“I don’t know.” It was the truth.
I couldn’t act without thinking, a simple fact Pete had instilled in me over the past year. As much as I wanted to ruin Enzo, Dante, and everyone involved in Gia’s kidnapping, I knew the price of her freedom. No vendettas. That was what my father had asked of me. My obedience was the key to her safety, and in turn, it was also the key to my daughter’s.
If my father had a hand in Bianca Carlini’s death, then I couldn’t turn to him or my brothers. They were pulling the strings all along. Gia’s mom had to die because he would profit from her loss. All he did was take from us. All of us. Even Sonny was reduced to my family’s security detail, all because he didn’t trust him the same as before Gia was kidnapped. So, he kept him at a distance. He did the same to all of us. No one ever got too close to the old man. He was invincible. Untouchable.
“Run away with me,” Gia whispered against my lips. She cupped my face in her hands, her tears streaking mascara down her cheeks. “We can leave with Faith and never come back.”
“Running isn’t the answer, Gia. You know it as much as I do. My father would find us. He would have men hunt us to the ends of the earth.”
“Remember when I asked you to let me kill the person who killed my mom?”
“On the lawn at her funeral,” I mutte
red.
“Is that what you want? To kill your dad?”
She slid her hands from my face and up to hers, covering her eyes. “I don’t know what I want. For the longest time, I thought I would feel better if I got my revenge for my kidnapping and my mother’s death. But I can’t do a damn thing to my kidnappers and neither can you. But my dad… how do I kill him?”
“You’re not like him, G. You’re not like any of us. There’s too much good in you.” I peeled her hands from her face and held them in mine. “If this is what you want, let me do it for you. Let me bear your burden.”
“I love you, Angelo,” she choked out. “But I can’t let you do this. He deserves to pay for what he did. I want him to suffer.”
“You want me to torture him?”
She shook her head. “No, I want to hit him where it hurts most.”
I cocked an eyebrow at her, confused. “His company?”
“No, I want to ruin his election. He doesn’t deserve to be mayor. The last time I checked the vote was in his favor. A scandal could ruin everything for him. He did this to my mom, and to me, so he could destroy our family and build a new life for himself. Not gonna happen.”
“You can’t go to the cops,” I stated the obvious, because she seemed unhinged as if she needed a reminder that none of us were legitimate.
We’d also lost a lot of our political connections, which was why my family needed Lorenzo’s help. All of his influence would go away if Gia went through with her revenge plot. But I had to help her. She deserved peace.
“No police,” she shot back. “That would only shine a spotlight on all of us. I can use other methods to expose him. But I want to confront him first. Will you come with me when I do it?”
“Of course.” I kissed her on the lips. “Whatever you need.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Gia
After checking my father’s schedule with his assistant, I arranged for us to meet for dinner on Thursday at Del Frisco’s, his favorite steakhouse in the city. I knew he would be at his most relaxed here. The old building was once the home of First Pennsylvania Bank and later renovated into an elegant, upscale restaurant. One thing they left behind was the bank vault, which was now a private dining room encased by glass wine cellars.
I reserved the space so we would have privacy but also so I could catch my father off guard. Angelo and I were already seated at the table when the hostess escorted my dad inside the vault. He smiled when he locked eyes with me. I had to force one in return.
Unlike the last time we met for dinner, I didn’t stand to greet him. Neither did Angelo. Dad didn’t seem to notice or mind and pulled out a chair across the table from Angelo and me.
Angelo and I sat next to each other, with my hand on his thigh and him squeezing me for dear life. He was furious. If Angelo had it his way, he would’ve sunk a few bullets into my father’s skull and been done with it. That was the only way my man knew how to exact his revenge. But I wasn’t like him.
“Where’s Faith? I was hoping to see her tonight.”
“She’s at home with her godfather.”
He nodded. “Sonny’s good with her.”
“He’s great with her. We couldn’t have asked for a better godfather.”