Chapter 29

I held my drink in my hand tightly as I watched my men moving around me like a beehive.

Leo has been giving me these worried glances as if he wanted to tell me that there is some time to change my mind.

But I ignored my close friend and watched my men gather, then call the ones who were still out handling business.

This needs to be done now. I can’t wait anymore. It is as important to me as it is to Ariel.

This is my vow to her as her lover and protector. And I have been failing to keep that promise.

I downed my whisky and cleared my throat as it burned while it slid through my throat.

Leo stood up and sat beside me on the couch, but I ignored him. I already knew what he was going to do.

“Please reconsider this. At least till Theo is back. I need to be sure that there is someone who got your back. I will be busy to do that, Gabriel.”

I stood up and went to the small bar in the den and filled my glass to the brim again.

This isn’t from nervousness or cowardice. I just want this to be done now and be over with.

I can’t handle more delays or something goes astray. I want to be back and tell Ariel that I did it.

I have avenged your mother’s death and the people who did it are dead now and they will rot in hell.

“So today is the big day, haa. Do you want me to accompany you, or should I stay here at home?”

I threw my hands around my brother and hugged him tightly to me. I was getting a little tipsy, and I didn’t care.

“You know that I love you, right? And if anything happened to me today, I want you to take care of Ariel and everyone in this house. Take care of our family, Michael.”

My brother was silent and frozen while I hugged him tightly, then whispered in his ear.

I know I have shocked him by my sudden request and the shape I was in, but this needed to be done now, too.

Michael recovered quickly and hugged me back. I felt his body shake a little as he took a couple of deep breaths.

“Don’t worry about anything, Gab. You know, whatever happens, I’m here supporting you and got your back. You just need to focus on coming back alive and unharmed.”

I sighed in relief when I heard him. It felt like there was a weight on my chest and suddenly it disappeared.

“We are ready, boss when you are.”

I patted my little brother’s back and drank the remaining drops of the burning amber liquid.

My gun was loaded and ready on the small coffee table in front of me, so I held it tightly in my hand, feeling its weight before putting it in its holster.

Leo was standing by the door waiting for me, whispering something in Jason’s ear.

The kid kept nodding frantically as he looked that he was about to cry.

When he saw me, he swallowed hard then he offered me his hand to shake.

“Don’t worry about the girls. I will take care of them.”

I gave him a grateful nod, then went out to my men who were waiting for us beside the cars.

The moment I closed the car’s door, I saw Ariel coming out running. I looked at the driver and nodded my head.

The car moved when she stretched her hand to knock on the glass.

Leo frowned at me, but I looked outside, gritting my teeth. I can’t handle this now. I need to focus.

According to our intel, Giovanni is at his penthouse. He was away from his mansion.

Someone said that he has been hiding there because of the rift between him and Alessio.

But I have a feeling that there is something more to the matter. Giovanni would never retreat like that.

But I wasn’t sure about Alessio’s whereabouts. I have been looking for him, but I wasn’t successful.

There was a rumor that he had left for Italy, but I couldn’t find any physical evidence.

The cars stopped behind the big skyscraper, and I got out. A few of my men went to the front as the rest waited beside me.

Leonidas held his phone to his ear and spoke to someone before turning to me and shaking his head.

I clenched my jaw and got in the back. He isn’t here.

“The boys said that he got back again last night. There was a fight here, and he didn’t feel safe.”

I waited patiently again until we reached his Vila. I burst out of the car before it even stopped and in seconds the quiet street went loud and hectic.

Gunshots, men, and blood. It only took me getting out of my car to face all of this.

I ran to hide behind my SUV and held my gun tightly. Leo was screaming at the men to take cover.

And then it was like a battlefield. It took us fifteen minutes to be able to kill them and some of my men got hurt in the process, too.

We entered the house slowly. Leo and my men were securing the first floor as I climbed up.

The second floor was totally empty, and I screamed in frustration when I saw a big glass window smashed.

The fucker must have used it to escape from the back when we were busy with his men.

My phone rang, and I sneered when I saw Giovanni’s number.

“I will fucking kill you for messing with my family. Don’t think that you got away.”

I growled at the person, who was gasping on the other side. He coughed twice before speaking in a broken voice.

“You think that the faction will let that slide, Gabriel? I will have you killed for this. We have rules.”

I chuckled humorlessly and I swear I could hear the man’s shiver and his teeth chatter.

