STOLEN || 18+ (Monsters #3)

.96. Rage

"That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

. . .

Leyla Campbell

"We need to stop," I told Gabriella as I looked over my shoulder. Four bodyguards had their hands full of bags. How they were walking with that much in their hands, I didn't know.

"We haven't even reached a book store yet," she said to me as she glanced at the bodyguards. "They are so hot."

"And you are a child." I looped my arm around hers, our heels clicking on the floor of the mall. Apparently, the building belonged to the Valentinos. With so many many stores here of luxurious brands, I could only imagine how much this mall alone made for them.

"I am fifteen, almost eighteen," she muttered.

"Don't risk growing up, Gabby," I said. "Do you see a bookstore? I think they only have cars on that side. Maybe we should go up."

She sighed. "My feet hurt."

"I don't care. We're getting books first."

"You're a horrible guardian."

I dragged her to the lift, attaching myself to the corner so that the giant bodyguards could have all the space they needed. The lift hummed, moving upwards.

It opened and right in front of us was a large bookstore. My hands itched as I marched out of the lift. Yes. Finally. This was what I needed.

"Get one more of you," I heard Gabriella say as she strolled out of the lift. "She's about to turn into a monster."

. . .

"Why hardcovers?" Gabriella asked.

"They are prettier." I turned the book and looked at the description. Fascinating. I kept it down in my basket.

"Let me hold it," Gabriella said, taking it from me.

The bookstore was almost empty, with just one woman walking around.

She walked past us but then paused, looking at the book I had just put in the basket. Her eyes flickered to mine. She was on the skinny side - an overall thin body covered with a nude hoodie and a leather jacket, her coily hair tied on the top of her head and sharp glasses sat on her thin nose. Her skin was dark, shining as if she had applied highlighter on all the right edges.

"It's a good book," she said. "I hope you enjoy it."

I inclined my head to the side. "You look familiar."

"As do you." She was of the same height.

"Yo Lils!" A pale, thin man with glaringly neon green hair called out. "Can we go?"

"Yeah." She nodded at us in farewell and then walked away. "You can't shout in bookstores, Henry."

"I don't see a sign." He made a show of looking around dramatically.

"Keep doing that and your neck will break."

"You've got it wrong. It's my back I want broken, not my neck."

"You're disgusting..."

Their bickering continued as they walked out of the store.

I picked the book up and flipped to the last page.

There she was.

Under a flawless picture of her sitting on a chair with thigh-high boots and a dark-coloured hoodie, a small paragraph was written.

Lily Jenkins lives in Pennsylvania and grew up in a household obsessed with fantasy fiction. She has sold over 6 million copies of her bestselling fantasy series 'The Crying Crown' and her work has been translated into ten languages. Lily lives with three cats and her best friend.

"Dude." Gabriella whistled. "She's like...a big deal."

"This is what I get for not reading fiction much. Olivia would have recognised her in half a glance."

Gabriella chuckled. "She would have been squealing."

My smile dropped. When would I see her and Astrid again?

Leona was right to keep Astrid away. I knew that. But my heart burned thinking about when I promised her I wouldn't leave her.

And Olivia...would I ever be able to see her kid?

I sighed, closing the book and quickly grabbing all the other parts of the series. There were four books, all of them thick as hell.

"You know," Gabriella said. "I wanted us, you, Olivia and I, to be like the Creeds...to have that bond."

I chuckled. "Yeah...but I guess we'll be like Fabiano and Giovanni instead," I said as I walked to the romance section. I felt like reading a romance. 

"Dante..." Gabriella followed me. "He's not close to his brothers?"

"No," I said. "I think...I think the only person he was ever close to was Rosa." I looked at the description of a book. "And that's why it hit him." I looked at its rating online.

"What he did wasn't right."

"It can never be," I said. "But..." I turned to her. Her eyes showed rage. She hated Dante, it was clear. "Don't mention it in front of him."

"Why?" She asked. "He can't face what he did?"

"Gabriella..." I sighed. "I understand your anger-"

"Do you?" She asked softly. "The person who killed Rosa is dead. But the one who killed Michael is walking around like he owns everything."

"That's because he does." I walked closer to her, putting my hands on her shoulders. "Don't challenge him."

"You want me to not say anything?"

I bowed my head. "Dante..." I sighed. "Nothing. Nothing in the whole world will ever make what he did right - No explanation which justifies his actions so I'm not going to waste our time trying. He shouldn't have done it. But..." I cupped her face. "Nothing about what happened is right. He lost someone important to him and wanted the Creeds to feel the same way. It wasn't right. It was rage."

Tears burned in her eyes. "He was my friend, Leyla. The only...the only reason it took me so much time to decide to come here is that I knew I would have to face him." She stepped back, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. "I understand his pain," she said. "But...if it even counts, I won't ever forgive him."

I nodded. "It counts and I get it, Gabby. I wouldn't be able to forgive him either."

She took in a feel breath. "We're in public."

"Yeah." I blinked the tears away. Seeing her cry made me want to sob. Gabriella rarely ever cried. "Let's raid the store. We can cry later."

She grinned. "Can I buy smut?"

"No-"

She walked to where it was anyway. I chuckled.

. . .

Why was this chapter emotional to write? I shed one tiny tear.