I paused and looked back at the home we had built together. My heart weighed a thousand pounds at that moment. I wanted to take her and run as far away as I could, but she didn't want me anymore, and I wasn’t going to keep her bound to despair for a minute longer. Her happiness meant more to me than a thousand deaths at the hands of The Ghost, and it took me almost losing her to realize it.
"I know," I conceded quietly.
"I'll be there in ten minutes. Have her ready."
I hung up as I turned to walk into the house.
WRATH
LIAM
I knew what Christian was asking of me wasn't easy for him and, as a man, a part of me felt the pain of his conceit. But then I remembered the hell he put me through the minute he stepped foot into my life, and all my compassion dissipated like a cloud of smoke.
I pulled a bag from my closet and opened my wall safe. Looking at the contents for a moment, trying to decide what I would need for an extended getaway. I grabbed all the cash, passports, and important documents, flinging them into the open mouth of the bag. Without looking, I reached in to grab my .380 when my hand happened to run across the one and only picture I hadn't burned of me and my ex-wife, Demi. My shoulders slumped as I struggled with whether or not to look at it—to look at her.
Suddenly, Lexi blew into my mind, bringing with her the breath my tight lungs were searching for.
"Lexi," I murmured to myself.
I had been so focused on getting revenge on Christian—taking from him the one thing he loved the most—I hadn't realized I'd fallen in love with her. But the damage was done, and she would never forgive me for using her. All I could do now was keep her safe from the animal that was after Christian. I owed her that. My fingers closed in on the picture, crushing the stock paper into a small ball before throwing it into the corner trash can. I grabbed the .380 and placed it into the bag before zipping it up. Heading out of the house, I glanced over my shoulder one last time, not knowing whether or not I'd see it again.
I made it to Christian's in less than ten minutes, the driveway holding the remnants of a crime scene. Lexi and Christian were standing outside on the curb, waiting for me.
I stepped out of the car. "Are you ready?" I asked.
"Yes, we're ready," Lexi replied, stepping toward the car.
Christian opened the front passenger door for her.
"No, I don't wanna sit—" Lexi said before Christian interjected.
"Sit in front," Christian said sternly.
Lexi looked at me, then back at him, probably realizing it was futile to argue. She slipped into the seat, Christian closing the door behind her.
He nodded at me. "Go," he said, looking back down at Lexi, probably for the last time.
I opened the door and hopped in, slamming my foot on the gas. The smell of burning rubber quickly filled the car as the wheels spun.
Lexi whipped around from the window and clutched onto my arm. "Wait, Christian hasn’t gotten in yet."
"Christian's not coming," I said as she turned back to the window—her hand reaching for the door handle as the wheels finally gained traction.
She smacked her window, and yelled, "Christian!"
I realized then, Christian hadn't told her his plan to sacrifice himself. Probably because he knew she would oppose. I watched him stand at the curb with his hands in his pockets, growing smaller as we drove further down the street.
"Stop, Liam. Stop the car. We can't let him do this alone!" she begged with tears streaming down her face, hitting me on the arm with all her anger.
"This is what he wanted. He wanted you to have a second chance. He's doing this for you, Lexi. Don't you see? He loves you that much," I said, trying to block her hammering fists from my face.
"No. No. We can't. Go back, Liam. Save him," she pleaded, grabbing a fistful of my shirt.
I wrapped my fingers around her wrist, pressing her arm against my chest. "Calm down, sweet girl. This is what he wanted."
She yanked her arm away, wrenching her body to look through the back window at Christian.
LEXI
I felt trapped. I didn’t want Christian to face Il Fantasma alone. I wanted to be by his side and die with him, if that was our fate. I squinted, trying to make out the speck that once was Christian, but I couldn't see him through the window anymore.
My heart broken in a million pieces, I turned back to Liam, wondering what part he was playing in all this. "Why would he ask you, of all people, to take me?"
"He said I was the only person he could trust to keep you safe."
"You? What about Rico?"
"Didn't he tell you? Rico was already taken by The Ghost."
