Severed Ties

Ardour

Cameron

The words rang true, like bullets spurting from my lips, and they all stilled. The guards were prepared to shoot at my Alara.

Rage coursed through me like hot water burning at every inch of my skin.

It was a bulky brute of a man who let out a callous laugh, more of bark if I was honest, spittle spraying from his lips as he glared attempting to intimidate me with his unnatural form, "We don't answer to you, Grayson."

"No," a smooth cold voice echoed from behind me, "But you do answer to me,"

Their faces paled immediately and I didn't even need to turn to see who it was. Vincent Torres' voice was unmistakable.

"Did you really think that you would garner my favour by shooting my daughter?" he took a strong step forward.  His dark suit screamed of power, as he fastened his cuffs and glared at each and everyone one of his subordinates. His lips curled in distaste but the rest of his face remained carved and smooth like a slab of stone. 

"Sir I-" the man who had attempted to instil fear in me all but stammered, an interesting sight from a physically monstrous man. Vincent Torres, could insight fear he could only dream of. 

The Mafia leader knew the effect he had on his men, as they all lowered their gazes and their guns. The writing figure of the guards that had been shot by Alara, was the only sound, groaning and crying in pain.

Mr Torres' eyes snapped to him as he stared at my wife's smoking gun. She hadn't lowered the gun a look of pure agony on her face and I needed to make my way over to her. I weaved through the subdued men and lightly touched her shoulder, "Darling, it's ok, everything ok," and then gently I pressed my hands against hers, the ones that were curled around the gun, tense and ready to fire at a moment's notice.

Just my touch seemed to pull her from her trance, her gaze flickering to mine as she softly whispered, "I can't do this anymore Cam," and I could hear how shattered she was. Full of despair and unrelenting fury, she couldn't have peace as long as she had the title of the Blood Queen.

"Alara, dear, are you alright?" 

She looked up at her father, a dazed look on her soft features as though she had forgotten he was even there, "Yeah, I'm fine," and I knew she was lying but for once I didn't want to push her for the truth. Though I despised lying there were times when it was necessary. I pulled her close tucking her under my arm, and I felt her head rest on my chest as she grasped onto the fabric of my shirt. She sighed heavily and at that moment Theo rounded from behind me.

"You may be her father," he bit out, directly addressing Vincent with no worries about the consequences, "But I will always be her brother no matter what your men think. Calling me Mortello filth will do nothing to me, and if you ever do it again I will drag you down and bury you in the very dirt that covers me, and you will suffocate, and I won't even flinch."

I was unsure whether Theo was only talking to Vincent or the Falco Mafia as a whole.

Vincent regarded him for a long moment, his gaze shifting over Theo's broad frame, "I will never deny that you are the brother of my daughter. But I do not take kindly to threats."

"Threat, it's only a threat if you make it. And besides, I am not so delusional that I do not know the power you wield. I guess I am just reckless enough to lay my intentions bare."

"Theo," Alara called, "That's enough, you don't need to prove anything. Who cares what these guys think, they obviously don't have much intelligence if they were willing to kill, their leader's daughter. Especially since I'm still the key to the Blood Diamond."

A terse look spread across Vincent's face and I realised that Alara had made a huge misjudgement. The men hadn't known of her ties to the Blood Diamond and I was sure that Vincent had intended for it to remain that way.

"Blood Diamond?" One of the guards sputtered in a thick accent, hungry eyes dragging over to Alara, "So it is true, capo?  She is the Regina del sangue?"

"No. She is not." he bristled his gaze locking with Alara's as she immediately realised her mistake, "She is lying to garner your fear. Your respect, an underhanded tactic," Alara knew what her father was doing, diverting the attention, making her appear to be a girl living in make-belief in a desperate attempt for approval, but that didn't stop the flare of anger in her eyes and they way she tightened her grip on my shirt as her fingers curled in on themselves digging into her palms.

"Like most women, she has embellished a story she had heard in order to convince you that she is so much more than she is. And ardour if you will, and I am disappointed that I would have a daughter that lies," he gave her a look that implored her not to act, not to unleash all the words she wanted to puncture into his skin, drawing blood and proving that she wasn't just lying about her title. The misogynistic undertone didn't help, but it wasn't a very feminist-driven world, the underbelly of a society of crime and exploitation.

She was gritting her teeth, I could see her tense jaw and the heat rise to her cheeks, painting them a flushed red.

"You should punish her," One guard called out and Vincent gave him a withering look, a look of pure conniving malice.

"And you, Remy?  Who are you to tell me what I should and shouldn't do."

"She shot one of our own," he justified and it was clear he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, questioning his superior, and not accepting the threat.

"Ah yes," his glare fixated on the guard on the floor, with blood still gushing from his two wounds, "I believe she was justified in that. And speaking of punishment, I believe I must make an example of you, Diego,"

He crouched down next to the bleeding man and unnerving a wicked grin spreading over his feature, like a virus infecting unwilling flesh, "You disobeyed me and attempted to kill my daughter. You taunted her and made her have no choice but to shoot you but I do not think two bullets are enough,"

Fear spiked through Deigo's eyes and the begging began and all to the familiar whining sound of a traitor bargaining a sound I knew all too well, imprinted into my brain where a thousand voices of those that had betrayed begging for the same mercy from me, but they must know that mercy and Cameron Grayson never went together.

It seemed mercy wasn't even in the vicinity of the leader of The Falco Mafia.

"As your punishment, you will remain here, and have to get yourself back to base, no one shall help you and if they do I will make them regret even thinking to disobey me. You will either bleed out of your pathetic body or you will drag yourself back to the base. Make it back and you will be treated. Don't and well," the malevolence in his eyes deepened, "I'm sure you know what happens then."