“No one would give you their loyalty, John. A sad truth in life.” He narrowed his eyes and raised his gun higher, right at my heart, a sinister expression on his face. His forehead reflected perspiration, and his hands shook as excitement shone through his gaze.
The fucker still got off on pain and fear, and it probably gutted him there was none left in me.
“Should have killed you back then. But no, it was amusing to watch your ass being fucked by S.” Then he started laughing, and my fists clenched. “You were leaning over Dominic’s body, crying. Surveillance cameras showed it. Truthfully, I didn't think you’d leave him there to die alone, while he still breathed. Mistake on my part.”
The fucker didn't deserve to say my brother’s name. Sapphire stirred, but he didn’t notice it.
Come on, baby. Wake up and run.
“You might have killed everyone else, but you won’t get your hands on me or S. We are invincible,” John continued, his face nothing but a mask of happiness. Sapphire finally snapped her eyes open and they widened in fear. She was about to speak, but I shook my head a little. Enough for her to know, but not enough for John to notice. “Sapphire was my baby girl. Granted, there was no choice but to disown her once she discovered the side business. I would never have wished for her to end up with you. You brainwashed her,” he spat out as his daughter grabbed my gun and held it tight.
The organization was destroyed. I killed all the members except S and John, but they had nothing without money and their men. With the FBI on their tail, looking at all of the Manhattan elite closely, no one would create anything like it for a long time. My brother could rest in peace knowing I kept my promise to him. His sacrifice saved so many lives.
The racing of my heart stopped. My breathing evened.
She was safe. I looked at her one last time, taking in all her beauty, her sapphire eyes that shone with love for me, the monster, and my heart tugged painfully.
The love of my life.
I would have loved to spend my whole life with her, given her children and a happily ever after. She was the only one who took my demons away and made me want to live. Dying when I’d finally found happiness with her wasn't my intention, but fate and life were fickle.
I love you, I mouthed to her as tears slid down her cheeks, and then my attention turned to her father, who in his haze and euphoria hadn't noticed this exchange.
“Should have killed you all those years ago,” John repeated, and then fired the gun.
Sapphire
A fist in my mouth stopped the scream that rose from deep inside me when the bullet touched his heart. Damian smiled then looked at me one last time as his eyes closed and he fell from the cliff. Five seconds, and the love of my life was dead, consumed by the ocean. I wouldn't even have his grave to visit.
I closed my eyes as piercing pain consumed me, and even the act of breathing destroyed me. I’d have followed him, taking my own life, but the test result changed everything.
Part of him and me.
I never got the chance to tell him he gave me a baby.
The thought of our child made me snap my eyes open. My father still watched the cliff, so without thinking, I squeezed the gun in my hands harder and ran.
Run.
That was the only thought in my mind, so I did.
My bare feet burned from touching the hot concrete, but I didn’t care. With everything in me, with all the power I had, I ran until I had no strength left.
I fell to my knees on the rough ground as I breathed heavily, trying to control my rapidly beating heart.
I heard him move; he was behind me.
“Sapphire.” His disgusting voice softened as he said my name. “Come with me.” My hand moved to my abdomen, where my baby lay, and determination like never before hit me as I stood up. “Good girl. Now let’s go. We need to get out of here.”
He’d ruined so many lives. I wouldn’t allow him to touch my child or continue living in this world. Turning around, I pointed the gun in my hand at him and he froze.
“Put the gun down.”
My hands trembled as all the memories we shared flew through my mind.
How could he do it?
How could he live in this world after taking away so many lives?
And more importantly…how could he think I’d go with him willingly after he killed the man I loved?
Never.
“Goodbye,” I whispered as my finger pulled the trigger.
With a guttural groan, he fell to his knees. He held his hand to his chest and looked straight at me with hatred in his eyes. Then he collapsed on the ground, dead.
My hands fell to my sides. Tears slid down my cheeks, but not because of him, no. The bastard didn’t deserve it. My tears were for all the evil he’d done.
The sounds of sirens in the background snapped me out of my stupor, and after a second, or an hour, or maybe more, a man softly touched me, covered me with a blanket, and helped me into the ambulance.