Page 27 of Bellini Bound

Dad cleared his throat. “Okay, sorry. Talk to me, Allie. I need to know.”

My temper flared. “Where was this caring father routine when you were demanding I marry a mobster? I’m in a fucking cage while you walk around free!”

“Honey, I’m gonna figure out a way to get you out of there, I promise. I’ve got surveillance on the house; it’s just gonna take a little time.”

I scoffed. “Don’t bother. You’ve already made your choice. You chose to save yourself.”

“Allie—”

“I called to say goodbye since I didn’t get a chance at the church. I’ve upheld my end of the bargain. We’re done.”

His loud sigh sounded in my ear. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do,” I said with conviction.

“Allie, please. Let me make this right.”

“You can’t.” A shaky exhale rattled my chest. “To think of all those years I spent hero-worshipping you. I used to be so proud that my dad was one of the good guys, who had dedicated his life to protecting and serving others. Only to find out that he’s a fraud. You’re just another selfish, corrupt cop who is only looking out for himself. As if that wasn’t bad enough, you killed a woman! Left two innocent little girls motherless. And for what? Money? You disgust me.”

“I was desperate!” he cried.

A burst of derisive laughter flew past my lips. “Oh, boohoo. Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? When I’m the one suffering on your behalf? You’re a hypocrite. You spent years putting people behind bars, preaching how they needed to be held accountable for their actions, when you were unwilling to hold yourself to the same standard. You might’ve been ableto keep your life, but losing your only child is the cost of your lack of conscience.”

“What about your mother? You would punish her as well?”

“You know, I might’ve felt bad about cutting off the both of you if she hadn’t made me out to be the villain when I initially refused to play a part in this psychotic little charade.”

“This is going to break her heart.” Damn, he was laying on the guilt thick. Too bad I stopped caring the minute they decided my life carried less value than his.

“You have to have a heart in order for it to break,” I retorted, then effectively ended the call without another word.

My hands trembled so badly that the phone slipped from my grasp, hitting the plush carpet with a dull thud.

As of now, I was truly and utterly alone in this world.

I allowed myself to grieve the loss of my family for a few minutes before forcing myself to focus on the one major positive of my choice to sever the connection with my parents. If the only person I could count on was myself, then I would never be let down.

Come hell or high water, I was going to figure out a way to survive this mess.

Chapter 8

Enzo

“Where’smywife?”

I lifted my head to find Matteo sauntering into my home office like he owned the place.

Scrubbing a hand over my jaw, I leaned back in my desk chair. “With mine.”

The hard look on his face softened, his lips twisting into a smirk as he poured himself a drink and plopped down onto the leather couch. “Not doing a good job of selling the story that you don’t care, when you call in reinforcements.”

I scoffed. “What the hell was I supposed to do, sit back while she starved herself?”

He propped one ankle on the opposite knee. “Remind me again: who was the ass that made a remark about her weight?”

My jaw clenched, but I remained silent. I was in no mood to play this game with him today.

A snap sounded, and damn if I didn’t want to punch the smug look off his face. “Oh, that’s right. It wasyou. Is it any wonder sheisn’t eating?”