“Then we should let the Falcones be part of the meeting and allow them to kill Antonaci and the other involved men together with us.”
I heard Marcella’s voice in the background again.
After almost a minute, Dad released a harsh sigh. “That’s how we do it.”
Utter relief washed through me. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Amo?”
“Yes?”
“Make sure your girl gets better.”
I swallowed and hung up.
Then I went back to Remo to tell him our decision. This would pave the way to peace, to Greta’s and my future together.
I found Remo, Nevio and Serafina in front of Greta’s room. I nodded a greeting at Serafina. My interactions with her in the past had been limited to a couple of meaningless pleasantries. I didn’t know much about her, except for her kidnapping story.
“And?” Remo asked with a challenging expression.
I told Remo about the decision.
“We don’t want to wait for revenge until the Famiglia decides it is time. We don’t need a public meeting to spill blood,” Remo said. Nevio nodded.
“It’s the only way. And it’s a chance for peace.”
Nevio laughed. “We don’t need peace.”
Serafina turned to Remo. “Greta needs Amo. She lost so much. Do you want her to lose the love of her life as well?”
For the first time since I’d known Remo Falcone, his eyes flickered with intense emotional pain.
I shoved down my own emotions. I hadn’t allowed myself to really think about what Greta and I had lost. Whenever I’d dreamed about a future with Greta, I’d imagined us having children who filled the house with laughter.
“There is no retribution fitting for what Greta has lost,” Serafina whispered, touching Remo’s chest. “You can slaughter every member of the Famiglia but it won’t help Greta. The only thing you can do for our girl is to give her a future with Amo and for that to happen there must be peace.”
Nevio shook his head with a scoff, but then he exchanged a look with his father, and finally Remo nodded. “We’ll wait for the meeting to kill the rest, but Cressida will die now.”
“By my hands,” Nevio added.
Serafina’s expression twisted with worry. If she worried about Nevio’s mental wellbeing if he killed a woman, she needn’t have bothered. I doubted Cressida would be the first and she wouldn’t be the last either.
“Send her my greetings,” I gritted out.
My first memory when I woke was the acute pain in my belly, followed by a burning sensation in my knee. It made me want to recoil, but there was no running from this. Then faces became distinct before my eyes, slowly, one after the other. First Dad who sat on my right, his hand around mine, his dark eyes full of concern. “Pain?”
I nodded and winced. Dad reached up and pressed a button on the infusion that would release more morphine into my veins. At once, the stabbing in my body dulled and I could relax. Movement on my other side made me turn my head and my eyes grew wide when I spotted Amo straightening in his chair. He was holding my other hand. “Amo?”
He nodded, his expression grave in a way that told me something horrible had happened. I tried to sit up. Dad and Amo reached for me at the same time, then halted and their eyes met. I waited for the inevitable but Dad sank back down with a tight expression and allowed Amo to help me into a sitting position. I sent Dad a grateful smile. He gave a small nod. I knew how much this must cost him.
Mom stirred on the sofa and when her eyes landed on me, her tired face lit up with relief and she shoved to her feet and rushed over to me. She kissed my forehead several times before she leaned against Dad. Dark shadows spread under her eyes and both Amo and Dad hadn’t shaved in days. Dark stubble covered their chin and jawline.
Amo peered down at me with drawn brows as he rubbed my hand gently. “How do you feel?”
His voice was careful and gentle, as if a word spoken too loudly might break me.
I wasn’t sure I could speak. My throat felt dry and too tight but after a couple of coughs I pressed out the first tentative words. “I’m alive.” I’d thought I would die. It had felt like dying. But I was here. “Where’s Nevio?”