my knife. I don’t even blink as I open this woman’s neck as if she’s nothing more than a stranger to me.
She is.
“Roni,” my father says, with a mixture of hurt and disbelief.
“Your mission was accomplished,” I say as I begin to move around the table in his direction. I stop before my father and look at him impassively. “They tortured me until I felt nothing. I was broken mentally and physically.”
“Roni, I wanted you prepared for anything that would come your way—”
I cut my hand across my throat. “Silence. You have no idea,” I bark, my chest heaving. I tilt my head as I glare at him. My voice fills with so much emotion as I think of the biggest cost of the ordeal I went through. “My daughter…my daughter almost didn’t make it. My insides were so broken from the torture, I wasn’t able to hold her full term. Do you understand what I just said? Years later I’m still suffering from what happened to me. You did this to me.”
“I’m sorry, princesa.”
“Don’t call me that. You never treated me like a princess. You don’t know what that word means. I’ve only ever been a possession that you’ve held this warped sense of protection over. For what? Money? Power?”
“It was the right thing to do. Look at you now. You are stronger than me.”
“You’re motherfucking right. I don’t trade lives for power or comfort. I don’t sell my own for a means to an end,” I challenge.
“Roni—”
I move swiftly to slam him down on the table. In the next breath, I cut his ring finger right off. His screams fill the room. “I hope I’ve finally met your expectation, Papi. See you in hell.” I pull my gun and blow his brains out.
Irina jumps in her seat, reminding me she’s in the room. I lift my gun to put a bullet in her forehead. “Net, this one is mine. My blade will be the one that starts the war.”
I turn to find Misha standing there with a sinter grin on his lips. He’s looking at Irina like she’s the prey he’s been waiting to catch all his life. He continues to speak as he unbuttons his suit jacket to reveal a vest of blades.
“We good?”
“Da, but you should be one to take gift box to LaSalle in Ireland face to face. I told him you would make the right choice. He thought you would bring him finger of your aunt and allow father to breathe. I warned him you are one of us.”
“Then, I pity us all.”
I say nothing else as I exit the building and head home. This chapter is closed.
Chapter 66
Happy Birthday
John
One months later…
When Roni wraps around my arm and holds on tight as we walk down the New York street, I know she’s somewhere far away. I don’t think she’s aware of the action at all. It makes my heart swell and causes me concern all at the same time.
“This trip was meant for you to have fun,” I say, hopefully pulling her from her thoughts.
She releases my arm and wraps her limbs around her middle. I take a chance and tug her into my side by the waist. She comes willingly and sinks into my side.
“I’m having fun,” she says and looks up at me.
I narrow my eyes. “Mm, hadn’t planned on spanking you tonight.”
She gives me a nudge and a small smile. “I am having fun. The food was good.”
I can’t help the smile that comment brings. I took her to our spot. Mom told me to go all out, but I did what felt like Roni. The jerk chicken placed a smile on her face.
“But your mind is everywhere but here. Mom kept the baby for the weekend so we could come here and kick back,” I remind her.
“I’m sorry. I still can’t believe she’s my family. From the first time I met her, I was drawn to her. I had my doubts when you found out we were relatives, first cousins at that. I’m still trying to process so much,” she says.
“Which is why we’re here. It’s okay to let it all go for a bit. It will all be there when we get back and you can work your way through it then.”
“Do you think she will ever forgive me?” she asks in a small voice so unlike her.
I release a heavy breath. “I think Indigo has nowhere to place her anger and because of that she’s turning it on