Cameron
They were here.
All of them were here, armed to the teeth with the biggest grins. Mel and Leo pressed against each other back to back with guns and ammo hanging off of them.
Mel's brightly streaked hair flew as she ran over to Alara, wrapping her tightly in a hug, "Oh God you're ok!"
And then she handed her a gun but Alara, shook her head, and slipped her hand behind her, pulling the zipper of her dress down ever so slightly and pulling out a dark blue gun, "I've got my own," and I recognised it immediately, it was my mother's gun.
The realisation hit me immediately she would be in danger, the first person my father would go after, in a last-ditch effort to win this battle.
"MA," I called out and I saw her in the crowd, faint blue eyes searching for me a wry smile, "Son," she cried out and then everything slowed, as I saw him snatch a gun from one of the guards and pointed it right at her.
A scream tore through me as I rushed forward, he was going to kill her. He was going to kill my mother.
I was running, running so fast and I was going to be too late, he was going to kill her.
"MA," my breath was short everyone turned, but there was too much chaos too much fighting, with armed guards and Wolfsbane, with Theo and Leo fighting tooth and nail to reach me and Alara, Mel tried to chase after me tried to grab a hold of me, "CAMERON NO," her voice was desperate as she tried to reach me but I could see nothing but the soft smile on my mother's face, she didn't move she merely closed her eyes, and a tear slipped from her eyes.
She was preparing to die.
Arms grabbed me strong and hauled me back, my father's guards, as he raised his gun aiming straight for the heart, and my throat constricted my heart pummeled as I saw Alonso rush over to me with Mel and Leo, Echo was trying to disable the systems, and everyone was focused on me, trying to get me free, not her.
Why were they coming towards me?
Why was no one saving my mother?
WHY.
WHY
WHY.
My world shattered as I watched a poised finger press against the trigger.
All the breath left my body, and I was shaking, I had closed my eyes on instinct, I had heard the gunshot ringing loudly silencing the chaos, and the arms let me go, I fell to the floor, and I wept as though my heart had been ripped from my chest, "MA," I screamed aloud and then a soft voice whispered.
"Cameron?" it was shaky but so familiar, my eyes flew open to be met with the sobbing figure of my mother, her hands over her mouth and in the middle of it all was Alara.
My darling Alara.
I was on the ground with her before me, the gun firmly pressed in her hands that didn't waver, a smoking gun with her all in white, sprayed with blood now.
"The Queen of Blood," someone whispered and then there was silence.
And on the floor was my father. And for one terrible moment, I hoped, beyond hope that she hadn't killed him.
The guilt racked through me, how could I? How could I want the man who had raised a gun to my mother, put a gun to the only person I would or could ever love?
But I needed more than anything for him to be alive.
I wanted him to suffer. But to die?
So when he twitched and moved from the ground, a stark white hand pressed against his leg, agony ripping through his features, and his eyes landed on Alara, she hadn't moved, she still stood there amongst the flame and the fire, the destruction and the debris. She moved one of her hands, and smeared her lipstick off of her face, it was stern and even with the smattering of blood even with matted hair and imperfect skin that was blemished by ash, she looked beautiful.
A fallen angel, who had saved me when I needed it most.
Who she still hadn't killed even when she had every right to.
"The Blood Queen," I heard my father murmur as he pressed against his leg, he couldn't move but for the first time in my life I saw in his eyes awe, he was in awe of Alara Mortello.
A woman who in all the destruction, had the clarity of mind to save my mother.
"Next time," her voice was dangerously sharp and the whole room was listening to her, the fighting had stopped, the guards loyal to my father had been subdued or fled, "I won't miss. And that," she paused to look over at me, her eyes sparkling as she held back tears, "Is a promise. Not killing you was mercy out of the love I have for your son but do not fool yourself into thinking that will protect you. If you ever hurt him again, I will rip you limb from limb and show you how much of a Queen of Blood I am,"
I had never loved her more.
Echo shouted from the balcony overhanging the chapel, "I've got all the information we need to take them down! All of them!"
