Page 96 of Heir of Darkness

“I did. I am willing to go head-to-head with that son of a bitch if I have to, but I gave Finn a chance to prove me otherwise. Now you’re claiming that our father tried to kill me. What makes you think that?”

“You’re not his only heir. At least not while he thinks I’m pregnant,” Luna said. “Your father knew you weren’t on his side anymore. Your loyalty had shifted, but while there was someone else carrying Vitali blood, maybe he could shape the baby into someone whose loyalty wouldn’t waver.”

“That’s not proof though,” Valerio said, shaking his head. “I understand what you’re saying, but there isn’t a baby. He would want more proof before he ever tried anything like that.”

“You were shot in the back. From what Luna told us, you were out on that balcony for a long time. Both of you were. You could have been shot in the chest when you were looking out directly, but you weren’t. You were shot when you turned your back,” Dante told him. “Luna wasn’t shot either. If they wanted both of you out, why not get you both while you were open. Unless Luna had something of importance. You know our father.”

Valerio’s jaw clenched. Luna knew what was going on in his mind: the denial, the refusal, the betrayal. She had gone through it herself. She didn’t want it to be true either, but it was. That was why they needed to do something about it.

“Has he tried contacting any of you?” Valerio asked.

“I made sure no one knew you were in the hospital. If he contacted us asking about you, that would be the only proof I needed,” Luna said. “I know you don’t want to believe this, but I seriously think it's the truth.”

“I’m not denying it,” Valerio said. “He’s not above it. Neither of our fathers are. I just never thought I would be on the receiving end of it.”

Allister sighed. “Even if we don’t know one hundred percent for sure, look at the facts. As long as both the Kingsley don and the Vitali don are alive, you don’t get a moment of peace in either of your lives. Both of your fathers have allegedly tried to have you killed. What kind of life does that leave for you? Or perhaps for your children? Will they take one child as the Vitali heir and another for the Kingsleys?”

Luna swallowed hard. “I won’t let anyone else suffer because of them.”

“We need to think about this. Come up with an actual plan before we even think about going in guns blazing. So much could go wrong. If they find out who did it, we’re dead. All of us,” Valerio said.

Luna held her breath. She couldn’t do it if he didn’t agree. She didn’t know where to start or how to lead or get organized. But he did. He was strong and powerful and confident. Without him, the plan would fail.

He sighed, grabbing Luna’s hand. “But that doesn’t mean you guys aren’t right. I almost lost you, Luna. You almost lost me. They won’t stop, I know they won’t.”

“With you leading the Vitali empire, and Finn leading the Kingsley empire, we can actually change this shit once and for all,” Dante said. While he tried to empower Valerio, his voice betrayed him with a slight quiver at the end. “Think about our mother, what she would have wanted.”

Luna swallowed harshly. Too many people had suffered for far too long.

Valerio pushed a strand of her hair back, his eyes glossing over as if he was remembering something painful. “We all have to understand what this means. Once we reach that point, there is no going back. Not anymore.”

“I’m ready for it,” Luna muttered, closing her eyes in relief.

Things would either change or they would die trying.

THIRTY-SEVEN

LUNA

Luna stood by the door,watching as the physical therapist and nurse helped Valerio take a few steps. He was expected to walk from the bed to the bathroom a couple times a day, but he had already advanced past that. Now, he walked up and down the hallway, pushing himself even though he should have been recovering and resting.

She knew it was because he wanted his strength back. After the conversation a week ago when they finally revealed what their plans were, he was anxious to get moving again. The first time Luna saw him trying to get up by himself, she nearly had a heart attack.

He was perfectly capable of deciding what he wanted to do for his health on his own, but she had become particularly protective of him lately. For the past two weeks, while he was in the hospital and back at home, she’d had the same recurring nightmare. The one where she was forced to watch him bleed out, only this time he didn’t wake up. When she awoke, she rushed to the bathroom to wash her hands until they were red and dry to the point of peeling. She swore she could still feel his blood on her hands, but in the light it was never there.

She only managed to get a couple hours of sleep a night. Between the nightmares and putting her ear against his lips to feel his deep breaths, she was on edge constantly. It seemed like everyone in the house was on edge more than usual.

When Finn and Valerio had finally talked the other night, they didn’t even bother to fight or bicker like they usually would. Instead, the conversation between them was direct and surrounded their plans for their fathers. It was almost as if they had reached a mutual understanding, that once their fathers were gone, they would be the ones running everything. Either they ended the cycle of abuse and violence or they let it keep going.

“You’re going to overexert yourself,” the nurse told Valerio.

“I’m fine,” he said, dismissing her. “I can do a couple more laps.”

Luna shook her head, approaching the group in the hallway. “Let’s pick this up later. You’re not going to get better if you don’t give yourself rest.”

“I’ve been resting,” Valerio muttered.

“Have you always been this stubborn?” the doctor asked.

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