AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fucking Ivanov,” is the last thing he’s able to spit past pink-flecked lips before the light fades from his eyes. He collapses onto his side, blood pulsing from his severed throat, mingling with that of my mother and sister.
I stare down at them, still fighting for breath, as I clasp a hand over the gaping hole in my gut. And then I turn my eyes back to the twitching corpse of my first kill.
They’re all going to pay for this,I vow.
A second later, darkness claims me.
CHAPTER ONE
(22 years later)
Aurora
“We will be at the estate in thirty minutes,” the guard says. My answering nod is tense. It’s been over ten years since I left the De Luca estate. I’m not overjoyed to be returning. In fact, it fills me with dread as a flood of memories threaten to resurface.
What choice did I have? Father demanded that I come home.
Home.
I scoff because the estate has never been and will never be my home. Yes, my father and brother live there, but it’s been no secret that I don’t belong.
So why the order to return?
I’ve spent days trying to figure out why my father has insisted that I go back after all these years. The man hasn’t even called me since he sent me away. It is as though I ceased to exist from the moment I left.
“Why now?” I mutter as I glance outside through the black-tinted window as the car drives through New York City. As expected, it is busy, even on a Sunday.
My heart beats faster the closer we get to the estate. A sense of foreboding builds; maybe it’s because I know my father isn’t one to randomly call for a tearful reunion. As head of the Italian Mafia, Fernando de Luca is not one for niceties.
There has to be a reason for this.
Whatever the reason, I doubt it will be pleasant. I just want to get it over with, to hear what he has to say, and leave. The sooner I can get out of there, the sooner I can go back to erasing the miserable memories.
As the car turns onto a more deserted road, my heart continues to beat wildly. We’ll be there soon. My hands feel clammy. I nervously rub my palms on the coarse fabric of my jeans.
“It’s just for a short time,” I mutter, trying to reassure myself as the tall gates of the estate become visible. I tense because I know this is it. The car drives in through the gates, and we start another short journey to the main house’s entrance. I glance around at the property. Nothing much has changed since I left.
The car draws to a halt, and the bodyguard quickly gets out of the car to help me with the door. I am tempted to tell him I can handle it myself. After all, I’ve relied on myself all these years.
“Is Simon here today?” I ask the driver, who shrugs.
“I don’t know, Miss,” he says politely. It makes little difference if my elder brother is here, though. If this is important, I will be dealing with just my father. And he wouldn’t have sent for me if it wasn’t important.
I alight from the car and take steady steps toward the entrance, even though I am shaking on the inside.
The door opens, and I am surprised to find Mrs. Latha is still the estate housekeeper. She, too, looks no different from the last time I saw her.
“Welcome, Miss De Luca,” she greets me with a broad smile.
I flinch when she mentions the De Luca name. I don’t feel like I fit into the family. I’m surprised my ever-loving father hasn’t stripped the name from me.
“Good afternoon Mrs. Latha. It’s Aurora, remember?” I tell her as I smile in a way that I hope will seem gentle. Her eyes widen before she nods.
“Alright…Aurora. Your father is waiting for you in his study.”
I manage a curt nod. Of course, he is. What was I expecting? That my father would be delighted to see me and want to welcome me himself? As if there is a chance of that ever happening. He didn’t even call to see if I got to the airport safely. He sent his men to pick me up. What other proof do I need? I am still coming back to the same cold man I left behind ten years ago. The man who drove my mother away.
Though the way he tells the story, that responsibility rests firmly on my shoulders. I shove the thought away.
