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“Okay,” I smiled, feeling the tension leave my shoulders as they dropped in relief. I could never handle her disappointment in me. I always wanted to make her proud and I knew I had let her down with how I had handled everything in the last week.
“Have you heard from Marco yet?”
“Si. He is in Sicily. He met with his contact, Dal, and together they are scoping the nearby premises of two of Alessio’s properties in Catania to try and identify where he is living. It seems he is still out of the country.”
“With Elle?”
“Yes,” I responded gruffly, leaning back in my chair. “However, I received a strange message in the early hours of this morning from an unknown number.”
I passed my phone to mamma with the text open.
“Buccini. It is time we talked. Face to Face. Agree, and I will name the time and place. Alessio Barbieri,” Mamma read it out loud as I clasped my hands together. She glanced up at me with the same uncertainty in her eyes that I felt.
“I haven’t responded yet. I wanted to discuss it with you first.”
She started bobbing her head, thinking hard. “First, you need proof that this is in fact Alessio and this isn’t a set up. If it is him and he is serious, you should meet with him, but set clear boundaries and rules before the meeting. No weapons. Public meeting ground. You want to show that you want peace.”
I nodded once. “I have spoken with Max about what we are willing to negotiate for Elle’s return, if that is in fact what this is about.”
“And?” She tilted her head to the side.
“I will listen to his demands. After everything we have heard from other families and Riccardo at the commission, he wants allegiance to them or for us to work under him. I will see what he is offering and negotiate on percentages, territories and control of the North.”
“That is good, Giovanni. I am glad you are thinking more clearly about this—”
“But,” I interrupted her as her gaze narrowed, “I will never forget what he has done. I will never be loyal to him. I will rise from the ashes of his destruction and I will burn his empire down from the inside. I will find a way to destroy Alessio Barbieri and take everything from him.”
She could tell from the intimidating expression on my face that I meant every word. I would find what I needed to tear him down, to take everything he has worked so hard for away from him like he has done to me and then, eventually, when he has nothing left… I will kill him.
“I have no doubt you will, son,” mamma nodded. Her eyes glazed over slightly as a sudden thought gave her a vacant expression. Her eyes moved around the room, settling on the shelves on the wall which adorned photographs of the family and Liv and I.
“What is it?”
She stood up from her chair and walked over to the shelves, picking up a picture of Elle and I skiing in France together as kids. I watched her carefully as her mind took her away to the memory and she gave a sad smile.
“Olivia thinks Elle is happy,” she muttered, tracing her finger over Elle’s smiling face. “When she phoned you the other day. Olivia thinks she might be in a relationship with Alessio.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. Liv had mentioned this to me too, though it didn’t go down well. “Elle has spent her life refusing mafia men.”
“That is what I said,” mamma put the photo back on the shelf and turned to me. “But what if she’s right. What if Elle has fallen for him?”
I shook my head, “No matter what Elle thinks she feels, mamma, she is being manipulated. The sooner we can get her away from him, the better. I have heard from Alessio’s mouth that he wanted to fuck her. That he wanted to destroy her for all other men,” I gritted through my teeth as my hand tightened into a fist with fresh anger. “This is just a game to him. If he has succeeded in making Elle give in to him, it is just to torture me. Breaking her heart is just another way of destroying me. And if she has been foolish enough to fall for it, then that is a hard life lesson she will have to learn.”
“Well, let’s hope for Elle’s sake, Olivia is wrong about this,” mamma said with deep sadness. “But if it is the case, and Elle’s heart does get broken at the end of all of this… you will be kind to her Giovanni. No matter what you feel or think, I will not have you make her feel worse. She has been through enough. Do you understand?”
I rubbed my chin and huffed, “Of course. I don’t want to hurt her, mamma. You know that. I love Elle. It will be Barbieri’s fault, not hers.”
Mamma nodded and sat back down. I leaned forward on my desk, pushing the rage and frustration deep into my darkness to fester as I focused on the positives in my life. The miracle that I still had yet to share with mamma.
“Putting all this shit aside for a moment, I have some good news mamma,” I grinned as she looked at me with intense suspicion. “How do you feel about being called nonna soon?” Her brown eyes widened with surprise and they immediately started to swell with unshed tears of emotion as her fingers covered her mouth. “Liv and I are having a baby.”
“No?” she gasped, her lips trembling. “Really?”
“Si,” I chuckled as I climbed out of my chair and made my way towards her. The tears were now flowing as she stood up and dived at me, wrapping her arms around my body as I kissed the top of her head.
“Oh, I am so happy, Gio. That really is the best news. I am going to be a nonna? I can’t believe it!”
“Si, mamma. That is why Elle protected Liv in the attack. She knew,” I whispered, squeezing my arms around her body as her crying became more intense, a mix of all her emotions that were too overwhelming to cage anymore.
