Chapter 18: they

LUCA

It still hasn’t completely settled in with me that Cain is forcing Raven to marry Diablo Cardoso’s son. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since Raven informed me of the news.

I’ll be honest, I’ve pondered the idea of ridding of Marco. It doesn’t mean I’ll go through with it, but I’m the type that likes to think shit through thoroughly. I can’t help it. It feels engrained in me from my years of being a cop.

Of course, there’s a million different ways to kill Marco, but the biggest and most important question is whether it’s possible to do it without Diablo realizing that it was us. Which means that it would have to look either accidental, or it would have to be blamed on someone else.

And if it was blamed on someone else, that someone would have to be chosen carefully. It would have to be methodically planned so that we were sure that none of it could stick to us.

The thing is, if we were to frame someone, odds are that Diablo would have the framed murderer killed. We would have to live with that blood on our hands, knowing someone innocent died because of our own selfishness.

If she chose to go through with it and make it an accident, what would she do? Women are more known for using poison, but where would she possibly get her hands on something like that? Would she do something else? Something that—in her position of being his fiancée—would allow her to get closer, more intimate? I don’t mean sexually, but in the sense of injecting him with something while he slept, or lacing his food with a substance or chemical that would allow her to later smother him?

I don’t know why I’ve even thought of these things. I’m sure it’s related to my days working over cases and studying their contents, but it’s pointless.

There’s simply no way that I can see this happening where it doesn’t create a fucking war between two families.

If she’s to do this, she has to ensure that it appears accidental so that there’s no blame. If there’s any sort of blame that Diablo will be able to place on anyone, I’m positive he’ll do just that. I’ve learned over the years that grieving parents will do shit they once never considered.

I shouldn’t be thinking about any of this. There’s no way this is going to happen.

She’ll figure out a way out of this.

Together, I’ll help her to get out of this terrible mess. But I’m going to do it in such a way where nobody dies because of us and everybody still gets everything they were originally supposed to get out of the deal.

Maybe I can forge some sort of connection with Diablo. Have him and his people be more connected with Cain’s. They can join forces and still get all the power and connections they are supposed to get out of this marriage.

Then I’d just have to get Raven to behave. I mean, in my opinion she hasn’t been acting out in the way that Cain paints it to be, but she’ll still have to follow more closely to his rules if she doesn’t want this wedding to happen. She won’t like it, but it’s perhaps the only thing we can do without creating a fucking bloodbath.

As I meet Cain’s eyes from across the room, I can’t help but think—how can I destroy a monster like him without stooping to his level? How can I crumble his empire without becoming exactly like him? Is it even possible to do so without becoming the villain in my own story?

My gaze flickers to Leo who stands in front of the bookshelf that covers the entire west-facing wall. Wall to wall of book after book, yet I’ve never seen anybody ever touch a single spine, which leads me to believe that it’s purely decorative.

I still haven’t quite figured Leo out. Other than the fact that it’s obvious he doesn’t like me, he seems a lot harder to crack than his father. He keeps his emotions closer to the chest. Is barely seen, unlike Cain, which makes it that much harder to decipher him.

Right before Raven enters the room, I notice Cain placing a photograph at the front of his desk, turning it to face directly towards where Raven will seat herself.

It depicts a couple with a young child. A woman with dark hair and bright eyes like Raven’s, and a tall man with blonde hair and dark eyes. The little girl looks exactly like Raven, wearing a frilly skirt that—considering her young age in the picture—she must’ve been very excited to twirl in.

If I’m not mistaken, he’s purposefully doing that to dig further at her. Raven said he threw her parents’ death in her face. It looks like the photo depicts her family, so he’s doing what he can to incite feelings of gratitude or loyalty towards him. Using a topic he knows is sensitive to her and will elicit feelings that will make her more easily manipulated.

I happen to believe that she won’t fall for it. From what little I do know and understand of Raven, it’ll only piss her off to see it and learn that he’s throwing it in her face again.

Then again, maybe he just wants to piss her off. Wants to anger her because he can so easily. Because he finds it amusing while she’s still around.

Cain is doing whatever he can to clip Raven’s wings. It’s the easiest way to control her. He understands that the only thing she’s ever wanted is to get away from this family. To have some sense of freedom from his authority.

She’s tired of living in the darkness and demons that surround this family. She’s grasping at the tiniest slivers of light in the hopes that they’ll be her salvation.

Until Cain swoops down like an owl to plunge her back into the depths.

The sound of Raven’s shoes hitting the hardwood flooring has me raising my head. She’s stunning, in a form-fitting grey dress that looks like a jumper. It flutters slightly with each step she takes, showing off the smooth skin of her legs.