Page 142 of Broken Mafia Bride

“Shut up. It’s none of your business,” the guard gripping me snaps. “Just come along quietly if you don’t want a bullet in your fucking spine.”

I snap my mouth shut after that—the seriousness in his voice a clear warning. I have no doubt Lucio has already given them instructions: If we prove difficult, they should go ahead and kill us. We’re not his priority. Which is the only reason I haven’t gone crazy with panic. I don’t think Lucio will kill Giulia and Noemi while Enrico and I are still breathing.

We continue down the hallway, Enrico breathing hard behind me.

Finally, we stop at another thick metal door. The third guard steps forward and pushes it open, revealing a larger room with similarly whitewashed walls. Unlike the one we were in previously, this one is empty—except for three chairs situated in the middle.

Two of the chairs are positioned close together, facing the third one. I’m confused when I’m shoved down into the lone chair while Enrico is taken to one of the two placed together. He lets out a relieved groan as he’s dropped into it.

Before I can ask any questions, the door opens again—and this time, Giulia and Valentina stumble in.

“Giulia!” I cry as soon as I see her.

It takes me a moment to notice the dark-haired child clinging tightly to her. As soon as her big blue eyes meet mine, I know she’s mine. She’s a spitting image of me in my much younger years—right down to the floppy curls falling over her forehead.

“Mio Dio,” Enrico exclaims, staring at the child with wide-eyed wonder.

“Raffaele, are you okay?” Giulia starts to cross the room toward me, but the guard standing behind her stops her with the cock of his gun.

“Stand right there!” he barks.

“I’m all right, Giulia. Just do as he says,” I tell her.

Our eyes meet, an understanding passing between us before she turns to her father. A choking sound slips from her mouth as she catches sight of his bruised face.

But to all our surprise, it’s Valentina who rushes toward him. “Papa, are you okay?”

“Va-Valentina?” he croaks, eyes wide and haunted like he’s staring into the face of a ghost.

“You’re hurt,” she whispers, cupping his face in her hands. “Oh, Papa.”

“Val, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything,” Enrico rushes out. “I never meant for any of this to happen. If I had had an inkling that you were alive, I’d never have stopped searching for you. I want you to believe that.”

“I believe you,” she sobs, falling into his arms. “I can’t believe this whole time I had a family. I can’t believe I missed out on so much because of that bastard.”

Giulia and I exchange a glance at her words. For all Lucio’s faults, he seems to have raised his granddaughter with love andcare—more than I can say for Giulia. The only thing Val missed out on was being ignored by Enrico.

“Mama, what’s going on? Where’s Uncle Marco?” Noemi’s sweet voice asks. She’s staring straight at me, watching me with an open curiosity that makes my heart swell.

Fuck the guns aimed at us—I want to go over to them and wrap my little family in my arms. But I’m not stupid enough to risk it.

“He’s close. He’s coming,” Giulia whispers, tears welling up in her eyes. “We’re going to get out of here, and we’re going to get ice cream with Uncle Marco.”

“I’m scared. Can we leave now?” she asks again.

Every emotion Giulia is feeling is reflected in her eyes when she looks at me again—fear, exhaustion, guilt, fury. I suddenly feel helpless, ashamed that I can’t single-handedly save them all from this nightmare.

A throat clears, and all heads turn to where Lucio is standing at the door, wearing a pristine double-breasted white suit and a blood-red tie. A smile curves his mouth as he takes us all in.

“How perfect. The whole family—together at last,” he says with a dark chuckle, spreading his arms wide.

“Now… let’s get this show on the road.”

45

GIULIA

“Lucio, let them go. It’s me you want,” my father spits out. “We both know that all of this is just because you think I took Eleanora from you.”