As soon as the words left his mouth, I could feel the color flush from my face.
Celia. Rico.
The victims swirling around in my mind, making my heart race and my blood boil. I knew where Christian was supposed to meet this bastard, and if I had to scratch and claw to get there, that's what I was going to do.
The car slowed to a stop at a red light on the main drag in town. My adrenaline burst into overdrive and before I could think, I reached for the handle and jumped out of the car, running as fast as my feet would carry me.
I glanced over my shoulder, hoping he wouldn't follow, but deep down inside I knew better. Tires screeched behind me as the sound of an engine roaring down the street made my legs pump faster. I turned down a small, narrow, alley, knowing his car wouldn’t fit.
LIAM
"Fuck me," I shouted, watching as she disappeared down a tight alley.
I knew where she was going, so I pulled out my phone to warn Christian. The phone rang a few times then went to voicemail.
Could he already be at the Pier?
I sped by the alley headed toward Christian's meeting. Reaching behind the passenger seat, I pulled out my .380—the cold metal warming through my powerful grip. I pushed on the gas pedal as hard as I could, running a few red lights as I raced down the empty street. Flying over the next hill, my car slammed down onto the concrete, sparks flying as I bottomed out. I should have probably felt the jolt, but my adrenaline kept any reasonable responses at bay. The blue strip of the ocean off in the distance grew thicker as I neared—the pier would only be a few more blocks.
I wondered how Lexi thought she would get to the pier in time on foot, and what she thought she was going to do if she did happen to catch Christian during his fateful meeting. Maybe she hadn't thought out her plan before jumping out of the car half-cocked, but now it was up to me to get her back safely. I didn't know what I'd do if I lost her.
Rounding the corner, I narrowly missed side-swiping a delivery van by mere inches. I decided to enlist some help, just in case things went south. I dialed Whynter's number, waiting for her to answer in her usual monotone voice. What that woman lacked in personality, she made up for in beauty and raw, cutthroat, instinct. If anyone could get a team of mercenaries together with a few minutes, she could. Her line went dead.
Must be the area.
I dialed her number again, and again, her line went dead.
"What the fuck? She always answers," I said, dropping the phone into the center console.
The signage for the various piers began to appear overhead. I slammed on the gas as I passed pier thirteen, keeping my eyes open for Lexi. Pier 17 was the next left, and I had yet to spot her, but honestly there was no way she could have made it to the pier before I did. The sign for Pier 17 came into focus, and as I gripped my wheel to turn left, I spotted Christian walking into a building, closest to the water.
I veered to the left, then slowed to a silent roll, hoping not to garner any attention. I was ready for a gun fight, but that didn’t mean I was up for one. I parked a few rows down from Christian's Rover, panning the scenery for Lexi.
It had only been a few minutes of waiting before a yellow cab pulled up to the building.
I shook my head. "Don't tell me she took a cab—"
But before I could finis
h, Lexi popped out of the backseat, looking around conspicuously before closing the cab door behind her. The cab drove off, leaving her alone, standing outside the very building Christian had just walked into.
"Fuck," I said, gripping the gun tightly. I pulled the handle and pushed the door open, stepping out as I slid the gun into the back waistband of my pants.
Quickly, I made my way across the parking lot, catching the door she had walked through before it closed. The warehouse was dimly lit, making it difficult to surmise my surroundings. My eyes darted into dark corners, up and down rows of shelving, and behind stacked boxes which could have easily hidden an enemy or two.
Where could she be?
I wondered as I pulled the gun from my pants, aiming it as I swept the one hundred eighty degrees in front of me.
"Stop!"
The woman's scream stopped me in my tracks as my head whipped to the right, my eyes trailing down a small corridor.
"Figures," I muttered under my breath as I turned to my right, proceeding down the tight walkway.
The sounds of jostling, and short gasps of breath wafted down the hall and into my ears, alerting me to the danger I was about to walk into. My thumb pulled back the hammer of the gun, readying it to fire at a moment's notice. Christian's voice became clearer as I made it to the end of the corridor. At least I knew I was headed in the right direction.
