Page 90 of Finally Forever
“Calm, Tesoro,” she murmurs the words our mother used to tell us when we got anxious as children.
Only she would know that. My insides ease a little.
“When I heard you died, I swore to kill Father,” she says. “Paolo knew my torment. I devised a plan, but Gabriele wouldn’t let me go through with it. Too dangerous, and he worries about me so much.” Love for her husband rings in her voice.
“He’s good to you?” I always wondered, although Francesca is a strong woman, able to care for herself and then some.
“Very. He’s my love, but in this we do not see eye-to-eye. He thinks Father needs to live. I disagree. When you contacted Paolo, he said nothing other than hinting my dream would soon come true. I forced it from him. He wouldn’t have confided in anyone but me. He wouldn’t have agreed to help you if it weren’t for me and what I’ve longed for.”
Too many thoughts bombard my brain. “He told you everything?”
“Sì.”
“How much does he know about me?”
“Nothing. There isn’t anything to find. You hid yourself well, brother. You escaped. Father has many enemies but none who would construct a plan to eliminate him other than his children. I knew it had to be you, but I wasn’t sure until I heard your voice. Being alive and living in fear isn’t enough, is it? Like you, I want nothing more than to be rid of him forever. He doesn’t deserve to breathe.”
She’s as ruthless as I remember, even with her soft-spoken voice. “I can’t have you interfere with this. If Gabriele were to find out again…”
“He won’t. He knows nothing. I made the mistake of telling him before.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Pull the trigger, of course.”
I sigh, wanting the same thing.
“You left before you performed the ceremony, did you not?” She’s referring to the blood oath initiation. The killing of a human that shows your devotion to the family. “Your silence is answer enough. I did the deed when I joined this family. I’ve done terrible things since then. I am not the girl you remember.”
Saddened by her words, I think for a minute. “Let me take this from you. One less thing for you to add to your list. I owe you.” I was never strong enough to protect her, even though I tried. But then, I was young, too young and weak to stand up to our father. “Let me do this for us,” I add.
Quiet moments pass. “I’ll settle for together.”
“I can’t protect you if things go wrong,” I say.
She laughs, low and dark. “I haven’t needed protecting for a long time.”
I hate what he did to us. She should be free from the torment of our past, too.
“Fine.”
“Come now. Time isn’t on our side. We await your arrival.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
I end the call. It’s Francesca. I know it, but that doesn’t mean I can trust her. Too much time has gone by. I’ll need to do this my way, which means I’ll need to involve Xavier after all.
I race downstairs to the command center.
Xavier still sits at the desk.
“Anything?”
“Nothing new. She still hasn’t left her estate. Gabriele is in Milan on business. Your father is in or on his way to Capri.”
That I already knew. The plan is to take him out on his private yacht.
“Check on a guy named Paolo Baratta. Francesca says he’s her private informant.” This works in my favor. I can use it to get Xavier to help me, without him knowing I’m already connected to the man.
