Marino's Heir

Chapter 36

He moved his hand from his side to my lower back and then slowly reached my hair. He untied the mask that was on my face, revealing it to him. His eyes softened, and his breath stopped when he saw my face. He narrowed his eyebrows as he spoke with a low tone... "Fireball." I clenched my jaw and still looked at him with pain in my eyes.

"Why did you have to be here... just why...?" He asked. "It's my turn to ask!" He closed his eyes and hit his head to the ground a few times. "How could you lie to me?!" I asked, then held his collar... "HOW COULD YOU??!" His grip loosened on the gun, and he threw it away. "Marco Gallon, aren't you?? Huh! You're my damn target..."

"How could you lie to me all these months!? Were you even serious when you told me to marry you?! Huh?Answer me!" I said, but he just put his arm on his eyes.

"Answer me, or I'll do it!" I moved the sharp dagger closer to his throat while he just laid there, carelessly. "Why did you leave the gun? WHY?!!" I shouted. I hit his shoulder with my other hand. "Answer me!" I used the dagger and moved it to his face he moved his arm and stared at me. "I'll ruin your handsome face." I moved and stopped his hand with my legs and sat on him. I held his mask and cut it.

I knew it was him this whole time, but removing it and proving to myself that I'm forced to kill this man, it's just painful.

I felt my face start to heat up as a tear fell from my eye. "Marco, please answer me..." he stared at me blankly for a minute, then looked away. "I...Marco..." I moved his face to me.

I felt something inside of me break when I saw the look in his eyes. I couldn't help it, I broke down. I left the dagger on the ground and cried. "Marco, I'm begging you, answer me... just tell me this... isn't..." he shook his head and pulled me into him. I covered my face and cried on his chest. He hugged me so tight and patted my back. "Shh..." He got up still holding me with one arm. He carried me so easily like I was a feather on him and sat on the bed.

All I did was cry. Not knowing what to do being in his arms was the only comfort I needed. And I'm scared of being taken away from it. "Cleo...I..." He spoke. I tried to hold myself and wipe my tears. I moved, but his arms around me were strong, I looked at him. He held my chin and brushed his thumb on my lips. "I'm really sorry, my love." I looked at him confused. People say sorry only when they're either wrong or about to do something bad.

"You're here to kill me, aren't you? Not my father but me!" He shook his head. "Don't lie to me. I heard you." He gulped as his arms twirled around me stronger than before.

I tried to get off him when his eyes turned into something else, but he didn't let me. He sighed and looked away. "Don't..."
My trust issues didn't make anything easy. I had a bad feeling about this. It doesn't feel safe anymore...

I calmed myself down and smiled at him, still tears falling down my cheeks. "I thought you were innocent..." He said. I held his arms, trying to move them away from me. "I thought you were fuckin innocent, Cleo." I closed my eyes and moved my head down, still trying to free myself. "I fell in love with you. I believed that you weren't in this. Look at me."

He pulled me closer to him and rested his head on mine. I opened my eyes. "I fell in love with a lie?" He asked making me almost laugh.
He's playing the victim now? He's the one who lied about his father's job. He lied about his name. He lied about everything and expects me to feel bad. "Tell me, what else? Did you really come here to kill me? How much? Huh?" Suddenly, his grip around me became much more stronger, I moved closer to his chest and held his shoulders.

"Ah, you're hurting me, Marco!" I looked at his hands on my hips. "Fucking hell, why? Babygirl, why did you lie to me?" I looked at him again but this time I was mad.

I shook my head and spoke, "You are the ghost. How dare you even say anything to me? You're the one who pretended to be a normal student and a fucking biker, who helped his fireman father in his duties!" He laughed.

"That's something I say to everyone, my dear." I scoffed at what he said. "So, I'm like everyone."
"No.——Then?—— You were more." I laughed then asked... "Were?" He sighed for a second, I looked at him waiting. "You say I lied to you but I didn't. If you want to believe I lied about every single thing I said to you, then go ahead. After all, I'm always the one who does everything in our relationship only to satisfy you."  I gasped at the last part, I hit his chest. "How dare you?!!!—-Oh stop it now! STOP! I did so much for you, you have no idea how much I love you and now you're here threatening me with a knife to my throat a minute ago. Why?!" He stopped my hands and almost shouted.

It made me more furious, I pushed him down on the bed. I wasn't aware of my actions, my hands wrapped around his neck. Everything was coming back to my mind. "UGH...CLEO!!"

"You... what else did you do? Was it you? Did you kill him?" He held my hands and looked at me out of breath, his face started to turn red, and I cried. "DID YOU KILL HIM?! HOW COULD YOU SAY YOU LOVE ME AFTER TRYING TO BOMB ME?!" His grip tightened on my hands, trying to remove me away from him. My fingers gripped his throat so strongly that I felt his veins, his pulse. His eyes were veiny and red. He was slowly losing it...

Every bit of oxygen in his body was slowly gone. He gripped on the sheet beside him. "Fuck you and your lies. I don't know what to believe anymore..." I said and he opened his mouth for air, he looked at me again and gritted his teeth. "You really lied to me about your love..." I cried, I leaned to him.

"Your kisses, hugs, I saw safety, freedom with you, in you, and you tore me apart the moment you took out that gun." He looked at me one last look then up. I felt his pulse weakening more. He was almost gone. I laid on him and slowly left his throat.

I moved my now shaking hands to his cheek, as he breathed heavily all the air he needed. I turn his face to mine... "You proved to me that everything my father said is right, the truth... it's like you screamed, you're wrong Cleo I am in fact... here to kill you..." I whispered as tears fell from my eyes. He breathed and moved his hands to rub my tears.

"You were just using me, for how long were you going to use me? Why didn't you stab me in the back before I found out? This hurts!!" I almost shouted. I got off him so he could breathe more.

I stood up then saw the gun and dagger on the ground. After a moment he spoke... "Yes, I wanted to kill you... many times... but I swear to you that bomb was not my doing." He said breathing in between.
"I wanted to... poison you... kidnap you and do the worst... things to you...but I fell in love with you... my fireball... my woman... my innocent angel..." I felt him stand up and walk closer to me. His voice was hoarse and deeper than the usual. He was breathing fast.

"I thought you were innocent... Half American girl came back... all you need was a better degree... you are not like Vincent Marino... you hated that man..." He stopped talking and walked around me. I moved my eyes from the gun to him. I saw fire in his eyes, he was mad. He took off his tie and suit. He rubbed his throat while unbuttoning the first few buttons and breathed like a mad lion, ready to attack any moment. Never taking his eyes off mine.

"But you're here now... to kill me for him..."

"Not for him, for myself. Because of the pain you have caused me." I stopped him. He looked at me with pain in his eyes and the urge to punch me was written all over his face. "Don't look at me like that! I had no choice! and what did you expect from me?!" I kicked the gun away and walked aside, turning my back to him. "Oh hey Marco, I'm Cleo Marino. Basically a mafia girl who does illegal shit." I turned to him and shrugged. I laughed a painful laugh. "When you... I thought you were a regular guy, of course you would call the police or run away from me!" I crossed my arms and put my hand on my mouth as I cried more staring at him.

He shook his head. He looked tired, defeated. He looked away from me and said... "There's no difference between us. We're both criminals." I walked to him. "No, my love, we're enemies."