“We meet again. I hope this time your invitation isn’t an ambush,” Remo said.
“Your son left my territory unscathed after he killed Cressida. If I wanted you dead, he would have died that day.”
Nevio scoffed, giving Dad a challenging smile. “You wouldn’t have caught me. You should be grateful I only killed her and not the rest.”
Dad’s jaw clenched. “The reason why you killed her is because Amo and I gave our permission, don’t forget that.”
Nevio got in Dad’s face, a flicker of madness in those dark eyes. “I would have killed her anyway. And I would kill her again and again if I could. I’d kill every fucker who’s even remotely related to the bitch too if it weren’t for Greta’s feelings for him. Maybe I’ll do it one day. If you want to try killing me for it, good luck. I act out of lunatic rage.”
Dad smiled as if Nevio was a bothersome fly not worth his troubles. “Trust me, I know.”
I wished I had that ability to stay calm in the face of his madness, but Nevio still managed to rile me up.
That guy had the destruction force of an atomic bomb. Remo was a fucking madman. Nevio made his father look like a fucking choir boy.
But for Greta I’d stifle my dislike. For her we would all swallow many difficult pills. Becoming a real family would be a long, bumpy road, and I wasn’t sure if all of us would make it to the end.
After we’d dropped off the Falcones at a guest house, Dad and I drove to my parents’ house to prepare for the upcoming meeting tomorrow.
“I’ve gone through plenty of hard times over the years, but this tops it all.”
I turned my gaze away from the road. Dad seemed to have aged several years in the last few weeks. His hands around the steering wheel were white from the pressure he put on it.
“I know. Things got out of hand. Thank you for accepting my decision to stay at Greta’s side these last couple of weeks.”
“You didn’t really give me a choice.”
“I love her.”
Dad let out a deep sigh and turned into the street where the mansion was. “Officially, Nevio killed your wife. On paper she still was your wife, Amo. We haven’t officially announced it yet. But someone saw him in the city and Cressida disappeared.”
“I should have never married her, then none of this would have happened. I’ll never regret anything more than that.”
Dad nodded, surprising me. “If I’d known the extent of your connection to Greta, I would have never insisted you do.”
“I should have stood my ground and refused, but I was so fixed on becoming Capo that I’d have done anything, only after it was too later, I realized that I couldn’t fucking live without Greta.”
Dad parked the car in front of the house. Two guards sat in a black limousine in front of it. “If we agree on a truce with the Camorra, we’ll have to give our men an explanation as to why.”
“I’m willing to give them the truth because they’ll eventually figure it out anyway once I marry Greta.”
Dad smiled darkly. “I feared you’d marry her.”
“I will. Nothing in this world will stop me. Not you, and not a Falcone either. Greta will be mine.”
Dad leaned back in the seat with a sigh, running his hand through his hair, looking tired. “This could break the Famiglia.”
“You could disown me for being with Greta,” I said even if the words hurt, but nothing could ever hurt as badly as thinking I’d lost Greta, of finding out we’d lost part of our future, and seeing Greta’s face when she realized what had happened.
Dad touched my shoulder. His eyes softening. “I won’t ever disown you, Amo. You are and will always be my son.”
“Some won’t understand.”
Dad nodded. “We’ll try to convince them. And if that fails, we’ll handle it as we’ve always done. Our word is law and they either bow or die.”
It wouldn’t be as easy as that, but that Dad was willing to risk this battle, I was eternally grateful. I hugged him.
“I won’t ever forgive you for making the Falcones family though.”