Page 124 of Isabella

“Put. The knife. Down.”

Inhaling a sharp breath, I turn around slowly and come face-to-face with my dad aiming his gun at Isabella, whose back is facing me. There’s a cut on his forehead and a line of blood trailing down the side of his face.

“Thought you knocked me out, huh, boy?” he says roughly, disdain taking over his voice.

“Nicco,” Isabella’s voice is frantic. “Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay.”

“I’m okay, baby,” I say, keeping my eyes on my dad who still has his gun aimed at her.

“What did I say, Niccolò? Put the knife down. Now!”

I hold up my hands in defense, showing him the knife, and slowly start to lower myself to the floor. As I set it down, I continue holding my dad’s gaze when Isabella speaks.

“Just go ahead. Shoot me, you stupid bastard!” My dad quickly diverts his attention to Isabella, and my heart picks up speed, pissed that she’s trying to get herself killed. “If women don’t mean anything to you, then stop trying touse meto get to your son, you pathetic piece of shit!”

What thefuckis she doing?

Throwing herself in the line of fire for me is something I willneverbe okay with, but I quickly realize she’s also serving as a distraction, giving me the opportunity we both need.

“What did you just say to me?” My dad’s voice is cold, dark, and eerily controlled.

I quickly reach over and grab the gun Mauricio dropped by his leg and aim it at my dad. His widened gaze takes me in, and he drops down in front of Isabella, using her as a shield.

“Oh, now you want to hide?” I shout. “Figures. You can’t even be man enough and face me when we’re evenly armed.”

My dad spins Isabella’s chair around so she’s facing me, and puts his gun up to her temple while standing behind her.

“Nicco,” she says, eyes wide and on the gun I have pointed at her. It pains me to see the scared look on her face, but I can’t lower it. This will end here, right now.

“I highly suggest you let her go, Dad.”

He barks out a laugh. “How about I shoot her first and then get rid of you after,” he says.

I let out a breath and slowly shake my head. “You know, it never had to be like this,” I utter.

That gets my dad’s attention, causing him to straighten up a little, peeking his head out from behind Isabella. “What’re you talking about?”

“I’m saying you and I. The strained relationship we’vealwayshad, especially after Mom died.It never had to be like this.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he grumbles.

While part of me is doing this to get him talking, distract him enough so I can make a move, another part of me is finally speaking the words I never had the balls to do growing up.

“Don’t I, though?” I say. “Myentirelife, the only thing you’ve ever focused on is your job as a don.”

“That’s myjob!” he roars.

“Yourjobwas also supposed to be a husband and a father, but where the fuck were you when Mom was dying from cancer? Where the fuck have you beenfor me?”

The anger that’s fueling my words is so strong, I can’t stop them from spilling from my mouth.

“All you ever care about are your meetings andtrainingme to take over for you, but let’s be fucking real for a second, Dad. You don’t even want me to take over for you. You don’t wantanyoneto take over for you because all you care about is the power you have being in the position you’re in.”

My dad’s eyes glimmer with anger.

“You’ve failed as a husband. You’ve failed as a father. And now you’re failing as the don of our family. You’ve let everyone down around you. How does it feel knowing everything you touch just ends up withering away from you in the end?”

That glimmer of anger in my dad’s eyes quickly turns into pure rage as he raises his chin and narrows his gaze on me. The flare in his nostrils is so thick I can see it from here. My words are ringing true and finally seeping under his skin.

---