Page 111 of Forgive Me, Father

I gently cupped the side of her face with my hand.“Roberto doesn’t want to say it over the phone, but he confirmed it’s bad.Just go back to sleep, alright?”

“I want to come with you.”

“No, you stay here.You’ll be safe.I’ll call you in the morning, I promise.”I leaned in for a quick but passionate kiss before rushing to the bathroom to get dressed.

Half an hour later, Nico and I were in the air, heading toward the house I grew up in.Two hours later, the plane touched down, and Roberto was waiting for us.

Nico jumped in the front of the SUV with Lenny, who was one of my brother’s guards, as we took the back.

“What the fuck happened?”I asked, not waiting for him to tell me.

“It’s Fiona?”

I growled.What shit has she gotten into this fucking time?

“No,” he cut in.“Kai almost fucking killed her.”

A chill of unease crawled down my spine.My sister was always a pain in my ass but hearing that she was with Kai set my blood on fire.

“He raped her and almost cut her throat.He sent her back with this.”

My brother gave me the piece of paper.“Eye for an eye.I’ll be back.”

His name wasn’t on the note, but we both knew it was Kai.Eye for an eye meant my sister for his.

“She saw him?”

Roberto shook his head.“But I know it’s him.”

I did too.

“Dad has no choice but to take action, Alfonso.”

“He’s not going to take action, Roberto.He believes the old way is over, done, kaput.”I ran my hands through my hair as the imposing mansion that served as HQ came into view.

My entire body tensed as the gates swung open, and the SUV rolled into the one place where my darkness had first taken root.It was almost as if the house was welcoming me home.

* * *

For the next half hour, I worked to convince my father that Kai had to be behind it.Even Roberto stood by me, his voice steady with agreement.

My mother was with Fiona and my younger brother, Luca, at the hospital.Her absence only made the weight of the situation press harder on my shoulders.

“She is your daughter and all you care about is some fucking animal that is going to take everything the Pontisellos worked hard for through the generations.I won’t let that happen.Do you hear me?I refuse to sit aside.So, you can decide what it’s going to be.”

I challenged my father openly.If I had to go to war with my own family over this then so be it but I wouldn’t allow that motherfucker to get away with this.He had taken the opportunity to break my sister and I would not stand for it.She would no longer be able to marry a Don.Her life was ruined.

“Alfonso.”He sighed, rubbing at his temples.

“Don’t fucking Alfonso me.What is it going to be, Father?”

My father gave a silent nod, finally, the old man’s approval, hard-earned and heavier than I expected.

“Let’s move,” I commanded, striding toward the armory.

He didn’t follow.He never did when it came to this part of ruling.The blood, the bullets, the war, it wasn’t his way.It was mine.

I would burn the world down to punish a betrayal.

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