I lean closer, smelling the rancid stench of blood and the flesh of a man who will burn in hell. “Say hi to Mom for me.”
I straighten and look at Alexius. “Do it.”
He nods, and I turn around, walking in the other direction, wanting my back to be the last thing the monster sees before he finally pays for his sins.
A loud crack erupts. It’s a thunderclap that slams against every bone in my body, sending a tremor shaking down my spine. It’s the death rattle of a demon. A sound I’ll never forget because in the rumbling echo is the final confession of a monster.
ChapterTwenty-One
ALEXIUS
Abullet wound to the skull is too merciful for a psycho fuck like him. I should have let Nicoli have him for a few hours. Let my brother torture him by slicing his flesh off with a fucking potato peeler. I’ve seen what my twin is capable of, and he would have given this fucker the slow, painful death he deserved.
But this isn’t about him or Nicoli’s twisted taste for torture. This isn’t about handing out fair judgment to a monster like Federico. This is about my wife. It’s about what’s best for her, what she needs. And the man I just shot in the head is…no,wasstill her father.
Blood oozes from his head, seeping into the concrete. It’s thick and vile and carries the pain of those he wronged. Of the children whose lives he ruined. Everything that’s wrong with the world is bleeding out on my goddamn floor right now.
“I would have done a much better job.” Nicoli steps in next to me, staring down at the body. “At least I would have made a show out of it.”
“Believe me, killing him with a single bullet was not my first choice either.”
“I know this was some epic moment and all,” Rome starts, “but my dad is on his way here. He knows you have Federico. Well,” he glances at the body, “hadFederico.”
“Why the fuck would he walk into the lion’s den when he knows we have Federico, which also means we now know his plan?” Caelian asks, raising a brow.
Isaia scoffs. “Our uncle is ballsy. I’ll give him that.”
Rome shakes his head. “Just because you managed to snatch up this dead fucker here doesn’t mean you know anything. Plus, he has me. He knows I won’t let you touch him.”
Nicoli’s dark brows curve at the edges. “Would you?” He moves closer to Rome, sizing him up with a leveled stare. “You say you’re on our side, but if push comes to shove and foreplay turns into full-on fucking, will you save your dad when he’s staring down the barrel of my gun?”
“My dad’s made his choices,” Rome grits out.
“He’s your blood.”
“And a father who tried to make a cold-blooded killer out of me. You have no fucking idea what my father put me through, the shit he made me do before I finally managed to get the fuck away from him.” Rome inches closer, his jaw set and eyes wide. “So, to answer your question. No. I won’t save him. I won’t plead his case and ask for mercy because he wouldn’t show me the same courtesy if our roles were reversed. I came back to stop my father from ruining more lives. To fucking help you.”
Tension ripples off them in waves, and Nicoli leans closer into Rome’s face, their gazes fixed and eyes glowing with unspoken threats. Nicoli still doesn’t trust our cousin, and I don’t blame him. For a family as close as ours, it’s hard to imagine that a son would betray his father. But you can’t exactly compare Rome’s father with ours. Roberto is a scaly, sly motherfucker who doesn’t know the value of family. Makes sense for his son not to see the value either.
“Nicoli,” I snap. “Back off. Our cousin knows if he tries to save his father, we’ll bury him as well.”
Nicoli grunts, followed by a cocky smirk, before moving away from Rome. “So, what’s the plan? Are we just going to let our uncle waltz in here?”
“Security won’t allow him on the estate.” Maximo pulls out his phone, fingers gliding across the screen.
“No. Let him in when he gets here,” I say and look at Nicoli, then Caelian and Isaia. “It’s time we settle this shit once and for all. Maximo, make arrangements to get Mira and Leandra out of the house. I don’t want them here when shit goes down.”
“On it.”
I start toward the exit.
“Where are you going?” Caelian calls after me.
“Give me a few. I need to go speak with my wife.”
“Are you serious? Roberto is on his way here.”
I pivot, slapping Caelian with a glare that can incinerate stone. “I’m fully aware that there’s a war looming on my goddamn doorstep, brother, but right now, all that matters to me is to make sure Leandra is okay. The world can blow up in fucking flames around me at this very moment. I don’t give a shit. All I care about is her. So you all can manage without me for a few goddamn minutes while I go check on my wife!”