Unforgivable

Chapter 19

My First

Oni

I look across the pool and find Rico talking to Ed, but his eyes are glued on me. I try not to smile, but I can’t help myself. Rico looks handsome in a black polo, khaki shorts, and high-top Air Force Ones.

It’s a good look on him. I watch as he licks his lips, then looks away to answer Al as he walks over and enters their conversation. My phone buzzes in my hand. I look at it to see a text from Rico.

Rico: My office. Head up there in five. I’ll be ten minutes behind you.

I turn to Mario, who’s been standing beside me, talking to Corey, one of Emilia’s friends. I smile at Mario and nod my head to let him know I’m heading inside. Emilia stops me just before I get to the door to enter the house.

“Where are you going? I know you’re not trying to skip out,” she says.

“Calm down. I’m just going to the bathroom. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Good, I have some friends I want you to meet.”

“Cool, I’ll be back. Save me a drink,” I say, pointing to the one in her hand.

Her eyes look glossy, like she might need to slow down soon. She smiles and downs the rest of her drink while wiggling her brows at me. I laugh at her and shake my head.

I catch a glance of Rico and note that Juliana is all in his face. He keeps his face expressionless, but I can see his eyes scanning. Rolling my eyes, I head into the house.

Instead of going straight to Rico’s office, I head into the bathroom first. I use it quickly and wash my hands. Looking in the mirror, I smile. This little white sundress is cute. It’s a little short since we’re having a pool party, but it’s still tasteful. The swimsuit beneath is basic.

I smooth my hands over the dress and turn to head up to Rico’s office. The house is quiet, but the party outside is jumping. The DJ has a thing for EDM. Not my jam, but I’m trying to go with the vibe.

Once up on the third floor, I step into Rico’s office and look around. I inhale and take in a lungful of his scent that’s all over the room. Closing my eyes, I remember last night and smile.

Suddenly, my mouth is covered, and I’m being shoved forward. I know right away this isn’t Rico. The scent is wrong.

I bite the person’s hand and run for the desk where I know Rico keeps a few guns. All I need is to get my hands on one. As I run, I’m pushed forward and fall onto the edge of the desk.

Pain shoots through me, causing me to whimper, but I don’t give up my fight. I hold my side and stumble to the other side of the desk. As I push the desk chair out of the way, I’m grabbed by the back of my hair.

I look up, and to my surprise, it’s the asshole from the club who was downstairs talking to Juliana. He looks down at me with evil in his eyes. Panic fills me and I go into fight mode.

I swing and catch him in the face. He growls and backhands me so hard I see stars. I fall back against the desk in a daze.

He grabs me and tosses me onto the desk. I keep fighting. He blocks most of my hits, but I get in a good one upside his head. I figure if I keep fighting, Rico will be here soon.

My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it’s about to come out of my chest. He grabs my legs to keep me from kicking and steps between them. It dawns on me that this has just become the fight of my life.

I don’t have time to wait for Rico to save me. I’m going to have to save myself. I calm down enough to think. He rips the front of my dress, causing me to scream out.

I punch him in his throat and begin to reach under the desk for the pistol I know Rico keeps there. Panic begins to rise again as my hand doesn’t connect with the handle right away. Unfortunately for me, this asshole recovers and comes at me again.

He wraps his hands around my throat, but I keep reaching for the gun. He reaches between my legs and rips my swimsuit. Tears fill my eyes. This can’t be happening to me.

I didn’t even notice him following me in here. I think I’m going to be sick. With the hand not searching for the gun, I try to push him off.

My brain is in shock as I finally find the gun and grab it from under the desk.

I release the safety, then lift it to his temple and pull the trigger all in one breath.

The shot doesn’t make more than a hissing sound as a silencer is on the end.

I sit shaking as I stare down at the body on the floor.

“Oh my God,” I choke out.

I look up at the mirror that hangs behind the desk. Snot bubbles are coming from my nose, and tears are streaming down my face. I can feel myself shutting down.

Just then, Rico and Mario burst through the door. Rico runs for me, freezing as he rounds the desk and finds the body on the floor. The rage that fills his face makes him look like a monster has taken over his body.

Mario is the first one to snap into action. He pries the gun from my hand, then rushes to lock the door. Rico tugs his shirt off and begins to pull it over my head.

They are talking, but I can’t hear anything they’re saying. My ears are ringing. Rico cups my head and pulls it into his chest. I inhale him deeply and begin to relax.

I just took my first life. Oh my God, I have a body on my jacket. Uncle Claude’s words come back to me. Don’t let them get you into anything I can’t get you out of.

I did what I had to do.

