Page 45 of Bullet for My Good Girl

"You don't have it. Like I said they'll only be there for Thanksgiving. You've got three days to do your recon and set up what you need to set up. You already seem quite distracted. If I were you I'd worry about what weapons you'd need to bring instead of this gash." My father flicks his hand in Stella's direction before he walks toward the front door. "Oh, Giancarlo, your wife is waiting. Don't take too long."

With that, he walks out of the house as if he didn't just upend everyone's life.

Diego steps up to me and grabs my shoulder. I can see the concern etched on his face. This is likely the last time I'll see any of my family. "I'll watch her." He offers up and even though it's not ideal I'll take it.

At least I know she'll be safe. At least for now.

Twenty-Five

Stella

Talk about things going from bad to fucking catastrophic.

Vitto might have been a murderous stalker who was obsessed with me but I never thought I'd be simply pushed aside to fend for myself and Chance just because his father doesn't like that we had a child out of wedlock.

I've never even heard of a family dynamic like this and here I am smack dab in the middle of it.

The second their father walked out the entire house erupted in motion. Giancarlo went to check on Rosie, Christine and the rest of the siblings got on the phone talking to God knows who but Vitto just stood there in place as if he didn't know the next steps.

The feeling was mutual.

At this point, I'd probably have better luck going back to the police and giving them another shot at protecting us.

My breath comes in fast and heavy and the room begins to spin. I'm too overwhelmed and at a complete loss as to what I need to be doing right now. All I can think about doing is getting away.

As quietly as I can I grab the rest of my stuff. I need to get out of here.

"What do you mean it's going to be okay Gian? You're breaking up with me." Rosie hisses and I hear something drop on the other side of the door.

My hand hovers over the doorknob unsure of what I should do.

"Rosie, you heard my father. I don't have a choice. I'd rather you be alive than worry about disobeying him." Giancarlo's voice is soft as if he doesn't want to hurt her anymore.

"You don't have to do everything he says! We can leave. Run away. You don't have to stay!" She yells at him.

"I do!" he yells back. "You know I do. There's nowhere that we can go that one of them won't find me. Nowhere I can hide you that they won't take you away. I don't want this but it's the only choice I have."

"So that's it then. All these years meant nothing to you?"

"They were everything and you know it. I'm not happy about this... maybe we can still..."

"Still what? You think I'm going to be your home wrecking whore while you run off and marry someone else? Is that the kind of person you think I am Giancarlo? You think I'm going to lay here waiting in this bed for the scraps of your attention while you go off and fuck some other woman?"

"Rosie, don't act like-"

A sharp slap jerks my hand away from the doorknob and I take a few steps back. I don't know who I feel worse for. Rosie or Giancarlo.

"Don't you dare tell me what I should act like. Get away from me. Get out of my house. Out of my life!" Rosie screams and I hustle to the other side of the hall when I hear heavy footsteps pounding toward the door.

The door swings open and Giancarlo's eyes catch mine for a quick second. The anger is clear on his face but I can also see the hurt. This is killing him. To think that his own father is the one to do this to him is sickening.

I think about going in and consoling Rosie but honestly, what can I say?

"Are you going to stand there the entire time?"

My head whips to the other side and I see Vitto staring at me. I've got no idea when he came up beside me. Everything feels so rushed and on edge I can't keep up.

"They were talking. I didn't want to disturb." I replied and rocked Chance against my chest, he'd just started to whine again. I'm sure he was probably hungry.

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