Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 43928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43928 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
I sigh, bowing my head. Fuck. He shouldn't have done that.
All four brothers whip around to face him.
"You fucking knew?" Rafe snarls.
"I helped him rescue her," Coda says quietly, meeting my gaze. "We weren't entirely sure if she was the right girl or not, but he didn't want to leave her there and take any chances. He did everything he could to protect her."
"Jesus fucking Christ, Coda." Rafe shoves a hand through his hair, staring at Coda. "Do you realize what you're saying right now?"
Coda jerks his chin in a nod. "I know, Capo. But he made the right call. Had we come to you as soon as Enzo talked, you would have torn the city apart looking for her. If Aurelia wasn't the right girl, every enemy you have would have known that you have a sister. They would have waged war to get their hands on her. He knew that."
"You should have fucking told me as soon as you found her," Rafe grits out.
"When we found her, there were very few guards on the house, and no one came looking for her. We didn't know if she was there because she wanted to be, or if she was there by force. He needed time to gain her trust and figure out what the fuck was going on. You would have reacted," Coda says quietly. "With all due respect, as soon as you did, her mother would have died. She's alive right now because Mattia didn't go in guns blazing. He made the right call."
Rafe mutters a low oath, his eyes narrowed on Coda. "Watch what the fuck you say to me, Passero," he warns.
"He's right, Rafe," Gabe says. "We put them in charge so we could step back. We don't get to bitch now because they're making decisions and speaking up. We asked them to do it."
"We didn't ask them to hide the fact that we have a fucking sister."
"You're right," Gabe agrees, holding up his hands. "We didn't. We asked them to protect and lead this family. They did. We don't have to like the decision they made. I don't like it. But don't go for Coda's throat because you don't like what he has to say. You gave him the power to speak freely at this table. If you want to take it back, take it back. But you don't get to play Capo when it suits you and leave them to call the shots when it doesn't. That's not how it works."
"He's right," Luca agrees, siding with Gabe. "We put them in charge of handling our shit. And we can argue about the decision they made all we want, but it's made now. We can't change it. We have more important shit to deal with."
"I know!" Rafe snaps, spinning on his brothers. "Jesus Christ. You think the fact that the motherfucker wants to kidnap my son hasn't been playing on a loop in my head since she told me? He's my son. The sole fucking reason I took a step back was to protect him and Amalia. And it was for nothing." He slams his hand down on the table, making Aurelia jump. "Nothing! Because he's still a fucking target." His voice cracks. "To men like Brio, he'll always be a fucking target." He bows his head, breathing hard.
And I realize in this moment, that this is what Rafe is truly angry about. Not the fact that I lied to him or hid Aurelia's existence. But the fact that he feels helpless. He's the most powerful man in this city, and he didn't see this coming. None of us did.
He's angry because he's scared. And one thing Rafe doesn't know how to be is afraid. Aside from his brothers, he's never had anything to lose before. Now, he has a wife and a kid, with another on the way. Brio didn't just threaten his empire. He threatened his family—the only thing in this life that Rafe actually cares about.
He's on the verge of losing it.
If anyone can understand that, I do. Because Brio didn't just threaten his family, he threatened mine. He hurt my wife. For months, she's lived in fear, her mind tormented by the choice he gave her.
It'll be a cold day in hell before I let that insult stand.
"Rafe," I say softly, waiting until he looks at me before I speak again. "Si vis pacem, para bellum." If you want peace, prepare for war.
He holds my gaze for a long, silent moment, and then the man this city once called the devil peeks from his eyes. "War? No, Mattia. This is going to be a fucking massacre."
I smile, more than happy to give him the bloodbath he wants.
Chapter Twelve
Aurelia
Ipace the length of Mattia's suite at Rafe's, my heart pounding. Fear sits in my stomach like a lead weight, threatening to drag me under. Everyone is downstairs, plotting and planning how to rescue my mother and kill Brio, but Mattia pulled me away so we could talk. They make it sound so easy, but I can't help but worry about the danger waiting.