The Beauty in Eternity

85 | Mason.

It is in this moment I make a decision. I decide to shut it out. I decide to simply not feel it, and I decide to go back to my old ways. It didn't do me any favours in America—but here, it's the only thing that'll keep me sane. I feel a sense of shame as I think about it, knowing that Amara wouldn't want me to turn my hurt into anger; she wouldn't want me to go back to my old ways, my mean ways—my cold ways. But here, any emotion is a mistake.

I swear to myself that I won't crack. Nobody will know that I'm being ripped apart from the inside out. I will be the ruthless soldier they need, and they will respect me. In a sense, and only for a second, I find myself glad I sent her away. Because I would never be able to live with the way she would look at me after this, after what I have to do to get by.

And that is exactly what happened, I became ruthless—I became someone I barely recognised anymore. I became respected. And in this world, respected is the most dangerous thing you can be.

—————

"De Luca, Marco wants to see you in his office." Dante rolls his eyes.

"Right." I groan.

"You wanted to see me?" I shrug as I close the door behind me.

He faces away, gazing out of the window at the opposite end of the room. "Did you get the job done?"

"Of course I did."

"Mmm," he hums. "You surprised me, De Luca."

"And why is that?" I roll my eyes.

He turns around slowly to face me. "I thought you had gone soft."

"Well I haven't." I defend.

"Mhm, it has been two months—maybe her grip has loosened on you," he licks his lips as he speaks. I clench my jaw in attempts to calm my temper. "—I mean, Miss Amara is probably fucking someone else by now-"

I throw him against the wall, pinning him tightly by the fabric of his silk shirt. "Take her name out of your fucking mouth." I spit.

He grins an enraging grin.

"I'm here, and I'm doing whatever the fuck I have to do—but you better take any trace of her existence out of your memory," I roar with gritted teeth. "I don't want you keeping tabs on her, thinking of her, or mentioning her to me ever again. Got it?"

He flashes me a tight lipped smile. "Yes, De Luca."

"The contract is over if you so much as look the road she walks on, do you understand? It's fucking finished." I spit, loosening my grip and allowing him to stand again.

Careless, I've been described as by the others. Who the hell challenges the boss? They say to me. But I know Marco, and I'm not fucking scared of him. Not anymore.

"I knew you were careless, but I never took you as a fool, De Luca," he brushes himself off. "You haven't signed the contract yet."

"Great, perfect time to add a clause."

*"Any contact with the person(s) in question: Miss. Amara Woods;
automatically warrants immediate nullification of the present contract signed by:
Mr. Mason Jaxon Loche,
previously: Mr. Mason Jaxon De Luca and: Mr. Marco Romano Bellucci
both parties must sign below;
_________    _________"*