Page 111 of Luca
“What the fuck, Luca?” Cassio’s growl reverberated off the walls of the library. “Why did you kill your wife’s mother?”
Luca’s response was as cold as the look in his eyes. It reminded me of Alaskan winter nights. “She was annoying me.”
Strained silence reigned across the room and I got a sense Cassio was attempting to control his own temper. And all the while, I sat frozen, feeding my baby.
Ourbaby.
Mother’s gurgling sounds slowly faded. Strangely, her death didn’t strike me as badly as learning that Luca killed my father. Or used our baby in his negotiations with the Marchetti family.
Betrayal cut through my chest, a fresh and burning wound. I hadn’t realized I was crying until I tasted salt on my tongue. My throat tightened. My heart hurt.
Luca King was the biggest mistake of my life.
The last name change couldn’t erase his sins.
ChapterForty-One
LUCA
“Are you fucking insane?” Cassio hissed, closing the door behind him.
“Actually, I’m quite sane. Thanks for asking.”
Cassio’s eyes rested on the dead body of my mother-in-law. This had to be the icing on the goddamn cake. Me killing my mother-in-law. I finally got the woman I loved. I had my own family. My little Penelope. And then this witch tried to tear it all apart.
Cassio circled the body, then glared at me.
“Why did you kill her?” My brother’s voice was quiet, but I didn’t mistake that for calm. He was fucking pissed. Not that I gave two shits about it. “And if you tell me some shit about her annoying you, I’ll kill you myself because you’re annoying me.”
“She threatened to tell Margaret that I killed her father,” I said. Fuck, my chest tightened each time I thought about Margaret finding out that little detail of my past. It all led to this current predicament. And me making a deal with Marchetti.
But it was either that or they would have killed Margaret her first week in Italy. Those two men on the plane were sent by Marchetti. That man didn’t forgive nor forget. He settled scores. It was the reason he was one of the most feared men in the world.
“Goddamn it, Luca,” he growled quietly. “You should have told her yourself. Explained you were just a kid, used by our fucking father.” Cassio ran a hand through his hair, then sent me another glower. “You need to start thinking before acting.”
He was right, of course. But fuck it. The woman threatened to take out my family. And then there was the Marchetti comment. Nobody but Nonno, Marchetti, and I knew about the deal. Not even Cassio.
So how in the fuck did her mother know about it?
“The bitch deserved what was coming to her,” I said, hiding my panic.
“Maybe, but not in Callahan’s home,” he grumbled. “Damn it, what the fuck do we do now?”
Maeve had dug her own fucking grave. She shouldn’t have talked shit about Margaret and my daughter. Threatening my family.
“Make it look like a suicide,” I suggested apathetic. I itched to go searching for Margaret. Panic already started to settle into my bones. She was breastfeeding Penelope, but if she got the wind of it, she’d leave me.
“Seriously?” Cassio let out a sardonic breath. “We’re gonna tell them she sliced her own throat. That’s the best you can come up with.”
Okay, so not exactly my best thinking but fuck. The woman was a bitch. Nobody would miss her. I had to find my wife and baby. I had to make sure they were fine.
“This will start a war.”
Cassio thought I was worried about a goddamn war. When somehow the world knew about my deal with Marchetti. Nobody should have known about it. Of course, I wouldn’t have married off my daughter to his son. Neither of his sons. But I needed time to work out how to get the fuck out of that deal. My last resort was to end the entire Marchetti family before my daughter turned of age.
“Fuck war,” I said, shrugging my one shoulder. “She threatened my wife and daughter. If Callahan wants it, he’ll get it.” Cassio sighed, then picked up his phone and called Guido.
A couple of minutes later, a knock sounded. I went to the door and opened it slightly. When I saw Nonno standing in the corridor with both of his guards and Guido, I was ready to pull my hair out. Without any time to waste, I ushered him in.
