Page 67 of Vendetta

“Poison is a woman’s tool.” Roman spits. “No man would resort to such a thing.”

“No brother. It is our family’s.” I reply surprised he has such poor knowledge of our ancestry. I look around, so many of them here do not know, do not understand us, the Morelli’s at all.

“The Morelli’s are not just an old bloodline, but an ancient one. We are descended from Borgia. Lucrezia herself is our great grandmother many times removed. So it is more than fitting is it not that we revert back to the old ways, our original family’s way of conducting business?”

A few people flinch. Lucrezia is enough of a legend even these days to make people uncomfortable but I am not ashamed of who I am, where I came from.

I look back at Roman. He’s glaring at me. Emerson is glaring too, or at least as much as he can with the limited movement his body can make.

I pull a knife from my suit jacket. “As much as this has been riveting I think it’s time we got on with it.”

I walk behind one of the other men, in truth not one of the big players, but he was the man who ambushed our van, he was the one responsible for luring me away so that others could ransack my house and take Eleri.

I could just leave him, and the others too, let them stay here, stuck like statues until the poison finishes the job, but what satisfaction is there to be had in that? None, that’s what. And besides, it’s not nearly enough for the revenge I want, the revenge I need. The revenge my mother’s blood calls for.

I lift the blade, sliding it like butter across his throat and his blood spurts out, like a fountain, cascading over the table, over the glasses, and the people around him.

A few people gasp. Carla has the gall to shriek but my eyes are on Eleri who’s smiling at me. Encouraging me almost to finish this.

“You may have been wondering why I took so long to get here.” I say, swiping the blade against the next man’s throat. He dies in a similar manner. “While you were guzzling my wine, while the poison was working its way through your system, I myself and my men were working to eradicate all the families who have opposed me. Every man here frozen, every man here, waiting to die will do so knowing they’ve condemned their families too. That their wives, and their children will suffer for what they’ve done.”

I drag the blade again. Another man’s blood spurts forth.

I reach Emerson and his eyes dart to my brother. I let out a low laugh.

“He cannot save you. Whatever lies he spun, whatever paradise he promised you, there is nothing for you but my mercy.” I say lowering my face to his ear. “Only I have none.”

I can hear his breathing, as much as the poison is slowing his body down his fear and adrenaline is trying to make his heart race.

“You once said you would enjoy watching my downfall. I guess the same is true of me. Goodbye Emerson.” I murmur before slicing his throat.

Jace is next. Then another man. I move around the table, taking them all out. The people that can move remain as still as they can, only jerking when the blood of someone sprays them.

And then it is me and Roman. My brother and I.

For so long I wanted him dead. I wanted to flay him alive, to make him pay for the way he betrayed our mother and yet when the moment had presented itself last time I found myself wanting. I let my emotions override my judgement. I was a fool and now as I stand here, looking down at him, I realise what a fool I have been.

He has cost me so much. He cost me my first love, he cost me my mother, thousands of men, women and children, all dead and all can be traced back to him. Roman.

“Any last words?” I say to him.

He lets out a laugh. And then he lunges at me. How the hell he got the ties loose I don’t know but as his body moves towards me, something flies through the air and it hits him right in the eye.

He slumps back into the chair. He’s not dead. He’s still obviously breathing.

I turn staring in the direction of where the steak knife came and Eleri is there, hands still gripping the arms of the chair, her eye flashing with something fierce.

“You…” I murmur and she grins. Christ, in that moment I swear my cock comes to life. To see her, covered in blood, her soul on fire, with murder in her eye. She’s the most incredible, beautiful, creature I’ve ever seen.

“Please continue.” She says as if she understands, and I realise she does. She knows exactly what this moment feels like because this is what I gave her when I gifted her those men, the ones who tried to destroy her. This is what it feels like, to finally get your revenge.

I incline my head. As my queen commands.

I take the dagger, plunging it into my brother’s throat. I don’t slice this time. I don’t grant him the quick mercy the others were giving, I stab him, right through his oesophagus, and then I pull it out, plunging it into his chest, over and over, stabbing him not just for myself but for my mother too and I guess in a way for Rosa, for the stupid, sweet, naïve and yet deceitful woman that she was.

I stab until my arm screams in protest. I stab until it feels like my own muscles are seizing up and when his body slumps I finally stop. Leaving the knife embedded.

I walk to where Eleri is still sat and I put my hands on the back of her chair, as if it were a throne. Around the table were twenty six places. Twenty five people. Of them only eight remain alive. Only eight who will continue to work for the Morelli family.

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