Page 84 of The Last Vendetta

Gio nodded, frowning.

“And you let her live?” I demanded.

“I felt that the best payback was to let her live with the fact that I still would not choose her with Arianna out of the way. That I’d rather be content forever with the memory of my wife, my love, than ever bothering with Isabella at all.”

“You truly believe that Giulia’s mother killed my mother?”

Gio sighed. “I do.”

Dean nodded, added his input silently.

“And you suspect she’s also killed Luka?” I asked, unable to believe this twist. “Why?”

“Because she wants to attack me. Us. Our name. In any way she can.” Again, he gripped my arm, now holding both.

I wasn’t sure if he held on to anchor himself or if he needed to emphasize his wishes stronger.

“You must end her, Renzo. You must.”

I must. Because if Giulia ran out of here and had any plan to run home, where her calculating, murderous mother might be waiting for her, I couldn’t risk losing her to the psychopath too.

“Go!” Gio ordered, releasing me with a shove.

Dean nodded at me, running with me as I rushed out of the house to hurry to the Acardi residence.

If she was safe somewhere else, I’d do what I'd set out to do so long ago. Since Luka’s wedding reception.

I’d avenge my brother’s death, and afterward, I would run away with my woman.

I didn’t want to be tasked with cleaning up the messy remainders of my father screwing up with that woman.

I wanted to count on my future with the daughter of my enemy.

Because I wasn’t sure if there was anywhere on this earth that could get us far enough away from this twisted, sordid drama spanning multiple generations. And neither Giulia nor I needed that kind of an obstacle to our love.

27

GIULIA

Giulia

Iran until I reached the road, amazed that I was able to flee on my bare feet for that long. The further I sprinted from the Bernardi mansion, the more determined I was to get away for good.

I’d go home and set up safer locations for my sisters. Marianna would help. Beatrice and Lucia enjoyed visiting a distant cousin, and I was sure that I could ask them to help keep them away from my mother, away from this place.

I didn’t need all this wealth and pomp and fuss that came with being the daughter of an elite Mafia Family. My younger sisters didn’t care for this lifestyle, either.

Regardless, I couldn’t trust my mother with my life and future. I couldn’t trust her with my sisters’, either.

But I knew I wasn’t alone. I'd trusted Uncle Dario, and he was now gone. Francis would be an ally. And Renzo would always have my heart and faith.

I’ll run, and when it’s safe, I’ll ask him to come to me. To start over a new life outside the Mafia, if he can choose to do that.

Now that he was Giovanni’s second in line, I wasn’t sure if he’d be able to give it up. It sounded like he wasn’t enjoying the change from being the spare to the next leader, the prince, but I understood that duty was defined differently for the men in our world.

First, get to safety. Then, plan for the future.

I flagged down a ride once I reached a busier road, and I was grateful for memorizing the number of my account to pay for the transportation.

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