Page 23 of The Heart of a Villain

“Downstairs!”

“Go then!”

“I don’t see the fucking thing. Why don’t you go?”

Who are these awful men, and why do they want to take us? Does it mean they won’t really hurt Mom?

“William, now!” Mom’s scream echoes in the space, breaking my heart in two, but before I can yell anything back, Rafael stops me once again.

“No, Rush,” he whispers in my ear. “They will find us then. Listen to Mom.”

“She’s hurting,” I say, hating him in this moment because once again he cares only about his own skin.

He swallows hard but still shakes his head. “Stay silent. Do as Mom says.”

I grit my teeth because he’s right. If she asks something, she expects us to follow. And besides, I can’t risk anyone hurting Lavender. She’s just two years old. She won’t be able to run far.

George’s hold on us tightens, and he address William, “The boat.”

The fire spreads all over the perimeter now, the heat blasting. I cough hard from the smoke as our butlers rush toward the main door, with things falling down all around us.

All our beloved things, from trophies to family photos, swallowed bit by bit, while more thunder booms outside, accompanied by shouts and agonized screams.

I cover my ears from it all, scrunching my eyes closed hard while focusing only on Mom’s request.

Finally, we get outside, all of us inhaling fresh air into our lungs while tears stream down my face at the sight of our home being destroyed as fire blazes inside. The pouring rain drops from above, extinguishing it, yet not fast enough to save our mansion.

“Rush,” Rafael whispers, tears falling down his cheek as well while he leans on me.

“Mom will survive.” She knows this place better than anyone and even once mentioned secret passages in the house.

Right now, I desperately need to believe in that.

People hectically race all around us, jumping into cars and even fighting who gets to drive it, while others just run to the main door as more gunshots erupt. “Someone’s shooting from the window upstairs!” George shouts, ducking as another bullet almost gets us. “Protect the children!”

William hides Lavender inside his jacket as he searches for an available car, but it’s almost impossible in the chaos. “George, what will we do?”

Before his husband can answer anything, the screeching of tires disturbs our ears, and we look at the wide-open jeep that halts besides us, driven by Kelly, one of our maids. For some reason, the memory of her once mentioning she wants to have a daughter someday and name her Jesse pops into my mind. “Hop in, guys!”

George puts us inside and then gives Rafael our sister, who he hugs close as she whines into his chest. William joins Kelly in front, while George covers us from more gunfire as the car accelerates toward the main gate.

“Thank you, dear,” William tells her as more bullets bounce off the car, and she takes a harsh turn to the right, avoiding several more. She presses on the gas harder, and the car speeds up.

Kelly asks, “The boat?” and at William’s nod, she flies through the gates and swings the car to the left, heading straight to the beach. Pouring rain soaks us all while the whooshing wind blasts all around us, the lightning flashing several times, followed by the sky shaking so hard birds squeak loudly and take off in flight.

Rafael squeezes Lavender as he shifts her between us, both of us trying to protect her from the rain while the blanket is getting wet. “Who are these people?”

George barely answers my question and taps on my head. “Bad men. That’s why we need to leave the island now.” He then addresses Kelly. “Be careful.”

She grips the steering wheel harsher as she heads to the narrow road between the trees, the leaves swaying and darkness greeting us.

The tension in the air rises, and I scoot closer to my siblings because I know why the adults are worried. If lightning strikes, we might get injured. But there is no faster way to the shore, where Father has all his boats.

“Mommy,” Lavender whimpers, clenching my shirt as she raises her eyes to me. “Rush, Mommy!”

Although everything inside me is in agony, I muster up a smile for her sake and reassure her. “She’ll come soon.” Her lips tremble as sadness crosses her face, and she leans on Rafael again, seeking his support.

And that in itself breaks me too because somehow she loves him more than me, and why, I’ll never understand.

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