Chapter 24

Flashback

Samuel Colt - 7 years old

Samuel runs through the mansion's corridors and enters his mother’s room. Anna Colt is sitting in her favorite armchair, reading a book. He approaches, and she greets him with a big, happy smile.

"Mama, I can’t stop thinking about Tina... Father scares me!" Anna takes a deep breath and hugs her son tightly.

"I know you can’t forget her, and that’s okay. You don’t need to forget."

"Mama, can we go to our secret hiding spot?" Anna looks at him uncertainly but eventually agrees to take him.

"Alright, but we’ll have to be quick before anyone sees us."

At that moment, neither Samuel nor Anna noticed that Luara was following them. Luara was only six years old, but she had always done everything to win Pavel’s approval. Together, Anna and Samuel entered a small, forgotten cabin on the property. Samuel ran to embrace the abandoned puppy his mother had been secretly sheltering for him.

The door to the cabin opened, and Luara appeared, surprising them.

"What are you doing here?"

"I told you it was a secret! Why did you follow me?" Samuel demanded.

Pavel appeared behind the girl, analyzing the animal Samuel held in his arms.

"Uncle Pavel said I have to tell him everything that happens. There can’t be any secrets in our family."

"Pavel, please, it was my idea, I swear," Anna pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears.

"You think I don’t know? How many animals will I have to kill? He suffers because of you—because you fill his head with this fantasy of love," Pavel declared angrily, grabbing Anna roughly.

"No, let me go, Pavel!" Anna screamed, struggling to break free from his harsh grip.

Pavel dragged her by the arm until they disappeared across the property.

"You promised not to tell," Samuel said, frowning, his fists clenched.

"It was for the best. Uncle Pavel said a good wife obeys."

"I don’t want to marry you when we grow up," he declared angrily. "If anything happens to Belinha or my mom, I’ll never forgive you."

What Samuel didn’t know was that, on the same day, Pavel would take Anna far away from him and John. When the cold night arrived, Pavel approached his sons and spoke in a dry, firm tone.

"Your mother is dead. She killed herself by jumping off the Golden Bridge because her son made her do wrong things for him."

Samuel and John screamed in despair, unable to accept the loss of the mother they loved so much.

"You’re weak, Samuel, and because of you, she’s dead—because of your insistence on love. You can bring me ten thousand animals, and I’ll make you kill every single one of them," Pavel finished cruelly.

In Samuel’s mind, only one thought repeated itself: “Is it my fault that Mama died? Was she disappointed because I couldn’t be strong? Forgive me, Mama!”

End of Flashback

***

"I don't think Tatyana looks like her," I retort, hurt by the memory of my mother’s death.

"I know the darkness inside you, Samuel, and I can see when it shifts. You can lie to yourself, say it doesn’t, but I see right through you." He storms out angrily but stops at the door. "I might even bring your little whore back, but it’ll be on my terms. If not, I’ll discard her as I see fit."

"That wasn’t the deal, Pavel. She was supposed to have the baby and then be free," Adam argues, visibly upset.

"Plans and deals change—simple as that. Samuel can make the Bratva men move heaven and earth, but I have those loyal to me. Loyal to the code." My father’s expression is cold and cruel as he speaks.

"I’ve always respected the code!"

"You shot your brother because he was screwing your little whore—or do you think I don’t know? The three of you are pathetic, all controlled by the same woman." I growl, feeling the anger boiling inside me. "I can bring her back, but you will respect the code. Otherwise, I’ll have you imprisoned, Samuel! Just because you’re a Colt doesn’t mean you’re exempt from punishment."

"I could say the same to you! What’s the condition for bringing her back?" I ask, intrigued, already anticipating an unacceptable demand.

"She’ll stay sedated, asleep, until the baby is born."

"Are you out of your mind?" Adam yells. "How could anyone live sedated?"

"Those are the terms. I’m just passing them on to you. As for you, Samuel, you could just find some other slut to bear your child. Deep down, I know what’s going on with you, and that’s why you’ll accept my demand if you want her back." John, who had been silently observing, interjects, stunned.

"She won’t stay in this house—not with you around, Father! She can stay at mine!"

"No! She’ll stay here with me," I declare, just as we’re interrupted by heavy footsteps entering the room. We all turn toward the door to see who it could be.

"What’s going on with this family?" Iurih Colt scans our faces, then smirks. "Who’s the girl that has to stay sedated? What secrets is she hiding, Uncle Pavel? After all, to want her in that state, she must know something dangerous."

Iurih Colt, the older brother of Luara and Ágata, lives a life of travel, only appearing when duty calls him to the Mafia. He’s always resented being born into a powerful family but shows up when he needs to fulfill his obligations.

"My father thinks his blackmail will work on me. He’s forgotten that I’m Samuel, the soulless son who doesn’t give a damn about his demands. That’s what’s happening!"

"Haven’t you realized yet, Uncle, the monster you’ve created? Do you really think you can control him forever? That’s why I hate this family!"

"Then why are you here, Iurih?" my father snaps, enraged.

"Unfortunately, I’m still part of this hell. You know how it is: born into the Mafia, die in the Mafia."

I look at my father and decide to stand firm.

"They’ll bring me Tatyana, and you know they’ll dig to the earth’s core if they have to. I hope that when they find her, I’ll have at least one reason to put you behind bars. Loyalty is a word you’ve never truly understood. Do you think I don’t notice you scheming behind my back? I am your leader. You owe me obedience."

"You’ll pay for those words, Samuel," my father growls before storming out of the room and vanishing into the mansion.

"Who’s the girl?" Iurih asks, leaning casually against the wall.

"Just spit it out already!"

"She’s my fiancée," Adam replies.

"Fiancée? I didn’t see that coming. Where’s my sister? Is she still the same?"

"Cold and calculating? Yes, she is," John replies, rolling his eyes.

"I’ll go talk to her." I observe Iurih carefully, knowing he has no Mafia business to handle here in Moscow.

"Why are you back, Iurih?"

"I think it’s time to show that I’m a Colt and put an end to this crazy family."

"Are you planning to kill us all?"

"No, but we can start by weeding out the rotten apples from our garden."