25. Blakely
Seeingthe shock on his face is priceless. I don’t dare to look at Aidan and Scott, but I know Jonas freed them from their ropes. I just hope that if anything happens, they will take Bailey and get out of here.
Who am I kidding? Of course they won’t.
I focus on Fusco. “Now, the question is, who is assuming my identity and giving you orders?” I move dramatically before stopping. “Oh, but wait. I know who. Do you want to know?” I ask Fusco.
I can see the sweat dripping down his neck. He’s not sure if he should believe me or not.
“Stop playing around, little girl.” His hand tightens on his Glock, ready to shoot.
“I’m not playing,” I say nonchalantly with a shrug.
“Everyone knows that Kore is a man.”
“Is that so?” I ask. “Well, if you believe that, then you’re not very smart, are you? But we already established that, didn’t we? Do you know what Kore means?” No answer, so I keep talking. “Kore is another name for Persephone.” Seriously? No culture at all. “Persephone is also known as the Queen of the Underworld. But I’m not here to give you a lesson in Greek mythology. Anywaaaay.” I move closer. “What was I saying? Oh, aye. I find it fascinating that you had the answer under your nose this whole time, and you never figured out you were being played like a pawn. Since we both know you aren’t smart enough to figure it out on your own, I’ll save you some time.” People start to shuffle around uncomfortably, confused about what is true or not. “Preston.”
“What do you mean ‘Preston’?” asks Fusco.
“I find it a bit difficult to have a discussion with you. Is this too hard for you to comprehend?” Giggles echo through my earpiece. With a mischievous grin, I walk closer to him. “Preston,” I say again. “He’s the one pretending to be Kore.” Turning my gaze to the masked man, I walk forwards, stopping a few feet from him, standing next to Riccardo now. “Isn’t that right, Senior?” I hear gasps around me, mainly from Cal, Ade, and Scott. I can’t blame them. They thought for years that Caleb Preston Senior was dead. My investigation has been a rollercoaster, but Senior started to get sloppy in his attempt to take my identity as Kore and made himself more traceable in the process. He made a fatal mistake once, revealing his face and thinking that no one was there. Unfortunately for him, by that time, Jonas had already infiltrated their ranks and saw him crystal clear. “Care to remove your mask now?”
When he does, I hear Cal’s curses filling the room. “You got me, little girl,” Senior spits back at me. “Fusco was right. You’re too smart.”
“I know,” I answer. “ Welcome back from the dead.”
“Ares,” Senior calls to his son. Cal looks at him with astonished eyes. I don’t blame him. He is the one who pulled the trigger on his father over a decade ago when he learned that Senior was trafficking young women. It”s not for nothing that The Twelve Olympians started to call him Ares. God of War. And it was pretty fitting knowing that Senior called himself Zeus. Laughable. “Good to see you, son.”
“I’m afraid the feeling”s not mutual,” says Caleb through gritted teeth.
A grin spreads over my face. “Now that the family reunion is over, why would you usurp my identity? Don’t answer that. I know why. Your son destroyed your legacy, yada yada yada. What is funny is that you thought you’d be able to kill us and take back your legacy, as you call it.”
“Oh, but I will.” I stop him with my hand before he can say anymore.
“No, you won’t. Do you want to know why? Because this time, I’ll make sure you die. And for good. It’s because of people like you that your granddaughter died. But of course, you’re so sick that you would’ve been the first to sell her for a few bucks. And it has been through your order that my sister has been kidnapped. That reason alone is your death sentence.”
Before Fusco has time to order his son to kill me, Shaan already has his gun pointed towards my head, which makes my smile even bigger.
“Calm down, puppy, before you hurt yourself with that thing,” I say, “That wouldn’t be a smart move on your part.” I see Aidan ready to jump, with Jonas trying to restrain him.
“You’re the one with a gun pointed at your head, and you think you’re in a position to speak?” he says.
My responding laugh is a thunderous, mischievous roar. “Oh, but honey. You’re the one with a target on your chest, pointed directly–” I tap him highly right above his heart, “there. Any movement from you, and you’re dead.” With that, everyone looks as a red dot appears on his chest. “That’s it. Now you get it.” I smile sweetly.
“KILL HER,” orders Shaan.
Moving in synchronicity, they all direct their guns at me. Fusco walks slowly towards me while Senior remains unmoving. I hear Aidan, Scott, and Bailey screaming and shouting.
“You,” shouts Shaan at the guy closest to him. “Kill her.” The guy walks towards me, his gun pointed at my head, then stays there without moving an inch.
