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In an ideal world, they would have been my legacy.
But the world wasn’t like that. The world was cruel.
And the Blades would have to be enough.
Chapter Fifteen: Teo
Iwatched the Viper as he leaned in closer to me. His eyes glimmered dangerously in the sterile hospital light, a predatory smile playing on his lips. "You'll do as I say, Teo," he said, his voice low and threatening.
I stared back at him, defiance in my eyes.
"The only thing I'm going to do is protect Sofia from you," I retorted, the words slipping out before I could stop them. The Viper's dangerous smile widened, but there was no amusement in his gaze.
"Is that so?" He asked, stepping back from me. I could feel the tension crackling in the air, pungent with danger and uncertainty. This man had controlled my life once. There was no way in hell I was going to let him do it again.
His eyes, cold and unwavering, seemed to bore into my soul, probing for all the secrets I held close. His lips pulled back in a nefarious smile, revealing a set of perfectly aligned, white teeth. "I've been watching you, Teo," he cooed, his voice dripping with malicious intent. "All of you. I have associates abroad, but you see, things are getting…hot. I’m almost certain that law enforcement is watching me. I don’t want that. My associates get very nervous when someone knows about them.”
My heart thundered in my chest, the steady rhythm echoing in my ears. His words spun a web around me, a suffocating trap that felt more real with every passing second.
"What do you want?" The question slipped from my lips before I could stop it, my voice barely above a whisper.
The Viper's smile broadened, his eyes glowing with an eerie satisfaction. "I just want to make sure that we're on the same page. You watch my back, I spare your girlfriend.”
"And what if I say no?" I shot back, crossing my arms over my chest.
A dark gleam passed through his eyes, and he leaned in closer. "I wouldn't recommend that," he said, his voice dropping into a low, threatening growl. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to Sofia, would you?"
My heart pounded in my chest at his words. The Viper knew exactly what to say to get under my skin, to make me fear for Sofia and everyone else I cared about. I ground my teeth together, fighting against the surge of anger that welled up inside me. He didn’t care about his daughter, he never had.
"Do you think threats will make me do your dirty work?" I challenged, uncrossing my arms and lunging toward him. I might have been hooked up to a bunch of machines, but I was thinking about ripping them off the back of my hands and punching him.
“Like you said, you’ve lost,” he replied. “I want to manage your ops. That way, Sam and Sofia stay alive. Think about it, Costa. But not for too long, or I’ll make the decision for you.”
He stood up and walked out of the room without another word, leaving me to stew in my growing anger and fear. I wasn't a fool. I knew that the Viper wasn't one to be trifled with, and his threats held weight.
But was I really going to sit back and let him maneuver his way into our operations, into our lives? Let him hold Sofia as a bargaining chip? The thought alone made my blood boil. I'd sooner die than let that happen. He had wanted revenge, and he had more than gotten it.
I couldn’t just…let him take everything I had worked for. But if it meant keeping Sofia safe, then that was good. I had to do that. My operation, and my men, be damned.
I sat there for a while, my eyes staring blankly at the sterile white hospital walls. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions, quicksand threatening to pull me under with every breath.
There must have been something I could do. Something. Anything. I looked at the tubes that were connected to the back of my hand, to my arm, and I felt bile rise in my throat as I thought about what I had to do next.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. One by one, I began to tug at the lines. The IV made a soft pop sound as it came out of my arm, and I swallowed back the wave of dizziness that washed over me.
The blood was making it so much worse. But I needed to go after him. I had to do something.
It felt like my veins were being ripped apart by the needle, the pain blazing through my body like a wildfire. But, I had to do this. For Sofia, for Sam, for all of us. Swallowing back the bile that had risen in my throat, I yanked out the last of the IVs, ignoring the biting sting and warm trickle of blood staining my skin.
Pushing myself up from the hospital bed was like fighting against a massive tidal wave. My body was screaming at me to stop, but I wasn't one to back down from a fight. I knew if I lay down again, if I gave in to the beckoning darkness creeping at the edge of my vision, we'd all be lost.
Slowly, painfully slow, I managed to swing my legs over the side of the bed. My bare feet hit the cold linoleum floor sending shivers up my spine. My knees buckled under me but I clung onto the bed rail, my knuckles going white from the effort. I steadied myself, took deep breaths, and started shuffling towards the door.
I pushed open Sam's door silently and stepped inside. He lay there on the bed, pale and still as death. His dark hair was messy on his forehead and there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept properly in days.
His eyes fluttered open at my presence and widened in surprise when he saw me standing there. “Teo? What...what are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you,” I rasped, my voice hoarse from lack of use and the exertion of getting here. “I’ve got something to tell you.”
