AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What I did,” I begin, not turning around to look at Makenna, “is what I truly believed to be the best decision. What you’re doing now, Makenna, is not helping anyone but yourself. How about you take your boss hat off and see this as what it really is. Nothing is a threat against you or your family. This is about a child, a three-year-old child, who was happily spending time with his father before you descended on his house. My son hasn’t gone near Alessio since because there are too many new people he doesn't know.”
“You kept a child from Alessio,” she hisses, completely missing the point of what I have just said. “Alessio is my brother, Gabriella. He’s been through fucking hell, and he’s worked his way out of the depths of Hell to be standing beside us, to be where he is today.”
I nod as I turn to face her. She’s glaring at me, something she’s done since the minute she walked into my house.
“I don’t doubt that. Alessio is an amazing person. He’s a great member of the Famiglia. But he’s not that for me, for Anthony. He’s the father of my child. A child you haven’t even looked at. Why is that?”
“I don’t trust you. How the hell are we meant to trust you? Hmm. How do we even know that Anthony is Alessio’s son?”
I suck in a deep breath. All the anger I’m feeling whirls around me like a fucking tornado. I want to punch her right now. She’s insinuating I’m a whore. Fuck her.
“You want a DNA test? Fine, set it up and we’ll do it.” I throw the cloth I was using onto the counter and barge past her. I’m beyond pissed. How fucking dare she.
“What’s wrong?” Alessio asks as soon as I enter the sitting room. “What’s happened?”
“Well, apparently, I’m a whore who can’t be trusted. Set up the damn DNA test,” I snap. “It’s time for you all to leave. I’m done. Set the test up, and we’ll talk when the results are in.” I walk over to my dad, who’s got Anthony on his knee as he talks to Malcolm. “I’m going to give him a bath. Can you see to it that they leave?”
My dad doesn’t hesitate. He hands my son to me and gets to his feet, his eyes narrowed and filled with rage. This is what I love about him. When I’m hurting, he hurts, and he’s angry right now because I am.
“I’ll come with,” Ray-Ray says. “Malcolm will help your dad.”
She’s making it clear that in this situation, she and Malcolm are on my side. I hate this. There shouldn’t be sides. We should all be working together to help build relationships. Everyone has forgotten that my son is the priority. The Bianchi’s seem to have other things on their mind, and I’m not playing that game.
Call me a whore, fine, but don’t expect me to be polite or allow you to be in my home. I would never walk into someone’s house and disrespect them. That’s fucking bullshit. But somehow, the Bianchi’s think they have the right to do it to me? Hell no. It’s time for them to leave.
Anthony, Raylee, and I go to the bathroom, where I begin to run him a bath.
“Are you okay?” she asks softly.
I shrug. “I’m angry and hurt, but I’m okay. I always am.”
She nods. “Yeah, you are. Once we have Anthony bathed, Mal and I are going to go home. I want to call the kids before they go to sleep. But we’ll be back tomorrow. Please don’t worry, Gabs. Everything is going to be okay.”
I wish I had her optimism. I don’t think it will be. Everything seems to have imploded, and I’m unsure if there’s a way out.
Chapter 18
Alessio
Igrit my teeth as I watch Gabriella take my son out of the room. She doesn’t look back. I’m beyond fucking pissed right now.
“Joe,” I say, barely able to keep my composure. I’m about ready to blow. “I’ll be back in an hour or so.” First, I have the matter of my family to deal with. What happened today was unbelievable, and what Makenna said to Gabriella was out of line.
“Sure,” the man says as he glares at my brother and sister-in-law. “You come back, make sure you’re alone.”
The threat is clear. He’s making a stand, letting us know he’ll not tolerate what happened here today to transpire again. I don’t blame him. The shit that went down was unacceptable.
“It’ll just be me,” I assure him, and stalk out of the house. I don’t wait for my brothers to follow. They have no choice.
I climb into the car and start the engine. Before I’m able to drive out of the driveway, Romero slides into the passenger's seat.
“Now ain’t the time,” I snarl.
He doesn’t say anything, just pulls on his seatbelt. He’s silent as I back out of Gabriella’s drive. His wife climbs into the car with Dante and Makenna, no doubt Romero keeping her away from me while I’m in this state of anger.
“That was fucked up,” he says after a while. “Makenna should have never said anything to Gabriella, but, Ales, you had to have known they wouldn’t be happy. You left Hayden’s house like a rocket and didn’t explain anything to them.”
“I needed a fucking explanation, Rome. Me. Not them. Fuck!” I snap as I slam my hand against the steering wheel. “Do you even understand what has just happened?”