“What are you waiting on?” Now it’s Fusco’s turn to shout.
“Sorry. I can’t,” replies the guy in front of me.
“Of course you can. Pull the trigger and shoot!” Shaan yells.
Turning to face them, he replies, “I said I can’t. Not that I don’t know how to kill.”
My smile grows bigger when Tim removes his mask in front of them, which makes Scott and Aidan gasp, followed by curses. This night is becoming more and more interesting and fun.
“You see,” starts Tim. “I can’t kill my boss, now can I?” he asks with a smirk. His back is now facing me, allowing me to retrieve the gun he had hidden for me.
“You motherfucker,” shouts Fusco. “Kill them both.” He looks around him and sees three more people removing their masks and pointing their guns at him.
“Now, now. That’s not very nice, is it?” I ask D, who is the closest one to him, his gun pointed at Fusco’s back. The other guards are fidgeting, their guns sweeping back and forth aimlessly like they don’t know who to aim at. As for Senior, he has two targets directed straight at him. Just in case.
“Nah, boss. I don’t think that’s very nice of him,” says D.
“Why?” Fusco asks.
I laugh because, seriously, that’s the stupidest question he’s asked me tonight.
“Why? Hmm, let me see. You kidnapped my sister and beat her. You abducted women in order to sell them. You went behind Ares’ back to try to cause his downfall in place of your own.” I glance over Caleb and see his eyes tick at the mention of his nickname. “Caleb Junior,” I precise. “You ordered to have us killed. You kidnapped my brother and my fiancé, and to finish,” I turn to look at Senior, “you gave orders, pretending to be me. I think those are enough reasons, don’t you?”
Python frantically looks for an exit to flee from the scene.
Coward.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I advise.
“Fuck you.” His finger moves towards the trigger to shoot me, and I quickly fire back and hit him squarely between the eyes, causing Bailey to shriek.
Sorry, sis, but your twin is a monster if someone attacks the ones she loves. The guy collapses onto the floor, making everyone gasp.
The room is filled with an eerie silence.
Aidan and Scott do a double-take, their eyes widening in disbelief.
“One down. Who’s next?” I ask, absentmindedly clicking the safety on and off of my gun.
That’s the thing when people underestimate you. They don’t know what you’re capable of.
Caleb’s laughter echoes through the room, drawing the attention of the guards who still linger nearby. Not for long.
“Can I play now?”asks Skye in my ear.
“Not yet, wild cat,” I answer.
“Buzzkill.”
I know my brother and Aidan heard that. I ensured that all connections between them and us have been deactivated until now, except for Tim, who I chose to remain linked with them. I needed them to be focused on my sister and nothing else.
The sound of Em’s heels clicking against the floor catches my attention, signalling her arrival to the party. Her outfit of leather jeans and a tight top makes her look like a badass. I swear I can see Scott’s jaw clench as he watches her coming up beside me.
“Hello, there.” Her voice carries a light and playful tone. “You started the party without me. Not very nice.” I tightly clasp her hand before finally letting go.
With each step, she closes the distance between herself and Fusco, staring directly into his eyes. Between the gun pointed at his back by D and the target between his eyes, he doesn’t dare move.
“Remember me?” she asks, retrieving her knife from the back of her jeans.
“I’ve seen a lot of sluts in my life,” he spits, and I can see the anger in his eyes.
“I wouldn’t say things like that when you have a gun pointed at your head. Allow me to jog your memory.” The guys and I are like steel, knowing what is coming. Her fingers fidget with the knife’s handle before she begins to speak. “Seven years ago, you abducted me. Seven years ago, you tore my family apart when you took me and my sister and then sold us. I was beaten. I was raped. I was starved. All because of you. I was 18. My sister was 15. I made sure she escaped before she had to endure the same struggles that I did. But me? I was fully present for every minute of the nightmare. Because of you. And you know what I told myself to survive? Never again. Once I found you, I’d put an end to you. It was Blake who found and saved me. She made me stronger so I could be ready for that day. And that day has come. Today,” she says, her voice cold and menacing, “you will meet your end by my hands.”
“If I don’t fucking kill you before she does, you piece of shit.” Scott’s rage is evident as he rises from his seat and strides purposefully towards Fusco, channelling all his energy into a single punch that connects with the man’s jaw.
“Scott, stop!” shouts Em. “I don’t need a white knight. He’s mine.”
“Oh, but baby. I’m far from being a white knight. I’m the Slicer.”
“Riccardo. Kill them!” orders Fusco.
