Chapter 69 - Importance

Two Years Ago

SHADRACH'S POV

I pulled up my sleeve, and tapped my arm to search for my vein. I then picked up the injection, and placed the needle on my arm, ready to inject the drugs into my body. Ready to forget the pain, to relax. My phone began ringing suddenly, making me flinch and drop the syringe onto the ground. I clenched my jaw, feeling anger course through my veins. Simon. Of course. He has the most impeccably worst timing in the entire universe.

"What?" I snapped, answering the call.

"Ma... Maxon," he said softly, and I frowned. His voice sounded off, as if he was either afraid, or extremely upset.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Matt... He..." His breath was shaky, and he could hardly form words.

"Simon. Tell me. What's wrong with Matt?" I asked, trying to keep my own calm.

"He's dead," he sobbed, and I froze completely, my eyes wide in shock.

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"My brother's gone," he whispered.

"Text me where you are. I'll..." I trailed off, as my eyes shifted to syringe lying on the ground. I closed my eyes shut, telling myself it will have to wait, and pushed it away from me with my foot. "I'll come get you."

"Alright," he replied, before hanging up. I slammed the phone onto the couch, before running my hands over my face and through my hair in frustration. Well, shit. I was in no condition to handle this.

My eyes once again set on the syringe, and I tried to stop myself, but the urge was too strong. Cursing under my breath I rushed towards it and quickly grabbed it, ready to jam it into my skin. Yet once again, my phone buzzed, breaking me out of the weird trance. It was Simon. He had texted me the address. Frustrated, I threw the syringe across the room, making it break into pieces. I gulped, staring at the mess on the floor. Ignoring everything else, I rushed out the house to go pick Simon up.

I lit up a cigarette on my way, smoking it to get any relief I could find. My head was aching, and bitter memories were revolving in my mind. I still missed her so damn much, and my life had been so dull and blank without her. It felt like she brought color into my life, allowed me to taste beauty and happiness, and then stole it away from me. Yet I could never get myself to blame her for any of it. She was an Angel. I did not deserve her anyway, because if I did, she would be with me. Right here. Beside me.

I stopped the jeep at the address Simon had told me to come to. It was one of our safe houses, and I went right in. The thick stench of blood filled my nose as soon as I entered, and I clenched my jaw when I saw Simon sitting beside Matt's lifeless body. More like, pieces of Matt's body. It had been mutilated, and there was blood all over the place. I slowly walked up to them, and placed my hand on Simon's shoulder.

He instantly broke into a sob, and I knelt down beside him, pulling him to my chest. He sobbed, and I rubbed his back, while a tear escaped my own eye. I took a deep breath, calming myself down.

"We'll get to the root of this," I said to Simon. His sobs abated, and he pulled away from me.

"You mean I will," he said to me, his time complaining.

"No," I shook my head. "We will. Together," I promised, placing my hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, after you're done destroying your own life, right? How will you find my brother's murderer when half the time you're not even aware of what day it is, or what time it is?" Simon asked, his eyes red with tears.

"Simon," I said, determined, looking him in the eye. "When I said we will get to the bottom of it, I meant it. I'm gonna find your brother's killer. I'm gonna pull myself together, and I'm gonna find the motherfucker who did this. This is my promise to you."

"You have promised me a lot of things in these last two years Max," he said. "I didn't see you fulfilling any of it."

"Simon," I sighed. "I... I swear on Alizabeth, I'm gonna stop making your life so hard. I swear on Alizabeth I'll stop taking drugs and trying to drown myself into alcohol. And I swear on Alizabeth, I'm gonna do everything in my power to find out who murdered your brother, and when I do, he's gonna know who Maxon Shadrach Bradley is, and what kind of a person he used to be. I will show him no mercy, and I'll do to him what he did to your brother, if not worse.

I swear on Alizabeth."

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Present (2018)

ALIZABETH'S POV

"Here we are," Shadrach said softly, parking the jeep. We were at his farmhouse, the one he had taken me to so many years ago, when he had saved me from getting raped by William. It brought back a lot of amazing memories, making me feel a lot calmer. That wasn't good. I was supposed to stay angry with him. He had not only kept secrets and been mean to me, he had also broken his promise. He had promised he would drop me home, and yet he refused to do so.

He and I both got off the jeep, and made our way inside. An unconscious smile spread across my lips, as I scanned the interior. It was just like it had been last time. Beautiful and elegant.

"I've had our room cleaned up," Shadrach told me, gaining my attention.

"I'm not sleeping with you tonight," I crossed my arms.

"What? Why?" He frowned, stepping towards me.

"Because I don't want to," I shrugged.

"Listen to me, Alizabeth," he said seriously, walking up to me. "You and I are sleeping together tonight."

"No we're not," I stated seriously. "I don't want to sleep with you."

"Look, I know you're angry with me, but you can't just start maintaining a distance from me Butterfly," Shadrach argued.

"Oh right, I forgot. I do as you say, correct? Now tell me why I should do that? Who are you? What authority do you have over me that I'd listen to you?" I asked.

"Seriously?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yup," I nodded. "Why should I-" I began, but before I could complete my sentence, Shadrach caught hold of my arm, and threw me onto the large sofa. I let out a small scream as he climbed on top of me, and pinned my wrists down on either side of me.

