by Bella J.
Antonio didn’t respond. I was expecting him to agree with me, to tell me that I was incredibly stupid and selfish for making the decision I did. But he didn’t. It sort of gave me the impression that maybe, just maybe, he understood. That he agreed.
“Antonio?”
He looked at me.
“Take care of him. It’s going to take Dante a long time to come to terms with everything, so he’ll need someone to help him through it.”
The atmosphere around us was so heavy, it felt like there was a ten-ton boulder hanging over us inside Antonio’s tiny sportscar. Because of one mistake, one wrong decision, I had caused a lot of people to carry unwanted burdens today.
Antonio.
Kate.
Dante.
Lucio.
I smiled. “Lucio sure knows how to act.” I tried to play it down, tried to cast some light in the darkness.
Antonio nodded with a smirk. “He’s one talented SOB, that’s for sure.”
“Thank you for allowing him to protect my sister.”
He shrugged. “We can’t afford for them to be alone and unprotected right now. Not until…” He looked my way with an immense amount of pity in his eyes.
I smiled bravely. “Until I’m back with Matteo.”
Antonio made a sharp turn to the right. “I totally get why you prefer Dante not being part of this plan. But fuck, I wish we could have told him.”
“It’s the only way. As you said, he’ll understand once he finds out the truth. And if everything goes the way we plan, it will be before sundown today.”
“Maybe if we—”
“No.” I stopped him before he could continue his sentence. “I will not be the cause of a war between you and them.”
“As my brother said the other day, we’ve been at war with the Mancusos for years now.”
I turned in my seat, determined to get my point across. “If I don’t go back, Matteo won’t stop until he’s destroyed everyone I love.”
“But this isn’t about you, Layla. It’s about Dante. About us. It’s never been about you. You are just a pawn he’s using to put our family in checkmate. It’s Dante they want to destroy. It’s our family they want to wipe out. Even if you go back and give your life in order to stop all of this, it won’t. It will never stop.”
“I know this war between you and the Mancusos will probably never end, but I will no longer be used as a weapon to torture Dante. You and I both know Dante will put himself in harm’s way as long as Matteo has me. Your brother will never stop, and I’ve been the cause of Dante’s pain for too long.” I shook my head as tears welled up. “No more. No more, Antonio. I can’t do it anymore.”
When I looked up, Antonino’s eyebrows almost reached his hairline as he pieced it together. “No.”
“Yes. It’s the only way. I can’t stop the war, but I can stop Matteo from torturing Dante.”
Antonio swerved the car to the side before turning back onto the road. “You can’t do this, Layla. It will kill Dante.”
I smiled halfheartedly. “He’ll have a new reason to live.”
“This is insane.” Antonio paled, roughing his hands through his ink black hair.
“This is the only way.” He shook his head, but I continued. “I’m going to try to eliminate Matteo best I can.”
“What?” Antonio’s gaze shot to mine. “That’s insane.”
“If I kill Matteo, Stefano won’t have much left to fight with. Enzio is dead, and once Matteo is too, Stefano will have nothing, and the war would be over.” I sat back in my seat. “And then they will be safe.”
Antonio didn’t argue. He was intelligent enough to know my plan had the potential to work in favor of everyone…even me. With the knowledge that my family was safe, I would die a happy woman. Without the shadow of a doubt, I would gladly give up my life for them…for them both.
The last four years had only been a preparation for this day. From the day I stepped out of that house, running from Dante, I had sealed my fate. This was what it all would boil down to.
Antonio parked the car at the side of the road. Matteo’s black Bentley was already there waiting. Bile threatened to push up my throat, my stomach twisted and heavy. The blood running through my veins would have been nothing but ice if it hadn’t been burning with a lust for poison.
I righted myself and tucked blonde strands behind my ears. “Okay, this is it.” But Antonio grabbed my hand and turned to me, his gaze penetrating straight to my soul.
“I was so incredibly wrong about you, Layla. And I’m sorry for that.” His gaze was filled with sincerity, and it warmed my heart to finally know Antonio no longer saw me as a threat. That he knew how much I had loved his brother.
I smiled even though fear was tightening around my gut like a vise. “Just promise me you will do your part.”
He nodded. “I won’t let you down. I’ll take care of him, I promise.”
Just as I started to get out of the car, Antonio grabbed my elbow. “Take this.” He placed a tiny blade in the palm of my hand. “It’s not much, but it’s something, at least. It’s small enough to hide…just in case.”
I shot him a grin. “Thanks.” I placed the blade on the inside of my sleeve.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. This was probably the last time I would see Antonio or any of the Valentis. In my mind, I thought of Dante, his face, his touch, his kiss. I embraced the memories we had made the night before and made sure I would hold onto them forever.
I exhaled. “Goodbye, Antonio.” And then I got out of the car just as Matteo emerged from his. He stared at me victoriously as I walked across the road to him. That smug grin on his face and the evil that lurked in his eyes made my skin crawl. It caused my bravery to falter—just for a second, until I reached for a memory where I saw his face, a face I hadn’t seen in months. A face I would never see again. A face which was the reason behind every decision I had ever made. It was also the face of the one who had defined my life, changing it forever.
