Page 67 of Vicious Behaviors (The Next Vicious Generation #3)

“Yes,” Alejandro lies. “At the time, Enzo Romano and I had been in a relationship for a couple of months, and though I know it goes against every vow I ever made to the Church, my heart spoke louder than my oath to the priesthood,” he says, the first truthful words he’s uttered so far.

“Enzo and I were… being intimate that night at the small chapel at Sacred Heart when Father McDonagh surprised us. I fear he already had his misgivings about me since he was supposed to be at St. Mary’s Cathedral at that time.

Suspicion must have driven him to visit the chapel that afternoon, and there he found his proof that I had broken my vow. ”

“And what happened next, Father Torres?” Izzie encourages, only for Gio to halt Alejandro from saying anything else.

“I want it on the record that my client is waiving his Fifth Amendment rights with the understanding that his confession will not be used against him in a court of law.”

“Yes, yes, Mr. DeLuca,” Director Roderick waves off, clearly annoyed.

“Your client has full immunity as per our deal. However, for the agreement to hold, we need his complete confession to establish that Father Torres acted in self-defense, not out of cold-blooded murder. Please proceed, Father Torres.”

Alejandro nods and takes a deep breath before continuing with his lie. “When Father McDonagh saw us together, he went mad. He started raving and thrashing, using one of the tall candlesticks to beat me.”

“Let the record show that a subpoena was issued to Mercy Hospital to release Father Torres’ medical files to the FBI.

Those files show that Father Alejandro Torres checked himself in with grave injuries on the same day Father Liam McDonagh went missing, proving his recounting of events,” Izzie says, ensuring the information gets recorded.

“Before I joined the priesthood,” Alejandro continues, “I vowed to live a nonviolent life. That I would lead by love and grace. And because of that, I didn’t react.

I let Father McDonagh beat me until I was hanging on death’s door.

Seeing that I was down for the count, he then turned his rage on Enzo.

And that’s when I reacted. I knew he would kill my lover, since he saw us as fiends—something he needed to eradicate from the world.

But my love for Enzo is not something ugly that needs to be expunged, Director.

Love is not a crime. It is not a sin. But what Father McDonagh was about to do was.

He was going to kill Enzo. I knew it. Enzo knew it too.

The fear in his eyes was what drove me to act and attack Father McDonagh, using whatever strength I still had in me to snap his neck until he was no more. ”

“What about the body? What did you do with the body?” Director Roderick asks, brow arched up high.

“We are the Catholic Church, Director. Do you think Father McDonagh’s death is the first crime to be committed on sacred grounds that was made to disappear?”

That’s all he says, leaving it to Director Roderick to fill in the blanks.

In his lie, Alejandro sprinkled enough of the truth to make his statement not only plausible but irreversible.

The FBI could question the Church all they want, demanding to know where the body was buried, but the Church plays by its own rules.

They’ll assume some nun got rid of the evidence before they were able to.

And hiding behind that blanket of assumption is how Alejandro will ensure that the truth of what really happened never sees the light of day.

“Thank you, Father. I’m sure that wasn’t easy for you to relive. But now we can at least close the case on Father McDonagh,” Izzie says, keeping her excitement in check.

My girl didn’t rat me out. She didn’t tell Haynes that I was the one who really killed the priest. Instead, here she is, fighting for me.

Fighting to keep us together. Last night, she showed me the lengths to which she would go to fight for me and our love.

What a fool I was to doubt her now. I will never make that mistake again.

“Do you have anything else you would like to ask Father Torres, Director Roderick?”

Director Roderick looks at Izzie with a cold stare before shaking her head. “No. You can leave, Father. And thank you for clarifying everything for us.”

“Of course. Glad that my client was able to be of assistance,” Gio says, standing up and helping Alejandro out of his seat.

I frown when I see that Alejandro is visibly shaken.

This must have taken a toll on him. Not only reliving what must have been one of the worst days in his life, but also lying on my behalf.

He’s made his choice now. His priesthood is no longer something he can keep.

He gave it all up. I’m not vain enough to think he did it for me.

I know what drove him to this. He loves my brother. It was Enzo that he chose.

“Let’s go,” my father says, placing his hand on my shoulder and leading me out of the room.

I can’t help but look at a red-faced Haynes, his beady eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.

“Better luck next time,” I wink, then proceed to walk out the door.

Alejandro and Gio are already standing outside at the end of the hallway, while Izzie and her boss remain near the interrogation room, probably to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on the case.

I throw her a glance, her golden eyes doing their best not to shout that we did it. And we did. We fucking did do it. All because of her.

I reluctantly turn my back on her and walk down toward Gio and Alejandro, who are waiting for us.

“I can’t believe we are letting this fucker walk?!” Haynes shouts like a madman behind me.

“Haynes,” Roderick scolds. “Compose yourself.”

“Fuck that,” he says maliciously. “We had him! We fucking had him! What about the crematory? He burnt evidence. We got him for unlawful disposal of a body, at least.”

“Actually, your star witness recanted his statement. Said that he was coerced by you,” Izzie says with a sly smile. “Though again, thanks for not keeping me in the loop. Just another thing to add to the complaint I’ve filed against you.”

“Bullshit! I didn’t coerce a goddamn thing! He came to me!”

“That’s not how he remembers it,” Izzie says, feigning ignorance.

“You did this, you little bitch! You ruined my case!”

I swiftly turn around to charge at the motherfucker for mistreating my woman, only for my father to keep his hand on my shoulder, holding me still.

“Do not throw away all this woman has done for you now. Isobel can handle herself,” my father warns.

“You didn’t have a case, Haynes. You wasted precious time and money on a witch hunt,” Izzie retorts with steel in her voice. “Don’t embarrass yourself further. Take the loss like a man.”

“We had him,” he mumbles, tugging at his hair.

“We fucking had him. And now you expect me to just stand idly by and watch him leave? When we were this close to getting all of them? Every last syndicate bastard?! No. No! He doesn’t get to walk.

He’s not getting away with this scot-free.

He’s a killer. A monster. Judgment day is here for the Romanos.

And if everyone in this fucking building is too much of a pussy to do what needs to be done, then I am not! ”

As Izzie is about to respond, I see Haynes’s hand reach into his jacket.

On pure reflex, I race toward the love of my life as he pulls out his gun.

But instead of aiming at Izzie, he aims his gun at me.

The next part feels like it all happens in slow motion.

One minute I’m running toward Haynes, and the next I’m being shielded by someone—my father, who places himself between me and him, taking a bullet to the back.

And when he drops to the floor, I go down with him.

“Father? Father? Dad! Dad!!!” I shout, his eyes growing heavy, as blood starts pooling on the floor.

“You haven’t called me that in years,” he says, placing a shaky hand on my cheek. “Thank God I’ve lived long enough to hear it one more time.”

Those are the last words I hear my dad say, before closing his eyes, with a soft smile cresting his lips.