Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 136731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
My legs take me as far as the open doorway. The image on the television rocks me. I barely notice when Julius moves past me, remote in hand. I snarl, “Leave it on.”
“Ana, baby, you don’t want to see this. Let me take care of it,” he offers reasonably.
Without any heat, I return, “Shut up.”
Moving toward him, I take the remote out of his hand, and he lets me. I turn the volume up louder than is necessary, but I need it. I’m so afraid of missing even a single moment.
My eyes water at the brightness of the screen, but instead of retreating, I move closer.
I skip back to the very beginning of the video and watch the horror unfold.
Gio steps into the screen. “Is this thing on? Yes. Good. Okay.” With a sigh, he moves to sit down on the empty chair.
The chair next to my bound and bloodied brother.
Miguel sits tall, even though his breathing is labored and his brow is split open, raw to the bone. He can’t talk due to the rag tied around his gawking mouth. His eyes are duller than I have ever seen them. He can barely keep them open.
Gio shuffles around in the chair. “Okay, so I’m guessing by now, you know that word has spread.” His smile is mocking. “Congratulations to the happy couple.” He claps lightly then turns to my brother, mussing up his hair playfully. “This guy, huh? You have to love this guy. So much faith, so little brains.”
Gio stands then, beginning to pace, all signs of humor lost. Suddenly, he stops and faces the camera, arms wide before placing his hands on his hips. “What the fuck were you thinking, Alejandra?”
He blinks into the screen as if waiting for a response. “We had a good thing going, you, me, and Dino. You were good for us. I mean, you fought, but I know deep down you liked it. You didn’t make us work too hard for it. It was the same every time. You fought, you broke, and then you sat there, and you took it, like a good girl. You were quiet and meek and fucking pathetic.” He glares. “Exactly the way a woman should be.” Sitting by my brother, he shrugs. “So what happened? What changed?” He nods as if in understanding. “Okay, so you’re pregnant.” He rolls his eyes and scoffs, “So fucking what?” Leaning in, he sobers and places his fingers to his lips, before removing them and stating, “I need you to understand that this baby, this brat, is mine now. I claim it as my own, and I’m coming for you and it.” He smirks cruelly. “I need to take care of my family, after all. The boy will need his uncle.” He glances at my brother quickly before looking back at the camera, his eyes shuttered. “One of them, at least.”
He stands from his sitting position, reaches behind him and removes a large hunting knife, running his fingers gently against the sharp blade. “What did you think, that I’d let you go like nothing ever happened?” He rushes forward, stopping just before hitting the camera, his eyes blazing, and growls through gritted teeth, “You took away the only person who understood me. The only fucking person who got it. Got me.” He steps away and runs a calming hand through his short hair. “And look at who you left me with.” He throws me a what-the-fuck expression. “My baby brother, Luc? The fucking pansy? I’ll bet if you pull down his pants, you’ll find a fucking pussy where his cock should be. Mister No-Unnecessary-Violence. Mister Making-Love-Is-Dandy.” A look of disgust crosses him as he shakes his head. “You fucking bitch. I will gut you for this.”
He stills then blinks up into the camera as though he just got a better idea.
Gio takes his knife and stills. “You need to be punished, Alejandra, and since you’re not here, someone needs to fill in.”
When he moves toward my brother, I’m already sobbing. “No,” I whisper hoarsely, my body quaking as I cry. “Please don’t.”
But I know my pleas are pointless. This video is only showing me what has come to be. And in my heart, I know my brother is already dead.
Gio grips Miguel’s hair and pulls hard, getting down so they’re nose to nose. My brother winces as Gio snarls, “What are you doing talking to Falco?” He wrenches his head back harder. “You got no fucking business talking to a man like that, you fucking faggot.” In the ultimate act of insult, he releases him a moment, only to slap him across the face. “Tell me what you sent him, and I’ll let you go.”
Gio pulls down the makeshift gag and my brother’s lip curls, his response weak and breathy. “Fuck you, you sick fuck.”