9. Emilio

Chapter 9

Emilio

His Isa

E milio’s tongue darted out to lick away the blood dripping from his lip.

“Are you both done now?” Isa’s aggravation was prevalent in her tone, as was her worry. Her eyebrows creased in concern, her adorable nose scrunched up.

“I’ll be fine.” Emilio offered her a toothy grin.

Her face whitened. “Bloody. Red. Crimson. Is that color going to be a running theme in this?”

Emilio licked his teeth next, wiping away whatever she was seeing there before getting on his knees in front of her, his head falling to her lap. “It might be, but I will do my best to keep it from you. Now where should we start, my Bella Isa?”

Her soft hands came up on their own and found their way into his hair, burrowing there and massaging his scalp. He hummed a noise of appreciation.

He had kept it short since the last time he was in her presence. He only started to grow it out six months ago. For her. He remembered all the nights of her fingers running through his long hair. Of his head in her lap exactly like this.

“I missed you,” he murmured adoringly .

Isa paused as if she hadn’t realized what she was doing. “It’s been years Emilio. And then you show up to collect on a 10-year pact, not offering much of a choice. And now it seems you and Oliver know each other? I am tired of being given half-truths, of being lied to, and deceived. I have been rolling with it because that is what I've always done. But now? I need honesty, Emilio.”

“What do you want to know?” Oliver’s grating voice came from behind Emilio, but he didn’t lift his head. Soaking up as much warmth as he could of his Bella Isa.

Isa’s hands started moving again, tangling further into Emilio’s hair. “Let’s start with how you and Emilio met.”

“Church,” Oliver said in a monotonous voice.

“Emilio, will you tell me please?” Isa removed her hands entirely, falling back into the couch as Emilio raised his head, watching her carefully.

He ignored the other two men in the room as he recalled one of the worst moments in his life; it was also the shifting point for him. He was 12 and following his sister at his father’s command.

Camila! Where are you? This isn’t funny anymore! He screamed the words in his head at his sister in frustration as he hid in a bush just outside a clearing deep in the woods.

Emilio had been looking for her everywhere. She had left a few hours ago to “meet” someone and his dad had sent him to follow her.

When he eventually caught a break, finding her car parked at the forest’s edge, he made it just in time to see her stepping onto a trail.

For a while, he thought she was deranged, walking aimlessly into the woods, but then she had made it to a small clearing where a large modern house rested. When she let herself inside, Emilio shook with frustration.

What was she doing out here?

And why was he forced to follow her?

He tried to see her from the inside, but all the windows were covered with just a bit of light escaping around the curtains. At this point he hadn’t delved very far into his family’s business. If he had, he might have known better. Known that this was their enemy’s territory, that he ought to call for help right away.

Emilio stayed at his spot behind the bushes just on the outside of the clearing, doing his best to stay awake. It was nearing midnight now and the moon shone in the sky, trickling through the foliage he hid in.

He heaved a sigh. This was pointless, she’s probably meeting with a boyfriend.

He fell back on his butt, leaning against the tree to his left. He was exhausted; he had gone to school and then soccer practice and now he was out in the woods. He began to blink, long and slowly until his eyes stayed shut.

***

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Emilio shot up from his resting place. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but the moon’s light still trickled down.

He shifted just in time to see the door of the house slam shut. He went to yell at his sister.

But it wasn’t her.

Panic, concern, worry .

It was three men. One of them stepped forward surveying the area and Emilio was able to get a good look at him. He was wearing a suit that was incredibly disheveled and sprayed in red.

Jullian McKell?

The mayor?

Emilio’s heart was beating rapidly in his chest as the second man walked into the moonlight. He blended into the night, dark clothes, cropped jet black hair, charcoal soulless eyes.

Christian York.

Emilio may not have known much of his family’s affairs, but he knew one thing for certain.

Christian York was a dangerous man.

At this point, Emilio was terrified. He sat petrified from his vantage point when the third man moved into view. All of him remained in shadows, except his eyes.

His cerulean orbs found Emilio’s.

Emilio had never seen the man before and watched in abject horror as the man moved into the moonlight, his lips curled up into a cruel smile before he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

For a moment Emilio thought that the stranger would give him away, but then the man broke their contact, gesturing for the others to follow him in the opposite direction.

He didn’t notice that he was sprinting across the field until he made it to the front door. It was unlocked.

Pushing it open, he crept into the house. His hands were clammy, his anxiety slithering along his skin, his panic tangible as he made his way inside.

He ran down a hallway straight ahead until the space opened into a living room.

He wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at, his mind wasn’t processing the chaos of the room. The knocked over furniture, the blood on the floor, the half-rolled rug.

“Help her.” The voice came from his right and he spun on his heel.

A teenaged boy was tied to an armchair with rope, blood running from his nose. “Oliver?” Emilio had seen him at church before, but they hadn’t spoken much.

“Help. Her.” His head gestured to the rug.

There was a stain bleeding through it, and Emilio unsteadily moved forward. His nerves were on the fritz, and he pushed down the voice shouting “Don’t do it!” as he bent down to unroll the rug.

“Camila?” He fell to his knees. “Camila?” The word was a desperate plea on his tongue. His soul separated from his body as he took in the sight of her.

Naked, bruised, bloodied.

Shot.

“Wake up!” He shook her. She wasn’t breathing, she wasn’t moving, she wasn’t.

She wasn’t.

She wasn’t.

He was too late. This was his fault.

He shrugged out of his shirt, lifting her and tugging it over her body.

Her body.

A sob wracked through him, and his vision blurred.

“I told her not to come here. Told her it wasn’t safe. I’m sorry,” Oliver clipped out. “There’s a new power in this town, she wanted to see the meeting. He wasn’t supposed to be here until tomorrow, but it was as if they were expecting her.”

Scratchy, grating. “Shut up!” Grima .

“Call your dad. They are planning an attack. They want to take down your empire.” Oliver shifted a bit, struggling against his restraints.

“Why are you telling me this? Why shouldn’t I just kill you here and now?” Emilio reached for his forgotten phone in his pocket. Dozens of missed calls and texts. He read the last one. It was the promise that his dad was sending his men out on a search mission for both him and his sister. “Fuck!”

He stood, turning away from his sister. He couldn’t look at her right now, he needed to figure out what was going on first. He looked at Oliver and stared into his eyes, willing himself to see any lies in their depths.

“She was my friend. My only true friend,” Oliver stated the words coolly. “The newcomer and Christian made my dad hurt her… It was to secure his trust and allegiance.” He heaved a shuddering sigh falling back into the chair. “They made me watch as she begged, as she called for me. I’m sorry.”

Emilio screwed his eyes shut; he couldn’t process this. “I am going to kill your father.”

“I’ll help.” Oliver’s eerily calm voice vibrated into the space.

Emilio’s attention snapped to Oliver, regarding him. “You don’t have a choice.” He wasn’t sure if he believed Oliver or not. But maybe Oliver could be bait.

After all, Oliver was left here tied to a chair. Emilio stared him down. He didn’t see any lie in his eyes. Only regret, grief, unending sadness.

Oliver cared about his sister. About Camila. It was evident.

Emilio dialed the number of the one man that could fix this.

“Young boss?” A deep voice cut through the line.

“Camila is dead. The McKells are planning an attack with the Yorks and a newcomer at their backs.”

“I will handle.”

“Thank you. And Mateo?” Emilio strode to Oliver to help untie him, his mind made up.

“Yes, young boss? ”

“Jullian McKell is mine. Bring him to the church. Uninjured.”

“Yes, sir.” The phone disconnected as Emilio finished untying Oliver.

Emilio knew Oliver wouldn’t be an issue. Knew that he would need help to end this.

He couldn’t look back at his sister. She would be laid to rest after her killers were delivered the justice they so deserved.

Emilio offered Oliver a hand. An olive branch. A promise. Oliver took it, standing carefully.

“You have my word.” Oliver finally turned to Camila, taking in her body. A broken sob escaped him. “I couldn’t do anything but watch. I’m so sorry sweet Camila. You didn’t deserve this.”

Emilio understood in that moment that Oliver meant it.

That Oliver had cared about his sister.

“Let’s go.” He turned from the scene, ice settling deep in his gut.

He might not have known too much about his family’s affairs, but he decided that night, it all needed to change. It wouldn’t be long after that he went from “young boss” to “boss.”

Emilio drew in a deep breath. “We did technically meet at church; his father was tied to mine, they had several arrangements in place. But Oliver and I didn’t become very close for several years after the fact.”

Oliver moved around Emilio and fell onto the couch on Isa’s free side. “When we first met it was at my dad’s gravesite, remember?”

“I do.” Isa’s voice was a melody, soothing Emilio’s nerves. He did his best not to think of the night of his sister’s death, but Isa deserved to know everything. Including what had first broken him, turned him into the cruel man he was today.

“Remember the date on the gravestone?” Oliver asked.

Isa nodded her head slowly.

“That is the day after Emilio’s sister died.”