Page 8 of His Cursed Heart

I want him to tell me. To look me dead in the eyes and tell me what I already know.

“You and Althea are going to marry in a month.” And he says it.

Althea Seraphina Luciano. The only person in this world who can actually kill me.

My future wife.

I start laughing so hard that I even surprised myself. My father decided to arrange a marriage when he’s been against one since I was a little boy. And with my ex-fiancé’s sister.

“You just want to kill your other daughter too.” I need to sit down because my legs gave away.

“Good luck to whom has the balls to mistreat my daughter.” He says with a wicked smile, and then leaves.

I calm myself and look at my father.

“Out of all the girls in this world, you needed to choose Althea.” My father raises his eyebrow at me.

“She is an Italian princess. Name a better girl for you.” I can actually name a few. “If you want to get the mafia, you need a wife. And Althea is the perfect woman for you.”

My father leaves me alone in the church. I’m looking at the biblical illustrations on the walls, trying to clear my head.

I haven’t seen Althea in two years. She could’ve changed, she could’ve not. But I know the hate is still intact.

“Keaton?” I hear my name called. I see Orion in a black suit with his long hair braid up in a bun, his lower half of his head, shaved.

“You came.”

“Of course I did.” Behind him, Allan is smoking.

“But when I called you two hours ago you weren’t in the country.”

“Who said that?” Then we both look at Allan who has his hands raised up. “I actually came because I talked with Arius. Or more, I talked with him and he listened.”

Already?

“You said I should give you a couple of days.”

“Apparently he knew you would search him.”

“Him or The Empress?” Asks Allan. That’s a good question.

If The Empress knows that I contacted Arius and not her, I’m good as dead.

“I don’t think she knows. What he asked for in return sounded like it was for him.” Orion lights a cigar in the church.

“Bro, I’m standing outside the church to smoke because I don’t want God to strike me with some lightning, and you’re challenging Him?”

Why didn’t I made Orion my right hand, I have no idea.

“What did he ask for?”

“He said you have a prisoner named Fred Brown.”

“What about him?” I growl just thinking at the bastard who dared touching my little sister.

But why does Arius want one of my prisoners? I’ve been torturing him for a year for he has done to Emmeline, so he wasn’t free to cause any more trouble.

“He wants him. Alive.”