Chapter 27 Fox #2
He laughed softly. “No. She’s sweet as pie. She’s mute. She doesn’t speak really, although lately she’s been a bit more vocal. Chapel Crest has a way of making everyone scream eventually.”
I inhaled a shaky breath at his words. Chapel Crest was the asylum in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
It was an academy of sorts, its focus on mental health and healing.
Rumor had it that they took in all the crazies and tried to reform them using religion.
Dante’s family created it many years ago.
“You see, my specter is too sweet. Beautiful. That sort of thing attracts monsters.” He paused and settled back in his seat. “Her stepfather sold her to my father. I hold the contract over her currently as long as I comply.”
I licked my lips. I knew where this was going.
“He’s making you hurt people so she isn’t hurt?” I whispered.
He inclined his head slightly. “That and the fact he also has her father and her sister lodged in these cozy fucking confines. If I get him what he wants, he releases her family. My specter will belong to me officially.”
“Kill him,” I snarled. “Why don’t you fucking kill him? He’s a monster who hurts the innocent. Fucking kill him!”
Dante smiled at me, the action not meeting his eyes.
“If only it were so simple. He is well-protected. I can’t fucking access him. He has it set in such a way that if he’s killed, everything dies with him. That would likely include me since I’d be the one holding the weapon. Know what I mean?”
I tried to shift in my seat as we continued to stare at one another.
“So I’m in a bit of a predicament like you. I want him gone. Many do. But how?”
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked. “I just want E freed…”
“I’m telling you because you’re my key, Fox. We’ve been working on a plan. I think we may have something. He won’t die, but then again, I really don’t want him to. Not right away. He deserves to suffer.” A wicked look washed over his face, sending shivers down my spine.
Dante Church was a madman. I’d seen only a lighter side to him, that much I knew.
He was the night to my Rosie’s day.
The door creaked open and more heavy footsteps sounded out. Asylum stepped into my view.
He leaned down and said something into Dante’s ear before Dante gave a slight nod of his head.
Asylum winked and took a step away to put a small amount of space between him and Dante, who was still in the chair in front of me.
“Matteo De Santis,” Asylum said, clipping each word before clicking his tongue. “Uncle Matty to you.”
I eyed him wearily.
“You know you’re never going to play football again,” Asylum continued, nodding to my fucked up shoulder. “Game’s over, so to speak.”
I swallowed hard at his words, a tiny part of my heart shattering. I knew it was unlikely I’d play again. The ache from the bullet was too real to be something I’d get over anytime soon.
“The life you once had is over. Fox Evans was on his deathbed the night of the engagement party,” he continued.
“Little dead Fox, praying for a way out. Ran through the crowd and gave a shout. Rosalie, Rosalie, my love, I need you. Alas, poor Foxy, had no clue. It was his last night alive. And now in the underground he must survive.”
“Not your best work,” Dante muttered.
“I’m a bit tired,” Asylum replied, cocking his head, a faraway look in his eyes. “I know. I know. I’m going to tell him if you’d shut the fuck up for a minute. No. No. I said I fucking would.”
I glanced from Asylum to Church, who was still an emotionless robot.
Apparently, Asylum heard voices. Great.
“As I was saying.” Asylum cleared his throat. “I want to remind you that you have the tools for survival.”
“What?” I frowned.
“You see, Foxy boy, you and I are far more alike than we are different. We share DNA and all that.”
“What?” I repeated, shaking my head. I couldn’t figure out if this was more of their psychological torture. “What are you even talking about?”
“Franco De Santis is my father,” Asylum said. “Frank. He’s Gino’s son. Uncle Gino is Carmine’s brother. Your granddad, Carmine.”
I had no idea what he was going on about. Just because my father was a De Santis didn’t mean I knew the whole fucking family tree.
Asylum chuckled. “I’m aware you don’t know the family tree. I’m only giving backstory. Heaven forbid a guy have a fucking hobby.”
“Ancestry is your hobby?” Dante asked dryly.
“Oh, what? Like killing small rodents in the woods is a better one?” He rolled his eyes at Dante. “My therapist said I needed to stop removing people’s eyes with my fork. I’d say ancestry is a pretty fucking good side hobby if I’m trying to fit into societal standards.”
“Learn chess,” Dante said.
“Learn chess.” Asylum mimicked Dante’s voice. “You sound just like him.” He pointed to his head. “No. Fuck you. I’ll choke you with a chess piece. Yeah. Want to fucking bet?”
I had no idea what was going on. The guy was a complete lunatic.
“I’m not.” Asylum focused on me, his voice serious. “I’m my brand of normal. It looks crazy to you, but I assure you, I’m sane. Mostly.”
I licked my lips nervously. He was creeping me out. There was no way he could read minds, but fuck, it sure seemed like it. I was probably going insane in here.
