The King Killer | Mafia dark romance | ✔️

48. One hell of a ride

Valentina

Maria doesn't know yet. It was crucial not to tell her about Antonio's survival. It was critical for the plan.

Upon reaching home, Antonio held my hand and walked me towards her room. Al and Agustin followed, knowing their role in protecting him against her wrath. The door lay ajar. I opened it, moving in ahead of the rest.

Carlos was in the room. He saw Antonio and smiled. He was kind to hide the truth from his wife although we knew it killed him on the inside.

"Look who has come." He pointed to Maria who remained glued to the bed, unwilling to see the visitor.

"Mamá," Antonio called out. Like cowards, we all moved a step back, watching Maria's shocked face as she turned to the voice that resembled her sons'. When she saw him, her hands rushed to pacify her face. Fresh tears flowed through her bloated reddened face. Unable to say a word, she gasped for air. Antonio moved closer, rubbing her back with gentle strokes and shushing her. "I am here now, I am fine. Look." He made her face the truth.

When Maria wailed louder, Sofia rushed inside the room. Her eyes fell on Antonio before she screamed in horror.

"Don't worry, he is alive. Anto is not a ghost," Agustin said in his calming voice, gentle nudging her to face the reality.

Al who stood watching her turned to me. When I hinted at him with my eyes, he patted Sofia's head, shushing her to calm from the reality that she too faced. Antonio was alive.

Alejandro knew nothing about pacifying a person. He whispered, "Calm down," to Sofia before slipping his stony mask on.

When I fetched Sofia, she embraced me, crying into the crook of my neck.

"Shush," I whispered to her as she gasped some more. On the other end of the room, Maria resonated the same expressions and actions. Heaving onto Antonio, it was Carlos who brought her back to a state of calm.

Although both the girls still had their face painted crimson, the happiness that flood through their body was indescribable. I felt like their soft heaves were their form of thanking whomever they believed in, universe and whatnots. After all, a mother and a sister's prayers were answered. Antonio was alive.

After a bit of talk and lots of kisses from Antonio, Maria turned to Carlos. "Sabías de esto?" (You knew about this)

All of us moved a step backwards. Even Antonio darted his gaze towards me. He tiled his head, asking me for rescue. I grinned a "no." After all, the daredevil stunt was his own idea. Why should I partake in the brunt?

'Dios," Maria cried, looking up. There were no tears in her eyes anymore but they shimmered with revenge. "Mi propio esposo me mintió."(my own husband lied to me.)

Carlos tried pacifying her, coiling an arm around her. She tossed away, grilling through her peered looks. She stood up and walked towards Al, with the determination of a rogue elephant. In another moment, she raised her hand for the classic Maria's smack on the head but before that, Alejandro cracked.

"Era el plan de Antonio." Al cried out, shielding his face. (It was Antonio's plan)

Agustin and I chuckled, seeing the mighty strong one cower under Maria's wrath. When Maria's eyes slipped towards us, we knew it was our turn to be roasted. In a blink of an eye, Agustin slipped behind me, tossing me in front. Al held him in place, trapping him between his arms. Ruffling his hair, Alejandro looked up at Maria.

"Agustin knew before all of us," he said, patting his brother's back and tickling the trapped being.

Rat.

I moved slowly to Antonio's side, awaiting the impending doom. Maria tugged Agustin's ear, pulling him out of Al's hold.

The domino effect was in place and Agustin, true to his nature threw the grenade onto me. "Val, she knew before any of us."

Antonio and Carlos chucked behind me as Maria walked over to me. She was fuming like a bull, ready to hunt down the matador who instigated her. Before Maria could close our distance, a voice yelled from behind me. "Ella está embarazada." (She is pregnant)

I peeked over my shoulder but by then Antonio's had walled himself between Maria and me. Maria's eyes brimmed up again, dazzling with hope. She pushed Antonio to a side, to hold me in her embrace. She kept kissing the top of my head, whispering praises that I didn't deserve. I wasn't planning on telling the family so soon but with Maria's happiness that swept over to me, I was glad that Antonio told everyone the truth.

At lunch, Maria and Sofia sat together, breaking the usual seating of hers and papá. Carlos sat beside Alejandro, grumbling over how our plan made him suffer but we all knew the truth. He too was scared when we told him what our plans were. Being a great father and a retired syndicate head, he knew the risks involved, yet bestowed his blessings.

"So how did it all happen?" Sofia placed a fork dipped in dripping pork, biting into it before asking. Antonio held my hand, gently squeezing it. With his crooked smile and head tilt, he asked me to take over.

I cleared my throat. "We knew Ramon was up to something. So when Elena..." Maria gasped upon hearing that name, dropping her spoon. Antonio's smile widened, holding out his hand.

"Si Mamá. Ella estaba viva." He nodded. (Yes mom, she was alive)

Maria held her hair in a bunch, spoiling the perfect placement that held it. Her eyes darted towards Carlos who hung his head low, resigning. He knew, a long apology and a costly make-up awaited at the end of all this.

Turning to me, Maria bobbed her head, unblinking. I straightened up, gulping the contents of my glass. With Antonio's hold still over my hand, his thumb running circles over the back of my palm, a sense of warmth and love washed over me.

"So Elena was alive," I said. Maria's eyebrow hooked up at the past tense of my words as I continued. "She was working for an intelligence agency and was placed here. She and her husband, Mateo."

A sudden gasp from Sofia brought her to cough violently. Food went down her wrong pipe, resulting in a chuckle from us. When she recovered, I drove up my narration. "Mateo tried pinning it on Gabriel, that it was he who was working with people who wanted to hurt us but let out things which were only privy to me.

After a moment of silence, Maria leaned in. I expected her to ask more about the plan or how we managed to get everything in order but her question took us both by surprise. "How did you two manage to make a baby in between all this?"

The room erupted laughing. I leaned in on Antonio's shoulder as Sofia and Maria hi-fived each other. Antonio's vibrating shoulders suggested he partook in the little joke the family decided to pull on me.

I looked up, watching Agustin lean and fall over to Alejandro's side. Even the serious man Al, smiled watching his family laugh. It was the most he had done in ages. When I joined this place, this was not what I had in mind. The happy cheerful family wasn't what I portrayed in my dreams when I got married but it was close to the perfect family I could have hoped for.

Here I was, watching and being part of a family that accepted me for all my flaws and imperfections, a husband who through the highs and lows of life, made me feel what I craved all my life. Love.

And now we had a member who was never truly a part of the plan but still, the news of its presence made me brim with joy. The realization that I carried the Moralez heir, fluttered my heart with unexplainable contentment.

After all, I have finally attained my goal. I was brought in here to kill the man, the king. I did my duty with my loyalty towards my king, my husband. What more could have I asked for? 

~

2 more chapters to go.

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