CHAPTER 30 - RED
CHAPTER
Red
IF I EVER THOUGHT I truly hated anyone before, I was way off the mark. I’ve never despised anyone nor wanted to maim anyone more than Matteo Galvatore and Luca Bristoni.
Arianna’s sobs have now reduced to gentle hiccups.
She’s nowhere near spent, but at least some of this shit has left her system.
That she doesn’t know the extent of what happened to her or by who doesn’t make things any better and certainly answers no questions for me, but I’m not the one that it happened to, am I?
“Protecting Maria is my priority now.”
Her voice startles me. I didn’t expect her to continue speaking, but she pulls away from my chest and raises her face to mine.
That beautiful, perfect face.
I can’t help placing my hand on her cheek that’s swollen from crying and purging this nightmare. “Baby, whatever you want, I’ll do,” I murmur.
And I will. I’ll do it ten times over if it makes her better.
Arianna’s sore red eyes narrow. “Once Maria is protected, then Matteo is the most important target to hit first.”
I frown and Arianna sees it. “You asked why I don’t pick Luca first because.
.. because of...” She bangs the flat of her hand against my chest. “I hate Matteo more, and given the situation, that might sound strange. He’s my brother, yet he organized the whole thing.
Doing that means he doesn’t deserve the title of ‘brother’, nor does he deserve to live. ”
Shaking her demons loose, she continues, yet I find it hard to remain rational and calm, but because Arianna needs me to, I’ll manage it. Somehow.
“Matteo is the driving force. It’s him who wants the ultimate power, control and pureblood, whereas Luca is just deranged. Luca is...”
“Luca’s part is to produce the heirs?”
Arianna nods. “Luca is on board with this cult-like thing, but his reasons are different to Matteo’s.”
She senses me stiffen with further rage, but she must tell me everything she can. “Go on...”
“Luca doesn’t want Maria, and because of that, he’ll do anything that gives him what he really wants. And he... he wants me. I... I had no idea how much.”
Arianna swallows quickly. I understand this is difficult, but there’s something I don’t understand. “By all accounts, Matteo has a ‘soft spot’ for your sister, so why would he involve her?”
“It’s true Matteo doesn’t hate Maria like he hates me. He really hates me. He always has. But whatever ‘soft spot’ he has for her, his obsession with pureblood is stronger.”
The twitch below my eye starts again as my temper continues to rise. I look up at the ceiling to distract my raging mind as things drop into place. “This wedding between Luca and Maria is a smokescreen for public benefit?”
“Yes.” Arianna’s voice breaks slightly. “But Luca isn’t interested in Maria. He’s obsessed with me and sees this whole thing as a divine calling. Me being with him is something he believes was always meant to be and that he’ll achieve by being part of the order.”
“The order?”
Arianna stares at the wall, her eyes darting back and forth as memories appear to resurface.
“This new firm – organization – they’ve formed; Matteo believes will populate a city full of purebloods.
There are other countries that run similar things - empires of obedience, power and undiluted genes.
There’s a place. I remember now it being mentioned many years ago when it was discussed who would inherit that part of the estate.
It’s owned by the Bristonis, and Luca was due to inherit it on his father’s death.
” She frowns. “It was a place somewhere in Surrey. East or West Moseley, I think. I heard Matteo and Luca talking about it, so I think that’s where they’re planning to base this organization. ”
She turns back to me, her eyes wide. “I heard more stuff but was too out of it to make sense of much, but snippets are returning to me. For instance, I heard... I heard Matteo say that Maria’s womb would be used when mine was... was full.”
My free hand forms a fist. This shit is as sick as fuck and I’m realizing Arianna’s sister is in way more danger than I believed.
“As well as having two wombs to use, they’re planning to harvest eggs. My eggs... I’m not sure if they’ve already... If they’ve...”
I grab Arianna’s hand, and she clutches it tightly. I’ll anchor her and prevent her from slipping into this abyss.
“They’re planning to create embryos and implant them into other women who will be kept locked up until giving birth.
They can create more purebloods that way – all made from mainly mine and Luca’s genes.
Some Maria’s.” Arianna nears hyperventilation as the memories roll in thick and fast. “Don’t you see?
I need to get Maria away before they get her.
I can’t think about killing Matteo before that. ”
Or Luca, I think.
Pulling Arianna back against my chest, I hold her steady. “Baby, I understand, but they won’t take you again. They will not get Maria either.”
But where the fuck is this place?
The address Cal gave me isn’t in Surrey, but that doesn’t mean they’re not waiting somewhere else in the interim with plans of moving into their sick order or whatever the hell it is once everything is in place – namely Maria and my wife.
“Princess,” I murmur, keeping the venom I want to unleash on those bastards under wraps. “I’ll get Maria, okay? That will be done before anything else.” And after that, Matteo and Luca will die.
Arianna sniffles and looks up - her violet eyes pools of crushed jewels. “Do you promise?”
“I promise.” Never have I been more motivated to promise anything in my life.
Getting Arianna’s sister away from the hell she’s about to step into will release both her and Arianna from this nightmare. Only then will I hunt down the rest of the sick bastards involved in this shitshow.
I cup Arianna’s face in my hands. “I swear down now, princess, Matteo or Luca will not touch you again. Neither will they lay a finger on Maria.”
The way she sags into me and leans against my chest, I know she believes me. This is good because I mean every fucking word.
“And Red...? Will you stay with me tonight?” Arianna’s face remains buried in my chest.
“Of course! I’ve been outside your room every night, and I’ll do the same tonight. I’ll do it forever.”
“No... I meant... I meant stay in here with me.”
I pull Arianna tighter against me. “Baby, as said, I’ll do anything you want me to do.”