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“Define betrayal. Did you betray your dear friend Angelo when you fucked his wife? Was it betrayal when you ordered the hit on Felipe’s business because you felt his nightclub was bad for the casino? Or would you call it betrayal when you had illegal drugs planted in Colvin’s son’s car the night he was arrested? That kid’s still doing time for that, right? But it kept his father in check, and that’s what you wanted.”
Colvin’s jaw clenches, hands turn into fists at his sides, but he remains still and quiet.
“We all know a desperate man will spout any lies he can.”
“You sound pretty desperate right now, father. Wait a minute. Father? No, that doesn’t sound right. I suppose a wife knows what betrayal is also. All those times you were fucking around, I bet you’d never guess my mother did, too. Your blood doesn’t even run through my veins.”
This gets a reaction out of him. His nostrils flare in anger, mouth snarls.
“That’s not true!”
“You have no heir. In fact, youcan’thave any heirs. You’re sterile.”
That blow gets some murmurs throughout the other families. It’s one hundred percent true, though.
“You lying son of a bitch,” he mutters.
“That bitch you’re referencing? She owned you. Every damn thing you had was in her name. Now it belongs to me. All those shares I won in the poker game are mine. You need to check the authenticity of the documents you review.”
“Fucking liar!” he screams in outrage.
“These men you made cower to you? They’re with me. Except for that piece of shit to your right. He gave up his own daughter to earn your favor.”
Stefano looks around, disbelief clear on his face. Yes, he figured out I was coming for the throne. Yes, Riccardo turned on me. But I never put my bet on him. Riccardo was always a coward. And I’ve just played my hand. It’s a fucking whopper.
“Turns out, loyalty trumps fear.”
Colvin wasn’t the only ally I established. The men standing beside my father step away from him, joining me. I hold out my hand, and one of the men places a 9 millimeter in it. Any other time, Stefano would’ve had their guns checked at the door. His intention was to kill me. To have them back him up. Not tonight.
“Thanks for the gift.”
I put three bullets right through his chest.
39
Milana
“Salvatore, listen,” my father begins. “I was only looking out for my family. Your plan was too dangerous.”
“As opposed to what you’ve done?”
“WhatI’vedone? Did you tell her the truth? Did you tell her you knew all along you would be winning her for Stefano?”
I look at Salvatore in horror. He knew? He fucking knew?
“Oh, so, that’s the truth? That I’m the one who sacrificed her? You told me when it was too late. You were willing to sacrifice your own daughter! And for what? A seat at the table? You already had that!”
“Why? Why,Padre?” I ask, approaching him. “I came home for you. I’ve always done everything you’ve asked of me. Why did you do this to me? To our family?”
“You have no idea what Stefano is capable of! Whathe’scapable of!” he argues, referring to Salvatore. “Men, you know how ruthless he is! The things he’s done!”
“It’s why we stood with Salvatore,” Colvin says. “It was time for change. I thought you understood that, Riccardo. Stefano was taking everything from us, bleeding us fucking dry. He knew no boundaries. Respected no one. It had to stop.”
“I did! I do!” my father pleads.
“But you did nothing except use me,” I accuse. He knew all along when he asked me to come home that he was planning to marry me off to Stefano.
“We were in debt,tesoro. We were going to lose everything. The house. The business. All of it!”
