SHE IS THE MAFIA (BOOK#2)

Chapter 38

***About 40 minutes the reported fire at Moore Mansion***

***Elias POV***

I stand dazed over the kitchen sink as I watch a diluted red liquid swirl down the drain with the rinse of my hands. A dead body lays a foot away from me, and I do not know what to do next. I have nothing that can help me find Tempest's whereabouts. My mother keeps calling my phone. I cannot focus under these circumstances.

All I want is Tempest to sit here and tell me it's going to be okay.

"It is okay,"

I swiftly turn around to see who could have said that.
I blink multiple times, wondering if what I am seeing is even real.

"Tempest..." I say, slowly walking to where she is sitting at the dining table. She wears a grey shirt, my shirt.

This can't be real.
She looks polished, clean, undamaged.

"Oh my god, Tempest," I kneel in front of her, holding each side of her crossed legs, examining every bit of her, "You're, okay?"

"I'm okay," she whispers, smoothing out my hair, "You're sweating, Elias,"

I touch my forehead to feel the beads of cold sweat that lay there. I didn't even realize.

She uses two fingers to lift my chin, "You look pale,"

"I-I am fine, Tempest. I am just glad you are okay... H-how did you get here, love? Why aren't... How..."

Her index finger touches my lip, silencing me from my blabbering, "How could you leave me like that?"

I shake my head, guilt settling in my chest, "I wasn't going—"

"It's all your fault... If only you had understood where I was coming from... if only you didn't leave, I would still be with you," she starts crying so suddenly and I feel panic surge through my body.

"But you are here. You are okay... everything is fine,"

I feel a tap on my shirt.
then another.

Tempest's eyes stare at my chest.
Her nose begins to bleed.

"Love," I reach for her, but she grabs my hand to stop me.

That's when I see my fingertips.
Which are covered in fresh blood.

She stares at me, "Get out of here,"

"What?"

"Wake up, Elias.... You need to wake up and GO!!!"

"Tempest, I can't leave you. I love you,"

She forcefully pushes me off and darts for the kitchen door.

"TEMPEST!!" I scream after her, my body getting extremely hot, "STOP!!"

She turns for a second and yells, "WAKE UP!!"

The world begins to dark around me as air leaks involuntarily out of my lungs.

Wake up.
wake up.
wake up.

My eyes open wide, and I heave for air.
The palms of my hands feel the cold, where spots of blood scatter close to each other.

My nose is bleeding. For real this time.
I look around to see that I am right next to where I was washing my hands.
Annette's dead body lays a few feet away.

Slowly, I raise from the floor and reach for a paper towel.

I hear a click and something hard pressed against the back of my head. I flinch.