How the Mighty Fall (The Sinner #1)

SIN 29

Kairos

After months of playing cat and mouse with our father's golden boy, seeing the bastard in the flesh seemed unreal. But here he was now, within reach, begging to be killed. If he cared about his life so much, he knew not to show himself to me.

"You're not the ruthless, smartest man everyone claimed you to be, Kairos,"he chuckled and regarded me with fake sympathy. "Look at you now. Under my chains, my mercy, and soon your grave."

I cocked my head, my upper lip curling to a mocking smile.

"If that protects your precious pride."

He bared his teeth as his hand immediately reached to clutch the gun resting on his side. My amusement reverberated at how predictable he was.

"Napikon ka lang, babaril ka na? Crash course on being the best capo, also known as me, you don't just shoot. That defeats the purpose of making your enemy suffer."

He bent down and swiped a knife to my arm. I heaved a breath but did not give any indication of pain. Pain has been my life companion. Cuts, wounds, and bruises are my second skin. This kind of torture would have worked on any weakling or imbecile. Cutting me wasn't enough to intimidate me. Compared to all I have endured my whole life, this is just child's play.

"You're fucking right. I would have made your death easier, but you just reminded me of what I had in store for you." He raised his gaze to his men. "We're going."

He got out of the door. His men dragged me out of the house. They even blindfolded me. Some of them, my traitors, got too smug at the thought of subduing me. One of them got bold and cursed at my face, taking comfort in his anonymity because I'm blinfolded. I don't need to know all of them. I'll spare no one.

I assume we got inside a private plane, which was exactly where I needed us to be. I've been in planes far too often that I recognized it even with my senses limited.

"I appreciate the luxury," I commented and did not bother hiding a smirk. "At least you weren't cheap about this."

I heard his rumble of irritation.

"I didn't know you were this talkative."

I shrugged. "Isn't that how brothers who haven't seen each other for a long time are? Catching up and all that?"

"You piss me off, but as your brother, I guess I won't spoil your temporary fun. Make the most of it. This is just the calm before the storm."

"Storm, tsunami, or a damn hurricane, whatever."

"Paano kung sabihin kong, this is just the calm before you step foot in Mancini territory."

My mouth was set tight in a grim line. Not out of fear, but contempt. I knew we were going there. And while a huge part of me was pleased that I was right, another can't help putting hatred towards the Mancini name to life.

"I'm taking you to your roots. Born a Mancini, die a Mancini. I'll put your grave next to our father. I'll host parties every death anniversary in front of your grave."

I don't give a single fuck to anything he said. My mind flew somewhere else, and that was proof enough of his insignificance.

Ti amo, mi diablo

I waited for feelings of indifference to surface. Instead, four mere words made me feel all things. My pulse pounded in my ears and it's as if someone landed a punch to my stomach and shot me on the chest. That, and a weight over me that rendered me immobilized.