Riccardo walks towards him with a menacing look, one hand resting on his gun. “Why would I do that? Why would I kill her when you’re the one who kidnapped and sold my two nieces to the nastiest man alive, who’s now dead?” With his gun pressed against Fusco’s jaw, he continues to speak. “You know, I should be the one ending your life. You took the mafia Principessa and treated her like a whore. I should be the one carving out each of your organs, but she deserves this kill and the satisfaction of revenge for all that you have put her through. One thing you can be sure of is… tonight, you all die.” And with that, he takes a step forward, leaving Scott’s mouth wide open at this new piece of information.
Fusco takes advantage of the situation, grabs his gun, and starts to shoot.
Fucking eejits.
Scott roughly seizes Em by the arms and drags her away. I glance over at Jonas, and he nods in agreement. He swiftly makes his way out with Bailey in tow. Aidan attempts to run towards me, but a guard intercepts him, bringing him to a sudden stop.
The room is in chaos, with people running in every direction. As I run towards Caleb, the sound of my gunshots echoes through the air, causing some of the guards to turn their heads.
“You ready?” Cal asks me. I nod.
“Ready as I ever will be.”
“He’s mine.”
“Don’t miss this time,” I add with a wink that makes him groan.
The air is filled with the sound of fists and feet striking flesh as the fight rages on. I feel a sharp tug on my hair as someone yanks me backward.
Who the fuck grabs someone by the hair?
My head throbs painfully as if a thousand needles prickle my skull.
My elbow connects with his stomach, causing him to double over in agony. Using my position to my advantage, I quickly pivot and clamp my arm around his neck, cutting off his air supply until he collapses to the floor, dead. My eyes dart around, searching for Em, Scott, and Aidan, but they seem to have vanished.
Where the fuck are they?
“Boss. You need to leave now. You have 10 minutes.”
“Cailean, you need to delay it. I can’t find them.”
“I can’t, boss. It was set up so no one could change it once it’s programmed.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
My attention shifts to Caleb, who wasted no time in finding his father. He has him pinned to the floor, punches flying over Senior’s face. I interrupt him in his tracks. “I know you want to take your sweet time with him, but you need to leave. Now. This place is going to blow in 10 minutes.” Senior looks at me with fear in his eyes, blood dripping down every inch of his face. If he thinks for one second I’ll spare his life, he is more delusional than I thought. It’s sad, really, to think he faked his death for so long, continuing to traffic women only to meet the same end. Six feet in the ground. It makes sense now why some of The Twelve took part in this. Their loyalty to him is what brought them to their death.
“You must be insane if you think I’ll let you stay here alone.”
“Cal.”
“No,” he replies. Focusing back on Senior, he adds, “Father. I would have loved to take my sweet time with you, but as you heard my daughter-in-law, this place is going to blow up any minute now, and your life is not worth mine. Say hi to Lucifer for me.” Before Senior has the time to say anything, Cal aims for his head and pulls the trigger twice, then his chest and neck for good measure.
I look at him with amusement. “I think one bullet was enough.”
“Not taking any risks. If he’s not dead with two bullets in his head, one in his neck, and one in his heart, the old man is a fucking demon.” That makes me burst out in laughter.
“Okay, let’s keep moving. We need to find them.”
In the distance, I spot Riccardo and immediately start running towards him, skillfully weaving through my teammates to avoid getting hit. “Riccardo. The place is going to explode in less than 10 minutes. We need to find everyone and get them out.”
Riccardo’s eyes fixate on the man in front of him, blood dripping from his fingers. He aims and fires, a single bullet piercing the man’s forehead.
Okay. That’s a concise way to get to the point.
The acrid smell of gun smoke hangs heavily in the air. Fusco and Shaan are in the middle, surrounded by the bodies of the deceased.
I promised Skye some fun, so I decide to leave Shaan for her while Fusco is reserved for Em.
Panic sets in as I realise I can’t locate Aidan anywhere.
“Where are you?” I ask through my earpiece.
I feel someone yanking me back before gunfire reaches my ears. When I turn around to see who pulled me back, I see a man lying in a pool of blood, his mask destroyed by the fight, a bullet wound in his chest. As I pivot to see who shot him, Aidan appears before me, his face painted with the blood of his enemies, a faint smile on his lips.
Something is wrong.
As soon as I see his hand, I notice the blood and realise he is hurt.
No, no, no.
Running towards him, I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I frantically search for the gravity of his injury.
“Don’t you dare leave me here alone.” I can feel my heart pounding, my hand pressing against my chest.
