•BOOK II OF THE ESZTAR SERIES•
"Esztar is falling."
Those were the words an invisible spy mumbled just a few minutes before his death. But no one knew the fall would be so hard that it will destroy everything and everyone who called them to be a par...
"No." I shook my head, terrified at the idea of going there. I wasn't strong enough to see her like that. "I can't. I- I.."
"Okay, okay. That's fine. Calm down." She pulled me into her, placing a tender kiss over my head. "Vittoria is a strong girl. She's going to make it."
But what if she didn't? What if I lost her again? What if... These what ifs kept haunting me.
"I hasn't even been a year, Alle. I gave up almost everything to find her—even my sanity. I can't lose her again." I sobbed harder in her embrace, thankful for her to be here with me.
I just keep losing people. First dad, then mom, then my child. I don't have any strength left in me now.
"Am I that bad, Alle? Even if I am, I should be punished. Not my family."
"Shh, don't say that. Everything is going to be alright."
"Stop saying that lie. It never gets alright."
"It will. This time it will."
How broken I must be to knowingly believe in that lie. But it was too comforting to push away just because it was a lie. I savored it for that was how I would be able to survive this.
I don't know how much time passed staying here in Allegra's embrace. I wonder how Rafael and Mason must be.
Mason.
He protected Vittoria all her life and I couldn't even do it for one fucking year. I was foolish enough to trust Travis. He was a spy living right here with us and we couldn't even catch a hint of it.
"So you want to go see Toby?" Allegra ran her fingers through my hair.
Yes please. I haven't checked on him since an hour.
We met Liam just outside Toby's room. His eyes were red and worn out. He was with Toby all night long in case he needed anything.
"He doesn't know about Vittoria, does he?" I asked him warily.
"No. He doesn't need to know either."
"I don't need to know what?" The door opened and Toby's startled form came into view, making all of us gasp.
"Toby!" Dr Carson or shall I say Toby's boyfriend ran to him. "Why did you get up?" He slinged an arm around his waist and walked home to his bed again.
"How are you feeling now, Toby?" Allegra asked quickly.
"No. First tell me what is it about Vittoria that I don't need to know?" Raw terror began crawling in his eyes.
"Listen to me-"
"Tell me goddammit!" He yelled, pushing Roy away. "Where is she? Why hasn't she come to see me until now?"
"Toby...Vittoria..s-she's shot." Liam said, supporting himself against the wall.
He went still.
"She's shot." He whispered mostly to himself as if still trying to believe it. His ocean eyes slowly began tearing up as it sank into him and he jumped up once again. "I want to see her. Where is she? How is she now?"
Roy forced him down again. "Your stitches will open up Toby. Please don't get up."
"I don't care. I asked where is she?"
"She's in the hospital and she's going to be okay, Toby. Please calm down. Don't hurt yourself." Alli cried, begging him to lay down.
"Look Toby, I promise I'll inform you as soon as Mason calls from there hospital okay? Please take care of yourself." I rubbed his arm.
He nodded mutely, turning his head away from us in anger.
"Uh.. We'll leave now." I said.
Liam followed us out leaving them alone in his room and tugged on Allegra's arm. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Hesitant blue eyes swept over me as silently tried denying him.
"It's okay. I need to be alone for some time anyway." I turned around to leave and spotted Harrison slumped down a wall with his head tipped back against it.
"Harri?" Liam saw him as well.
He craned his neck towards us, quickly jumping up and locking his hands behind his back dutifully.
"Are you okay?" I placed a hand over his shoulder.
He simply nodded, not being able to speak for a fairly long amount of time. "I'm sorry, sir." His voice broke. "I was supposed to protect her. I failed."
"Don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault. Why didn't you go home? Xenia must need you." I said.
Poor guy looked so exhausted. His daughter barely got out of a danger and now Vittoria, although not his girlfriend but her his friend—someone he cared about was fighting for life.
"She's with her grandpa."
Grandpa.
A tottering smile cracked over my lips. Come back to me, muffin.
As if on cue, Allegra's phone rang. She quickly extracted it from her back pocket, gulping in vexation as she read the caller's name.
"It's Mason." She said in a shaky breath and answered the call.
My heart threatened to leap out of my chest. My fingertips tingled in anticipation and my breaths quickened. Liam, Harrison and I, we all stared at her impatiently awaiting some good news.
Front the look of it, they were anything but good.
Her hand flew to her mouth, eyes went wide and her legs gave away as she crumbled down to her knees.
And then all she did was cry.
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