|29|

•Charlotte•

The house was silent as I laid on my bed. Not a single sound echoed in the house. There was no one walking up the stairs. There was no echo from the kitchen. He didn't call out to me. The cold house didn't bother me anymore.

I laid on the bed, staring up at the stars on my ceiling.

Yesterday was overwhelming. I came home after crying my eyes out to Ramon. He made me food while I watched. No one was here as I ate in silence. He told me he could stay but I told him I was fine.

I couldn't sleep in this house anymore. He was murdered here, in this house where everything was changing. I could hear the sound of the gunshot echoing off the walls in this house.

I needed to leave this place. To leave behind the constant memory of this house and the pain that came with it. I had enough money to move into a flat somewhere, only me. There was money stashed in every corner of this room. I could buy a house if I wanted too.

A knock on the door downstairs made me sit up quickly. I knew she was here. I walked out of my room and headed downstairs and I opened the front door to see Mary.

She was standing there in her blue dress and with the same braids. She looked up at me. "I got dressed and came here when it just clicked." She said to me.

I opened the door and let her walk inside. I had come home yesterday and when I had seen the blood still in the room, I needed to clean it. I spent all day yesterday, scrubbing the floors, cleaning the walls, washing the blood away from the house.

There was an invisible trace of blood everywhere though. I couldn't see it but I could feel it as Mary walked past the room and sat down on the stairs. She patted the space next to her and I walked towards her and sat down. I laid my head against her shoulder and closed my eyes.

"You can move in with me." She said to me softly.

"I think I might move out of this area. There are too many memories here." I told her.

If there was anyone that needed to know, it was Mary. I couldn't keep it hidden from her. No more lies.

"Will you tell me what happened?" She held my hand in between hers.

I nodded. No more lies. I started to tell her about Logan and the fighting, and everything else in between. I didn't dare look at her face. I told her how this was all my fault because if I had agreed, nothing would have happened to me.

She pulled away from me and I looked up at her. "Your dad would not have wanted you to waste your life like that. He honestly didn't care at all that he was not getting the help he needed." She smiled at me. "Remember when we called you on your birthday?" She asked me and I nodded. "We ended the call and he said to me, 'Mary, she looks happy.'"

Mary chuckled to herself. "I said to him that you always do and he said no. He told me today was different. You look happy. He kept on saying that to me until I agreed. He would never blame you." She wiped the tears I felt falling down my face. "How about I make you some breakfast and we can go visit him today?" She asked me, a small smile on her face.

"I need to go to school." I told her.

I couldn't visit him without killing Logan. I couldn't stay in this house constantly. I needed to go to school to ask where Cameron lived. He would tell me, I would make sure he did.

"Don't go today. They called me and told me you can take a week off." She said to me and I shook my head, looking down at my clothes.

I had been ready, waiting for Lizzie to come and pick me up. I texted her in the morning and she had replied instantly telling me I should stay home. I couldn't. She said she would come for me.

"I need to do something, Mary. If I stay here, it hurts me more. I can't hear him, it's just silence." I told her, hoping she would understand. There was nothing but silence in this house or the echo of a gunshot.

Mary nodded as she stood up. "I'll make you something to eat."

"I threw everything in the bin. I'll have something in school." I stood up telling her as I took my school bag down from the hook.

"You're punishing yourself, Charlotte." She sighed and I shook my head.

I really wasn't.

I heard a horn outside and I looked at Mary. "I'm going to go to school." I said to her and she nodded at me as I walked out of the door, leaving her alone in the house. She needed her time.

Silently, I climbed into Lizzie's car and closed the door. "You don't have to come to school." She said to me as I placed the bag in between my legs.

"I don't want to stay home." I repeated the phrase that I was going to have to say all day. She nodded and started driving, letting me sit in silence as I stared out the window.

Today everyone was going to be in school for their history class. Lizzie had told me that they had all arrived last night and was told to be in class.

She parked up in her usual spot and I noticed Calvin and the others were waiting near the wall for her. Ramon wasn't here. I couldn't see him as I got out of the car.

Lizzie held onto my hand and we walked towards the boys who smiled at me. Alex quickly pulled out his phone. "Ramon is coming." He said to me and I nodded as Lizzie waved at them and we walked away from them.

"Today it'll be you and I. Just like old times." She smiled at me and I nodded, grateful.

That was exactly what I needed.

***

I couldn't stay here with all these pity eyes. The teachers pulled me out of every class, telling me if I needed a minute, they would understand and I was allowed to leave any time I wanted too.

That was the problem. I didn't want to leave. I focused on my work, on writing, on everything other than the pain.

