Page 75 of The Devil's Heir

Liliana

"He needs a doctor!" I beg Greco as Jackson lays on the floor, bleeding out.

"Nobody's fucking leaving until Falcon gets back," Carlos replies, still pointing his gun at me.

"Jarek's out of the country…" I state.

I don't dare tell them he went to Italy to kill Rossi, but then, the man himself grins and says, "No, he went hunting for me. Surprise, surprise, I'm not there."

"Father," Zita says in English, "Please, don't do this!"

"Shut up! Mi deludi, figlia ." Rossi glares at Zita.

"I disappoint you? Look at what you're doing to innocent people!

I don't want to be a part of a family that brings shame to the Rossi name, and that's exactly what you're doing!

" My new friend glares back at her father as she moves to my side.

"At least have one of your men get Jackson a towel to help with the bleeding. "

Rossi's jaw is tight as he stares down his daughter, but then he nods, and I sigh in relief. A few minutes later, a stranger brings in a handful of towels and tosses them at Jackson.

"Search him and be sure he isn't carrying a weapon," Greco orders the guy.

Jackson stares at me as the man searches him, finding the one gun Jackson conceals around his ankle. I try to tell him with my eyes that everything will be okay, but I can tell he's worried .

"Is that you, Carlos?" A croaky voice asks from behind me just before Fran comes forward. "Well, I'll be damned. I always knew you were the bigger asshole of them all—even a bigger one than Falcon!"

"Francesca? Is that you? Well, I'll be…" Greco replies.

"Don't Francesca me, you dirty bastard! I stopped going by that name years ago. She died that night, all thanks to you and your fucking no-good friends! Between you and Falcon, I had no choice but to disappear."

"Doesn't look like you went very far," Greco smirks.

"I'll shove that smirk right up your ass if you try hurting any more of my friends. Your days of terrorizing people are coming to an end…"

Greco gives a hearty laugh and looks at his friend. Rossi joins in momentarily but then pulls his own gun out and points it at Fran's head. My friend just stands there, daring him to pull the trigger. I swear my heart stops beating until Greco pushes Rossi's arm down.

"No, leave her," he says to his friend, then returns his gaze to Fran. "I owe her. She'll live as long as she doesn't try anything stupid."

I look back and forth between Fran and Carlos, trying to understand what's happening. Fran told me about her past with Jarek's uncle, but she never mentioned other names.

"Let's move to another room. We might as well get comfortable while we wait for Falcon to return." Greco's eyes meet mine.

"Please, my son will need to be changed and fed soon," I tell him.

"So, how's that my problem?"

"I'll need his changing supplies and a bottle of milk when he's hungry."

Greco's eyes move to my chest.

"Don't you use those pretty tits to feed him?" There's a gleam in Greco's eye as he asks.

"I will not nurse my son in front of you!" I glower.

Greco shrugs. "Then your son will starve."

"Allow me to go to the baby's room and get the changing supplies." Zita steps forward.

"Fine. Go, but Mack will go with you," Greco agrees gruffly.

I mouth, "Thank you" to Zita, and she gives me a slight smile before going upstairs to retrieve the items Keirnan will need.

"Can you please just let my friends go and keep me? I'm the one you need to bring Jarek to you, right?" I try one last time, but it does no good .

"Ask again, and I'll kill every single one of them." Greco sneers, waving his gun toward my friends.

He then snaps his fingers and points to Jackson.

Two other men come out from the shadows, and each grab one of Jackson's legs and drags him into the front sitting room.

A trail of blood follows them, and I wince when I see how much my friend has lost. I don't know if Jackson will make it that long if he continues to bleed like he is.

Fran and Heidi follow me as I walk over to the couch and sit down. I reach for my son, but stop when I notice the blood still on my hands from trying to help Jackson. I don't want to dirty Keirnan with any of it.

Once Zita is back and Heidi has changed Keirnan's diaper, I turn to Greco and Rossi and ask, "So, what now?"

"Now,"—Greco grins—"we wait."

It's late. I'm exhausted, but I can't sleep. My eyes have been glued to Jackson's form, lying on the floor for hours. His breathing is so shallow, and I'm scared to death that he isn't going to make it.

My son sleeps soundly in Heidi's arms as she snuggles into the corner of the plush couch. Fran sits beside her with her eyes closed, but I know she's awake and aware of everything around her.