And that was out Echo always ahead of the grain so smart that sometimes it was intimidating.
Ma rushed over to me her hands reaching for my face pulling me from the ground and wiping tears I hadn't even realised had fallen from my cheeks, "Oh my poor baby, Cameron, Cameron," her voice was fragile and full of desperation, "Have you seen him? Do you know where he is? Connor, do you know where he is, " she clawed at my suit trying to drag me towards the door, "Do you know where your brother is? We have to save him! They'll kill him!"
Her pleading eyes sparkled in the same way my brother's had a perfect replica of immense melancholy, I held her tight and whispered, "We'll get him back,"
And just in that moment like a patron saint, Echo rushed forward, a USB in his hand as he hurtled words at me, "I have all the schematics, all the prisoners, I know where your brother is, I have all the information of Carlisle's everything, this is only part of it," he handed me the drive, "I added my thumbprint to all the bioengineered locks, I can get us anywhere, just lead the way, Cam,"
And before I could stop myself I engulfed him in a hug, he froze a moment, his hands unsure of what to do before he hugged me back just a fiercely, "It's ok man, I've got you," and then with all the people I cared about in the world.
With my family, we rushed out of the doors.
"Cameron!" A voice called after me and it was Alonso Torres, my blood ran cold.
"Alonso you're not taking her, I will not lose her again. I do not care what is on the line or what the leader of the Falco has said, she is my wife," and I realised that amongst it all, we had still essentially been married, the objection wasn't one to our union it was more for our protection.
And the realisation hit me like a freight train.
Alara was my wife.
"I'm not here to take her or harm her. But there are things you must know. Alara is not who she thinks she is. Alara Mortello is not her only name,"
My gaze flickered over to her, she was tearing off the lower half of her dress matted with dry blood, kicking off her heels and slipping into some discarded boots that were far too big for her but would have to do.
"What do you mean Alonso?" and my mind drifted to his son and the other small children, suddenly a overwhelming amount of fear pulled through me, had they seen all of this violence. As a young boy I was exposed to too much, too brutal of torture, too much violence that plagued me to this day, "Your son? The other children are they ok?"
Alonso nodded, a soft smile gracing his features, "Ali and Avery, and all of their friends are safe, they were sent out just before I made my objection. All the kids are safe, I assure you, but there is more to this than you could ever know, you and Alara both need to come with me,"
"Alonso, we can't I will not walk into another form of captivity, no matter what the Italian Mafia says, my friends are more than capable of keeping us safe?"
He sighed heavily his gaze settling on Alara, "Cameron I don't think you understand, it is of the utmost importance that you come with me. Vincent needs to speak to you both,"
"I don't give a shit-"
"Cameron?" Alara's voice floated to my ears, she rushed over her arms finding mine and pulling me close.
She stared down at the patch of smeared blood where my father had been, "Some of his men have taken him away, but I promise he'll be fine,"
"How?" I was lost for words how had she known that I wanted him to survive?
"Don't look at me like that Cam, I know you better than I know myself," and she meant every word as she pressed closer to me, her thick eyelashes concealed her honey browned eyes for a moment before they lifted to Alonso's well-built frame, "Alonso right?" her voice was far more tepid than I had expected it to be after her continual bouts of courage.
"You called me your niece?" and she didn't have to say any more.
Alonso smiled showing perfectly straight teeth, behind an easy smile, "That's because it's true,"
"My father is an only child, though, and my mother's family live on the other side of the ocean and I'm sure none of them are Italian," she began to explain but Alonso's smile nerve slipped as he waited patiently for her to finish, before saying words that I believe can never be taken back.
"That is because my dear, you're father is not your father,"
She sucked in a breath her eyes flared and her lips were poised to say words that never came, that just fell as a short haggard breath intensifying when Alonso continued to speak.
"Your real father is Vincent Torres, the leader of the Falco Mafia, and you Alara Mortello, are really Alara Genevieve Mortello Torres, my niece and the heir to the Italian Mafia."