“Do we leave him?” Devon asked. This whole time I was convinced it was Devon who had been on the wrong side.
“Yes,” Zerro said, pulling the blade from my blood stained hand. I shuddered to realize I had killed not one person, but two. This time though, I felt no remorse. Not even a morsel. Mack deserved death more than anyone.
“You gave her this?” Zerro asked eyeing the blade in his hand. There was a long far off look and a balancing of respect.
“Yes, I knew she would need it. I know you gave it to me for safe keeping, and I never was able to give it back to you. I wanted her to have it,” Devon said smiling at me. I didn’t see what the big deal was. We should be trying to get out of here.
“What’s the big deal, let’s go,” I mumbled heading toward the door where Jared was standing. He then wrapped his arms around me.
“That’s the blade his mother gave him when he was a child. It was his first throwing knife,” Jared whispered in my ear. Realization hit me at that moment—the engraving on the blade said something I didn’t understand. It was Italian. How did I not know that?
“What does it mean?” I asked without hesitation knowing Jared would know what it said.
“Per il Mio Caro Figlo,” Jared said the words with elegance as if he had always spoken the language. “It means for my dear son.”
For my dear son. I looked back toward Zerro, who had tears in his eyes. I had killed the man who had been our nightmare with the blade his mother had given him. It was kind of like his mother had been here with us this whole time.
“We need to go.” Jared interrupted the sweet moment his voice pounding in my head. I could see the flashing lights, which were basically right on top of us.
“I can’t,” Zerro said. There was nothing more in his words. Panic seized me. What did he mean he couldn’t?
“What do you mean you can’t?” Mack was dead. We could have our lives back.
“Someone has to pay for all the damage done, Bree. Someone has to turn themselves in.” Zerro eyed me, his own face hidden of any emotions.
“You… You can’t, you won’t,” I pleaded, fighting against Jared’s hold.
“I can. I have to, Bree. I want you to live a happy and healthy life without a monster like me around. I have done some really fucked up things in my life, but loving you and taking you was never one of them.”
I could feel the tears streaming down my face. “You can’t fucking do this to me,” I screamed, my fists beating against Jared.
“I have to. This is the only way you can walk out of here right now. So go. I love you. I love you so fucking much, but you had to know we wouldn’t ever get this happiness, Bree.” He was directly in front of me, and I wanted to reach out, even for a fraction of a second, to feel his skin against mine.
As if he could read my mind, he cupped the side of the cheek and kissed me with so much passion. Every word he had never said to me could be felt in that single moment.
“Take care of her, Jared,” Zerro said pulling away, giving me one once over before he gave Jared the signal to take me away. I continued to thrash back and forth screaming. I didn’t care if they found us if they took us in. I cared about Zerro.
My heart ached, and as I watched the last of his body move from my sight, it was then when I felt my heart breaking into a million pieces. He had done this to save me. To save us. Didn’t he realize I didn’t need saving—I didn’t want saving.
“Jared, you can’t let him do this,” I pleaded… Mack being dead meant nothing to me. The fact the man I love was going to be taken by the FBI without a chance of ever coming out—that’s what mattered.
“I have to, Bree. I promised him.” That was all he said. And it was then I understood. He wanted me happy—I had found my home, my family.
“Please, Jared. Please.”
“It’s done,” he said, his tone hard. He shoved me into the back seat of the SUV just as the first car came into sight. Holding me tightly against his chest so I couldn’t move, I watched as the man I loved was left behind. I stared, watching until he was nothing but a speck in my eyes. Tears streamed down my cheeks like an endless river as I prayed they would drown me. Nothing would end the pain. My chest was sliced wide open and my heart barely beating. My chest constricted as I tried my hardest to take a breath, but nothing was coming. No air would enter my lungs and I felt it. Deep down inside of me, I had lost my very reason to breathe—my heart was breaking with every absent breath.
Zerro
All I could see every time I closed my eyes was her beautiful face etched in madness. I knew her heart was breaking. What was worse—it was my fault.