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I hurry upstairs to find Emilia and Mom in Mom’s room. “I know where Antonio is.”
Both their heads whip around to look at me. “Where?” Emilia asks.
“Well … I don’t have the exact location, but I heard Franco say he was down by the docks. He escaped. He’s on the run. We have to find him now.”
“That’s not a lead,” Mom says. “We’d just be running around in circles.”
“Do you want to find Antonio or not?” I snap, making her jerk back.
“Of course, I do,” she says in a quieter voice.
“Good. Then stop making me feel horrible about myself. You always have. I’m trying to help. I’m the one who heard Franco talking. That was because of me. If you don’t want my help, fine. But I’m going to help find my brother, even if you’ve made me feel like I don’t belong. Antonio deserves help, and so do you, Mom. Despite how you’ve treated me. So, are we going or not?”
Emilia smiles at me, pride on her face while Mom looks withdrawn.
“I’m going,” Emilia states as she stands up, joining me at my side. “How about you, Mom?”
“I can’t leave the kids alone with Franco, but I want to go. Someone needs to stay.” She turns to me. “Francesca, can’t you? Emilia and I can handle this.”
Emilia wraps her arm around me. “No. Francesca needs to help us. She’s good at this, Mom. I’ll call Gemma and have her and Viktor come over. They can more than handle Franco. Francesca is a part of this family, and it’s time you started treating her as such.”
Mom looks between Emilia and me for a moment before sighing and nodding. “Fine. All right. Let’s go.”
Emilia takes a moment to call Gemma and have her come over to keep an eye on our younger siblings.
That’s how I find myself heading downstairs with my older sister and mother, ready to go out and find my brother. Even if Franco tries stopping us. Even if Antonio will be hard to find.
I tried pulling away from this family because I felt like I never belonged. I still don’t, honestly. But my brother needs us, and I’m willing to help because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t be a coward forever. I need to stand up for myself and the people in my life.
The sad part is, it was Leo who inspired this change in me.
Now, I might never see him again, and I don’t know how to feel about it.
CHAPTER18
Francesca
Franco intercepts us as we’re making our way to the front door. “Where do you think you girls are going?”
“Girls?” Emilia huffs, shaking her head. Mom places a hand on her arm, stopping her from getting into a fight with Franco.
“We’re off to find Antonio,” Mom tells him. “You can’t stop us.”
“I can, and I will.” He steps in front of the door, his much larger stature meant to intimidate us. “You three are to remain here. I’m in charge. Not Antonio. He’s not going to take what’s mine.”
“You took it from him in the first place,” Emilia snaps back. “Antonio is the rightful heir to the family business, not you.”
Franco smirks. “It’s cute you think that.”
Pure, unadulterated rage crosses Emilia’s face, and she does something I never knew anyone had the guts to do.
She slaps Franco across the face.
Mom steps back with a gasp. My mouth is dropped open. Franco is so stunned he freezes for a moment. It’s long enough for Emilia to push past him, head outside, and lumber toward the car, but not before telling Franco, “Now you know what it feels like.” I follow her, but Mom remains back.
Franco grabs Mom’s arm. “You’re not going anywhere. You tell your daughters to get back in here now.”
Mom struggles to pull away, her eyes searching frantically for an escape. Emilia is at the car. It would be so easy for me to join her, seek protection by my sister’s side.
