Driftwood Daffodil 2

Chapter 1

There were so many opinions on death and the afterlife. Most of which were based around the existence of a soul. If such a thing existed, then my soul was crushed three weeks ago when my brother was killed. Now I was just a hollow shell of what used to be. An empty void looking for revenge to fill that hole in my heart. And when I got my hands on the person responsible, I’d show him what hell really was.

Kato Ford would burn away in the flames of my wrath, and it would start here, in this courtroom. The temperature was fitting for hell, Hades or whatever people called it.

Heat hung in the air, heavy waves of fatigue that everyone was desperately trying to fan away. Even my father, who was the epitome of calm and collected, tugged on his shirt collar. No one was comfortable. They all wanted relief from the sweat dripping down their brows.

Everyone except me.

The blood running through my veins wasn’t overheated, it was ice cold.

Kato Ford’s deep blue eyes bored into my skull as I took a seat next to Romeo. He was pissed, but nowhere near how angry I was. Thirty seconds more and I could’ve watched him get tackled. That might’ve brightened up my day a little. But my father had to intervene. On the upside…

I rolled my eyes back to Kato’s baby sister.

I now knew his weakness.

Novalee Ford was a mouthy little thing that was in desperate need of a lesson. Unfortunately she was too young. My father would never permit any retaliation that involved her. So, I’d bide my time and wait until I could take her out. He took my brother from me, so I’d take his sister from him. Too bad. She was kind of cute. It might’ve been fun to play with her for a bit.

I looked back at Novalee as she reached out to give Kato’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. That simple action caused me to ball my hands until my fingers were digging into my palms.

Why the fuck should he get reassured, when he took away the one person I cared about.

My father and Romeo were family in name only. But Atlas…

It didn’t matter. He was gone now. My brother was lying in a cold grave while the man who put him there was openly displaying his sibling closeness. A closeness that I used to have. Now all I had was fucking Romeo.

My teeth ground as I shifted my glare over to my remaining brother.

Romeo sat between our father and me with no remorse on his face, or hint of pain in his eyes. Atlas was our brother, but he couldn’t, care less. To Romeo, this was just another day. He didn’t even show up at the funeral.

When he noticed me staring at him, Romeo cocked a brow. “Everything okay, Little Brother.”

Don’t fucking call me that.

“It’s fine.”

Except for the fact that we buried the wrong Mancini last week. It should’ve been Romeo in that coffin.

The judge clacked his gavel as I turned my attention back to the object of my rage. Kato motherfucking Ford.

“Order in the court.”

Novalee sat back, while her brother’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

I eyed his prison issue grey jumpsuit and dishevelled hair. He wasn’t that big. Maybe a little over six foot. How the fuck did he manage to get one over on Atlas? If anything the prick looked broken. Not that that gave me any comfort. Kato’s death however… that might give me some peace.

It wouldn’t take much to do. Five long steps would get me to the banister. Two seconds later I’d be over it, then snap his neck in the next second. It would be over before anyone could react. Kato Ford would be dead and I could watch his precious baby sister cry over his body. Now, that, I liked the sound of.

The small brunette seated behind her brother had way too much confidence in my opinion. Did she really think that a guilty verdict would be the worst outcome? This was just the beginning. Yet there she sat, dressed up like this was a goddamn party. The floral pattern on Novalee’s blue summer dress irked me. As did the way she was staring at her brother with hope in her bright eyes.

Someone needed to smack some sense into that girl. There was no hope. This shit was rigged before the trial even started. We had people everywhere. On the inside, on the outside, in law enforcement and various businesses. Hell, even the lawyer sitting beside her brother was on our payroll. Why did she think her sister’s lies weren’t allowed to be used as evidence?

“Gio,” Romeo gave my leg a soft slap and whispered, “pay attention.”

As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. Novalee wasn’t what brought us here. That was her piece of shit brother.

