Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 22
Elio
I’m just barely keeping myself restrained. The second this piece of filth admitted what he did, I almost went full berserker. The moment Luca clears the room, I will do just that. Snap his limbs. Smash his face with my fist until he’s a bloody, broken mess. Then I’ll finish the job with a steak knife right in his goddam throat.
Russel stares up at me, a coward’s look of complete fear on his face. Fighting a big, angry man is much harder than a short, scared woman.
“Elio,” Mom says, walking up beside us. “Please. You have to stop.”
“Give me one good reason,” I snarl. “This bastard deserves it.”
“Please.”
“Listen to your mommy, Elio—”
I drive my fist into Russel’s face. Hard. My knuckle catches his nose, and it erupts with blood. He gasps and starts screaming right away, proper bitch stuff. Proper cowardly stuff. He’s like a little sniveling baby.
“Elio…” Mom touches my arm. “Please. No more. Not now.”
“Then explain,” I yell, glaring at her, something I can’t ever remember doing. Yelling at my mother makes me feel so small. “Why are we in business with this freak? This was your choice, Mom. Dad hasn’t said a goddamn thing since his stroke. I know it. You know it. Luca knows it. You’ve been lying this whole time.”
Mom blinks, tears sliding down her cheeks. Behind her, I can see Luca frowning at me. Even if I said it in the wrong way, it’s a fact. There’s no way around it.
Finally, Mom nods. “Just let him up. Then I’ll explain.”
“What if I don’t feel like letting him up?” I snarl.
“Then you’ll sacrifice our entire Family,” she replies.
“What? How? How?”
“Elio, please.”
“He broke into my woman’s apartment.”
“It’s okay,” Scarlet says. I glance over and see her standing, her hands clasped in front of her, her features flushed. “Your mom clearly needs to tell you this, whatever it is. It’s not like Russel is going anywhere, is he?”
“You should thank her,” I tell Russel, standing and keeping my gaze on him, praying for him to try something else.
He struggles to his feet, groaning as his nose continues to piss blood.
“Cover the door, Luca.”
He moves to the doorway, a steak knife in his hand, staring at Russel. I pick up a knife, too, grab Russel by the shirt, and hold the knife to his throat.
“Please move,” I tell Russel. “Please fight. I’d enjoy that.”
“I think you should listen to your mom,” he says, and that almost makes me drive the blade into his throat—the fact he thinks he has any right to get involved with my family. Or the Family, and especially after what he did to my woman.
Mom stands behind her chair, her hand on her head. She glances at Dad, then at Luca. “Luca, please, take your father.”
“Mom—”
“Please,” she pleads.
“I’d listen to her,” Russel says. “Unless you want a nasty surprise—”
I give him a stiff jab at the base of his spine, letting him feel how serious I am. He grunts and stumbles forward. I grab his shirt, pull him backward, and press the knife against his throat again.
“Do it, Luca,” I tell him.
He groans, walking around the table. “Dad, I’m taking you to your room, okay? I’ll have Sebastian stay with you.”
Dad sits there, borderline lifeless. It breaks my damn heart. Luca wheels Dad from the room.
“We’ll wait for Luca to return.” Mom sits, sighs, and waves a hand. “You might as well sit down, dear.”
Despite the circumstances, hearing her call Scarlet dear touches me deeply. I know it’s a small thing, nothing to get overly excited about, but it’s enough to make me think of the future—the days when she and Mom will become friends, all this crap behind us.
Luca returns, closing the door behind him.
“Do you want to tell them?” Russel says. “Or shall I?”
Mom whimpers. “You do it, you evil man. You fucking do it!”
Luca and I exchange a look. It’s rare to hear Mom curse or see her so irate.
“Can I do it without a knife in my throat?” Russel says. “And maybe I could get a damn napkin for my nose?”
“You’ll be a corpse soon,” I tell him coldly. “No need to worry about any of that.”
When he laughs, I almost lose it again. I can only forcibly calm myself down when my Scarlet gives me a look. It’s a complicated look, saying a whole lot. It’s like she’s telling me she wants Russel to pay, but she also wants me to keep the Family safe. Maybe that involves hearing how Russel has Mom so scared.
“Get on with it,” I snap, shaking him.
Russel sighs. “I’ve been the leader of the Shanks for six years.”
“You say that like we should be impressed,” Luca snaps.
Russel shrugs. He’s keeping his composure well for a man whose life is at serious risk. I’d admire it if I wasn’t ready to gut him like the pig he is.