CHAPTER FOUR
907 Words
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KAIRO
The walls of my father’s estate are older than most cities stone, steel, surveillance. My boots click down the hallway like a metronome of death as I enter the War Room, where Navarro blood is spilled in strategy before it ever stains the streets.
The men inside stand when I walk in. My father doesn't.
He’s seated at the head of the table, his hair a silver crown earned through decades of tyranny. His eyes a colder version of mine track me as if I’m the one he might order killed next.
I don’t bother sitting.
“Enzo’s dead.”
Silence.
“Who?” His voice is jagged, tired. Not with grief with inconvenience.
"Someone actually dared to take a swipe at the Navarro family?"
He rises, moving slowly like a panther that hasn’t needed to pounce in years. His hand lands on my shoulder. “Then you already know what I’m going to say.”
I nod once.
“Find them,” he says. “And make sure they regret messing with the Navarro family"
A beat of silence. Then he adds:
“You're next in line, Kairo. Find whoever that is, we can't have our people thinking we are incompetent or the other families thinking they can take out one of use without retaliation"
Kairo nods and turns to leave.
"And..take care of yourself" the old man says
“I'm not Enzo, I will be fine” I reply with turning back
“I know,” he says. “That's why you're still alive.”
I leave without another word.
---
CAMILA
I haven’t slept.
The safehouse is too quiet, like the kind of silence that stalks you before a storm. I sit on the edge of the bed, heart pounding, hands still stained with memories. Enzo’s dead. I should feel something guilt, relief, terror but all I feel is the echo of his scream when the knife found his gut, I felt relived he deserved it, he had it coming but it all happened in such a blur and I wasn't expecting to kill him, he might not have been the one who killed Luca but he sure as hell knew who did. I just regret not asking before I slit his throat well it's not like I had time anyways.
I check my pocket to retrieve Luca's picture and I find out it's gone. "s**t" it must have fallen out during the fight with Enzo, or was it at the alley with kairo? I need to get it back. It's the only thing I have in memory of Luca.
My phone buzzes bringing me out of my thoughts Lucien is calling
"How are you holding up?" He asks
"I'm fine, doesn't feel like much of a victory after killing that son of a b***h"
"Cam.." Lucien calls out "I think you should leave town, hide go to Italy or someplace, the Navarro family isn't going to give up until they have your head and plus we still don't know who ordered your hit"
“I’m not leaving town till I know who paid for my head,” I whisper.
“Camila..."
“I’m not afraid of Kairo Navarro or anyone infact"
Lucien sighs. “Then you’re more dangerous than I thought.”
I hang up before he tries to convince me again, I lay down on the bed. "I have got to think of a way to get this Navarro guy off my back" I thought. "I have so much to do here".
---
Kairo
“You found her?”
"No" elian replies "But I found her name, she is Camila Moretti
“Rafael Moretti’s daughter?” I reply stunned
Elian nod's once.
“Jesus,” he breathes. “That family was wiped. Or so we thought.”
“They missed one,” I murmur. “And now she’s back. Cutting down my men.”
"and Guess what?" Elian says wide eyed
"I don't like guesses"
"Since her arrival in Manhattan, a hit has been placed on her head"
I smirk darkly “let me guess it was placed months before she showed up. Anonymous. Professional. No paper trail.”
"I thought you said you didn't like guesses" elian said
"I don't like when people initiate it"I reply without looking at his face
“So someone knew she was alive before you did.”
“Exactly,” I say.
I lean forward, fire burning behind my ribs.
“Track her, find her and when you do don’t engage. Not yet.”
---
CAMILA
I stare at the flame of the candle for too long. The way it dances. The way it threatens to go out with every shift in the air.
I feel like that.
Like a flame that’s burned too long to realize it's surrounded by wind.
Then the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
I move to the window nothing. But the feeling doesn’t go.
Lucien was right. I’ve poked the monster one too many times.
Still, I can’t run.
Because it’s not over until I know who started this. Who whispered my name into the mouth of death and paid to have me erased.
Was it Navarro? Or Was it someone else? Or could it be de Rossi? The cartel my dad used to work for?
I pick up the knife Enzo tried to use on me.
“Keep coming,” I whisper to no one.
- Writer
