TAKING WHAT IS HIS

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER TWO

The keyhole was choosing to be such an asshole today. Maybe it was because of my trembling hands. Blame that on the woman standing behind me, unable to shush her crying baby. I wasn't mad at the little one. Goddess, I’m not that heartless. But my brother’s wife on the hand? Well, she could get hit by a truck right now and I wouldn’t blink.

“Ruby please,” she pleaded with me and it was taking every ounce of my energy not to call her names.

I cussed at her mentally just as I finally fumbled with the door open. Finally, something working out when I want it to. I pushed my tired body inside, ignoring the persistent cries of my nephew. After all these years, how dare she show up at my door?

Breath Ruby.

“They took him. If he doesn’t pay them, they will kill him, Ruby,” her voice was weak with pain. Wait, what was she talking about? Did my douchebag of a step-brother get in trouble? Well, serves him right.

I turned around, eyes pinned on my sister-in law. She looked a bit tired, the eye bags being a sign of no sleep with runny make-up and a baby who literally wouldn’t stop crying. Did the baby pull on her hair or did a cat have a dance on her head? Either way, I could give less f***s about that. My eyes fell on my nephew, the one-year-old boy they never let me see. He had his father’s blue eyes and clearly deserved better parents since the mother couldn’t even tell the baby needed a diaper change.

“Come in,” I sighed, resignedly.

Damn my weak heart.

“Thank you,” she said, a visible look of relief sweeping her gray eyes.

I shrugged, walking inside after her. Putting the key in its place, I proceeded to take off my heels, changing into a pair of indoor sandals.

“Nice place,” she said, setting the baby down on the couch.

Seriously, what kind of a mother can’t tell her baby needed a diaper change? Did she kidnap him or something?

“Well, at least nobody can kick me out of it in the middle of the night under the pouring rain,” I bit back, watching her face. A guilty look swept over her features. Well, she had looked visibly proud of herself back then.

“I’m so sorry. I know nothing I say or do can change what happened,” One would easily fall for the vulnerability in her soft voice but I knew exactly the kind of snake she was. And to believe that she used to be my best friend all through-out high school.

“You mean what you and my brother made happen?” I scoffed.

“Ruby, I’ve done a lot of bad things but I’m here begging for your help,” she suddenly went down on her knees, palms bunched together, “ We’ve wronged you, but Daniel needs his father. You can do whatever you want with me but please help me save my husband,”

I watched her face, wondering how a woman so heartless could suddenly have the audacity to come into my house, asking for my help after what she and Dickson did to me.

“Alright, lets pretend I give a s**t what happens to Dickson. So who did he piss off?” I questioned, sitting down on the brown ottoman with my legs crossed.

She stood up, sitting across me and the fear riding down in her eyes was one I had longed to see in a really long time. Did it make me evil that the idea of my brother in trouble made me feel happy?

“He um…he messed with some really bad people and now they have got him,” her voice was now shaky.

“Okay,” I shook my head, still not getting the reason why she’d rushed over to my place after all these years.

“So he developed an addiction to um…cocaine and he sort of took some from someone he shouldn’t. He couldn’t pay him back and now they have him. They are going to kill him if he doesn’t pay all the money they owe him by midnight,” And the tears were back.

“I still don’t understand how I come in. You guys took all the money, the pack and the hotel which was supposed to be my inheritance. So why don’t you pay whoever that guy is?” I pointed out the obvious.

She fiddled with her finger, darting her gaze to the floor to avoid my gaze, “We d-don’t have any money. Dickson also sold the hotel,”

I felt my blood freeze up. I could forgive many things and probably handle the pain of most but this time round, he had crossed the line. How could he sell my hotel? It was the only thing my mother left for me that had a sentimental value to it. I was working hard to save up enough money to contest the will, which they had clearly forged, so I could at least get that hotel back. I didn’t care about the money they took. No, to me, that hotel was more than that.

“You sold my hotel,” The blood rush in my ear was too loud.

“Well, that is not-“

“You sold my hotel,” I was aware of my lips trembling. I’d hated them for so long that I thought it would be impossible to loathe them anymore but now I abhorred both of them. They knew what that hotel meant to me. It was my safe space. My home. The one thing that had me working tirelessly while putting up with all kinds of bullshit at work.

“W-We were going to buy it back once we got the money,” she mumbled.

“And you have the f*****g audacity to show up at my door and ask for my help? Well, tell my brother he can die. I don’t give a s**t. Better yet, I hope whoever he crossed, would give him the most painful, slow death he has never even imagined,”

“You don’t mean that,” her face remained impaled in a look of horror.

“Yes, I mean it. Now get out of my house and for Pete’s sake, change the baby’s diaper,” I snapped. Even the baby stopped crying to stare at me, his very innocent blue eyes, looking at me. Such a cute baby to the most undeserving people I know. Why was the world that cruel?

“Look, I get that we are not the best of friends and you don’t get along with your brother but that is such a bad thing to say. You can’t wish him dead like that,” Her face had grown stoic.

“Really? You want to pull the brother card now? Where was he when you guys took everything away from me and kicked me out in the middle of the night? That night,” I paused, swallowing while trying not to remember the horrific details that lived to torment me, “I was alone. So don’t you ever call him my brother. After all, we are not related by blood, are we?”

Silently she picked up her baby, walking out only to pause at the door, “If there is even a tiny chance that you will forgive us for how we treated you and help us, then you should know Matteo has him. He will definitely give him the slow, painful death you want,”

“Matteo?” I repeated the name just to ascertain I heard her right.

“Matteo Salvatore. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the name before,” She said,"For Daniel, please,"

"And why is that?" I paused, impaling her with one the one inescapable truth," Because I'm a monster?"

"I don't think you are a monster, Ruby,"

"Your words right now certainly don't conquer with what you used to call me," I shook my head chuckling bitterly,"Too bad, I'm wolfless now,"

Surprise hit her eyes,"But…how?"

"You took everything away from me than night," My throat felt dry, "So don't expect I'll be jumping into defense now for him,"

Her lips parted for a brief second but no words left her lips. Instead she turned around, walking out. Even the banging of the door closed did not stop me from reeling from the shock of the name. Matteo Salvatore. Of all the people, that knucklehead had to mess up with the one person in the city whose name had people literally quirking in their boots. Not to mention, I abhorred him from the bottom from my heart. f*****g Matteo and the entire Salvatore Mafia Clan.