Page 131 of Massimo

"Who the hell let them in the gates without giving us a heads up?" Gemma hisses.

Massimo. I needMassimo.

But he isn't here right now. He went to meet with Ash and Dom. He insisted Gabe stay here with me and went with Vito.

Fear coils inside me, a living, breathing thing. I can feel it crawling under my skin, telling me to run, to escape the threat that's here for me.

Gabe rushes to me. "Massimo is on his way home," he reassures me, likely seeing my terror.

"The staff quarters, Gabe," Jerome says. "Go quickly."

"I fuckingknewit."

I freeze at the harsh voice. Looking up, I watch Vincenzo Pisani walk into the kitchen and stare into his cold, hard eyes. Beside him is a man who resembles Massimo and looks like he could be his father. I know Tommaso has died, so this must be Tommaso's brother, Marco.

"Get the fuck out of here, Pisani," Gabe warns.

Vincenzo takes a step toward me and both Gabe and Gemma pull their guns.

"Gemma. Gabe. Lower your weapons," Marco commands.

"Not a fucking chance,Zio," Gemma grits.

"I mean no harm to the Mancini Princess. Hand her over, and I'll take care of everything," Vincenzo says almost pleasantly.

"Bullshit," Gabe growls.

"The fuck we will." Gemma widens her stance. "Get the fuck out of here. You've been told twice, Vincenzo."

I'm shaking. If they shoot a Don of another family—anunarmedDon—this will mean war. My head spins at the thought that they'd do this, and I grip the counter beside me as dizziness assaults me.

"Gemma and Gabe, lower your weapons," Marco says in a raised, firm voice. "We will not have war over aMancini."

I feel the blood drain from my face, and I sway again.

All the horrible things my father is responsible for—against innocents and against their family… I can't blame them for their hate.

"Give me the Mancini Princess!" Vincenzo shouts, his pleasant and calm demeanor falling. He makes to move toward me, looking almost desperate.

The cocking of a gun behind him stops him.

"Her name is Nova. And she'smyprincess."

My eyes fly to where that deep, lethal voice came from, rumbling like a seismic tremor.

Massimo stands behind Vincenzo, pressing a gun to the back of his head.

Vincenzo lifts his hands, his eyes trained on me. "Son…she's not worth—" His words cut off as Massimo presses the gun harder into his head. He looks genuinely afraid and even more desperate. "I promise, I mean her no harm."

"Massimo, lower your weapon, and we'll talk about this," Marco reasons, eyeing his nephew.

"Zio,am I your Don or is Vincenzo Pisani?" Massimo's voice is cold and menacing.

My world tilts again as I think of Massimo bleeding and dead after starting a war within his own syndicate. Making his family lose him and suffer greatly because of me, his enemy's daughter. The spawn of a snake.

Marco shifts. "Massimo, be reasonable—"

"I am being reasonable!" Massimo's shout reverberates around the kitchen. "I'm protecting what is mine to protect!"

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