Chapter 35: Chapter 35

KIAN

"There's our winner of tonight!", his amusing voice echoes through the room. He approaches me with a confident smile. I take a closer look at him to make sure he can really be my father. But unfortunately it is too clear.

"Nice to finally meet you in person, son!" Son. That word finishes me off. I charge at him, pausing in front of him as several loaded guns ring out near my head. Five of his men are now standing around us. One of them even looks familiar to me. It's the guy who bumped into me at Ceaser Palace, which was probably intentional. Fuck! Through clenched teeth, I look my him in the eye with hatred.

"Muy bien, hombres. Put your guns down!" he commands them in a sober voice. Before he starts laughing. "But hold on to him! No es que él venga a pensamientos estúpidos. Not that he gets any stupid ideas." I can't understand his last sentence because I neither speak nor fucking understand Spanish. As ordered, his men put away their weapons. Two of them hold my arms. "I have to say, you've grown into a gorgeous boy. I admit it, I had my doubts. The son of a whore who became addicted to drugs. Well..." he laughs smugly at the end.

"Shut the fuck up!" I yell, wanting to tear myself out of his henchmen's arms.

"Oh no, my son."

"I'm not your son and you're not my fucking father!" Anger seethes through my body and I feel like punching him if it weren't for his fucking henchmen holding me.

"Of course you are. Without a doubt you're my son. I'd better know who's standing in front of me right now. You're a Costello," he laughs, his eyes sparkling with pride. "You know, Kian. I've never been a man who only has one woman by his side. Marriage was never for me, let alone a relationship. But I had to have a successor - who has my blood running - who will continue my empire "Well, to put it in a nutshell: I offered your mother a lot of money and a house in exchange for her bearing me a child. I didn't have time to raise a child, so your mother did it. She was by no means good was in it, but you became something after all," he laughs at the end. Wanker! I glare at him angrily. I always knew that my mother didn't want a child and I was just an "accident". But that she did it for money is even worse. Not only did she sell her body, she practically sold me - her own son. What the sick shit is going on here?

"You disgusting asshole!" I've never felt so much hatred for one person in my life, and then another to be called my Father.

"Don't tell me this shocks you, Kian. You must have met worse people and then killed them. I know that you are friends with Gabriel Callahan and what you do for him."

"Yeah, and you're the next one I'll kill!" I growl.

"Tu eres gracioso, son. You're funny," he says, somewhat in Spanish.

"What do you want from me?"

"What I want? Preferably my son at my side, who runs my empire in Mexico with me ... And not at the side of a rival of mine."

"What empire? What dirty stuff are you running in Mexico?" I ask, although there are few possibilities as to what he really does - who he really is.

"I make a lot of money with the most precious powder there is," he replies calmly. My sire is a fucking drug lord. It was clear.

"You don't seriously think I'd ever continue your fucking drug empire." If he really thinks that, he would be quite naive and stupid. He would never make me do it. I'd rather die than run this shit.

"I already thought so and to be honest it's too high a risk for me to trust you with the most precious thing I have. But you're not quite useless as you think. You're very familiar with Gabriel, help to get people out of his way," he explains soberly. "Gabriel Callahan is like a tumor in my business. Even his parents used to get involved in my business. But they already got what they deserved. You shouldn't try to destroy other people's business..." His smug one sick way of him makes my whole body tense with anger.

"You killed her?" Gabriel never knew who it was. He had theories but with so many enemies it was impossible to know who it was in the end. And now, after so many years, it turns out my sire was the one who killed Gabe's parents. Really great!

"Of course I did. The Callahans thought they could fight me. Instead, they killed themselves in the process. Up until now, her son has been smart enough to stay away from me. But still, I don't want to risk that one day he, like his parents, tries to destroy me at some point, especially when he finds out that I'm the one who killed his parents."

"You sick pig!" I choke out. His icy eyes look past me to his men holding me.

"Dale una lección, hombres! Teach him a lesson, men!" he says coolly, and moments later I feel a stab of pain pierce my back. I fall to my knees, hissing in pain.

"Fuck!" I curse, reaching back with one hand since I'm no longer being held. Shit, they rammed something in me because when I pull out my hand, it's covered in blood.

