Snapping Point||Book 1

67.

Xenia Butler

There comes a time in every life when the truth must come to light, when transgressions are revealed, and old wounds are finally addressed. This gathering—whatever one might call it—had all the makings of a deadly reckoning. Ivan was here to hold everyone accountable. His presence was like a passage from the Bible, evoking the apocalyptic imagery of Revelation. It felt as if beasts were about to descend, ready to claim their due, as the sky above us darkened with the promise of bloodshed.

Time seemed to slow, my heart pounding so fiercely I could taste it in my throat. Fear gnawed at my gut, and slowly—agonizingly slowly—I began to envision the possible outcomes of the night's events. Though I was never one for mathematics, the concept of probability suddenly became crystal clear: there were only two possible outcomes for everyone here.

Kill or be killed.

Being unarmed had significantly increased my chances of dying, but the swiftness with which Romano turned and positioned himself protectively in front of me told a different story—he was determined to shield me at all costs.

Romano now had his gun aimed squarely at my treacherous uncle.

"Nobody fucking moves!" Ivan stoned at us all, his tone explicit, his stance high-and-mighty.

For Ivan to be here, Joanna had obviously failed in her attempt to kill him. This morning, she had told me to give her until midnight. She instructed me to meet her on a particular street before one a.m. It was the residence of a dangerous man who trafficked in all things black market: guns, organs, drugs, fake passports.

I hadn't decided if I wanted to leave, using Romano's ignorance as my excuse. If he hadn't spoken, I felt I couldn't move. After all, he had claimed more rights to my life than I did.

But I had memorized the address of the man named Caesar. I had hoped to make up my mind before eleven p.m. Unfortunately, Ottavio had found me two hours earlier. Now, I couldn't ask about my sister because, although the vultures might have been silenced temporarily, they weren't deaf or stupid. They remained just as savage. It would be a costly punishment, one I couldn't afford, if Morelli discovered Joanna's existence.

So, even if it meant shedding tears for reasons they couldn't understand, I had to start mourning my sister.

Placing a hand on his blood-drenched shirt, Ivan looked back into the hallway and laughed. "Bring them here."

Who were they?

While Ivan was distracted, Romano seized the opportunity and instructed me to wrap my arms around him. The command felt awkward, but as soon as he took his first step back, I understood. I was forced to move with him. He was gradually leading us away from the predator's gaze and back towards the viper. At least on one side, he was safe. I wasn't on good terms with my own family, and his family had just ordered him to kill me. So, I was screwed no matter where I stood.

Two women, gagged and shackled, were thrown into the office, colliding and falling to the floor before Romano.

"There's one more," Ivan barked. "Are you all stupid?" His men stood at attention, unfazed by the insult. "I told you he has three daughters. Bring the third one and his two grandchildren!"

"Stay the hell away from my—"

"Whatever you think we owe you," Romano interrupted his father's outburst with a calm voice, "you should not involve the women!"

"Is that so?" Ivan smiled. I tried to peek around Romano to get a clear view of Ivan, but the glimpses of his fury were fleeting. "Why don't you talk to me about women when my daughter is returned to me?"