Page 38 of The Veiling

“I never asked you to forget.” He smirked. “By the way, thank you so much for forging signatures on the paperwork to donate my organs while I was laying there alive.”

“I didn’t forge anything,” I denied with an arched brow as a thick cloud of grey smoke drifted from my mouth. “Joseph did. I thought you were on your way out.”

He snorted before he became serious again. “I’m truly grateful no one carved me like a Thanksgiving turkey.”

“Because you paid them not to.”

“You’re way nicer than I am.” He sighed. “I’ve let good people rot.”

“As would I, but I wanted you to do something good in your life for a change.”

“I hope I can now.” He cleared his throat. “However, that doesn’t mean I’m one of the good guys.”

“I never expect you to be, but you better learn to be a great dad and present for your daughter now that you’re back.” I hated lecturing him, but he needed it. I drew smoke into my mouth before exhaling. “While I appreciate all you’ve done behind my back since London, I never want you to put Isabelle or me, or anyone really…before your daughter.”

He stared blankly into the darkness then let his hand fall in his lap, and he stared at his wrist.

“Whatever happened between you and Elise isn’t my business, but now that you’re back, you should be there for Carissa. She asks about her daddy all the time and I started running out of nice things to say about you.”

“I’m shocked you had anything nice to say at all.” I opened my mouth to reply but did not. A menacing grin appeared on his face. “I’m joking, V. Of course, I want to be there for her. I have missed her like crazy, and I was hoping I would get to come back and see her.”

“And why the fuck did you give Isabelle a poisoned prawn?”

“It was a shrimp.”

“Whatever the fuck it was.” I snarled, suddenly angry he could have damaged her and the baby.

He threw his hand up. “I knew it wouldn’t hurt her. I would never spend so much time trying to save all of you, only to hurt her.”

Still slightly annoyed, I gritted my teeth. “I don’t know why you didn’t just come to me so we could kill him and Jesse together.”

“I didn’t want you guys to get hurt. I was hoping to handle it without anyone knowing. You know I’ve been after Felipe forever.”

“Did you know he had a twin?”

“What?!”

“Yeppp,” I puffed the cigar again. “And I killed him.”

“What the fuck?!”

I nodded. “But if you were hunting Felipe, you probably wouldn’t have known. His brother was following us, though, trying to warn us. They apparently didn’t get along.”

He chuckled. “Surprise, surprise.”

Involuntarily, I laughed, though I felt terrible for murdering an innocent man. Sadly, it was too common in my world and the only reaction was to sometimes laugh it all off. “I killed that son of a bitch on a private island.” I shrugged. “I had no idea.” I was ruthless when I needed to be, but I was not a complete monster. Contrary to what people assumed of Mafia Dons, we were normal people, for the most part. We had morals and guidelines we lived by.

For the next fifteen minutes, we caught up, until the doctor arrived with equipment to examine Isabelle and the baby. I excused myself and led her to Isabelle’s former room. As I stood next to my fiancée, I held her hand as she nervously laid on the bed and allowed her to listen to the heartbeat and perform an ultrasound with the portable machine. Thankfully, both were okay.

While sitting outside on the porch alone, my mind raced as I continued to smoke the illegal cigar. My brother was a way better person than I could ever be. Forgiveness was not one of my strengths. If I was being honest with myself, I was a total prick. I had put not only Isabelle through hell before, but my entire family. I had always been labeled thebad one. Growing up, I had always been the one my parents prayed would behave in church and would not talk shit to authority in school. After everything I had been through in the past five years, I just wanted a peaceful life. I wanted to make up for all the hell I put everyone through. I did not plan to bethe good guy, but I wanted to have the balance of being good to my family, at the very least.

“Busy?”

I lifted my gaze, meeting William’s. I was so entranced in my own thoughts I had not heard the door open. I lifted my chin to the available seat.

“Or are you just sitting out here plotting the demise of everyone I love?”

“Do you really believe I’m here to hurt anyone?”

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