Temptation

Chapter 69- Julian's POV

⚠️Warning! This chapter contains extreme violence. Please be aware!⚠️
~~~~~
Don't forget to vote and comment your opinion too.
~~~~~
I stepped out of the plane and let the wind flow in my hair. I closed my eyes and exhaled with pure contentment. Yon murky clouds enveloped San Francisco's sky; The smell of the ocean hovering in the air. A beautiful day to enjoy the hot air and ice cream. But my brother was already waiting for me a few feet away. He was leaning on a black car, smoking a joint, his legs crossed, and his arms folded. He threw the joint under his boot and stepped on it. I stood in front of him, and He cocked a smile.

"Are you nervous?"

"Why would I be?" I raised an eyebrow.

The world had a false image of Ron. The media portrayed him as the lazy brother who didn't claim his role as my father's successor. The truth was that is what we wanted. No rule obligated the oldest to become the family's head; All siblings couldn't be the leader. We each had our roles, and we respected them. That's how our kin stayed successful generation after generation. As me being the golden child and Amara, the upcoming one, attention centralized on us 25/8. Ronald as the boring child was the underdog. He took care of "businesses" for our father. With no paparazzi around him, he was free to work. We trusted no one else than him for our little errands. Ronald was the one that eliminated; It was simple. If Ron crumbled, the family also crumbled. If you thought I was the murderer of the family, think again.

"It ain't your first rodeo." He threw me a bag. "Who the fuck wears a thousand-dollar jacket on a mission? Change."

"You're wearing one too, coño."

"I am a professional, honey." He winked at me before climbing on the driver's side.

Oh, indeed he was.

_______

The ride to the destination was calm and serene. The sound of the rain pouring down was a melody to my ears. I thumped my index to the rhythm of the windshield on my knee, looking out the window to only water falling abundantly on the glass. Suddenly, the rain ceased. We entered dry land while the sky still wore its clouds. Not a second in my mind, I had a doubt. The closer we were, the more I felt the adrenaline pumping. I shut my eyes. That rush I hadn't felt since that night usurped my core. I was fearful I wasn't indignant anymore. Not even the little voice in my head was current to stop me. It was just a chasm. I kept thinking about Xemina, and her gorgeous face, her big brown eyes perceived as such an innocent. Her smile, her lip-biting when she blushed was nothing but a remembrance glitching in my head. It snapped back to her unrecognizable face. All I could see was blood and flesh.

This morning, her face had swelled three times the size. Purple and brown spots toned her milky skin. He broke her jaw. Her fingers were wrapped with bandages because her nails ripped off in the fight. After all, she struggled so much. I couldn't imagine what she went through before I arrived.

It anguished me that all she knew was being treated like a piece of shit by people that feigned to love her. She was just a girl who merited none of it.

"We're here."

Reluctantly, I opened my eyes. Ron parked the car in the middle of an underground parking lot. I scanned the surrounding, confused as to why we stopped. It was empty aside from the three official cars parked diagonally from us. Forward, scrapped off the painted sign of the F.S.P.D made my eyebrows knitted.

"Why the police station?" I asked.

"I didn't want him to be skeptical of something. That station is under renovation; it's empty. C'mon!"