He was the one who deserved my sacrifice. The one who made it all worthwhile.
He was my son.
Chapter 17
Dante
I was going to kill him.
I was going to take my knife and drive it through his fucking heart. That was what it felt like to me when Antonio drove away with my woman.
“Where is he taking her?”
Lucio shrugged. “Fuck me if I know. I’ll get a car and see if I can track him.” He rushed back into the house just as my dad came out.
“What the hell is going on?”
I kicked at the ground. “Your fucking oldest son just signed his own goddamn death warrant.”
“What?”
I stalked up to him, clenching my teeth. “Hear me now, Father. If Antonio is taking her back to Mancuso, I will kill him. I swear to God, I will slit his throat.”
He didn’t say anything as I stomped back into the house. All I thought about was Castello’s words. I would slit the throat of anyone who threatened my woman…even if it was my own fucking blood.
From outside, I heard another car speed across the asphalt. By the way the car was revved, I knew it was Lucio. He was going to try to track Antonio. And me? I was getting fucking answers.
“Kate!” I yelled like an enraged demon. The rage, the anger, it felt like I could slam my fist through a brick wall.
“Kate!” I screamed, my fury echoing through the halls. “Kate! Where the fuck are you?”
Lorik came storming around the corner. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Where’s Kate?”
“Layla’s sister?”
I brushed past him, knocking against his shoulder. “Yes, Layla’s sister.”
“Oh, I saw her get into a car with Lucio.”
I stilled. “What?”
“Yeah. They left, like, two seconds ago.”
My heart, my brain, my lungs, everything inside me leaped into a fucking frenzy of fury.
I had been angered by many before. I had killed more men than I could count. But nothing—and I meant nothing—compared to the rage that pulsed through my body right at that very moment. The lethal mix of betrayal and wrath slithered along every bone.
“Fuck!” I screamed. I screamed so loud, I couldn’t even hear the bash of my fist against the wall.
“Jesus Christ, Dante.” Lorik stepped back, the shiner on his face practically begging him to get away from me. “What the fuck is going on?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. My mind couldn’t form one coherent thought because all I saw was red. Both Antonio and Lucio had betrayed me. A few minutes ago, I was in my father’s study with one of the most feared men in our world supporting me. Now it felt like I had nothing, like I stood alone.
Then that was what I had to do. Fight alone.
“Lorik.” I turned to face him. “I suggest you take my sister and get the fuck out of town.”
“Why? What the fuck is going on, Dante?”
I walked past him. “Civil war.”
“Holy shit,” I heard him mutter behind me. Lorik better heed my warning and get out of town with Karina before shit went down. Castello’s words were like a goddamn prophecy, a message from above to give me the motivation I needed. Nothing would stop me from getting my woman back.
When I got to my bedroom, I walked straight to the cabinet bolted shut with a huge motherfucking lock. I pulled out the key from my pants pocket and unlocked it. As I opened the doors, it was like the angels sang in the background as it revealed my own personal collection of daggers and guns.
“Dante.”
I didn’t turn around when I heard my dad behind me.
“I just got a call from Antonio.”
I stilled as I was about to reach for my .45 Magnum.
“You need to hear what he has to say.”
I grabbed the gun and placed it at my back. “I’m pretty sure I don’t give a fuck about what he has to say.”
The door clicked closed. “I think you do.”
“As I said earlier, my instincts are right. Layla is in trouble, and my brother just took her back to fucking lion’s den.”
“Yes. But you need to know why.”
I grabbed two daggers, slipping them up my sleeves. “I know why. He hates her. Always has.”
“It’s not that simple. Believe me, after you hear the truth, you’re going to wish it was.”
When I turned to face him, the dour expression on his face caused me to still. “What happened?”
He started pacing. “There was an incident downtown.”
My heart stopped. “Is Layla hurt?”
“No. No, it’s not like that.”
I scowled. “Then what?”
The old man stopped and looked up at the roof. “You brother and Lucio had a run-in with some of the Mancuso men.” He turned to face me. “Apparently, it didn’t end so well.”
“Meaning it turned into a bloodbath.” It wasn’t a question. When things didn’t end well, it usually meant someone died. “Antonio and Lucio okay?”
“Yes. They’re fine.”
Nothing about his demeanor gave me the impression that everyone was fine. In fact, the grim look on his face, the way his shoulders were slumped forward said to me that I wasn’t going to like the next part of this fucking story.
“What happened?”
He took a deep breath. “I think it best you wait for Antonio to get here.”
What the…? “Are you telling me Antonio is on his way back here? Jesus Christ, the fucker has balls, I’ll give him that.” I stormed to the bedroom door. “He better have Layla with him if he wants to live to see another day.”
“Dante.” My father’s voice boomed through the room in a way which could not be ignored. “Layla is not with him.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Then he’s a dead man.”
“There will not be bloodshed in my house. Do you understand me?”
I hung my head, the weight of my father’s authority no longer doing anything to tame the rage which possessed every part of my being. For me, there was nothing but Layla. Not anymore.
