Page 110 of Bad for You

“Why did you do this? Did I not provide enough for you?”

Bria is quiet, but her trembling breaths reveal she’s on the brink of tears. “It was about power,” she confesses, as it seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. “I liked that my name instilled fear in others. Do you realize how hard it is being your daughter? I’m forever known as Aldo Cattaneo’s daughter. Not Bria.

“This gave me my own identity. I was someone.”

“Bambina, you were always someone. You weremysomeone. My world. Your mother didn’t die—”

“Don’t you dare!” Bria cries, yanking at the chains around her wrists. “She is dead because of you! Because of your stupid drug wars!”

“Yet you follow down the same path as me. I do not understand any of this. I failed you. This is my punishment. And I accept.”

“So choose,” Gianna says, stepping forward and placing her palm on Aldo’s cheek. “Your daughter or your kingdom. For you know, you cannot have both.”

And she’s right.

If Aldo wishes to continue being the top dog, Bria cannot live. It will show weakness. His men will eventually side with Gianna. But Gianna isn’t patient. If he were to step down, Aldo’s men would have no choice but to be loyal to Gianna, for these men have a taste for money and power. There’s no way they would ever turn over a new leaf and walk away from this life of crime.

Aldo looks at me, and I suddenly feel guilty. Like I too betrayed my father. “What would you do if you were me?”

It’s apparent our friendship runs both ways. I respect him, and he respects me. Because of that, he knows my answer.

Fight…

I would rather die fighting than surrender.

He nods, reading between the lines.

“Let them go, and I will agree to your terms,” Aldo finally says, turning into Gianna’s palm. “There was never really a choice, though, was there?”

Gianna leans forward, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

Aldo is rigid, but he accepts his fate.

The moment soon turns when Mario comes running down the stairs, Italian spilling from his lips frantically. When I hear Valentina’s name, I tug so hard at the chains that I almost dislocate my arms.

Gianna’s cool composure is shattered when Valentina walks down the stairs calmly. Her white gown is splattered in dried blood. Her hair is in two braids. My stomach drops.

“Tesoro mio, what have you done?”

My dark angel is no more. In her place lays a killer who wants more bloodshed. She’s had a taste, and now, it’ll never be enough.

“Ciao, Aldo.”

Gianna pales when she too sees the change in Valentina. So this means that whatever Valentina did was of her own accord.

What the fuck is going on?

Before anyone can speak, a blaring siren accompanied by red flashing lights assaults us all, and my fight-or-flight instinct kicks in.

I don’t know what’s happening, but this moment will change history.

Mario pulls a gun on Aldo, but Valentina elbows him in the nose, disarming him. She reaches for the gun, and I wonder if she’s had a change of heart. But when she points the gun at Aldo, I realize that she sees Aldo as her prey.

But why?

He ducks out of the way, but Gianna kicks Valentina’s hand, causing the gun to fly.

More men come running down the stairs, their hysterical cries stating that the security system has been breached, and men swarm the grounds.

---