On The Border - Marry Him or Die

6

Alex’s POV

It’s been three of the most miserable days of my entire existing.

Three days since our world was turned upside down by a single damn bullet, that took our light and left us all drowning in the darkness. The darkness of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Those were the known five stages of grief, I’ve read about it somewhere before and it got stuck in my head. It got stuck because I thought it was complete bullshit. When someone close to you dies you only feel one thing, anger.

But turns out I was wrong, not entirely, but still wrong.

Each of us was feeling one thing, yes, but each one of us was feeling a different stage of grieving.

My mom was in denial. She was trying to deceive what she saw with her own eyes, believing that he was recovering in the hospital, that he was still alive and coming back to his home soon. She locked herself in their room for the past two days, not allowing anyone to come in.

My little sister was in depression. She was walking around the house like a ghost, not speaking with anyone. She was our little bundle of sunshine, my father’s bundle of sunshine. She always had a special place in my father’s heart, and in ours. Losing him, she was left devastated and broken, no longer shining but slowly dimming with each passing day over the loss of the man who always cherished and loved her.

Our clan were in the bargaining phase, blaming themselves deeply for what happened. If they were more alert, more cautious, their leader wouldn’t have been snatched away right in front of their eyes. They were also burning with desire to make someone pay for this

My brothers, uncle, and I, were all in the anger stage. Especially since his killer is still breathing, hiding in his house like the coward he is, surrounded by his men 24/7.

As much as everyone was willing to let war begin if it meant avenging my father, I made it crystal clear to everyone that we will not make any move until after the funeral. Which was taking place right now.

But as soon as the funeral ends, nothing will stop me from murdering that man right in the middle of the town, right in front of the town’s people, showing them what happens when they betray the Snows.

I just had to come up with a plan that will result in minimal casualties. A plan that will only result in Patrick’s death, alone.

My angel, Melanie was holed up in her hometown, wrecked by the events that took place on the day of our wedding and worried sick about me.

I spoke with her briefly during these last three days.

She wanted to come to the funeral but I refused and told her to stay with her father and sister, claiming it was too dangerous for her to be in town right now.

But the truth is, I didn’t have the courage nor the strength to face her until now. Not knowing if we were even going to survive after we were done with our vengeance. Not knowing if she will still be madly in love with me after the things I will have to do, if she’ll still be willing to marry me despite the danger our family was exposed to on our wedding day.

She knew what I was and what my family does, but knowing and witnessing are completely different things.

I kept assuring myself that she will not be scared easily and back away from our relationship, our love for each other was too deep, too strong. It will overcome everything.

But a small voice in my head kept planting doubt in me.

And because of that consistently annoying voice, I didn’t want to confront her just yet.

The moment of truth will come to light after I take our revenge.

Just as the funeral was about to come to an end, as the people who came to pay their respect were slowly leaving our house, our clan’s attorney, Erik Snow, approached me and spoke in a low voice “Your father’s will must be read in front of the whole family, please gather them all so I can read it to all of you”

Eric was a 25 year old distant relative of mine. He was also very close with my father both as his attorney and as his godson. My father took care of him and his mother after his father got killed while defending my father during one of their confrontations with a powerful mafia boss, who was attempting to bring their business down.

Taking a bullet for my father, he died and left a widowed wife and a 17 year old son behind. My father, forever indebted to his father’s sacrifice, took him under his wings and supported him and his mom in every way he can.

He paid for his college when Erik expressed his desire to study low. So he sent him to Harvard to get the best education he could offer him.

Erik after graduating, came back to town and pledged his loyalty to my father and became our attorney, helping us in every way he can.

I went over to my mom who finally left her room today and accepted her husband’s loss as she sat in the living room, accepting condolences.

“Erik wants to read dad’s will. Stay here while I gather everyone please” I bent down and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.

She hasn’t spoken a word ever since my father died. She was the strongest woman I know. Standing by her husband’s side in everyway, never breaking down or turning her back on him despite the danger he kept getting himself involved in all those years since he took the leadership of the clan.

She didn’t utter a word of objection when dad started teaching us how to use guns and slowly introduced us to his world of smuggling.

She always stood by his side and supported his every decision.

The only thing she made clear to him, and all of us, was that we should be free to choose our own destiny.

That my dad should not stand in our way, should we decide to continue our education out of town, or refuse to carry on the family business.

And my dad expressed his acceptance of that sincerely.

Out of all three of us brothers, we all stood solemnly by his side and accepted our place in the family business. We were all just high school graduates, not interested in expanding our education any further than that.

My parents were my role models when it came to the perfect relationship between a husband and wife. Their love and utter devotion to each other was the thing I always sough to have, and almost had with Melanie. It was the thing I was looking forward to have with her after we get married.

It was their love for each other that made me so damn sure that true love does exist and soul mates can end up finding each other no matter where they are in this universe.

You see my mom was also an outsider, she wasn’t born and raised in this town and married in it like most of the town people here. She wasn’t born into this life and yet, she never let that stand in the way of her love for my father.

It was that relationship that made what Mel and I have, convince me that we were meant to be together. That she will too, adjust to our life here and stand by my side despite the never ending danger and threats that this town attracts.

She was the strongest woman I know but right now, she wasn’t. The hit was too much on her, she wasn’t able to recover from it. I just hope she will soon, because without her voice, I’m not sure I can stay strong and survive this tragedy on my own.

As we all gathered in the living room; Uncle Stefan, his son David, Erik, mom, Jacob, Lucas, April, and me, waiting for the will to be read, a little unease in the pit of my stomach started taking place.

Erik started addressing us all in a firm voice as he opens up a file and retrieves a piece of paper in his hands “Ok, now that we all are gathered here, I will begin to read the last will and testament of Isaac Jonathan Snow:

I hereby declare that this is my last will and testament and that I hereby revoke, cancel and annul all wills and codicils previously made by me either jointly or severally. I declare that I am of legal age to make this will and of sound mind and that this last will and testament expresses my wishes without undue influence or duress”

He carries on with reading the will as he talks about distribution of our family’s assets.

All the assets acquired by my father when he was alive, were equally distributed between mom, Jacob, Lucas, April, and me.

While the assets that were left to him from his own father were given to uncle Stefan.

Erik then proceeded to read a letter written by my father that wasn’t included in the original legal will.

A letter that brought my heart to a complete stop after hearing its last words.