Page 82 of Blood and Lies (A Twisted Duet 1)

Men stormed out of the dining hall, and it felt like all hell was starting to break loose. Castello glanced at Giovanni, nodding. And the next thing I knew, Giovanni grabbed my elbow and pushed me behind him, readying his gun…protecting me.

Castello looked back to face Vico, who seemed like he had been caught off-kilter. “I’m sorry, little brother. Did I let the cat out of the bag too soon? Were you saving that card for another day?”

Vico bit his lower lip, his fists balled. I was sure Vico would strike, but then his mother placed a hand on his shoulder, easing him back.

A man came running back inside and whispered something to the man Castello referred to as Uncle Roberto.

It all happened so fast, I hardly blinked. Roberto pulled out a gun, aimed it at Castello, and my heart stopped. I went cold, numb, my head blank as I watched it all in horror.

A gunshot resounded, and I closed my eyes. There were screams and curses, and my heart shattered—broken into a thousand pieces.

Please, God…please, God.

But when I opened my eyes, relief flowed through me like the stream of living water when I saw that Roberto had collapsed, and Uncle Gino held the gun that made the shot.

I was shocked at the relief I felt when I realized Castello hadn’t been hurt. There was a time I would have applauded anyone who put a bullet in his chest, but now I feared it.

Uncle Gino lowered his gun, and every man behind him had their guns aimed to the other side of the room. The scene in front of me was horrifyingly dramatic as I witnessed one family split in two.

“Now,” Uncle Gino turned toward Vico, “let’s find out what really happened, shall we?”

Uncle Gino nodded toward a man on his left, and the man walked over to my father. My heart pounded, and ice filled my insides.

The man removed the gag, and my father sucked in a breath.

Uncle Gino walked forward. “Tell us, Mr. Linscott. Please tell us your side of the story.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Castello move slightly back toward me and Giovanni. I wondered if he felt the need to be close to me. Even after everything that happened, and would probably still happen, I felt the need to be close to him, tofeelhim.

My father took a few more deep breaths. “Yes, I had Carlo killed. But only because I was trying to protect my daughter.” He glared in Vico and Loretta’s direction. “Carlo didn’t love my daughter. The only thing he wanted was to get his filthy hands on my money.”

“Lies!” Castello’s mother shouted.

“It’s the truth! He came to me with an ultimatum, telling me that if I didn’t give him two hundred million dollars, he would make sure Tatum married him. And once he slipped that ring on her finger, he would make her life a living hell while living off her trust fund.”

Castello’s mother stormed forward and slapped my father hard across the face. “Liar!”

“Loretta, stop.”

“It’s all lies!” she shouted to Uncle Gino. “Lies, lies, lies!”

Suddenly, everything started to make sense. The lies Carlo told me, the way he acted like the perfect fucking man, pretending like he had no idea who my family was. He knew how skeptical I was of people wanting to be a part of my life, thinking all they saw when they looked at me was dollar signs.

My body went numb as all the lies and deceit came down on me like a rockslide of betrayal, and my mind started to spin out of control. Everything was a lie. Everything Carlo ever told me, shared with me, confessed to me was all lies. The pain I felt when I thought he had left was a result of his deception and trickery, all so that he could get his hands on my family’s money.

Uncle Gino stepped forward. “It’s not lies, Loretta, and you know it. This was your plan, your scheme to begin with.”

Deadly eyes, black with venom, glowered in his direction. “You son of a bitch. How dare you betray your own family?”

“You are not my family.”

Finally, Castello broke the silence he had kept up until now. “Why?” he asked softly, the question directed at his mother.

Guilt washed over her like the Dead Sea. Everyone in the room could see her guilt, the shame that fell over her like a veil of black.

“Your father lost everything. Everything! Because he was a selfish, greedy bastard who didn’t know when to stop.”

Castello took another step forward. “What are you talking about?”

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