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After the whole thing with chopping off Malcolm’s thumbs, I advised him to complain about my father’s ethics. Downplay the amount owed as a minimum bet. Make it look like Stefano Moretti didn’t have mercy or compassion for fellow family.
He did that. Gained the sympathy of the other families. Suggested change. Invoked fear that Stefano won’t stop with his son. That he’s too greedy and power hungry.
Now, I want him to do more. No, Ineedhim to do more. Call it a test of his loyalty if you want. Spreading rumors doesn’t prove anything. He has to be willing to get his hands dirty. If he can’t do that, he can’t be an ally of mine.
“You want me to start a damn war, Salvatore. That’s what you’re asking me to do.”
“I’m starting the war. You’re simply choosing sides.”
He shakes his head, glancing at the trunk of the car. The man inside is far from innocent. He’s the head of the Colombo family and one of Stefano’s closest allies. On the rare occasion Stefano doesn’t want to get his hands dirty, he goes to Angelo Colombo. He’s damn near as big a threat.
“I can’t. I won’t! You’re trying to get us all killed!Fottiti!”
“Screw me? You really think Stefano will stop with your son’s thumbs? He’s already indebted to us again!”
Panicking, he reaches for his phone. I lunge to stop him before he can make a call. There’s no way in hell this man is ruining my fucking plans. What I’ve worked for.
His phone falls to the pavement, the screen shattering. I keep my arm wrapped tightly around his neck, slowly lowering him to the ground as I choke him. He kicks and struggles, doing his best to get free, but it’s not happening.
I wait until he stops fighting, stops breathing before I let go. This wasn’t the plan. He was supposed to kill Angelo to prove his loyalty to me, then go back to his gossiping, tell everyone Stefano ordered the hit. See wheretheirloyalty really lay. See if they were ready to make a move against Stefano. See if they were ready for change…with me.
Oh fucking well. Best laid plans don’t always work out. I get the keys and open the trunk. Angelo looks relieved to see me until I aim my gun at him. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. I pull the trigger.
35
Milana
Iclose my book, knowing sleep isn’t coming. It’s the middle of the night, and I’m not even tired. My mind keeps going back to what happened.
The elevator.
The wedding announcement.
How did I get myself into this? By trusting my father, that’s how. There was a time I truly believed he had my best interest at heart. The times he would blow off a meeting to come to my dance recital. Or when he gave me his blessing to leave home and go to school. But now? Now, I believe he’s just as selfish as Stefano.
But this will all be over Sunday. I’m not marrying Stefano. He’s promised that I have tomorrow night to myself. The whole bad luck to see the bride before the wedding tradition and I’m using it to my advantage. One last dress fitting. I’ll make my escape then.
I climb out of bed, figuring I can grab myself a late-night snack and find a movie to watch to help pass the time and calm my nerves. I’m at the foot of the bed when I stub my toe, letting out a mumbled curse. Toe throbbing, I find the culprit as a loose floorboard. I’m damn lucky I haven’t tripped on it before.
Bending down, I try to push the board back into place, but it doesn’t budge. I don’t notice any other loose boards. Instead of pushing down, I try pulling it up. It takes a few minutes, but I eventually wrestle it up. I look down. Stashed inside is what looks to be an old treasure box. I remember Salvatore’s mom having this box. We would sit around debating what she kept inside. Jewelry. Money.
Reaching in, I ease the dusty box out and open it, finding some papers inside. No jewelry. No money. No hidden treasure.
There are deeds and stocks, all belonging to Salvatore’s mother. I assume they belong to him or Stefano now. Depends on what her last will and testament stipulated, if she had one. If she left all of this to Salvatore, he’s a very wealthy man. Possibly even more so than Stefano.
Paternity.
I read over the document, shocked to find out the truth about the man I’ve fallen for. He’s not a Moretti. Never was. I wonder if he knows. If his mother ever told him. Surely if she did, he wouldn’t be so loyal to Stefano. Would he?
And it isn’t possible Stefano knows. He wouldn’t have raised Salvatore as his own. Wouldn’t have brought him into the family business the way he has. No. He would’ve rejected him. I don’t have a doubt about that.
I continue sorting through the documents. A certificate of death for Salvatore’s biological father. Sad, he probably never met the man.
Then, I come across Victoria Moretti’s last will and testament, dated only two days before she died.
I suppose there was hidden treasure in this box after all. I just have to decide what I’ll do with it. Make my escape or expose her secrets and destroy the Moretti family?
36
