Page 77 of Mafia Boss

I stepped into the hallway with Cristian behind me, his hand on my lower back, guiding me to the dining room. My hand tightened around the gun when I saw my brother run a hand through his hair and step out of his room, yawning.

When he saw me, he widened his eyes and held his hands up. “Roxie, what are you doing?”

“Shut up and sit down,” I said through clenched teeth.

Holding his breath, he scurried to the dining room table. Mom walked back out, sliding against the curve of the wall to stay as far away from the gun as possible, and sat down next to my brother.

I glanced down the hall. “Where’s Grandma?”

“Please,” Mom begged with tears in her eyes. “Let her live the rest of her days in peace. She doesn’t have that much longer to live. She got sick after you left. Just … please, she doesn’t deserve it.”

Not having it, I clenched my jaw. “Grandma! Get out of bed.”

A moment later, she glanced out of the spare bedroom, hunched over and giving me a small smile. “What is it, dear?” she asked, grabbing the wall for support.

I hated seeing her so fragile and weak, but … I couldn’t let this go on any longer. She had taken part in this too. Whatever I ended up doing to her, she fucking deserved it. She had taken away my childhood, and nobody could give it back.

“Get the fuck out here,” I said through clenched teeth.

Grandma grabbed her cane and walked out into the hallway, slowly making her way to the dining room table. I held the gun steady by my side once she sat, wanting to end them all. Cristian told me to stay calm, but I couldn’t. I fucking couldn’t.

I turned to my brother first. “Did you touch me?”

“Roxie, what are you even saying?” he asked, turning this back on me, like they all did. “You’re going to have to be more specific. I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. You’re cra—”

Unable to stop myself, I shot him in the knee. “Did. You. Touch. Me?”

Crying out, he grabbed his knee. “They made me, Roxie. I—”

“They didn’t make you. I saw the fucking video. They weren’t forcing you to watch as Grandpa assaulted me. You did it because you wanted to!” I screamed at him, lifting the gun a couple of inches. “Admit it! Admit that you did it and don’t regret it.”

My brother stared at me, lips trembling, and said, “You’re fucking insane, Roxie. Insa—”

I didn’t let him finish. I shot him in the head.

Mom screamed as her only son collapsed on the table, blood seeping from his head. “Roxie! What are you doing? That was long ago, so long ago that none of us remember it. We’re sorry that it happened. I should’ve stopped it.”

“But you didn’t,” Cristian said from behind me.

She cut her gaze to him, a scowl on her face. “Shut up.”

“Don’t talk to my husband like that,” I said to her.

“You’re not serious, Roxie, are you?” she asked, fingers trembling. “You can’t marry a Ricci. They have done terrible things to our family.”

I stepped toward her. “Funny thing is … what they’ve done to us isnothingcompared to what you have done to me and to God knows who else. The Riccis were cleaning things up while you were dirtying them. Grandpa got what he deserved.”

Mom lunged at me—fully lunged in a fit of hatred—and I did what I had done to the rest of them. One bullet, right through her head, to end her pathetic life and her rage toward the goddamn world.

With one bullet left, I turned to Grandma, who sat at the dining table without looking shocked or scared.

She grabbed my hand with her wrinkled one and pulled the gun to her heart, eyes wavering. “I knew that you’d find out and come back. I did something bad. I stood by as your grandfather and family used you, Roxie. I should’ve been a better grandmother and protected you.”

“Your apology doesn’t change anything. You can’t give me my life back.”

“Dear …” she said, pushing a tear off my cheek. I hadn’t even realized I had started crying. “I didn’t intend for it to change what will happen. Your grandfather deserved this. Your father, your brother, and your mother deserved this. And so do I.”

Another tear fell down my cheek, my throat closing.

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