Sierra's POV
I flung the door to the warehouse open, bouncing it off the wall and alerting my father to my presence. I waltzed in there casually, yet confidently.
"Good evening, Papá." I sang as he watched me.
I walked closer to him, noticing Dominic tied up to a chair with his face beaten and bloody. It wasn't too bad, but it must be painful none the less.
"Ah, Miya, how nice of you to grace us with your presence. Dominic was just telling me how he killed Mamá, down to the last detail." I cringed as I heard him call me by the term of endearment Abuelita used to use. He didn't deserve that right and he never will. He gave me a condescending smirk as he taunted me. Unbelievable.
"Really? How about you repeat that then, De Luca." I looked at Dominic in the eye. He held my gaze, completely unphased by my words and remained silent.
"Very well. Papá, I thought I told you he was my kill." I remarked, waving my fingers indicating to Dominic's face.
"I was simply having some fun, Mija." He continued. There it is again... Mija... I tried controlling my emotions and holding back my tears.
I walked around the room, heading straight towards the bottle of tequila I spotted the second I walked in. My father loved alcohol, too much in fact. It made him more aggressive which is why he would drink it often. I grabbed the bottle and tipped it up, giving myself a good amount into my mouth. I did this a few times, taking my time as I did so.
I performed this action for two reasons. One is the fact that my nerves are shot. I needed something to calm them as my mind raced with anxiety for what was to come. The other using it as an excuse to suss out the place. Look for advantage points, exit points, and to search for any snipers my father might have placed around. I know those are his favorite.
"Mija, you seem nervous." My father spoke menacingly. I slammed the bottle on the table with a loud thud before turning to face him.
"Not at all. More like anxious for what's to come." I returned the same kind of smile as my eyes darted between him and Dominic.
"Oh, please, don't stop on my account. Go ahead." He turned the gun around, holding it by the barrel, handing it over for me to take. "Go right ahead, Mija. He is all yours. Prove to me how much you want this."
I never faltered. I grabbed the gun, pulling on the chamber before holding it with both hands and standing in front of Dominic. I lifted the gun and aimed it at his head.
"Did you kill my mother?" I asked firmly and void of emotion.
"No." He was quick to reply, without any form of hesitation or break in eye contact.
I cocked the gun, placing it back into position and aiming it at him again.
"How about now? Did you kill my mother?" I repeated.
"No." This time, he shook his head along with his answer.
I gave him a tight-lipped smile. I was buying time for my father to relax. I knew he would at some point. Eventually, he grabbed the tequila with his back toward us. I turned on my heel slightly, still in the same spot, as I faced the gun at him.
He was drinking the tequila as he turned around to face me. He choked on the liquid before coughing, his eyes watching me closely.
"What the fuck are you doing, Sierra?"
"Who killed Mamá, father?" I took a step towards him as he took a step back.
"Ya te lo he dicho (I've already told you)." He tried again. He was about to speak, his gaze falling on Dominic when I cut him off.
"Mierda! Quiero la verdad! Quieres jugar conmigo, Papá? (Bullshit! I want the truth! Do you really want to play with me, Papá?)" His name dripped with venom off my lips.
"I'm waiting, father. Otherwise, you can meet your demise." I took another step towards him. He tried taking another step back, however, he hit into the table behind him, trapping him.
"Come on, father. What are you so afraid of?" I took a shot, shifting the gun slightly so the bullet flew past his ear and into the wall behind him.
He jerked in fright before looking at me in incredulity.
"Te lo adverti (I warned you)." I shrugged my shoulders.
As quickly as his shocked expression appeared, it vanished. He now began chuckling. He strolled towards me, daring me to shoot him. He knew I wouldn't without knowing the truth. I stared at him, unable to talk myself into just one shot to injure him. I was too petrified. I know my father, he would have stayed there bleeding out until his last breath, making sure he tainted me with the pain of never knowing the truth.
He was now close enough to ambush me. He grabbed the barrel of the gun and my wrist. He pulled me towards him, hitting his forehead against mine. I winced at the pain, letting go of the gun as my hand went to the aching section.
By the time I looked up, he had the gun aimed at me. Concentrate Sierra! Damn it, how could you be so careless to let your mind wander like that and distract you?
I stood up straight, careful to not make any sudden movements. He started walking around me, my body instinctively following him to keep our face to face stance. I noticed Dominic behind him, shuffling in the chair. I could see he was trying to loosen the rope. I diverted my eyes back at my father to not arouse any suspicions.