Without looking at him, I said, “Antonio made his decision when he decided to work against me instead of with me.”
The sound of tires racing across the gravel came from outside the window.
“Antonio,” I whispered.
My father rushed forward and grabbed my elbow, spinning me around to face him. “Your life is about to change, Dante. Are you ready for that?”
I remained emotionless, like a fucking robot programmed to kill until it had achieved its goal. “Without Layla, I have no life to change.”
With a concerned look, he cocked his head to the side, his face paler than ever. “We’ll see about that…after you speak to your brother.”
The tone of his voice, the apprehension in his eyes, made me nervous. My spine itched with unease.
My father stepped back. “I ask you to leave your gun here in this room.”
I laughed. “Dad, I love you. I respect you. But that’s not happening.”
I walked out of the room. My resolve to get my woman back strengthened with every step I took. The gun at my back made me feel more confident about my resolution not to let anyone get in my way.
If you have to slit the throat of every motherfucker who gets between you and your woman, you do it with a fucking smile on your face.
I wanted those fucking words engraved on my headstone one day. Those were the words I would live by for the rest of my life.
Antonio got out of his car as I stepped outside. “Is she with you?”
“No.” He remained standing by the car door. “She’s not.”
Lucio got out of the passenger side, his eyes studying my every move. The man was a soldier. He recognized a threat when he saw one.
My attention moved back to the backstabbing SOB who happened to be my brother. But the fact that we had the same blood running through our veins no longer mattered. Who the fuck said blood was thicker than water?
“You’ve got balls coming back without her, Antonio.”
He closed the car door. “You need to listen to me.”
“I don’t have to do squat. You betrayed me.”
“You’re wrong, little brother.”
I moved slowly down the stairs. “Am I?” My mind flitted back and forth from my brother to the gun at my back. “Because from where I’m standing, it sure looks like you stabbed a goddamn knife in my back.”
Antonio sighed then moved to the back passenger door. “If you won’t give me a chance to explain, I’ll have to show you.”
The door opened, and Kate stepped out. With narrowed eyes, I watched them. Kate’s eyes were red as if she had been crying. Her cheeks were pale, and her shoulders slumped. She seemed defeated, and that only fueled my anger even more.
“Antonio!” I growled. “What the fuck have you done?” Out of instinct—and rage—I reached for the gun.
Kate stepped aside, and then…a little boy.
I paused, my hand hovering over the gun at my back. “What is going on? Who is this?”
My brother closed the door, and Kate walked forward with her hands on the boy’s shoulders. Dark hair, dark eyes and lashes, the boy couldn’t have been more than five.
My heart thudded against my ribs. My lungs expanded little by little as my breathing became shallower. I recognized the boy.
“Dante,” Antonio started, “this is Rafe…your son.”
I sucked in a breath. “What?”
“This is your son, brother.”
My mind couldn’t make sense of anything. The boy. Antonio’s words…
The boy.
I tilted my head to the side, studying the boy. All I heard was the beating of my own heart.
My dad stepped in beside me. “I warned you this would change everything.”
Confused and perplexed, I kept my eyes on the boy. “I don’t even know what this is,” I breathed.
“This is your son, Dante.” My dad walked toward the boy. “This is the reason your brother had to take Layla back.”
Bewildered and feeling completely disconnected from reality, I looked at Antonio. “You have five minutes.”
Chapter 18
Dante
“So, you’re telling me the boy currently eating macaroons in our dining room…is mine?”
Antonio sat across from me, his eyes weary yet focused. “Yes. That’s what she said.”
Lucio shifted as he leaned against the wall. “It’s pretty obvious if you look at the kid. He looks like a mini you.”
Antonio crossed his arms. “You should know. You stared at the kid from the front seat of the car all the way here as if he was the boy Jesus.”
Lucio nodded. “Yup. He might as well be. Who thought Dante would have a kid someday?” He pointed at me. “You’re still like a kid yourself. No offense.”
“For God’s sake.” My dad took a seat next to me. “Would you two stop? This is serious.”
I leaned back on the couch, my gaze settling on Kate, who sat silently next to Antonio. “Is that why she left? She knew she was pregnant?”
Her fingers nervously played on her lap. “Yes.” She looked up at me. “She wanted to tell you. In fact, she planned to tell you the day she left.”
“Why didn’t she?”
Kate sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, her gaze darting to every corner of the room instead of at me. “A letter arrived that day.”
“What letter?”
“A letter from our father. He’s in prison, but I guess you already know that.”
I remained silent, my gaze pinned on her.
“In the letter, he told Layla who you really were, and what your family did.”
I shifted. “And what exactly is it that we do—according to him?”
“Sell drugs.”
My dad stiffened next to me. “That is a lie!”
I lifted my hand. “Please, Father. Let her talk.”
Kate shifted. “There were also pictures.”
“What kind of pictures?”
“Of you and Layla. There were pictures of you walking around town. Pictures of her in your car.” She looked at me anxiously. “Pictures of you two…being intimate.”