Chapter 2
Chapter Two
We are quite a crowd as they follow me through the halls toward what used to be my father’s public office and now belongs to Gio.
It’s large enough, but when Mario’s asshole children enter behind Ben, Suzy, Sam, and Dean, Agent Garcia frowns.
“We don’t really need an audience for this. Maybe you could wait outside.” He’s looking at Xavier and crew, but Mario waves his hand.
“Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my children.” Gabe arches an eyebrow before he schools his expression. Well, at least I wasn’t the only one blindsided by that kernel of information.
He turns his attention back to me. “Maybe you’d like to sit, Ms. Russo.” He gestures to the seat behind the desk. Frowning, I take it, wondering what he wants from me.
“I’m sorry to inform you that your brother was in a car accident this afternoon. Just a little over two hours ago, his car hit a tree on the road between Banebridge and Suncity. A car stopped to assist, but before they could, your brother’s car burst into flames. There were no survivors.”
I blink, trying to comprehend exactly what he’s telling me. Suddenly, the shocked silence erupts into a flurry of sounds. Vienna and Suzy both burst into tears, and Mario starts to shout.
“My niece? Casey? What about Casey?” he demands, and Gabe turns his attention to him as I close my eyes and lean back in my chair, savoring their reactions, my relief almost all encompassing.
“I’m sorry. Like I said, there were no survivors. We did some investigating, and we know your niece was traveling back from Suncity with Mr. Russo. That’s why I allowed you to be here for this.”
Mario’s face turns red, and he bellows, picking up a glass from the side table and hurling it at the wall.
Agent Fisher pulls his gun from his holster and aims it at the furious man. “I suggest we all take a moment and think about our next actions.”
“Is that really necessary?” Xavier steps forward, glaring at Agent Fisher. “He’s obviously in shock and not a danger to anyone.” Xavier puts himself between Mario and the nervous agent.
“Put your damn weapon away,” Gabe snaps at Agent Fisher, who sneers at him but complies.
“Do you need us to come in and identify their bodies?” Ben has his arm wrapped around Suzy, comforting her.
“No, the bodies were burned beyond recognition. We will have our coroner use DNA evidence to identify them. If you could both provide a hairbrush the two parties may have used as soon as possible, it would be appreciated.”
“The baby,” Vienna sobs inconsolably. Tristan and Colton are wrapped around her with tears streaming down their faces.
“You don’t seem too upset.” Agent Fisher has been splitting his attention between me and the still raging Mario, who Xavier is whispering to quietly, trying to get him to calm down.
I blink at his accusation, shocked that he would have the balls to call me out.
“You’ll have to excuse me, Agent Fisher, but I’m afraid after the loss of my boyfriend and my uncle Lorenzo, as well as having to turn off Uncle Mickey’s machine earlier this week, I think I have actually reached my breaking point.
I’ve mourned more this week than I ever have, and now I have my last remaining relative to mourn as well.
I have no tears left to cry, because if I do, I may never stop,” I tell him, my voice wavering with emotion as I stand up and grab a bottle of whiskey, pouring a large amount into the glass Mario didn’t hurl in his rage.
I toss back the whiskey, enjoying the burn, and he scoffs.
“We are investigating the circumstances of the crash to establish that there was no foul play involved. As you yourself said, there have been a lot of deaths this week, and the thing all of them have in common is you.”
“What are you suggesting? Do you want me to hurl this glass against the wall like he did?” I point at Mario, who seems to have recovered and is glowering at me. “What would that do? Would it bring back Gio? Would it bring back Sage? No, all I can do is mourn and move on.”
“You really are a stone-cold bitch, aren’t you?” That shaky accusation comes from Vienna, and I turn my attention to her, raising an eyebrow.
“I never said I was anything different,” I reply flatly, and she flinches and looks at me like she never even knew me. Well, I guess that goes both ways, sister.
“We will leave you to your mourning then. Just bring us that DNA sample as soon as you can. We can’t release the remains until they are officially identified,” Gabe says.
“One of us will stop by in a day or two,” Dean assures them as he opens the door and escorts the agents out, making sure they don’t take a detour through the mansion.
The door closes behind them, and Mario rushes at me. “What did you do?” He slams his hands down on the desk and leans over, trying to intimidate me, but I just reach below the desk and pull out a Glock, sliding it onto the desk in front of me. He flinches, and it brings me the utmost satisfaction.
“What do you mean?” I ask, keeping my face blank. “Why do people keep asking me that?”
“You know very well why, damn it. Why? You killed your own brother for what?”
I gasp and clutch at imaginary pearls. “How could you say such a thing? I loved my brother.”
“You did, but he broke your trust and betrayed you, didn’t he? And nobody betrays you without paying. Isn’t that right, Tori?” I turn my attention to Xavier, who is standing next to Mario and blocking my view of everyone else in the room.
I shrug. “Maybe that’s a lesson you should take note of, Xavier, but I deny having any involvement in today’s tragic accident, and I resent the implications.”
Sam tries to step forward, but there’s the sound of quick movement, and I see Tristan and Colton block his way.
“You’re a fucking monster. You not only killed your brother and his fiancée, but also their unborn child.
How could you? Do you have no regard for life at all?
” Vienna lunges at me now that the other two are distracted, but Xavier quickly wraps his arms around her and clutches her tightly to his chest.
I release a cold, callous laugh that has her flinching.
“I didn’t claim to be anything else, but you should step down off your soapbox, Vienna.