“Death isn’t going to take me that easily,” he says with confidence. “It’s just a scratch.”
“Let me see.” With hesitance, he removes his hand, and the blood pours out in a heavier stream, revealing a bullet lodged in his rib cage.
“I’m fine. I’ve had worse. Like I said, just a scratch.” With each word he speaks, his cough rattles his chest, and blood trickles from his mouth.
“We need to get out of here. Now. Do you think you can walk?”
“Of course I can.” His words gradually slow down as his blood loss increases.
“I swear to god, Aidan Preston. You better not die on me,” I say through gritted teeth. “I’ll chase you to hell just to bring you back and kill you myself. You do not get to die on me. We haven’t been through all of this for me to lose you again.” The lump in my throat grows, and I can feel the tears welling up.
I will not cry.
Now’s not the time.
My head swivels back and forth, searching for someone amidst the chaos, when a loud bang jolts me to a stop.
Fusco lies motionless on the ground. Em’s Desert Eagle aimed directly at his lifeless form.
“You, bitch. You killed my father!” Shaan screams.
“Skye. He’s all yours. But hurry, we don’t have much time.”
“Don’t worry, Shaan. You’ll follow him promptly.” I shout, pointing at the red target right on his heart.
Skye doesn’t waste a second before shooting.
While I observe the dead father and son on the ground, Scott’s eyes remain glued to Aidan, ignoring everything else around him.
“Fuck,” he curses.
“We don’t have time. We need to leave now. The place is going to blow up any second.” When I direct my gaze towards Aidan, I observe that he’s gone pale, and his eyes are closed.
“Aidan.” My hand tightly grips him as I shake him to get a response. “Baby, wake up.” The feeling of fear and panic causes my hands to tremble involuntarily. The sound of curses fills the air as I turn around and notice that Cal and Riccardo are staring in our direction.
“Let’s go,” says Scott, kneeling to lift Aidan in a fireman’s hold
“Guys, everybody out. Now!” The sound of my shouting fills the earpiece, drowning out all other noise.
The situation has escalated to the point where individuals are either engaged in fighting or attempting to vacate the hangar. However, all possible exits have been sealed, leaving them trapped.
With Aidan over his shoulder, Scott is practically sprinting ahead while Cal follows closely behind. Riccardo and Em are standing close to me, while Tim, D, and Rocky are positioned behind us.
“50 seconds.” The scream that comes out of Cailean’s mouth is deafening. With every step we take, the way out seems to stretch out further and further.
Cailean’s voice breaks the silence once more as we approach the exit. “15 seconds.”
“Shit. We don’t have time. Everyone on the ground. NOW!” I can feel the tension in my body as I shout.
Just before the explosion hits, we manage to cover our heads, but fragments of the hangar still rain down around us.
“Fuck me,” someone says. A high-pitched ringing noise fills my ears. I turn my head in all directions to check if everyone is okay. Scott threw himself over Aidan and Em, shielding them from harm.
How?
These two are so drawn to each other that it’s almost comical. It’s like watching a cartoon where the characters are trying to resist a giant magnet pulling them together but failing miserably.
“Everyone okay?” I ask as a dull throb begins to pulse through my head. Something warm and sticky drips down my face.
“All good.” The sound of their voices reaching my ears one by one echoes in my mind.
“Princess, you’re bleeding.” Tim confirms what I thought. I bring my hand to my head and feel the sting of a fresh wound.
“It’s nothing. Let’s get out of here.” I wobble as I try to stand up, feeling a sudden rush of dizziness. Tim notices my struggle and is there in an instant to keep me on my feet. “I’m good.” As I lift my head to check on Aidan, I am met with his intense gaze, like the depths of the forest.
“Y-you’re not f-fine,” he states.
“You’re the one with a bullet in your stomach, not me.” The sound of my voice clearly conveys my concern, and he gives me a facial expression that resembles more of a pained wince than a smile.
“B-but at least w-we will have t-twin scars.” It’s true. I find myself automatically reaching for the scar I obtained from being stabbed.
Same place.
Different weapons.
“Let’s go, smartass.” Moving closer to him, I reach out my hand and run my fingers through his hair. “Let’s get you checked out, shall we?”
“B-Baby, you’re g-going to h-have a life full of m-my shit, so e-enjoy the small bit of q-quiet time that y-you have.” He gives me a flirty wink, making my heart skip a beat. The feeling of amusement takes over as I shake my head, unable to contain my snort. Even hurt, this guy is incredibly full of his own shit.