Asylum chuckled. “Cute. Mindreading. Anyway, as I was saying. Granddad. Carmine the Cocksucker. We’re family, kitten.
As a side hustle, I listen for Matteo. You know, feed him the odds and ends he’s looking for.
I recently acquired the position, and I honestly think I’m just a nepo baby, and my old man is trying to get back into my good graces after cheating on our mom and getting some bitch knocked up who took him to the cleaners and left him with a big fucking child support payment every month.
Figured he’d help me secure a future in the family business.
I’m not great at driving cars like him. Intrusive thoughts and all that.
Can’t help but wonder what it would be like to run over a crowd of people at random.
” He let out a wild laugh. “I’m only kidding. ”
Fucking hell. He really was insane.
“Maybe.” Asylum smirked at me. “My point is, I’m here because I feel like I need a raise. If you work hard, you get raises. That’s how the real world works. So use the tools for survival if you want to save your friend. It likely won’t save you, but hey, that’s called sacrifice, Foxy.
I glanced at Dante to see him studying me wordlessly. I had no idea what he was talking about. Exhaustion flooded my veins, my eyes heavy. I didn’t even want to try to figure it out.
“I want to go…home,” I choked out. “I need to see my family. Let me go. Please… fucking let me go. Rosalie…”
“You want to save her,” Asylum said softly, finishing my garbled sentence.
He was quiet for a moment before he continued.
“Lorenzo and Cole lived. Lorenzo was shot in the arm and leg. He was in the hospital overnight. Your sweet girl was shot in the stomach. She had surgery and also survived. She is home with Cole and Lorenzo. She suffers. Anthony and Marissa De Luca are dead. So are many others.”
My chest constricted at his words.
Fuck. Anthony and Marissa were dead. Enzo had to be devastated. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.
I knew this shit would happen. I fucking told Enzo. I TOLD him!
“To save Rosalie, you know you must die. Without your death, she will never be released from Lorenzo. You need to die to prove to him you were right. To save Ethan. To save Rosalie. You must die. Do you understand?” Asylum cocked his head to the left and studied me.
A tear trickled down my cheek. He was right. I knew he was. It didn’t matter to me how he knew. Maybe I was just that fucking easy to read.
“I want you to know that I don’t like this,” Dante said softly.
“My goal is never to hurt my family, and you, Fox Evans, are my family through my dear sister. This entire situation pains me, but on the other side of the coin is my girl and her family. So I must do terrible deeds in the name of saving what I love. You know how that is, right?”
I swallowed hard as a soft sob slipped past my lips. I did know how it was. I knew too fucking well.
“If death is what you seek, I think we delivered it,” Dante continued in his low voice. “Do you want to die, Fox?”
I was supposed to be dead already anyway, since I planned to push the button the day after the engagement party. Had Enzo not told me he had a way for us all to marry Rosalie, I’d already be gone.
This was fate.
I was meant to die.
I was never meant to be with my Rosie in this life.
I sobbed softly. “No, I want to go home and be with my family, but I know it’ll never happen.
That I need to die to save what I love. I-I accept that.
” I paused, the tears falling faster. I didn’t want them to see me cry.
“Please, after you kill me, get E out. He’s a good person. This will kill him.”
Asylum nodded. “He will be saved as much as we can.”
“What have you seen?” Dante murmured.
“It’s cloudy,” Asylum replied, that faraway look in his eyes. “Really fucking cloudy. I only know that he will suffer greatly, but it will change his life in a way he never thought possible. Not all is lost. Not yet, anyway.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. All I cared about was getting E out of here.
“Dante,” I said softly.
Dante stared back at me.
“Rosalie. Please. She’s your sister—”
“And I will love her as such,” he answered in a low voice. “She will never want for anything. I will take care of her.”
“Don’t hurt her,” I choked out. “Whatever your brand of care is, she deserves to be free. Please. Give her that freedom.”
A muscle thrummed along his jaw as he gazed back at me.
“Give me your word that she will always be safe and free. That she will be happy. She needs to leave with Anson,” I rasped. “It is my dying wish. I’m begging you.”
He said nothing as he looked back at me. Finally, he stood and kicked his chair back before pulling his knife from his boot. I watched as he cut his hand before he leaned in, his lips at my ear.
“Deal,” he whispered, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. “Now let’s make your death come true. You know the drill. Scream for me. Make me believe it.”
A scream ripped from my throat as he drove his blade along my chest, my blood dribbling out. He pressed his bloody palm to the mess as Asylum twirled his fork.
“I love believability,” Asylum said as Dante pulled away.
I stared fearfully at him. My cousin. My family.
“This will only hurt for a moment. I really do love your eyes.”
I was sure all of Chicago heard my screams as he pushed his fork against my eye.