Page 91 of Luciano

I heard him, but I didn’t hear him.

“But your mother…” he paused, jaw flexing. “She fucked one of my enemies’ sons. After all the blood I spilled in her name, after everything I’d done to build respect back after losing Maria… after Luciano was taken. She made all that moot.”

His voice was tight now, but not remorseful. Just bitter.

“She didn’t even try to hide what she was doing. That’s what pissed me off the most. She made a fool of me. So I did what I had to do.”

I didn’t know if it was rage or nausea crawling up my throat. Maybe both. Everything he was saying was probably true from what I’d pieced together.

But still. She was my mother, and he killed her. My anger couldn’t be reasoned with.

“And you expect me to be understanding?” I asked, nearly yelling.

Vito didn’t react. He leaned back in his chair, eyes cold and unapologetic. “I expect you to be smart,” he said simply. “You’re married to my son now. It’s too late for revenge.”

I said nothing. Just stared. Deciding eventually I would slit his throat.

He continued. “And I expect you to be grateful. I let you leave. I gave you a chance to disappear, to run and hide like your mother should’ve. But you didn’t. You went to the most obvious place—to your father’s family—like it wouldn’t be easy to trace you. You sat in that life and wasted the time I bought you.”

My jaw clenched.

“I knew Luciano would come for you eventually,” he said. “As soon as he handled the men who took his mother from him, I knew you’d be next. He’d go looking. I knew you would end up right where you are the moment I saw the way he looked at you. When he disobeyed me and went to that school and nearly killed that kid because of you.”

“You’re framing this as my fault?”

“No. I do think,” he said slowly, “you’re part of the reason you’re here. I stalled. I gave you time. Even after everything your mother cost me.”

His condescending words crawled under my skin like ants.

“After she betrayed me,” he added, “I still fed you. Protected you. Clothed you. Kept the Colombians from finishing what they started. Until this day, you’re under my protection from them. You don’t have to like me, Ava—but I kept you breathing. That should count for something.”

I could feel my blood heating beneath my skin. He was such a self-righteous motherfucker.

“You might not like what I did, but you understand it.”

The worst part?

I did. I understood that there were no clean hands in this world. And it was natural to try and justify the mess the you made.

I nodded, giving him that.

“I know you’ve got a mean streak under that soft skin. I saw that hatred in your eyes for me. I knew you would have shot me instead of Luciano if you could have. Don’t make me kill you Aria. I know you’re plotting against me.”

I didn’t deny it.

He leaned forward slightly. “You won’t be able to turn Luciano against me either. You won’t be able to trick him into pulling the trigger like Aria did Saint. I know you’ve talked to her. Don’t let her put any ideas in that pretty little head of yours. Luciano’s not that weak.”

I smiled.

Slow. Even. Sweet.

“No,” I said. “I wouldn’t do that.”

That much was true. I didn’t need to. If it came down to it and I asked, Luciano would do it willingly.

But that wouldn’t please me.

Because the truth was, I didn’t want Luciano to take that burden.

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