Burning Ties

Chapter Twenty-Three

Leandro POV

The air was thick, a layer of discomfort settled in. Now that the truth was out, there was no denying that there was no piece of our mother left behind. In her place was this vile woman.

My brothers and I looked to each other, Alek and I silently communicating. We may not always get along, but we have always had the ability to tell what the other was thinking.

We nod to each other, our plan finally made.

And suddenly, a gunshot rang out, slicing through the tension in the air. A strangled scream escaped Iris, my eyes immediately drifting to her, making sure she was okay. It seemed, however, that she was unharmed but the same could not be said for the one who'd been the victim of the gunshot....

A little while before

It always baffled me how the fucking mafia has so much of paperwork involved, should we not be more concerned about leaving behind a paper trail? You would think someone would have realised how much of a trail we actually leave behind, but it turns out that sometimes people can just be plain stupid.

I've been sitting behind my desk, trying to get through the seemingly endless pile of paperwork that's been sitting on my desk for a little over two weeks when my phone suddenly vibrates.

I sigh, not bothering to check it until I finish reading through this specific document. After all, if the message was so important, the person would've called.

Twenty minutes later, the document has some added changes when I finally pull out my phone. Regret immediately fills me as my blood runs cold at the words I read.

Why the fuck would my mother, or well, birth giver be taking Iris out? And why was I not made aware of this before? Sure I didn't check my phone when the message came through, but my guards should have fucking reported it to me the second they left the gates.

I'm out of my office before I know it, a feeling that I'm unfamiliar with that can only be panic consumes me. I send a quick SOS to the rest of my brothers as I race toward our weapons room.

A few minutes later, the rest of them come crashing into the room wondering what's wrong.

"Why was Iris alone today?" I ask, my voice cold as I grab one of my rifles.

"I uh... She was alone?" Luka winces, looking sort of sheepish.

"Yes, fucking alone. And now she's gone." I glare at him, making the boy shrink under my stare.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Alek asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Adrianna, or mother dearest - whichever title you prefer - Took her. I've been trying to get ahold of the pair of them since I found out about five minutes ago and they're both not answering. We all know that Adrianna definitely has no sort of good intentions if she's alone with Iris."

Once my words sink in, the idiots I call my brothers immediately register the danger our sister is in, because they finally begin to gear up.

I don't wait for them, I'm out the door and informing papa that Iris is in danger before even the first of them is ready.

I hop into my jeep, a team of guards joining me in my car and another following me out as I try to gain access to Iris's phone tracker only to find that it isn't working.