As Cold As Ice

Crush

My fist pounded against Ace's door as I stood outside furious.

"Ace, open the fucking door!" I yelled, Dante still sitting in the car from shock.
I saw a silhouette of a figure approaching the door and unlocking it. I swung the door open and it revealed Ace.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" I shouted, waving my arms in the air with panic. "You could've gotten yourself killed".
"That would've been so tragic" Ace smirked, as we made our way down his hallway towards his kitchen.
"I'm being fucking serious, you could've gotten yourself killed. Look at Dante, I had to drag him from the ball, he's so traumatised. I had to kill some innocent girl and you get to walk away?", my face becoming twisted with disgust. "How is that fair?".

"None of it is fair Ice, you fucking idiot, I'm the mafia boss so I decided what I can or can't do. Keep yelling at me, it won't change the outcome!" He sneered back, his pride so unbelievably high.
"You ruined yourself, do you realise that?" I spat, "ruined".

I couldn't believe he had done this, I was embarrassed for him. He had ruined his reputation and he knew it. They knew he had a weak spot now and it was her. It was all her fault.

"You and I both know that you only saved that bitch because you want to fuck her, if you want to, then do it and get your shit together, I'm tired of you acting this way" I spoke harshly, slamming my hand against the wall. Ace opened the kitchen and rushed in, of course Sofia was there.

I hesitated for a moment, contemplating if I thought she would want to hear this.

"You're a selfish bastard, you take, take, take. You're exactly like your father" I spewed, my words were like venom to him. I knew his worst fear was him being anything like his father.
"Take that back!" Ace shoved me, and I stumbled across the room but I didn't fall.
"I meant every word" I glared and I think that was Ace's last straw. He grabbed me by my throat and slammed me against the wall, I gasped for air as I began to feel faint. He was crushing my windpipe. I could imagine my lips were the same shade of blue as a dark indigo.

I could hear someone yelling in the background yet my eyes couldn't focus.

He had his hand, crushing my neck for what felt like minutes and I couldn't lose consciousness. Before I knew it, Sofia had wedged herself between us and broken us apart.

"You both are acting like kids, get your shit together!" she warned, throwing both of us a stern look, but I was too faint to hear her. All I could hear was a ringing in my ears as I stumbled to my feet. I was on the brink of collapsing. I began to cough uncontrollably, inhaling too much air, too quickly. I couldn't breathe.

I managed to stumble out and climb into the car, where I flopped onto the back seats.

"What happened to you?" Dante asked, seeming to snap out of his shock.
"I don't want to talk about it" I mumbled, still out of breath.

I thought I was a dead man back there.

*****
Days had gone by.

I hadn't contacted anyone, not Ace, not Deja, no one. I remained at base, where I searched for my father and tortured Leonardo.

"Tell me where he is?" I shouted at the man who was just a corpse at this point. I think I had beaten him so much he had given up.
"Tell me where he is and I'll let you go" I sighed, finally caving. I saw Leonardo's eyes sparkle from behind his swollen and battered face. His lips were busted repeatedly, they were so swollen they looked like they were going to pop.

"He would....", Leonardo spoke, trailing off and closing his eyes.
"He would what?" I grabbed his face with desperation, and slapped it gently. "Leonardo".

He wasn't responding and his head hung from his shoulders. My eyes widened with realisation as I stood back from him. Did he just die?.

My eyebrows crinkled with confusion, as kicked the chair and it fell backwards. Leonardo didn't grunt, he fell with the chair and his head smacked against the concrete. If he wasn't dead yet, he would've been now.

My hand covered my mouth as my hands shook with anger. My only lead hadn't of died. He couldn't have.

I stood above Leonardo and started hitting him repeatedly, hoping he'd wake up or groan or something.

The anger pulsated through me as my fist collided with his face. Hitting him wasn't enough, he couldn't have died, it wasn't enough. I hadn't gotten my revenge. I began to yell as I walked away from his body. I don't know why I was yelling, but I needed to release the anger I felt.

I fell quiet. The deafening silence filling the room.

My hands were covered in blood as Leonardo face was unrecognisable.

"Where's Andrew" I yelled, at Leonardo's lifeless corpse. I couldn't believe it, he couldn't be dead. I hadn't gotten revenge for Avery yet, I hadn't gotten Avery back.
"Where's Avery!" I yelled again, catching myself by surprise. 

I thought that if I killed Leonardo, I would've gotten Avery back. I thought- I thought it was all some sick joke. I had convinced myself that if I had gotten revenge for him, that he would magically come back, and come home; I could go home to him.

Reality was like a punch to the gut. I knew he was dead yet I hadn't swallowed it. It was too bitter. 

I left the cell as I walked back to Ace's home, where I washed my hands and sat on the edge of the bed, holding Avery's photo. I held it so tightly.

"I'm sorry" I whispered, pulling a bottle of whiskey out from my nightstand.
"I tried Avery, I hope you know I tried" I said into the air, and nothing responded. I slowly drank the bottle, regretting every choice I had made in my life.

My life was some cruel joke.