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Chapter Eighteen

Genesis

S omehow, I make it to Alfie’s building without causing an accident. I park the car and stay in the front seat, crying, until the security guard comes over to check on me.

“Ms. Torreli? Are you alright? Do you need help?” I sniffle and shake my head.

“Mrs. Maldonado now,” I correct, wondering why he doesn’t already know that.

My father’s team is efficient and methodical with their information, so I know it’s been circulated. I look up and find a masked man holding a large gun on a military-style strap.

“Are you new?” I question as he opens the door, but my instincts are screaming for me to leave, so I restart the car and gun it in reverse.

He’s able to grab the wheel and turn it, making me lose control and hit a concrete barrier. The impact throws me from the car, and I hit the driveway hard.

“Don’t move!” someone shouts at me, but as I try to sit up, my arm burns.

“AHH!” I fall onto my back and hold my arm to my chest.

“Shit! The bitch broke her arm. The boss is going to kill you.” Someone picks me up and carries me towards the elevator.

Every fiber of my being is screaming that if I get in that lift, I’ll never leave alive. I kick out, making him drop me, and as I struggle to get up and run, something hits the back of my head, knocking me out cold.

SLAP!

“Wake up, Genesis.” I blink open my eyes and search the dark for him.

“Dad?” I croak out, knowing I heard Marco’s voice, but I can’t find him.

SLAP!

“I’m not your fucking father. Just the unlucky bastard that knocked up your cunt of a mother. If Alfonoso hadn’t needed a kid so bad, I’d have killed her with you still in her womb.” His words hurt worse than his hits ever could.

“Then why am I here? Where’s Alfie?” He grunts at my question, and I sense movement around me, but can barely see a thing.

Until a body is dropped into my lap.

No, wait, not a body, a head! I scream and try to push it away, but that’s when I realize I can’t move.

“I’m sorry, let me fix him.” I finally see his evil face as he moves into my line of sight to turn Alfie’s head over to me, and I can see in his eyes.

My stomach lurches, and I puke, managing to get some on Marco’s arm. He growls and wipes his arm on my face before reaching back and slapping me again.

This time, the world spins on me, and I hit the floor hard.

I fight to stay awake, but when the head rolls into my limited field of vision again, my brain shuts off.

My ears are ringing, and someone is shouting.

I wish they’d shut up. I blink my eyes, and I’m met with bright lights everywhere. It hurts to look around, but I find the source of the noise.

“Zek,” I try to call out to him, but all that comes out is a croak.

“Which one hit you?” His voice is like a balm to my soul.

He’ll keep me safe. I open my mouth, but I can’t answer him. I just want him to come hold me. I’m warm and I can’t move my broken arm, and I’m feeling arms holding me.

I glance up and see Knight watching me.

“Line them up!” Zek calls out as he paces the room.

“I’ve got nine bullets in this gun. There are only six of you. You start talking, or I start shooting.” He looks manic, and every time our eyes meet, they darken even more.

“WHO HIT MY WIFE?” he screams, sending spit flying everywhere.

He stops pacing in front of one man and crouches down to look him in the eye.

“Was it you? No?” He stands after a moment of silence and then places the gun on his forehead.

BANG!

“How about you?” Zek moves down the row one at a time.

BANG!

“WAIT! It was him.” One of the men finally breaks, pointing at the man after him in the row.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

“I thought…you’d stop.” The one who talked stutters, looking up at my husband, confused.

“When did I say that?” Zek tilts his head at the last man.

“But why?” He looks around, expecting an answer to who knows what, but he isn’t going to get one.

I may not know my husband very well, but that grin on his face can not be mistaken for anything else but vengeance.

“They all watched it happen and did nothing.” Zek shrugs and lifts the gun.

“I told you what you wanted!” He tries one more time, but all he gets is a manic little laugh from Zek.

“Nah, you snitched.”

BANG!

He drops the gun once the last man is dead and rushes to me. Knight carefully moves me into his arms as Zek barks orders to the other men with him. I was so busy watching him, I didn’t even care what was happening around me.

“Marco,” I say, causing Zek to stop moving.

“He was here?” I nod and regret it immediately.

“He hit me. He did all this. He killed Alfie.” A sob leaves my chest for the old man.

“He dies.” Zek turns to Spector, nodding.

“FIND HIM.”