EL DIABLO II

by M. Robinson

  Adriana bowed her head, defenseless. She couldn’t meet any of our eyes. I never wanted to know what my sister was thinking more than I did in that instant.

  “You’re right, Michael,” Papá intervened, bringing our attention back to him. “This is between me and you. Leave my kids out of this. You want me? You have me. Let them go.”

  I stated the truth, “I’m not leaving without you. Michael, you said you wanted me.” His eyes locked with mine. “Well, I’m right fucking here. Standing before you. Let them go, including my father.”

  “Crucifixio—”

  Michael cut him off, “That’s not how this works. Now shut the fuck up and let me finish what I haven’t even started.” He aimed his gun at my forehead. “Get on your knees.”

  With my hands in the air, I did as I was told.

  Michael proceeded, “After all these years, all this time, you still think you’re untouchable, Martinez! If only they knew who you were. Who you truly are. They’d fucking hate you as much as I do! But you know what? It’s time they find out the truth, and I’m going to be the one who tells them. It’s time they realize who El Diablo really is.” He lowered his weapon, shifting the barrel to my sister’s head.

  “I’m going to tell you about your precious Daddy.”

  “Michael—”

  “Martinez, if you don’t shut the fuck up, I’m going to gag you! They deserve to know the truth about their father.”

  “It doesn’t matter what you say,” I explained. “I will always have loyalty to the man who brought me into this world. You’re wasting your time if you think you’re going to change my love for him.”

  Michael tilted his head to the side. “I’m going to try anyway. Your daddy’s first love wasn’t your mommy. He actually loved her mommy first. Sofia. Did he ever tell you about her?”

  “She killed herself. My mother told us.”

  “Sofia wasn’t always broken. She was full of life. Light. Your father did that. He broke her. Then when she killed herself because of him, he fucked her daughter. Your mother.”

  “That’s not how it happened, and you know it,” Papá informed. “You broke her.”

  “I loved your sister. She was the love of my life and you fucking killed her too.”

  “That was not my intention,” my father replied.

  “Right…how about your daddy? Was he not your intention either?”

  “What?” I chimed in, caught off guard.

  “Oh, you didn’t know about that?” Michael roused. “He killed his father because his mother was a lying, cheating, whore. And your grandpa put a hit out on her. You see, Martinez blood is fucking demon spun. Their answer to everything is murder.”

  “I gave you four years to come clean. Four fucking years to tell Amari the truth,” Papá bit. “She deserved to know how much of a piece of shit you were. You never loved her. I knew that since day one. Amari was blind, she got pregnant with Daisy to fucking trap you. That is how desperate she was to keep you around. That is how much she loved you. I loved my sister more than anything in this world, and not a day has gone by, where I haven’t thought about her. Every day I find a new way to beat myself up over taking her life.”

  We didn’t know any of this…

  Did my cousin Daisy know our father was behind the death of her parents?

  Chapter 43

  —Cruz—

  “I see her, I feel her every goddamn second, judging me with so much disappointment in her eyes,” Papá continued on. “She was my light, exactly like my wife and kids are. I never had any intention of hurting her. If I could switch places, I wouldn’t think twice about it. Amari got caught in the crossfire, so did Daisy. I wanted you. Not them. Let me make that really fucking clear.”

  “Lexi is my daughter too, and that’s the only reason she’s not here,” Michael clarified. “Another one of my kids won’t pay for your sins. Its why Daisy isn’t here either. They’re the only two things I have left in this world. I’ve watched them grow up beside you. I’ve watched them make families of their own. Raising my grandchildren, your children. Do you know what it is like watching from afar? Missing every birthday, anniversary, family gathering. Do you have any idea how many times I could have fucking killed you? Shot you dead. You’ve lived this second life, fleeing to Italy, acting like you deserve it!”

  “I don’t. I know that. I’ve wanted to take my own life so many fucking times. I can’t sleep at night, it haunts me. The gun. It would be so easy to end it all. It’s what I deserve and don’t think for one second I don’t know it.”

