Sani flopped into an armchair with a mischievous grin, then winced as he tried to lift his legs onto the footstool. “Fratello,can I have a whiskey? Take the edge off the pain?”
Alessio and I had to hold back a laugh that nearly burst out at this kid’s balls. Giovanni grabbed Sani’s thigh, pressing his fingers against the wound, which made Sani cry out in anguish.
“What? This pain?” Gio snarled, then let go.
“Ow,cazzo! What did you do that for?” Sani shouted, looking to hismammafor backup. But he wouldn’t find it.
“Sani! What were you thinking? You foolish, stupid boy!” she shouted instead. He rolled his eyes.
“I wasn’t going to dishonourPapi’smemory by not visiting him today. We always go; we’ve never missed it. What would he think of me if he knew I hadn’t visited just to hide behind the walls and guards from the Americans? I’m Vincenzo Buccini’s son, and I’ll never hide in fear from anyone.”
“That is not the point, Sani. I gave you an order. I forbade you from going for your own safety. You put not only your own life in danger but Soraya’s too!” Gio yelled.
“I saved her! I would never let anyone hurt her! You know that.”
“How do you explain her broken arm?” Gio shouted, his voice so deafening that my teeth chattered. Sani sank lower into his chair, folding his arms over his chest. “Or the fact that you just traumatised her because she saw her brother, the person she loves most in this entire world, brutally beat a man to death?”
“So... what? You wanted me to let them take us? I thought you’d be proud of me,” he sulked.
Gio pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Once again, I was trying not to laugh because it really wasn’t funny. But I was kind of on the kid’s side here.
“I am proud of you,” Gio huffed. “So fucking proud.” He ruffled Sani’s black curls, and a small smirk tugged at the boy’s lips. “But I am also beyond furious with you. I’m allowed to be both. You’re too impulsive and reckless, Sani. You don’t thinkthings through. But… you saved your sister and yourself today. You did well.”
“So…” Sani glanced up at his brother through dark lashes, wiggling his eyebrows. “Can we torture them together?”
“No.” Giovanni shook his head. “That’s your punishment for not following my orders and going behind my back.”
“Urgh.” Sani threw his head back against the sofa. “Alessio! Help me.”
Alessio rubbed his hand across his mouth, trying to hide his amusement. “Well, before I take a side, I need to hear the full story, Sani. What happened?”
“We were atPapi’sgrave, placing the flowers and chatting to him when two unmarked black cars pulled up, windows down, and opened fire on our men. I grabbed Raya and pulled her behind a gravestone to hide, while Georgie covered us. But then he was shot. I took his gun, and we tried to run, but they were chasing us. They had American accents and told us to stop, saying they wouldn’t hurt us. I think there were four left at that point. We took cover behind another grave, and I started shooting. I managed to hit one in the eye, but the other three were getting too close. I told Raya to run, and I kept shooting. I wounded one, but the other two reached me. One went after Raya, and I fought the other, who had a knife. He stupidly rammed it into my thigh, thinking that would immobilise me enough to drag me back to the car, but I just pulled it out and stabbed him with it. Raya screamed because the other had caught up to her, and she was fighting him, but he grabbed her arm and twisted it. That’s when I saw red.”
He shifted in his chair, wincing again at his thigh.
“I don’t really remember much after that. I just remember holding a heavy, broken piece of a headstone and looking down at a body that had barely any skull left. Then I picked Raya up and started walking home.”
I looked around the room at everyone’s faces. Shock. Awe. Worry. Pride. It was a combination of it all. Was it concerning that the boy didn’t seem bothered that he’d killed for the first time today? Perhaps. But then he was born into this world. It was an unavoidable act. But undoubtedly, one thing was running through all our minds. Today marked the birth of a future mafioso. Santino Buccini was destined to be a force in this world.
“Well,” Alessio finally broke the silence, his eyes flicking over to Gio and then back to Sani. “I think you should give the boy a whiskey, Buccini.”
Sani broke into a beaming smile, and Giovanni scoffed, shook his head, but still poured his brother a drink.
My car pulled up at the Aiani residence an hour later. My curiosity had got the better of me, and I knew I couldn’t leave without finding out what Enzo had for me. So many thoughts kept flickering through my mind. Was it some item of mine from years ago that he had kept and was now returning? But nothing major stood out in my mind. My phone buzzed in my pocket just as the solid steel gates began to open, his men recognising me and waving me through.
Update Seven: The kids are still asleep. Nerina woke up for a drink of water, and I had to read her another bedtime story to settle her again. She’s sleeping like an angel now.
Just been alerted that you’re at my gate. Basille will meet you at the house and take you to where you need to go.
What happens next is up to you. But I hope you make him suffer. Make him hurt as he hurt you. If you don’t want to end him, walk away, and I’ll happily do it. But that man will never leave my estate alive.
I blinked at the words, frowning deeply. What the hell was this about?
Who are you talking about?
You’ll see.
No man who’s ever hurt you gets to keep breathing, Finn. Except me. Because I only breathe for you. Only I get to ruin you and save you. I’ve collected all the broken pieces of your heart I could find. I hope this can put them back together in some small way.
