31. Amelia
Chapter 31
Amelia
T he drive to the warehouse is silent. Not so much my heart. That's pounding so hard the men in the front of the car must be able to hear it.
Romeo keeps checking the rearview mirror, not only at me but to check nobody is following, no doubt. And Marco’s hand has never left his weapon all the way to our destination.
They are definitely nervous.
Me too.
Inside the warehouse, the metallic smell of blood hits me first. Nausea rattles in my stomach when I see five bodies crumpled in the corner.
Luca and Gabe stand over Vincenzo, who’s tied to a chair, blood dripping from his face and from other puncture wounds on his body.
He lifts his head, one eye closed and swollen but it doesn't stop his split lip from curling into a sneer. “Little Amelia Morelli. Finally stopped running?”
I clench my fists, nails digging into my palms. “Why did you kill them?”
“Your father was weak.” Giovanni spits blood onto the concrete floor. “Running away. But I found them. Found you.”
“And where is my inheritance—”
“It would never be yours.” His laugh turns into a wet cough. “Your father’s millions? I spent every penny. The houses in the US. In Italy. I even managed to steal the vineyards your mother inherited from her father, and the offshore accounts they hid their money. It’s all gone.”
My chest tightens. “You’re lying.”
“Am I? Ask them.” He jerks his head toward Luca and Gabe. “The Morellis know all about lost fortunes, don’t they? Traitors, the lot of them.”
“Shut up,” Gabe growls.
“Your parents begged, you know. On that boat.” Giovanni’s eyes gleam with malice. “Your mother screamed your name before the drugs took hold. And your father? He vowed to kill me." He laughs. "Just as his eyes closed for the last time.”
Bile rises in my throat, but I push my shoulders back to look unaffected.
“But don’t worry, Principessa. My son will finish what I started. He’s been waiting for you. The marriage contract still stands.”
Luca steps forward, his voice deadly calm as he points his gun at his face. “Your son won’t see another sunrise.”
“You think—” Giovanni’s words cut off in a scream as Gabe’s knife slices through his finger. Blood sprays across the concrete. “The Morellis are traitors!” Giovanni shrieks through the pain. “You’ll all pay. The Vincenzo’s never forget. Never forgive.”
I step closer, my voice steadier than I feel. “Neither do I.”
My hand trembles as I reach for Luca’s gun.
He lets me take it.
I’m not a killer, and the weight feels foreign in my palm as I point it at Vincenzo.
His blood-stained teeth flash in a mocking grin. “Do it,” he taunts. “Show me you’re not weak like your mother. She begged, you know. Begged me to spare your father. Begged me to spare you. Said she’d do anything.” He licks his lips. “And she did.”
My finger tightens on the trigger, rage burning through my veins.
“What did you say about my mother?” My voice comes out as a whisper.
“Such a beautiful woman. So willing to debase herself. Too bad it didn’t save either of them.”
I squeeze the trigger, but it won't fire. The gun shakes to much in my grip.
“Luca,” I say through gritted teeth. “Kill him.”
Vincenzo’s laugh echoes through the warehouse. “Speaking of beautiful women, how’s that lawyer of yours, Luca? Freya, isn’t it?”
Luca stiffens beside me as I hand him the gun.
“Such a pretty thing. And that baby...” Vincenzo clicks his tongue. “Would be a shame if something happened to them. Imagine that. Another of your lawyer’s dying.” He purses his lips and tuts.
The gunshot is deafening.
Vincenzo screams as Luca’s bullet shatters his kneecap.
“And that might be the final nail in your coffin.” Vincenzo gasps through the pain. “And hers.”
Another shot echoes off the walls.
Another scream as his other knee explodes. “My men,” Vincenzo pants, blood pooling beneath his chair, “they’ll take turns with her. Break her. And when they’re done, they’ll kill her and her baby.”
Luca’s face turns to stone. “Nobody will touch a hair on their heads.”
The final shot hits Vincenzo between the eyes. Blood and brain matter painting the wall behind him.
His body slumps forward, stretched against the binds holding him in the chair.
The sound of the gunshot still rings in my ears, but all I can focus on is the lifeless body before me. The man who murdered my parents, who haunted my nightmares for years, is finally gone.
My legs give out, and I sink to my knees on the cold concrete.
Luca’s arm remains extended, gun smoking. Like his face is carved from marble, emotionless. But it's his eyes that burn with such an intensity that it makes me shiver.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, though I’m not sure what exactly I’m apologizing for. For bringing this darkness into their lives? For not being strong enough to pull the trigger myself?
Luca lowers his weapon slowly, his jaw clenched tight. “Don’t apologize. He needed to die.” His voice is flat, controlled, but I can hear the underlying rage. “No one threatens what’s mine.”
Mine?
I don’t ask what he means by that, as Gabe helps me to my feet. His grip is gentle but firm. “It’s over now. You’re safe. It’s time for you to go back to your world.”
I look at Vincenzo’s body one last time. The monster who destroyed my family, who forced me to live in fear and isolation, reduced to nothing but a bloody heap in a warehouse.
“Can you take me back to the hospital?” I ask, my voice stronger than I feel. “I need to be there when West wakes up.”
Luca nods, already pulling out his phone. “Romeo will take you back while we tidy up.” He pauses, then adds softly, “You’re one of us now, Amelia. We protect our own. You only have to call.”
I nod. “I know, and thank you.”