  I winced, hearing him admit what I always wondered. Why I’d find him alone in the middle of the night. He was thinking, contemplating…

  His death.

  “I fucking hate myself. Every. Single. Day. I look into my kid’s eyes and all I see is my demise. I love them. Please, Michael. I’m begging you. Take mercy on me.”

  “Like you did with me?”

  “Four years!” Papá repeated. “All you had to do was tell my sister the truth! What did you expect from me?”

  “Mercy! I fucked up. I paid for that. You killed the love of my life!”

  “How the fuck did you not die? Huh? How?”

  “You never asked to see my body. Remember? You identified your sister at the morgue, but not me. It’s actually really easy to fake your death. You should know all about that,” Michael replied.

  “Take this out on me! Not my kids! Not your grandkids! Let them leave! Now! For Lexi’s sake!”

  “Fuck you!” Michael seethed, glaring right at me. “You’re up, Cruz! It’s time to choose!”

  “I’ll kill you for this! I swear to God! I’ll fucking end you for this!” Papá started thrashing his body around, trying to get loose from the chair.

  “Who’s it going to be, grandson? Your sister or your wife? You have to choose! Tell me! Who gets to live and who dies?”

  I froze, not believing the scene unfolding in front of us. Ari and Sienna’s petrified expressions reflected back at me, franticly penetrating my gaze, looking for help. I’ll never forget the look in their eyes. It was this exact moment while we were all held captive by the lunatic with guns to their heads.

  The next few seconds played out like a horror movie, becoming my new reality. Where none of us would ever be the same again.

  “Do it! You need to choose! Tell me, motherfucker! Who is it? Tell me now!”

  I shook my head, unable to control the emotions flowing through me. Everything was happening so damn fast, it was hard to keep up with what was actually occurring. Time once again stood still, or maybe it moved faster, I couldn’t tell anymore.

  His words.

  My feelings.

  The girl’s pained, terrified stares all blended together. Nothing made sense. I was there, but I wasn’t. It all sounded the same—the panic, the voices, the life he wanted me to take.

  “Kill me!” I shouted out in an ear-piercing scream that resonated from deep within my lungs. Echoing off the domed ceiling, vibrating inside my core. “Do you hear me? Take my life!”

  “Please, Michael! Don’t do this!” Papá roared, mimicking my tone. “Don’t fucking do this! I’m begging you! Pleading with you! Don’t do this!”

  “Choose!”

  “Fuck you!” I stood, urgently patting my chest. “Kill me, motherfucker! Because if you don’t, I swear I’ll find you and kill you myself! This is your chance! I’ll bury you alive, you son of a bitch!”

  “You think I care about any of that? I’ve been dead since your father killed my wife! I hope you find me and kill me! I want to die! But first, you need to choose! Adriana or Sienna? Who’s it going to be? Tell me! Now!”

  “She’s your sister, Cruz,” Sienna stated with desperation in her voice. “Blood is thicker than anything. Do you understand me? I know this life. I’ve lived this life. I never thought I’d make it this far. Let me go be with my mother. Please, just set me free.”

  My eyes watered.

  My li
ps trembled.

  My body fucking shook.

  “Sin, don’t do this to me. You fight! Do you understand me? Don’t you ever surrender to anyone! Not even me!”

  “Cruz, I love you,” Adriana exclaimed, speaking for the first time. “I knew you’d find me.” Tears slid down the sides of her face. “You found me, okay? I’m right here. Do not leave her life in my hands. I don’t want the grievance of that. You might as well kill me, because I won’t be able to live with myself if you choose me. Please, brother. I understand.”

  “Ari…I can’t…” I couldn’t breathe. My heart was breaking, my body falling apart. “I can’t do this! Michael! Please! Just kill me!”

  The shattered look in their eyes and the broken expression on their faces taunted Michael to keep going. “Choose! You have three seconds to decide, before I do it for you!”

