MAVERICK
I started to hyperventilate the longer I stayed alone, and tears kept rolling down my cheeks.
I was terrified that Lake and everyone outside might be hurt. I gave a jolt as I heard someone must have twisted the doorknob from the outside.
My hands were sweaty as I held the gun up. Until I finally heard five knocks. I released a shuddering breath as I got up and stuffed the gun in the band of jeans. Then I fumbled to unlock the door.
The door swung open. The first person I saw was Lake, smiling at me. I lunged straight to him, jumped into his arms, and squeezed him tight. “I was so worried.”
“I’m fine, baby. Thanks for listening to me.” He hugged me tight and kissed my temple. “Sorry for leaving you alone.”
As I pulled apart, he looked at me, eyes filled with pain. “You’ve been crying.”
“I thought I would be left here alone.” I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I was worried you’d get hurt.”
He beamed at me, cupped my head, and kissed me hard, and that was what exactly I wanted- to prove to myself he was here, standing right before me and kissing me.
I gasped for air as we pulled apart, and I almost lost my balance and fell on my ass if he wasn’t fast enough to catch me.
“Gotcha.”
“We’re not needed here,” Owen said humorously.
“Wait, guys.” I looked at Owen and Homer, and they looked fine. “Thanks for watching his ass.”
They both smiled. “Our pleasure, Mrs. Winston.”
Once the guys left, he kissed me on my temple again as he pulled me close, and I instantly felt the heaviness in his chest.
“Is everyone okay?”
“Yeah. Linden and the team are on their way with your sister.”
“Really?” I grinned from ear to ear. “She’s okay?”
“Yeah. Your father is informed.”
“Oh, thank God.” I breathed deeply. “Let’s go.”
We reached the living room, and I immediately stopped in horror as I smelled blood and watched bullet holes on the wall, broken glasses, ceramics, and paintings. “Oh, my God.”
When I looked down, there was still a blood splatter on the floor, but the guys had already begun cleaning.
“Someone-” I couldn’t even say it.
“Yeah. The intruders. I wish you did not have to see this.”
My stomach suddenly twisted as I held the hand he offered. We went to the study, and I saw my father with Moses and their men.
“Are you okay?” my father asked, eyes seemingly compassionate.
“I must have looked terrible.”
“You look like you’ve been crying,” he said carefully.
“I was scared everyone would get hurt while I was alone there waiting for this atrocity to be over, but I’m fine now that they have Celestina.” I looked at everyone. “No one gets hurt?”
“Yeah.”
“Except for Giosue’s men.”
I still felt terrible that people were dying because of one person’s mistake and treachery. I slightly nodded.
All of a sudden, there was a commotion, and the door swung open wide. I turned around to see Terzo carrying my sister.
“Oh, my God. Is she okay?” I ran straight to them.
“She will be.”
“I told him I can walk,” Celestina said. “Put me down, Terzo.”
Terzo put her down on the chair.
“Oh, God.” I sucked in a breath to see her face filled with bruises. I didn’t know how I got to her and pulled her into a hug.
“I’m fine.” She groaned. “Thank you.”
I must have hurt her. I pulled away quickly and inspected her. “We should take you to the hospital.”
“No. I don’t think I have broken bones.”
“When did this happen?”
“He interrogated me and asked me what did I tell you. He must have suspected something after you left.”
I wiped my tears. “I know. I was a terrible liar. I couldn’t stay there and burst into crying, so I made up something. I’m so sorry. He hit you because of me. You don’t deserve this.”
“No, honey.” She unbuttoned her shirt.
Everyone’s gasp was so audible I could hear it echoing in my head.
I sobbed before her as I hugged her knees. I guess I was still lucky that I had a good husband, even if we had nothing in common and even if he paid me to be his wife.
“How could he?” There were bruises all over her chest and probably more all over her body. If I were her, I would have been in a coma. How did she tolerate that pain was a miracle?