"Is that how you talk to your father, Kian?" he continues. "I want you to kill Gabriel Callahan for me. Prove you're a Costello! If not, you can see how this can end for you."

"I'd rather die than do that for you. I'm not a shitty Costello and never will be! You're not my Father, just a sick bastard who made my life a living hell. I won't cut my fingers dirty for you. I'm not going to kill him, I'm going to kill you!" I snarl, looking hatefully into his gray eyes.

"Of course you will kill Callahan for me, Kian." I frown. "Oh yes, love can be so beautiful... To love a person so much that you would do anything for him, even die, am I not right, son?", he asks me provocatively, standing in front of me and looks down on me

"What are you talking Bullshit!?" My face crumples in pain from the injury

"That love makes you weak..." My heart is beating wildly against my chest as it slowly begins to dawn on me.

"Get her, hombres!" he says with a grin on his face. My heart seems to stand still as I realize what he means by those words - who he means.

"No!" I yell and want to sit up, but the pain is so bad that I collapse on the floor. The seconds that follow, when Estrela is led into the room by two guys, breaks something in me. I only see her. The scared look and then the shocked and worried look as her eyes meet mine. Fuuuuck!

"Kian," she sobs, noticing my injury.

"Let her go! If you, you do anything, I'll kill you all! Everyone!" I yell, standing up even though the pain is unbearable. But I don't care, I have to go to her! I have to save her! If anything ever happens to her, I could never forgive myself. But just before I get to her, arms grab me from behind and pull me hard to the ground. "No! I'll do anything! But please let her go! Please don't hurt her!" Panic and cold fear spread through me. I can't take my eyes off her. Tears are now streaming down her beautiful face.

"Look at what love does to you. Just a bunch of misery begging not to do anything to your love!" Domenico laughs coldly.

"If you harm her even a hair, I'll kill you myself!" I spit in his face and turn my gaze back to Estrela. I want those disgusting guys to take their hands off her!

"It won't happen to her as long as you do what I tell you," he says calmly. "I want Gabriel dead. If you kill him for me, I'll set your beautiful Amiga free. If you don't..." He stops and slowly walks towards Estrela. I'm being held as I try to get up again. My breathing quickens as he approaches her.

"Don't touch her!" I growl menacingly as he moves to stroke her cheek. But Estrela yanks her head away from his touch, making him laugh dirty. Then he pulls out a gun and holds it to her head. My heart skips a beat. Estrela widens her eyes and begins to whimper frantically. The panicked expression in her eyes sends a cold shiver down my body. And that image of Domenico holding a gun to her head will haunt me forever. "No," I breathe.

" – Will she give her life for it", he finishes his sentence, noticing my fearful look.

"I'm doing it! I'm going to kill Gabriel Callahan," I shout. Domenico lowers his gun and sheathes it. His lips curl into a satisfying grin.

"Kian!" Estrela cries.

"Everything will be fine, baby. You won't be harmed!" I try to calm her down quickly.

"Oh, how heart loves everyone!" grins Domenico and grabs her chin, turning it to him to take a closer look at her. His interest in her almost makes my stomach churn.

"Get your dirty fingers off her!" I yell. He ignores my warning.

"What a beauty you are. It would be such a shame to kill you. But it all depends on your Romeo."

"Go to hell!" she speaks hatefully into his eyes and I'm surprised at her tough voice. Domenico laughs at this as if it were a joke and moves away from her again, which doesn't let me exhale at all. Until she's safe in my arms, I can't keep calm. Domenico now crouches in front of me because I'm still crouching on the floor. The injury takes over my whole body. He puts a hand on my shoulder, which I would like to yank away if it weren't for his henchmen holding me.

"Now you see why I never let anyone get that close to me. Look what love does to you."

"I'm going to kill you," I say so quietly and menacingly that only he can hear. He gets up, eyes narrowed.

"Either your little one or Callahan! I'll give you two weeks, Kian," are his last words before his men charge me until I pass out. I hear Estrela calling me, but there is nothing more I can do. The blackness takes me completely.

When I come to, I'm in a hospital. I see to my right Harrison sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. When I move slightly, he looks up. And when he realizes I'm awake, he rushes towards me. "Where the hell is she?!"