AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Get him out of here!" I bark, bringing back our focus from revenge to what’s at hand, pointing at the Capo's body. They move quickly, obeying without question. My heart races, anger boiling beneath the surface. I follow the body outside.
"Is it over?" I ask myself, my breath forming white clouds in the frigid air. My heart is heavy with the knowledge of what I've lost - not just the Capo, but belief in the very idea that a man like me could fall in love.
"Stefano." A quiet voice comes from behind me, startling me out of my thoughts. I turn to see one of Capo's most trusted men, his eyes full of sorrow and determination. "Don Nitti," he says, addressing me with a title I never expected to bear.
The world begins spinning around me, as the full realization of what just happened hits me. With Don Conti dead, as underboss, I must take his position. Fuck, Isabella. Look what you've gone and done. In pursuit of your desires, you bound me to a chair I never wanted.
The man still stares at me, head bowed. If I must do this, as Capo, I'll do it differently. I'll take a kinder approach and prevent the bloodshed Don Conti's decisions made.
"Call me Stefano," I reply, unwilling to accept my new position just yet. I can't deny that my life has changed irrevocably, but I cling to the hope that some part of my past remains.
"Don Nitti," the man shakes his head respectfully. "We must discuss our next steps."
"Tomorrow," I say, my voice firm. "Tonight, we bury our Capo. We honor his memory and the sacrifices he made for us all."
"Of course," the man agrees, and together we walk towards the makeshift grave that has been prepared for the Capo.
As we lay him to rest, my mind races with questions and doubts.
"Goodbye, old friend," I whisper as the dirt falls on the Capo's grave, the sound echoing through the darkness. "I promise I will make things right."
With each shovelful of earth, I bury not only the man who was like a father to me but also the last remnants of the life I once knew. Tomorrow, I will take on the mantle of leadership and make difficult decisions, but tonight, I allow myself to grieve.
"Is this really what you wanted, Stefano?" I ask myself one final time, seeking answers in the cold, dark night. But there are no answers here, only the knowledge that my world has been forever changed.
"Perhaps it's not what I wanted," I admit, the truth settling heavy and unyielding in my chest. "But it's what I must do now."
Chapter 39
Isabella
Igaspforbreathin the backseat of Felix's car, as blinding, relentless pain sears through my abdomen. Blood stains my hands as I clutch at the makeshift bandage, trying to stem the flow.
"Stay with me, Isabella," Felix pleads, gripping my hand tightly as his driver speeds through the streets. His eyes flicker between the road and me, reflecting his worry at the traffic. "You're going to be okay."
"Is it... bad?" I wince, my vision swimming. The city lights blur together, streaks of color in the darkness.
"Focus on your breathing," he says, avoiding my question. "We're almost at the hospital."
The pain intensifies, threatening to pull me under. I fight to stay conscious, but blackness creeps at the edges of my vision. Snippets of conversation drift in and out of my awareness.
"Gunshot wound... critical condition... immediate surgery..."
"Stefano..." My voice is weak, barely a whisper. He isn't here, and I can't help but wonder what his last words to me were before all of this happened.
Felix's grip feels warm on my cold hand. "Don't think about him right now. Just focus on staying alive, Isabella."
But it's hard not to think of Stefano. With every heartbeat that feels like it might be my last, I imagine his strong arms around me, waking up next to him, smiling at each other over breakfast pancakes, tackling each other with paintbrushes. I reach out to the warmth of his embrace.
"Isabella? Stay with me!" Felix's voice sounds distant, muffled by the fog of pain that clouds my mind. I struggle to keep my eyes open, but the darkness beckons, promising relief.
"Sorry, Felix..." I manage to say before slipping into unconsciousness once more.
The sterile smell of the emergency room assaults my senses as they wheel me in, the bright lights above glaring and disorienting. I force myself to focus on the flurry of activity around me, the doctors and nurses rushing to my side with urgency.
"Isabella Torres, gunshot wound on the abdomen," one of them says, her voice firm but commanding. Rosalia's face flashes right in front of me – her warm smile and soft touch. She's here, she's holding my hand as they wheel me in.
"I'm going to have to leave you here, Isabella," she whispers. "Thank god Felix called me. I'm here, right outside, if you need anything." She lets go of my hand.
