Page 5

I tiptoe to the top of the stairs, peeking down at them both through the bannister.
Papa is pacing around in the hallway, his hands running through his hair.
Everythingis broken downstairs.
Dario has a frown on his face as he looks at it all—the shattered glass, the broken vases—and he shakes his head.
“You need to do something, Papa.” Dario says, his voice steady though I can hear the frustration that’s there too. “You need to find the people who did this to Mama.”
Papa stops pacing as he turns to face Dario, his expression full of anger.
“What do you think I have been doing all this time?!”
Papa finally snaps, his voice sharp.
I gasp, feeling my heart beat faster in my chest.
Dario takes a step forward, his shoulders squared.
“Well why haven’t you found anything?!” My brother argues. “You’re supposed to be the one in charge, Papa. You’re supposed to protect this family! All you’ve done is—”
Papa moves so fast, neither Dario nor I expect it.
He pushes my brother against the wall, his finger sharp in Dario’s face.
“Enough, Dario! You do not know what you are talking about! You are just a boy; you have no idea how this works!”
Frustrated, Dario puts both of his hands on Papa’s chest, shoving him backward.
“I understand enough!” Dario shouts back to Papa. “I understand that you’ve been sulking here, yelling at everybody, breaking all of our things, whilst the people who killed Mama are still out there, probably celebrating the fact that they haven’t been caught yet!”
Papa takes another step closer to my brother again, and this time, I notice the way his fists are clenched.
My lips part as I feel my eyes tearing up.
Papa hasneverhurt us, and I hope that he won’t start now.
“Watch your mouth.”
Papa tells Dario coldly.
For a second, I think Dario will; I think he’s going to back down.
But he doesn’t.
Instead, my brother stands his ground, his jaw tight, his eyes blazing with fury.
“Make. Me.”
The silence that follows is so thick, I feel like I can barely breathe.
Papa stares at Dario, his chest heaving as though he’s trying to stop himself from doing something stupid, his eyeswide as he stares at my brother. Finally, he turns around, running his fingers through his hair.
“You do not understand, Dario.” Papa says in a quiet voice, though the anger is still clear in his tone. “This is not about whatIwant. An alliance is already in place. And besides, the Don has already made his decision. We are leaving.”
Dario blinks, a frown appearing on his face.
“What?”