Page 88 of Fierce Hearts

"My own brother…" Caterina's clenched her jaw, closing her eyes for a moment. "My husband, my son, my other brother, sweet Litizia, and little, innocent Edmondo…" Her voice broke the slightest bit as she opened her eyes. "He's a damn bastard."

"He is," Bianca whispered through the phone, and my heart ached for them both. Hearing that family, such close family, had hurt his own like this, was shattering. He was Caterina's blood brother, and Bianca's father.

And yet, they'd been the ones I'd believed would be the best to go to for support. If I could rally them with me, then I could get the family. I just hated the pain I'd have to bring them for it.

"I wish I could say I can't believe it…" Bianca's voice cracked. "Marco, God, this isn't fair at all."

"He arranged it," Gray spoke up. "We believe he made a deal with the Ference family. Marco's death was the first step in a larger plan—one that included marrying Sofia off to Juan, then having her killed off down the line. He wanted there to be none of the true Savoca line left."

"Which leaves me wondering how my death would have been set about," Caterina mused, holding her hand to her face. I realized she was still wearing her wedding ring, and she was pressing it to her lips. "I never did trust my brother, even when we were young. And after losing Gio and Orlando, and him saying it was just a bad call… Now to find all of this out. And Marco. Marco was his son."

Caterina's hand trembled as she reached for her glass. "I always knew he was ambitious, but this..."

"Cara needs to know," Bianca's voice was soft. "And my mom needs the truth. She deserves to know what kind of monster she's married to."

"She'll never believe it coming from us," I said. "She's always been loyal to him."

"She'll believe it coming from me, hopefully,” Bianca said. "And when she sees the proof... Marco was her world. She worshipped my brother, how he was trying to change things."

"The entire family will turn against him once this comes out," Caterina stated. "Marco was loved by everyone. And those deaths years ago, those wounds never healed. Most of the family only follows Ernesto out of fear. Not loyalty."

"Then we use that," I said with determination. "We expose Ernesto for what he is, and we offer an alternative. A Savoca by blood, backed by blood. The one who was named as underboss before Marco, who was trained by my father."

"With the backing of the Donati family as well," Gray added. "Canzio has pledged his full support."

Caterina sipped her water before leaning back and playing with her necklace. I wondered if it had been a gift from Orlando or Gio. She may have always seemed tough, but she was also sentimental.

"It won't be easy," Bianca warned, speaking as if she was well beyond her years. I hated that this life, this family, had made her grow up ahead of time. "Ernesto still has his loyalists. And challenging him directly could spark a war within the family."

"Better that than letting him destroy everything and everyone from the inside out," I said. "Better that than watching more innocent people die for his ambition."

"I'm with you," Bianca said through the phone. "Whatever you need."

"We'll need to move carefully," Caterina cautioned. "Gather more support before confronting Ernesto directly. And we'll need to approach Julia delicately. Offer her proof as well if she wants it."

"I'll speak to her, and if she doesn't listen, then I'm sure she'll listen to you, aunt Caterina."

"Yes. And I'll reach out to Cara. She deserves to know all of this. Although, perhaps I'll wait until we have the evidence as well." Caterina arched a brow at me expectantly, and I nodded.

"Of course, I'll get it to you as soon as I can."

I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. I wasn't alone in this fight. I had allies—strong women who had survived in this world by being smarter and more resilient than the men gave them credit for. Even Bianca, who I knew had had to change to survive even at her young age.

"What about the meeting between Canzio and Ernesto?" Caterina asked, glancing at Gray. "I heard that they were meeting this evening as well. What do they hope to accomplish?"

"It's mostly a distraction," Gray explained. "Ernesto and Juan reached out, claiming they wanted to discuss a peaceful resolution. Canzio doesn't believe them for a second, but he saw an opportunity. While they're focused on him and Leo, we could come here."

"They're desperate," I added. "They tried to find someone within the Donati organization they could buy off, but they failed. Now they're looking for another angle."

"Which makes them dangerous," Caterina said. "Desperate men make reckless choices."

"We're prepared for that," Gray assured her. "Canzio didn't go in blind. He has security measures in place."

I nodded, trying to ignore the knot of worry in my gut. Leo and Canzio were more than capable of handling themselves, but Ernesto had proven how far he was willing to go.

"We should discuss next steps. How do we approach the men? When do we confront Ernesto?"

"First, we need to secure Julia's support," I said. "Without her, this will be much harder. I don't want her getting caught up in this and getting hurt. I don't want anyone getting hurt if I can help it."

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