Five of Hearts

Chapter 42

"You shot her," my voice was barely over a whisper. Blood pooled all over the floor around her lifeless body in the doorway.

"It had to be done, sweetheart," Ciro responded. He even had the audacity to sound contrite. "She had a gun. I couldn't let her do anything rash. She could have hurt you."

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. Jackson's the rat. He worked for Ciro. And now his sister is dead.

I've got to get out of here.

Ciro walked around the table and sat back down in his seat. A moment later, the older maid walked through the side door that led to the kitchen and glanced over at Sabrina's body. She immediately walked across the room and shut the doors behind her so we couldn't see the body anymore.

"Let's finish our meal," Ciro said as if nothing had happened.

"How on earth am I supposed to eat now?" I said softly. Bile rose in my throat.

"You're going to have to get used to it," Ciro snapped and picked up his fork. "I assumed after living with those boys, you'd have become accustomed to this life. Especially considering all of the dirty work they do."

"They didn't do it in front of me!" I raised my voice just a little. "And they've certainly never killed a woman."

"I assure you, they have."

"Not in front of me, Ciro," I said through gritted teeth, the vomit still threatening to unleash itself all over the table. "What would make you think I'd be okay with that?"

"What part of 'she could have hurt you', do you not understand?" Ciro grew angry and stabbed a piece of lasagna onto his fork. "I'm done having this conversation. Sit down. We're going to eat our dinner."

I didn't care. I didn't want to be there and I'd continue to fight to get away. "I won't eat with you. I don't want to be here!"

Ciro reached across the table and snatched my arm, holding it in such a tight grasp I gasped in pain. "You are here. And you aren't leaving. So you'd better get used to it, quit being a spoiled child, and eat your dinner. I have been a gracious host."

"You kidnapped me, Ciro," I enunciated, trying to pull my arm away. "You aren't a host, you're a kidnapper. And if you really were gracious, you'd let me go. Please."

Ciro released my arm and leaned back in his chair, staring down at his food. "No. You aren't leaving. You belong with me."

"Why? Why do I belong with you? Why do you keep saying that? You don't even know me," I asked, exasperated.

"Because I do know you. I've known you longer than anyone else, Hattie."

"Atticus, it's going to work," Thane said without looking at me from the passenger side of Hattie's car. I'd run my hand through my hair so many times it had become a big, curly mess on top of head. My leg shook so much I was moving the vehicle. "Calm down."

I glanced over at him. He'd barely spoken to me since Hattie chose. When I'd chased after him in my car after he took off, we'd ended up at a run-down bar on the southside. I tried several times to talk to him, but he wouldn't respond. Just got himself a drink...which he ended up smashing over my head when I grabbed his arm to get him to look at me. By the end of it, I had to give the pissed bartender five hundred dollars for damages and we looked fucking wrecked.

"Thank you," I said with a sigh. "For...helping. You know."

"I'm not doing it for you," he muttered in response.