Alex’s POV –
“Alex? Alex? Alejandro!”
I’m being shaken awake, voices echoing through my ears. I try to use my mouth to speak but no sound comes out. My throat burns with fresh flames, the skin damaged and desperate for hydration.
“Water, get him some water!”
I feel warm hands wrap around the base of my neck, lifting it before cold water is poured against my mouth. I barely have enough energy to part my lips and allow it to trickle down my throat. I begin to cough and splutter, my body rejecting eve-rything it’s being offered.
“Wake up Alex, you’re alive.” Caleb’s voice finally begins to make sense and I gasp, desperate for some air. The air in this room feels thick with damp, thick with the secrets and evil doing that I’ve just discovered.
Mama. . .
She was murdered by this man.
A burst of raw energy convulses through me and I sit up, prying my eyes open. I’m being held up by Caleb and when I blink to readjust my vision, I find Papa standing in front of me. He’s bent over, his face a look of concern.
“Papa?” I question, tearing my eyes off him and scanning the room. The man with the scar is lying on the floor, gasping for breath. His hands clutch at an open wound on his chest, a bullet wound. He’s been shot. His eyelids flutter closed, slow laboured breaths leaving his body but it isn’t enough. I want my revenge.
“It was him! He killed Mama!” I yell, my voice strained from almost being strangled. I back myself up, using the wall to gain enough strength and sit up. I turn to look at my father who’s face is filled with sadness, shoulders slumped. Silent tears stream down his cheeks and I know he’s thinking of her. Beside him, Caleb is frozen still, shock written across his features.
“It’s him?” He asks me and I nod, desperately trying to blink back the tears forming in my eyes. Caleb silently walks over to me, bends down and pulls me up to my feet. I swing an arm around his shoulder, my body screaming in pain. I let out a low grunt, my head held low as I try to gain enough energy. Caleb helps me shuffle towards him, my eyes narrowed as I watch the life drain from his body.
When I’m standing over him, Caleb reaches in his back pocket and hands me his gun. He doesn’t speak a single word as I take it from him, leaning against his body to stop myself from collapsing to the floor.
I aim the gun at my mothers murderer, taking in his pained face one last time. This is how I want to remember him, in ago-ny and lying at my feet.
Powerless.
Scared.
Staring death straight in the eyes.
“Look at me!” I yell at him, my finger moving over to the trigger. He continues to cough and splutter, the blood seeping it’s way through the fabric of his clothes. I can see from the shock in his eyes that he doesn’t have long left. His face turns towards my direction and I sneer at him, anger radiating from my body.
“This is for my Mama. Rot in hell, you bastard.”
I pull the trigger, aware of the fact not one single part of me feels mercy for this man. The gunshot rings through the air, bouncing off the walls over and over again. His body comes completely to a stop and after what seems like an eternity, the gun drops from my hold. My vision blurs with tears and the need for revenge that has cursed through my blood for years finally comes to a stop.
The pain of losing my mother will never leave me. I’ll always picture her as the loving, warm and kind hearted soul she was. Despite her not bring here in person, I feel her spirit watching me grow and battling my demons alongside me. I just wish I could tell her once more how much I love her.
A strangled cry escapes from my mouth, a cry filled with relief, pain and sorrow. My legs don’t hold enough energy to hold me up and despite Caleb’s best efforts, I fall to the floor.
My body shakes, tears streaming down my cheeks as images of my mother play inside my mind over and over again. An arm is wrapped around my shoulder and I glance sideways to find Papa crying alongside me. I lean into him, both of us grieving the loss of the most important woman in our lives. The pain in the room is overwhelming, our heartbroken state finally displaying itself on the surface. I’ve never seen my Papa release his emotions with such raw passion and I know that for him, it’s come to an end.
This is his entire life’s work, finding Mama’s killer. I turn towards him, reaching up to place a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s over for you now.” I tell him. His dark eyes that are the replica of mine flicker up, fresh tears glazing over them.
“It’s over for you too hijo.” He responds quietly, his breath shaking. He pulls me into his chest, his arms embracing me. For the first time in years I allow myself to be comforted by my father but the truth it, it isn’t over for me.
“It’s not over for me, not yet.” I whisper, my thoughts turning towards Ariana. I’ve accomplished finding and getting re-venge on Mama’s killer but what about Ariana?
When do I get revenge for her?
Papa pulls me back, his features twisted with concern. I breathe in sharply and glance around the room, searching for Caleb.
“Where did Caleb go? How did you know I was coming here?” I ask Papa. The last thing I remember is almost being stran-gled to death before I passed out cold. Papa stands to his feet and holds out a hand for me to take. I grip onto it firmly and he pulls me to my feet, his face looking tired and in need of rest.
“Caleb called me and told me what you were doing. This was a dangerous move Alejandro, you know better than this. You cannot trust Dimitri Petrov.” Papa says firmly. I nod my head because I know he’s right.
“I know Papa, you don’t need to grill me about it. It’s the only lead I had on Ariana but I know now that I was being set up.” I say angrily.
Speaking of Caleb. . .
“Caleb? Where are you?” I yell out, shuffling towards the door. The pain in my sides and throat flares up and I pause, hissing. The building is eerily dark as I step out of the room.
“Caleb?” I call out again, beginning to grow concerned. From behind me, Papa nudges my shoulder before handing me a gun. I take it from him and notice he has hold of Caleb’s, the one used to kill my mothers killer.
“Careful hijo.” Papa mutters from behind me. I nod in the dark, hoping he’s close enough behind me to see. I use the walls as a guide, ignoring the pain in my body and focusing on finding Caleb.
What else does this place have in store for us?
Haven’t we all already been through enough?
“Caleb?” I call out again, anticipation causing the hair on my arms to stand up. I hold my breath as I listen out for any noise and finally, I hear a response back. “Alex, quick! Over here!”
*****
Ariana’s POV –
A loud gunshot fills the air and I cry out, my eyes wide with terror. My arms automatically cradle my fragile body and I begin to rock back and forth, back and forth. I can’t decide whether my imagination is creating these sounds or whether it’s reality.
Have I finally lost all sanity?
“Somebody please help me.” I whisper, aware that even if people were around me, no-one could hear me. My voice had broken down to a hushed whisper, painful to put words together from remaining mute. Has it been weeks, months, years? I can’t tell anymore.
Minutes pass and I don’t hear anything. My eyelids begin to flutter closed, exhaustion taking over my body. I can feel my strength slipping away, minute by minute. The frustration begins to increase as I realise my body is giving up despite my mind wanting to fight. I’m simply too weak.
When I close my eyes, I see images appear inside my mind. Memories of my birth mother, memories of my adoptive par-ents and memories with Alex. All the times I’ve smiled and cried with laughter. I see the sun behind my eyelids and I whimper because I can’t remember what it feels like to have it shine down on my skin. I remember seeing the sun inside Alex’s eyes, he pulled me out of the darkness I was trapped in my entire life.
I remember singing with him, feeling my heart lighten as our voices floated together. Every tender kiss he placed on my lips felt like it was mending the broken cracks of my life.
“I love you. All of you.” I whisper, grateful to have been given the opportunity to know what it feels like to be truly cared and loved by someone. Despite everything I’ve been through, I’ll always be grateful for having people in my life who made it all okay.
Caleb and Nikki flash through my mind and I wonder whether they both made it out of the car crash alive. I can picture Caleb’s infectious smile as he cracks a corny joke that has us all cringing with embarrassment. I let out a small laugh be-cause my memory is tricking me so much, I can faintly hear his voice in the air.
“Alex, quick! Over here!”