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There’s a knifelike ache in my chest that’s not going away.
I place a palm on my beating heart, where the pain is strongest, wishing it would go away. It’s been there for days since Francesca and I became strangers in our home. We don’t speak to each other, but at least I get to see her around the house.
In fact, I’ve not seen her in over forty-eight hours, and I miss her so much, and it’s taking its toll on me. I care more about her than I should, which grates on my nerves.
I reach for my phone, pulling up her contact and struggling with my pride. She hurt me. All I wanted was a simple apology and a declaration of trust. Is it too much to hope that your wife trusts you?
It would have been less painful if I'd ever given her a reason to distrust me, but that has never happened. All she has in her ammunition are hearsays. It has led us to this point where we are stuck like two zombies with no clear road forward.
In the end, my father was right; love is a terrible weakness, one I’ve tried for so many years to avoid and look at me now. No woman has ever reduced me to this useless lump of fleshuntil Francesca. I touch the gold bracelet in my pocket. It always reminds me of her. She was wearing this the first time I saw her, and it’s a story she will never find out. A story only her grandfather knows about.
I’m willing to keep it that way. I must keep it that way.
“Boss…” Vance peeks through the open doorway. “Your family is here.”
“What?” I sit up in my chair, trying to mask my irritation. I made it clear that I don’t want to see any of the brothers around me, even Roberto, and I don’t appreciate my orders being flouted.
Before I can give any instructions to Vance, my family sweeps into my office. First in is Zio Marco, which is a surprise, because last I checked, he was in Italy. With him are Giuseppe, Roberto, and that bastard Federico. I am in such a foul mood I can’t even look at them, especially Federico. They couldn’t have chosen a worse day to show up.
“Valentino…”
“Where is Matteo? Did he not want to come and disturb me as well?” I ask rudely. I’m trying to push their buttons and get them to lash out so I can knock each of them across the room, but they actually look contrite. From the father to the sons.
“What’s going on?”
“Valentino…” Zio Marco steps forward. “We are here to call a truce.”
“Oh?” My brows quirk. “Were we in battle?”
“Stop it,” he scolds. “This is serious. You raised a gun to Matteo and stabbed Federico. Which one of them is next? When will you let this go?”
“Let me tell you what is serious.” I rise to my feet, and their eyes widen. “I gave an order, your son flouted it. I said I never wanted to see any of them again, and I meant it. And yet, here they are. Hiding behind you.”
My uncle sighed heavily. “Valentino?—”
“And you keep acting like I’m the one who is on a vendetta. Matteo was trying to use my wife as bait! And this idiot…” I point to Federico. “He tried to break my marriage up. The only reason I didn’t send him to hell where he belongs is because of Nonna Isadora. I was this close to taking his life.”
“Brother, I am sorry.” Federico bravely steps towards my desk. “Please. I realize now that what I did was wrong.”
“Realize now?” I shake my head. “Now? Why? What’s changed? Cut me the bullshit.”
“I acted stupidly. Without thinking,” Federico insists. “I wanted to hurt you.”
Now you have! But I don’t say that. Instead, I laugh. I don’t trust Federico, nor do I trust any of them.
“I don’t trust you, Giuseppe or Matteo” I tell him. “Roberto has not hurt me directly, but when the chips are down, I know whose side he’ll be on.”
“Youarefamily to me,” Roberto says, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “You are my brother; you’ve always been. Matteo deserved what happened to him, and so did Federico.”
“I want everyone out.”
Zio Marco starts to speak. “Valentino, please, you should?—”
“This isn’t up for debate. It’s an order. I want everyone out!”
With one last look, they all turn to leave. “If you can manage without your brothers, you can stay, Roberto,” I say, watching his reaction closely.
Roberto instantly stops at the door and turns to me with a smile, not sparing any of his brothers another glance as they leave. “I will not let you down, Valentino,” he says breathlessly now that we’re alone.