Ramon had showed up at lunch. He had found me in the library since Lizzie and I ate there today. He asked me how I was, and I told him I was good and was just working on the topics in class. He knew today was just Lizzie's and my day. No one else's. Ramon had leaned down and kissed me on the forehead before leaving.

Lizzie didn't say a word.

School had ended and every class had been the same. Glances from students who knew. Someone everyone knew my dad had died. Lizzie said it was because Mr Walter told everyone on the trip home since they were asking why Mr Collins had left.

I didn't care.

Pulling the strap of my bag over my shoulder, I walked out of the school. Lizzie was staying behind for her one on one session so I was walking it home. I didn't want to go home to the silence though.

"Amore." I heard Ramon call out behind me. I turned around, facing him as he walked towards me. "You want to come home with me?" He asked, holding my hand in his.

I nodded and he smiled as he walked towards his car where the rest of the boys were waiting. He opened the door for me and I sat inside as they all climbed into the car.

"We've been looking for him, Charlotte." Alex said softly behind me as Ramon sat inside the car. "We've got a guy that knows their whereabouts."

"Have you found anything?" I asked him and he shook his head. "Not even your dad?"

He raised an eyebrow but shook his head. They didn't know I knew about them being in the mafia. Did I ask? It didn't bother me anymore.

I sat in the car silently as Ramon drove to his house. The boys in the back started talking in italian as we arrived. I frowned as I noticed men and a few women walking out of the house.

Everyone jumped out of the car and walked towards them as Ramon opened the door for me. "No more secrets between us." He said as he stretched his hand out for me. I held it and jumped out of the car as I left my bag inside it. He closed the door but never let go of my hand as everyone stared at me.

We walked towards the door past the sculptures of the gold lions, the men and women following us back inside. There were so many people here. Every male wore a black suit as they walked around the house, talking in italian. They all froze when they noticed us. Me.

I glanced at Ramon as he said something to everyone in italian, never letting go of my hand. One of the older men walked towards him, a glare in his hooded eyes.

"What happened to your rule?" He asked, crossing his arms, his accent deep as he glanced at me. "We don't bring them here."

I could see the similarities between him and Alex who walked towards us, saying something in italian. The man shook his head, waving his hand at Alex, dismissing him as he stared at Ramon.

"Answer me." He stated in English, not wanting to speak their common language. Everyone stared at us.

"I don't have to answer you." Ramon smirked at him, and I noticed his mom and his sister walking down the stairs. "You work for me, Kyong." Ramon took a step towards him, never letting go of my hand. "I told you. She is with me. I don't have to repeat myself." He warned him, his voice a lethal rage.

Alex's dad nodded, taking a step back, a smile on his face as if he was proud that Ramon was standing his ground.

"This is Charlotte. She stays and if anyone has a fucking problem with that, you know where the door is." He told everyone in the house, as he glanced at his mom who was smiling at him. No one said a word to him.

Ramon faced Kyong again. "Any news from him?"

I saw him.

Cameron.

He walked out of the living room as if hearing my name lured him out. I saw red. I saw blood as I pulled my hand away from Ramon's and ran towards Cameron who ran back into the room. I chased him.

I would chase him to the end of the world to kill him.

"Where is he?" I shouted at him, the rage simmering inside of me as I tried to push past the tall man he was standing behind. The man took a step away from him and Cameron's eyes widened.

"I don't know I don't know!" He lifted his hands up as I punched him across the face. He groaned out loud.

"You piece of shit. You ran. You went into hiding." I was seething as I tried to grab him. He ran away from me.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around me from behind and lifted me away from him before I could kick him. "Amore, calm down." Ramon murmured softly against my hair. "He is helping us."

"You knew where he was?" I asked him, freezing in his arms. He knew. He fucking knew.

I watched Cameron and the man walk out of the living room and close the door behind us. Ramon put me back on the ground and I spun around, glaring at him. "I want to talk to him. I want to find Logan."

Nobody was understanding me. They didn't understand my need to find him. It was eating up inside of me, every second that ticked by, my mind would laugh, telling me how useless and selfish I was for not being there to protect dad.

I needed to make the voice stop inside of me.

"He is helping us find him. We've been sending out people to check all the hideouts Logan was using but he has gone underground, completely. It's like he has vanished." Ramon explained to me, frustration clear in his voice.

I watched him. No more lies. No more hiding. "Tell me about the Mafia."