"Let me tell you a story, Niñita (little girl). Your mother was washing up the dishes one night when I noticed her phone ringing. It went to voicemail by the time I reached it, but a text message came through soon after. Upon opening it, I discovered it to be that bastard son of mine. I discovered on her phone that he was communicating with her since he left. This particular message notified her that he had reached and gained entry into the De Luca household. He wanted to know what his next step should be and what he needed to tell Dominic."
"I barged into the kitchen, confronting her with it. At first, she denied it all, then rushed upstairs to our room. I trailed after her and caught her packing her bags. She told me she was leaving with you and that she couldn't take my alcoholic ways no longer. It took a bit of pushing, maybe a couple of slaps and punches here and there, but eventually she told me. She told me how she sent Rafael to warn Dominic of my intentions. How I planned on killing his heir, taking his empire as mine."
"The fucking bitch had been spying on me. Playing a double agent, as some may say. I guess like mother like daughter, isn't that right Mija? The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." He smirked with a knowing look.
"Anyways, it didn't take long for her to unravel before me, trying to run away or calling for help. She tried desperately to send one last message to Rafael. However, the knife I plunged into her made that a little difficult." His ominous smile plagued my vision and his condescending chuckle pierced my ears as the reality of his words hit me like a fucking truck.
He killed her. He killed my mother and as certain as I was that it was not Dominic, my mind still somehow made it impossible for me to recognize it was him all along. I never thought it through. I never looked at the evidence thoroughly or correctly. And only now that I think about it, it all makes sense. All the pieces fell into place. One by one they connected themselves to each other as the world spun around me.
Suddenly my eyes shot to look at Dominic who was frozen. He was looking at my father and me in absolute shock before giving me a sympathetic expression, telling me with his eyes that it was ok. But it wasn't. None of this was ok. None of this could ever be ok.
The revelation of this all made me apprehend how close I was to killing an innocent man. Innocent of my mother's murder, at least. I turned to my father, my mouth agape as my words failed me.
"I nearly... I... I was going to..." my words were a jumbled mess.
"What the fuck are you rambling about now?" He asked in annoyance.
"I nearly killed him." I shifted my eyes towards Dominic. "I was so close to killing him. If it wasn't for Major and Nico..." I felt myself struggling to breathe.
I clung onto my chest, trying to control my breathing, but it wasn't working. These panic attacks happened a few times after my mother's death. But it passed quickly. My knees buckled underneath me as I fell onto them. I sat down against the heels of my feet, staring at the ground.
"Now that you know your truth, Hija (daughter)..." the way he stated my relation to him was dripping in hatred. This man never loved me, even when my mother was around.
"Now, you can be with her as you please." I felt the circular shape of cold metal touch my head, pressing down through my hair and onto my scalp. I felt so defeated and I didn't see the point in fighting anymore. The facts hit me so hard. The fact that I destroyed so many lives for nothing. It was all for nothing and I put a family through so much pain and suffering over my father's lies.
"You can watch down beside your mother and your precious Abuelita as I kill the Don, followed by that bastard heir of his. Oh, I will take great pleasure in doing so. You might as well wish your goodbyes onto your dearest Niccolo now, Niñita (little girl). And you better believe your Hermano (brother) is next."
And that was his last mistake. The names he mistakenly used against me. All the names that were my reasons for fighting. My reasons for continuing. Stupid man. You have no idea the determination I can have and what I am capable of when I fight for someone I love.
He stood there too boldly with the end of the gun barrel against my skull. My eyes darted quickly to Dominic's, nodding slightly as an order for him to carry on with what he was doing. I was going to take my father down, even if I go down with him.
I swung my right arm clockwise from the top, knocking his arm with the gun away. Being caught off guard caused him to release the gun as it went flying to the opposite side of the room. I quickly gripped onto his shirt, pulling him down so that our faces were inches apart.
"Your first mistake was killing my mother, your second one was killing Abuelita, and your final one was thinking you could kill those that I love." I pulled back and punched him square in the nose.
He stumbled back, giving me enough time to rise to my feet. I stalked over to him, throwing my leg out and kicking him with a flat foot in the middle of his chest. He grunted in pain, landing on the ground. I stood over him, grabbing his shirt again as I tried lifting him. My strength wasn't my greatest skill point, it was tactful thinking. So, I tried lifting him as best as I could. I managed to get him onto his knees, giving me a way to knee him in the face. The blood was free-flowing from his nose, dripping down his shirt.
I looked up to locate the gun. I wanted to take his life, now I was fucking sure about it. With utmost certainty. However, my father recovered quickly by grabbing onto my ankle and pulling me down. We struggled for a bit, each trying to get the gun, but I was slowly becoming weaker. His strength was taking over me.
