Love Me Red ✔️

Blood For Blood

38

Thunder clapped among the woeful clouds that spread wide across the Sicilian outskirts. Below the greys lay two caskets ready to be buried inside their grave under the name of Alessandro S. Devine and Cecilia A. Devine. Coincidentally, two deaths in a single day. Both duos couldn't survive attacks. Cecilia was poisoned and Alessandro was burned down to ashes along with her mistress in his private apartment. His body was found this morning 'by his men'. The outfit was severely distressed by two high-profile murders. Everyone was shocked and furious, especially the capo dei capi, for he lost his right hand, his mastermind and his gun-buddy.

"Let go, Enrique, it's time," Maximo uttered coldly to the figure that partially scattered over the casket of his father. His senses were halfway fazed while he wept his eyes off. The blow was big for him. His father was the only back he had to cover up his fucked-up, sorry life.

"Enrique, I asked you to get up," Maximo repeated sternly under his tone after Enrique didn't heed to his command. For long, Enrique stayed unresponsive, his eyes were hazily stoned on his father's tombstone. Maximo fumed, pursued his lips and flitted his gaze to his right where Kieran—who was fixedly staring at Enrique's head with lost eyes—stood.

"Rimettilo in piedi," Maximo murmured in his ears. (Bring him on his feet)

Kieran blinked. With a cold expression, looked up to Mariano and jutted his chin at Enrique. Mariano nodded and followed the signal, grabbing Enrique by his arm. Enrique lifelessly sprung to his feet as Mariano dragged him a few steps back.

The burial ceremony took place. His gaze was sternly fixated on the caskets being set under the ground. Croaks of sobs erupted around him. The extended Devine family crying their eyes out irked him. He averted his gaze at their faces. Some had a genuine sting, some were pretending. His eyes, for a moment, halted at Maximo who had fat tears welling his eyes as he stared at his friend's end. A burn ignited in his chest, causing his nostrils to flare in resentment remembering the bitter memories of his past. He never blinked a tear for his own family and here... Kiera held Maximo's hand and consoled him quietly. The touch did bring him the strength to conceal.

Suddenly, Kieran's focus wavered when Enrique's wailing perked his ears. Enrique wailed for his family as if he just got to his senses. Mariano pulled him back from pouncing on their graves. He was losing control. His knees buckled and he dropped to the ground. Kieran's eyes hardened before he flashed Mariano a command through his eyes. Enrique made it hard for him to carry him out of the cemetery. He wiggled out of his hold and tried to run back to the graves. Lastly, Mariano got control over him and tossed him out but not before he passed a glare down to Kieran. Their eyes met for a brief second. Enrique had a spark in his eyes, which Kieran preferred to slide for now.

As another hour passed, the attendees began to subtract, leaving Maximo behind only. He commanded Kieran to stop as well.

"Pass me the lighter," Maximo extended his palm near Kieran with a cigar between his lips. Kieran produced the lighter and handed it to him.

Maximo lit the cigar, turned halfway around and watched people walking out of the place for several moments. He sucked a long drag of smoke inside and upon puffing it out, "Do you think it's a coincidence?" He threw a question at Kieran and turned back to the graves, looking at them for a couple of moments. "Two corpses in a day of the same family," He puffed the smoke.

Kieran, with hands behind his back, squared his shoulders and trained his focus on the sun opposite him. "My men are working on it, we will get a name by..."

"I'm asking you, do you think it's a coincidence, Kieran?" He reiterated gratingly, jutting at the graves with a solemn face and sheer seriousness in his tone. Each word he uttered screamed how mad, grieved and vindictive the capo dei capi was.