𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐙𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐡

Chapter 23

I guess what I said earlier made him really quiet. Good. He should reflect on calling women whores just for having sex?

The hour-long car ride was filled with anxiety for me. This night is going to literally drive me off the edge. I can feel it. But I want to show up for my father. Another part of myself wants to see if he went with my ideas.

"Is there any liquor back here?" I asked Marcelo driver. "No Ma'am I can get you some"

"Oh great! A shot of everclear" The driver ended up stopping at a liquor store. He got back in the car handing me the small bottle shot.

"Are you serious Zaliah?" I stared at Marcelo as I twisted the cap open taking the liquid back. Swallowing it quickly I let out a small cough. Oh that's liquor."Deadly" My voice came out hoarse.

Soon we were there. I wasn't ready for this. Getting out of the car I linked arms with Marcelo for the publicity. As we stepped on the deck pink lights almost blinded me. Stepping on to the boat my jaw dropped to the fucking floor.

Pink! Pink everywhere. As soon as we walked in we were greeted with a big poster of Raven face with birds flying around it. My eyes roamed over the amount of pink in this place. The stippers. The bar. The stairs leading to the hotels.

"The fucker took my layout" I whispered to myself as everything was as I planned but with.. Raven written all over it.

"Zaliah '' My father walked up to me hand and hand with mom who won't even look me in the eye. "Marcelo" My father gave him a curt nod.

"Hey dad." I removed myself from Marcelo to go in for a hug but my mom didn't let him go. I stepped back clearing my throat. "Hey mom."

"Zaliah." She didn't look me in the eye. Blinking away the tears I looked around. "Where's Nico?"

"He is not allowed to talk to you. His therapist recommended it'll be better for him to distance himself" Mom announced with a smile on her face meanwhile mine dropped. The feeling of my throat tightening up came up. "Oh okay."

"I suppose we have more rounds to make. Nice seeing you again Marcelo" He gave my mom a tight smile.

"Likewise Lidyah" As soon as they walked away I released myself from Marcelo heading straight to the bar. "A drink. I don't care what it is, "the bartender nodded.

"Zaliah Are you okay?" Marcelo came taking a seat beside me. The bartender set a clear drink in front of me as I downed it in one gulp. "Another one please. You know what? Keep them coming" I patted my hand on the pink wooden bar.

It was ugly as fuck.  "Yes! I'm just dandy" I grabbed the next drink he put down downing it in one gulp. Marcelo put his hand over mine to stop me from grabbing the next. "Breathe. Don't let them get to you"

"They're my only family. All I have, and their just-" Marcelo is not my friend. He proved to me that I can't trust him on multiple occasions. "Let's just get the dinner over with. Okay"

He nodded, taking my own drink from me downing it himself. His eyebrows creased. "How do you drink that shit"

"You literally drink whiskey. That's like the worst" I chuckled. Marcelo's eyes glistened as he shook his head

There was the sound of glass clinking that snapped my attention from Marcelo to my dad standing in the middle. "Dinner is being severed in dining hall"

"If you're a good girl at dinner I'll get you ice cream" Marcelo teased, holding out his hand for me to grab, making my nose scrunch up. "Oh shut up" I grabbed his hand.

Walking to the dining room there were names in front of seats. I was a bit surprised to see I was sitting around the family. Everyone took their seats as Marcelo's men sat really close. Marcelo on the other hand sat beside me.

The dinner was salmon with asparagus. I picked around my plate not having much of an appetite.

"This place is incredible Franz. We all miss Raven. She was precious, "one of my fathers men said. I downed my glass of champagne.

"She wasn't precious" I whispered to Marcelo before breaking out into giggles. He placed his hand on my knee for some odd reason. "Manners , Tesoro. It's rude to whisper in front of a group" He leaned in whispering.

I only laughed shaking my head

"She was.I miss my baby" My mom answered.

"I'm wondering why everything's pink? Isn't this supposed to attract men? So far it's attracting more women than anything. I thought the original layout was black and red" Someone else said. They took it as a joke so they laughed.

There was nothing funny about my parents. "It was supposed to be like that, but this was to honor my little sister," I commented out of thin air.

The sound of my mother dropping her fork made the whole table pause. "The little sister you killed?" The table was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Mother stood up dramatically. I matched her actions.

"I didn't fucking kill her for the last time! If I could die for my siblings, I would. You know that but I was too busy helping the child that you fucking abanded!" My mom gasped.

"Zaliah that's enough" My head whipped to him.

"Enough of what?! You used my fucking layout, you used my idea. To honor raven? Yes I get it but I don't because everyone at this table knows just how much of a shitty person Raven really is."

"She's obviously learnt a thing or two from the Lombardi's," Mom muttered under her breath. I was taken back by the mention of Marcelo.

"Leave my husband out of it! I wouldn't even be in this fucking position if dad didn't come in my room the same night bribing me with the mafia, if I married Marcelo! So I did it to protect my family, and I got nothing out of it." Nothing but a life time of fucking misery.

"I've literally killed myself for this family and this is what I get? You want to talk about the Lombardi's, well let's talk about the Baldonti's? Raven was pregnant by Dmitri Volks. She told me hours before my wedding and begged me to let her come. Dad! Did you tell mom where I went for six months and why?" Dad stared at me with disbelief.

"You're a liar! You're nothing but a liar! You think that man will ever love you? Well you're a damn fucking fool. Just because you're a slut doesn't mean you have to portray your dead sister as one. God! Sometimes I wish you were dead" The table gasped.

I stared at my mom blankly. My eyes found Nico as he looked down avoiding my eye. "Father you have ten days to send me my shares or I'll start war"

Dad laughed in my face as if this was a joke. "With who behind you? You have no one else." I don't need anyone behind me. I can stand my own.

"Me" Marcelo linked hands with me under the table. My father's smile dropped. His mouth opened but was soon closed when gunshots went off.

"Oh just fucking great" Marcelo grabbed me as we took cover. He handed me a gun from his waistband. I stared at it blankly as I lifted my dress showing my holster.

"I came prepared this time" I cocked my gun back. Peeking up I watched as my father held my mom running as Nico ran behind them. "Shit!" I stood up but was quickly pulled down.

"What the fuck did I tell you about risking your life? Especially after that shit show. Be selfish, Tesoro" He turned around as he started firing his gun. Men with masks came in as I was able to shoot one in the head.

This feels like a video game! "Come on the coast is clear '' Marcelo grabbed my arm as his men surrounded us as we walked out.

It wasn't until a gunshot went off. This time I felt a piercing feeling go through my thigh. My balance caused me to fall into marcelo. Turning around I saw my mother with her gun shaking in her hands. She shot me" Staring down at the blood oozing out of me the pain was too much to focus on..

Marcelo's gun was aimed perfectly at my mothers head. So were his men. My father's men pointed a gun at Marcelo as my dad tried to plead with Marcelo knowing he had a clean shot. My vision got blurry as I connected my eyes with my mother.

At that moment. I felt numb. Like nothing else mattered.

"Don't shoot her" I gasped out as I felt the pain taking over. Marcelo looked down as the last thing I saw was his narrowed hazel eyes.