“Kato Levi Ford,” the judge said. “This court has found you guilty of manslaughter in the first degree…”

Manslaughter was such a bullshit charge. What Kato did was nothing short of cold-blooded murder, and the people who watched were just as guilty. I only had one of those motherfuckers left to pay a visit to.

“Do you understand the charges?”

Kato said nothing. He just nodded like a broken puppy.

He had no idea what was coming to him. Every time I had to walk past my brother’s empty room and remembered Atlas’s smile, I added another beat down to the list. Kato would never forget what he took from me. I wouldn’t let him. Every day he sat in that cell, I’d make sure he was reminded of my brother’s face. Why shouldn’t he feel the same pain I did?

Sometimes a noise would waft down the hall, or my nose would pick up a familiar scent, and suddenly I’d think Atlas was just around the corner. But he wasn’t. He was gone. Murdered like our mother. And just like her, one day, my brother would fade away too. There’d be nothing left but the fractured remnants of screaming in the back of my mind.

“Before I carry out sentencing, I understand a family member would like to make a statement?”

They would?

Why would my father want to make a statement? We already knew how this was going to go. At least, that’s what he told me.

I cocked a brow at Romeo, who lifted his shoulder in a shrug.

“Yes, your Honor,” Harry Rynfield–the defence attorney–stood up. “Miss Novalee Ford would like to make a statement on her brother’s behalf.”

Would she now?

All eyes turned to Novalee as she rose from the bench and marched forward. A little girl like her should have been terrified by all these people watching her, but I didn’t see a single quake or quiver in her confidently raised chin. What exactly did she think she was going to accomplish?

“Be careful, Gattina.” I whispered as she strode past.

Little bitch paused long enough to glare down at me. “Bite me, asshole.”

Oh, she was angling for a beat down of her own. I had no problem smacking around a chick. No one talked to me like that. Especially not trailer trash like her.

I moved to grab her, but Romeo clasped my arm before I could stand up. “Leave it alone, Gio.”

He was fucking kidding, right? She was a Ford. As far as I was concerned, they could all rot in hell, which was something I planned on pointing out, until I saw my father staring at me.

He didn’t need to say anything. I could read the ‘don’t make a spectacle of yourself’ written all over his expression.

We handled our shit quietly and didn’t get our hands dirty unless absolutely necessary. Regardless of how much said person deserved it. That didn’t stop the urge to say something from rising in my throat, but I wasn’t about to prove my father right. He thought I was irrational and too uncontrolled to handle shit.

Not that he would know shit about me. He’d have to pay attention for that. So, as much as it hurt to do, I swallowed down my argument, gritted my teeth, and sat back to watch Novalee step up in front of the judge.

My eyes narrowed as she cleared her throat and puffed her chest out.

She was up to something. I didn’t trust her, nor did I like the way her lips tightly pursed.

“Hello,” Novalee nodded at the judge. “I’d address you formally, Judge, but there’s nothing honorable about you.”

Did she just fucking say what I thought she did?

The judge cocked a brow, while Kato dropped his face in his palm, and his lawyer muttered a string of curses.

Yes, yes, she did. Wow, it took a lot of balls to insult a judge. Needless to say, he did not look impressed with her statement.

The judge cocked a brow as quiet murmurs spread through the room. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. You’re a crooked bastard.” Novalee snarled while swinging her finger around the room. “You’re all a bunch of crooked bastards.”

This might not be so bad after all.

“Miss Ford,” the judge stared back at her. “I will not stand for disrespect in my courtroom.”

Most people would’ve stopped there, but not Novalee Ford.

She raised her finger and pointed firmly. “The only disrespect in this court is you.”

Murmurs erupted into full on gasps and grumbles. Personally, I was enjoying the show. I sat back and folded my hands in my lap, curious to see where this was going.

The gavel slammed down, ringing a clack through the air along with the judge’s order, “Order in the court.”