He managed to kick me hard in the stomach, making me hunch over and collect my breath. I hadn't yet noticed that he rose to his feet. He hovered over me, grabbing onto my hair and pulling hard causing my head to fall back. He swung and gave me a hefty slap making me wince in pain as I felt my cheek heat up with a stinging sensation, before shoving my head forward.
He walked away from me, heading straight for the gun. I needed to get up. I needed to stop him and whatever his despicable mind was up to. I slowly got up off the floor, my body aching all over. As I looked up I saw him aiming the gun at me, in close proximity. I didn't hesitate as I grabbed onto the barrel, performing the same technique I had on Leo earlier on in the day.
We struggled for a bit as my father held onto the gun along with my wrist to prevent me from finishing off the technique. His knee came up to my abdomen before he shoved me away roughly.
"I have had enough of this bullshit!" He growled at me before taking a shot. It grazed my arm as I moved to the side. He roared in frustration before turning the gun, cocking it in the process, as it landed on Dominic. I watched the pad of his finger press down slightly on the trigger, causing me to react the only way I knew how.
"No!!!" My last bit of strength I used to bolt towards Dominic.
I heard the gun go off as I stepped in front of the its centerline. I felt the impact as the bullet ripped through my skin. It scorched my body before the pain rushed through me. My breathing hitched in my throat, my hands immediately placed themselves over the wound that was pouring with blood.
I felt myself weaken, in need of falling but two strong arms placed themselves underneath mine, holding me up and gently lowering me to the ground with them.
"Sierra, why would you do that? You shouldn't have done that." I heard Dominic's voice behind me.
"It was the least I could do. You need to get out of here, Dominic. He will kill you." I warned him.
"I'm not leaving you."
"You have to!" I began coughing, followed by a painful cry as the wound began pulling on me hard.
"You stupid girl, you chose someone else over your own flesh and blood."
My father remarked, aiming again. I could feel my eyes fluttering and threatening to close. Just before the darkness consumed me, I saw my father drop to the ground.
Niccolo's POV
1 hour earlier
We all got into position, scattered around the warehouse. I had the perfect space where I was able to see and hear everything that was transpiring inside. Rafael was busy scanning the area and finding the correct spot for him to set up the sniper rifle. We were all awaiting his signal before attempting anything further.
I watched as Sierra walked around, drinking from a tequila bottle and her eyes darted around the place. What was she searching for?
My father had taken a beating and my mother's eyes welled with tears when she saw him. That was another issue to throw into my mix of disastrous thoughts. How to get my father out without placing my mother in danger. She could be the most stubborn mule when she wanted to.
My heart sank and my anger rose as I watched Sierra pull a gun and cock it at my father's head, asking him if he killed her mother. I thought we were passed this. I thought she had regretted everything and went to Elena as a form of building a bridge. I thought she was helping us.
Unless... Unless she kept that facade up a little longer to convince Elena and Tino, knowing very well we would come here with no questions asked. Fuck, was this her way of getting us all here, huddled together like sitting ducks? Kill all birds with one stone. Fuck! Did I just lead my men into their death because of my emotions? Because of her?
My thoughts were scolded and corrected when I noticed her turn on her heel, aiming the gun at her father. It definitely took him by surprise when he turned to face her. He played the victim very well. But it didn't last long.
His whole demeanor changed, calling her bluff in her threat to shoot him. He began walking closer to her but she didn't move. In fact, I could see it in her stance that she was in a trance. Her eyes weren't focused on anyone or anything in particular. They stared straight ahead. Her breathing was irregular. Not erratic yet, but inconsistent. Fucking hell, Sierra, move!
"Raf, status?" I desperately asked him through my earpiece.
"I've positioned myself. I'm setting up as we speak. I will signal once in place." Damn it!
However, my attempt to help her was futile now as I watched her father yank the gun from her, bringing her closer to him before hitting her hard. She stumbled slightly, sucking in a breath at the pain from the impact.
Her father began telling her a story and each and every one of us froze to listen to it, my father included. Before this, he had been shuffling to get his hands loose.
As the story progressed, he eventually revealed Rafael's purpose in coming to America. Finally revealing the truth behind Sierra's mother's murder. I watched Sierra take a step back as her eyes darted from her father to mine then back again.
She was a complete wreck to learn the truth and I think as much as she dug for it, she had never truly prepared herself to hear it. I wish I could run to her and scoop her up in my arms, carrying her away from all this bullshit. She doesn't deserve this.
She began rambling about nearly killing my father as the revelation hit her that it would have been in vain. Her knees gave way underneath her, falling to the ground. Her sobs could be heard as her head hung in defeat. Her ponytail flung forward, over her face.
