Page 65 of Mafia Boss's Baby Surprise

He extends his arm and pulls me closer to him. “I know. I didn’t like my father either, and my birth mother is trying to destroy me.”

“Can I ask you something?”

He just gives me a small nod.

I lick my lips. “It’s about my father... and your family. Your father killed my uncle, right?”

His face grows serious. “Yes.”

“Can you tell me why? I only saw my uncle a few times while he was alive, and I was young, so I don’t really remember much of him. But I know my father adored him. What actually happened? What started a war between our families? Our territories weren’t even that close at that time, or at least I think so, because we only moved into our current house later. It wasn’t just about the territory, right?”

His whole body tenses next to mine as his gaze turns distant.

“You don’t have to tell me right now if you don’t—”

“There’s something I’ve never told anyone. Only my father knew, and he didn’t want to talk about it either.”

I place my hand on his chest, caressing gently.

He hesitates. “When I was a stupid sixteen-year-old, I got the idea to have some fun with my friends. They were all sons of my father’s guards, and I wanted to show off, so we took my father’s private jet. We went straight to a very popular club in the middle of your father’s territory. We thought that it wouldn’t matter and that no one would care. There were so many people at the club, so we thought we’d be safe. We were wrong.”

He takes a deep breath.

“Your father’s men figured us out. I guess they’d been watching us ever since we landed at the airport. They managed to lure us into a room under the pretext that some hot girls were waiting for us. By the time we realized what was up, it was too late. Then your father’s men killed everyone except for me. They knocked me out and took me to your father.”

My finger hovers over one of the scars on his chest as I hold my breath.

“He... He tortured me. Sometimes he did it himself, and sometimes he had his men do it. They tried to get information out of me. The more I resisted, the worse it got. I thought I was going to die. Every time they beat me up, cut me, or refused to give me any water or food, I thought that was it.

“But I survived, somehow. Marcello got restless because he realized I wasn’t going to give him anything no matter what he did to me. I remember how he watched me through the bars of the cell where I was held. His hand hovered over his gun, and I was praying for him to just put a bullet in me. But then one of his men showed up and told him his brother was coming to visit him. Apparently, they hadn’t seen each other for quite a while, so it was a big thing.”

I briefly close my eyes, not even wanting to picture how terrible that must’ve felt for Luca and how scared he must’ve been.

“For a few days, I didn’t see Marcello. The guards brought me some food and water, and I thought it was poisoned, so I took it. But it wasn’t. Nothing happened to me. Then one day, Marcello returned. He didn’t say anything, just watched me. Then he called his men. He told them to clean me up. I was too weak to fight them when they stripped me of my dirty and blood-soaked clothes and threw me in the shower. After that, they... took me to a room and chained me to a bed.”

He sighs, and I take his hand and squeeze tightly.

“I was still naked and terrified. Marcello showed up. He placed his hand on my cheek and told me I was too pretty to kill. He said I was exactly his brother’s type. I tried to get free, but I couldn’t. He taped a red bow to my chest. I was a gift for his brother.”

I gasp in horror.

“You can imagine what happened next. Your uncle kept me as his plaything for a few days until my father’s men found us. My father killed your uncle, and I was free. My father made me swear we’d never speak of what happened, but I could see it in his eyes that he was disgusted by me. And how wouldn’t he be? It was all my fault. If I hadn’t been so stupid... That’s why I tried to end it all, but I failed at that too. So I turned to drugs and—”

“Luca, no. It wasn’t your fault. You were just a kid. I know what it’s like to feel so trapped that you’d do anything to feel some freedom. That’s why even the most dangerous things seem so appealing to you. I risked both my life and Julia’s just to get out of the house for a bit.” I shudder. “What my uncle and my father did to you... It’s horrible. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Now you know why the thought of you being Marcello’s daughter just... made me sick. But you’re not him. Just like I’m not my father.”

“Can you forgive me for not telling you?”

He gives me a small nod, and then his lips find mine. “You’re the best thing that has happened to me. I won’t let Marcello ruin it.”

“We deserve better,” I say. “People like my father are monsters.”

“Let me guess. He’s the one who hit you.”

“Yeah. He wanted me to marry some guy... his friend... Orlando or something. I was just a pawn to him. His property to do with as he pleases. He would’ve sold me off to anyone just to get what he wanted. If he’d found out I was no longer a virgin, he would’ve killed me. I’m sure of it. It’s just who he is. He only cares about himself. Even my mother is just a pawn to him. A pretty prop he brings with him to events to make himself look good. He’s not a good guy, not even a little bit.”

“I don’t know if I’m any better than him.”

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