Page 33 of Shattered Choices

“What do you want, then?” I wince from the pinching pain in my face as I raise my eyes to his.

“I want to know why you came after Isabella.”

It takes me a moment, but I answer. I’m not afraid of admitting my mistakes. “I was wrong. I blamed myself for something and believed I was doing what was right.”

He raises a brow. “Aha, I see. And do you mind sharing what that was?”

“It isn’t important. What is important is that I realized too late that I was wrong, and it cost me something I never knew I wanted.” I close my eyes at the memory. “I blamed myself and couldn’t look Isabella in the eye. When I lost her, it was too late.”

As I open my eyes, a smirk appears on his face. “Splendid. Now, we can talk.”

I look at him in a confusion. “Talk about what?”

“About you and my daughter. What else?” He walks to the other end of the basement and brings another chair that he places in front of me before he sits on it. “We don’t have much time before Pino is up for his morning workout that he may skip so he can use you as a punching bag.”

I stiffen at the thought and, still confused, look at the old man before me.

“Do you love my daughter? Or is she just another woman for you?”

“Why do you think I climbed that wall drunk last night? Why do you think I refuse to leave?”

He shakes his head. “That’s not an answer.”

I look at him, annoyed. “Of course I love her. I thought that was clear.”

“There is a thin line between love and madness. The man who accepts his loss and the man who can’t accept his loss.”

Ignoring the pain, I clench my teeth. What is he trying to say? “It doesn’t matter. It’s too late.”

“It is too late only if you surrender.” He leans his forearms on his knees, his eyes challenging me. “Are you the surrendering type?”

I stare back. “No. I’m not.”

He relaxes in his chair. “Good, because neither was I.”

“What do you mean?”

“Once upon a time, I also did a lot because of the woman I love, and so did she.”

“Then why did you kill her?”

His gaze drifts to the corner of the room like he’s remembering some other time before it fixes on me again. “I suppose you know this bit of information from Isabella. She was wrong. I didn’t killmy wife. She sacrificed herself so I didn’t have to choose that option. Because here, we kill the ones who speak, and she knew I would never choose that for her.”

I tilt my head to the side. “I don’t understand.”

“My wife was the love of my life. My soulmate, my everything. And I would have killed every man in ‘Ndrangheta just to keep her alive.”

“I see.”

“And what are you willing to do for Isabella, Salvatore? Would you kill your men or yourself just to save her?” Once again, his eyes dig deep, challenging me.

I look him in the eyes, dead serious. “Yes. I would.”

“Would you kill any man stopping you from getting her back? Meaning Pino first?”

I don’t stutter, my voice steady. “Yes, and I would bathe in his blood if needed.”

A smile spreads on his face, and he stands. “Terrific.” He pulls a knife from his pocket and frees my hands.

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