Page 124 of Diavolo

Alessandro's smile looked positively feral when he replied, "Neither would I."

She shivered in spite of herself. "We're a bit frightening."

"No," he corrected, "you and I are a force to be reckoned with."

Elyse thought of Stefano and Mikey again. "I guess, it's better to be feared than to be afraid. I hate feeling helpless."

"Do you still feel helpless,cuore mio?"

"Sometimes."

"What frightens you?"

"Many things."

"Tell me your fears, and I will take them away one by one."

She shook her head. "That's not necessary. Let me find my own strength. To face my fears.One by one. I simply need you to stand by me while I try."

Alessandro's mouth curved up. "As you wish."

"Thank you, Alessio."

Elyse kissed his smile until it grew even wider and happier. A comfortable silence stretched between them as he held her in his arms. But the ring of his phone soon cut through their peace. Alessandro answered it,"Pronto."

His expression grew darker and more troubled as the conversation carried on. When he hung up, Elyse asked, "What's wrong?"

"My father..."

She urged, "What about him?"

"He has been wanting to meet you, but I put it off because. Thestronzois not worthy of your company."

Goosebumps pricked her skin. Elyse sensed what Alessandro was about to say before he said it. Most likely, Vincenzo Vitale wouldn't be long for this world.

"It appears I cannot delay anymore," Alessandro muttered.

Sadness and dread crept into Elyse's heart for two separate reasons. The nature of terminal illness was always a sad, dreadful affair, but her father-in-law's death would also cement Alessandro's title ascapo, which felt sad and dreadful in a completely different way. Her husband looked as though he was in shock. She reached over to grip Alessandro's hand.

"Take me to him," Elyse said in gentle tones, "and we can say our goodbyes together."

28

Elyse and Alessandro arrivedat his father's home at a quarter to three. The Vitales' ancestral villa was built in a traditional Sicilian Baroque style with a highly decorated facade made of local volcanic lava stone. Husband and wife walked through the main courtyard. Dappled in the afternoon's sunlit golds, the garden was beautiful even though it was slightly unkempt, filled with decaying statues and aged fountains.

They entered the house. Two elderly gentlemen in black and gray suits led Elyse and Alessandro down several hallways. The tall, thin man introduced himself as Tommaso while the shorter, portlier one was named Bernardo. They entered a shadowy chamber together. Even though the sun was still shining outside, the curtains were drawn in the bedroom. It made the room feel stale, dim, and dark. A sense of inevitability permeated the air.

Vincenzo Vitale was resting on a plain four-poster bed in the middle of the room. Thin, graying hair framed a gaunt skeletal face. Elyse saw traces and hints of her husband's features in the shape of Vincenzo's nose and the cut of his jawline.

Yet, Alessandro was a vision of health and virility while every breath his father took sounded staggered and strained. Cancer had eaten away the oldcapo'svitality, giving his flesh the appearance of being smaller and frailer than his actual height and frame. Little more than a breathing corpse, he was a withering bag of bones. A fallen king waiting to meet his maker.

Elyse's heart went out to this man who, in a cruel twist of fate, had somehow become her father, too. Deathwasthe ultimate unifier. It didn't pick and choose favorites. The reaper came whether or not souls were ready to depart. No rhyme or reason necessary. Out of respect for their new bond as family, she prayed that Vincenzo's final moments would pass in comfort, so that he might be relieved from the agony of his disease. Elyse was mostly a woman of science, not really one of God, but she felt quite certain that, if there was such a thing as an afterlife, a murderous felon like Alessandro's father was going to hell. The old fucker deserved a bit pf peace before he burned.

Alessandro cleared his throat."Questa è mia moglie, padre."This is my wife, father.

A haggard voice croaked back,"La ragazza Graviano?"

Vincenzo was referring to her asthe Graviano girl. Elyse stepped forward. "My name is Elyse Romero. This meeting feels long overdue."

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