Zita seems to be the only one who sleeps on and off, but each time she wakes, it's startling, and she glares at her father before turning away from him.

I'm sad that her relationship with her father has taken such a hit, but I can't say that I'm sorry about it.

Rossi isn't a good man, and from what I've seen of Zita and being around her all these months, my new friend is better off without him in her life.

A ringing grabs our attention, and I watch as Greco pulls out his phone. He grins at me as he taps on the screen, and my heart races, knowing that it's Jarek.

"Falcon, I've been waiting for your call. I see you're back from your little jaunt to Italy." Greco muses.

I zone out, wondering if Jarek is just outside or if he is still driving here from the airport.

He must have heard what was happening by now because I had heard Lonzo and Koval's names being mentioned earlier.

The things that Jarek will do to these men make me smile.

They're in deep shit and don't even realize it.

They took the devil's property, and now they will find out what makes Jarek Falcon the boss that he is.

Once again, I am here for it, just like I was with Carmen.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when I'm yanked from my spot on the couch. Greco's two goons hold each of my arms as they shove me toward their boss.

"You have no idea how disgusting I can be, Falcon," Greco states before licking his lips salaciously as he stares at me.

Greco grips the top of my camisole and pulls at it, ripping it down the center. When I try to move away, one of his guys grabs my hair and yanks hard, causing me to cry out.

I hear Jarek yell through the phone just before Greco responds, "Maybe I should kill her like you did my niece…"

The rest of his conversation with Jarek turns my stomach as I realize just how sick Carlos truly is. Is that why Carmen did the things she did to Jarek? That doesn't change how I feel about what she did, but I at least understand why.

"He'll call back. He needs to calm down so he can think straight.

He's a young hot head," Greco says to Rossi after Jarek apparently hung up on him.

"I gave him a tough choice. He'll choose his heir, of course.

Then," Greco says gripping my jaw before adding, "This whore is ours to do with as we choose before disposing of her. "

I'm shoved to my knees beside Jackson's bloody form; my hair still being pulled back while Greco snaps a picture of me with his phone.

He's smirking the entire time he types out a message.

I'm guessing he's sending it to Jarek, which will only infuriate the devil further.

Greco is digging himself a deeper hole and doesn't even know it.

"Get her the fuck up," Greco orders.

I glance down at Jackson and find his eyes fixed on me.

He gives me an apologetic look just before I'm yanked away from him.

I'm devastated by the events that have taken place today.

Poor Seth—killed while trying to warn us, and how Jackson must have felt seeing Seth gunned down.

I know it will be forever burned into my memory.

Fran jumps to her feet and places herself between me and Greco .

"You will not touch her, Carlos!" Fran growls in his face.

"This is none of your business, Francesca ," he replies pointedly.

"I will not allow you to do anything to Lily. I may not have been able to stop you the last time, but I'll be damned if I stand by and let it happen again. Lily is a good woman and doesn't deserve any of this."

I'm confused about what Fran is talking about, but I'm fearful of the danger she's putting herself in. I try to interject, but my hair is yanked on once again.

"Miss Sumner should have thought about that when she decided to whore herself out to Falcon," Greco states.

"When is this going to be over? Haven't you caused enough damage? Is the Falcon Empire that important to you that you would sell your soul to Satan himself time and time again?" Fran's voice rises a few octaves as her words get heated.

"You know nothing, Francesca. None of this concerns you…"

"She concerns me!" Fran yells as she points to me.

Greco's amused demeanor hardens as he straightens his spine.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Greco asks Fran.

"Yes! If you ever cared about me, you will stop this once and for all. Enough people have died over this."

Whoa—what in the hell is Fran talking about?

Were these two lovers at one time? That would make sense as to why Greco hasn't threatened to kill my friend yet.

"I stopped caring the moment you left, Francesca."

"And why did I leave, Carlos? Say it!"

"Back… Off!" Greco orders through clenched teeth.

"No! I want you to say it! Own up to what you did—let them hear what kind of monster you really are! Tell them how you sacrificed our sister to those lowlifes who took her life, all because she was going to tell Falcon that you had his brother and sister-in-law killed!"

Wait, what? They're related? Fran and Carlos are brother and sister? Wow, I did not see that coming.

"You! You killed my parents?"

We all swing our gazes toward the doorway, and my heart soars when I see Jarek standing there, gun in hand, and pointing directly at Greco.