"Let her go," Christian pleaded.
"No," a familiar voice replied.
"You want me," Christian urged. "She's nobody."
"Obviously, she isn't nobody. She's the reason for all this," the voice replied.
"It can't be," I whispered to myself. "It can't be—" I echoed as I reached the outlet of the walkway and laid my eyes on the owner of the voice.
Her sleek brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, touching the outline of her waist, which was covered by a tight, black, cat-suit. Caught off guard, my hands fell to my side for a brief second before my senses came back to me.
My arms shot back up in place, aiming the gun right at her head. "Demi, what are you doing?"
She shifted her light brown eyes from Christian over to me, pressing the muzzle of her gun harder into Lexi's neck.
Lexi's eyes widened when she saw me. "Liam!"
"Fuck, Liam! You were supposed to keep her safe, you piece of shit," Christian yelled.
I looked at him, then quickly swung my gaze back to Demi. "What are you doing, Demi?"
"Liam." Demi smiled. "My love."
"I'm not your love. You made your choice a long time ago," I said.
"No. You made the choice for me. I came back to you."
"After this asshole sent you away, but not before," I replied angrily.
Her eyes blazed with fire, her knuckles whitening from her tight grip on the gun.
"He sent me away for this bitch, and now you love her, too!" she yelled, yanking Lexi's hair back.
"That's not her fault. Let her go, Demi," I demanded.
CHRISTIAN
From the shadows and ominous figure stepped through. "Rico?" I asked, bewildered by his presence.
"Christian." He smiled, holding a gun up to the back of Liam's head. "Give it to me," he said, grabbing the gun from Liam.
He had never called me Christian before, usually opting for Boss or something of the like. Even his demeanor had changed—he seemed angry.
"What are you doing, Rico? Put the gun down," I ordered.
"You still think you're in charge?" Rico asked.
"I don't understand. You workin' for this bitch, now?" I asked, pointing at Demi.
"Bitch? I would watch what the fuck I say if you don't want your sweet little wife to catch a bullet in her neck like her dead cousin. What was her name? Celia, was it?" Demi whispered next to Lexi's ear.
"You fuckin' bitch," Lexi yelled.
"Call me all the names you want, honey. Truth is, once you're gone, nothing will keep these two outta my bed. Ain't that right, Liam?"
"You're fuckin' psycho, Demi. What did I ever see in you?" Liam replied.
"You saw the same thing Christian saw." She chuckled.
"So you're Il Fantasma?" I asked. "Why?"
"You are stupid, aren't you? Who fed you the information about Il Fantasma? Who brought you the informant? Who has their hand in everything you do?" Demi taunted.
I turned to Rico. "You?"
Rico smiled. "You made it pretty easy, actually. You handed over the reins with no question."
"You were my father's most trusted capo!" I bellowed, clutching my fists into tight balls of muscle and bone.
"And your father was a saint of a man. Shrewd, cunning, and never cheated on your mother once. You turned me into an errand boy, picking up your women, lying to keep your secrets, all the while the business your father built was going to shit," Rico said, shaking his head.
"So why the fuck are you here, Demi?" Liam asked.
"She works for me—they both work for me," Liam's assistant, Whynter said as she walked out from behind a small door in the corner of the room.
"Whynter?" Liam asked, confused.
I held my hands out, trying to calm the seemingly rabid trio—each with their own apparent motives for being here.
LEXI
"You don’t throw around orders in my house, Christian," Whynter said in a low, monotone voice as she walked past me, running her finger over my breasts.
I closed my eyes and turned my head, not wanting to see what else she was going to try and touch.
"What the fuck are you doing, Whynter?" Liam hollered with Rico's gun still pointing at his head, which Rico promptly cocked and shoved harder into his skull.
Whynter turned toward Liam. "Really, it's what you two assholes have done to bring you to this point. You, my dear sweet Liam—so in love with the memory of Demi, couldn't move past your motives of revenge. Well, I've brought you your revenge," she said, stretching out her hand to Christian.
