“Do you know what happened to her? Livia? After Alfredo died, his father ordered an autopsy. Dominus is the head of the Vesuvio crime family. He has three children, all boys, but Alfredo was the oldest and his favorite. His heir. When the autopsy revealed traces of poison, Dominus was out for blood.” He pauses to let me figure out where this is going.
Out for blood… Livia. “No,” I whisper.
“Yes.” He braces his hands on the counter, his expression bleak. “He killed her. Well, he handed her over to his other sons. I will spare you the details of everything they did to her before they dumped her body in an alleyway behind their house. They claim they have no idea who murdered her, but everyone knows they did it. The police have closed the investigation. Livia’s body is unclaimed. It will go to a pauper’s grave as a message to everyone who would mess with the family.
“Not only that, but Alfredo and Livia’s three children are missing. No one knows what happened to them. Dominus might have killed them. Or disinherited them and turned them over to his enemies to be tortured as they see fit. Or he’s imprisoned them for his own purposes. His own grandchildren.”
Hecate, help me. I press my hands to my heart and stomach, trying to keep my horror in.
He leans on the counter like it’s the only thing keeping him upright. “I can tell you more tales of their brutality, but I believe you understand the stakes.”
I get what he’s telling me. Once the Vesuvios discover who sold Livia the poison, they will hunt us down until we’re dead.
This is why Papa caved to Fraternitas.
“Fraternitas found out I was involved, and now I owe them a debt,” he says quietly. “They will protect us, and in return, we do what they say.”
No. It can’t be this way. There has to be another solution. “We can fight back?—”
“No, we can’t.”
I’m back in my father’s office, surrounded by Frateritas members in skull masks, feeling helpless, and I hate it. “You didn’t even ask me,” I whisper. “You didn’t give me a choice.”
“You don’t get to choose. Those weren’t the terms?—”
“You could’ve made them the terms?—”
“Kaiser chose you. You belong to him now.”
That gives me pause. I like that Kaiser chose me. Still… “I don’t belong to anyone.”
“You do now.”
“I’m not an object you can trade away.” He shakes his head, and desperation flares through me. This is why it rankles me so much; he couldn’t wait to give me away. “I thought you loved me. You’re my father?—”
“I am your father, so you will do this to honor me. To honor your family.”
“Honor?” I grit my teeth so I don’t curse him out. Fuck his honor. Fuck everything.
My father’s face darkens. He has a temper, too, but unlike me, he channels it into a weapon. “You no longer have the luxury of being naive.” His voice is cold, like he’s talking to an employee who stole from him. “I’ve sheltered you too much. You don’t live in the real world. The Vesuvio family is dangerous. They’re one of the four families that rule Metropolis. They have an army. We have a reputation, a few employees and a bunch of plants. If we fight them alone, we will lose.
“I’ve sheltered you as long as I can, but I can’t shield you from this. It’s too big. We need allies who can have our back. Fraternitas will be those allies. If you were capable of strategy, you would understand this is the best move. The only move.”
“It’s not a move. It’s my life!”
He flicks his fingers, like he’s washing his hands of me. “Emotional,” he mutters, almost too low for me to hear. “Like a woman.”
Shut up, shut up, I want to scream. There’s a bitter taste in my mouth, and my jaw is locked like I’m going to throw up.
But I won’t. I refuse to get emotional.
My eyes burn, but I wait until I’m sure tears won’t fall, then loosen my jaw and fire my best shot. “If my mom were alive, she would never allow this.”
My father’s face turns to stone. The light from his eyes fades, as it always does when I mention my mother. “If your mother were alive, she would agree with me.”
“No, she wouldn’t.” My body aches like he’s punched me in the gut. “How dare you? How dare you say that?”
“You want the truth, Bella? Then listen to me. One day, I will die.”