“It wasn’t me. I didn’t do it, Cerberus. I swear to god that I didn’t kill her.”

I punched the wall in frustration and anger. Because at the moment I don’t care about any of this.

“It was Alessio, man. He killed her mother to frame me. He has been fighting me for my position. And some members of the family are supporting him. Please believe me, I didn’t do it.”

I turned around and walked to the second floor. My men had the people who were still alive kneeling beside the stairwell.

I eyed them searching for Alessio but didn’t find him. Then the rumors were right.

He isn’t here. And that made my anger soar. I didn’t catch him or kill Giovanni. I will disappoint Ariel once again.

“Be ready, fucker, because I’m coming for you. And when I do trust me, I will not kill you quickly, no you will suffer.”

I finished and threw the phone on the floor. Leo crouched and checked the screen, then frowned as he put it in his pocket.

I checked my gun’s mag and loaded it. The first man out of the six who were lined in front of me shook in fear.

“Where did your boss go?”

I asked slowly, and the man looked down as he shook his head violently in a no.

“I don’t know, I swear. If I had known, I would have told you. Please spare my life.”

I sucked my upper teeth and shot the man in the head. He was a coward and I hate them.

The blood splattered all over my suit and face. I dropped my gun and took off my jacket, then I folded my sleeves.

I must change before getting back to my woman. I know she won’t appreciate seeing me like that.

Especially when I will be back with this bad news. I’m useless.

I punched the second man, and he sneered at me venomously. Good.

“I will never tell you where the boss is. Kill me now and be done with it, asshole.”

I wrapped my hand around the man’s neck and squeezed tightly. His eyes bulged and his face turned red.

He began to gasp for air and flail around. His hands were tied around his back, and that was all he could do.

“Then tell me where is Alessio? Give me his address in Italy.”

I crouched in front of him, my hands still cutting his air supply. The man’s eyes started to close slowly, and I frowned.

Another useless body. Giovanni’s men were loyal, some of them at least.

He doesn’t deserve them. What a waste. I let the body drop as I stood up.

I opened my hand to no one in particular, and a gun was handed to me.

I eyed the third man and I shot him. Without repeating my question or even bother asking.

And again, blood splattered on my face and something chunky hit me in the eyes. I tsked, disgusted.

One of my men handed me a piece of cloth to wipe my face and hands. Then I walked away and let them handle the rest.

Leo stood beside me and we watched my men as they hit the three other men till they were dead.

I threw the cloth away and looked around me. I felt thirsty and needed another drink.

I have never been like this, but I think today was different. I put the half broken tequila bottle to my mouth and gulped it in one go.

“Now what?”

Leo asked in a low voice as he was eyeing me carefully. I wiped my mouth on the back of my still bloody hand before answering him.

“Now we go back home.”

I walked to the door and let him call the men. My mood had turned grim because I was ashamed of myself.

I had failed my Ariel and I can’t forgive myself. What would she think of me now? The man who didn’t keep any of his promises.

It took us half an hour to reach the mansion and my brother was waiting for us at the doors.

He gave me a quick look and when he made sure that I wasn’t physically hurt or at least nothing serious; he sighed in relief.

“I will go to the hospital they have called, and I am needed, but there is something I need to talk to you about. It is about Ariel.”

I faced him with a scowl on my face, and my hands began to shake.

This adventure has brought bad memories back and even though it was less bloody than those dark days, still it triggered me.

So when Michael said that about Ariel, I couldn’t help it and my hands moved of their own accord and wrapped around his neck.

“What is wrong with my Ariel? She was perfectly fine before I went out?”

Michael gave me a sad smile and his hands began to unwrap mine slowly.

“Nothing brother. She is perfectly fine. I just thought about something, that’s all. I will tell you when I’m back.”

He gave my shoulders a hard squeeze, then left. I dragged my lead legs to the second floor and into my apartment.

I opened the door and listened carefully and when I didn’t hear anything; I sighed before heading to my room, then the bathroom.

I took off my clothes and threw them on the floor before getting under the cold shower.

I closed my eyes, and my body began to shake violently. Memories and images of what I have done before came back to my mind.

They were so vivid and clear that I felt they were happening now.

I hit my head on the title three times till my head span and my mind went blank.

No, I won’t go back there. This was a long time ago. What I have done today was different.

I’m protecting my woman and trying to mend her broken soul. I’m saving her.

I’m not that monster I used to be. Now I’m a man who is loved. A man who is helping the love of his life.