Page 24 of Secret Baby for the Mafia Prince

“Madre,” I yell as I uncover her face.

Her eyes are shut. The wounds on her head leave her face bloodied.

I can’t breathe.

I’m squeezing my chest hard to ease the tightness I feel. Someone tries to touch me but I push them back, screaming a curse. “Wake up,Madre.Fucking wake up.”

A tear rolls down my eye. I’m staring at my whole world, both are gone.

As I fall to my knees beside her to kiss her forehead one more time, a mark catches my eye as the blanket shifts further down. I recognize the fucking mark.

It belongs to the Mancinis. They inscribe their mark on every one of their victims to claim the kill.

Mother’s left arm is marked with a berserk sign.

“Sterling,” I growl as I move to my father’s body.

This isn’t an accident. My parents were fucking murdered.

Father has the exact mark on his left arm. As does the guard.

The Mancinis did this and I was so foolish. Stupid to believe Gianna couldn’t be involved in this fight. I let them get to me and my fucking dick did the thinking for me.

Fuck.

I’m furious at myself. How could I take Salvatore’s threat lightly and let this happen?

He killed my father. My mother.

Sterling runs to me.

My teeth are gritted as I heave in anger, standing to my feet. I ball my fists, wanting to hit something. Anything. The rage coursing through my veins has a strong hold on me.

I’ll kill the Mancinis. Every last one of them till their bloodline is terminated for good.

“This is war.”

I leave the bodies open for him to see the mark.

Giovanni betrayed me and Gianna assisted him. I’m never forgiving him or Gianna. I’ll make them feel everything I feeltonight. No, I’ll make them hurt even more. They’ll pray for death and I’ll deny them that joy. I’ll take everything they love and rip it up right before their eyes. They’ll never forget me, even in their graves. I’ll make sure of that.

I grip the steering wheel right as I return to my car. Sterling knows to take care of the bodies quickly. I stare at the car wreck and the bodies for a moment before I start the car's engine. It's nothing my clean-up team can't handle before the authorities arrive. They've taken care of more bodies working for me. I pay a good fucking amount for their silence while they clean up my mess. Sterling is already on a call with Shadow to get his team down here as fast as he can.

I can’t have the authorities claiming their bodies. Family business stays as family business, with no fucking federal officials poking into it. They’ll be all over me if they find out about this murder. I can’t fucking have that. It’ll ruin everything… my business, especially. No one wants to do business with anyone involved with the authorities. Sterling had better do this now.

A tinted van drives past my car as I drive out to the main street. It is Shadow’s van. Never did I think he'd be helping me dispose of my parents’ bodies. Ever.

Fuck.

Gianna fucking did this to me. I let them use her to distract me. Everything was a lie all along. She pushed herself on me to have her family rid me of mine. I am such a fucking fool. I failed my parents.

Now they are dead… because of me.

***

“Giovanni!” I yell as I jump out of my car. “Show your fucking face.”

I walk up to the front door of his house, banging it hard. It’s 2 a.m.

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