Page 79 of Scarred Hearts

“I don’t give a fuck who?—”

“Enough!” Giovanna barked. “You two,” she pointed between her brothers, “neither of you are in charge. I am, and you will do as I say. Dad didn’t leave either of you in charge. He gave it to me, and if you overstep me, I’ll have you both dragged outside and beaten senseless.”

I glimpsed Ian and Luke, who were watching with raised brows, but Ian stepped forward, summoning everyone’s attention. “Your father,” he said, picking up the stack of papers off the table they’d been moved to, “left his strict orders in this file. It was found after his passing. It’s settled and her ceremony will be as soon as she’s ready.”

“Wait,” Carmine scoffed at Giovanna, “is he serious?”

She nodded once as Ian shoved the file into Carmine’s hands.

“Wow,” Enzo smiled, “alright. I have no prob with it.”

Carmine glared at her. “A woman? In charge of the family? That’s laughable.”

I scowled. “It’s less laughable than you, who got busted and sent to prison. I doubt she would’ve been caught.”

Enzo let out a laugh. “Damn, maybe you should be the one in charge.”

I glanced down at Giovanna. “No, I think she’s going to be great.”

“So, we’re just supposed to listen to you?” Carmine protested.

“You don’t have to,” Giovanna smirked, “but it’ll just cause problems for you. I’ll give you one chance to step away from the family if that’s what you want. Otherwise, you pledge your lives to me and do whatever the hell I say.”

Everything Giovanna did turned me on. I marveled at her ability to step up into her new role. Ian and Luke were watching her like proud older brothers.

Carmine lifted a hand to his chin in thought for a moment before he replied. “No, I got your back. I’m just fucking shocked, and it makes no sense to me right now, but fine. I’m in.”

“Me too and?—”

“Knock Knock,” Angelo called out from the doorway, summoning our attention to him. “Gia,” he closed his eyes, letting out a sigh, “there’s something that… well…” He turned around toward the door just as Frankie appeared in the doorway with a man I’d never seen before.

They had their arms linked around the man between them, who appeared to be barely standing on his own two feet. As they made their way into the room, the battered man finally lifted his head, revealing a gruesome face covered in bruises and blood. Now, I barely recognized him.

Instinctively, I traced my own fading scars, remembering the terrifying moment when I thought I would die in front of Ian and Chance at the hands of the Mussolini family. A chill ran down my spine as Giovanna’s piercing scream filled the room, bringing me back to reality.

“LUCA!” She sprinted toward him, grabbing him as Frankie and the stranger let him go. His legs buckled under him as he collapsed onto the hard wooden floor with a thin, black-and-gold rug, feeling his kneecaps crack from the impact. She rushed to gather him in her arms, holding him tightly as tears streamed down her face.

“You son of a fucking bitch!” Enzo snapped.

“I’m glad he’s back so we can finish the job!” Carmine added.

“NO!” Giovanna bellowed. “You will NOT hurt him!” She turned back to Luca. “Who did this to you?”

Carmine laughed. “Someone who’s on our side, obviously.”

“We can finish it!” Enzo snapped.

Giovanna gawked at them in anger. “You’re not touching him!”

“He’s the reason dad’s dead!” Carmine argued.

“No,” Luca mumbled.

Slowly, I rounded the desk, unsure if I needed to get involved with the family drama or not. God knows, I’d had my fair share. Ian, Luke, and I exchanged a glance when Luca looked up at me. My blood ran cold. I hurried over to him, grabbing his jaw harshly. Moving it back and forth, I examined the markings on his face. They were identical to mine.

“Mussolini,” I rumbled under my breath.

“What?” Ian asked, taking a step closer.

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