Page 63 of Scar

“You can't shield him forever,” he reminds me. “He's already a part of this world; it's better for him to learn from the best rather than go off on his own.”

“Scar, you know Rafi is more than capable,” Caleph chimes in. “Trust his skills and don't let your emotions cloud your judgement. He's an invaluable asset to the operation.”

Their words are not telling me anything I don't already know. However, I cannot shake off the unease of having my brother involved in the criminal underworld.

“When will you be joining us in Seattle?” Dante asks before they turn to leave. Their private jet awaits them, and they are both eager to return to their wives.

The question catches me off guard. We rarely venture out of our small corner of the world. Nonetheless, I nod and promise that I will make time soon.

“Excellent,” Dante nods, turning to Caleph with a knowing look. “Our wives have been pestering us about meeting Allegra. You should bring her along.”

I finally gather the courage to reveal a long-hidden truth. “I feel you should know that it was Benita who shot you all those years ago,” I tell Don Marone. Everyone turns their eyes towards me in shock. Everyone except Don Marone, that is. He raises an eyebrow curiously, probably wondering how I have come to possess this information.

“You knew,” Allegra accuses, her voice tinged with anger and betrayal. It's old news now but at least it provides some context for my actions. Don Marone steadies himself on his crutches and moves away from the fireplace to sit down on a nearby sofa, stretching out his injured leg. My brothers are scattered throughout the room, observing the scene with intrigue. There's a heavy weight of finality hanging over us like a dark cloud, but they seem resigned to the fact that our mother is no longer with us.

“Before I met your mother,” Don Marone begins, looking at Allegra before turning his gaze towards me, “I was deeply in love with Helena Gatti.” He smiles wistfully at the memory. Allegra looks at her mother, who remains unfazed by her husband's confession. She seems comfortable with his past and has no qualms about hearing him speak of it.

“Helena and Salvatore were very close,” Don Marone continues, “but she worried that Sal would not approve of our relationship. He always wanted a different life for his sister. She begged me not to tell Sal, although we were getting closer to making that decision.”

“What happened?” Allegra asks after a moment of tense silence.

“People often assume that it was my relationship with Helena that caused our falling out,” Don Marone sayscryptically. “But that wasn't the reason Salvatore and I went our separate ways.”

This is a revelation for all of us, and we wait in anticipation for Don Marone to reveal more.

“I survived the hit, which was never officially solved. I had my own suspicions about Benita; she had been causing strife between Sal and I for months. I conducted my own investigations, and everything pointed to her. But Sal refused to listen. He wouldn't hear it. Between his disbelief and the lies she fed him, he sided with his wife, and we ended our partnership.”

“So he didn't blame you for Aunt Helena's death,” Brando murmurs, voicing the question that weighs on all of our minds. Would things have turned out differently if Don Marone and Salvatore had not parted ways?

“Turns out, he knew about Helena all along. But he was waiting for me to make the first move and talk to him. He always knew,” Don Marone admits.

“You met my father two years ago,” I remind him. I've always been curious about that encounter, especially since my father never mentioned it.

“We bumped into each other downtown and decided to grab a cup of coffee. We talked about where we were in our lives; professionally we heard things here and there, but we didn't know much about each other's personal lives. Sal confided in me that he believed Benita may have been responsible for the shooting, and he had finally come to terms with the idea that she may have killed his own sister. Her indifference after Christiano's death solidified everything for him. He never forgave her for her heartlessness.”

“It must have brought clarity,” I suggest, and Don Marone nods in agreement.

“We discussed the blood oath,” he continues. “He told me he wouldn't hold me to it, but you had different plans.”

“I didn't know,” I counter. “You could have told me.” Confusion furrows my brow as I wonder why he didn't tell me that my father had released him from the blood oath. And then he explains it to me.

“It doesn't matter now. You did the right thing by marrying Allegra when you did,” Don Marone reassures me. “The vultures were circling, who knows what would have happened without your protection.”

CHAPTER 56 – SCAR

I wrap my arms around Allegra, pulling her close as we lay in the soft, luxurious sheets. She takes a bite of a strawberry and savors its sweetness before letting out a contented purr.

“Mmmm, this is the life,” she says with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

I raise an eyebrow, teasingly asking, “What do you mean? You had everything you needed at the estate.”

Allegra shifts slightly, her fingers tracing patterns on my chest absentmindedly. “It’s not the same. Hotel service just doesn't compare to being at home.”

“So, you want to stay here forever?” I ask playfully, but my eyes are searching for her true intentions.

“Hell no. I'm loving this, but it doesn't feel permanent. My bed, my wardrobe, my bathroom - those are the creature comforts I'm used to,” she explains.

I chuckle and pull her closer to me. “You're a woman of contradictions, Allegra.”

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