Page 145 of Thorns of Death

It was hard to speak. My tongue was heavy and so were my limbs—probably due to the drugs I was sure they’d given me. Not that I could move either way, considering I was chained to the goddamnchair.

“Nothing to think about,” she said as she casually sauntered over to me, opening the cap from a water bottle and splashing it against my face. “I’ve always wanted them dead. But now, we’ll keep my eldest son alive. Once I kill my husband”—I had to rein in my features,the stupid bitch didn’t even notice that he wasn’t her husband—“we’ll take over the Marchetti business and make it into something better.”

Jesus, the woman was delusional. And what did she mean “my eldest son”? What was she planning to do with Amadeo? But then I caught myself. She wouldn’t have a chance to do anything to either one of them. They weren’t her sons. She didn’t raise them. All she did was hurt them.

“Donatella, don’t tell her too many of our plans,” Sofia said in a cold voice. Her cold eyes met mine and she continued, “And to be clear, she means your husband. We’ll end him.”

I blinked in confusion. That almost sounded as if she knew that Enrico wasn’t Enrico?

The former seemed unfazed. “It’s not like she’s getting out of this alive.”

“How do you two know each other?” I breathed, hoping to buy some time. Honestly, I didn’t give a fuck how they met or even less how they’d ended up in a relationship.

It was Sofia who answered. “I checked myself into a clinic years ago. Imagine my surprise when I ran into the late Donatella Marchetti.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, at least you knew your marbles were not all there and tried to get yourself some help. Should have stayed there, really.”

One second I was glaring at her and the next my head whipped back, my cheek exploding in pain. I swore I saw stars for the second time that night—night? Week? I had no idea. I registered a metallic taste flooding my mouth. For an old woman, she was surprisingly strong.

I had to get out of here. If there was a way to go, it couldn’t be with two fucking lunatics in a cold, dark room.

Ignoring Sofia, I returned my attention to her weaker half. “Why are you doing this, Donatella?” Her gaze made me feel sick to my stomach. “This bitch is just using you. You’re blind if you can’t see that.”

She lunged at me, her hand connecting with my cheek again. The chains rattled and my head whipped to the side.

“Because the Marchettis stole from my family,” she screeched like the madwoman she was.

“Stole what?” I asked, my lip throbbing and warm liquid trickling down my chin.Blood. “And what does that have to do with me?”

She stood in front of me, the whiff of her strong perfume making me nauseous. “They stole my family’s business.” I scrunched my eyebrows. Her explanation made no sense. The Marchettis’ businesses had been around for a long time. “Five generations ago.”

“Five generations,” I repeated dumbfoundedly. “How?”

“They stole my family’s business fifty years ago. Brothels. Drugs. All of it. We’d thrived. We were the most powerful family in Europe. But then the Marchettis pushed us out, like the sneaky, backstabbing assholes they were and still are. They stole our businesses and forced my family line to work for them. Five Italian families at the table now and not one of them ours. It’s a disgrace.”

I blinked. “Fifty years ago?”

“Haven’t you been listening?” she screamed, and I reeled back. Except, there was nowhere to go.

“Your family has been holding a grudge for fifty years,” I said, the concept sounding ludicrous. Maybe her whole family was crazy. “Don’t you think it’s time to let it go?”

“Giulio and I are owed a seat at the table.”

“What table?” She waved her hand like I was too dumb to understand. “What fucking table?” I hissed.

“The Omertà’s table.”

People were really obsessed with power. “And what would you do once at that table?” I questioned.

That must have caught her by surprise, because her eyes darted to Sofia. I couldn’t hold my scoff back as realization dawned on me. It was Sofia Volkov who was orchestrating it all.

“Donatella’s family suffered,” Sofia declared, her voice so fucking annoying. I sincerely doubted she cared about Donatella or her family. “Killing every woman who wed into the family wasn’t enough. We’ll take their entire empire from them, and Donatella’s son will help us.”

Fury swarmed me, suffocating me. I kicked against my restraints, the chair lifting off the ground only to drop again. “You won’t touch Enzo. He’ll never fucking listen to you. He hates your crazy fucking ass. For everything you have done to him and Amadeo.”

That earned me another slap across my cheek. Then a punch.

Sofia’s heels clicked on the concrete floor as she made her way over. She moved like a snake, her dead eyes freezing my soul.