Page 88 of Broken Mafia Bride

A bitter laugh slips out of my mouth when it suddenly hits me—I spent years of my life trying not to be my father, trying to be a different man. I made different decisions, allowed myself to fall in love… but somehow, I’ve ended up exactly like him: a bitter man with a family and a marriage he wants no part of.

Maybe fate is truly as cruel as Giulia says. Maybe it would have always come to this no matter the path I took.

I tilt my head back and allow the water to run down my face. Here, at least, I can lie to myself—that the shower is the reason my face is wet, and not because, for the first time since I was a scarred, helpless little boy, my heart is in pieces, and I can’t hold back the tears.

27

GIULIA

I’m the last to step into my grandfather’s office, and judging by the tense atmosphere I walk into, the men were probably arguing… again. Over the past few days, I’ve grown desensitized to the arguments between my grandfather and father.

The smallest things trigger them into barking at each other like feral dogs. I can’t say I’m disappointed, because that would mean that I had any expectations in the first place.

A deep sigh escapes my mouth, and I glance between my father and Lucio. “What now?”

Papa clears his throat and fixes his gaze on me. “There is some good news.”

I perk up at the words. “You’ve found her? You know where she is? Why are we still here? Let’s go get her.”

“We found someone, but it’s not your daughter,” he says.

“They found a woman who matches the description of the lady who you said took Noemi.” It’s only when he speaks that I realize Raffaele is in the room.

My gaze snaps to the dark corner of the room where he’s leaning against a bookshelf, ankles crossed. My eyes take himin fully. Back in Chicago, Raffaele’s staple outfits were dark, designer suits, but he’s relaxed his wardrobe since arriving in Sardegna, trading the suits for jeans.

Today, though, he’s gone for something in the middle. Casual dark pants loosely mold over his long, muscular legs, and a dark Henley stretches over broad shoulders and muscled arms. I lick my lips at the sight of him, his words taking a moment to register.

Until they finally hit.

“Wait, w-what?” I blurt out. “You found Nelly?”

“We found her,” my father grumbles. “Her name’s not Nelly, obviously, but we managed to track down a Martina living in a low-income neighborhood here in Sardegna.”

“So what are we waiting for?” I bark out, glancing at either man. “We’re wasting precious time when we should be on our way to get her. Each second we waste is another second where she could slip away from our fingers.”

“I already have my men on standby,” Lucio informs me. “They’re ready to move at a moment’s notice. I just called you here to keep you informed.”

“Raffaele will lead them,” my father adds quickly, unwilling to be left out.

When I glance over at Raffaele, he nods. “I’ll find this Nelly woman, and I’m going to make her sing like a canary. Don’t worry, Giulia, you’re one step away from having Noemi back.”

I blink at him. “I’m coming with you.”

“No way?—”

“No, you’re not?—”

“No way in hell?—”

Lucio, my father, and Raffaele thunder at the same time. Divided by their morals and convictions and united by their alpha male bullshit.

“I’m not just going to sit around and wait for you to bring my daughter home. I need to do something.”

“You can’t go out there, it’s dangerous,” Lucio hisses. “You’ll just end up getting in the men’s way.”

“I bet I can outshoot every single man under your command,” I say, locking eyes with Lucio, defiant. “I won’t sit on my ass and trust a bunch of people who’ve never even seen Noemi to bring her home. I can identify this Nelly-slash-Martina woman, and my daughter is far more likely to listen to me if something goes wrong. If I tell her to run, she’ll run.”

“It’s still not safe for you. I’m not—” Lucio starts.