“That motherfucker!” I jumped at Terzo’s voice, booming inside the study. He said something in Italian before the door slammed next, vibrating in all corners.
The room went utterly silent, but my sobs.
“Shit.” I thought it was Linden.
I turned to find his voice, and he just went to the door. “Gabe, what is it?”
“They took Giosue with them,” said Celestina. “Terzo is gonna torture him in inhumanely possible.”
I swallowed hard as I found it hard to digest. “You should take a rest.”
“I’m fine. I’ll rest later.”
“I can find you some painkillers.”
“I’ll go find a medicine cabinet,” Lake volunteered.
“So you’re Lake, the husband?” asked Celestina.
“Yeah, the husband. I wish we’d met not in a circumstance like this.”
She smiled. “Don’t ever raise a hand at her, or I will kill you.”
I held my laugh as I sat next to her.
“Your brother broke my nose. I guess I should take your threat seriously,” Lake said, smiling.
“Good.”
“I should go look for a first aid kit.” Lake left, leaving me with Moses, Gaetano, and Celestina. The rest left the room, including Striker.
“Forgive me, Celestina. I should have trusted my intuition.”
“It’s not your fault, Papa. Besides, you couldn’t stop me. I really loved him and thought he loved me too, but he’d been fooling me all these years, manipulating me into believing that you didn’t care about this family. Now I realize why he hates Terzo so much.”
“Because he couldn’t manipulate him. Terzo has a good judge of character,” said Moses. “And he’s very observant.”
“Do you believe me if I tell you he wanted me to punish my son, Moses? Because Terzo minded the business, he said my son was disrespectful of my position.”
“After what he did to London, I have no doubts he’s capable of something more evil,” Moses said.
“He’s a deceit. He does that,” Celestina agreed. “He gaslighted everyone, but his father is dead.”
I looked away so they would not see the horror in my eyes.
“Who killed Ugo?” Gaetano asked.
“Terzo. In front of Giosue. Terzo gave Giosue a chance to admit his betrayal in front of his father or he would kill Ugo, but he laughed at him. He said you’re pathetic and weak.”
“He had it coming. His family is doomed anyway,” my father said without remorse.
“Terzo will not make it easy for Giosue. I don’t want to lose my brother’s soul and what’s left of his humanity. He would take his revenge very slowly and feed his rage.” She stood up and walked to the door.
“Where are you going?” I asked as I followed her outside.
“Where did they take Giosue?” she asked the guard.
“At the basement, signora.”
“I think I know here it is,” I told her.
We went down to the basement. Two guards were at the door. With one sweep of her hand, one guard stepped aside, and the other opened the door for us.
I cringed as I heard grunting and punches.
“You don’t have to be here.”
“I have to be here with you before you collapse. Are you sure you’re fine?”
“It hurts. Every cell in my body hurts, but what hurts the most is not physical. He broke me inside out, Maverick. I don’t think I will ever be the same.” She smiled sadly at me, and it broke my heart.
“You won’t be the same, but you will be better and stronger. Trust me.” I blinked back the tears.
She banged on the door. “Terzo, open the door.”
“You shouldn’t be here, Celeste,” he said, something in Italian.
“I am where I should be. Now open this damn door.”
Terzo unlocked the door, his face and shirt splattered with blood and his knuckles, and what scared me the most was the look in his eyes-they were empty.
This was not the Terzo I met months ago-the funny, protective, and smug face was gone -all gone. The Terzo before me was on the verge of revenge.
“Stop this!” Celestina scolded her brother.
I almost gagged to see a nearly naked man tied up in the wrists, hanging in the middle, seemingly not moving or maybe already dead. Or he just lost consciousness.
“This is not even close to what he did to you.” He spat out.
“I know, but I don’t want to lose my brother in the end, Terzo.”
What shocked me the most was what Celestina did next. She just pulled the gun from Terzo’s back and shot Giosue in the head.