Trinity | ✔

LVII

LVII

The Revelation

                The shadows were speaking, crying out, as the woman emerged from its hold. My mother. Her hair was now cut short, a maroon red taking the place of the dark brown hair I inherited. She continued to applaud, an unimpressed expression on her face.

She brought the Calvary too.

Men emerged from behind her, their eyes trained on Hector's men as if they'd strike at any moment. Mother's eyes didn't leave my own, and my heart sank as the embarrassment and disappointment flooded through me.

We'll talk about it at home I guess.

For the time being, I was just happy she was here. After four years, I was finally being saved from this barbaric family. The thought brought a small smile to my face. I'd finally be free of the darkness. Freedom never tasted so good.

Sure, mother had been a disappointment at my attempt to put someone's life over my own, but once we got out of here everything would be set straight. I would make her understand the fragile situation. Caroline had helped me before, it was only fair that I helped her now. Mother would understand.

Soon Hector's men circled around, fully facing the armed men on the other side of the room. It all but turned into a full-on Mexican standoff with Caroline, Axel, and I wedged in the center of it all.

"Ah, Deva Callen," Hector sneered, "pleasure to see you again, tigresa."

Again?

My eyes darted between the two in shock. What did he mean by again?

"I keep telling you to stop calling me that, Hector," mother growled.

"At least now I know where you get that from," Axel muttered but I was in too deep to care. What happened between these two? Why did they seem so... acquainted? I took a step back, setting me in step right beside Axel, watching the scene unfold before me.

How did they know each other? When I was given the assignment, mother seemed completely unaware of who he was. He was just another competitor wanting to intrude on our territory.

"You have no power here, Deva," Hector said waving his hands around, "This is the lands of the De Donté cartel. We are no longer on your grounds."

"Yet you seem to forget that I don't need land to be powerful," mother retorted. It was true. Whatever she did, she did on her own. She was the definition of true power.

"It is funny you say that, mi amor, yet you have a dozen men standing at your beck and call. Ah, but you like it like that, si?"

Mother smirked.

"It's a gift," she said and I could already see the double meaning in her words when Hector's jaw clenched. He turned to look at me, walking back to the center of the room where Caroline sat whimpering with tears rolling down her face.

He pulled her hair making her flinch in pain, and he wore a satisfied grin on his face. He then snapped his fingers and pointed down, bringing two men forward and to their knees to remove the ropes that bound Caroline to the chair. As soon as she was released, she sprung forward and rushed behind both Axel and me.

"Well isn't that cute," mother commented, her eyes following Caroline before trailing to me. "I know I taught you better - raised you better."

My shoulders sagged as I watched the disappointment shine in her eyes. It was a terrible thing to see a mother disappointment in her child. I couldn't bear the sight of it.