"This is a fucking joke." I turn to The Councilors, chest heaving. "You know what he's done. The poisoning, the attempted abortion, kidnapping my wife, Colette Van der Smit—"
"For every offense you have laid against him, he has provided an alternate version of events," Hildebrand tells me. "It is our duty to investigate these alleged crimes.”
"Fuck your investigation!" I shrug one guard off me successfully, but the other still clings to me.
Marco steps up to his side, narrowing his eyes. "If you aren't ready to face your death, I suggest you let him go. Now."
He does as Marco suggests after a moment of hesitation, and I thank him by turning and slamming my fist into the side of the guard’s skull, dropping the man onto the floor in a fit of pain.
"You will behave yourself," Hildebrand warns. "Or we will be forced to restrain you."
"I'm a goddamned De La Rosa," I remind him. "My father was your mentor. And you have the nerve to sit up there and question me like a common criminal?"
"We are simply doing our job," he replies coolly. "You are aware how this process works. Every member of IVI who brings forth a claim has a right to be heard. Even the accused."
"He doesn't deserve to bear the mark of this Society." I glare at Abel. "And if you seek to make a mockery of the serious offenses he has committed by challenging me—"
"Enough!" A voice echoes from behind me as the door slams shut.
I turn as Marco does, and the guards launch themselves toward the intruder as Hildebrand bellows in irritation. "Who interrupts our proceedings now?"
"It's Eli," the silhouette answers just before he comes into view. "Eli Moreno."
There's an audible sound of shock from Abel, but my gaze is pinned on Eli as a sickening realization occurs to me. He's part of this. He came here to set me up. Just like before.
"Eli Moreno?" Hildebrand repeats, his voice alarmed. "Back from the dead?"
"I can assure you I am as healthy as can be for my age, considering the events of the last year." His gaze moves to his son, and something pinches his features. A look of discomfort, perhaps. I can't quite place it.
"Dad..." Abel chokes out. "I thought... you were dead."
"No thanks to you, I am very much alive," he answers.
I watch the exchange between the two men, trying to decipher every micro expression. Every hitch in their tones and shift in their posture.
"Well, congratulations on not being dead," Hildebrand tells him dryly. "But I'm still unsure what your purpose is here."
"I came here to put a stop to this." He looks at The Councilors and then back to Abel. "Once and for all. It's enough, son. There has been too much damage. Too much destruction. I can't allow it to go on any longer."
Abel's face flushes with red as his fists clench at his sides. "You would choose to defend him over me? Your own fucking son?"
"I don't know where I went so wrong." Eli dips his head in shame. "And I’m sorry that I've let you down, Abel. I'm sorry for hurting you and not being there as much as I should have perhaps... but this has become too large. Too many lives have been destroyed, and I can't in good conscience allow anyone else to suffer over your anger with me."
He walks up to the dais where the three Councilors are seated, handing Hildebrand what appears to be a flash drive.
"It's all on there," Eli tells them solemnly. "The truth about the excommunicated members. The explosion that killed Santiago's family and the other Sovereign Sons. The attempt on my life. Everything is right there."
I watch on in disbelief as Marco clears his throat beside me. He seems to be as uncertain as I am. But when Eli turns around and meets my eyes, he nods to me, a sign of respect and so much more.
I think this is his way of trying to make amends.
"It can't be you, Santiago," he tells me. "He will pay for his sins now, but it can't be you. Not if you truly want to move forward with Ivy."
34 Evangeline
I’m trying to stay upbeat for my sister. For my father and for Santiago. I’m really trying. But it’s getting harder and harder the more time goes by.
For four weeks, she has lain like this. Unmoving except when the nurses move her. Her expression unchanging. Her belly still somehow growing. I don’t even know if she can hear me, and I’m sure I sound pretty stupid to anyone passing by, but I want her to know I’m here. That we’re all here and waiting.
So, I drag the chair over and sit down, and I take my sister’s hand.
“You’d think they’d have one comfortable chair in this place. I swear my butt feels like wood every time I leave here.”
I turn her wedding band around and around. Santiago took the engagement ring home, but he wouldn’t let them take the wedding band off.
“Did you hear your crazy husband lose his shit when they tried to take this off you?” I ask out loud. “It was sort of funny. It will be anyway when you wake up, and we can relive the moment. They almost had to call security.” I wipe my eye. I don’t want her to hear that I’m crying. I cry every time I come in here. I hate this. Hate seeing her like this. Hate knowing it was Abel who did it to her.
I set her hand back down and put mine to her belly when it moves. “Can you feel that?” I ask. I’m not sure if I’m asking my sister if she feels the baby or the baby if she feels my hand. “It’s the freakiest thing,” I tell Ivy. “I’ve been making videos so you can see when you wake up. I know that sounds creepy, but I thought you’d want it.”
My niece
