by Penelope Sky
I walked out to the truck and approached the driver’s door, tears streaming down my face.
Bones opened the door and stepped out, his eyes narrowing in sadness when he saw my suffering. His eyes softened, and he cupped my face with both hands before he kissed my tears away. “I’ll do my best, baby.” He pulled the handcuffs out and handed me a shotgun.
“What’s this for?”
“Aim the gun at me when I walk in there. Then hand it to them when you handcuff me.”
“No—”
“Just do it. If it’s as bad as you’re making it out to be…that’s what we need to do.”
I took the shotgun, feeling the weight in my hands.
He walked in front of me, the handcuffs in his back pocket. He stayed in front of me and walked into the house.
“To the right.” I guided him through the house until we reached the dining room.
My father and uncle immediately stared at him, their eyes flicking to the gun I carried.
Bones walked perfectly straight, holding his posture like the most powerful man in the room. He didn’t flinch at their hostility as he sank into the chair.
I placed the shotgun in front of my father before I took the handcuffs and clasped Bones’s hands behind his back and locked him into the wooden bars of the chair. He could probably break through the chair if he wanted to, but his hands would still be secured.
My father immediately popped the shotgun open and looked at the ammo loaded in the barrel. He closed it again, keeping it on the table beside him so he could grab it easily if he needed to.
Then there was silence.
Silence so loud it shattered my eardrums.
I didn’t know where to sit because I didn’t want it to seem like I was taking sides, so I sat at the head of the table, between them.
My father and uncle stared at Bones, looking at his tattoos, muscles, and crystal-blue eyes.
Bones stared back, his eyes locked on my father’s. He wasn’t afraid, even though any other man would be. He’d surrendered himself completely, making himself vulnerable to his biggest enemy. These were the men he’d wanted to kill, but now he dropped all protection—for me. “Search my truck if you want. There’s nothing there. There’s no backup coming to the house. Vanessa has secured me to this chair, and I’ve given you a loaded shotgun so you can kill me right now if you want. I don’t expect you to trust me, but I hope this is a start.”
My father was silent.
Uncle Cane didn’t speak either.
Bones was the kind of man who liked to be a smartass, even in the tensest situations. But he left his bullshit at the door because he knew this was serious. He was doing this for me—because it was important to me. “I know I’m the worst possible man you’d want for your daughter. I don’t blame you. I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m an innocent man who hasn’t done criminal things. But I’m always honest. And when I say I love your daughter, I really mean it. I’d take a bullet for her. I’d die to protect her. I’d do anything to make her happy. When she’s with me, she invincible. I don’t want to be here just as much as you. But I’m here for her. Meet me halfway.”
My father hadn’t taken a single breath since Bones started speaking. His hand rested on the table next to the gun, but he didn’t pick it up.
Bones waited for a response, even though it didn’t seem like one was coming. “I understand our families despise each other. This blood war has been going on for three generations now. The hatred for one another is in our blood as we speak. But I have no ill will toward the Barsetti family. I want to end it for good, regardless of what happens between Vanessa and me. I’ve laid down my weapons and armor, have come to your home defenseless, to prove that to you.”
My father tilted his head slightly, examining Bones with even more coldness. “Your father raped and killed my sister.” He spoke with such calmness, but I knew he was anything but relaxed. In the peacefulness around his words was the rage. “She was an innocent woman, and she died an innocent woman. Your father never showed her mercy—ever. Why should I show you any?”
“Daddy…he’s not him.” I hated the way this was going. I hated the way my family was so angry. This was so much worse than I’d anticipated. “Don’t hold that against him.”
Bones didn’t look at me. “Baby, let me—”
“Don’t call my daughter that in my presence.” My father interrupted Bones, and he was the only one who could pull it off. “She’s my daughter, my baby, and you can’t have her until I give her to you. And right now, I can confidently say I will never give you my daughter—ever.”
Bones didn’t rise to the insult, keeping his face calm.
More silence passed, just as tense as before.
Bones waited a minute before he spoke again. “Vanessa is right. I never even knew my father.”
“Blood is blood,” Uncle Cane said.
“And love is love,” Bones countered. “I don’t have much experience with the emotion, but after meeting Vanessa, I know how powerful it is. She loves you so much, and I would never hurt anyone that she loves so deeply. You’re everything to her, and that’s why I’m sitting here trying to make this work. Trust me, I wouldn’t be here of my free will. Your company isn’t exactly pleasant.”
My father and uncle didn’t react to that. My father gave a slight raise of his eyebrow, but I couldn’t be sure it really happened.
Bones continued. “After my father was killed, my mother and I lost the business and our wealth. Men turned on the family, our accounts were snatched from us, and my mother and I were on our own. My mother became a prostitute so she could take care of me—”
“Don’t expect me to feel sorry for you.” My father’s hand inched a little closer to the gun. “Because I don’t.”
“I’m not ashamed of what my mother did to support me, so there’s no reason for pity at all. Any parent who does everything to protect their child is someone to be proud of, if you ask me. I love my mother, and I’m not afraid to say it. I just wish I had been strong like I am now so I could have protected her—could have stopped the man who murdered her. Her client left her in a dumpster when he was done with her. But don’t worry, I found him and killed him. Vanessa helped me.”
