Book two of 'The Vengeance Duology'
Five years ago, the lads and I made the biggest mistake of our lives-a reckless decision that shattered everything.
We destroyed what mattered most, but my deepest regret is how much I hurt her.
Every moment of pa...
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The conversation I overheard between Jacques, Domenico, and Valentina has been playing in my head ever since. Her words echo over and over.
"No, they would see me as weak, and that's not what I am. It was just a slight lapse. I'm fine."
"You're not though, You're not fine, Valentina. You went through things, saw things none of us could ever imagine. You don't have to pretend you're fine. Not with them, not with us."
Did she really think we'd see her as weak? The idea hurts more than I want to admit. I don't know the full extent of what happened to her—what she saw, what she went through—but for her to believe that we, I, would ever see her as weak? It stings.
Does she really think that little of us? Of me?
And last night? What the fuck happened? It was like something snapped in her. She was fine on the jet to Sicily, even after the blow-up argument we all had the night before. Jacques filled us in a little since I barely remember it. I felt like an asshole hearing about it after the fact, but that was nothing compared to what happened later.
When Jacques carried her in, trembling, it was obvious something was very wrong. He looked terrified, and Valentina... she was in pieces. It was like she wasn't even there. But the worst part—the part that made it clear this was beyond anything any of us could handle—was her screaming. She was yelling about them trying to kill her, and it echoed through the house. Me, Theo, and Lucas heard her from all the way downstairs, and when the screaming finally stopped, Nicco came down, white as a ghost. He didn't say a word, just stood there on the porch in the back garden, staring into nothing.
I watch as Nicco stumbles out of the house, barely holding himself together, his face pale as a ghost.
"Nicco!" I call out, running after him, my heart pounding. "What happened, bro?"
He doesn't answer. He's bent over, gasping for air like he's been punched in the gut. Theo and Lucas step out behind us, lingering a few steps back, unsure of what to do. I reach out, gripping Nicco's shoulder, trying to pull him upright. He's shaking.
"What happened, Nicco?" I ask again, more urgent this time.
But still, nothing. He lowers himself to the ground like his legs can't hold him anymore, and he just... stares into the distance, his face frozen in shock. I sit beside him, Theo and Lucas quietly joining us, the silence weighing heavy.
Ten minutes pass, and I see it—a single tear sliding down Nicco's cheek.
"She was in so much pain," he croaks, his voice raw.
I don't say anything. None of us do.
"I've never seen anything like it. It wasn't physical pain... but by the way she was... it was worse." He shakes his head, the tear falling onto his hands.