Those who sit in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
You aren’t exactly the vision of innocence you portray.
In fact, you’re a fucking viper in the grass—all of you are.
You certainly had me fooled,” I sneer, glaring at her in disgust.
“You have no idea why…” Before she can finish her words, Mario backhands her, and her head smashes against Xavier’s chest. Xavier growls and glares at his adoptive father, who just scowls back.
“Shut your fucking mouth, you stupid bitch. Control her, Xavier, or someone is going to suffer,” he threatens, and Vienna loses all her fire and cowers in Xavier’s arms, shaking her head.
“No, I’m sorry. Please don’t,” she begs and starts sobbing. Xavier whispers words that I can’t hear and rubs his hand up and down her back.
I stand up, ignoring them. “If that is all, I would kindly ask you to get the fuck out of my house. There is no need for you to be here any longer.”
Mario starts to laugh and shakes his head. “We won’t be going anywhere, especially since you are going to marry my son. We will all be a happy family soon enough.”
“Like fuck I am marrying your son. You have nothing to make me now,” I argue, picking up my Glock, ready to put a bullet in this asshole and be done with it.
“No!” Vienna screams, and Xavier steps in front of his adoptive father and holds up his hands.
“Wait, just wait,” he practically begs, but I ignore him and flick off the safety. I don’t owe these assholes anything.
Mario tuts. “Tori, do you really think Gio and Casey were the only things I could hold over your head? I assure you that was just a happy coincidence. In fact, I didn’t know about their relationship until recently.
You were always the goal. Like you, I decided that Gio was expendable.
Him knocking up my niece was the only thing that saved his life.
You are the real powerhouse behind the Russos, and you are going to marry my son and produce a blood heir for the Russo-Maricuso empire, and then there will be no denying our claim. ”
“I’d rather fuck a cactus,” I spit out, and he gives me a look like that could be arranged. “I will not be managed, and I will not be manipulated. You have nothing left.”
“What about your beloved caretakers or your bodyguards? Accidents do happen. Gio’s and Casey’s deaths today proved that.” He gives me a look that tells me he doesn’t believe any of my denials.
I keep my face blank as my heart starts to beat faster. When will this fucking stop? Am I really supposed to feel nothing for anyone to keep everyone safe? “They can take care of themselves. You can’t kill everyone in my life, Mario. Eventually someone will suspect you.”
He shrugs. “Or they will suspect you. A few whispers about how you’ve become mentally unstable in the wake of all these deaths, and I’m sure all the suspicion will circle to you.”
I put on a fake pout. “Oh, boo-hoo. I’m mentally unstable.
It still isn’t going to force me to marry him.
” I point at Xavier, who passed Vienna back to the other two and is staring at me with cold, calculating eyes—eyes that used to watch me with a completely different expression.
His arms are crossed, and his suit barely contains all those delicious muscles I got my hands on when we were sparring.
How was I so fucking blind? The betrayal is almost a tangible hurt, and every time I think about any of them, I feel like crying or shooting something. When is the pain going to stop?
“You will marry me, Tori. In fact, we are going to the courthouse as soon as we are done with this sham of a wake. If you really cared about Sage, then you would have figured out another way, not killed him, and you will be my wife before the night is over.” Xavier is serious.
I throw my head back and laugh, which seems to make everyone flinch when they hear it.
“You and whose army?” I ask, waving my hand around.
“There’s nothing you could say or do now that would force my hand.
I will not marry you, and the moment I can, I am going to come for you.
” I move my gaze to the other three. “All of you, and when I’m finished, you will wish you were still in that hovel your parents brought you up in. ”
Vienna flinches, and Colton and Tristan glare at me with hatred.
Mario starts to clap slowly, and I turn my attention back to him.
He’s grinning, and I can’t help but wonder what the fuck is wrong in this man’s brain.
He is surely off his fucking rocker. “Oh, bravo, dear. That was impressive, but truly, you are wasting your breath. You will marry Xavier, and you will smile while you do it, and then you are going to come home, and you are going to let him fuck a baby into that belly so my grandchild will be an heir I can mold and shape in my own vision. If you have a fucking female, then you will keep trying until you give him a son. Xavier, Tristan, and Colton will take over the day-to-day operations of the Russo empire, and you, Vienna, and my other niece, Stacey, will be pretty little arm candy when they need you to be.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I ask, unable to help myself. I pick up my gun again, ready to be done with this. None of the people in my house will be sad to see this asshole die.
Again, someone steps between Mario and my bullet, but this time, it’s Colton.
He is holding up his phone, and there is a video playing on the screen.
“I wouldn’t if I were you, Tori,” he warns, and I frown when I see the pleading look in his eyes.
His back is to Mario, so he can’t see him mouth, “Please,” to me.
“See, Tori? I really do have more leverage—leverage that you are never going to get your hands on, and if you don’t do exactly what I say and marry Xavier today, then I will make sure they suffer.”
I start to shake my head. Nothing he can do is going to make me marry Xavier. I’d rather kill myself than marry the man whom I have so many complicated feelings for, the biggest one being hatred.
Colton steps closer, and my attention drops to the video when I hear a voice that makes me freeze and question if I’m already dead and in some kind of hell loop. Mario chuckles and steps up next to Colton, pointing at the video on the screen.
“You see, Tori, I have your father and aunt, and while they have been cared for and looked after until now, I’m not opposed to hurting them to get what I need.”