"What are you doing?" I scowled at him.

"Now, shut up and listen to me. Here's the thing. You ask me what authority I have over you, but the only reason I do not have an answer to that question, is because you haven't allowed us to give a name to our relationship. Technically, we are in a live-in relationship, but I didn't say that I'm your boyfriend, since I find that word a bit too weak. I'm much more than that to you. If you had allowed me, I would have already become your husband, if not the father of your kids. So next time, before you ask me any such question, as to what authority I have over you, think about what I just said."

I blinked, not knowing how to respond. He was... Well he was right, but it wasn't my fault either.

"You know you could've said all this while standing too," I pointed out. "You didn't necessarily have to throw me onto the sofa."

"I'm aware, but you know I don't pass on any opportunity of jumping onto you," he winked, making me blush.

"Now get off me," I narrowed my eyes at him. He smiled and pecked my nose, before standing up. I stood up as well, and moved a safe distance away from him as well as piece of furniture or walls he could pin me against.

"And as far as marriage or engagement is concerned, that's gonna happen when you show me that you can actually fulfill your promises," I smiled at him.

"Oh come on," he narrowed his eyes at me, whilst I shrugged. "You forgot everything else. How about the promise I had made to you when I kidnapped you? For the first time ever I mean."

"When you abducted me from the ice cream parlour?" I asked.

"No, not that," he shook his head. "When I actually kidnapped you."

"Oh yeah, that traumatizing experience," I gave him a fake smile. "What about it?"

"I promised you you'd never escape from me, I also promised that no one can take you away from me. See? I fulfilled those promises," he grinned.

"Really, Shadrach?" Now I raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna compare your obsession to dropping me home?"

"My love," he corrected. "And yeah. You said promise, " he shrugged.

"I'm not just talking about promises you want to fulfill yourself. I mean any and all promises you make to me." I replied.

"Yeah, well, blah," he rolled his eyes. "You do have to marry me some day," he shrugged. "I've waited five years, I can wait more."

"So you'll wait but you won't behave?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yep," he shrugged. "Because your behavioural standards are too high for someone like me. I'm the son of a Mafia Lord, Alizabeth. Cut me some slack."

"Even Mafia Lords are supposedly men of their words, Shadrach," I pointed out.

"Supposedly. Not literally. You won't know. You haven't lived with one," he replied, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah well, I don't want to either," I replied.

"I know. Which is why I am trying my very best to change," he replied.

"You're not, Shadrach," I shook my head. "You're not trying your best. Or you'd let that man go."

"That man, Alizabeth," he said, his tone much harsher, "can tell me who killed Simon's brother, and I swore on your name that I wouldn't stop looking for his murderer. So no, I can't let that man go."

"Good for you, then, because I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about the man who was begging me to help him," I replied.

"Oh, that man," Shadrach chuckled.

"He has a family, Shadrach. Think about his wife, his-"

"Kids?" He chuckled. "That man used to beat his wife up every night, and he raped his own daughter, Love. Trust me, they're better off without him.

"What?" I asked, shocked.

"Yes," Shadrach replied, walking up to me. "We don't enjoy hurting completely random, innocent people, Alizabeth. At least I don't. Everyone in that place really deserves to be there. Trust me, I'm not as evil as you think I am. There are far worse people in this world, and you're too naive to see it. All you see is my flaws, and I'm afraid that's how it's always gonna be."

"I don't think you're evil, Shadrach," I said softly.

"But you do. You're just saying that so I'll drop you home. Your reaction told me everything, Butterfly. You may love me, you may be extremely attached to me, but if you had an option, if you could just erase me from your memory and lead your life with a good man, with a man like Elijah, you'd do so in a heartbeat. Isn't that true?" He asked.

"No, never!" I shook my head. "I love you, Shadrach, and I would never choose anyone over you."

"Then why do you wanna go back to your family? Even though you know I'm not happy with that?"

"Shadrach my family is really imp-"

"But you just said you wouldn't choose anyone over me. You're choosing your family, Aliza," he retorted.

"Really? You're gonna do this now? Alright, tell me. If you had to kill me or Simon, who would you kill?" I asked him, knowing that Simon was the only important person in his life except me.

"I wouldn't even have to do that, because Simon would kill himself immediately. He knows I would never be able to live without you. Not after this," he said, gesturing at himself and me. "And I have risked my own life, and his life, a thousand times for you earlier. I wouldn't have done that if he was more important to me. Now you tell me, Butterfly, would you ever risk yourself or your family for me? Would you let your brother go into danger to save me? Would you ever let Rachael do something like that?" He asked, leaving me tongue tied. I blinked, not knowing what to say.

"Let me answer for you, Love. You wouldn't. Because no matter how much I do for you, no matter how important I become to you, there is always going to be someone else out there, whose happiness and safety will be more important to you than mine. So forgive me, if I'm reluctant to send you back to those people who I know will try to tear you away from me, and you will listen to them," he said, and I maintained my silence.

"Thought so," he said softly, before turning around and walking away.

"Shadrach," I called out to him, but he ignored me, marching up the stairs.

Well, shit.

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