My expression steel, I ground my molars to rein in my impatience. “D’Angelo can dream of a Rossi sitting next to him.”
“But you agreed—” she began.
“No. you agreed,” I barked, effectively cutting her off.
Her two bodyguards, standing behind her, took a step forward. Remo and Dario did the same. Mother’s gaze shifted from my face to their rigid stances. She held up her hand and her men stepped back. Remo and Dario didn’t.
“I’m going to say this once, Mother, so listen to me very carefully,” I sneered, watching her shrink back in her throne. It was subtle but I noticed, and she knew I noticed. “Alessia will never bear my child. D’Angelo will not dictate what this family does and when I rule, theywillall die.”
“When you rule?” she snorted. “You’ll have to wait a very long time for that. Where is Alessia?” And the queen bitch was back in play. Let’s see for how long.
I ignored her question. Behind me Remo sniggered, I didn’t turn to look at him instead gestured for Rayden to approach me. “Mother, I’d like you to meet Rayden Princeton. Ray, my mother.”
He leaned forward and held out his hand, which she accepted. “Nice to meet you, mam.” He did me proud with that straight face, yet I couldn’t stop the smirk when he stepped away from her.
She looked at Rayden and then me, her frown deepening with each second. “Who is this handsome boy, a new soldier, Lorenzo?” Her gaze travelled the length of his body and I barely kept from ripping out her eyes. “A present for me perhaps.”
“No.” The word hissed out and Rayden shot me a quick look as if he sensed my irritation. “Meet your new son-in-law.”
Confusion marred her brow for just a second. “Is he interested in Evelina?”
“Rayden is my lover, Mother.”
Her brow reached her hairline. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Speechless, she stared from me to Rayden and back, trying to make sense of my words. For just a beat, I thought the woman would keel over from a heart attack. Her jaw dropped, her eyes widened and all around us, sounds of surprised resonated through the room. Both soldiers, family and elders muttering among themselves in quick chants.
I glanced at Rayden to see if he was affected. He merely smiled. Remo stood close to him, and I almost expected my brother to begin a dance of pride, protecting Rayden with the same intensity I would, making my love for my brother unbreakable.
Her disbelief shunted into anger, and she glared at me. “What nonsense is this?” Her red lips twisted in a snarl. “Is this some kind of sick joke you’re throwing in my face because of your dead brother?”
I wasn’t surprised she still chose not to believe me. The woman was vain as they came. Shaking my head, I blew out a slow breath. “For all of you sitting here, that don’t know. My brother.” I gave her a pointed look. It was time his name was mentioned in our house again. “Mateo, was gay and in love with his bodyguard, Fabiano. Both of them—”
“How dare you, Lorenzo!” she screamed, her eyes sharp daggers of filthy glares. Her berating words became inaudible as I blocked her out. “I will have your head for this,” her last words had me shaking my head.
Before she could lift her hand, I leaned closer until only she could hear my words. “I’d sit perfectly still, Mother, because right now there’s a gun trained on you. If you so much as glare at Rayden, they will kill you whether I give them the signal or not.” With each word I uttered, her eyes grew rounder until I was sure they’d pop right out of her sockets. Not that it would a bad thing, if it did. “Youwillstep down today, Mother.” Her head snapped up, her lips pursed in a line so stiff, it would probably slice through paper. “I’ve arranged a little show and tell for you if you don’t believe me.” I watched her throat work several swallows yet the deep frown to her brow indicated doubt still existed. “Take a look at your precious diamond pendant that you wear like a dutiful wife mourning her dead husband, years later.” She dropped her gaze. Zayne’s red dot laser glinted off the jewel. “Remember, that little light isn’t an indication of where the sniper’s bullet will end, so if you think moving will save you. Don’t.”
Gulping, she sank deeper into the seat. Her frigid gaze darted all over before flicking to the open windows, trying to determine Zayne’s perch. I stepped back and surveyed the room. Frank raised a brow at me, before his lips curled into a slow smile telling me he knew but made no move to alert anyone.
My gaze, hard and unrelenting drifted over each man. Some dropped their gazes while others chanced a look at me. “Now, as I was saying. Mateo and Fabiano were not killed in battle as Mother would’ve liked you to believe.” Once more, murmurs floated through the air, quickly dissipating when I cleared my voice. “Mateo took his life after Mother had Fabiano killed, stripped off his skin and fed to the sharks that infest the mainland. If you’d like to judge my brother for his cowardice, understand that love can make you as much as it can break you. And that’s what Fabiano did to Mateo. He made Mateo love life and then took it away on his death, even if it were unintentional. I get that all you people sitting here are hardcore mafioso and loving another man is unheard of in our family circles. But there is nothing demeaning in loving a man.”
I turned to my mother, cocked a brow and waited for her to say something. When she didn’t, I walked around the room and slowly touched each man on his shoulder. They murmured among themselves, but no one flinched or moved, until one idiot opened his mouth after I passed him.
“What is the meaning of this?” he yelled.
All eyes focused on him, no one saw my gun slip into my hand until it went off and the fucker fell forward, his head hitting the wooden table with a hard thump. Rapid Italian sang through the room as the remaining men looked toward my mother for guidance. She said nothing and all eyes shifted back to me.
“Ci sono altre domande?” I asked if they had any more questions. When no one said anything, I waisted my gun and flicked a gaze to Rayden. Hands in his pants pockets, he leaned against a pillar, his face calm like he hadn’t just witnessed a man die. “So,amici, I have just touched every one of you on the shoulder, does anyone feel gay yet. Do you feel gay, Uncle Frank? Has your cock suddenly decided it wants to fuck a man?” My uncle sniggered. “What about you Alfonso,” I addressed one of the other family heads. “Does your cock want to fuck the man sitting next to you?” I moved to the head of the table, next to my mother, taking in the twenty-two men seated around her. “Being gay is not a disease you contract, it’s the choice your heart makes, not your cock, to love another man.” I moved to stand behind my mother’s chair. “Madre ha qualcosa da dire.” I said, telling them my mother had something to say.
She angled her head to look up at me, and the subtle shake of my head was all the confirmation she needed that I would go ahead with my threat.
“Amici, I have decided to step down. My son Lorenzo will take over.”
The room burst into a vibrant uproar of English and Italian. Mother deflated back into her seat, her head in her hand. Dario escorted about thirty of my mother’s soldiers into the room making them line up against the wall. Next, he brought in my soldiers and lined them up against the other wall.
Remo stepped closer. “You fucking did it.”
I glanced over at Rayden. He was on his phone, looking bored. “Did you ever doubt me?”
My brother chuckled. “No. What do you plan on doing with her?”
