Chapter 31 – By Fate I Conquer Cora Reilly Read Online Free “Aria—”
“No,” she whispered. She began to shake, backing away until her back hit the kitchen counter. Tears burst from her eyes. She put a shaking hand over her mouth, gasping for breath as her anguish stole it from her. I wanted to touch her, to console her but I wasn’t sure if she wanted my touch.
I was the reason for all this. Marcella had become a target because of my actions in the past. “She’s alive,” she said—not asked, as if her saying it would make it true.
“Yes, of course she’s alive. The president probably wants to blackmail me. They won’t kill her. They know I’d pulverize them and every MC in my territory and beyond in revenge.” I didn’t trust in Earl White’s word or his honor, but I had to trust in his instinct of self-preservation. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t hurt her. But even if they didn’t Marcella had to be terrified in the hands of those men, terrified of what they might do… I didn’t want to consider the horrible options.
Aria closed her eyes, swallowing. “Oh Marci.” Aria sagged against me with a choked wail, her fingers digging into my arms. I caught her and pressed her against my chest.
Her pain cut me worse than any blade ever had. “I’m sorry, love. Our daughter is paying for my sins. I’ll never forgive myself and I don’t expect you to ever forgive me either.”
Aria pulled back slowly, wiping her eyes before she looked up at me. She clutched my hand. “These men are at fault, not you, Luca. There’s nothing to forgive. When I married you, I knew of the risks of being with a Capo.”
The marriage had never been her choice though, even if we’d chosen each other over and over again in the years since our wedding day.
“I’ll offer to exchange myself for our daughter. It’s me they want, not her.”
Aria’s expression became unexpectedly fierce. “Save our daughter and kill those men. They can’t survive or we’ll never be safe. You’re the strongest man I know. Show them, and don’t you dare not come back to me.”
Aria’s unwavering faith in me was the greatest gift I could imagine and a burden I gladly carried. I wouldn’t disappoint her trust. I’d save our daughter with sheer brutality and with my life if necessary.
Amo stepped into the dining room, and his face didn’t bode well. I got up at once. I hadn’t been hungry anyway. The only reason why I was at the dining table was because Aria wanted to preserve a semblance of normalcy for Valerio. He knew more than she wanted, but he humored her pretending he didn’t.
Aria and Valerio fell silent.
I moved closer to Amo, keeping my voice low as I asked, “What’s wrong?”
Amo’s face was red with anger. “The bikers posted a video of Marcella on the internet.”
Aria got up and approached us. “Is Marcella all right? What happened?”
“What kind of video?”
Amo’s phone beeped repeatedly with incoming messages. He slanted a look at the screen. “Fuck. I’ll kill them all.”
I grabbed his wrist. “Amo, what kind of video?”
My own phone began to buzz with messages.
“They posted a video of Marcella naked and tagged her on social media. It’s all over Insta, TikTok and Twitter.”
I balled my hands into fists, my fury so overwhelming, I had trouble reining it in. Valerio and Aria were watching me worriedly, and I needed to keep my fucking composure until I was away from home.
Aria glanced down at her cell phone and the color drained from her face.
“Mom?” Valerio asked, but she didn’t react.
I went over to Aria and touched her shoulder. She lifted her head. “I want them all dead,” she whispered softly. As if she had to ask. They would die, one way or another. Either by my hand or by Amo’s and Matteo’s after they’d killed me.
I hunched over my desk, glaring at my phone. My last call with Earl White had been yesterday. I hadn’t heard from him since then and I didn’t have a number to call. His last words made me fear the worst for Marcella.
Matteo paced the room. “He wants you to beg. I can’t wait for the tables to have turned and to make him beg.”
I’d as good as begged, not in the exact words and keeping my fury at bay had been close to impossible after the video of Marcella that the MC had posted but I had offered myself to Earl White on a silver platter, but he’d refused. If my men were closer to finding Tartarus’ current hiding place, then things would be easier. I’d pulverize every biker. Fuck, I’d enjoy it more than anything I’d ever enjoyed before.
“I dream of killing the Whites every night. It’s all I can think about,” Amok said from his spot on my couch. He had spent every waking hour searching for Tartarus and his sister since she had been kidnapped. Even Aria who was usually so adamant about him focusing on the upcoming school year hadn’t argued.
