23. Sever
23
SEVER
M assimo was released. He dropped to the floor, either dead or unconscious. I prayed just unconscious, but I knew he’d taken a nasty beating for me.
My heart hurt at that knowledge. Father always hated me, so I knew why Mass had taken my place. I’d have surely been shown no mercy. Even unconscious, my beating would have continued until I stopped breathing.
I caught Mass’s chest move, and breathed out, knowing he was still alive.
The twins hadn’t moved an inch in all of this.
While they were wild and violent, they were also calculating. Always biding their time. I had to trust in them on this.
But it was damn hard as I watched my brother fall and my girl bleed.
“Do you think I wanted to hurt your brother?” Father shouted, his eyes wild as he stared at us, Ari’s hair still twisted around his fingers as she silently sobbed. All she’d done since she’d gotten here was fucking cry.
I hated it.
I wanted her smiles and laughter. Her whispers. Her promises. Her love.
I couldn’t have that because this prick was ruining it all.
“Do you think I want to kill him?” he continued. “This is a fucking lesson, boys. You do what you’re fucking told. No love! NONE!” Spit flew from his mouth as he screamed at us. “And you never fucking lie to me.”
He dunked Arianna’s head into the metal container. She flailed and tried to fight him off, but he was too strong. I made to move forward, desperate to stop him. The twins had the same idea.
Unfortunately, it didn’t go to plan because before we could reach him, we were capture, four more of his men coming into the house. Restrained, we were forced to our knees to watch as he drown her in our fucking living room.
“No! NO!” I shouted, my voice cracking. “Ari! Please! Stop! Don’t! Don’t kill her! Kill me instead! It was me! It was fucking me!”
If I thought my confession would stop him, I was wrong. Instead, he just continued to hold her head beneath the water as she thrashed violently.
“S-Sever. Sever. Close your eyes. Close yours eyes,” Roe called out in a shaky voice.
“Close your eyes, little brother,” Ren choked out.
I knew a losing battle when I fought it.
There wasn’t fuck all we could do about any of it.
I wouldn’t close my eyes though. I knew they wanted to save me from seeing her die, but I loved her. I’d be with her until the end.
“Arianna. I love you. I love you,” I shouted on repeat.
Her flailing slowed until she went still. Her body twitched. I sobbed loudly, the twins sniffling behind me.
Father held her under for another moment before bringing her limp body out and dropping her to floor unceremoniously.
I tried to see the rise and fall of her chest, but it was impossible in the hoodie I’d put her in. I’d tried to get her out of the house and out onto the balcony before they’d taken her. I knew she’d have been able to shimmy down it and run into the forest. We’d find her after.
That hadn’t gone to plan.
“Wrap her body and put her in the trunk,” Father snapped.
Plastic was brought in and I watched, bile in my throat, as her body was wrapped loosely and dragged from the room.
There was nothing in my heart that told me she was still alive.
My darling star was dead.
All because of me. Because I fucking loved her.
Because our father was a fucking prick monster who deserved to be dead.
Not her. Never her.
Father turned to us, a grim expression on his face.
“Let this be a lesson,” he warned softly. “I’ll have her body disposed of personally. It will be me who removes her arms. Her legs. Her head. Remember I’m the one in charge. I make the rules. You were created to FUCKING. FOLLOW. THEM!” His fist collided with my face, snapping my head sideways.
He twisted his fingers in my hair and brought my head upward so I was staring into his face. My jaw hurt from clenching my teeth so tightly as I glared back at him, nothing but pure venom and revenge in my heart.
“You almost cost me a son tonight. Someone who isn’t completely fucking worthless. Massimo took your place tonight because he is a real man. You? You’re fucking worthless. Useless. The next time you fuck up, you’ll die. And no one will fucking shed a tear. Non sei niente. Sarai sempre niente. ” He spit on my face before walking away. To the twins, he said nothing.
He left the room, the front door opening in the distance. The men holding us let us go. They didn’t hang around. They left us alone with the metal container where our girl had just drown and with an unconscious Mass on the floor.
“Mass. Mass!” Ren shook Mass roughly.
He didn’t stir.
“Fuck,” Roe shouted. “FUCK!”
I lost it. Sobs racked through my body as I let out my heartbreak and anguish.
I’d spent my entire life fighting the evil of my father. I’d complied and done everything he’d wanted of me. There were never any rewards with him. Only punishments.
He’d taken the love of my life away.
I’d watched her die in our fucking living room.
I’d even given her a knife before his men had burst in on us. A meager attempt at offering her some protection while she fled from here.
She’d not even gotten to use it.
She never had a fucking chance.
She deserved a chance.
“Mass! Man, come on,” Ren pleaded.
I hung my head as Mass mumbled.
Roe dragged me over to them, or maybe I’d gone willingly. I wasn’t sure because I wasn’t all in my head.
“A-Arianna,” Mass garbled. “Ari? Aria!”
“Mass. Mass, look at me,” Roe said, his voice cracking.
I watched in silence as Mass’s eyes focused on Roe’s face.
“Sh-She’s dead. He killed her. S-She’s gone, man,” Roe choked out.
Mass hung his head, his big body trembling.
“I want her body,” he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I want her to be buried here.”
“He has her body,” Ren murmured, his voice strained.
“Then I’ll fucking go get it.” Mass pushed to his feet, swaying.
Roe caught him as he made to step forward and stumbled.
He needed time. Time we didn’t have.
Not that it mattered. She was gone. Dead.
Ren reached for me and helped me to steady myself.
“I want to kill him. Tonight,” I said fiercely, my voice low and dangerous. “If I die, I’ll join her in the afterlife, but I’m taking him with me.”
“Straight to hell,” Roe said.
“Let’s go,” Ren said fiercely.
Mass nodded. “If you die, we die with you.”
So be it.