Page 77 of Mafia Virgin (The Kings of Italy)

“Then why can’t I move in with Federico?”

Over my shoulder, I cast a hard stare at the guard I paid to watch over her. “What thefuck?”

He lifted his palms toward me. “I didn’t know, I swear. Don Buscetta, she—”

“I’ll deal with you later,” I snarled, then faced my sister. “You are not moving in with some stronzo I don’t even know.”

“We want to get married, Mo. I want to have a life outside of here. Anormallife. I’m twenty-six years old!”

“The last time you moved somewhere new was when you were eighteen and you came here. Do you remember what happened? Now you want to leave to marry a man I’ve never met? With no protection? No fucking chance.”

She winced but remained calm. “That was eight years ago. And the doctor said my anxiety is better now that Papà has died. He said I could be released, if I wished.”

“Then come home and live with me.”

“No.” She paled, swallowing hard. “I can’t live there. I don’t care if he’s dead, I will see him around every corner. I can’t.”

“I’ll keep you safe. I’ll redecorate the entire fucking house, Viv. Or I’ll burn it to the ground and build a new one. Come live with me.”

Her chest began rising and falling more quickly, and she gestured wildly with her hands. “You are not listening to me. It won’t matter. I’ll remember every cruel thing he ever did to me. I won’t be able to sleep there.”

“Then you are staying here.”

“I want to live somewhere else, a place of my own. Somewhere far away.”

Impossible. It would make her a target at the worst possible time. Virga would find out and she’d be at risk. Unless she was willing to come live with me, then she had to stay here with the guards until I dealt with Virga. “No.”

“Be reasonable, Mo. Talk to my doctors. They will tell you—”

“I don’t give a shit what your doctors say. I’m your brother and you will do what I say. And you will stay here until I say otherwise.”

Her expression lost all its warmth, all its affection. She looked at me as if we were strangers, not siblings, but I wouldn’t back down. I had to make the hard decisions, even when she didn’t like it.

“I never thought you were anything like him,” she said quietly. “But I was wrong. When you say things like that, I can see him in you and that scares me more than anything else.”

Rising, she hurried toward the facility, her long hair blowing behind her. My chest was burning, hurt strangling my lungs like a knot.

“Take care of your sister, Giacomo. She needs you. Be strong for her.”

I was twelve when my mother died, Viviana only six. But my mother had been saying these words to me for far longer. For years she’d been too weak, too ill to look after us, so it had fallen on me to protect Viviana.

Every day had been a struggle, chased by the fear that I would fail and Viviana would suffer. As soon as I turned eighteen I was able to get her out of the house, move her into a facility without my father’s knowledge. Then Zani and I staged an accident with a recently deceased young woman’s body to fool my family.

I’ve spent my life keeping Viv safe.

And I wouldn’t stop now, just because some stronzo named Federico was putting ideas in her head. Even if she hated me for it.

Shooting to my feet, I stalked toward the guard, who knew better than to leave before we chatted. My fists clenched at my sides as I closed the distance between us.

He put up his palms. “I swear, I had no idea.Mi dispiace, Don Buscetta!”

I grabbed the front of his shirt and shook him like a rag doll. “Idiota! How does this happen? You’re supposed to be watching her. Now some puppy has gotten into her pants!”

“I’m not with her all the time. After she goes to bed, we walk the perimeter. We’re not always by her side.”

“Well, one of you had better stay by her side at all times from now on. I don’t want her alone again.” I shoved him away from me.

“We will.”

---