Chapter 35

Anthony POV

I sat next to Megan with my hands cuffed to hers and hers cuffed to the bedpost, there was no escaping, and I knew it, but I was glad she was just an amateur trying to walk in the footsteps of her father, she had no idea, what that fake stone consisted.

I watched Stevie carefully as she paced back and forth in the room, with her hands behind her, "Why did you kill her...why did you kill Higgins?" I questioned her trying to buy us enough time.

"Well, that day at the grocery store..."

"I told you it was her! I told you," Megan shouted in a whisper to my face.

"That day I sort of trail you guys because at first I just wanted money and an easy life, but unfortunately your girl Higgins was too friendly with strangers, we met in a bar back in Paris and I realize she was an opportunity, so I killed her and threatened you using her phone, and came to Florida in a disguise looking like her, and have Brad smuggle the body back here in Florida you know but of course, he did a pretty bad job because the cops found her corpse and I had to move on to plan C, we collected the three million and split it between the three of us,” she smirked.

"Then why… Stevie, you got the money and Anthony can give you more, but please just let us go", Megan plead.

Stevie chuckled, "You know I came to press conference under my Stacey Jones disguise, and I felt disrespect and humiliated, and I only wanted to kill Rhone and for rich of his wealth, but here comes the little needy Megan, I warned you, the text messages from Higgins phone was to kind of scared you away, but hey you decided to stay...so die with him then."

"You guys will never get away with it,” I cursed.

She pulls a handgun from under her sweater and places it in the middle of my forehead, I gulped hard at the nervousness I felt in my body, it flashed through me like lightning.

"You should be thanking me, I deleted that email Higgins had preset to send to the cops, and— That's where you are wrong, I got it planned out it’s a reason why I’ve reached this far, so we will get away with it, speaking of we, I am sure that safety isn't hard to find, so why isn't Brad and Natz back down yet? "

She removed the gun from my face and pulled the hammer backward and headed towards the door.

"Can you like, umm... behave and not try to escape or anything, I want to kill you later, now isn’t fun,” and she left the room.

"A mafia huh?", Megan asked lowly.

"Yes, and I promise we will talk about this later but right now we need to get out of here ok baby, I have so much to tell you, but we can't do this now."

I was tugging my hand trying to break the chain from the cuffs, but it was useless, I was the fake sex toy cuff, but a real stainless-steel kind.

"Doesn't make sense Anthony, save your strength, I've tried”, I could hear the sad news in her voice.

"I can't believe none of this bullshit right now, I feel so betrayed by you and then there is Natz and Brad, don't you guys know what loyalty means?! we are going to die because of things your fucking forefathers did, and I have to pay for sins I never knew I was apart of, I swear to god! This wedding is off is we survive this; we are so fucking done."

I was taken aback by her words, but I know she was only upset.

"Baby, breathe, and come down, come on follow me, breathe in through your nose and out through her mouth, slowly."

I watched her as she closed her eyes and follow my instructions.

"Baby listens I know something they don't, Jace will be here soon...I hope, so we have continued buying time, again I am truly sorry about—"

Our conversation was interrupted by two gunshots. I saw fear in Meg's eyes, and I knew I was running out of time.

The door swung open with a very angry Stevie with a duffle bag across her shoulders.

"Can you believe it, I sent those two upstairs for the cash, and Brad had his dick deep in Natz pussy, so I did the next best thing, I killed them, I don't like to be crossed or betrayed, now where we?" She pointed the gun at me, and I closed my eyes, anxiousness crept over me and I just waited to die.

"Put the gun down slowly Stevie" I heard Jace's voice behind her, oh thank god!

Stevie rolled her eyes and slowly lowered the gun, "No worries boss, the rest of the guys are on their way," he boastfully said.

Did he come alone?

"Fuck,” I heard Jace cried out in pain, I could see where he was laying on the ground, with a man behind him, I couldn't see his face clearly, but he had a visible scorpion tattoo on his neck.

