Page 119 of Beautiful Desire

E così bello incontrare finalmente il famosoFabrizio Moretti,” Nero says, getting Fabi’s attention.It’s so great to finally meet the famousFabrizio Moretti.

I watch on as he looks Nero up and down, giving him a once-over before his gaze falls on me.

“Non posso dire di provare una grande gioia nell’incontrarti.” Fabi sneers, returning his focus to Nero.Can’t say I feel any great joy meeting you.

He responds with a little laughter and a small shake of his head.

The atmosphere in the warehouse turns deadly, the energy taking me back to the night that changed my entire life. The one I’ve spent the past twenty years wishing never happened.

“Ti spiace dirmi perché sei nel mio magazzino?” Fabi asks Nero as they size one another up.Mind telling me why you’re in my warehouse?

A sickening smile appears on Nero’s face as he turns to me. Resting a gripping hand on my shoulder, he looks me straight in the eye while replying to Fabi.

“Presto avremo finite qui.”We’ll be done here soon.

I swallow the lump in my throat that feels like it’s gotten bigger with every passing second since I stepped out of the car.

Turning my head, I look at Fabi. His arms are crossed and his brows creased as his eyes bounce back and forth between the two of us. With his free hand, Nero reaches into his jacket. From the corner of my eye, I see the metallic weapon and stare down at it. Bile rises in my stomach at the thought of holding it in my hand, being forced to use such a deadly weapon on someone I once considered to be myonlyreal family.

But now I know that’s not true. I have Lily. She’s why I’m here and why Ihaveto do this.

Like he can hear my thoughts, Nero speaks.

“Andiamo, cugino. Non dimenticarti di tua figlia. Lo stai facendo per lei,” he says as he shoves his hand with the gun in my direction.Come on, cousin. Don't forget about your daughter. You're doing this for her.

I know what I must do. The guilt I’ll have afterward is nothing compared to the guilt I would feel if I couldn’t bring Lily back to Elle. I promised her I’d bring her back, and I need to make good on this promise. This needs to be the one good thing I can make right. As I lift the gun from Nero’s hand, he releases the tight grip he had on my shoulder and takes a small step backward.

Fabi stands with his feet shoulder-width apart and both hands on his hips. His right hand is slightly more to the back, where I know he keeps his pistol, and he keeps his eyes trained on me the whole time.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Fab asks me. I see the pistol is now in his hand by his side. “You know you won’t be walking out of here alive if you do.”

Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I answer. “It’s the only way. I’m doing this for my daughter. I told you before that if I had to choose, I’d pick her.”

Shrugging his shoulders, he holds his arms out and says, “It’s your funeral.”

The same sick feeling as the last time I found myself in this position washes over me. Taking a deep breath, I see Fab lift his arm at the same time I raise mine with the gun. Beads of sweat break out along my forehead, and my hand shakes slightly as I aim it at his chest. Exhaling slowly, I squeeze the trigger.

Bile rises in my throat as a loud popping sound rings out around the warehouse, the shot hitting him right in the chest. I watch as my friend falls to the ground and blood seeps from his torso.

What have I done?

His men begin shouting to one another, awaiting their command from Marco as their don lies on the cold, hard concrete floor, lifeless.

Marco rushes over to Fabi and feels for a pulse with one hand while his other applies pressure on his chest wound.

“Someone call Santino and have him bring the car around NOW!” he calls out to Fabi’s men, who are all standing around in shock. “Stay with me, Fab. Come on, God damn it! Stay with me. You can’t go out like this!”

Panic sets in over what I did. I’m rooted in place as images of that fatal night swim in my brain when I feel a pat on my back. Nero walks past me and over to where Fabi lies motionless in a pool of blood. He stands over him and kicks his foot.

When Fabi doesn’t move, he looks at Marco and says, “You might want to move.”

“What?” Marco says, confused.

Not giving him enough time to react, Nero lifts his gun and shoots Fabi twice more in the chest. My body jerks with each shot, and I fight to keep from throwing up.

“What the fuck?!” Marco shouts at him.

Nero ignores him as he turns back to me with a menacing smile spread across his face while he moves away from Fabi’s still body on the floor.

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