marcus.”
