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Cecilia
No. I can’t let this happen. Not Elle. Not that family. As I looked wide-eyed and pale-faced at my eldest daughter and the pure terror in her eyes, I knew what I had to do. I was willing to do it for Gio if it came to that and I was willing to do it for Elle. I knew what would happen once she was handed over to that vulture. She would be treated like an object, used for Francesco’s entertainment, and that wannabe Boss next to him wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it. He was just a boy himself.
“Then we have a deal,” Francesco smirked, licking his lips as his eyes roamed Elenora’s body and she gulped.
“My sister is going nowhere with you,” Giovanni growled, glaring at Francesco.
From my position kneeling on the floor next to Sal, I looked up at his expressionless face. He could stop this. He was the only one who could stop this from happening without bloodshed. He had all the power and he knew it. Yet, he was doing nothing. Because he gained nothing.
My heart plummeted in my chest and my lips trembled with the intense emotions of guilt and betrayal towards Vinny at what I was about to do.
“No. Stop.” I shouted, causing everyone to pause. My eyes were locked on Sal’s face as he turned his distinguished features towards me. Holding his gaze, his eyes sparkled with curiosity and hope as he realised what I was thinking; what I was about to say.
Leaning up to his ear, I whispered, “Smettila e io sarò tuo. (Stop this and I will be yours.)”
My voice wobbled on the last word and as I moved back from his ear, the look in his eyes was a mix of disbelief and joy. I nodded slowly as a small smile curled at the corners of his mouth and he reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze.
“Non c'è ritorno da questo. Sei sicuro? (There is no going back from this. Are you sure?)” He grumbled under his breath but everyone in the room heard him and were watching us both intensely, unaware of what had just been promised.
“Si,” I said with conviction. I had made up my mind. My happiness was a small price to pay for my children.
The widest grin spread across Sal’s face and for a moment, I was transported back to the night I first met him. A handsome young man who had the world at his feet.
Abruptly, he stood up and ran his hand through his silvery hair. He walked over to the mini bar and poured two glasses of brandy. No one spoke or moved, they just watched him intensely. The atmosphere in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Strolling back over to the group of us, he stopped in front of Francesco and offered him one of the glasses.
Francesco gave Giovanni an evil, triumphant smirk as he took the glass from Sal and both men raised their tumblers in the air.
“To our alliance,” Francesco stated before bringing the glass to his thin lips.
“No.” Sal said calmly but with clear venom laced through his tone. Francesco paused, his bushy eyebrows tightening in confusion. “To your death.”
In a flash, Sal had whipped out his gun from under his suit jacket and shot Francesco between the eyes.
I fell from my knees to the floor in shock as the girls screamed and Max and Gio jumped up pointing their guns at Enzo who had turned as white as a sheet and cowered away from his dead papi’s body slumped next to him on the sofa.
Silence took hold of the room once more as every one’s eyes bulged at Sal, who lowered his gun and placed it back in his gun harness under his suit jacket. He rubbed his jaw as he turned his attention to the young, shaken boy next to him.
“Congratulations are in order. Enzo Aiani. New Boss,” Sal smirked, and the boys' blue eyes widened as he looked from Sal to Gio and Max who still had their guns aimed at his head. “That is if you are willing to still hold onto your end of our original deal?”
Enzo visibly gulped as he realised he was being given two options. Form an alliance with Sal or end up like his father.
Turning his head, he peered over at Cami, who was pale from the shock of watching her father murdered in front of her very eyes, but to my surprise she didn’t seem upset. She nodded slowly at her brother.
“Si. Formerò un'alleanza con te. (Yes. I will form an alliance with you.)”
“Clever boy. And I am assuming you will take care of this sticky situation with the commission for me? As your first task of Boss,” Sal nodded towards the bloody head of Francesco and took a sip from his Brandy.
Enzo nodded slowly. “He died in a drug cartel gone wrong.”
Sal beamed as he turned to look at Giovanni over his shoulder.
“I am impressed already. Guns down.” He nodded towards Toni, who pulled out some paperwork from his briefcase.
“Let’s end this drama and sign the contracts. You are now a very rich and powerful young man, my boy. But don’t you ever forget who gave it to you and who can just as easily take it all away,” Sal snarled, his intimidating and hostile tone was back.
Enzo gulped down his fear but stood up slowly and reached his hand out to Sal, who shook it with force.
Everyone else sat in silence and possibly unable to actually make a move as their brains tried to piece together what exactly had just happened. Gio and Elle kept giving me glances of concern which I refused to acknowledge. They would have questions. They want to know what it is that I said to Sal to make him do what he just did.