It was the first time my father took his eyes off Bones and looked at me. I didn’t know what the look meant or what he was thinking since his expression didn’t change. But he stared at me, his dark eyes unblinking.
Bones continued. “I lived in an orphanage for a while, then I lived on the streets. When I became an adult, I entered a criminal line of work. I’m death for hire. I kill people when people pay me to.”
I wished he hadn’t said that. I wished he didn’t want to be so honest.
“I’ve made my own wealth in life,” Bones said. “I’m more than capable of taking care of Vanessa.”
“My daughter can take care of herself,” my father snapped. “She doesn’t need a man’s dirty money. You think that impresses me, asshole?”
“Father—”
“I want this to work,” Bones said calmly. “But let’s not bullshit here. Both of you are part of the criminal underworld. It’s where you both made your fortunes. Cane was part of the Skull Kings for years, doing exactly what I’m doing now—but more ruthlessly. And you’ve sold weapons to the mob and traffickers. I kill mob members and traffickers. Don’t sit there and pretend you’re better than me. We’re equals, sir.” He said the last word under strain, forcing himself to spit it out even though it made him sick—and he did it for me.
My father didn’t say anything to that, and neither did Uncle Cane. Perhaps they didn’t understand how much Bones knew about both of them.
I guess that meant Bones had been right about my family—all along.
“Your actions are directly responsible for all the bad shit that happened to me,” Bones said. “It pissed me off for a long time. But I’ve put aside my anger because it’s not important anymore. I know what my father did was
wrong. He got what was coming to him. Now it’s over. He’s the only one to blame for my misfortune. Let’s put the past where it belongs and start over. I want your daughter, and I’m willing to do anything to make that happen. You don’t have to like me, but I need you to accept me. Vanessa needs you to accept me.”
I didn’t think Bones should be so honest, but when he put all his cards on the table, it made him less of a threat. His transparency made him more likable, even trustable. He also didn’t take a beating from my family like another man would. He held his side of the argument, proving he was a man who could stand up against all adversity. There was a small light of hope inside me, a small belief that this might actually work.
My father and uncle were just as stoic as before, absorbing everything Bones said but giving nothing in return. They didn’t communicate with each other in his presence, their secrets concealed behind their eyes.
When the conversation didn’t continue, Bones spoke again. “I’m willing to suffer your scrutiny, completely forsake my privacy, to be given a real chance. I love Vanessa, and she loves me. It’s not the kind of love that started the first time we saw each other. It took a very long time to build, and while we pretended to hate each other, that love grew against our will. We’ve tried living apart. She’s tried moving on from me. We’re stuck together like glue. Don’t try to tear us apart. The second you let go, we’ll snap back together.”
My father was quiet, the gun untouched beside him. Dressed in black with dark hair, he looked like a member of the mob. My father was always warm and affectionate when I was around, but now I saw the sinister side of him. He was cold and cruel just the way Bones was. They were a lot alike…which would probably make them hate each other more. “Get out of my house. Come back, and I’ll shoot you.”
I closed my eyes at the death threat, the hope squeezing from my chest like someone had their fingers wrapped around my throat. I felt my eyes water, heartbroken that this was my father’s decision. “Father, that’s not fair—”
He didn’t look at me as he spoke. “We’ll talk about this later. Get him out of here. I’m keeping the gun.”
I sat still in my chair, unable to believe this was really happening, that this was the final verdict. I understood why my father didn’t like Bones, but to be so hateful to not even give it a chance…disappointed me.
“Vanessa,” my father said coldly. “You heard what I said.”
I sniffed as I stood up. My eyes moved to Bones, and he wore the same hard expression he wore all the time. But there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, not because he hadn’t convinced my family to give him a chance, but because this hurt me so much. He was immune to pain, but not when it was my pain.
I came to his back and unlocked the handcuffs.
Bones rose to his feet.
My father did the same, leaving the shotgun on the table. “I may have made my fortune in the underworld, but I’m a respectable and hardworking man now. My business is clean. Vanessa comes from a good family, a line of strong men and women who never give up. She’s noble, smart, beautiful…she’s royalty. You…” My father looked him over like he wasn’t impressed. “You’re trash. Trash that belongs in the dumpster along with your mother’s corpse.”
I took a deep breath when the insult hit me. It was like a bullet to the stomach. I bled out everywhere, feeling my heart beat faster to compensate for the lost blood. The taunt was so cold, so cruel, I couldn’t believe it came from my father’s mouth. It was wrong, disgusting. It hurt me because I knew how much it hurt Bones.
Bones didn’t react at all, keeping his arms by his sides and forcing his hands not to form fists. His breathing escalated, and his gaze turned ice-cold. If my father were anyone else, Bones would kill him with his bare hands. He kept his rage in check for me…and only for me. He clenched his jaw while his nostrils flared, fighting the anger that circulated in his veins. The only reason he didn’t turn into a beast was because it would hurt me…so he let the verbal slap go. “That shotgun only has two bullets. That wouldn’t be enough to stop me. You might be able to get one shot in me before I could get to you, but trust me, one bullet isn’t enough. I would know…I’ve been shot five times. The only reason I’m letting you live is because I love your daughter. But if you were anyone else, you’d be dead right now. Family is important to you, and it’s just as important to me. My mother was an innocent woman. She didn’t share my father’s brutality. She doesn’t deserve your disrespect—and you know it.” He turned to the doorway, exposing his back to my father, like he was daring him to pull the trigger.
