Everything faded to the background, Samuel’s stunned expression, Pietro’s anguish, Danilo’s fury as I stared into my niece’s eyes.
This was about revenge. Revenge for her. Revenge she didn’t want.
I had to set her free, not because of her, because of Val and my children, because of Ines and Sofia. We needed to let go of her because Serafina was already lost. Maybe we’d lost her the moment Remo captured her. Maybe all the months of hoping had been wasted. Serafina had made her choice and today I had to make mine.
I wouldn’t drag the Outfit into a bloody war with the Camorra for her, not when she chose a life with Remo. Nino and his brothers would retaliate if I killed Remo. I would have done it gladly if it would have served its purpose, but it couldn’t. Serafina would never return to us, and her children had always been Falcones anyway.
I would protect the people who wanted my protection, who needed it more than Serafina.
“Leave,” I said coldly.
Danilo jerked, shock flashing across his unshaven face. “You can’t be serious, Dante. You can’t let them go.”
I understood Danilo’s anger, his need for vengeance, but neither he nor I could get what we wanted, not today, maybe never.
“Set me free,” Serafina said again.
“Leave.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Not for that.” I’d allowed a girl to be given to a monster many years ago, a monster she hadn’t chosen. Aria had survived. Serafina had chosen her own monster, her fate. She was no longer my responsibility. Many in the Outfit would be outraged by my decision but it was my last gift toward my niece.
Serafina and Remo left.
Anna, Leonas, and Val would be safer now.
A sense of finality, of utter shock hung in the room.“How could you do this?” Danilo roared, contempt twisting his face.
“You left her at the mercy of a monster. You should have never let her go,” Samuel agreed.
Pietro didn’t say anything, but his expression held the same accusation I saw on theirs.
“She chose him over us. She asked me to leave.”
“You should have forced her to stay. You should have put a bullet through Falcone’s fucking head, or let me do it if you didn’t have the courage to do it,” Danilo muttered. Samuel nodded, leaning against the wall because he was still weak from the tranquilizer.
“Careful,” I said quietly. “I can assure you I won’t hesitate to put a bullet into your head if you ever disrespect me again, Danilo.”
Danilo swallowed hard. He was young, driven by rage and wounded pride—a dangerous combination. “You promised I’d get my revenge for what was taken from me. You promised I’d be the one to kill Falcone, but today you let him go. You let our enemy walk out of our territory. That’s betrayal of the Outfit. The Camorra would have been weaker without Remo Falcone.”
“The Camorra would have sought retribution.”
“And now they won’t?” Samuel asked sharply. “We tortured the bastard to within an inch of his life. The Falcone’s will attack our territory again.”
“Possibly, but they have more to lose now.”
“You mean my daughter and grandchildren,” Pietro said quietly. “What I wonder is if you would have let Anna walk away with a Falcone if it was her in Fina’s stead?”
“Right now, Fina is under Remo’s control. His power over her is too strong to break. She would have resented each of us if we’d killed the father of her children. We would have had a potential spy in our own rows. And you saw what she did. She shot at Danilo. She betrayed the Outfit for Remo. She drugged her own twin. If I’d stuck to the rules, I would have had to declare her a traitor and then subject her to your judgment, Pietro. Your men would have expected you to punish her for what she did, or you would have lost their respect.”
“I would have stepped down from my position as Underboss then. Samuel could have taken over.”
“Then it would have been his task to punish his twin.”
Samuel and Pietro exchanged a look. Neither of them would have ever hurt Serafina, nor would I. Yet, our world was a harsh one, with even harsher consequences if you broke the rules.
“I couldn’t allow that. I need you. The Outfit needs to be strong.”
“We would have been stronger with Remo dead,” Danilo said bitterly. “You took our revenge from us.”
“You got revenge. You tortured him for two days.”
“And what good was that? The fucker didn’t cry, didn’t beg for his fucking life once. I bet he’s laughing at us now,” Samuel said.
Pietro stepped up to me. “You still didn’t answer my question, Dante. Would you have let Anna go if she loved the enemy?”
I wasn’t sure.
Pietro shook his head. “I lost my daughter today. I won’t ever get her back.”