AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That fucking traitor.
Angelo and Stefan were injured beside me, leaning into each other. Dad was on his side, lifeless.
“Thanks for helping us out.” A hand slapped Paulie’s back. “Welcome to the family, Amato. You won’t regret this.”
Johnny Zabatino.
What the fuck?
That was the last I heard before I lost consciousness.
ChapterTwenty-Nine
NICO
Hours after my family left for the meeting, I sat in the living room with Ava. She bit her fingernails down to the skin, unable to sit still.
“Where are they?” Ava crossed her legs on the couch and turned to look at me. “They’ve been gone for too long.”
I tried calling my family again and got voicemails. “I don’t know, baby. But we’ll find them.”
Something was wrong.
They should have been home by midnight. And as the hours ticked by, I was growing more concerned. Even Paulie wasn’t answering his cell phone.
I lifted Ava into my arms and put her on my lap. She slid her arm across my neck and kissed my lips.
“Are you telling me the truth, Nico?”
“Yes.” I kissed her back. “I don’t know why they’re not answering their phones.”
She sighed. “I have a bad feeling.”
“I’m sure they’re okay,” I lied.
It didn’t take much stress to stir up Ava’s asthma. So I didn’t want to worry her until I had more information.
I continued calling my brothers, father, and Paulie on rotation for another hour before someone knocked on my front door. Holding Ava in my arms, I got up from the couch and set her on the floor. She followed me to the door.
When I swung it open, Paulie Amato stood on the other side. He had blood on his white dress shirt and streaks on his skin. There was a reason we had a private entrance to our penthouses.
“What the fuck happened?” I yanked on his arm and pulled him into the apartment. “Where is my dad? My brothers?”
“The Vitales didn’t show.” Paulie scrubbed a hand across his jaw. “A group of masked men took out your family.”
Ava gasped. “What do you mean they took them out?”
His gaze shifted to Ava. “Dante is on life support. He may never wake from a coma.”
“What?” Ava’s hand flew to her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No. How about the twins?”
“They’re in surgery.”
“No, no, no….” Ava sobbed into her hands and screamed. “No, they’re not allowed to die on me.”
I held back the tears that pricked my eyes. Ava was a wreck and needed me to be her rock, even though I wanted to slump to the couch and cry with her.
“My dad?” I choked out, clearing the lump forming at the back of my throat.
