I tugged him farther, right off the track. He whimpered, hope playing in this eyes. For one stupid second, he actually believed I would spare him.
Crouching, I hauled him up by the front of his jacket, getting right in his face.
A smirk curled over my lips.
His eyes went wide.
“This is the part where you say goodbye,” I said with a rough laugh.
My father-in-law tried to speak, but his threats were swallowed by the roar of the horn. He promised me money in the pause that followed as if that could save his miserable life. The ground trembled beneath us, knowing there was no sum high enough to make up for his evil.
Deluca’s gaze shifted past me, facing the oncoming light. His face drained of color.
A scream tore from his lips.
I had to shout to be heard above the noise. “I wonder…did your wife ever scream like this when you hit her?”
Deluca writhed, moving about, trying to escape the carnage to come.
“Did your daughter whimper in fear? Tell me, Daddy Darlin’. How does it taste?” I mocked him.
But Deluca was wild with fear, unable to answer.
And then… it was too late.
I shoved him hard. His back hit the track right as the train exploded past us.
The freight engine roared, loud enough to deafen me. The sound swallowed the night whole. Metal screamed against metal. The wind rushing off the beast pushed at me, and I took a careful step back, submitting to the apex predator in the night.
I didn’t look down at the destruction. I didn’t need to. There wouldn’t be enough pieces of him left to fill a casket. Perhaps a jar would do. Or maybe something would crawl out and eat him, and Deluca would finally serve a purpose.
As I continued walking away from the scene of sweet justice, the roar faded into an echo. Death had been satisfied. Her spectral presence rushed through me, sending a small shiver down my spine. It could have been me she came for tonight, if my cousin had been the better fighter.
But no, the carnivorous presence had been sated by my offering. As long as I fed her, maybe I could keep her at arm’s length until grey hairs turned white.
I never thought I’d live long. Most people in the underworld didn’t, especially those who danced so often with danger.
But now I had a double reason for keeping Death fed, happy, and far away.
I took a deep breath, inhaling the night into my lungs. It wasn’t beautiful. It wasn’t hauntingly eerie. The air stank of oil and cold steel.
I wiped my hands against my coat, then my shirt, tucking them into my pockets as I sauntered down the street.
I had a queen and a little prince waiting for me.
A tune floated through my mind. The melody formed into a whistle, and before I knew it, I was humming one of my father’s favorite songs.
I wish you were here, Da.
The night breeze brushed against my back, and for a moment, something heavy lay on my shoulders.
Wish you could meet your grandson.
As the wind blew past, I shook off the insanity. I carried a piece of my father with me. And now that life had given me a second chance, I had him to think of as a role model. His memory would teach me how to be a good father.
Chapter 52 – Gabriella
When I planned to run away, I thought the quickest way to bond with my baby was to hold him as much as possible and sleep with him in my arms. There hadn’t exactly been time to explain the importance of this psychological necessity to Liam. So…. With Storm curled at my feet and Luca tucked in my arms, I lay down in the master bedroom after a quick shower and sending Betty home with many thanks.