José made his way towards her slowly, the gun aimed at her. Upon reaching her, he pushed the gun's barrel against her head. She never reacted. She remained still. She had given up.
"Rafael, for fuck's sake! If you are not ready, I'm heading inside myself!" The fear that her father would shoot her at any second struck me. The fear of losing her struck me...
"I'm almost there! What is happening?" I could hear the concern in his voice. He clearly picked up on my nervous and exasperated tone, indicating to him that something was occurring.
"Concentrate on getting into position, Raf!" I instructed him. If he knew what was transpiring at this moment he would lose focus.
José bent over, whispering into Sierra's ear. I couldn't hear what he was saying but towards the end, he pulled back slightly and I hear him mention my name. He told her to say her goodbyes because he plans on coming after me. He then mentioned her brother is next.
Sierra's hands balled into fists and her knuckles turned white. Her breathing started increasing drastically and there was a glint in her eyes. A glint of complete and utter destruction. She was going to take this to the end.
She nodded at my father before reversing the roles between her and José. The gun went sliding across the floor as they began to struggle. I sat there stunned, in awe of what I was witnessing. Tino was right, she has been through some intense training. She was definitely far from your ordinary girl. Sierra punched him, kicked him, kneed him... She did a number on him before her body started giving out.
That's when I took a closer look at her. She looked weak, exhausted, decrepit, and disorientated. When last did she eat or sleep? This was working to her disadvantage and it worried me. Her father noticed her weakness, attacking back as he yielded her incapable.
She lay on the ground while her father collected the gun. Get up, Sierra! He edged closer to her, cocking the gun as he went. Get the fuck up, Sierra!!
Her moves were sudden and abrupt. She attempted to disarm him, causing me to pull back in amazement at the way she was doing it. However, her frailty was too much and her father deciphered her plan before she could effectively perform the technique.
"I'm in position. I have a clear line of sight and a visual on all three." Rafael sounded over the earpiece.
"Rafael, if you can get a clear shot at your father then shoot to kill."
"Affirmative." He responded.
"A clear shot, Rafael!! If it isn't a 100% clear shot, you do not take it! I don't care what accuracy it is, if not full." I emphasized, the worry dripping off my words.
"Obviously, Niccolo! I'm not going to hit my sister!"
I sighed. I'm being emotional here. I need to think clearly. I need to get myself under control for the sake of my family and my men. And for her sake... Baby, just move out of the way... Come on...
Their struggle became dangerous as the gun was involved again. José shot the gun, grazing Sierra. My heart rate picked up at the thought of how close that bullet was to her. I couldn't think straight! The only thing I wanted was to rush in there and place myself in front of her. Shield her from that monster!
He wasn't still enough for Rafael to take the shot, but his anger was his downfall. What I never expected was for him to take her down with him. His anger made his decisions impulsive as he aimed the gun at my father. Sierra never hesitated. She never even contemplated. She reacted immediately like it was an instinct embedded within her to find her last bit of energy and spring off the floor, sprinting towards my father.
It was as if her mind had already made this decision earlier. Her body knew exactly where to line itself up. To line itself up to take the bullet meant for my father. To line itself up to take her away from me, for good.
I watched as the bullet tore and burnt through her clothes, penetrating her skin viciously. Her body jerked with the impact before freezing. At this point my father got the last bit of rope off of him, untying his feet as his eyes watched Sierra's body before him. He vigorously yanked at the rope then prepared himself to catch her. I watched her limp body sink into his hold while her father aimed again.
"No! Hermanita (little sister)!" I could hear Rafael over the earpiece. I wanted to tell him to concentrate. I wanted to tell him to shoot the bastard now. I wanted to jump and release my whole chamber into his fucking head, but I couldn't.
I couldn't move. My body was frozen and my eyes latched onto her body, the blood, her eyes fluttering open and shut. The aching inside of me felt worse. The suffocation of my head and heart felt like nothing I have ever experienced. My hands began to shake in fear, as everything around me spun.
It was at this very moment that I realized something. Something, as my mother had put it, was too late. The feeling and realization that Sierra might be taken away from me for good pierced me sharply resulting in all the pieces around my heart exploding into shards. It fucking shattered and the truth blazed through. But it was too late. It can't be... Not like this...
You only truly realize what you had in your arms when it is yanked from you and is gone. You only realize the depth and strength of an emotion when it is being taken away, diminished and stifled into nonexistence. You only truly realize you love her when you are being forced to let her go, watching her die before your eyes.
No... Not like this...
I love you, Sierra.