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“No—”
“You didn’t do it intentionally, they never suspected Waverly was my daughter even though she hung out with you. They only put it together when they saw Knox on the cameras sneaking into your house. They had planned to sell you on the app in the hopes Knox would come to me for help. The only way I could think of to throw them off the scent was to demand your hand in marriage. Percy was outraged but he couldn’t refuse the Don, they still thought I didn’t know about their side business. They had planned to use my own children against me and force me to stand down so Canada could become the capital for the skin trade. I had only planned to marry you to protect my children.”
I see the truth in his eyes and hear it in his words but something still isn’t adding up. “What else happened that night?”
He scrubs a hand down his face and shakes his head as if disgusted. “I will spare you all the gory details but Percy agreed, you hated the idea and I asked to speak to you alone in the living room. You wouldn’t listen to me at first, claiming you would kill me when I told you I was Knox’s father but then I begged you to help me save my children and you agreed. The problem was, you then told me you were pregnant with my grandchild.” Tears cloud my vision as he speaks about the baby I lost. “I didn’t know Percy and Gio were listening. Percy lost his shit and struck you. I tried to get to you but Gio held me back. I fought my brother to get to you, I told Percy I didn’t care that you were pregnant, that I would marry you now and take you with child but he already knew who the father of the child was and he and Gio could never allow another Da Luca heir to live.”
Tears roll down my cheeks. “How did I end up in a car?” I choke out.
“Xander burst through the door.” My blood turns to ice as the vision of him comes flashing through my mind, I’ll make sure he knows what you did tonight, you took the love of my life from me. “I held Gio back while he got Percy off you, he told you to run and that Waverly was in the car waiting for you. One of Percy’s guards managed to knock Xander out and then held me at gunpoint while Percy and Gio went after you. I wrestled with the guard giving Xander a chance to go after you girls in the hopes he could stop them but… it was too late.”
“Xander was there,” I breathe out in shock.
“Yes, he saved you.”
“I… I think I was going to Knox, to tell him what had happened.” I try harder to remember that night but I can’t.
“The bridge where the accident took place is only a couple miles from where Knox lived, I believe you were trying to warn my son but Percy and Gio… stopped you.”
“Percy told everyone I was drunk that night and fed me pills to keep my memories of Knox hidden.” Roberto's face darkens as his anger spikes.
“Your father is a cunt.” I snort and quickly cover my mouth. “He wanted Knox to hate you. Gio and Percy both knew I was coming after them that night for what they did. Percy hid out in public places so I could never get to him. Gio went underground with the help of that Irish scum until the night Knox showed up, it was pure coincidence. They were both there to kill me but Knox being my son meant he had the stronger claim to the family. As long as you couldn’t remember anything about that night, Percy knew no matter how much Knox hated you for what happened he would never go after you because he loved you, you were your father’s shield.”
“He wanted me to marry Gio,” I mutter.
“Gio grew too greedy, he hated that the other heads of the families recognized Knox as the Canadian leader and chose him to sit at the head of the table. He knew marrying you would start a war with Knox. I’m sorry to tell you this, Lakeland, but you have just been a pawn in a very fatal game. None of this has been about you really, it’s all been about my family and I am so sorry you were caught in the crossfire. I made a persona, Christiano, so that I could try to bring them down from the shadows so none of you kids would get hurt but I failed. You’re all in this now and I don’t think I can stop it.”
Numb, that’s how I feel right now after learning all of this. I need to remember. I need to know everything.
“I need you to take me back to that bridge, I need to go back to the beginning.”
Knox
I’ve been sitting in my car for the last forty minutes, staring at the safety deposit box in the passenger seat like it’s going to grow a head and attack me. I should open it and find out what the fuck is inside of it but I… can’t. I have the key in the palm of my hand, all I need to do is open the lock and that is it, but why can’t I fucking move? When the back doors of my car open, I draw my gun and aim it only to sigh and shove it back in my waistband at the sight of Taylan and Xander climbing in.
“What are you two doing here?” I say dejectedly.
“We knew you would come here and we also knew you wouldn’t be able to open it, so we came to tell you that you can and you should because I want to get the fuck out of this town and go kill some fuckers.” Taylan’s right, I need to stop being a pussy and man the fuck up.
“No matter how angry we get, no matter what happens, swear on our lives right now that we will always talk shit out. We will never abandon each other or leave anyone behind.” Taylan and I both stare at Xander, he looks worried and slightly pained.
“What the fuck?”
“You good?” Tay and I say at the same time. Xander sighs and nods.
“Just promise me you will always be there, no matter what. No matter how bad we fuck up we will always have each other’s back.” The pained expression on his face has me on edge.
“I swear.”
“Always brother.” Tay and I say, Xan releases a whoosh of air and nods, looking slightly relaxed. I reach for the box and insert the key. The moment the lock clicks open I get anxious. Flipping the lid back I find a letter, so I flick the interior light on and begin to read the fucking thing out loud.
Knoxville,
I had planned to leave all the proof you needed inside here but then your little traitor of a hacker managed to alert Gio that there was a safety deposit box under your name. I had no choice, I’m in town but so are Gio and Percy. Karl will not intervene but he will ally himself with them, he has offered his men at a price so that the families may never come after him. You need help. Make a call to your friends in Miami so they can stow his hand and pull his men back.
You hate me and I understand that but I also cannot let you die at the hands of my brother. Xander knows I’m innocent, ask your friend, he knows the truth about that night.
I drop the letter and turn back to Xander, my face is pinched in confusion. One look at me and my best friend's face morphs into one of guilt. “What the fuck happened that night?” I say in a tone deathly calm but filled with venom. Taylan looks between the both of us. I can read Xander and Taylan like the back of my hand, I know without a doubt that Xander is fucking hiding something from me and it’s something fucking big! He darts his gaze between me and Taylan, looking pained. My heart begins to beat faster, knowing that whatever he is hiding is something so fucking huge it could destroy us, ruin us even.
