Page 4 of Righteous Enforcer
Images of her flood my mind.
Taking her first steps.
Her sweet disposition despite the chaos in her life. Her smile, so like Adriano’s, breaks my heart.
Will she remember me?
Or will I become a hazy figure, lost to time and trauma?
My vision darkens as the man flips me onto my back, his hands returning to my throat.
I fight, scratching and twisting, but my strength is fading.
I reach for the knife but it’s gone, knocked aside in our struggle.
"Mama!" Mirabella's terrified cry echoes from somewhere.
Did someone catch her?
Is she calling for help or?—
Darkness creeps in and I can’t stop it. My lungs burn. Blood pools, slick and warm, but I’m not sure if it’s his or mine.
My body grows heavy, unresponsive.
Mirabella. I have to reach Mirabella.
The last thing I hear is Mirabella screaming, the sound growing fainter as consciousness slips away.
I'm sorry, my love. I’m sorry I failed you.
The edges of my world turn gray, then black.
2
ADRIANO
I was born to kill.
Or maybe I was just raised that way.
Sometimes, I wonder if the darkness was always there, waiting inside me from my first breath, or if it grew from my father's expectations, nourished in the shadows of Alessandro and Luca's footsteps.
Nature or nurture?
In the end, does it matter?
The result remains the same.
I’m a man who executes without a care. Who serves the family without question.
Blood doesn't bother me.
Never has.
Even as a child, I was fascinated by the beauty of it and how it moved.
My father noticed early, showering me with praise when he caught me watching his men work without flinching.
