Severed Ties

Feud

Alara

I hadn't stopped dragging Theo by his arm until we were out of earshot of anyone else, in a thicket of trees and hidden from prying eyes.

"Are you insane?" I was exasperated my voice cracking as I stared at him, the blood still fresh on his hands, split knuckles and a dejected face.

"Lara I-"

"No Theo, you need to think before you act. Do you know how stupid that was? That was an act of War, Theo, an act of War!" a hundred thoughts were bursting through my head, on how to fix this, any uninitiated violence on the territory of another Mafia or Gang was grounds for a clan war. Theo had beaten a guard within an inch of his life and wasn't a Torres. He wasn't protected under the Falco Mafia, brother or not this could have some ugly consequences.

"I know, Lara, I know, I was out of line-"

I threw my hands up with a bitter laugh, "Out of line! You're just proving them right! I heard what he said, and I'll make sure he never says that shit again but you can't barrel through life with your fists with violence in your wake. That's not you Theo. That's not my brother. My brother fights and defends those who need it. He's level-headed smart and not so blinded by anger that he doesn't think!"

His head hung in shame and my heart shattered I wanted to pull him close and tell him it was ok, but it wasn't. And I couldn't coddle him, he needed to understand that everything, everything in this world had consequences.

"They're saying your not my sister."

"Fuck what they say. It's bullshit, I am your sister. I will always be your sister. You will always be my brother," I placed a hand on his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heart, always soft and steady even with his anger it beat in a resounding pentameter, "This heart of yours will always be connected to me, no matter what blood runs through it, it's rhythm matches mine because we are family, through and through."

"Family," was his single-worded response before he pulled me into a tight hug. And I didn't care that there were stains of blood on my shirt. I just needed this for a moment, to be with my brother. A reprieve from the chaos.

But there was never enough time.

There were swarms of guards, rushing forward with guns drawn and I wanted to scream.

"Let go of her Mortello," one of them growled and my gaze snapped to them anger blazing in me.

"And who the hell are you?" I seethed almost snarling, my teeth bared and my words sharp.

"I need you to step away from him, mam," I scoffed at him.

"And I need you to lower your damn guns before I give you something to be afraid of," and he had the audacity to laugh.

"With what, little girl? You can barely hold your own, you always need to be saved," this guy wanted a fight I'd give him a damn fight.

I slipped my hand into my back pocket pulling out Mara Grayson's gun and aiming it straight at the guy.

He laughed, "Go on then, pretty little girl, shoot me,"

I didn't need to be asked twice.

I shot him in the shoulder and then because I still had pent-up anger in me I shot him in the opposite leg so he was off kilter on both sides, he groaned and fell to the floor in a heap of curses.

I rose a brow and because I had nothing to lose, "Who's next?"

What felt like 100 guns were trained on me. Theo was ready to fight with his fists again but I used my free hand to stop him.

They wouldn't shoot me.

They couldn't.

And if they did.

I'd thank them because I was sick and tired of all of this shit.

"Go on then, shoot me."

And I could see that some of them were considering it. And I wouldn't move. I would let it happen. Becuase God was I tired.

Of it all.

"If anyone shoots her, I'll kill you all."