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"This is why you'll never lead. You're too soft, a slight like this needs to be punished." Babbo snarls at Christine before turning back to me.
He shakes his head while he gazes upon me, "Get rid of it."
"Excuse me!" Stella gasps.
"You don't speak! You're a dead woman. The dead don't speak." Babbo continues his verbal assault on me, "That child is an insult to my existence and I won't have it soiling everything I've worked for."
Xander gasps and takes a step forward, "Babbo, you can't be serious. It's only a baby. What could it have done so early in life to offend you."
"It's breathing." Babbo snaps and I take a step forward while the rest of my family takes a step closer.
Never before have any of us ever stood against my father, this may be the first time that we are all on the same page about him being in the wrong. It feels good to know they have my back.
"He also has you're blood coursing through his veins. As much as you don't want to admit it, Chance is a Bianucci. He's my son. You're telling me you want someone to spill your blood? Have you forgotten your own oath? No one kills a Bianucci without instant and severe consequences." I remind my father and his eyes open wide.
"If you're willing to kill a member of the family, what's that say for the rest of us? What's that say for you?" I stare at my father and realize the second he catches my drift.
Over the years my father has done more than his share of fucked up things to all of us. He's kept all of us under his thumb with the security that we'd always be protected, that his reign was complete. If he's willing to break his own rule there's no keeping us locked down. I'd bet all the money I had that at least three of us wouldn't hesitate to take him out.
"Ah, and just when I thought you hadn't been paying attention. You're right son. The child is of my bloodline and I will not have it fertilize the earth before it's time." Babbo places a hand on his chin and scratches at his scruff. "That said I can't just let something like this go. You took it upon yourself to go against my will and you need to prove to your family and to me that you still know your place."
"Another test?" I question. It's my father's go-to response for everything that can't be solved with a bullet to the head.
"Of course, you seem to think you know best, I'm sure you'll have no problems completing a simple task."
My eyes dart from Babbo to Christine. She only looked back, no hint on her face.
"Stella and Chance, I want them safe."
"I can guarantee the child's safety, but the woman..." Babbo shakes his head and smirks at me. "She's no concern of mine. If someone were to kill her while you were away that'd be of no consequence to me. She's stayed alive all this time, running from who I thought was one of the best contract killers around." He says as he raises a pointed eyebrow in my direction. I would never be able to explain to him that somewhere deep inside I knew that I couldn't hurt Stella. That even when I accepted the job he put in front of me she was already mine.
"I'll be fine," Stella speaks out from behind me and I tense at the uncertainty in her voice. It's my job to make sure that she's safe. That both of them are safe and now I'm going to have to leave both of them to their own devices in order to prove to my father that I deserve to be with my woman and child.
"What do you want me to do?"
Babbo leans his head back and rubs his hands together. "I want you to get me my throne."
"Father, you can't be serious. That's not possible." My younger brother Diego speaks up.
I already know what Babbo is talking about before there is any explanation. The Isley family has had a treaty with us for as long as I can remember but my father was always looking for a way to one-up them. He was envious of Victor Isley. The Isley's are the children of oil tycoons and their wealth far supersedes ours.
Victor Isley is known for sitting on a throne, one that my father wanted. It had always been a bit ostentatious for my tastes but it was what my father wanted. A prize he could never have without breaking the treaty.
"It'll be a war," I respond hoping to get him to see reason.
"No, it won't because no one will know. You will take out every last member of the Isley family and if you're caught I will deny any involvement. Thanksgiving is coming up and I know for a fact that the entire family will be there along with more than a handful of well-trained guards. If you survive, I guess I could overlook your..." He shoots a disgusted glance at Chance, "issue."
There's no way. Even I'm not dumb enough to go up against an entire army on my own.
"You think if I take out the family, everyone else is just going to let this slide? They're still going to come after us." I say one last time trying to get him to see reason.
"After we take out the Isley's who else is left that could stand against us. We'd be at the top, if the Isley's can be taken down so can any other family." My father shrugs as if he couldn't see anything wrong with the crazy plan he just put into play.
I'm worried. Time and time again my father has been getting more erratic with what he wants us to do. What he's asking me to do right now is nothing short of a suicide mission. The only thing I have going for me right now is my undying obsession to keep Stella in my life. I'd run through the fire for that woman and for the life of me I don't even know if she wants to be with me.
We've said several things in the heat of the moment but she could run away at any moment. How would I keep tabs on her while I was off trying to massacre an entire family?
"I'll need some time."
