Page 108 of Victorious Vice

His biggest regret?

Not his violation of me? Of Mikey? Of our mother?

Not all the merciless killings?

But at least he’s showingsomeemotion.

I swallow down my bitterness and manage a nod. “Then don’t make the same mistake again. If she chooses you, you’ll both get your happily-ever-after in some tropical paradise. If not, then at least you gave her the respect of a choice.”

“What about you, Vinnie?” he asks, dragging his gaze from the floor to meet mine. “What doyouget out of it?”

My heart clenches. What doIget? A kingdom built on blood and violence…and the chance to make it into something better.

“I get a chance,” I reply, “to prove that the Bianchi family can be more than its past.”

A slow, reluctant smile tugs at the corners of Mario’s lips. His eyes glimmer with a mixture of pride and resignation.

“I always thought you had potential,” he admits. His gaze never leaves mine, the somber resignation in his eyes slowly replaced by a flicker of hope. “I just hope you’re ready, Vinnie.”

“Ready for what?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at him.

He smirks at me, the ghost of the man I grew up fearing coming back to life in that fleeting smile. “For everything that comes next. You think you can handle it?”

The question hangs in the air between us, heavier than any silence we’ve shared tonight. It’s not just about running the family business anymore. It’s about proving myself, changing decades’ worth of tradition and expectation.

I lift my chin up and meet his challenging gaze with determination. “I can handle it.”

37

RAVEN

Jared rushes toward us, gesturing, his gun in his hand. “You need to stay put,” he commands.

“Austin!” Mom yells.

“Quiet, Mrs. Bellamy,” Jared says. “Just keep your mouth shut. Move out. Move out into the yard. Now!”

I grab Mom’s hand. “Come on. We need to do what Jared says.”

“Austin!” she yells again.

“Mom,” I say. “You heard Jared. Be quiet.” I pull her across the deck, to the stairs, out into the yard. “Let’s go to the pool house. We’ll be safe there.”

But she yanks my hand out of hers and runs back toward the house.

“Mom, no!”

But she’s gone, out of my grasp.

I have no choice but to follow her. I can’t let my mother be in any kind of danger.

She rushes through the French doors and into the house. “Austin!”

I follow her, grabbing her arm. “Mom, please.”

She yanks free again. “Don’t you understand? There’s no one home. No one but us.”

Shit.

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