Page 83 of End It All

Cesare's laughter was heavy and rough as if he didn't do it often. "L'ingenuità vi farà uccidere."He switched to English all too quickly. "Come here."

I raised my hand, stopping Blake. "We have somewhere to be."

"You going to stay here with this mezza razza inutile?" He pushed up his sleeve slightly to check his watch as if he had a million other places to be.

I'd been called worse, but it still stung as Blake moved around me.

"Blake." A gun was pressed against my temple for the second time today. It was starting to become a norm at this point. Ididn't turn to look at any of the men aiming at me. I was solely focused on Blake.

"Uccidetelo. Voglio che sia fatto nel modo giusto," Cesare ordered.

"What did you just say?" Blake looked around, his brows furrowing.

Cesare sighed. "Nothing to worry about. I thought I told you to work on your Italian." He cut the tip of his cigar before lighting it.

"I haven't had time." For a short second, his gaze met mine. He looked away too quickly for my liking. "Don't kill him."

Cesare's brows nearly kissed his hairline. "Thought he wasn't worth it?" Cesare watched his son too intently.

I swallowed back my warning. If Blake let any weakness show in front of that monster, he'd take advantage of it in a heartbeat.

"He's not, but we don't need heat from the yakuza."

Cesare blew out a cloud of smoke and waved off Blake's concern. "They don't need him. His life is worth little. "

"Blake, let's go," I said, holding back the turmoil of emotions that wanted to override me. Cesare's words were nothing more than stones that hit me on a daily basis, but Blake standing by his side hurt more than anything.

"Still, I don't want to hear Benito's husband's mouth." Blake, just like his father, refused to look my way. It was as if I was nothing more than an obstacle standing there.

Cesare nodded. "You have a point there. That headache would only make matters worse." He gestured toward his black SUV. "Your brother needs to put a leash on that one, but he doesn't listen no matter how often I warn him."

"Blake!"

Don't go. Stay.

Please.

It felt like I was invisible, disappearing into another mess. Again.

Cesare jerked his head toward the car and the gun was removed from my head. The others aimed my way disappeared as they headed to the other cars.

"Non sarete vivi a lungo. Non sono l'unico che ti vede per quello che sei. Inutile."

Blake disappeared in the SUV with his father and drove away from me. There was a vice grip on my lungs as air became scarce. My back hit my car and I slid down until my ass hit the ice cold ground. Even that didn't rattle me. Everything felt as if it wasn't real and at the same time all too real.

My phone vibrated in my coat pocket and I pulled it out just as it stopped. I stared blankly at the multiple missed calls from Harlow and Benito. There were a few from the other brothers, and I knew they'd called to check on Blake.

Harlow's name lit up the screen again and I had half a mind not to answer. The last thing I wanted to do was hear his voice, not when I felt like this. I was at the bottom of the fucking hole and there wasn't a way out in sight.

"Quincy, you two were supposed to be here already," Harlow shouted over the phone.

I shook my head and slammed it back against the car.Fuck. Fuck.

"Quincy?" The note of concern in Harlow's voice did nothing to the despair that crushed me under the heavy emotion.

"I—" Words caught in my throat and I swallowed them down. "Blake went with Cesare."

Benito's curses could be heard in the background.