Rico

“I’m excited to finally start planning for our future. The engagement party is going to be ah-mazing. Everyone who’s anyone should be there. Don’t you think so?” Juliana prattles on.

Meanwhile, I’m doing my best not to tell her to shut the fuck up. I lock gazes with Mario and notice the panic in his expression. I quickly shoot him a text.

Me: What’s wrong? I sent her inside. Relax.

Mario: That’s not the problem. I lost sight of that asshole. The guy in the gray and white short sweatsuit.

I look up and glance around the crowd. I don’t see that guy either. When I noticed him earlier, I had wondered who had invited him.

“Where are you going?” Juliana whines as I start to walk off.

“I need to make a call,” I toss over my shoulder and keep moving.

Something isn’t sitting right with me. Oni went into the house to meet me upstairs. That cute little dress had my thoughts on last night.

I wanted to get a little time to hold her in my arms, maybe get a little taste if we have time. However, that guy is now out of sight as well. No one should have gone into the house, but Emilia has gone overboard with the number of people she’s invited over.

“I had my eyes on him and then some guy intercepted me, asking me if I saw his girl or some shit and I lost him,” Mario says as he runs to join me in the house.

“Oni was on her way to my office. Let’s start with finding her. Then we can look for him. I want to make sure she’s safe.”

We jog up to the third floor without another word. As soon as we hit the landing, the sounds of a commotion can be heard coming from my office. I take off running without a single thought.

Just before we get to the door, a loud thump sounds, causing my heart to pound harder than I’ve ever felt.

Mario and I burst through the door at the same time.

The first thing I see is Oni’s reflection in the mirror.

Her tearstained face grips my heart, causing my feet to move me to her before I can take the entire room in.

I get around the desk, ready to draw her into my arms, but freeze as I see the body lying on the floor. We won’t need to go searching for that asshole. He’s lying on my office floor with his brains blown out.

Rage fills me. This motherfucker came into my father’s home and violated what’s mine. He forced my baby to take his life at only sixteen.

I may have made sure Oni could protect herself, but I never meant for something like this to be on her conscience so soon in her life. Maybe that’s the problem: bringing her into this life opens doors like this. This is my fault.

“Baby, are you okay?” I turn to Oni and ask as the strange sound of her sobs draws my attention.

It’s like she’s trying not to make a sound, but the sound is still breaking through. I think she’s in shock. Mario pries my gun from her hand, then rushes to lock the door.

I’m grateful to him as he snaps into action, calling for a cleaner and setting in motion the start of taking care of this mess. Seeing the front of Oni’s dress torn and her naked breast exposed, I tear my shirt off and pull it over her head.

“Ashton Larkin,” Mario says, tossing the dude’s wallet on top of his lifeless chest.

“Irish? Who the fuck invited him here?”

I cup the back of Oni’s head and pull her into my chest. She’s still sobbing. I don’t want to think about what happened before she dropped this piece of shit. I failed her.

I promised this wouldn’t happen. I feel like such a fuckup. I didn’t deserve her in the first place; now I really don’t.

“No fucking clue, but I’m starting to have a lot of questions. I saw him talking to Juliana earlier. Oni said she saw him at the club that night. Neither one of us believes in coincidences.

“I wonder when your uncle invited Juliana out. He’s playing a game, but what if he’s being played as well?”

I snort and shake my head. “Bro, the eyes in the back of his head have eyes. If Juliana is up to something, he knows. Fuck, that would make so much sense.

“I’m going to kill him. New plan, I need you to find out what the Abatos have been up to in the last year. Who they’ve been connected to, who they owe, what they owe. See if any of that connects back to the shit you found in New York.

“I want to know if this is a me problem or a family problem. Then I want it shut down and everyone who allowed any part of it can be wiped off the map with the source. And I mean everyone,” I snarl.

“I’m on it.”

I look down and cup the sides of Oni’s face. She looks up at me through tear-filled eyes as her lips tremble. My heart breaks a million times over.

“Oni, baby. I need to get you to a hospital. Someone needs to check you out,” I say softly.

She shakes her head frantically. I open my mouth to convince her that this needs to be done. If not at a hospital, I need to bring someone in.

However, my mind is blown as she cuts me off. Holding her hand up, she takes a deep, calming breath. I watch as she goes from a sobbing, fragile, frightened bird to a phoenix right before my eyes.

“No. He didn’t … he didn’t get to hurt me. I need to stay here and help clean up my mess. Show me what you need me to do. Tell me what’s next,” she says.

“Oni, what the fuck?”

“If I fold now, if I can’t handle this, I can’t handle you. I’m okay.”

I look at her with wide eyes. She’s serious. It’s like she’s flipped a switched and turned the last fifteen minutes off.

I fucking love her.