This couldn’t have gone any worse.
My father walked behind him, aiming the gun right at his back.
“Father.” I pushed the barrel toward the ground. “Enough.”
“Vanessa.” He flashed me a terrifying look, one I’d never seen before. “Back off.” He followed Bones all the way to the door, the gun still trained on him.
Bones stepped outside to the roundabout, his feet crunching on the gravel. He turned around and looked at me, silently asking if I was coming with him.
I shook my head slightly, my eyes still wet.
“Let me know when you want me to pick you up.” He turned around again and walked to the truck, his body vulnerable to two bullets in his back. He got in the driver’s seat, started the truck, and then pulled onto the road.
My father finally dropped the gun but stared down the road until Bones’s truck was completely gone from sight. Then he turned to me, giving me a searing look packed with so much disappointment it was painful.
It was like he hated me.
Uncle Cane left, and my father went upstairs to talk to my mother.
I sat at the dining table, exactly where Bones had been sitting thirty minutes ago. Lars brought me coffee and lunch. I told him I wasn’t hungry, but he insisted on bringing me something. I sipped the coffee but didn’t touch the food. My head was propped against my hand, and I stared into the dark coffee, the smell of espresso not calming me the way it usually did.
I couldn’t believe this was happening.
I didn’t expect my family to be thrilled about it.
But I didn’t think my father would call Bones trash either.
Fuck, this was a nightmare.
A few minutes later, both of my parents came into the room. I didn’t look at either of them right away, needing a moment to gather my bearings before I looked my mother in the eye. I hoped she would be more understanding, but when I looked into her gaze, I only saw disappointment.
I held my cup with both hands and felt the warmth heat my fingers.
They sat across from me, the open window behind them. Spring was more apparent in this part of Italy, and it was beautiful. The sun was warm, and the birds were singing.
I looked at both of them, seeing the two people I loved most in this world. My mother was smart, compassionate, and strong. My father was a powerful man who showed his weakness only to his family. I’d learned so much from both of them. But now it felt like an entire ocean was in between us.
My father leaned back against his chair, his posture completely different from how it’d been when Bones was there. He wasn’t on his guard with me, but his disappointment was suffocating.
My mom brought her hands together on the table, her thumbs rubbing together.
I guessed I would speak first. “Mom, the only reason I didn’t include you was because I thought Father wouldn’t want you there…to keep you safe somewhere else.”
“And you were right.” My father stared me down like I was his enemy rather than his daughter. “I don’t want my wife anywhere near that piece of trash.”
“He’s not trash…” I held his gaze, keeping myself strong just the way he was. “You can say you don’t like him. You can say he’s wrong for me. But you can’t say that…because it’s not true.”
My father didn’t show a hint of remorse. “I’ve been dreading this day since you were born. But I told myself I’d r
aised a smart and powerful woman. I’d raised a woman who refused to accept anything less than the best. I told myself that it would be alright, that you would introduce me to a man who was actually worthy of you. But then you brought him…my worst fucking nightmare.” My father never cussed around me, but all manners were off the table now. “I’ll never accept him, Vanessa. He’s not welcome in this family, and he never will be. I don’t want him anywhere near you.”
Every single word was more painful than the last. “You’re being unreasonable. He came in here handcuffed to a chair and handed you a loaded gun. How many other men would be brave enough to do that? For me?”
“He’s not brave. He’s arrogant.”
“Yes, he is,” I said. “But he wasn’t arrogant today. Griffin is a powerful man who doesn’t accept an insult from anyone. You said the most hurtful thing to him…and he did nothing. I’ve never seen him restrain himself like that.”
“I’m glad the insult hurt. I hope it hurt more than a bullet.”
My eyes narrowed on my father’s face, not recognizing him. “Stop it.”
“Stop what?” my father said coldly. “Stop protecting you? Never. Be as angry as you want. I’ll never stop.”
“No, that’s not what you’re doing. You hate him just because of who his father is—”
“He’s caused more pain to this family than you could possibly understand.” The vein in his forehead started to throb as his face flushed red with anger. “I have every right to despise that piece of shit.”
But I did understand. I knew my mother didn’t want me to know, so I pretended I didn’t know anything. “You have every right to despise his father—who’s dead. Bones wasn’t even born when all of this stuff happened.”
“I don’t care,” my father hissed. “Some rivers run too deep. Some blood is too thick. My hatred for his father is powerful, so dominant, that I would even hate his fifth cousin twice removed. Anyone who shares that animal’s blood is my enemy. He’ll always be my enemy. My family is the most important thing in the world to me, and I would never risk that by declaring war against him. If we can coexist peacefully, that’s fine with me. But I’ll never, ever, welcome him into this family. I’ll never let you marry someone like him.”