Page 43 of Blood and Penance
“I don’t want to son because you’ll serve the family better alive. But I always get what I want, Gianni.” He places his gun back on his desk. “Either take what’s yours, or I’ll kill you and raise your son without you. Those are your choices. You both are Puglisi’s and the only way not to be one of us is death. You know this. So, it’s time to come home, son or go meet your God.”
At this moment, I know there’s no reasoning with him. My decision has been made and so has his. My son will not be a part of this life. He will have to kill me before I let that happen.
I blow out a breath. “Okay,” I say, the lie easily slipping off my tongue.
“Okay?” he asks like he can’t believe the words that have actually come out of my mouth.
“Yes, Papa. I’ll take over. If it means that my son is safe, I’ll do it.”
I push myself up from my chair, the worn leather creaking beneath me, then slide my hand into my pocket, the smooth metal of the knife is cool against my skin as I pop it open. I walk around his desk. He rises from his chair to meet me, and I extend my hand out toward him. He looks down at it for a moment, then back into my eyes contemplating whether this is a trick.
After a few moments, he reaches for my hand, and I pull him in close at the same time, I pull my knife. Then, I sink the four-inch steel carbon blade deep into his gut. His grunt is muffled against my chest, but I feel his struggle as he fights against my grip. My hold tightens on him as I twist the blade, hearing a wet, sickening sound as it slices through his flesh.
“You should have never come after my family,” I whisper in his ear, pulling the blade out before pushing it back in, and twisting it again. “I’m a Puglisi after all. This is the man that you raised me to be, and we always take care of our own.”
When I feel him stop struggling, I pull the knife from his stomach, then step away from him. His lifeless body crumples to the floor in front of me. I wipe the blade across my black slacks before putting it back inside my pocket. Then, I look down at my father as blood blooms across his white dress shirt and his dark, soulless eyes stare back at me. Do I feel sorry for what I’ve done? No. I don’t even feel the need to ask for forgiveness, so what does that say about me?
Maybe I’m no different from the dead man staring back at me.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Phoenix
Matteo looks at me and laughs as we pull up to the home I shared with my husband, I guess because of the look of defeat on my face. I can’t believe I’m back where I started. I might not survive but at least my son will be with his father.
“You know he’s going to kill you, right?” I ask, trying to put a little bit of fear into Matteo. More than likely it won’t work but I want him to keep the thought in the back of his head as he leads me to my death. “He’s going to kill all of you.”
“Who?” Matteo asks with a huge grin across his face that I wish I could slap off. “Your priest?”
“He wasn’t always a priest. He’s coming for me, but I can help you, Matteo. I can get you anything you want. The Puglisi’s will make a deal with you if you protect me from Lio.”
Giovanni won’t, but Matteo doesn’t need to know that. I’ll do anything to get away from him.
His dark chuckle fills the car. “How do you think we found you at that makeshift hospital?” he asks as he puts the car into park.
“Let me guess. Giovanni?”
Matteo gives me a smile as his answer.
“That son of a bitch,” I mumble. “If I make it out of this, I’ll fucking kill him myself.”
“Sad thing is you’re not going to make it out of this, Phoenix.” I stick my finger up at him, causing him to laugh. “Anyway, he was more than willing to give up your location as long as we didn’t come after Giancarlo. Giovanni said he didn’t care what happened to you. It worked out in the end because the boss has no use for the kid. Just you. So here you are. Now, get the fuck out of the car. We’ve kept Mr. D’Amico waiting long enough.”
“I guess you’re always going to be Lio’s lap dog, huh?” He glares at me. The veins in his forehead bulging in anger. “Suck his dick whenever he wants you to? You’re not fit to take his place because you’re not man enough to take it from him. That's why you had me do the dirty work.”
“Fuck you, bitch!” he sneers.
“You’ve tried that once or twice, remember?” I wink at him as his face flushes. “Wonder what Lio would think about that little bit of information? Hmm. Maybe we should find out. What do you think, Matteo? You think Lio would want to know the man he looks at like a brother also tried to fuck his wife?”
Matteo isn’t the only one of Lio’s men who has tried to get me to spread my legs for them. But unlike Lio, I’ve never broken my vows. At least, not until, Gianni. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve thought about it. Many times. However, I knew doing that would bring more problems that would have lasted me a lot longer than the pleasure of fucking any of his men. Or any other man for that matter.
“Anyway, I’ll just make sure Lio knows I’m not the only person he has to worry about. And Matteo, I can be very persuasive.”
I don’t give him time to respond as I step out of the car and slam the car door behind me. There’s no point in going back and forth with Matteo. By the time Lio’s done with me, I’ll make sure he’s done with Matteo too, if it’s the last thing I do.
“Home, sweet home,” I mumble as I walk up the marble steps to the large double doors, Matteo’s footsteps echoing behind me.
I push open the thick, oak large door, and step inside my home.
