Page 8 of King

In a flash, Dante is on top of Guido, rolling in the muddy grass, soaked by hours of rain.

Guido kicks and tries to block the punches, but Dante is stronger, tall for his age and full of anger after losing his mother.

Guido screams my name and I run towards him, trying to pull Dante off him. “Please, stop.” I shout. But it’s as though Dante can’t hear. His grief has blinded him to everything other than what is right in front of his face.

He punches Guido again and I scream at Giovanni to do something.

Giovanni reluctantly grabs Dante and lifts him off Guido.

I kneel beside Guido in the mud and pull him into my arms, cradling his face in my hands, to see how bad he looks.

A trail of blood runs down the side of his mouth, quickly washed away by the rain, but otherwise he looks ok - it’s his heart that has suffered more pain than his body.

Giovanni holds out his hand and pulls me to my feet.

“Can’t you see you’re causing problems here. Just go.” He snaps.

I pull my hand away from his and anger surges inside me.

“I’m not leaving until you acknowledge your son.” I shout, my words almost drowned away by a rumble of thunder above us.

Giovanni glances in panic towards the guests.

“Keep you fucking voice down.” He warns me.

THREE

giovanni

Rain beats heavily from the sky and I’m grateful that it’s hushing her words and only my sons, standing right here, are able to hear what she’s saying.

I can’t have the guests, the rest of the family, hearing any of this.

That is a scandal I don’t need.

Not now.

What the fuck is she doing this to me?

Zina looks beautiful, even soaked, with her long dark hair falling in streams over her shoulders, her eyelashes glittering as rain drops drip from them - she looks as beautiful as the first day I saw her.

A day that changed my life in ways I’ve spent sixteen years trying to deny.

I’ve always loved my Bella, and I never wanted to hurt her. But when I met Zina, something inside me snapped. It’s like the universe was taunting me with the woman I was supposed to have married - the woman who is more perfect for me that anyone else could ever have been. She was wild and energetic. Full of life. Daring and fun. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

But I couldn’t keep her.

I couldn’t have her.

It would have torn Bella apart if she found out what I’d done, and my duty was to my son’s, my wife - as the leader of this family. I had no choice but to turn my back on her.

Rain splashes over Zina’s lips and I stare at them, remembering the past, and the way she’d once molded her body against mine.

I squeeze my eyes shut and let out an agitated breath.

Behind me, my sons are arguing. They’re fighting over whether or not it could be true. But all three of them are adamant I would never have done that to their mother.

My heart is weighing heavily with guilt. I don’t want them to think of me as a man who would have hurt their mother in that way.

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