Page 25 of And Twice as Twisted
Isabella was in a silk nightgown, her large belly showing how ready my son was to enter the world. Her finger covered her full lips to silence me. She tapped her ear and pointed towards the door. It was only then that I finally heard the voices.
“I told you he wouldn’t be home yet. We should’ve handled him at the bar,” one voice muttered.
“We never would have made it out alive. Now be quiet. Let’s handle the wife and his unborn spawn first.”
Isabella tapped my arm before lifting three fingers—three men.
My adrenaline was coursing through my veins, slowly reducing my inebriation.They wanted to hurt Isabella and my son… because of me.I tucked her away under my desk, telling her to be quiet as I jumped behind my door just as it started to open. I moved fast, even in my drunken state, and attacked likea madman. I’d disarmed and knocked out two of them before the third even realized what was happening.
The last fucker refused to go down as easily. We went blow for blow while the other two started to come to. My wife and unborn son needed me. I’d already let her down so many times. I needed to protect them. Blood was coating the floor and my knuckles were torn open. It wasn’t until Isabella whimpered that I came back to reality.
One of the men had her pinned to his chest. His gun against her temple. I stared at them in horror. “No!”
Isabella held on to her belly, her face twisted, pained.
“Wouldn’t I be doing you a favor?” His thick accent hinted at his identity. Many were direct immigrants from Italy, but this thick brogue was particular to one group. “You don’t care about this bitch.”
I took a punch to the gut, then the nose, the repeated blows forcing me to my knees. I stared up at the third man in confusion. Why wouldtheybe doing this? To what gain? Did I have it wrong?
“We got this, boss.” One of them nodded at the other two before disappearing down the hall, and the front door slammed.
“Mario, th-the baby’s coming,” Isabella whined, her knees buckling as she dropped closer to the floor.
“You’re both fucking dead.” My hands twitched, needing to kill them. “Isabella, look at me.”
She peered up at my face, hers riddled with agony.
I’m going to make this right.I silently told her we’d get through this. I’d spend the rest of my life making up for my bullshit.
“Shoot the bitch!” one shouted as she called out for them to wait.
“Mario, I love you. I know you never wanted this, me, but I still love you.” She stopped to scream in pain, and the man holding her seemed conflicted. “Mario,” she whispered, before nodding at the guy behind me.
And then I saw it.
I elbowed him in the face and ducked to my right, Isabella’s gun going off immediately. I didn’t hesitate, charging the man at her back and slamming my full weight into him. I subdued him easily, but Isabella had other plans. She groaned in agony but continued to lean over my shoulder, the gun held strong in her grip.
“Rot in hell,bastardo.” The gun discharged and his body dropped at the same time hers started to fold over.
I moved quickly, helping her to the ground and pulling up her nightgown. “Oh fuck.” I called 9-1-1 first, Riccardo second.
“Whatever you do, make sure my son is okay,” Isabella commanded and only then did I notice the puddle of blood forming under her.
“You’re both going to be okay. And I promise you I will do right by you and this family. I’m so sorry for everything, for what I’ve put you through. I love you, Isabella.” And I meant every word of it.
As she gave birth to our son on the floor of my office, so many images of a future without them flashed in my mind. Made me sick. It was one promise I knew I’d spend the rest of my days fulfilling. I’d love her and my family until I died. Whatever I did in life, it would be for their benefit. Because this woman owned my heart.
“That’s why we named you Lucifer.” My son eyed me curiously, so I clarified, “If you’d have killed a woman as tender as your mother, I would’ve thought you were the devil. Instead, you were really fuckingluckyshe was much stronger than that.”
“Sienna needs to leave, Pops.” The kid had an uncanny ability to smother my decent mood. “If she thinks we all turned our backs on her, then she’ll go.”
“I know. She needs to hate us to leave.” I despised saying it aloud, but it was true.
Apollo was like another son to me, and if we didn’t get him straightened out, he’d either die or be sent to prison. When it came to those two, their version of love was so toxic it promised to implode—at least until they got their heads on right. Once it clicked and Apollo was back to himself, I had no doubt they’d make amends.
I had Philly’s alliance and offer of protection, even if my family would hate me for it. I never really understood Shakespeare until this moment. My decisions left me uneasy, since they were made because of my crown. I had to protect Sienna, and if Apollo couldn’t, I’d ensure someone else could. My adopted son would never love her, not the way my eldest daughter needed him to. He’d show it in his protection, his loyalty, and his possessiveness. Once everyone realized this, everything else would click into place. I just needed to push him and get him there.
Before they killed each other.
