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“Mano, Mano, Mano…” Fia chanted, her sobs heart-wrenching. “Oh, God…Mano…I love you, I love you…”
“Fia-”
“Don’t touch me!” she screamed at me manically, causing me to lift my hands in mock surrender, doing whatever necessary to calm her down.
I stood up, not sure what to do next. Mano was dead, Fia was a mess on the floor, Mammi was sobbing uncontrollably on the couch, and Papa was pacing the room,his rage nowhere near spent. The only people that seemed at ease were Nero and his guard, Aurelio. They looked like detached audience members watching a tragic theater production playing out. Mano’s brain matter was literally decorating the room, and they seemed completely unfazed by it all.
When Papa stopped pacing,I watched him pull out his phone. “I need Genaro and Franco in here now,” he barked into the phone.
“No!” Fia cried again. “You are not taking him from me!”
“Shut up!” Papa roared. “Just shut up!”
“I’m not marrying Nero!” she kepton hysterically, and I could feel my stomach threatening to empty with all the surrounding chaos that was threatening our family.
“You will do what I tell you!” Papa spat down at her before turning to look over at Nero.
“I hate you!” Fia yelled again, but Papa was past caring about her anguish.
I stepped back when two of our guards, Genaro and Franco, stepped into the room, taking in the scene before them.While they knew better than to ask any questions, Mano Barone was dead, and the news was going to spread among our guards like wildfire.
“Get him out of here,” Papa hissed. “But save the body.”
“No,” Fia choked out, her arms tightening around Mano’s corpse. “No.”
My hands came up to cover my mouth as I watched Genaroand Franco wrestle Mano’s body away from my sister, Mano’s blood soaking all of her clothes and floor. It was horrifying to see them hauling Mano’s dead body away, and it was sickening to see my sister howling tragically in the pool of his blood. It was so agonizing that my mother got off the couch, then dropped to the floor next to my sister to comfort her. A small part of me wondered if my mother had known about the affair because, while she seemed extremely upset, she didn’t seem surprised.
I dropped myhands as Papa turned to face Nero. “Nero, I assure you that I knew nothing of this,” he said, and it was the first time that I’d ever heard my father on the defensive.
“Luckily for you, I believe you, Renzo,” Nero replied. “However, your innocence regarding this situation doesn’t change the facts of the matter, does it?”
“I understand compensation will be required-”
“Renzo, you and I both know that I have more money than I will ever need,” Nero said, cutting my father off. “The last thing that I need is compensation for your daughter’s betrayal.”
Papa straightened, and no matter what, I couldn’t bring myself to believe that he might actually sacrifice Fia to make thisright. For all her spoiled and self-centered ways, she was still his daughter. She was his youngest, and she was pregnant with his first grandchild. The Milanos were all about family, so that had to mean something positive for Fia.
“Then what is it that you’re suggesting?” Papa asked, his voice hardening.
“You promised me your daughter’s hand inmarriage, Renzo,” Nero reminded him, that folder in his hand flapping a bit. “I have the betrothal agreement right here.”
Papa’s head reared back. “You…you stillwant to marry Fia?” he asked incredulously. “Knowing what she’s done? Knowing that she’s pregnant by another man?”
All the air in my lungs felt sucked out when Nero Sartori said, “Last that I checked, you hadtwodaughters, Renzo.”
Papa started shakinghis head while my entire body began to tremble with dread. I felt like oxygen was my enemy as I couldn’t catch a breath deep enough to make this nightmare go away. There was no way that Nero could mean what I…oh, God.
“No,” Papa finally said. “Kasen isn’t…she isn’t an option.” I let out a shaky breath as Papa did his best to save me, but even I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that he really could.
“You promised me and my father a union with our two families,” Nero repeated. “I have honored our side ofthe agreement, are you telling me that you are refusing to honor yours?”
“Renzo, please…”
My mother’swords were like a kick in the chest. She was more than willing to offer me up in order to save Fia, and that hurt a lot. Even though I knew that she felt closer to Fia than she did me, I was still her daughter, yet that didn’t matter to her right now. I was good enough payment for the devil if he left Fia alone.
I watched as Nero handed my father the envelope. “Though copies, everything is in there. Pictures of Fia and Mano, dating back six months ago. There’s also proof of her pregnancy and the rest of her medical records.”
“How did you get these?” Papa bit out, but Nero just pinned him with a stare.
