Huracio
The last few hours were hectic. Not only did Helena slip into my office, but someone set fire to Salvatore’s club after tearing it apart. Four people died, and several files went missing. Everything happened at the same time, effectively preventing either side from calling for backup. How did she pull it off? Who is helping her?
“We have underestimated your girlfriend,” Salvatore grumbled. “I think it’s time we bring your wife in.”
My heart trembled. “Bring her in for what?” I casually asked, trying not to sound worried or antagonistic.
“For questioning.”
“She doesn’t know anything.”
“She met Helena and didn’t tell you anything. How can you be sure of what she knows when we can’t even trust her?”
His tone made me wince. It was filled with contempt and mockery. I have always taken pride in being a ruthless slave master, but Its been four months since I took Katalina in, but I am yet to bring a 19 years old to her knees. She even dared to hide things from me. This is disgraceful. A stain on my integrity.
I should be pissed, but I am not. I am more disappointed than angry .
“You were the one who suggested that we should use her as a bait.” I reminded him, rolling my eyes. “If we bring her in now, that might not work again.”
Last week when Katalina failed to report her mother’s appearance to me, I was livid. I was ready to lock her up and teach her a ruthless lesson, but Salvatore disagreed. He preferred that we let her do whatever she wanted. So, all I did was plant a tail on her. I bugged her phone, and changed some buttons on her favorite sweaters.
We were ready to nab Helena on her next visit. Nobody expected her to break into my office and set fire to Salvatore’s club. Now Salvatore is angry and ready to throw hands.
I don’t want to bring Katalina into this. I might have married her to lure Helena back, but right now, things have changed. Since we talked about having kids, I can’t stop thinking of her looking blotted with my baby in her tummy. I can’t wait to see her waddling around the house, asking me to help her do this and that. She is going to be the mother of my kids. I am working hard to get her pregnant right now. So I need to find a way to keep Salvatore away from her.
At all cost.
Just then, my phone beeped. It was a text from Katalina’s tail.
“Helena is back!” I mumbled, no longer feeling the excitement that should come with spotting her. Her presence puts my wife in danger.
Salvatore’s eyes darkened. “Have her detained.” He ordered, then started pressing his phone.
Giving it a pointed look, I suppressed the urge to snatch it out of his hand.
“That’s a bad idea, Salvatore. That wasn’t the plan.” I reminded him in a casual tone, but a tempest was rising within me.
“Plans changed.”
He strolled out of the office and I followed him.
“That’s a public school. Our actions will get too much attention. We don’t want that, right?”
He halted and I almost ran into his frame.
“What are you doing?” He glared at me suspiciously.
Son a bitch is too perspective for my liking.
“What do you mean?” I furrowed my brows, looking as befuddled as I could manage. Bluffing Salvatore has never been easy. It’s a skill I fine tuned for years.
He squinted his eyes, scoffed, turned around, and kept walking.
“We will set up a perimeter four kilometers from the school.”
My heart relaxed. As long as Katalina doesn’t get caught in the crossfire, I am good.
“I will go and wait for her at home.” I said as we got to the car park.
“You are not going with me?” Salvatore paused and asked in surprise.
“No.” I shook my head and headed for my car. Just as I was about to enter my car, Salvatore’s deep voice stopped me. What he said made my blood run cold.
“Your bother must be rolling in his grave, Huracio.”
I spun around and watched him with dark eyes as he got in his car. Until he was gone, I didn’t move.
That son of a bitch saw right through me. No matter how I tried, I never win with him. I am always one step behind. But he was right. I am rolling in bed with the enemy, and I don’t want to stop. I am not sure I can stop.
“Dante, I …”
Closing my eyes, I buried my hurt, got in the car, and headed home.
I was parking the car, when Stone arrived with Katalina. To my disappointment, Emilia was with her. Her presence essentially ruined my plans for the night.
“Mr. Ignatius.” Emilia grumbled.
I nodded, not sparing her a second glance. Her disdain of my person was written clearly on her face. I couldn’t help but wonder why she bothered with the greeting when it was clear that she would rather not have anything to do with me.
“Huracio, Emilia agreed to spend the weekend with us.” Katalina chirped.
She looked pale and worried. She probably expected me to be upset due to her best friend’s unannounced visitation. But that was the least of my problems. Salvatore’s words had dug up a pain and guilt that I had buried and ignored. Now that it resurfaced, I was having a hard time looking at Katalina.
Though she is a 3D copy of her mother, her had her father’s eyes. Each time I stare into those eyes, I always melt from the inside, unable to hold my anger. My need for revenge has never been able to help me resist her. Her father killed my brother, Dante, and there are reasons to believe that my parents died to his schemes too. Staring into her eyes is like looking the enemy in the face. Yet, I…
“No way!” I gasped aloud.
“Huracio?” Katalina walked over to me, looking worried.
This can’t be happening. I can’t let it happen! I have to stop!
Before she could get close, I backed away from her with wild eyes. My head was swelling, and my heart was thudding. I could feel sweat surging out of my scalp. A chill rose from the center of my chest and started spreading out.
Realizing I was going into a panic attack, I almost found it funny.
I turned around and hurried into the house. There was no way I was allowing them to see me in that state.
“Huracio?” Katalina’s trembling voice reached my ears. I could hear her feet as she ran after me.
“Don’t!” I stopped in front of the front door and yelled at her. “Stay with your friend tonight. Rosa will bring you whatever you need.” I yelled over my shoulders, opened the door and ran into the house. I then locked the door and raced up stairs.
I didn’t stop until I got to my study. Getting there, I lowered myself to the ground and laid on my side. I opened my mouth and started taking deep breaths, getting in as much air as I could.
Panic attacks.
It’s been forever since I had one.
It started after our parents died. I was scared of everything and my anxiety was sky high. The attacks came out of nowhere and became a constant in my life until I clocked seventeen. That was when I held my first gun. It gave me immense confidence and chased the darkness away. Even when Dante died, I didn’t panic. I just had this intense rage that craved blood. Salvatore took me on a rampage through Italy, tearing down everyone who stood in our way. I killed until there was no one left.
We thought we got them all, but just as we were settling into a normal life, we uncovered irrefutable evidence that Massimo De Luca, the man who killed my brother was able to slip through the net. Further investigations didn’t just prove his involvement, it also revealed that he was connected to my parents’ death.
For the past ten years, Salvatore, my brother’s best friend, had followed me around, chasing after every trail Massimo left behind. We lost track of him but were able to trace his wife, Helena De Luca, to America. It took us seven months to identify her, and another four months for me to get close. I dated her for three years, waiting for Massimo to show up, but he never did.
Until my wedding day, Salvatore and I didn’t realize that we were long made. Helena knew who we were. She led me on, asked me to marry her and then fled. I had only married Katalina out of desperation. I have no idea why she left her daughter behind, and was going to use her to lure Helena back.
Katalina was supposed to be my hostage. How did she capture my heart? How can I fall for the daughter of the enemy? What am I going to do? What should I do?
I can’t be in love with her.
m