Yes, I was still hurt that Reggie and Dwayne left the way they did, but Reggie had suffered enough after learning everything. As for Dwayne, he was only protecting his brother. Catarina, well, she was another matter. For Reggie alone, Demarco would die, but I wanted it slow and painful for Catarina. As far as I was concerned, I wouldn’t mind if the man lived the rest of his life in my basement, giving me every day for the rest of his life to torture him.
I grinned at the thought, then shook my head.
No. My mother would find out, and she was someone I refused to deal with. Nope. Demarco would die today by my hand.
“Gio.”
Looking up, I saw Giuseppe holding my knife and a single white rose. Sighing, I put my phone down and stood. I took off my suit jacket and handed it to Paolo, who stood beside me.
Everyone in the room stepped back, giving me space.
When a death sentence was given, I alone took the killing blow in times like this. I was the head of the Valentinetti Family, and I led by example, but the deaths were mine to bear.
Taking the knife from Giuseppe, I palmed the cold steel in my hand. It was a heavy burden.
Reaching for the red folder, I opened it and started to read the contents when I asked, “Why Angelo?”
I didn’t ask because I cared. I didn’t. Angelo Demarco was a grown man. He knew the rules. He’d been with my family since he was twelve years old. He knew how my family handled traitors.
I only asked because I needed a few minutes to read what Giuseppe found. It wasn’t much, only a few pages, but what I was reading was fascinating.
As Demarco babbled on, I scanned the last page and sighed. Closing the folder, I placed it back on the small table beside my chair and turned to the man who traded my family for power he was never going to achieve.
Walking closer to him, I clearly said, “When you came to my father all those years ago and asked for a job, my father was impressed. So, he gave you what you wanted. He liked your initiative. I remember him telling me that not many young men had your drive at such a young age. He was truly impressed. As you got older, you moved up in the family. Then my father asked you to protect me. But you didn’t did you? You never wanted to be in the shadows, and you couldn’t stand that my family ruled.”
Demarco whispered, blood trailing down his face. His eyes were swollen shut. He couldn’t see me, but he knew what was coming. He’d been around me too many times in instances like this. “Gio, let me explain.”
“What is there to explain, Demarco. You used your position to get what you wanted. When that didn’t happen, you threatened and tried to kill my cousin. Then if that wasn’t bad enough, you sold your own sister into slavery. All because you wanted what was never going to be yours.”
“I did it for you.”
“For me? I would never marry Catarina. She is like a sister to me. You, of all people, should have known that, but I don’t want you to worry about her. She will becomefamiglia, and just not in the sense you had planned.”
“She is gone. You will never find her.”
“Oh, you don’t know?” I said cocking my head to the side. Grinning, I added, “Let me be the first to inform you that Catarina has been found. She is currently in California with Reginald. And when they are ready, I will give them my blessing to be married.”
“No. You can’t.”
“I can do whatever I want. I am the head of this family.”
“No. You don’t understand. She is promised. I signed a contract.”
That brought me up short. Looking at the man slowly bleeding to death, I looked at Dwayne, who shrugged his shoulders but said nothing.
Curious, I asked, “To whom?”
Demarco said nothing, keeping quiet. Sal walked over and punched him in the face hard enough that when Demarco cried out, several teeth flew out of his mouth.
“I won’t ask again.”
“You wanted an out with Bianchi. So, I found someone who would help. He wanted Illyria but settled for Catarina only if you married his niece.”
Sal growled.
A tingle shot down my back. Angelo was being evasive when he was generally forthcoming. Angelo didn’t believe in mincing words. Yet he was now, and he was stalling. For what, I didn’t know, but something in me said there was more to this story.
Opening the red folder, I skimmed the pages again. The report was basic and not much to go off of. “Giuseppe, where was Angelo when you found him?”