  “Please!” I sucked in air, forcing myself to keep going. Willing my mouth to move. The pain, the agony, the remorse, hitting me hard and all at once. My chest ached and burned. My heart breaking, bleeding out for all to see.

  “Three.”

  I was choking, hyperventilating, drowning deeper in my despair. There was no saving me from myself.

  “Noooooo!” Papá whipped his body around, ragging from the inside out.

  “Two.”

  “I can’t! Kill me! Just fucking kill me!” I repeated, feeling as though I couldn’t go on anymore. I wanted to die, I needed to die. My body fiercely battled with itself in a way it never had before.

  “One.”

  The torment.

  The remorse.

  My demons.

  Grasping for the very first time that my number one demon had been Michael, my grandfather all along. The destruction and devastation he brought into my life from the minute he took Ari and I walked into this room.

  This hell.

  “Times up, motherfucker!”

  “Nooooooooo!” I sprang forward as he pulled the trigger.

  Never anticipating the rest.

  Bang!

  I would recall this split second for the rest of my life. I swear it felt like a slow-motion bullet as the sound of gunfire shook off the walls. Watching as Vitale forcefully shoved Adriana out of the way, knocking her to the ground. His body jolted back from the impact of the bullet he just took for her in the side of his stomach.

  Before I could tackle Michael to the ground, another bullet resounded through the air.

  Bang!

  At first, I didn’t know what the fuck happened. All that could be heard was the distinct sound of gun powder exploding in the shell. Another bullet whizzing through the air and popping when it hit its target. It wasn’t until Michael’s head exploded a few feet away from my face, that I realized someone just shot him from behind. His lifeless body dropped to the ground in one loud, hard thud.

  All eyes shot in the direction the bullet came from. For a few seconds, no one moved, no one made a sound, including me. There was an indisputable sense of awareness piercing through the room. Deep and arduous. Stifling and unsettling. Despairing and merciless.

  Death.

  “Holy shit,” I breathed out, when I saw her standing there by another door. Holding a gun firmly in her hand.

  “No one fucks with my family. Not even…my father,” Mamá declared.

  Almost knocking me on my ass.

  Chapter 44

  —Cruz—

  Ari was the first to break the silence. “Oh my God. Christiano, are you okay? You saved my life.”

  Christiano? She knew his first name?

  The shocked expression on his face mirrored ours. It was obvious he was blown away by his own actions as much as we were. I didn’t know which was worse. Saving my sister’s life on pure instinct, or that it wasn’t his choice. Simply meaning, deep down…

  He cared about her.

  What the fuck?

  Mamá hurried across the room, running straight toward our father.

  “Alejandro,” she rasped, falling to her knees. Instantly grabbing ahold of his battered, bleeding face.

  However, he snapped his chin away, stating, “I’m fine.”

  His ego was a trait our mother was used to. She went to work on freeing him from the ties that bound him to the chair.

  My fist connected with the mirror on the vanity, punching it, and grabbing a shard of glass. I walked toward Ari to cut off her ties.

  Once she was free, she threw her bruised arms around my neck, whispering, “I love you,” in my ear.

  I hugged her close for a few seconds, needing to feel her in my embrace. I’d been dreaming about this moment for what felt like decades. As soon as I let her go, she bolted toward Vitale to help him, but her efforts were cut short when our men rushed into the bedroom.

  Guns ready for battle.

  Followed by El Capo and Gino.

  Vitale took one look at them and shoved Ari’s arms out of the way. With his hand firmly placed on his stomach, he jumped up and hauled ass toward the window. Shielding his face before busting through the glass. He tumbled onto the roof, disappearing in the darkness like he was never there to begin with. Our men leapt into action, tailing his escape.

  “No!” Adriana stopped them, standing in front of the broken window.

  I didn’t hesitate, ordering, “Find him! I want his head.”

  “Cruz! He saved my life!”

  “He wouldn’t have had to save your life, if he didn’t put you in danger in the first place, Ari! Go. Now!”

