Blade

Chapter 16: Psychotic patient

Blade

I walk through the halls that remind me of nothing but that day. The echoes of pain, sorrow, fear, and suffering cling to every corner, pressing against my chest. I can feel the fragile wall I built around my heart crumbling, piece by piece. It burns like fire inside me.

The white porcelain tiles gleam under the harsh light, and staring at them makes my stomach twist. I want to retch. I want to curl up and let the waves of fear and grief wash over me until I am empty, until my eyes are dry from crying. It is suffocating.

I glance at my watch. The hands point to 12:00pm. I do not know if I am early or late. All I know is that my heart pounds violently, urging me to end this, to get through it, to survive it.

Sitting by one of the tables in the room, I lean back on the chair and try to keep my breathing under control. I can do this.

My fingers drum impatiently on the tabletop, each tap echoing the storm inside me. Then I see him enter, flanked by a nurse. He wears a plain white shirt and trousers, his black hair tousled as if he's just woken from a nightmare. His eyes are red, hollow, as if all light has been drained from them.

The moment his gaze locks on mine, a wildfire of rage ignites within me, scorching my veins and making my nails bite into my palms until the blood seeps out. His face remains calm, as if my fury is nothing more than a minor inconvenience, yet I can feel every inch of his attention searing into me.

"You've got five minutes, Mr. Armani. The patient needs to take his medication," the nurse says, but I don't respond. My eyes are fixed on the man who destroyed my entire life; past, present, and future.

"Nice to see you still care about me, son," he whispers hoarsely, a crooked smile curling on his lips that makes me want to end him right here, right now. I force myself to hold back.

"Never call me that word because it's worthless when it comes from you," I seethe. Staring into his soulless black eyes, all I see are the vile images of the day he killed her. It terrifies me, but I push the fear aside. There is no room for fear in my life, only hatred and anger.

He chuckles, but it carries no emotion, just like his empty heart. The wicked smile he throws my way sends chills down my spine. This man no longer terrifies me completely, yet a small flicker of fear lingers. Perhaps it is a broken part of me that refuses to heal.

"You haven't changed one bit, Blade. You are still the wretched son of a bitch I was forced to raise."

"Oh really? And whose fault is that?" I ask, shooting daggers at his irritating face.

His mouth twists into a sneer as he rubs the stubble along his jaw. "That is a stupid question, Blade. She deserves to die and rot in hell. You should have joined her in the casket when you had the chance, but don't worry, another opportunity will come. I heard you persuaded Francesco's daughter to marry you, something her father and I discussed long ago. If you like, I can do to her what I did to your mother, and this time you can join her in the casket."

My blood boils as I push up from the chair and snatch him by the throat. Hearing him speak those words about my mother drives a knife into my chest again and again. It tears at me, leaves a raw, permanent ache. She did not deserve to die. She was too kind, too gentle, too innocent for this cruel world. She did everything she could to keep me away from the darkness, but the tide was stronger. This monster stole her from me. He stole the only light I had, and he destroyed what was left of me.

I may not like Sienna, but I can't shake the urge to protect her at any cost. I don't know why, and I don't think this feeling is going anywhere soon.

"You know, I could kill you right here and no one would stop me," I mumble, my voice pure venom as he trembles beneath my cold, hard stare. "But I'm not a monster like you. I'm not a psychotic maniac. I'm not evil. That does not mean I won't take pleasure in watching you suffer until you die a slow, painful death. The next time you say anything about my mother or my fiancée, you'll find out exactly how ruthless I can be, and this time you won't find mercy in my eyes."