Page 137 of Arianna

“Your daughters were not made by you, you delusional fuck. Your cruelty didn’t make them strong. It was not your creation. They were born strong. Born to lead.” I play with the knife in my hands.

“Ahhhh! But they are broken, Bastian. Broken to the point they no longer stand together, and that makes them weak.” He laughs some more while I inhale my cigar harshly. “You can’t save her, you know. Just like you, couldn’t save your parents.” He wheezes out a laugh.

There it is.

“You admit it.” I stare at the demented man before me, knowing it could have very well been a mirror between them, showing him what he would have looked like many years down the road if he had not met his daughter. “You ordered the hit that took out my parents.”

Gabriele’s maniac face changes into one of anger. “Your father was as weak as you are.”

“No, he was smart enough not to make deals with a low-life consigliere who didn’t call the shots. You were nothing but the capo’s whore.” Anger grew in his eyes.

“I was smart enough to orchestrate your bitch of a fat—” Leaning forward, I grab his bloody face and hold the asshole’s mouth open and shove my cigar down his throat until he swallows it, then without warning, I take his left hand in mine and chop a finger off.

Gabriele Parisi owls in pain, “Will you do it? Will you end my life as I ended yours so long ago?” He says between wheezes.

I throw my head back in laughter as I stand up from the chair. “I won’t end your suffering, fucker. Although I would love nothing more than to shove this knife in your back, bleed you dry and send you to hell but look around.” I point the knife at him. “This is your hell. The one you created the moment you failed your daughters, and you’ll burn and bleed down here until the little monster you gave life to decides what your end will be.”

I take a great deal of satisfaction when I see Gabriele’s dark and soulless eyes finally show an ounce of fear as he watches me retreat from the room. Opening the black door, I walk through it, putting myself on the other side. Before I leave, I speak, and what I say makes the sadistic cunt’s face turn pale. “And something tells me she is just getting started.”

Looking at the disgusting red substance dripping down the knife and then at his finger in my hand, I suppress the urge to find the nearest shower and scrub my skin until I am clean and have gotten rid of Gabriele Parisi’s filth.

Detroit’s filth.

Looking down at my bloody hand again, I sigh, “The shit I do for her.”

* * *

Boarding the jet with the same clothes I had on when I visited the Parisi mansion, I lean back in the seat and finish what is left of my drink.

That cunt Parisi finally admitted he order my parent’s murder. He also admitted to hurting his fucking kid. My Arianna. I should’ve chopped his cock off along with his finger.

My phone rings and I hit the green button and wait for the call to connect.

“I would think you went there to end the miserable fuck who murdered your parents. Was that not the plan all along?”

“Plans change,” I reply while looking down at Gabriele’s finger that I am holding in my hand.

“I can see that, Seba,” Sandoval says sarcastically, then a long pause follows as I look out the jet’s window.

I didn’t spend a second longer in that city, jumping in the waiting jet as soon as possible. I used to hate being away from home, but it displeases me even more now.

I no longer have just one person waiting for me at home.

But two.

“How did you do it?” The Chicago boss asks.

“Do what?”

“Let go of that anger you held towards every Parisi?” He asks as if I have lost my mind. I did, and now it is hers like everything else.

Placing the bloody finger inside a jewelry box, I snap the lid close. “Arianna has no fault. My issue is and will always be with her father.” I don’t tell him how, with every smile of hers, the anger dissipated and turned something ugly into something beautiful. No, I am keeping that to myself.

“I couldn't do it. I want all their heads.”

I tense. “Old friend or not, if you–”

“Your little princess is safe.” Sandoval chuckles menacingly. “Only because I value your friendship. Solo por eso.”

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