AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re alive? Thank goodness,” she says on the other end. “Antonio is coming to get you, Cecilia. Okay? Just stay put. He’ll make sure you’re fine.”
“Mom, Salvatore’s men already found us. How did that happen?”
“I’m not sure. But just stay where you are. Antonio will come save you.”
I grip the phone tighter. “And what about Theo? Will he be safe?”
Mom doesn’t answer right away. “I’m not sure,” she finally says. “Antonio was so angry when he found out what Theo did. Killing Salvatore was a bad idea. Just get home safe, okay?”
The front door bangs open, making me scream. Theo rushes to my side, his gun already pointed at the bedroom doorway.
And in walks Antonio, not looking happy one bit.
CHAPTER 17
Cecilia
Antonio is alone, which somehow makes me even more nervous. I hang up the phone, even though Mom is still trying to talk to me.
Theo steps in front of me. He lowers his gun but doesn’t put it away fully. Antonio’s eyes flick to it, but he doesn’t comment on it.
“So,” he says, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. “What have you two done?”
“I couldn’t marry Salvatore,” I tell him. “You know that. I told you repeatedly, and you didn’t listen. So, Theo saved me. Please don’t be angry.”
“Oh, I’m not angry,” Antonio says.
“You’re not?”
“No. Angry isn’t a good enough word to describe how I’m feeling. I’m fucking livid,” he growls. “Not only did you disobey me, Cecilia, but you ran off with Theo after he fucking killed Salvatore. Did you not think what this would do to our family?”
“Of course, I thought about our family,” I say, stepping around Theo. He grabs my arm, but I shake him off as I face Antonio down. “Of course, I did. You make it sound like what I did was selfish.”
“It was selfish!” Antonio shouts. “It was so fucking selfish.”
“No!” I point at him. “What was selfish was you making me marry a man I did not want to marry all so you could impress your men. You tried forcing me into a marriage for your own whims. How is that not selfish?”
“Because I did it to save you!”
I scoff. “How? How did you save me? You sent me off to be raped every day! Because that’s what would have happened if Theo hadn’t killed Salvatore. And I know you know it, so don’t try to deny it, Antonio.”
“I arranged your marriage with Salvatore because it benefited our family. It put me in better standing so I could make sure no one ever hurt you or anyone else in our family ever again. Not after what Franco did.”
I’m shaking my head before Antonio’s even finished. “No. No, you married me to Salvatore for your own gain. If you’d tried harder, you could have found someone nicer and younger for me to marry who would have offered you the power you were looking for, and you know it. Try to deny it, Antonio, but you still blame me for not reaching out when you were in hiding.”
“I never blamed you,” he growled.
“No?”
“No!” He pauses, breathing heavily. “No, I … Fine. Yes, I had some resentment. I didn’t want you reaching out because I didn’t want Franco to hurt you. But did I wish you would have? Yes. For me. Yes, I wished it. You were my best friend, and I missed you.”
“And you were my best friend,” I say, all the fight suddenly leaving me. “You know that, Antonio. It was always us against the world. How could you do this to me?”
“Because I wanted the power Salvatore could bring me,” he says, no longer shouting. “And maybe you’re right. I didn’t thinkabout what you wanted. But our family has always been about doing our duty. You were supposed to do your duty.”
“No,” I say softly. “Our family never should have been made to feel like we have a duty to anyone else but our own selves. Emilia should have never had to leave when she was only eighteen to marry Marco without ever seeing him. Yes, it worked out for them in the end, but it never should have happened. Gemma fell in love with Viktor and almost wasn’t allowed to be with him because he was the enemy, but Marco was able to overlook that. So was Franco. Francesca was forced to marry Leo because he put her in a comprising position. Yes, they fell in love, but it was wrong to force her.
“You,” I continue, “married Nina only for political gain.”