There was a smirk on his face as he chuckled, knowing that I was not stupid. "It was my dad's empire first. He built it for years and years and when he died, it was passed down to me. Every single man is my responsibility." He said, running a hand through his hair. "The ones I didn't trust, I kicked them out. Logan is one of them. I didn't like the way he answered me back and there were words getting back to Kyong about causing a rebellion. They didn't know he was loyal as fuck to me, to the Family. I got word of it, and kicked them all out with a warning."

"Which was?" I asked, wanting to know more.

He chuckled. "I would kill them in an instant but I fucked up when I could have had the chance to kill Logan."

"Why didn't you?" I frowned.

"He threatened to blow up Joe's Diner the day you were working. I didn't know he was after you as well but my mind didn't want to take any chances and I let him walk away." He explained, as he stared at me, showing me his vulnerability.

Ramon was human. He could make mistakes but was living with them.

He had told me he was in love with me. I knew deep down, there was something there between us, but I couldn't concentrate on it until I found peace, and the only way I would find peace was if I killed Logan.

"No more lies, no more secrets, amore." He held my hand, his fingers entwined with mine as he took a step towards me.

No more lies. No more secrets.

There was a part of me that I needed to close. The lightning devil needed to disappear completely so I could be myself when I saw him. I didn't want him to be afraid of the lightning devil. I wanted him to be afraid of me, Charlotte Woods, whose life he had destroyed.

"Want to come with me somewhere?" I asked Ramon, softly. No more barriers.

"Anywhere." He answered instantly.

"I want to show you a part of me." I said to him and he smiled, knowing exactly what I was talking about.

"The badass side?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and I nodded.

Ramon grinned. "I'm excited." I could feel his excitement as he held my hand and walked me out of the living room. Everyone stared at us, jumping back from the door quickly and pretended to talk. His mom and sister waved their hand at me as I walked out of the house with Ramon.

I could see the excitement on his face.

***

I walked into the office with Ramon behind me, looking around every place. I took my mask off.

Ramon had driven me home and waited for me as I got changed into my black pants and black hoodie. His exact words were you look hot. I had smiled and he had grinned as he saw my mask as well.

We had walked it to the gym and he had opened every door for me until Mark saw me. I had texted Mark. I need to see Joe and Gabriel in the office. Please.

Gabriel watched me, his eyes flickering to Ramon who stood behind me as I looked at Joe.

"I didn't do anything wrong." Gabriel said and he lifted his hands up, worry in his eyes, as he glanced at Joe and back at me.

"You sure about this, kid?" Joe asked, knowing what I was thinking about.

I nodded. He returned the nod before turning to look at Gabriel. "How do you want to be the first person to win against the lightning devil?" Joe raised an eyebrow at Gabriel and leaned back on his chair.

Gabriel cursed before he looked at me. "No."

"I want to leave this behind so I need to lose. It'll be good exposure for you as well." I told him and he shook his head muttering this is a joke.

I had never lost a fight after wearing the mask. Gabriel was the second best and since he had never fought me, everyone would buy it. I would lose and he would win. It was the perfect chance for the lightning devil to completely disappear, for its name not to be whispered anywhere.

"Gabriel, you've got people coming to watch you tonight. You want your best performance so fight her." Joe said standing up from his chair.

"I want it to be real though. She can't just lose." He protested, shaking his head, as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's unfair." He glanced at me.

"Fine."I turned to Joe. "Get me someone to fight. I'll lose to them." I told him. I needed this to end.

Gabriel groaned loudly as Ramon tried not to chuckle behind me. He watched silently as Gabriel ran his hands down his face, muttering okay. "I'll do it."

Joe patted him on the back with a grin on his face as Gabriel turned to me. "I don't want an easy fight." He said and I nodded at him.

Ramon held my hand and moved away from the door as Joe and Gabriel walked out of the office. I held the mask in one hand as I looked up at Ramon. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I nodded at him. "I want to bury the lightning devil. Logan might show himself if he knows I lost a fight. He will think I'm getting weak and might come to threaten me again." I told him what my mind was thinking.

It was a possibility and I was willing to take it.

Ramon smiled at me, stretching his hand and caressing my face softly. I watched him as he said. "I'm proud of you, amore." Of everything you have done. Of everything you are. I'm proud of you.

I could see the words in his eyes as he leaned down and kissed my forehead softly. "Go kick his ass before a dramatic exit."

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Question- When reading, do you imagine the scene as a movie?

Sorry this was a little late. I'm sick and that definitely doesn't help with my mind forgetting the days. I somehow thought it was Tuesday today.

Anyway, I'm on Twitter! I posted the Sneak Peek of Broken Lie(sequel to this book) on there so you can check it out there. (Glitterxox1) I'm new to all this but look at me being a social butterfly!