His Little Diamond

10~ Bloodbath For a Princess

༻𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨༺

"Well don't just stand there, brother. Shoot me," I taunt, and walk closer to the unafraid man. Though outwardly he looked rather harmless by his soft reddish brown hair and bony hands, he actually resembled me in many ways at the core of his heart. He wasn't a coward, nor a soul that was meant to crumble in a meer second. He had a goal, he'd aim to fulfill it, and that was the end of it.

He processed those words mentally, still a bit shaky at the English language. His fingers were still curled around the handle of the gun that was pointed at me. "Why are you doing this Ramerio?" he spat, and those words thickly left his tongue. He was clearly pierced in the gut at my decision. I could see that much. But I didn't care.

I proceeded to step towards him, and he remained stiff. When I felt the gun press against my chest, I ceased my movement and looked into his green eyes. "You're normally not afraid to pull the trigger Carter," I husk, "What's different this time. Hm?"

A silence fell over him, as it did with anyone when I'd toy like this. "Do it," I pleaded with a smile. Still no action was taken, so I cupped my hand around the one he had on the gun to give him a little boost of courage. "I'm open to a bullet wound, little brother. Take the invitation."

Suddenly, there that airhead was. Carter's cheeks flushed red and he decked me right in the face with the pistol, making my chin tilt back. I remained grounded. Not bad, but I could do better.  I drove my fist into his left jaw and kneed him in the abdomen, sending him stumbling.

We fought...

And fought...

And fought some more.

Until there was blood on the floor.

Carter laughed, sprawled out on the ground as if he was in the process of making a snow angel. Blood was still trickling out of his nose, but if I would have known better, he seemed to like it. He was a creepy little pot of existence indeed.

I grunted and sat up from the floor, taking the knife out of my arm. That had been done by accident. At least it wasn't in my eye. "What are you laughing at?" I asked my brother.

"They're going to kill you, Ramerio," he responded with ease.

Davidson, who had risen from his nonconsensual slumber, had brought me towels and a large bowl of ice water for my wounds. I sat on a stool and allowed him to tend to me. Thank goodness he was used to instances like this.

"I know they will," I answered, wincing at the alcohol that was going into my wound. I've never wanted to cry so hard in my life.

Carter wiped his dirty bloody nose with the back of his wrist and stood, "What's in it for you? Why even go through all the trouble about to come your way for a girl who killed our family?"

"It's more complicated than-"

Carter spat onto the ground, "How is it complicated Ramerio?! You've only known the girl for how long, and you're willing to give up your life for her?! Do you realize-"

"She doesn't know!" I shouted over him.

I could visibly see his breathing come to a still. His shoulders slowly fell from its tight position and his eyes widened, lingered more with disgust than fascination. "W-what do you mean she doesn't know?"

I held my face in my hands, trying to calm down. It wasn't like me to scream. I loved the quietness more than anything. "She doesn't know who she truly is and what she's done. She's innocent, and I can't act as if she isn't. If I allow her to be killed, that will haunt me for the rest of my life."

Carter clenched his fists then released, letting out a soft accented sigh. "Sei diventato dolce fratello," he said before turning his back to make his way to the door. ("You've gone soft brother.")

I blinked repeatedly.

Have I really?

• • •

In the process of mopping the blood-stained floor, I saw something on my security camera. A big U-haul pulling a Chevrolet Impala. Liara was coming and I wasn't ready. Why was I panicking?

"Carter! Go distract the girl!"

My brother looked back at me from the kitchen, tying his hair up. A tissue was still hanging out of his nose, "Huh?"

"She's coming!" I announced and hurried to my bedroom to clean up and change.

If only I knew getting him to retrieve her would be a huge mistake.

• • •

By the time I had finished getting ready, the door was already open. I saw Liara standing there, her Grogu plushie in hand, and my dumb prick of a brother towering behind her with an assassin suit on. Was he trying to freak her out?

Of course, that was the least of my worries. The blood was still on the floor, and I was standing over it in a perfectly clean suit, trying to look as sane as possible. An awful attempt, truly.

I bowed as if I was her knight.

"Welcome home princess-"

A loud exhale came out of her from nowhere, and when I looked up, I saw she was leaned back into my brother's arms. Eyes closed and fingers cold.

She fainted.

Dear, God.