Luca

“You won’t ever look at her or even think about her again, ever.”

“Oh yes I will.” The determination in his voice made it the easiest decision in the world.

“No you won’t.” I steadied my arm

s and pulled the trigger.

My Father shot back into his chair, a single round hole in the middle of his head dripped a single drop of blood that dribbled slowly down his face. The back of his head was totally blown off, blood and guts splattered over the back wall and across the back of the chair.

I’d put him down, I had no choice. I had to do it for her.

There’d been two women I’d loved in my life. He’d annihilated one already, I could never bring her back. But I’d die before I ever let him devour and destroy the other. Chloe was mine and I’d do anything in my power to keep her safe.

It took us hours to clean the blood and mess and load my Father’s carcass into the trunk of his car. Freddie had gone into shock and was babbling complete shit, making no sense whatsoever. I felt the most relaxed I’d ever been in my life. I wondered why I hadn’t got rid of him years ago.

“You know we can’t stay round here anymore don’t you Fred?” I said to my little bro as he wandered around the house aimlessly, packing up his things and muttering about school, the teachers, the cops and Chloe.

He stood still staring at me and shaking his head frantically like a lunatic.

“No…no…we can’t leave her. No we need to take her with us. She’s part of us Luca. She’s our sister.”

Part of me wanted to take her, creep into her home and steal her in her sleep. But when I thought about Stan and how devoted he was to her I couldn’t do it. She was only fifteen. She had school and friends, family that loved her. Sure our world revolved around her but were we the centre of her world? I didn’t think so. She loved us but she was still too young to come with us. Too young to have a decision like that made for her.

So I did the next best thing. I made a promise to Freddie that when she turned sixteen we’d come back for her. We’d be on the run from the police, but we’d find a way to get back to her without being detected and let her make the choice herself. To come away with us and live her life alongside ours or to stay with her family.

“But she’s gonna wake up and think we just upped and left her Luca. I can’t do that to her. I can’t leave here and not let her know we haven’t deserted her.”

What he said made sense and I kinda agreed with him. It wouldn’t be fair to just leave without trying to tell Chloe we would be back.

That’s why I committed my second crime that night and broke into the Ellis house. I lurked in the shadows as I made my way up her stairs, then I inched my way through her bedroom door, my back pressed against the wall. There she was lying in her bed fast asleep, an angel too beautiful for our ugly world. I couldn’t wake her, the vision of her flawless skin, plump lips and tumbling curls falling all over her pillow took my breath away. Her eyelashes fanned out over her delicate pink cheeks as she gave an innocent little sigh in her sleep. I felt totally vindicated for what I’d done tonight. She was my angel, my perfect angel and I’d saved her.

I took a piece of note paper from her desk and scribbled down a quick note, ‘I will come back for you.’ I folded it in half and put it on her bedside table right next to her alarm clock. It didn’t feel like enough though, I had to do more to show her I meant it. I took my St. Christopher from around my neck and placed it on top of the note. She knew I’d worn that St. Christopher every day of my life. She knew why as well. It was the only thing I had left of my Mum’s. But I was leaving it with Chloe so she’d know I would be back. I was leaving my Mum’s spirit to watch over my angel.

Chapter 21

“Oh. My. God! I…I…just don’t know what to say. Do you really think he’d have…hurt me?”

I was freaking out right now but trying to keep myself cool and calm. I mean damn, he shot his own Father? I knew his Dad was an evil fucker but still….murder?

“He’d have done it. I know for a fact he would have. It wouldn’t be his first rodeo trust me.” Luca pulled me in closer to him his head nestled above my own.

I daren’t ask him how he knew he’d hurt me, I was terrified what the answer would be. I know he hurt Luca and Freddie frequently, I helped them out most days, but I’d assumed it was just fists and punches.

“And before you ask no he never touched us like that.”

Thank God, I was starting to seriously question my whole childhood for a minute there.

“So, now I know why you left but why didn’t you come back? I don’t get it.”

Luca sighed and stroked softly up and down my arm.

“As time went on it got harder and harder to go back. The day you turned sixteen I got in the car to come to you but I stopped a few streets away from your house and I just sat and looked around me. It was a good neighbourhood. Decent schools, hardworking people like your Father. I felt like I’d be cheating you out of the best start in life, a chance to make something of yourself if I took you away from all that. I thought you’d be better off without us. My life was heading down a path that I wouldn’t want you involved in, so I made the decision to leave you be.”

I could understand his logic but he’d made that decision without having all the facts.

“You thought you were doing what was best but believe me you leaving and never coming back was hell for me. My Father died three months after you left. Life got pretty shitty after that. I’d have given anything to get out of that house.”

He sighed and looked down at me. “If I’d have known about Stan it would’ve changed things. It couldn’t have been that bad though, living with your Mum. I know she was a bitch but you still had the house, school, and your friends.”