Chapter 77: Chapter 8

NATE

As we pull up to the estate, I invite Jesus to join me, Dad, and Jessie. We step inside and everyone rushes over, checking if we’re okay. Anthony and Marcelo approach with the girls, and I give them a knowing smirk.

I beckon Jesus over, and as he approaches, I can see everyone trying to place him. They know him, but can’t quite remember from where.

“Remember your grandma Adriana? I’m her cousin, Jesus. We’ve met at a few family gatherings over the years. My wife is Maria, and my sons here are Luis and Carlos.”

I watch their faces as they process this information. Then, recognition dawns and they throw themselves at Jesus. He holds them tight as Maria and the boys join in for a spontaneous family hug.

This gives me a chance to pull Anthony and Marcelo aside to update them.

“We’ve got him in the basement. Jesus got a few hits in for messing with his family, but he’s still alive. I’m not sure if the girls are ready to confront him yet.”

“They’re ready. They’ve been seeing Penny for hours every day because they want to move past this. They knew what he was doing was wrong, but they did what they had to survive.

“He threatened to kill them if they didn’t comply. We’ll talk to them after they’ve caught up with Jesus.”

I nod in agreement as we all sit around, chatting. Mason approaches me with his sister Missy, holding some paperwork. He’s fourteen now and we’ve been giving him hypothetical scenarios to see how he’d handle them.

He’s been doing well, but I suspect this one might stump him.

“So, Mason, what do you do? Take the deal or not?”

“Either way, we lose. But I have a solution.”

“And what’s that?”

“We meet him in a secluded spot, pretend we’re interested, then kill him.”

We all freeze, surprised by his unexpected solution. My dad bursts into laughter.

“That’s my grandson! When all else fails, just shoot ‘em!”

He wraps an arm around Mason, beaming with pride.

“You’re just like your daddy!”

We’re all laughing when Angela and Angelia approach, hand in hand. They take a deep breath, about to speak, but I raise my hand to stop them.

“You understand what’s going to happen, right? Your father will be killed, but not before Anthony and Marcelo have their turn. I know Jesus will be there, and I’m sure he wants to see it through.

“You can choose to be in the room or outside. But if you’re in the room, there will be screaming and blood. He’s going to pay for what he did to you.”

I see their hands tighten around each other as they nod. I stand up, placing my hands on their shoulders.

“This will help you heal. He’ll never hurt you or anyone else again. He made a deal to sell you two to a very bad man. Luckily, we got to you first. Let’s go and get this over with, okay?”

They nod again as we walk outside and gather around two SUVs. We all pile in and head to the city, to the basement. I wonder if the girls truly understand what’s about to happen.

You can explain it, but nothing can prepare you for the reality. We don’t enjoy killing, but we step in when necessary. Especially when it comes to our girls.

After an hour’s drive, we arrive at the parking lot. Guards are posted around for extra security, considering we have someone in our basement. We all get out and the girls cling to each other as we walk in.

Anthony and Marcelo lead the way, with the girls behind them. My dad, Jesus, and I bring up the rear. Jace and Jessie decided to stay at the house.

We stop at the door and look at the girls. They nod, and we all walk in. The light is already on.

Niko and Tony have been keeping watch until we arrived. The girls gasp when they see their father. I realize I should have warned them that Jesus had already had his turn.

He looks up, sees them, and hangs his head. Marcelo picks up the bat first and slowly walks over. He hands the bat to Anthony, who starts to hit him.

The girls just watch. Anger starts to creep into their faces. Before we can react, they walk over and take the bat from Anthony.

Tears stream down their faces. I think they’re trying to stop him, but Angela suddenly swings the bat while Angelia screams in his face. Then they switch.

After about five minutes, they run over to the boys and bury their faces in their chests. We pause, letting everyone calm down. Anthony pulls out his gun and walks over to Marcus, pressing it to his temple.

He looks at the girls, who walk over and spit on Marcus. Anthony pulls the trigger. Marcus’s head drops, and the girls know it’s over.

He’ll never hurt anyone again. We wait for the girls to leave with the boys, giving them time to calm down. I look over at Jesus, who’s just staring at Marcus.

I pat him on the shoulder and give a small smile.

“It’s done, man. It’s over.”

“I should have been there! I should have stopped him! I should have protected them!”

He whispers, a tear falling down his cheek.

“What’s done is done. We did what we could, and we got them out. That’s what matters now. Now we move on and help them heal!”

Jesus’s gaze meets mine, his expression unreadable. I cock my head, trying to decipher his thoughts, but in a heartbeat, he’s reaching for his gun. Panic surges through me and I cry out for my dad, lunging at Jesus in an attempt to wrestle the weapon from him.

I understand his intentions. He’s burdened with guilt and yearns for an end to it. My dad bursts into the room, tossing his own guns to Tony and snatching mine to hand off to Nico.

The struggle continues, a chaotic dance of desperation, until a gunshot echoes through the room. I glance at my dad, who shakes his head, signaling that I’m not the one hit. My gaze drops to Jesus, his body limp, a dark stain spreading across his shirt.

My dad erupts in a fit of rage, hurling objects around the room. I clutch at Jesus’s shirt, trying to rouse him, but find no pulse at his neck. ~No! This isn’t how it was supposed to happen!~

I curse, the realization sinking in that we now have to break the news to Maria. I slump back, staring at Jesus’s lifeless form while my dad storms out, undoubtedly calling the estate. Guards rush in to remove Marcus’s body, but I remain, lost in my thoughts.

Time seems to blur until the door swings open and Maria and the kids rush in, their screams piercing the silence. I rise to my feet, a numb haze clouding my senses, and slowly exit the room. Jessie intercepts me in the hallway, reaching out, but I shrug him off.

I need solitude to process the events, to come to terms with the reality. I ascend the stairs, finding the room in disarray, my dad seated with my mom in his lap, her sobs muffled against his chest.

Mandy appears before me and I drop to my knees as she rushes toward me. She collides with me, knocking me over, and we crumple to the floor. I bury my face in her neck, releasing the tears I’ve been holding back.

“I tried to stop him, Mandy. I tried, but I couldn’t. It’s my fault I didn’t stop him!”

“Nate, it’s okay, baby. Shhh, it’s okay,” Mandy whispers, her soothing words only amplifying my tears. I’m lying in her arms when suddenly I’m yanked to my feet, my dad’s finger jabbing at my face. Mandy scrambles out of his path.

“Don’t you ever fucking blame yourself for this! I saw you try to support him, I saw you try to stop him. What’s done is done! We could only do so much! His mind was made up and no matter what we did, this was going to be the outcome!”

He pulls me into a hug just as Maria and the kids approach. She rushes over and my dad envelops her in the hug. The boys join us, their small arms wrapping around us.

Today, we’ve lost someone irreplaceable, someone who’s been with us from the start and will be sorely missed.