Stevie smiled and pointed, her gun at me once more, "As I said, Rhone, I always have a plan and that was plan D".

Before I could say anything, the sound of a gunshot pierced my ears and, my chest had a burning sensation that got more and more painful, I look down on my chest, noticing the bright red liquid staining my shirt rapidly, everything around me slowed down the crying and yelling of Megan, to the unknown man pulling on Stevie's indicating that they should leave while they could, I heard the getaway car speeding away and soon after I heard several cars pulling up, I heard the voice of my boys, rushing by the bedside, cutting the cuffs from our hands, my eyes were still close, and felt my body being carried and placed in the back of a car, my head placed in familiar arms with a familiar voice.

"Stay with Anthony you fucking stay with me baby," I hear her heavy sobs.

And just like that night, the one that we met, she still had lipstick on her teeth, My Megan… Megan Francis Rhone. I closed my eyes, and my body was becoming cold, and the light was becoming dimmer and I was surrounded by darkness.

I felt my life slowly slipping away, my soul leaving my body, I barely opened my eyes, and I smiled internally, she is the same beautiful woman I met a year ago, a mini bar, who hopelessly flirted with me, my Megan, my sweet wife.

“I love—” I tried to spoke, but I couldn’t.

My eyes became weak, I was feeling the urge to just close my eyes and sleep, but I’ve watched this scene in too many movies to not know what was happening, I am not going make it. Gasping for breath, my eyes lids closely slowly. I felt my soul being snatched from my body.

“No!” Megan cried out, her screams were getting distant, and I could hardly make out what she was saying, “Stay away Anthony— Please, I love…”

Epilogue

It's been three years since the death of my husband, Anthony Rhone. I found out that married me without my knowledge, to enjoy that I was ok, and probably if he were alive today I— I would have... Kissed him more, hug him longer, what if he did live? Why did he have to die? I miss him, I miss him every single day, it's been so long but to me, it's like yesterday, the wound was still fresh, no matter how many times I peel the band-aid back just to check because I will never accept it, my husband lives forever, I carried him around in my heart.

Jace on the other survived, lucky bastard, I thought, he did get away without a serious injury but at least he is alive, I can tell every day that he is grateful.

I sat in my backyard while lily and her grandparents played, yes grandparents. After Anthony's funeral I discovered, I was pregnant. And even though everyone looked at me with scorn for keeping the baby, I'm glad I did.

She was beautiful, she had her dad's chocolate eyes and her luminous smile, even the way she falls asleep in my arms, remind me of him. I named her from the species of flowers Anthony always bought me, no matter how upset I was he always cheers me up with a bouquet of lilies, hence my daughter's name, my beautiful Lily Rhone.

I didn't sell the house, and even though it drove me crazy with so many memories and deaths, I was learning to cope, I'll ever forget that day when he died in my arms on the way to the hospital, and even though I should really hate them right now I didn't, but Natz and Brad got a gruesome death, and their families didn't take it so well.

Over the years the police have tried to track down Stevie, but it's like she disappeared into thin air again.

Rising from the chair, I stood proudly watching the remains of my family, a family that Stevie ripped the most important chunk out of, feeling his presence behind me, I looked over my shoulders.

"What is it, Jace?"

"Boss, it’s Callan from the France, base, he is on the phone, says he needs to speak to you, it's urgent."

Without another word, I went inside to fetch the phone from the counter, and Jace limped after me.

Ever since the incident, he suffered a minor stroke due to shock, and it made him walk a little funny, with a visible limp.

"What is it, Callan? This better be good."

"We found his boss, the man with the scorpion tattoo."

Hearing those words sent anger through my veins, and without another word, I ended called, slamming the phone onto the counter.

"Jace, get packing, we are going to France." He nodded and strolled off.

I am going to find Stevie, and get revenge for my husband's death, I will hunt her to the end of the world if I have to, she has it coming and I am not stopping, there is a new mafia in town— bitch.