The Easton's

20

Rain poured down as the family stood around the freshly dug-up grave site. No one dared make a sound.

Bradley was the first to walk up. He leaned down, grabbing a handful of wet dirt.

"Goodbye, my love.." He whispered as he threw the dirt onto the casket.

They all followed after him, one by one. Family members, bodyguards, and a few of Carl's cop friends had made their way to Italy.

Bradley stood, and for the first time since that night, he stopped crying. He stared as the casket lowered and began to laugh.

He laughed so hard he started to cry again. "I owe him a twenty." He mumbled out to no one.

The pair had placed a bet on who would die first.

An inactive son of the mafia or a crooked police officer/bodyguard for said mafia.

Carl always believed he'd be the first to go.

"You won."

-

-

-

Elias held Bradley and Alexi's hand as they all went down to the family compound from the burial yard. As soon as they exited the woods, they saw a group of women in cloaks surrounded by bodyguards, and Riley made their way in front, wanting to see what was happening.

That was when he saw her. He almost couldn't believe his eyes. The woman he abandoned haunted his dreams.

"Mom?" Jestion whispered as he looked at her.

Elias walked up beside him, hearing what he said. He had to look at her.

She seemed strange but familiar. From the memories he could remember of her, she didn't have a long scar going down her face, and her long black hair was usually more tame.

"Jestion, Eliath, my boys are together again," she said as she walked forward before being stopped by a guard.

Elias felt dizzy as he took a step back. He could still remember the day he was picked up from school and told his mother and father had died.

But she wasn't dead.

But she had to be.

Because if she wasn't dead, how could she let him rot in that horrible place?

How could she leave him?

He looked up one more time, her green eyes staring back at him as he slowly started to fall.

Alexi rushed over and caught him before he hit the ground. He picked him up and looked over at Riley, who was holding Jestion, as the man cried.

"Uh, let's all go inside?" Riley said as he came out of his daze.

The family just couldn't seem to catch a break.

-

-

The room was silent, except for the odd sound of someone sipping their tea or silverware scraping against a plate. Axel and Lucielle sat at the head of the table together, having a silent conversation.

Heather and Lorenzo also shared glances as they ate. The whole situation made Heather really regret being pregnant at the moment because a bottle of wine sounded like the best option for whatever was happening.

Bradley had stayed in his room not having the energy to eat.

Alexi was still waiting for Elias to wake up, and Riley and Jestion had gone into another room so the male could calm down.