Chapter 69 ~ A ghost

Chapter 69 ~ A ghost
ADRIAN

"You protect her with your life," I warned Jay who was in the driver's seat.

"Got it, boss," he said, and they drove away leaving me to face the hell I had been avoiding for the past three hours.

The moment the car disappeared down the road, my phone rang. The caller ID flashed a restricted number.

"I never thought I’d see the day when my son would fall in love," his voice rang out, making my blood boil.

"I never thought I’d see you alive, but here we are," I shot back.

He chuckled.

Years ago, this kind of back and forth would either end with me getting beaten or us sharing a drink. I had been underage, but my father was Capo.

Who would dare question him?

He had been my hero. The man I looked up to. I used to want to be just half of what he was.

But something had changed over the past months. I didn’t know what, but I shouldn’t have hated him this much.

I should have been angry that he had been alive all this time and never told me. That he had watched me suffer. But anger wasn’t all I felt, there was something else growing in me.

Irritation and resentment.

Carlos was never the type of man who handled opposition well. I probably got that part from him.

John’s sperm might have made me but Carlos had always been the father I had.

I just hoped he didn’t do anything fucking stupid to ignite this fire building inside me.

"Where the fuck are you?" I asked, grinding my teeth.

“There’s a black SUV to your right. Get in, and leave your fucking phone behind,” he said, and I ground my teeth.

How long had he been watching me?

A thousand thoughts flooded my head, but I made a backup plan just in case. I owned a tech company, after all. 

Before shutting off my phone, I sent Luca an encrypted message, disguised as an ad. Then I stepped into the SUV.

“I’m sorry, sir, I’ll need your phone,” one of his men said, sounding far too brave for his own good.

I clicked my tongue. “Why don’t you take it from me?” I growled.

He sat back down like a wet fucking puppy.

That’s what I thought.

The drive was short, and soon we pulled up to a destination unknown to me. I stepped out, my eyes narrowing at the sight of an old warehouse that looked like shit.

“Playing dead turned you into a thug, I see,” I called out with a laugh, knowing damn well he could hear me.

The doors creaked open, and I stepped inside. The lights were dim, and the metallic scent of fresh blood hit my nose. I smiled.

But it didn’t last.

The man I had been avenging for fifteen years stood there. Breathing.

Alive.

My blood boiled as I fought the urge to blow him up myself. He’d already been dead to me for years.

“I would have been proud to see you,” he sneered, “but all I see is a disappointment standing before me.”

It took a second to register what he’d just said.

I became a dumbass for a moment.

“Excuse me?” I said.

He spat on the ground, stepping further into the shadows.

“Sleeping with the enemy? How low can you fucking go?”

“I bought her from an auction, not that you deserve the explanation,” I said, my voice hard as steel. “But I want you to understand that much before I tear you into fucking pieces.”

Suddenly, two men grabbed me, one on each side. 

I was strong, trained and lethal… but these two had clearly been dosed with the experimental strength drug I had developed myself. 

I knew that smell. I also knew something they didn’t: the side effects kicked in after an hour, bones cracking, hallucinations, and agony.

Carlos stepped forward and slammed his fist into my stomach. Pain exploded through me, but I didn’t make a sound. I met his eyes with fury.

Men like him loved to talk. 

Good. 

Because I needed the time.

“I should kill you for failing your simple task,” he said.

I scoffed. This man was delusional.

“What fucking task?”

“You ruined our plan. I had a perfect plan,” he continued, landing another blow to my ribs. I grunted, pain rolling through me. “I wanted her mother. But she was quick to catch on. So when I learned she had a daughter, I made them believe they’d succeeded in killing me.”

He laughed a long, unhinged laugh.

“I got her into debt. I made sure they auctioned her, so Marco would buy her… in exchange for you.”

The rage that coursed through me was something I had never felt before.

Marco. 

That bastard had been working with him all along? The shit he told me about needing to marry Sofia was that all Carlos?

“But you got there first. You bought her. You protected her. Killed Sofia. I was angry… but I waited for the right moment.” He paused. “Haven’t you ever wondered why Marco never retaliated after what you did to his sister?”

I had.

I just didn’t expect this.

“Yes, yes, whatever. So what’s your goal? The fucking ledger?” I asked, breathing hard to keep myself steady.

Just a little more time.

“I was going to let you keep the girl after you got the ledger. But it’s clear you’re not going to cooperate. So I’ve decided Marco will marry her instead. And thanks to Lila… and that boy of yours it will be done.”

The blood drained from my face.

“What boy? Jay is working for you?”

“And all it took was pussy. I really need to taste her and see for myself.”

Motherfucker! I was going to kill him.

Without hesitation, I slammed my heel down on one of the fuckers’ feet. He groaned in pain. 

I twisted hard, breaking his hold. Then I turned on the second, slamming my elbow into his throat. They dropped to the floor, groaning while their bones snaped. That drug was wearing off.

Carlos knew what was coming.

“Not so fast, boy!” he barked. “You’re strong, but not even you can survive a bullet.”

He raised the gun, switching off the safety.

I had never feared death. I knew I’d go one day and burn in hell for all the things I’d done but the idea of dying without knowing Ella was safe?

That fucking terrified me.

“I knew your mother was cheating,” he said, his voice calm and cruel. “You weren’t mine. But I kept you. You were a weapon. I hated you. But when you proved yourself useful, I made you believe I was your hero.”

“And like a dumbass, I believed you,” I hissed, rage rushing through me like a fucking storm.

“All of that’s over now,” he sneered. “Because I’m going to kill you myself.”

He cocked the gun and the shot rang.