My father rises, pointing a finger at my brother. “Too fucking bad. I’m the Don here. You’ve just ruined everything. First with that whisky stunt?—”
“It got us the key. That warehouse is their largest?—”
I don’t know the details, but I’ve heard enough to realize that somehow, during the delivery of the whisky or perhaps the commotion of the poisoning, someone took Alessandro’s key. Had Enrico paid someone on the house staff or had he snuck someone in?
“You are not in charge.” My father moves toward Enrico, pushing him against the wall. Enrico’s eyes flare with violence, and I wonder if he’s about to usurp my father. “We had a plan.”
“Mine is better. Why let Dante recover? Why sully Isabella? We need to strike… ”
“You fucking idiot. How many times have I told you to never underestimate a Dante?” My father gives him a look of disgust before releasing my brother and turning to me. “What did he say to you?”
“He told me to get out, and he had me dropped off. He thinks I was helping you.”
“You would have had your brother not royally fucked things up?—”
“She’d never help us.” Enrico looks at me with the same disdain my father just showed him. “She’s in love with him. She’s a Dante now. For all we know, this is some play between the two of them for her to get information from us.”
My father appears to consider that.
“Don Dante would never use a woman to do a man’s job,” I say. Dante men are too protective of their women to use one in their dirty work. “Only you’d do that.” I glare at Enrico.
Enrico’s hand lands on my face, the sting of it bringing tears to my eyes. “You don’t talk to me like that.” He grabs me, pushing me against the wall. “Dantes don’t hurt women either, apparently, but I have no such problem.” He pulls back his fist, and all I can think of is my baby.
I cover my stomach. “Don’t. I’m pregnant.”
Enrico’s hand stops mid-flight. “What?”
“Enrico, let her go. Fucking hell. The two of you are utter disappointments.”
Enrico turns to my father while keeping me pinned to the wall. “Did you hear what she said? She’s carrying Dante’s heir.”
My father’s eyes light up, but I know it’s not at becoming a grandfather. "A Dante heir. Isabella, this is perfect!"
"Perfect? My husband just threw me away. There's nothing perfect about this."
Enrico laughs. "Don't you see? This changes everything. Alessandro's blood in a Vitale vessel."
Vessel?“I’m a person. This is a child.Mychild.”
"Our leverage," Enrico continues as if I haven't spoken. "Father, imagine it. The Dantes won't harm the mother of his heir. And if something were to happen to him?—"
"The child would be next in line," Father finishes, a slow smile spreading across his face.
Horror floods me. "You're talking about murdering my husband and using my baby to take over the family." Adriano would never allow it. None of Alessandro’s men would.
"I'm talking about taking what's rightfully ours," Enrico snaps. “If the Bratva hadn’t failed, Dante territory and business would be mine?—”
“Ours,” My father growls.
Enrico nods in respect, but I see what’s happening now. Enrico is tired of being held back. He’s ready to lead, to be the Don of not just the Vitale family, but of the Dante family.
“You want this war,” I say to Enrico.
He laughs. “There’s no way this doesn’t end in war, Isabella. You’re smart enough to know that.”
“But, perhaps we just need to get rid of Alessandro. Isabella’s child is the heir.” My father’s face shows triumph as he imagines taking the Dante business.
Neither seem to consider that I might have a girl. "I won’t let you use my child in your sick games.” I know I’ll pay for those words, but I’m no longer the obedient Isabella. I have a child to protect. "This child is mine and Alessandro's. Not yours.”
