Page 26 of Pocketful of You

"No!" I screamed as the woman collapsed in a lifeless heap on the floor. "What did you do!"

"You fucking monster!" Seth roared, breaking free from his restraints. Dropping to his knees beside her limp frame, he pulled her into his arms. "Mom."

"Take her to Carmella's chamber," Raffaele ordered, handing me off to one of his men. "And do not harm her, Alberto. Not yet, at least."

Crying loud and ugly, I watched, trance-like, as Seth rocked her back and forth in his arms. "Mom. Mom…" Another pained cry tore from his chest and he turned his furious gaze on our father. "I will never go with you. Do you hear me? Fuckingnever!"

"Your preciousheirhates you now, Calisto," Raffaele drawled. "What a shame."

Dad paled. "Son –"

"I amnotyour son!" Seth roared back, clutching his dead mother in his arms. "I washerson and you took her from me!"

"How does betrayal feel, Calisto?" I heard Raffaele goad as the man carried me from the room. "Because revenge tastesdelicious."

12

Sketch

For the first time in what felt like forever, voices penetrated my thoughts.

New voices.

Unfamiliar voices.

"You don’t understand –"

"It would be safer to say nothing, asshole."

"Bolillo, put a bullet in this prick already and let's go."

"Did Cal send you… no, god, please! Just… don’t hurt him!"

The hell?

Blinking my eyes open, I glanced around the sterile room, feeling both confused and blinded by the light pouring through the big ass window.

My last thought before I closed my eyes was Romi.

My first, upon opening them again, was Romi.

Nothing new there.

"Where is she?" I tried to ask, but the words didn’t come out right. "Rom –" Whoa, gagging on the tubes in both my mouth and nose, I swiped a hand up to get them the hell off me. Disorientated, I yanked my make-shift plumbing out and groaned loudly, ignoring the voices conversing around me.

"You sure this is the kid?"

"Yep. Pretty sure."

"Aye,Bolillo, the things I do for you."

Feeling weak, I raised a hand to my face and touched my fingers to my temple, desperate to soothe the ache. My gaze then drifted to a tall, blond dude sporting a man-bun. He was dressed in jeans and a hoodie and leaning against the closed door of what I presumed was a hospital room.

Myhospital room?

Or was I in my bedroom?

I couldn’t tell anymore.

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