Chapter 28 – By Fate I Conquer Cora Reilly Read Online Free
“Snow White,” I murmured. She didn’t react. “Marcella.”
Her eyes dragged down to mine, as cold and impenetrable as ice. She couldn’t hide the traces of her tears. “Let me take a look at your ear,” I said in a beckoning voice.
“At what’s left of it, you mean?” she said hoarsely, her eyes full of hatred and accusation, but beyond those obvious emotions, emotions she wanted me to see, I detected her pain and fear, and those emotions cut me deeply. Maybe I should have seen it coming. From the first moment I spotted her, she hadn’t left my mind.
What had been lust in the beginning had morphed into something more. I enjoyed talking to her, teasing her. F*ck, I even enjoyed watching her sleep. Whatever I felt and I wasn’t ready or willing to analyze my emotions yet, was at odds with my pure hatred for her father.
“I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have allowed this to happen. It’s not part of the plan.”
Her lips pulled into a tight smile. “And what’s the plan?”
“You were meant to be exchanged for your father, like I told you. It was supposed to happen this week.”
“But what’s the plan now?”
I wasn’t sure telling her would make things better but I knew Marcella was too clever not to realize what was going on. “Earl wants to punish your father through your suffering.”
She nodded as if it all made sense. She jerked her head away again, her shoulders stiffening. I shifted, trying to get a glimpse at her face. I could see the struggle in every perfect inch of it but finally the tears tumbled out. Restrained at first but then her walls came crashing down.
“Snow White, I’m sorry, f*cking sorry,” I murmured, touching her cheek.
Her eyes flashed. “This is not a fairy tale. And it’s your fault this is happening.”
She was right. It was irrelevant that Earl would still have gone through with the plan even without my help.
“Let me treat your wound,” I said.
She glared. “It’s your fault. Go away.”
But I didn’t leave, not with her crying openly in front of me, vulnerable like I had never seen a Vitiello before. I took out bandages and antiseptic before I started cleaning her wound. The cut was fairly clean and I was sure there were ways plastic surgeons could replace an earlobe, but that wasn’t the point. Marcella sat quietly as I took care of her, and I wished she’d say something, even if it were words of spite. Anything was better than this sad, quiet version of her.
“Done,” I said.
Finally, her gaze returned to me. The smile she gave me was bitter. “This is what you wanted, huh? Bringing a Vitiello to tears.”
“The wrong Vitiello. Even if I’ve never seen a woman who can cry prettier than you, I never wanted your f*cking tears.”
For some reason, this caused a new wave of tears, which only seemed to make her angrier. I slid my arms under Marcella’s knees and her back and lifted her into my arms. She didn’t resist, instead, she sagged against me. What this did to me caught me by surprise. I felt a wave of protectiveness and affection that almost knocked me over.
I put her down on the bed and stroked her back. Certain that she didn’t want me close, I stepped back, wanting to pace the woods to clear my head and figure out a plan.
Her arm shot out, grabbing my hand. “No, stay with me.”
“Marcella, are you—”
“Stay.”
I stretched out behind her and wrapped my arms around her. I’d never hugged her like that, simply to show affection and give consolation. I didn’t remember the last time I’d hugged someone at all.
“It’s only going to get worse,” she whispered. “Your uncle wants to break my father, but my father can’t be broken, so he’ll break me.”
I knew she was right. Maybe I should have seen it coming but I had been too desperate for revenge. “I’ll protect you,” I swore. This oath would be my downfall, I could feel it deep in my bones. Yet, I had no intention of taking it back.
When I left my bedroom to a sleeping Marcella an hour later, my mind was still reeling. I wasn’t sure how to convince Earl to go ahead with the exchange, especially after our argument. He was probably still pissed at me. The common area was filled with guys. Word about my reaction to Marcella’s torture must have gotten around judging by the curious and sometimes even questioning looks I got. I just nodded at them and stalked outside, not in the mood to justify myself.
I paced the forest when I spotted Gray. He hunched on a fallen tree, smoking, his hair falling down his face. Like me, he had been in the club since he was fifteen, even though prospects usually needed to be at least eighteen years old.
“Hey, why are you hiding out here?” I asked as I went over to him and sank down beside him. Looking up in surprise, he offered me a smoke, which I took.
