Chapter Twenty-Seven
“What a lie, what an epic lie.” —King Campisi
Ivan
“I said to hit me in the text and get me away from Phoenix and Nixon, not to like actually draw blood, you jackass!” I roared, throwing the bloody rag at Ash’s face.
He popped his knuckles and leaned over in his steel chair. “Sorry, it was just burning to get out, may have overdone it.”
My mouth filled with blood. “You think?”
I spat onto the ground.
King smirked from his spot in the mother-in-law suite, he grabbed an ice pack. “Now, tell us how you know the phrase and the meaning behind it, because the only other person to ever warn us about it was Junior.”
“Trojan Horse, my ass,” I grumbled. “Who do you think told me about it?”
“So, you killed him?” Ash snorted. “You know it’s taken me an insane amount of self-control and at least half a bottle of sedatives not to set you on fire, right?”
“So violent,” I grumbled and pressed the ice pack to my face. “Tank’s sending you intel, you’ll get exactly what I get. You’re not to look into shit, that’s my job, oh, and I bought a yacht.”
“How is that related?” King asked.
“Oh, trust me, it is.”
“You hate boats.” Ash pointed out. “Didn’t you just learn to swim?”
“Son of a bitch, if one more Abandonato talks about my lack of swimming skills or boating skills, I’m going to build a shank out of a shark bone.”
Ash burst out laughing. “Aw, bro, you gonna make shark bone necklaces for us?”
“That’s thoughtful, both a weapon and a sign of friendship.” King pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m super touched, man.”
“Go to hell.” I groaned. “Okay…” I tossed the ice pack onto the couch. “…just make it look like you roughed me up enough to kill me, oh wait, you already want to do that. Also, the yacht makes sense, and I bought a car for Bella.”
“To run her over with?” Ash asked, cocky shit. “Because I think we draw the line with two murders in the Family.”
I didn’t even blink. “Eat shit, you dirty kettle.”
“Isn’t it the pot?” King asked. “I could have sworn it was the pot calling the kettle black.”
“They’re both dirty.” I pointed out. “And you don’t know what I know and that’s kind of the point, so just do what you will, within reason, so I can go back to Bella-brunch.”
Both King and Ash whipped their heads in my direction.
A small, hateful smirk appeared on Ash’s face. “That’s not a word.”
“It’s German.” I lied.
“No way.” King shook his head. “You hate brunch, you hate eggs, you’ll drink the mimosas, but you want to go back to Bella.”
“I hate Bella.” I lied. “You guys know as much as anyone that I would run her over with the very car I purchased for her, so stop giving me so much shit and—”
A throat cleared.
It was loud.
It was feminine.
My heart nearly stopped beating in my chest as Bella walked slowly into the living room of the mother-in-law suite. Her face had lost all color, all joy, everything that made her want to fight me or engage.
I saw it, in real time, the second I stole the very last shred of dignity she had in her body, of pride, of fucking hope, and I watched it hit the ground with a resounding crash that I would remember the rest of my life.
Ash and King immediately started punching me.
They were going to anyway.
I pretended to fight back.
But I lived for the hurt, better I suffer physically the way I just broke her emotionally.
Blood ran down my chin the way tears ran down her cheeks.
My blood was spilled so others wouldn’t be.
Her tears were spilled, mourning what would never be.
After a few sucker punches to the stomach, a knee to the forehead, and another punch to my left cheekbone that had my jaw cracking, I fell to the ground.
Ash sighed. “Bella, we’re kind of busy, did you need something?”
She didn’t answer, she just walked out of the living room.
And kept walking.
“Shit,” I grumbled from the ground, grabbing the ice pack again.
King joined me. “You breaking her by accident is worse than when you did it on purpose.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “I don’t know how to be the Trojan Horse in this scenario without breaking everything.”
Ash tossed me a clean towel. “Nobody ever said you had to be the Trojan Horse to your partner in crime, and if what you’re saying is true and isn’t another ploy from you and the De Lange Family, we have a mole on our hands.”
I snorted out a laugh. “Oh Ash, that’s hilarious, you don’t have a mole, you have someone out for blood, could be anyone, but one thing is certain, they’ll take me out first so try your best not to be first in line to kill me, you kind of need the Trojan Horse,” I pointed at myself. “In order to find the weakness, and right now, all eyes are on me.”
“He’s right,” King added. “This doesn’t mean I forgive you for killing my best friend in cold hard blood, but this also raises some questions, why would he ask you for that?”
“I’m out.” I stand up. “I told you what I was allowed to say.”
“Whoa, whoa.” Ash grabbed my arm. “By who? God?”
I jerked free. “By Junior, you dumbass, now send some extra men to protect my ass, stop making fun of my new boat, and give me one of your best for Bella. They’ll come after both of us before they go after everyone else.”
“What? Like there’s a line now?”
“Guess whose name is first,” I whispered, “and you win a prize.”
I pointed at the white horse tattoo on my wrist. “After all, when a family line is cleansed, they don’t stop at the leaders, do they?”
The room fell silent.
King stood. “Fine. You got your men, now give us more answers.”
I yawned. “Yeah, yeah, I have to spend more money before that happens.”
“Because why?” King laughed. “You have everything you could possibly want.”
“Because…” I tossed him the bloody towel. “It’s the only way to hurt whoever’s trying to hurt us within the De Langes. The Five Families only gave a stipend, and it’s going to go to hell if I spend it all.” I grinned. “Which I intend to do.”
“…can’t swim, but has brains, truly fascinating,” Ash said under his breath. “Should we get him water wings for Christmas?”
“On that note.” I flipped them both off. “Keep me alive, mm kay, you need your horse.”
“Sadly,” Ash said under his breath.
“Heard that,” I said.
“SADLY!” King repeated. “For the people in the back.”
I smiled despite feeling sore and like shit and went in search of Bella. By the time I stumbled back to the brunch table, it was empty except for Trace, her mom.
“Hey, where’s Bella?” I asked.
She frowned. “She said she was going to go looking for you?”
“She found me,” I said slowly. “But started walking back here.”
Nixon chose that horrible moment to come outside. “Hey where’s Bella? She left her phone and purse, and nobody can find her.”
Shit.
I broke her.
She cried.
She thinks her life is over.
I thought about it.
About us.
And I ran.