  They sprinted out of the room, listening to my command.

  “Cruz—”

  “Don’t.” I held up my hand, silencing my wife. “He fucked with the wrong man.”

  I didn’t wait for her response. In three strides, I fell down on my knees. My hands gripped onto the sides of her face, shutting her up, kissing her like she was my last breath.

  “For fucks sake,” I murmured against her lips. “You’re never leaving the house again.”

  She kissed me back and for an instant, we got lost in each other, before I helped her up off the ground.

  “Papá, Uncle Gino.” She threw her arms around both of them.

  “Principessa, are you alright?” Luciano asked, grabbing her face in between his hands, examining her. “Did they hurt you?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Gino, call the pilot. Tell him we’re on our way back. Make sure our doctors are there as well.”

  “Si, Capo.” He nodded, kissing Sienna’s forehead. “You stole my car.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

  “I won’t. I promise.”

  He nodded again and made his way out of the room.

  Papá tried to stand, but his body wasn’t having it.

  “Cruz, help me,” Mamá panicked.

  “Cariño, I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine. You can’t even stand.”

  Luciano and I hurried toward him, laying his arms over our shoulders for support, allowing his body to relax. Mamá, Sienna, and Ari walked behind us while we pretty much carried him down the stairs. We had to stop every couple of steps from the intense pain radiating through him.

  Carefully, we sat his fragile frame in Luciano’s car. Mamá sat closely next to him, resting his head on her lap. I shut the door and nodded to the driver to speed him to the plane.

  Knowing in my heart…

  Our father would never be the same after this.

  —Sienna—

  Cruz hadn’t left his father’s side since we arrived at Papá’s plane. If Martinez didn’t make it through this, there was no telling what it would do to his son.

  Taking a deep breath, I grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and made my way over to him. Placing the bottle in front of his face, signaling for him to drink, but he shook his head not wanting it.

  “You gotta eat or drink something, Cruz. You didn’t let the doctor inspect your arm, you could get an infection. Please take
the water, you need to stay hydrated.”

  He didn’t answer, he wasn’t listening to me. Inhaling another deep breath, I sat beside him, gently placing my hand on his knee.

  “He’s going to be fine.”

  “You heard the doctors, Sin. All his ribs are broken, his chest caved in. He’s old. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  “You have to think positive. It doesn’t help anyone thinking the way you are.”

  Again, he stayed quiet.

  “Your family needs you to stay positive. Cruz.”

  “I’ll feel better once I have Vitale’s head on a fucking platter.”

  My eyes shifted to Adriana, who was sitting in a seat across the plane, gazing out the window, looking every bit of lost and broken.

  “I know you think it’s the right thing to do, but what about your sister?”

  “What are you implying, Sienna?”

  I shrugged. “I think she feels something for him.”

  “It’s Stockholm Syndrome, it’ll pass.”

  “Well, you can’t deny he saved her life.”

  “And what? I’m supposed to ignore the fact he held her captive for months? And took you hostage as well?”

  “No. I don’t know. I just think she’s been through a lot and…maybe…I don’t know, maybe she needs him.”

  “You can’t be serious. Are you fucking with me right now?”

  “Of course not.”

  “You remember when you said you were my wife? Start acting like it, and don’t question my decisions when I know what’s in the best interest for my family.”

  I bit my tongue, knowing he was being an asshole because he was worried.

  “You know who I am and what I’m capable of. I don’t give a shit what Vitale did back there. I want his head, and I won’t stop until I have it.”

  “I do know what you’re capable of. I witnessed it with my own two eyes. I know what my father is capable of, and my Uncle Gino. I even know what your own father is capable of. I know it all. But behind the violence, the blood, the mayhem, you have a heart, Cruz. You love and protect your family, losing your own life if you had to. I’m not saying it makes what you do right, but I’ve seen both sides of you. The good and the bad.” I paused, letting my words sink in. “So maybe, Ari has seen both sides of Vitale too. That’s all I’m trying to say.”