Chapter 8 Serpeant at the Gate
The back door of the Limo opens and a tall man steps out, wearing a black suit and dark shades.As my eyes meet his evil gaze I suck in a deep breath and freeze for a moment.
Managgai.
Why him?
Why now?
Alex stiffens and slides me down his length slowly.
“Thomas Sirrano,” Alex mutters in distaste.
My stomach twists as I remember how he tortured me in the cellar a few nights ago the way he and the other guards laughed at my pain.
My old boss.
The Devil.
In the flesh. He smirks, opening his hands wide.
“Why are you leaving the party so soon, hmm, Alex Ferrini?” Thomas mocks, his smirk growing wider.
He looks at me.
“I see you have met Little Red, my maid that escaped. Did you think you could run forever?”
My cheeks grow hot with anger.
“I am not your maid any longer, Mr. Thomas.” My voice shakes.
Thomas tilts his head, acting surprised.
“You still have spunk, even after stealing and running?” He steps toward me and I take a step back, fear racing through my heart.
Alex moves forward.
“If you lay a finger on her, Thomas, I will kill you.”
Thomas laughs.
“Very bold statement, Ferrini. But tell me, do you know why she was fired and tortured?”
Before I can defend myself, I see black SUVs with tinted windows driving into the warehouse. Soldiers come out holding rifles. In an instant, we are surrounded by them.
Alex’s men come out of the back of the warehouse, shielding us. The smell of the raging fire still hangs in the air.
Alex, without taking his eyes off Thomas, asks his men:
“Are they all dead? Is the fire burning?”
“Yes, Signore Ferrini. We killed them all. The fire is burning.”
Thomas mutters darkly, “Bastardi. I told them to watch their backs!”
Alex taunts, “Stupidzo. Your attack was weak and had a lot of loopholes.”
“Msk, msk,” Thomas waves his hand aside.
“They are collateral damage.”
I shiver.
“Oh Dios… these men have truly lost their humanity.”
Thomas then points his finger at me.
“So, Alex, are you ready to start a war between our families to protect a little thief? Is a maid worth all this blood and carnage?”
“She is a La Margarita Bella. I protect what is mine,” Alex snaps.
Besides,” Alex adds, “she has La Rosa.”
Thomas growls, waving his tight fist at Alex.
“You will die first before I let you or her get your hands on it!”
He faces me, eyes filled with scorn.
“Little Red, I know you have hid La Rosa somewhere in Santa Monica, and I will make sure I scour the earth until I find it.”
Alex smirks. “We shall see who finds it first.”
My heart sinks a bit with the realization that he only sees me as a means to an end just to get his hands on La Rosa.
Thomas’s smile fades.
“Although I can’t blame you, Ferrini. She is her mother’s daughter, after all. More powerful men have fallen too.”
I am shocked to my core by his comments.
“What does that mean?” I mutter.
Thomas sniffs the air and mutters, his eyes glazed over with greed.
“I can smell it in you. Your powers are waking up. Witch blood is very appealing… just like her mother.”
I gasp, my stomach twisting in knots. Alex is as stiff as a stone by my side.
“Witch blood? I am a witch?”
“That is enough, Thomas. You are not making sense,” Alex growls.
Thomas steps closer, lowering his voice so only we can hear.
“She hasn’t told you about her lineage? Her mother? How she died?”
I gasp, my heart squeezing with pain as I have a brief flashback of my mum on her deathbed, dying from a mysterious disease that had no cure.
“Dios… could it be?” I shrug off my doubts and whisper to him,
“Alex, I don’t know what he is talking about. He is lying.”
Thomas laughs.
“I have no reason to lie to you Little Red. Ask Gio! He showed you the way out, didn’t he? He knew things about your mother!”
“Basta!” Alex shouts. His men move closer around us, ready to strike.
“Vankhlu!” Thomas mutters, spitting on the ground in front of us.
Thomas’s soldiers form a line of defence and raise their guns as well.
For a few minutes everyone is quiet, waiting with bated breath for the call. Just one nod from either one of them and another war will start.
Then Thomas chuckles. He signals his men to lower their weapons, his eyes never leaving mine.
“You are lucky this time, Little Red. Next time we meet, you will not escape.”
“Adios for now.” He turns around and steps into the car.
I shiver and watch as they retreat into their vehicles one by one and drive out of the warehouse.
I stand on my own, moving from Alex’s chest, my body shaking, and mind racing.
“Alex, I need to find Gio!” I tell him urgently. “I need to find out if what Thomas said is true. Witch blood? My mother whispered…”
He glances at me briefly then turns his gaze back to the empty road.
“I will get my best man on it, cara mia. I don’t know if he is still alive…” He shrugs. “Since he helped you out there’s a possibility that they killed him.” He answers in a cold impassionate way.
His words leave me feeling cold, as if he poured ice-cold water on me. I shudder, praying to Dios that they did not kill an innocent man because of me.
“How many innocent people have to die, Alex?” I ask, feeling hysteria rising up in my chest.
It’s almost as if I hadn’t said a word. His cold eyes focused on the road until their tail lights disappear.
“Alex? Do you think he was speaking the truth?” I whisper, uncertainty coating my words.
He ignores me again, just taking deep, calm breaths… and I come to the chilling realisation that he didn’t seem surprised by Thomas Sirrano’s allegations which means he knows something.
About me.
About my mom.
His continued silence is an admission of truth. All of a sudden he is equally as dangerous as Thomas Sirrano if not more.