Lucio nodded. “Yup. He might as well be. Who thought Dante would have a kid someday?” He pointed at me. “You’re still like a kid yourself. No offense.”
“For God’s sake.” My dad took a seat next to me. “Would you two stop? This is serious.”
I leaned back on the couch, my gaze settling on Kate, who sat silently next to Antonio. “Is that why she left? She knew she was pregnant?”
Her fingers nervously played on her lap. “Yes.” She looked up at me. “She wanted to tell you. In fact, she planned to tell you the day she left.”
“Why didn’t she?”
Kate sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, her gaze darting to every corner of the room instead of at me. “A letter arrived that day.”
“What letter?”
“A letter from our father. He’s in prison, but I guess you already know that.”
I remained silent, my gaze pinned on her.
“In the letter, he told Layla who you really were, and what your family did.”
I shifted. “And what exactly is it that we do—according to him?”
“Sell drugs.”
My dad stiffened next to me. “That is a lie!”
I lifted my hand. “Please, Father. Let her talk.”
Kate shifted. “There were also pictures.”
“What kind of pictures?”
“Of you and Layla. There were pictures of you walking around town. Pictures of her in your car.” She looked at me anxiously. “Pictures of you two…being intimate.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.” I wiped my palms down my face. This wasn’t happening. “Who the fuck took those pictures?”
“We don’t know,” Kate said softly. “Our father didn’t say. He just said Layla needed to steer clear of you, and that she was in danger as long as she was with you.”
I got up and started pacing. It was like goddamn information overload. Pieces of a giant puzzle raining down, and I had no clue where to fucking start to put it all together.
“She was scared, Dante. She didn’t know what to do.” Kate appealed for her sister’s actions. “She was young, pregnant, and just found out the father of her child was a part of a crime family selling drugs.”
My dad jumped up. “I can assure you, Miss Moore, we do not sell drugs.”
She hung her head. “We know that…now.”
“There’s something else, Dante.”
My gaze cut to Antonio.
“It’s about Layla.”
“What is it?”
Antonio and Kate gave each other knowing looks, and I clenched my fists. I hated that it seemed like everyone was in the loop except me.
“You were right. Matteo is controlling her, using her to get to you.”
I pulled my hand through my hair. “And?”