Nothing was more important than family.
Two days ago, we’d followed a lead all night but the hut we’d found had only been an abandoned storage for guns and ammo. There wasn’t a trace of the current Tartarus clubhouse. If we could only get our hands on one of the bikers. They would reveal the location, but the last guy we’d followed and cornered had put a bullet in his head before we could grab him.
A knock sounded and Valerio poked his head inside my office.
“Mom just got a package. There’s a hellhound print on it.”
Amo jumped up from the sofa but I was already out the door, rushing after Valerio who led the way to Aria. We found her in the living room. She stared down at the package, a letter knife in her hand, but it was still closed.
“Don’t open it!” I shouted. Aria jumped, her gaze darting to me. I reached her and gently pulled her away, shielding her with my body.
Amo took the knife from her hand. I shook my head. “I’ll open it.”
He handed me the knife and I cut through the package wrap. I doubted there was something dangerous inside, but even if there were it should be me who got hurt.
I ripped open the package and found a jar with a bloody piece of flesh inside. My pulse sped up as I read the label. “The first piece of your daughter that you get back. More will follow until you show some respect.”
Matteo’s eyes widened. “What is that?” he murmured. Amo still kept Aria and Valerio back.
I brought the glass closer to my face. “An earlobe.”
Matteo gritted his teeth and looked away, muttering something under his breath. I wasn’t sure I could speak. My fury burned too brightly.
“Luca?” Aria called, her voice ringing with panic. “What is that?”
“Take your mother and brother upstairs,” I ordered Amo. Aria wouldn’t have it. She shook Amo’s grip off and he obviously didn’t dare grab her again. I shoved the package at Matteo before I went over to Aria, stopping her from looking at the jar.
“Luca.” Aria’s voice trembled, her eyes filling with tears and terror as she peered up at me.
“Trust me, love. Marcella will come back to us soon.”
“I’m not weak. I want to know what’s happening.”
I motioned at Amo to remove Valerio from the room who followed his brother under protest.
Aria clutched my arms. I couldn’t find the words, couldn’t tell her what was happening to Marcella and what I couldn’t prevent. Even I, who had seen and done so many horrible things, couldn’t bear the thought of what Marcella had gone through. The pain, the fear…
The words wouldn’t pass my lips. I closed my eyes briefly. “They want to punish me, love. I won’t let them hurt Marcella more.”
Aria looked at Matteo who was still holding the package. She moved past me. “Show me,” she ordered. Matteo glanced at me. I nodded.
Aria took the jar then dropped it back in the package. I wrapped my arms around her from behind, holding her as she cried.
Tartarus had hit me in the worst way possible, and Earl White knew it. He relished in it, and knowing men like him, he would loathe to lose this source of power. He wouldn’t release Marcella. If we didn’t find her soon…
Helplessness was a feeling I wasn’t accustomed to, and I didn’t allow it to take root. As long as I took breath, I’d search for my girl, and I’d kill every biker on my way to her.
I had been avoiding Earl as much as possible since our argument two days ago, but if I wanted to make sure everything finally moved in the right direction, I had to talk to him and find out what went on in his head. We had a meeting scheduled for the evening, and almost all patch-owners had agreed to come.
Marcella had been awfully quiet all day, and I wondered if she regretted our night together. She had mentioned that she’d regret me, but now I wanted her to have changed her mind.
Marcella sat on the bed and brushed her hair with a brush I’d grabbed from one of the club girls, the motion almost hypnotic. I couldn’t look away. She turned her head, fixing me with those penetrating eyes. “What will you discuss at your meeting?”
“When we’re going to exchange you for your father.”
Marcella gave me a strange smile as if I couldn’t really believe that.
“I’ll convince them. They’re going to listen to reason,” I said, hardly believing it myself.
“What is it you want, Maddox?”
You. Ever since I met you, only you. I was half tempted to run off with her, to leave everything I’d ever known, ever wanted, behind. But I couldn’t. MC life was all I knew, all I wanted. I didn’t have friends or family outside of this club. I only had Tartarus.
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