“Sit,” he says finally, pointing to the bed beside him.
I scoff and step back, determined to put some distance between us. But before I can move further, his hand shoots out, grabbing mine. With a sudden pull, he yanks me down so hard my butt slams into the mattress. The force of it stuns me for a moment, wiping my anger away for a second. But as soon as I regain my senses, I try to push myself up. His grip tightens around my wrist and he applies just enough pressure to make me stop, forcing me to sit back down.
He sends me a glare. “Don’t test me, Lucia. Sit.”
I yank my hand free from his iron grip with considerable effort, but I don’t make another move to leave.
“The doctors say that Don Fernando has only a few months left,” he says. “If Carlo hasn’t yet declared open war on his enemies, it’s solely out of respect for his father. The moment Don Fernando dies and Carlo officially becomes the new capo, everything will change. He’ll eliminate Carmen, Giuseppe, and probably even Brando, clearing the path for himself. And then he’ll come for you to secure his rightful heir. Have you thought about that? Have you considered what he’ll do to you when he finds out your secret? I’m saving your life, you idiot. I’m protecting you from unspeakable torture, from pain you can’t even imagine. What part of this is so terrifying that you keep resisting?”
“Don’t act like you’re my savior. You’re only doing this to humiliate Carlo.”
He shrugs nonchalantly. “I won’t deny it. But so what? Two birds, one stone. As far as you’re concerned, this works in your favor.”
“But staying alive isn’t my biggest worry.”
He frowns. “What do you mean?”
“What if my father takes out the humiliation on Fabiano? He knows I’d die for my brother, and he already despises Fabi because he refuses to join the mafia.”
“I doubt it. Once we’re gone, they’ll have bigger problems to worry about. The smallest misstep on their part will cost them dearly.”
I don’t know Tony well, but I don’t think he’s the lying type.
“Don’t worry about your brother,” he adds. “I’ll make sure nothing happens to him. Now, can you stop overthinking, get your ass moving, and come with me?”
I let out a frustrated breath and stubbornly shake my head. “I can’t do this to Carlo. I can’t drag him through the mud like this. He’s been nothing but good to me.”
Tony tilts his head slightly, his gaze dripping with mockery. His voice is thick with disdain. “He hasn’t been good to you. He’s just ignored you. He couldn’t care less if you’re alive or dead. Just like he didn’t care about his two previous wives, even when Carmen got rid of them. And you know why he kept quiet? So no one would say his father is a weak capo who can’t even control his own wife.”
He goes quiet for a moment. “And now, if he’s keeping his hands off you, it’s not because of some noble decency. He’s replaced you with a thousand mistresses, locked you up in that house, and doesn’t give a fuck that you’re a young woman with needs. Once he takes care of Carmen, he’ll come for you to produce an heir. That’s when you’ll see the real Carlo, and trust me, you won’t like it.”
I can’t process his words. Carmen killed Carlo’s previous wives? So that’s why he warned me to stay away from her? It doesn’t make sense.
“Why would Carmen kill Carlo’s wives?” I ask.
“In her deluded mind, she thought stopping Carlo from having a son would weaken his position. That dumb woman and her brother think they can put Brando on the throne instead of Carlo. But that’s never going to happen. As much as it pains me to admit, even God himself couldn’t stop Carlo from taking power. All they’ve done is sign their own death warrants with this stunt.”
It feels like the final veil has been lifted. Against Tony’s wishes, I find myself respecting Carlo even more.
“So, in a way, Carlo’s distance from me saved my life.”
Frustration radiates off him as he suddenly jumps off the bed. He paces the room, his hand repeatedly dragging through his hair again and again in a visible attempt to rein in his temper. After a few tense minutes, he stops and turns back to face me.
“I’m giving you one week to come to your senses and make your decision. If you want to take your chances with your precious husband, I won’t stop you. But I’ll be damned if I let you go with my child still inside you. Either you come with me, or I’ll bring in a doctor to take care of it. If this baby dies before it’s born, it’ll be my decision, not Carlo’s.”
I never thought he’d actually give me a choice. Then again, it might just be another one of his twisted games. He stares at me a moment longer, then strides to the bed, picks up the pregnancy test, slips it into his pocket, and walks out as calmly as he came in.
Neither of us saw what happened next. There was no “next week.” My grandmother didn’t live to see the morning. She passed away peacefully in her sleep from a heart attack.
A week later, I found a note on my desk. Just three words: “Wait for me.”
That was all. No name. No signature. But I knew exactly who it was from—the father of the child growing inside me. Weeks passed without any word from him. Then, out of the blue, he showed up at the estate for my birthday celebration.
And he wasn’t alone. He brought his American girlfriend with him. Emily.
TWELVE
Lucia
