Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 71131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“The Family,” I reply, unable to keep my voice from shaking but knowing that anyone in my position would feel the same way. This is madness. This is also my new future. My new normal.
“What we do,” he says, looking into my eyes, “will always be for the Family, no matter what.”
“No matter what,” the guys say in unison, and it occurs to me to wonder who really is in charge here? Who has been in charge for the last few years? The rest of the bosses are out drinking and hanging out in the house, but these guys? They look ready for blood.
They’re hungry.
For the very first time, I realize what this is.
The next generation of this mafia saga, this Family.
This no longer belongs to them, and it hasn’t for two years. I almost curse as I look around the room and realize.
It’s them.
These men.
It’s been them for a while.
And now.
Everyone will pay.
Chapter Thirty-Five
“I found Him in the shining of the stars, I marked Him in the flowering of His fields, But in His ways with men I find Him not. I waged His wars, and now I pass and die.”— Idylls of the King
King
Usually, I would say this was a normal night for us… everyone’s in the kitchen eating and drinking. Uncle Frank stopped by, you know, the dude who’s supposed to be dead because he handed down his entire empire to Dante.
And I’m watching him with everyone wondering what he knows that I don’t.
People are relaxed—they shouldn’t be.
Something is very wrong.
Something is very off.
Del comes up next to me and hands me a glass of wine. “Everyone seems to be doing the best they can—despite…” She clears her throat. “Despite the fact that he’s still in a coma.”
“Sergio says not to lose hope.” I take the wine and watch everyone laughing at the table; even the kids are in the kitchen running around.
I would like to think my dad would look around and smile then get annoyed at all the noise. Our house is huge, but still, our family keeps growing bigger and bigger each year as people have kids as generations move through in a wave that’s natural, progression, life.
I smile to myself and start wondering about all the things I’ll tell Dad when he wakes up—how we at least rallied at the end, how we loved even if someone was losing and betraying.
I stare at each face around the table, and I can’t find it; I can’t fucking see who would do this to us… or to them.
I have four days left until the commission, and all I can see is family around this table, love, support, blood. Life and a bond none of us would ever break.
“Stop thinking so hard.” Del elbows me. “The truth always reveals itself,” she says. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s us, my uncle, he’s that crooked, that power-hungry.”
I almost snort into my wine. “Right, but he’s also a dum-dum.”
She burst out laughing. “That he is.”
“He’s not some evil mastermind; there’s no way for him to pull this off, not even close.” I frown. “Unless he had help.”
It’s her turn to scowl. “Who would help?”
My spine tingles, which is weird as I glance at the door and see Dom, my half-brother, walk into the room. He’s next to Dante, who, if you don’t count Valerian, is the youngest boss—in his thirties, in his prime.
My brain starts to play tricks on me as I watch them talk in the corner before joining their wives for dinner.
Would they?
Could they?
Technically, the next heir to the Capo throne would fall to Dom only because of blood but would he ever actually hurt any of us? He’s been like a brother for years. He’s killed for this Family, and he’s nearly died for it.
I remember my father’s words before I got married.
“You have to be ready.” He was in his office, it was after our fight over this whole fiasco, and right before I told him why it was so hard to go through with it, because of how much I actually loved Del and wanted her by my side.
It felt like a punishment.
Now it’s my reward.
Now it’s everything.
“I’m ready,” I said.
Dad burst out laughing. “Oh, King… nothing will ever prepare you for this, nothing.”
I frowned because I’d already been through hell with the rest of my cousins, so what could possibly be worse?
He stood then and clasped me on the shoulder. “You won’t be ready until you have to make the hard decisions. Who lives, who dies, who’s true to you, and who’s betraying you. There will come a day when you realize that not everyone is your friend and you will have to make that call and often it’s all on your shoulders, and it stays there the rest of your life, the blood on your hands, their faces imprinted onto your soul—doesn’t matter if it’s your best friend, an enemy, lover, a family member—that’s your job, your call to make and it’s not something I would ever wish on anyone, not even my worst enemy.”