"You want me to kill Christian?" Liam's brows furrowed.
"Don't you want to kill Christian?" Whynter asked.
Liam looked at Christian, then paused. "No. No, I don’t wanna kill him."
Whynter chuckled. "But you'd be doing everyone a favor. You would get your revenge, Rico would take over as the new boss, and you would have your choice of Lexi or Demi—"
Demi interrupted. "What do you mean a choice? You said I could kill this bitch and have Liam all for my—"
But before Demi could finish, Whynter pulled a smooth, narrow, metal spear from the bun in her hair and hurled it at me. I closed my eyes waiting for the sharp pain, but nothing came. Demi's grip loosened a second before she dropped the gun. I opened my eyes and wrenched my neck, realizing the dagger had pierced Demi square between her eyes. She stood there for a paralyzed moment, a small stream of blood began to run down the bridge of her nose before she fell dead to the ground. Instantly, I ran to Christian's open arms, burying my face in his chest.
"Why, Whynter?" Liam asked.
"Don't you see why? I'm your assistant. I'm assisting. I know your heart's desire, and it wasn’t Demi," Whynter said.
"You're fuckin' crazy," Liam said through tight lips.
"Let's run," I whispered into Christian's chest.
He didn’t reply, except to hold me closer.
"Maybe—maybe not. But one thing's for sure—I'm at your beck and call, forever."
Rico jumped in. "You want me to kill Christian, now?"
"Liam, do you want Rico to do your dirty work for you? Or do you want to take your own revenge? We're all here because of him—you're here because of him. He slept with your wife and a million other wives. Take revenge for all those husbands. He treats his underlings like his own personal maid service, cleaning up his childish messes. The world would be a better place without him," Whynter ranted. "Alleviate the world of this burden, and let's move on. Because, frankly, I'm tired of looking at his fuckin' face, and hearing his fuckin' name."
"Kill him so I can finally take
my rightful place as the boss," Rico taunted with a hatred I'd never heard before.
"No," Liam said, standing his ground.
I glanced over my shoulder to Whynter nodding at Rico. Rico, in turn, turned the muzzle of his gun from Liam's head and aimed it at Christian.
"Get out of the way, Lexi," Christian bellowed, pushing me out of the way, knocking me to the ground a second before the gun went off.
Bang!
My head smacked onto the concrete floor, causing an instant pain in my head. Trying to shake off the dizziness, I caught sight of Christian lying on the floor with blood seeping through the front of his shirt. Without any regard for my own safety, I threw myself on top of him, shielding him from the commotion ensuing behind us.
LIAM
My fingers were wrapped around Rico's, grappling for ownership of the gun. I didn’t know if Lexi was hurt, but I couldn’t help her if Rico won this fight. I took a risk and released the gun from my left hand, forming a fist before pounding it into his liver and lower rib cage. The first few blows only knocked the wind out of him, but the next four or five doubled him over, loosening his grip on the gun.
I took one last swing at his jaw, knocking him to the ground, leaving the gun in my right hand. I kicked him in the face to make sure he was out, the jolt sending his arms and legs sprawling over the floor. I stared at him for a second before Lexi's cries pulled me from my daze. I turned to run to her and Christian, but instantly felt a hard tug at my ankle. Rico had come to, and was asking for another round. I twisted my body back to him, just in time to see him reaching for a second gun in his ankle holster.
Bang! Bang!
His body jerked with each explosive round I shot into his chest. His arms and legs fell back to the floor for the last time. His head rocking back and forth, finally resting on his left ear—eyes wide open—staring into my soul.
"Dammit, Rico," I muttered under my breath.
A slender arm wrapped around my neck, yanking me to the ground. I grabbed the warm flesh and bone, hurling it over my shoulder, Whynter's body following suit. She smashed against one of the shelving units, finally falling on top of Rico's limp body.
Wrath: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Deadly Sin Series Book 1) Page 13