He didn’t say anything, only squinted at the glowing tip. I inhaled deeply but noticed a bit of blood from Marcella on my fingers. A new wave of anger mixed with despair over the hopeless situation crashed down on me. This was such a goddamn mess.
“I heard about what happened to the girl,” Gray said eventually.
His expression made it clear that he felt sick to his stomach about it.
“It was a mistake,” I said.
Surprise crossed his face. I rarely criticized Earl’s decisions.
“I thought you wanted the kidnapping.”
“Not at first, but then I figured it was the perfect way to get our hands on Vitiello.”
“And now you don’t think it is?”
“I still think we should let him exchange himself for Marcella. But Earl wants Vitiello to crawl and beg, and even then, he probably wouldn’t be satisfied.”
“The guy will go crazy when he sees his daughter’s earlobe,” Gray murmured. “Earl had me sent it off to him.”
I shook my head. “F*ck. This is a f*cking mess.”
“How is the girl? She’s in your room?”
“Yeah, she’s sleeping now. Of course, she was freaked out. Who wouldn’t be after what happened?”
Gray sighed. “I hope this is over soon.”
“The kidnapping?”
“The kidnapping, the revenge. All my life, I only heard Earl and you talk about revenge on Vitiello. I just want us to move on and really focus on making Tartarus stronger.”
A life without revenge as a focus seemed impossible. It had become such an integral part of the club. Revenge was the reason why Earl’s authority had never been questioned. Fights within the club just weren’t an option while in war with the Famiglia. Maybe that was why Earl suddenly wasn’t too keen on ending Vitiello.
“Maybe you can talk to Earl, ask him when the exchange will happen, and convince him to hurry the f*ck up.”
Gray gave me a look as if I’d grown a second head. “You know Dad doesn’t listen to me. He thinks I’m incapable. You are his favorite son.”
“I’m not his son,” I said firmly, surprising myself. In the past, I’d often caught myself longing for Earl to be my father, but this desire had disappeared completely after today.
“Someone has to talk to him and make him see reason. The club needs to move on like you said. And that can only happen when we finally kill Vitiello.”
“Sometimes I think killing Vitiello will only be another step of the war. After that his family will seek revenge, and then we’ll seek revenge on them again, and so on.”
Deep down I knew Gray was probably right, but I didn’t care what happened after, I just wanted to get rid of Luca. But first I’d make sure Marcella was safe. Whatever came after was irrelevant.
I woke to a fierce throbbing in my left ear. Sitting up, I winced when I touched my bandaged ear, remembering the events of yesterday. I’d passed out quickly after they’d cut off my earlobe and not experienced much of the pain, nor had I seen my cut-off earlobe.
I’d only woken when Gray had awkwardly carried me up the stairs and into the bedroom. I’d dragged myself over to the bathroom where Maddox had eventually found me.
“There are painkillers on the nightstand,” Maddox said. My head swiveled around to where he sat on the windowsill, only in jeans. A wave of relief over his presence followed by anger raced through me. This was his fault, and even his worried expression didn’t make him less guilty.
His cut lay beside him. It was never far from him. The cut, his club, they meant the world to him.
“You have every right to give me that look. I’d hate myself too if I were you.”
I didn’t hate him, unfortunately. I was furious but I still didn’t hate him. I shoved out of bed, swaying briefly. Maddox crossed the room in a flash, grabbing my waist.
After a moment, I pushed him away. I needed a shower, to clean myself of the dried blood in my hair and neck, and to feel more like myself again. Maddox didn’t stop me as I stumbled toward the bathroom. Cowering under the streaming water, despair overwhelmed me.
I was afraid of what else Earl had planned for me. I was scared for Dad, for my family. I was even scared for Maddox, which didn’t even make sense. I needed to get away from here.
When I stepped out of the shower, a clean wife beater and boxers waited on the toilet lid for me. I got dressed, then took my time brushing my hair, trying to calm down and figure out what to do, but no matter how often I looked for an out, Maddox came up. He was the only one who could save me, all of us, even himself, now.
By Fate I Conquer Cora Reilly Read Online PDF Free Download Bookmark this site “www.NovelKoo.Com” for Daily Updates.