“No. This is my place. Tessa, Enzo thought it was wise to get your mom and bring her here,” he says as excitement rushes me.
“She’s here?” I’m nearly climbing out of the bed when Enzo pulls me back down.
“Not exactly. When his men,” Tino begins when Enzo chimes in.
“Our men.” Tino nods.
“When our men went to get her, they found her dead.” Shaking my head, I don’t believe him. She isn’t dead. They left us there to rot. Why would they go after her again? They already took what they wanted from us. They ruined my family!
“Why? How did they find her? We were careful, Tino.”
“We haven’t been there, Tessa. We haven’t been around to help her. She must have had to go out and they found her. I honestly don’t know,” he says looking away from me. I left her. I made him leave her. This is my fault much like everything else bad that’s happened. A single tear falls down my cheek as Enzo pulls me closer to him.
“I’m so sorry, Tessa.” Just as I’m about to turn to him, his phone along with all the other guys’ phones starts going off. I pull back and look at him as he pulls his out. His eyes flash to the others and that’s all I needed to see. Something is going on.
“What is it?”
“Shit,” Switch curses under his breath. “Who is she?”
“She’s our cousin,” Enzo adds.
“What are you talking about?” I ask louder this time. When no one answers me, I grab the phone from his hand and that’s when I see it. Outside the gates. An army of men but the one holding a knife to the girl’s throat, it’s him.
“That son of a bitch!”
“Calm down Tessa. Your head isn’t fully healed,” Preacher says. I flip him off and he chuckles.
“How do you wanna play this?” Switch looks to Enzo.
“I’m going to kill him,” I state simply.
“Tessa, I need you to stay back for a minute.” Fuck him! Like hell I will. That son of a bitch ruined my life. He destroyed me and my family. I will not sit back and watch him hurt anyone else. I’m climbing off the bed faster than Enzo can move but Tino is there, grabbing me in his arms. I try to fight him. Screaming and shoving at him. His lips press into the side of my head before he whispers.
“Just listen to him for a minute, Tessa.” I swallow hard and slowly calm down but Tino never releases me. He allows me to spin around and face Enzo but that’s as far as I get. I don’t miss the tic in Enzo’s jaw either. He doesn’t like Tino touching me but that’s too bad for him. I still need Tino. Just not in the same way I used to.
“As I was saying. That’s our cousin out there. I want you to watch from the live feed,” he begins but I cut him off.
“Fuck you!”
“Shut up and listen!” He roars causing me to jolt. “You watch from the live feed. When him and all his men are within these walls, you lock this place down. I don’t want anyone getting out of here alive. Do you understand me?” His eyes are blazing with fire that rushes straight to my heart. A sick grin slowly tugs across my face as I nod my head.
“No one gets out alive,” I repeat the words he just said. Enzo nods as he stands from the bed and walks toward me. Tino presses one last kiss to the side of my head before shoving me into his brother’s arms. His warmth wraps around me, holding me hostage.
“Let’s move,” Hugo says. There’s commotion behind me but my eyes never leave his. I don’t want to. I want to stare into his soul forever because that’s the one place that I fit. I’ve never fit in anywhere but with him I do. His darkness feeds mine and it almost completely swallows it whole.
“Do you always have to be so stubborn?” He asks before leaning down and kissing me. “I should spank your ass for that.”
“You should but after I have his blood on my hands,” I remind him. He hums his agreement before pulling away and walking to the dresser. Pulling out one of his many tablets, he passes it to me and smiles.
“No one out alive, Tessa.” I shake my head and look down at the tablet. I move to sit on the edge of the bed as he walks out of the room. When the camera pulls up, I quickly get to work. I see Switch standing front and center just like usual as I unlock the gates. The rest of the men stand around him when Gaia walks back into the room.
“God, I hate being a girl.” She drops onto the bed next to me and laugh.
“It isn’t so bad. They do take care of us,” I remind her.
“I like you Tessa. I’m glad my brother has you,” she adds.
“Which brother?” I tease. She laughs a little as my fingers fly over the tablet. I can multitask better than anyone else I know.
“Do you think Valentino will be okay with all this? Seeing you with him under the same roof?” That hits my heart hard.
“He will. Tino is stronger than I gave him credit for. I know he loves me but it’s not the same. We love each other because we’re all we had for so long. That part won’t change,” I admit to her. It’s true. I love him but not the way I love Enzo. Tino has always known that and he’s always accepted it.
“I’m glad to have another brother.”
“I’m glad he found his family.”
“You’re his family too,” she says and my heart melts a little. I slowly pull my head up and look over at her, tears in my eyes.
“I’ve never had much of a family before. My mom…it was just her and Tino for so long.” She reaches over and pulls me into a hug.
“You have a family now, Tessa. One that will never leave your side. One that will protect you and love you the way you deserve to be loved.” I sniffle and hug her back when the tablet goes insane. We can hear everything since I pulled up the audio. We pull apart and both of us look at the screen.
His men are all inside the gate so I click the buttons to close them. No one really bats an eye considering they probably thought they were made to do that anyway.
“Do you think you can do it?”
“Kill him?”
“Yes.”
“I hope so. I haven’t froze yet!” I add happily. Gaia laughs as we watch the guys but I know it’s time for me to make an appearance. When I set the tablet on the bed, I stand as Gaia does the same. She reaches into the back of her jeans and pulls a gun that she holds out to me.
“What’s this?”
“It was a present from Switch. The one I almost killed him with,” she laughs. I can’t not laugh along with her. Taking it in my hand, I pull her into a hug.
“I’ve always wanted a sister,” I whisper in her ear.
“Now you have one.” My heart feels full as we pull apart. Gaia sits back on the bed grabbing the tablet as I rush out into the hallway and down the steps. When I come out the front door, no one notices me. Enzo’s men part and let me pass until I see his back. Stepping forward, I move to the side so that I can see him. The man they say is my father. The man that broke me and shattered my family.
“How did I never know you were my father?” I ask when his eyes move to time. God, I can see it now. The resemblance. Our eyes, they are the same.
“Because I didn’t want you to know. You were better off dead, Tessa. You are nothing. You never were. Your mother was a whore.”