Page 99 of His Cursed Heart

I walk toward Vincent's crib and I look at his little hands that are on his stomach. Tears swell my eyes at the love I have for this creature. He saved me more than he'll ever know.

I feel the phone buzzing, knowing exactly who it is.

"Ciao, sorella." I whisper so that I don't wake my bug. He's tired and needs his sleep to grow into a man Papa will never be.

"Happy birthday my sweet beauty." Keres says in Italian. My heart cracks at her voice and at the way my body misses her. "My little sister who turned twenty-one years old." I hear her voice crack and I can feel her tears through the phone.

"Grazie". I murmur and let my finger trace Vince's cheek.

"What are you doing?" She softly asks.

"Watching Vince having the sleep of his life." Keres laughs.

"Oh, to be young and untroubled." I bite my tongue when the words 'you were never troubled' want to escape my mouth.

Papa's little girl. Of course she had everything she ever wanted.

And now spoiled by her future husband.

I don't let my heart shatter at the thought.

My sister feels the change of atmosphere and she sighs. "Althea-"

"I think Papa is looking for me, Keres. I should go." The lie comes naturally.

"Oh, okay." I know she's sad or angry because she knows I'm lying, but she doesn't argue with me. "I love you so much, Althea." Yeah, me too.

"I'll always love you more." I say back and hang up quickly.

With one last look at Vince, I walk out of the door and go to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

The house seems empty and I almost sigh in relief.

I take a glass filled with sparkly water with me and I go back to my room. Before going up the stairs I hear voices coming from my Papa's office.

And my only birthday wish is gone.

I get closer to the door and I listen the conversation like a freak.

"Were's our prize Capo?" I hear Enrique asks with curiosity. Enrique is my Papa's second in command. A cunning man worse than my father.

"Yeah, Capo." I hear Teddy Smith, the brother of Chicago's Senator, say with amusement. "I hear you're a man of your word."

"You sick fucks. I was high as a kite when I made

that bet." My Papa snarls. I narrow my eyebrows.

What bet?

"That's on you, fratello. You made a bet with us and you lost it." Pablo, one of Papa's business partner, says.

"We want the girl." Teddy says.

"It's her twenty-first birthday today, no?" Enrique asks with a smirk.

My heart stops and the world around me crushes over me.

M-my father made a bet and gave me a prize? To these men?

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