Chapter 165

I wouldn't be able to understand them, no matter how much I wanted to. There were small battles inside each of them, and no one would have enough strength to fight them.

"Our identities are a secret because, at some point in the future, we will want to move on. Build families, get a job, live a normal life. It will be impossible if they find out who we are. There will be no hope for us," Jaxon inhaled slowly. "In fact, it's very likely that we will be killed. That's why anyone who sees us, we have to silence them. And yes, it’s with a bullet to the head, and nothing more than a dead body to count."

Shivers crept under my skin.

"You'll never have a normal life after all this," I stated, and he curled his mouth into a sad smile.

"That's why some of us plan not to live after it's all over."

A strange and frightened reaction stirred in my chest.

"I..."

For some reason, my mind coerced me to look back, startling me.

I jumped back slightly, narrowing my gaze.

Dante was sitting, staring at us with a not-so-friendly expression. His arms were crossed over his torso, muscles tensed. His furrowed mouth and serious gaze added to a kind of beauty I didn't want to be thinking about. However, it was hard to ignore, as he made sure not to take his focus off me.

"Man, how long have you been there?" Fish asked when he noticed my surprise.

The response took a while, but it came.

"Since the moment you touched her."

The atmosphere that had formed didn’t help my breathing.

Jaxon raised his arms with a mischievous curve of his lips and walked toward the stove.

"Sorry."

I crossed both arms several times, trying to understand what was being said between the lines, until Dante decided to stand up.

"Drink from the tap."

"Huh?"

"The water. Drink from the tap." My forehead furrowed.

"Jaxon said..."

"I'm going back on that. Don't make me give you water in other ways." He approached and took the bottle from my hand. "Jaxon didn’t say anything to you, nor did he give you anything."

I looked around for Fish, but he was whistling and fiddling with his food, pretending not to hear anything.

"I’m not thirsty anymore," I admitted, annoyed, ready to step out of there.

However, his hand grabbed my wrist and forced me to face him, resisting.

"Have you decided?"

"It’s not like I have a choice. Either I die, or I kill you. You know what my answer is."

Dante studied my face for milliseconds that felt eternal until he released my hand. His touch was warm, so the impact of his skin separating from mine had more effect than I expected.

"I want to hear it with all the words," he demanded casually.

"It’s not dying, for sure," I replied sarcastically.

"Emília."

I stiffened, biting my lip, before saying what needed to be said.

"I choose your death."

"Smart choice."

I wasn't sure if it was my twisted mind, but I saw his lips curl into a mischievous smile. I noticed his hand slipping into his pocket, but not for long, as it appeared with a phone.

"Here."

Faulkner extended it toward me.

I raised an eyebrow.

"It’s not my phone."

"You wanted a new one, didn’t you? Don’t complain. Accept it." His brutality made me snatch the object from his hands. "Jaxon managed to retrieve contacts and photos. It’s all there. Your clothes are in a room. Your pet pig too. The only places I want you to use in this house are the kitchen, the living room, your room, and the bathroom. I don’t want you anywhere else, especially snooping around. You only leave here for college and come back. I want your schedule and..."

"Hold on!" I cut him off, blinking hard. "Why are you talking like you're going to take care of me?"

"You’re going to live here starting today."

"Since when?"

"Since I decided," he growled. "Did you think I was going to let you wander around after what happened? Don’t ask for too much."

I clenched my fists, steaming through my nostrils. Of course, Dante wouldn’t let me be free.

"I’m only doing this for one reason," I explained, trying to make my decisions clear. "I don’t want more people to become what you are."

"I’ve already said it. We don’t save anyone, not even ourselves."

His apathy was evident in the lines of his expression. I hated that he didn’t have a shred of kindness to help those who had gone through the same as him.

"Hate blinds you."

"Hate moves me."

His words caused a tremor in my stomach. I froze, shaken.

He noticed, running his fingers through his hair.

"I don’t do things because I want to, but because I need to. I fight for them for my survival. Both mentally and physically. Wanting something is creating battles. Saving these people would create wars that could affect others who aren't involved. My revenge is only with me and them. It’s just a battle that started years ago and will end someday, with no consequences. Understand, Emília, that sometimes saving means spilling more blood."

"But it’s for a purpose."

"How far will that purpose be worth it?"

Dante left me without any response, making me seek help from Jaxon, but his face revealed the same truth. They believed in it, and they lived based on that theory.

I shook my head.

"You’ll never be able to judge me if one night, I end up killing you."

"I know."

There were no lies. No disguises. Dante knew he was cruel and accepted his fate.

"You can go on with your life, but remember we’re watching you, and any strategy you’re trying to come up with to get away will be in vain. Because not only will we kill you, but we will make sure your friends will never feel their hearts beat again."

My stomach was swallowed by fear, each beat of my chest spelling out the word terror.

"You’re a disgusting piece of shit."

"Keep complimenting me, and I’ll think you’re in love with me. I don’t want to see you drinking from Jaxon’s water. I hope I’ve made that clear."

He left, taking so much with him that it was hard to understand what Dante didn’t have of mine and what I could still keep from him.