Red

C H A P T E R T H I R T Y S I X

After every death there’s a period of mourning. The grief comes in waves, ones so strong that you feel swept away.

Or so I’m told.

I on the other hand, don’t get to feel that. I don’t get the luxury of pausing and remembering them, crying for them, missing them.

I simply avenge them.

I am Gabriella Sophia Alessia Valentino and I will do my family proud.

It had been a month since the explosion. ‘A terrorist attack’ is what the media are calling it. The bodies were unidentifiable, already cremated to ashes before the fire fighters could get them out. An estimation of 600 human bodies died in that building.

Caters, bartenders, workers of the establishment, mafia bosses, their higher level men, security guards, the band.

It was a blood bath and Ace was responsible for every single one of those deaths.

During the last month, I took the time to recuperate. I educated the remaining members of the Valentino family on who I really was and I led them. I made them work harder, train stronger and act braver than ever before.

I was tough on them.

Tougher than my father.

Tougher than my brother.

Tougher than I actually really was.

And now, I was ready for battle.

I had followed Ace a lot of times, knew his routes and hangouts like the back of my hand.

He visited the club most nights.

He trained at the gym for four hours every morning.

He had one main warehouse for hostages.

He had decoy buildings everywhere.

He shopped at Walmart but only ever went at night when it was less busy.

I knew which bank he used, which gas station he got his fuel, where he liked to buy his coffee. I knew everything piece of his routine but nothing intrigued me more than the suburban house he spent most of his spare time.

It was out-of-place and he always went the extra mile to protect its location. He was hiding something major in there and if I had to guess, I’d say it was the package.

I followed him to a mid-town distraction location where he had multiple decoys set up with multiple vehicle changes.

The decoys didn’t fool me anymore. I had studied the way Ace drove, I knew his speed, his blinker signals and when he used them, the honking of his horn at certain road rage pet peeves. I knew it all.

I tailgated him the entire way to a darling little retirement town located close by the theatre. Beautiful little houses with pretty gardens lined the streets, a cloying mist making the air all around us thick. He parked up outside a smallish house and disappeared inside.

I waited.

The house ebbed away into the dense fog but I didn’t take my eyes off it, studying the whole outer layout of this building. An hour past by, still no sign of him leaving or any movement from inside the house.

Two hours, the sun was setting over the horizon but the monochrome hues won out over the orange sky. I unbuckled my belt and stepped out into the damp air, dewy condensation from the grass clung to my black boots leaving muddy footprints after each step I made.

My lip curled upwards at the glowing reindeer displayed on the lawn but with a bated breath I crept along the hedges, following a cobbled pathway to the bay window. I dipped down, hiding in the earths natural blanket, merely a ghostly silhouette among the grey haze.

The window was illuminated, like a beacon of light through the sleet. It was so quaint and Christmassy but I couldn’t see anything through the twinkling lights and snow-spray dusted on the glass.

I walked around the back way and tried the door. It was unlocked so I quietly pushed it open and stepped inside, inhaling the festive smell of cinnamon potpourri.

The house was very... normal. It definitely wasn’t his. He liked extravagant and showy as per his other decoy apartments.

Instead, this had a cute little cottage vibe with a fridge full of magnets and a pinboard filled with reminders like ′trash day on Wednesday’ or ’wash darks separate from lights.′

I picked out the gun from my belt and flicked the latch ready, following the flicker of string lights and the low hum of television sounds. Taking care as I rounded each corner, my feet floated on the hardwood weightlessly.

I entered the living room, a Christmas tree stretched to the ceiling and colourful lights decorated each branch. It wasn’t at all fancy or showy, it was one of those traditional trees with homemade decorations and paper chains.

I could see him, or the back of his sleeping head at least. I held the gun, finger resting against the trigger and I was about to shoot when the floorboard creaked beneath my timberlands.

Ace turned his head fast, like a reflex and his pink, tired eyes widened in fear at the sight of me. I looked down at the mound of light hair fanning out against his lap and I hesitated to shoot.

“Red-” he whispered, his voice shaky and unconfident. His eyes fell down to the little girl sleeping soundly, then back to me. He didn’t know what to do - what to say - how to act. He was horrified and scared shitless.

Ace Blackburn was scared shitless.

Gently he shuffled away from the little girl and stood up, placing his body in front of hers protectively.

“Look, I’m unarmed.” He stated in a hushed voice. “Please don’t do this, not here. Not now.” There was a desperate plea in his words as he begged. “I’ll give myself to you. I’ll let you take my life. Whatever you want, but please just leave her out of this.”

I looked to the little girl, I didn’t understand. Who was she? Had he kidnapped her? My stomach flipped, I wanted to kill him, save the little girl and run. She stirred, sat up and rubbed her eyes.

She was a cute little thing with fair hair and a button nose. Her almond shaped eyes and innocent features indicated to me that she had Down syndrome. Her little pink lips pressed together when she noted the gun in my hand and she turned to Ace with worry in her eyes.

“Daddy?” She asked.

“Daddy?” I repeated.

Ace closed his eyes, regret flooding him but then he turned to her and smiled. “Gracie, remember that game we play?” She nodded her head, not taking her eyes off of my gun. “We’re gonna play it right now, go and hide, don’t come out until Adrian gets here.”

The little girl jumped off the sofa and ran upstairs holding a tatty grey plush rabbit in her hand.

He lingered his blue gaze on me, I was too shell shocked to reply, or to move, or to shoot. I needed a second for my brain to catch up. To process the possibility of Ace having a daughter.

“You shouldn’t have come here Red.” He spoke, keeping his voice calm and calculated. “You being here changes everything. I’m gonna have to kill you now, for real.”

I cocked my head to one side, like a confused dog. If he didn’t plan on killing me before what were we doing?

I sucked in a breath as the realisation hit me.

“She’s the package, isn’t she?”

He nodded, silently.