CHAPTER 144Cassius tilted the handle of his wheelchair to lock it, back straight despite the stiffness in his lower spine. His son, Wilson, paced near the window. He looked unsettled and it was there on his shoulders. His jaw was tight, and he had been at it for two hours.“You should slow down,” Casssius whispered. “You would kill yourself.”“Im better off dead,” Wilson lamented. “This is no life. We got the money but we are entrusted with one thing. Look at my fingers— my hands and you, we have no idea when you'll be out of that wheelchair.” Cassius let out a sigh. “At least we can eat now.”“We can't do what we used to, don't you get it?”Cassius shrugged. “I do, but look at it son. We've got life.”“It's not enough. I want revenge. I want the skull of that girl in my hands. I would paint it and hang it up in my room as a souvenir. I want to take back all she took from me in the wink of an eye.The creak of the old apartment door made them both turn.R walked in like a breeze th
CHAPTER 143Usually he would wear black but not today. Today wasn't one of those days when he would dress to scare.Instead, he wore a soft grey sweater and faded jeans. His usual scowl was replaced with a calmer and softer look. He didn’t walk like death today, rather he walked like a stranger trying not to scare a cat.The room's back door creaked when he entered, with arms full of plush toys, bright snack bags, and a pink-and-purple doll set tucked beneath one elbow. He ordered his guards to stay outside. Today was for him and the girls.The faint scent of old crayons and spilled juice filled the living room and the little girls sat huddled on a couch, with eyes wide opened. They seemed to be playing but the moment they saw him, they scrambled backwards. Madelaine darted behind the couch and Adelaide crawled under the coffee table with her bunny.Lucifer set the things down slowly on the couch. “I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, with a very low and careful voice. “I brought you s
CHAPTER 142Katherine sat on the edge of the oversized velvet armchair, with her arms crossed tightly over her chest and her eyes fixed on the floor. There was a brief and suffocating silence like if one of them dared make a noise, Someone might end them.Giovanni poured two glasses of red wine. He took his time with it, swirling the liquid, and watching it settle.“You look good,” he muttered as his eyes lingered on her, taking in her curves in the red dress. “What’s the occasion?”“Don’t do that,” she said quietly, her voice tight. “Didn’t you say you needed to... talk to me?”“Oh? You do like hearing things don't you?” he whispered, with a smirk.Katherine swallowed. “Why... why am I here?”“Because I enjoy your company,” Giovanni said with a wide grin.Katherine’s jaw clenched, and she shook her head, her eyes darting toward the door. “I don’t want to stay. Please let me go.”“Not until I decide,” Giovanni said.Katherine’s breath hitched as she forced herself to meet his eyes, wh
CHAPTER 141The early morning air was chill as it occupied Asher’s lungs. Breathing in was hard and it made his insides numb. His feet hit the pavement in rhythm as he jogged, left, right, left. Almost as though he was trying to outrun the problem in his chest. The streets were empty and the sky still gray with dawn. He sighed deeply.He needed this.Ever since Lucifer’s visit… the blood, the screaming, the stench of gunpowder, it all haunted him. But worse than the pain in Lucifer's voice or his sister ’s sobs, was the realization that Katherine had never made it home.Lucifer hadn’t said it outright, but Asher could almost taste it in his words. Katherine was still missing and if she was alive, he couldn't tell.He jogged faster, trying to drown out the thoughts from within and his breath fogged in the cold air.The sound of the ringtone breaking the silence, interrupting his music and the vibration in his pocket stopped him dead in the tracks. He slowed and pulled out his phone.W
CHAPTER 140The sky was a thick shade of ash and the rain poured heavily against the rooftop of thel bungalow like it was trying to peel it off. Lightning darted across the sky and the thunder rumbled every now and then.Lucifer pushed his hair out his face and held his weapon tightly as he stood before the metal gate, with two of his guards flanking him with stone-cold faces and their guns already drawn.“Clear anything in the way but the family,” he ordered. “Yes, lord,” they said and aimed their guns.The dogs came first, walking up and down in distress. It was almost as though they could sense them. Three of them barked and charged which pissed Lucifer off. He had wanted a silent announcement but all thanks to the dogs for being the SOS.The dogs didn’t make it past the gate because Lucifer already raised his gun with a strong calculation and fired. Three bullets, three thuds and their barks rolled back into their throats before it was followed by a defeating silence.They forced
CHAPTER 139Katherine’s head ached. She couldn’t tell how long she’d been down there. The days bled together, and she couldn't tell the night from the day and all through, food was passed to her in a tray, slid underneath the dungeon gates. But she couldn't bring herself to eat it even though it smelt good— looked good. It was left untouched and taken out the next day.Every night she cried herself to sleep, calling Noah’s name until her throat was raw. Her stomach ached, but she refused to eat. It wasn’t hunger that gnawed at her, it was the grief and fear of something happening to her son.Each time the door opened, she screamed for Noah, hoping it was him, but it was one of those cruel guards.And each time, she was beaten for it.A week went by, and she was on the same spot, bruised, and weak and also thin. But she never stopped. She was cold. Hungry. Tired. The only thing keeping her sane was the thought of Noah. Of holding him again.And Lucifer.God… she hated herself for it, b
CHAPTER 138Katherine stepped out of the Landan house looking weary. She had no idea how long she was going to walk before she could get into town. Asher had given her a small map but she had seemed to forget how to use those things. It was a bit tricky but she had thanked him for his kind gesture. And she had to be quick else this was the time that the Landans usually returned and if they saw her on the road that could lead to other complications.The goodbye with the girls, the way Asher pressed that card into her hand, she couldn't stop thinking of it all. she held Noah tightly to her chest. She had no idea how heavy he had become. He was a big baby, warm but really had enough healthy weight.She draped the blanket over her shoulders tightly. Her back ached and her shoulders but she needed to get away from there first.She hadn't even gone a distance until a black van pulled up behind her. She paused in her tracks looking around for where to dash into but it was too late.She drop
CHAPTER 137Katherine’s fingers trembled as she folded the last piece of clothing into the worn, faded bag. Her vision blurred, hot tears clouded the shapes of everything in the room.She sniffled, biting her lip hard enough to hurt. Why did he have to show up? He shouldn't have even tried to. She was fine without him, was figuring life out by herself.A soft knock came at the door, and before she could answer, tiny feet padded in. Adelaide and Madelaine with their eyes round and curious, stood in the doorway. When they saw the tears streaming down Katherine’s face, they didn’t ask what was wrong rather they simply moved to her. The two little girls wrapped their arms around her legs, holding her tight.Katherine dropped to her knees and gathered them into her arms, pressing their heads against her shoulders as the sobs came harder.“Will I ever see you again?” Madelaine asked, her voice shaky and her eyes glossy with tears.Adelaide clung to her tighter. “I don’t want you to go…”Ka
CHAPTER 136Asher sat with Noah resting quietly in his arms, the child’s tiny face pressed against his chest. His little hands clutched at Asher’s shirt without even knowing why. Asher glanced down at him and for the first time really looked. Although both parents Dna had contributed to the boy, his eyes… they were just like his father’s,Lucifer Cain.The ruthless, famous man whose reputation made even hardened men lower their heads. So this was the person Katherine had been running from all this time. The deadly Mafia.He wanted to know how she ended up with him. He had called her wife, asked for his son, showed possession and Katherine was vulnerbale. So vulnerbale and broken. Even after he left, she was still sitting in silence and trembling.Asher swallowed hard as he tried to put his messy thoughts together. The first time he heard of Lucifer, he had wanted to look for a way to harm Ethan. To set him up and fuck him up. But he couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand them. They wer