“There is no order in this court.” Novalee stomped her foot. “My brother is a good man and you all railroaded him.”

This was fantastic. I never would’ve thought the final nail in Kato”s coffin would come from his sister. He would’ve gotten ten years before – we were promised a minimum sentence – but now he’d probably end up with more. All because of his sister’s mouth.

Based on the look Kato shot Novalee, I guessed he was thinking the same thing.

“Really, Nova?”

She scowled back at her brother, “Shut up, Kato. If you don’t want to stand up for yourself, then I will.”

Is this what she considered standing up for someone? This girl had a lot to learn. Like when to keep her mouth shut.

All her brother could do was shake his head. His lawyer kept giving her the signal to calm it down, and the judge once again banged his gavel.

I couldn’t have asked for a better sentencing hearing.

“That’s enough, Miss Ford.”

“This is nowhere near enough.”

“I’ll find you in contempt.”

“I find you in contempt. I find you all in contempt.”

Was Kato Ford’s baby sister about to go to jail too? Maybe the universe did pay off patience.

“That’s it.” The gavel came down with a loud bang. “I find you in contempt of this court.”

“Good. That’s the best birthday present I could ask for.”

It was her birthday. This shit kept getting better and better. I almost felt like smiling, then Novalee opened her mouth again.

“Atlas Mancini raped my sister…”

Romeo’s hand clamped down on my leg before I could get up.

“Stay right there, Gio.”

I gritted my teeth and glared back at him. “Get your fucking hand off me, Romeo.”

“This isn’t the time.”

When was the fucking time? Someone needed to shut that bitch up. If Romeo wasn’t going to do it then I would.

At least that was my plan, until my father stood up. “That’s enough, young lady. Perhaps you should have a seat.”

Everyone else quieted down at the sound of my father’s voice, but his interference only enraged Novalee further.

She swung around and pointed at him. “You’re just as guilty as your son.”

While I desperately wanted to punch her, my father just raised a brow.

“My son is dead.”

Those words hit hard. Much harder than they should’ve. I felt them deep in my bones. Suddenly I was reliving that night all over again. Three hours before I got the news I was playing a video game with Atlas. He was right there, then he was gone. And how did my father tell me? With the exact same flat tone he just used with Novalee.

“Your brother is dead.”

That was it. That was all he said before walking out. And now I couldn’t get Atlas’s last words out of my head.

“I’ll always be here for you Gio.”

How was that for irony?

“Why the hell should I listen to you?” Novalee hissed. “This is all your fault.”

My father tipped his head and simply said, “I’m the victim here, young lady.”

Something flashed across her face, and for a brief moment I thought Novalee might sit back down. But the spark was gone as quick as it came.

“Where was your sympathy for my sister? Do you even know her name?”

I knew her name. I’d never forget her name, or the way she looked laying in that hospital bed. I was ten seconds away from smothering her when the doctor walked in the room.

“Her name is Veda,” Novalee spat out. “She’s twenty-one and fighting for her life because of what your son did.”

“Nova!” Kato slammed his hand down on the table. “That’s enough. You’re not helping.”

“Don’t you see, Kato,” tears welled up in her eyes as she looked over at her brother. “Nothing will help. This was rigged from the get go.”

Well, she wasn’t stupid. But she wasn’t smart either. She didn’t notice my father nod at the bailiff.

“It”s done, Nova,” Kato’s eyes pleaded with his sister. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay.” Her foot stomped down on the ground. “This isn’t–”

That was all she got out before the bailiff grabbed her arm and started dragging her away.

Unsurprisingly she fought his hold, but that was meager at best. I doubt any of her strikes hurt the guy. She was a tiny little thing, but she had spunk. I’d give her that.

“No,” Novalee yelled. “Let me go. I’m not done.”

Yes, she was.

The last thing she said before being hauled out of the courtroom was, “Fuck Atlas Mancini. I’m glad he’s dead.”