Family Business

Burning

A/N: WARNING-this chapter may be upsetting to some 

EJ's pov

The sirens woke me before Father even had the chance to get to my room. When I rushed downstairs, Lorenzo told me there was a sizable fire at the stables. I sprinted out the door, pausing to catch my breath upon immediately seeing the eerie orange glow skirting the horizon, silhouetting the ominous black smoke rising in the distance. I raced to the stables, maintaining my breakneck pace until I saw it with my own eyes and that stopped me dead in my tracks.

Fuoco and Tuono's stalls were completely engulfed in flames. I swallowed hard, fearing the worst.

Spotting one of the stablehands, I grabbed him roughly, shouting, "WHERE ARE THE HORSES? WHERE ARE THEY? DID THEY MAKE IT OUT?" When he looked at me blankly, I realized my error and quickly translated it into Italian.

"Temo di no, signor Dimerra (I'm afraid not Mr. Dimerra). Il fuoco si è diffuso rapidamente ed era troppo intenso per essere contenuto prima che raggiungesse gli animali (The fire spread quickly and was too intense to be contained before it reached the animals)."

Turning away from him, I balled my fists in anger, trying desperately to fight back the tears welling in my eyes. Picturing those terrified animals, my majestic Fuoco and Claire's beauty Tuono, being burned alive suffering unimaginable pain, fueled the rage inside me. Whoever did this will pay with much more than just their own life. I will destroy everything and everyone they hold dear.

How am I supposed to tell my niece her horse has been brutally killed. She loved Tuono. That horse was much more than just a pet to her. Tuono was a beacon of hope in Claire's time of despair. She was a loyal and trusted confidant. She was an escape from life's harsh realities and she was one of her closest friends. Despite how insufferable she can be, I can't break that little girl's heart. She didn't deserve this simply because of her new last name. She's completely innocent in this matter.

Hearing my father's voice, I turned to see him speaking to one of the firefighters. I honestly don't see the point. We know the fire was set intentionally, it was most definitely arson. We know who set it and why. They wanted to send our family a message. It was received loud and clear. The only question now is how and when we will exact our revenge.

"Make sure the horses' remains are cleared out before dawn," I ordered firmly, as I began walking back to the mansion. I left Father to deal with the investigators. My stomach is churning from the horrid smell of burnt animal flesh and the ever rising bile level creeping up my throat. The angrier I get, the more it stings.

By the time I reached my bedroom, I was gagging. I tried to cleanse the stench from my nostrils with several drawn out breaths as I inhaled deeply, but I couldn't prevent the inevitable. Rushing to the bathroom with mere seconds to spare, I violently emptied the wretched contents of my stomach into the commode. Ignoring the pain in my knees from crashing to the marble floor, I continued to heave until there was literally nothing left to expel but air.

I never even heard my niece enter the room, having been alerted to her presence only by the sound of her high-pitched squealy voice.

"Are you sick, Uncle EJ?" the clueless waif asked innocently.

Startled by the intrusion, I whipped my head up to see her frightened little face staring back at me. Getting to my feet, I grabbed the sides of the sink to steady myself as a wave of dizziness swept over me. I splashed cold water on my face to combat the vertigo and rinsed my mouth repeatedly to remove the bitterness that lingered.

"No, brat, I'm not sick," I harshly snapped my reply. "Why the Hell are you up? Go back to bed." For some reason, the purity of her concern irritated me. Maybe it's because I know I'll soon be forced to shatter it, when I inform her of Tuono's fate.