Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74035 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74035 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“Right,” Orlando says tightly. “Got it.”
“So I did even more investigating. Found their headquarters on the wharf. Those boats were transporting more drugs than you can even imagine. And then I knew, I put it all together. They came after me and Gray because they knew if they framed me for attempting to assassinate Marialena I’d be ostracized from my family, and that no one would be looking beyond me as the target. And that if I were found guilty of attempting murder, there would be no way our two families would unite and strengthen.”
Santo whistles. Tavi nods his head. Mario shakes his from side to side.
“Makes sense.”
“Evidence?” Sergio asks sternly.
I nod and pull out my phone. I swipe it on and show the pictures, the documents, the transfers, the guilty faces of those who might’ve made an attempt on all our lives.
“How many survivors?” Romeo grinds out. Then, for an explanation, he turns to Sergio.
Sergio’s counting. “None from today’s attack. Not sure if there are any at the wharf.” We had one survivor until we left him with Santo. Now there are none.
Romeo makes a phone call. “We’ll know soon. Anything more, Vivia?”
I give him every boring, mundane detail that seemed irrelevant but now looks so clear after all that’s happened. I show him pictures and names, reveal everything I know.
“Excellent,” Romeo says with a smile, then smiles at Gloria. “She should work with you.”
Gloria grins at me. “She could. And I apologize I suspected you were guilty, Vivia. That’s eaten me up terribly, knowing everything you went through. And I pointed the finger at you.”
“But they set you up,” I say, instantly forgiving her. She smiles softly at me, accepting my forgiveness. Aunt Tosca is right. We women have to stick together.
“Anything else?” Romeo asks.
I shake my head, completely spent. “That’s all I know,” I whisper. “We still have some investigating to do but now we know the names and source, I think the rest will show.”
Dario stands. “She’s done her job. You promised her, Sergio. Now, give her to me as we discussed.”
Everyone looks at Sergio. He nods and gives me a slow smile. “Go with Dario, Vivia.” He turns to Romeo. “We marry them as soon as possible. We join forces and all this becomes obsolete.”
Dario clears his throat. “You’re forgetting something.”
“What’s that?” Sergio asks, but there’s real fear in his eyes at Dario’s formidable stature as he stands.
“You owe your sister an apology. That’s my future wife you tried to hurt after I warned you not to. It’s only out of respect for her and Romeo that I haven’t slit your throat.”
Well, that might not be the best way for in-laws to start a relationship, but…
Sergio nods and turns to me, the picture of repentance. “I’m sorry, Vivia. I truly am. I was convinced you were in the wrong and that you went behind my back to undermine our family. That you were trying to tear apart everything our family has built. Will you forgive me?”
I do. I do.
I give him a huge hug, my arms going around his shoulders and squeezing. “Don’t hold your breath with me naming any of my children after you, but yes, I forgive you.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll call the priest,” Romeo says, giving me a big smile. “Vivia, let’s give Mama the news. We have some preparations to make.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Vivia
The rest of the meeting goes off without a hitch. Timeo and Ricco leave abruptly, because they’re taking a red-eye flight home tonight to witness the wedding tomorrow. But before Ricco hangs up the call he leans in and says to Sergio, in front of everyone, “You have some work to do to make it up to her, and I won’t let you forget that.”
Sergio, to his credit, is the picture of repentance. “I won’t forget,” he says in front of everyone before he gives Dario the side-eye. “Pretty sure Dario will be on top of that anyway.”
“The word is grovel, I believe,” Dario says, rising and stretching his arms, as we disconnect the conference call with my brothers in Italy.
“And let the record show, Sergio, that one of the trademarks of true leadership is the ability to show humbleness. We do the work no one else wants to do, and the payoff is that we have more power and authority than others. But by the same token, our jobs require us to admit when we’re wrong.” Romeo scowls, lifting a stack of papers that are already straight before he tidies them even further. “Otherwise, we become nothing more than tyrants like our fathers before us.”
Sergio nods. I love my cousin Romeo, who looks up at me before we leave. “Vivia, a word please before you go prepare for your wedding tomorrow.” He holds a finger up to Dario. “And you. You both may have done this backward through no fault of your own, but we have traditions we uphold here. You two will sleep in separate quarters tonight.” Dario opens his mouth to protest, but Romeo holds up a hand. “I’ll give you some time together, but then you separate until you take your vows tomorrow.” His face softens. “And when you do take your vows tomorrow, you’ll relish being together again even more.”