Page 64 of House of Lies
There is no escape.
Perhaps this is the final chapter, the end of it all.
CHAPTER 41
Kaz
"?? ??????, ??? ? ???????"
“??? ?? ???????” I stand at the edge of the bed, elbows resting on my knees, fingers tightly crossed, my gaze fixed on the bloodstains that paint the worn carpet.
Vanya goes on. I hear the words, but I don’t understand their meaning.
“Kaz, for fuck’s sake!” His face enters my field of vision as he stands before me, leaning in closer. He snaps his fingers, attempting to make me focus.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“You can’t lose focus like this. What the hell happened to you?”
He stares at me, perplexed, as if he no longer recognizes the person before him. He’s welcome to join the club. I have no fucking clue as to what happened to me. Dmitri is speaking on the phone with someone and shouts orders. Vanya crouches, his eyes narrowing.
“You should be in lockdown, not putting your life in danger to hunt this woman, but here we are.”
Vanya needs my forgiveness, so he agreed to come with me. I believed him when he claimed to be unaware of Sevastyan’s plans. By the time he discovered the truth, it was too late. He was smart enough to stand by his father’s side to find out what he was planning next. He gave me all he knew—Caelia’s whereabouts and Sevastyan’s safehouses. He vouched for my aunt, so she’s safe and sound back at her house. There’s as much betrayal as I can take from family. Sevastyan released Mattia to seek revenge for Ermanno’s death, putting out a contract with my name on it before disappearing into hiding. Unfortunately, Vanya realized Mattia’s liberation a little too late. I should have never left New York without Caelia by my side.
“I want Ludovic dead,” I instruct Vanya. “I want Fiona dragged out of whatever godforsaken hole she’s hiding in. Find Tomasso, Ermanno’s consigliere. He may have had contact with Mattia. And if not, we’ll extract information from anyone connected to the Benedetti family through any means necessary. Call Liam and inform him it’s time to repay the favor he owes me.”
“You’re starting a war, Kaz,” Vanya warns me.
My gaze involuntarily shifts down, fixating on the stains. It better not be her blood.
“The war has already begun, and you don’t want to be in my way,” I reply, my voice chillingly emotionless.
“I’m with you,” he reassures me.
“Good. Because if you’re not with me, you’re as good as dead.”
Perhaps I would have been more inclined to grant him forgiveness had we found Caelia in time. But we didn’t, and the scenarios that played out in my mind drove me to madness. I need her back. I can’t think of any other outcomes.
I can’t stare at anything else than the blood on the carpet in this shitty motel room.
CHAPTER 42
Caelia
My wife is mine, and mine alone.
Touch what’s not yours again, and you’ll lose your fucking hands.
I can fuck you like I hate you if this is what you want, Wildfire. But it won’t make it real.
If you were to die, it would be my hand, Caelia.
I’m not dead. Yet.
My body is shattered, and my mind is slipping away, bit by bit, day after day. I wasn’t given a calendar this time to keep track of time. I have no idea how long I have been imprisoned in this wretched cage. This time, it’s not a metaphor; it’s a cold, unyielding reality. The sick bastard locked me in a metal prison. It’s too small to stand, forcing me to spend most of my time curled up on the floor. But even if I could stand, the pain would render it impossible. Agony radiates throughout my body with every breath I take. I wanted to believe that Mattia had changed, but creatures like him cannot change. I allowed him into my heart, and he imprisoned me as punishment. My left eye is swollen shut, and my lips are cracked. My body is covered in blood and bruises. The pain is so unbearable that I can’t even cry. I can’t recall the last time he or one of his lackeys bothered to feed me. He did show a hint of mercy by leaving a bucket for me. The cage is situated in the center of an empty, cold warehouse.
I should’ve stabbed him in the heart when I had the chance.