Page 37 of Pocketful of Us

It was taking everything I had inside of me not to reach across the huge oval table and slap him upside his head. I managed to refrain, but only just.

Finally, Mr. Capaldi broke the tension. "Say what you need to say, Ramona."

"Sketch never deserved any of this." Placing my small fists on the table, I leaned forward. "You allowed him to be treated like a dog. He was owed so much more than that. He deserved a better life than the piss-poor one you provided for him."

His remained silent for a long beat, obviously mulling over my words. "I agree," he finally replied, lifting his head to look right at me. "Both of my sons deserved better."

"How could you lie to them all these years?" My throat felt tight with emotion. "How could you just…sit back and not do something?"

A heavy sigh of defeat escaped him. "It may look that way to you, Ramona, but believe me, I did a lot ofsomethings, and made a lot of sacrifices."

"You let him break us up," I wheezed, feeling the air rush from my lungs. "You let me date Chris. You never said a word when youknewSketch had been coerced by my father." My lip wobbled. "You knew he was going to trade me off to Raffaele, and you did nothing to stop him."

"I knew that Raff would never hurt you," he replied, tone thick with emotion. "I knew you were safer with your father's enemy than your father himself. And as for not stepping in when Cal broke your relationship up, well, let's just say that it was in his best interest to stay far away from you."

"Why?" I demanded. "For what possible reason?"

"You were his ornament, Ramona. His pretty little princess. Cal's prized bargaining chip. He needed to keep you polished andclean. Your father was only looking for a reason to kill Giacobbe, and he would have done it for the very reason you're cradling your swollen belly as we speak!" he countered heatedly. "Telling your father about this was beyond stupid, by the way. If he gets his hands on you, he won't allow it to live."

"It?" I hissed, teeth grinding together. "My baby is not anit."

"To your father, that'sexactlywhat your baby is," he replied, eyes locked on mine. "He will eliminate any threat or claim to the power he is obsessed with, and you just gave him another target."

My cheeks reddened and I sank back in my seat. "Oh."

"Yes.Oh."

"It's really is his baby," I croaked out, feeling oddly defensive. "Sketch, I mean. He's the father. I wasn't lying."

"Yes, Ramona, I know. I didn’t doubt the paternity for a moment." A weary smile ghosted his lips that was quickly replaced with a pained grimace. "Cal and I both knew about Chris's sexual preference. He was never going to lay a finger on you. He was no threat to what Cal needed from you." He cleared his throat. "When I told Chris that he had to date you, I did it to keep you and Giacobbe safe. You were never going to leave him alone, and he was never going to be strong enough to resist you. So, I placed a wedge between you and prayed for both of your sakes that it was enough to keep you apart."

"Chris," I breathed, finally understanding.

Mr. Capaldi nodded in resignation. "That was a mistake that cost me his life."

"What do you mean?"

"Chris had questions," he replied brokenly. "When I didn’t answer them, he clearly went about finding them himself." A shudder racked through his slumped frame. "I didn’t know what Cal was planning to do to my son, but if I had, I would have killed him with my bare hands." Looking both remorseful and resigned, he added, "Not having the foresight to predict the sheer depth of your father's ruthlessness is the regret of my lifetime."

I remained silent, unsure of what to say.

"Was it quick?" he asked then, voice breaking. "You were with him that night." Tears filled his eyes. "Did my son suffer for long?"

Too long.

"No," I whispered, barely audible. "It was quick."

The relief that flooded Mr. Capaldi's eyes made the lie easier to swallow.

"I hope you are ready to meet your maker, cousin," Raffaele announced, returning to the room a moment later. "Because once we board that plane, neither of us are coming home."

15

Presley

Iwas seriously ticked off.

Not only had I put my life on hold for Sketch freaking Capaldi these past few months, but I had also put it on the line for him. And how does the sexy son of a gun repay my brave and generous nature? By skipping town with a delinquent fuck boy, that's how.

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