Alone With The Aftermath

Alone With The Aftermath
Damien’s POV

The air went dead silent after Isabella’s scream. Mark was sprawled on the concrete like a crumpled rag, blood pooled under his head, face swollen beyond recognition. He wasn’t moving. Not even a twitch.

Isabella’s hands flew to her mouth again, but this time tears spilled over instantly. 

She stumbled forward, eyes locked on me like I was already in handcuffs. “Damien… oh God, I should’ve stopped you. Ellie told me to hold you back and I didn’t…I just froze. Now look what happened!” 

Her voice cracked, climbing higher with every word. “Are you going to jail? Are they gonna take you away? Am I never gonna see you again?” She was full-on sobbing now, shoulders shaking, reaching for me like I might vanish right there.

I wanted to pull her into my arms, tell her it was okay, but the sight of Mark’s motionless body kept my feet glued to the ground.

That’s when Agnes and Jace finally pushed through the small crowd.

Agnes took one sweeping look…Mark on the ground, blood everywhere, all of us standing around like we’d just committed murder…and clapped her hands once, sharp.

“Okay,” she said, calm as if she was organizing brunch. “We all agree we’re getting rid of the body, right?”

Jace skidded to a stop beside her. “Babe?!”

“Agnes!” Isabella whipped around, horrified, shooting her the most unbelievable look.

Agnes just shrugged, completely unfazed. “What? If the bastard’s dead, we bury him out back behind the estate. Plant some rare, extinct flowers over the grave…nice touch, right? Destroy all evidence, and tow his car. No one ever knows. Who’s with me?” She raised her hand high, eyebrow arched like this was a vote on pizza toppings.

Jaxon didn’t even hesitate…his hand shot up immediately. Andre and Matteo followed with a grunt and raised fists. Then, to my complete shock, Ellie lifted hers too, jaw set. Everyone else, down to the two security guys at the gate, raised their hands.

Well, except Isabella and I.

Agnes blinked rapidly at Jace. “Baby, why are your hands down when mine are up?”

Jace muttered something under his breath…sounded a lot like “Lord give me strength” and threw both hands in the air.

“That’s it!” Agnes declared, already in full general mode. “Let’s load him up. Carry him inside first and dispose of his body, then the car. We’ll handle destroying the car tonight…Matteo, you and Andre make sure nobody gets caught on camera. Routes, timing, the works.”

Isabella tried to cut in, voice soft and trembling. “Guys…” aBut, Agnes kept barking orders like a drill sergeant.

“Guys!” Isabella screamed, loud enough to make us all flinch. “He’s dead! Like really dead! This is no joke!”

Agnes rolled her eyes so hard I thought they’d get stuck. “Come on, Bella. Don’t tell me you’re the only one who didn’t notice him squinting to play dead. Poor guy thinks he can win Ellie back with this cheap dramatic stunt.”

She marched straight over to Mark’s battered body, reared back, and jabbed him hard in the ribs with her feet. “Wake the hell up you woman beater!”

Nothing. Not even a twitch.

I kissed my teeth, playing along because I finally caught on to Agnes’s game. “Matteo,” I said, calm and cold. “Go get petrol and a lighter. We’re burning the body since he’s dead.”

The second the word “burning” left my mouth, Mark shot upright like someone jammed a live wire up his ass, wincing and clutching his side with a pained groan.

Agnes immediately kicked him back down before he could even look around. “Don’t get up yet. Stay dead”

She spun to me, hands on hips. “Burying him and planting extinct flowers is way better than your burning idea, Damien. What if the rotten burning smell drifts to the police station and they launch an investigation? Amateur hour.”

I smirked, fully on board now. Ellie jumped in with her own suggestion…something about weighting him down and dumping him in the deepest part of the lake. Jaxon offered to drive the tow truck. Andre started talking about acid barrels.

And that’s when I caught it out of the corner of my eye…Mark, on his belly, crawling inch by inch toward his car like a beaten dog.

We all turned at the same moment, shouting over each other. “Hey!” “Get back here!” “You’re not done playing dead yet!” “Till death do us part, right?”

But Mark was already scrambling into the driver’s seat, slamming the door, engine roaring to life. The car peeled out, tires screeching, fishtailing down the road without a single look back.

Gone. And hopefully, that will be the last time we see him.

Agnes dusted her hands together, grinning wide. “And that, my friends, is how you get rid of a rotten abusive ex.”

We all burst out laughing.

Not the polite kind. Not the “ha-ha, that’s funny” kind.

The ugly kind. The kind that steals your breath and folds you in half.

Jaxon bent over, clutching his stomach like he’d been shot. Ellie had tears streaming down her face, mascara probably staging a quiet protest. 

The sound bounced off the iron gates and echoed through the driveway like we’d completely lost our collective sanity.

Which… maybe we had.

We all laughed.

Except one.

Isabella stood there with her arms crossed so tightly I was surprised they hadn’t fused together. Her cheeks were still damp, eyes red, lips pressed into that thin, dangerous line.

She stared at us like we were feral animals that had escaped from a poorly managed zoo.

“Bunch of psychopaths,” she muttered. Then she turned and marched into the estate.

Not walked.

Marched.

The gates shut behind her with a dramatic clang that felt entirely intentional.

Agnes leaned toward me, that wicked little grin spreading across her face like she’d just tossed a match into dry grass and was waiting for the flames.

“You better follow her,” she said sweetly. “Or she’s gonna sulk for weeks.”

Then she clapped her hands once and turned on her heel. “Come on, babe. Let’s go shopping. I want some gold and diamond jewelry." She giggled, the sound light and dangerous, already hooking her arm through Jace’s like he was nothing more than a very tall credit card.

Jace glanced back at me over his shoulder. The man looked like he was being marched to his financial execution.

He gave me the weakest, most apologetic half-smile I’ve ever seen. “Sorry, man,” he muttered under his breath, already being dragged away.

Ellie straightened up, clearing her throat, suddenly very interested in leaving. “Uhm…we are going now,” she said, forcing a laugh as she tugged Jaxon toward their car. “Say hi to my sister in law for me.”

“Wait…what?” I looked around at them, offended. “You’re all leaving? Didn’t we all almost get away with murder like… ten minutes ago?”

“Brotherhood ends at the gate, boss. And we won’t be coming for dinner anymore!” Jaxon called out as he opened the car door for Ellie.

“I must say…” Matteo clapped me on the shoulder. “Good luck, boss.”

He tapped Andre as if passing custody of me over.

Andre just shook his head slowly, like a disappointed father. “You’re on your own, boss. We are going for a drink.”

And just like that, traitors. Every last one of them.

Cars started up. Doors slammed. Engines faded down the long drive.

I was left standing there alone like a man on a suicide mission.

I swallowed and turned toward the house.

The place suddenly looked bigger, quieter and colder while the front doors loomed like the entrance to my execution.

Damn.

She’s really upset.

And not the cute kind of upset. Not the dramatic pout I could fix with a kiss and a bad joke.

This was the deep, simmering, “I trusted you” kind.

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly.

Okay.

Damage control.

I know how to handle this.

I know how to make her wet… I mean… smile.

I know how to make her forget why she’s mad.

I squared my shoulders and headed toward the house like a man walking into war.

Because between enemies with guns and Isabella with hurt feelings?

I wasn’t entirely sure which one scared me more.