Chapter Three

Leon

Eleven years ago...

"They want my life? They can have it." I pivoted on my heel and stormed out of the sitting room leaving them shocked in my wake.

I'd had enough of the bullying and it had to stop. It wouldn't stop so I'd stopped it myself. My life had no meaning anymore so they could fucking live it for me if they wanted. I no longer gave a flying fuck about the throne, about my surname... about being part of this family in general.

"Leon!". Dad bellowed as I made my way upstairs to my room. "Stop!".

"I don't want to!".

"I command you as your King to stop." Dad ordered.

I could've continued on my way. I wanted to but I stopped because no matter how pissed off I was, I had plenty of respect for my father.

"What the hell was that about? What you said back there?". Dad jerked his thumb towards the sitting room. "That was a joke right?".

I decided to play dumb because if I didn't, we'd get into a screaming match and I'd say something I'd never be able to take back whether it was meant for him or not.

"I said so many things dad. Be more specific." I looked and sounded bored which made dad angry.

"About not wanting to be the heir to the throne." He said through gritted teeth.

"Right." I gave a half shrug. "Yeah, so?".

"That was a joke right?". Dad reiterated.

"No." I said. "I'm done. Finito. Fin."

"You can't do that." Dad's voice is lower now and he sounded tired. 

"I can and I have dad. You can't force me to be the crown prince if I don't want to be." I glowered at him. "Not even if you have me whipped to an inch of my life."

Dad's flinch was subtle but I caught it and suddenly felt like a jackass for bringing that up but I couldn't take it back.

"I'm sorry." I apologized. "Just let me go dad. You have two other sons who are willing to step up in my place."

"I want you to be the King after me! Not Andres or even Jax!". His voice raised an octave higher. "You'll be a much better King than I am."

"Don't sell yourself short dad." I shook my head. "Other kings should learn from you."

"I've obviously done a bad job if I couldn't protect my eldest son from experiencing something as bad as losing the girl he loves. My daughter is an accomplice to a murder and..." He paused as his voice broke. "My family has finally fallen apart."

I bit my lip to keep from telling him that I wasn't going anywhere but I'd be lying to myself and to him if I did that.

"I don't want to be the one to mend this family dad. I don't want that kind of pressure." I informed him in a flat voice. "I didn't break it in the first place. Jax and Ina did."

"I know that..."

"Listen to me dad." I cut him off. "This would do you no good." I placed my hand on my chest. "It died when she did and nothing will ever make it beat the way it used to when she was alive. Not even if I were to stay here surrounded by all of you."

I heard the sharp intake of breath and looked over dad's shoulder to see mom staring at me with wide glassy eyes which mirrored mine.

"That's harsh." Dad muttered.

"I'm sorry but it's how I feel. I can't keep lying to myself that everything will be fine because nothing will ever be fine." I told them. "Time will heal my wound but the scars will remain."

"You'll find love again." Dad said.

If I heard those words one more time... I was sure I'd blow a gasket.

"I don't want to find love again! I'd given her all I had!". I yelled at him. "I'm a fucking walking corpse."

"Don't say that!". Mom cried. "It's not the end of the world."

"For me, it is." I said. "Dad, mom is your first love right?".

"Yes."

"Will you ever get over her if something were to happen to her?". I demanded.

"Definitely not." Dad frowned. "Never."

"Then don't tell me to do the same." I snapped. "She was my first and she will be my last."

"Don't be so sure." Grandma chimed in. "Love works in mysterious ways."

I bit the inside of my cheek, balled my fists and shut my eyes. I didn't give a damn about their words of encouragement because it'd never happen to me. 

Happened once... didn't end well and that was that. I'd never subject myself to such torture again.

"I want to leave and I'm going to leave." I told them with a note of finality. "I might never come back."

"We can work this out Leon. Don't be so irrational." Grandma said.

"I'm sorry grandma but it's every man for himself now." I tried to smile but I couldn't. "Maybe one day... with time... who knows." I shrugged. "Excuse me." I turned and sprinted up the remaining steps to avoid another confrontation. 

A confrontation that'd make me give up on packing my stuff and just leave with the clothes on my back.

*****

The next day

This day. March 10. Andreina Emiliana Sebastiani was arrested, tried in court and sent to a correctional facility for a year while Darlene who'd turned eighteen two days ago was tried as an adult and sent to jail for life.

I didn't know how to feel about Ina's sentence but I knew that if it were up to me concerning Darlene, being the judge and possibly in a sick twist of fate also the president of the country, I'd have it enshrined in the constitution that all murderers - no matter the degree of murder be hanged or shot by a firing squad.

I'd been forced to come to her hearing and as she was led out by the police, mom burst out crying, grandma did too but Liese silently cried.

"I'm so sorry Leon." She apologized to me for the billionth time. "I'm really sorry."

I looked at her for a brief moment and whatever she saw in my eyes brought tears to her eyes which in turn made her look away.

"I might forgive you for this someday." I spoke up just as she passed me. "But I'll never forgive you for bringing her here."

Ina graciously nodded and she was taken away but I finally realized why I was so angry and needing to leave as soon as I could.

Ina had invited Darlene to Mercia, dad had invited Darlene into our lives and in turn her obsessiveness had invited death to knock on Joni's doorstep and then it had taken her away from me.

Darlene might have picked up the gun but dad had pulled the trigger unknowingly.

~~~~~

"I'm leaving tomorrow." I informed everyone at dinner that same day.

"Tomorrow? But you said..." Dad frowned.

"I know what I said but I want to leave tomorrow." I said. "Zach told me he has family living in the city."

"But you don't know them." Mom protested.

"Haven't you heard? The devil you know is better than the angel you don't know but in my case, the angel I don't know is better than the devil I do know." I wiped the corner of my mouth with the napkin.

"Okay. I'll give you some money then."

"It's fine." I shook my head. "I still have the 100 million you sent to me the last time."

Dad's eyes widened. "That was two years ago."

"Sorry. I meant half a billion dollars." I shook my head. "I invested in some things here and there and well the money tripled." I shrugged nonchalantly as my family watched on with their jaws on the floor. "I'm going to be okay."

"Okay." Dad said, still dumbfounded.

"Cool." I pushed my chair back and stood up. "I love you mom... dad, grandma and you Liesey." I told them. "I'll forgive you someday Andres." I nodded at him then looked at Jax. "And I hope that someday... Jax, you'll learn to love yourself so you can love others too."

"Just go." Jax muttered. "Took her finally dying for your senses to return."

"Jax!". Grandma was mortified.

"Arrivederci, famiglia." I shot them a mock salute then turned and walked out of that dining room with the hope that I'd never return to it.