Leaving the hospital room where Eve is recovering, I see Emillia running through the corridor in front of Feli, straight to me, hands stretched, one holding a lollipop, of course.

I swear this girl is a bag without a bottom when it comes to lollipops.

"Papi!" she shouts while I crouch, unbuttoning my suit jacket and reaching my arms to her. (Dad).

She jumps in, curling her little arms around my neck and planting her sticky lips on my cheeks in a kiss.

"Ciao, principessa. Come stai?" I ask my little bun of lollipops, standing up and holding her with my left arm while pushing her messy hair away from her eyes with my right one. (Hi, princess. How are you?)

"Bene, grazie," she says, sticking the lollipop in her mouth. "Papi, dov'e Eve?" she asks, looking around, searching for her. (Good. Thank you) (Where is Eve?)

Feli finally reaches to us, and we kiss our cheeks (us, Italians... we really kiss a lot, I swear).

"Ciao, caro. Come e Eve?" she asks while Emillia curls an arm around her head, pulling us both in something that wants to be a hug but we end up in a damn uncomfortable gathering, nose to nose, ear to ear. (Hi darling. How is Eve?).

And I melt like butter looking into my daughter's eyes right here and now.

"She's good, they're both good," I reply, filled with gratitude that I can finally say that.

"Papi, aunt Feli taught me new words. You want to hear?" Emillia says shoving the candy in her mouth. (Daddy).

"Later, principessa. Papi has some work now. Will you watch Eve for me till I come back?" I ask her, giving her a serious look, making her feel the most important. (Princess)

"Papi, can we keep Eve? She's beautiful," she says and my heart clenches in a pitiful sorrow. (Daddy).

It should be the other way around. Eve and I should keep Emillia, and I think it's time to take my daughter away from that bitch of a mother she has.

I do believe the best place for a child is with its mother, but I'm afraid I've been wrong about leaving my daughter with that slut.

She never wanted to leave the club where she was working. She said she likes it, rubbing her cunt on sleazy men, dancing her pussy around, getting high and drunk whenever she felt like it.

But I must say, Feli was my savior. She did a great job keeping Emillia around her home rather than the cave where her mother lived.

Of course, she could come and see her daughter whenever she wanted, but as I understood that rarely happened, dancing and getting high at night, sleeping her ass off during the day.

And Emillia rarely asked to go to her mother which was my greatest delight.

I kept myself away because every time I visited my daughter the slut would come over to me, all bitchy and sticky, thinking she would wrap me up and get a warm place in my bed.

I despised her. I couldn't even remember how many times I had the instinct to snap her neck and get rid of her, but she was the mother of my daughter, so I kept every urge at bay.

And I also kept Emillia away from my mafia life as much as I could. Nobody knew she was my daughter except for close and very close family and friends. I could count them on the fingers of one hand.

"Of course, we can keep her. Do you like Eve?" I ask my princess while she sucks on the shitty lollipop and nods at me, grinning her little teeth in a wide smile.

"Well, then... go and see her now. I'm sure she's waiting for you," I continue, placing my little kid on the floor while she jumps and runs off for Feli who's waiting for her at the door of Eve's room.

"Ciao, Papi," she shouts, caring not so much to grace me with a look. (Bye, daddy).

"You really should take her with you, Enzo," Lucas says while we walk out and get in his car.

I didn't reply. That is the plan, but for later.

I take the seat on the passenger's right side and buckle up while pulling my phone out and dialing.

"Mario, where are my rocks?" I speak in a deep, low voice.

I feel suddenly tense and heavy-headed, the past events just now weighing like rocks on my head thus my voice is coming heavy, words almost spat.

I can't take my mind off the bitch I've found in Eve's room this morning.

"Ciao, Enzo," Mario says. "I'm supposed to meet the idiot tonight. He says he has them all."

"Bring me my rock, Mario. The rest you can share equally between Capozzi and di Santi as I've said. Call me when you're done," I end the call.

Lucas speeds the car, gripping tightly the steering wheel and staring at the road. It's evening, darker than Palermo has ever been, matching my thoughts and the will of killing the one that has risked my girl's life.

The heavy silence is shattered by the ring of my phone, and I press the green button eager for the news that Alex has for me.

"Enzo," I speak on the phone.

"I know the girl," he says. "I did some search and..."

"And what?"

Alex sighs on the phone, boiling my already growing anger.

"Cazzo, Alex! What is it?" I roar on the phone. (Fuck).

"Her name is Valeria Tozzi, the sister of Camilla," he replies.

"Camilla? Emillia's mother?" I ask completely buffered.

Lucas shifts his eyes to me and gives me a surprised look.

"Yeah. Seems the bitch can't take a competition," Alex completes.

"No. The slut doesn't have the guts. There's someone else behind it, I know."

"You want me to dig deeper?" Alex asks.

"I'll handle it," I say coldly. "Bring Camilla to Massimo's," I order and hung up.

"Step on it, Luc," I mumble while the heart in me is squirming in anger.

Lucas presses the speed paddle to the floor and a few minutes later we are driving through the gates of Massimo's estate.

Two of his men are waiting for us at the door and nod their heads, greeting us and showing us the way to the basement.

I walk in without a word, Lucas following me and the two men remaining outside, taking their spots to guard the place.

I fucking hate basements! Dark and cold, stinking of blood and piss they have been my playground for so long. My fucking curse!

I tilt my head to one side, glaring at the woman tied up to a chair in the middle, while Massimo is seating impassive at his desk, the smoke of his cigar circling his head.

"Did she talk?" I ask without taking my eyes from her.

Her look is filled with hate, her eyes swimming in tears and her lower lip split in the left corner.

I know Massimo is left-handed. I can almost see him slapping her with the back of his left hand.

Well, Massimo is not me, I could never hit a woman.

"Nope, she said she was waiting for you," Massimo replied, standing up and walking towards me and Lucas, both of them positioned behind me while I nod, lips pressed together.

I keep trying to connect the dots in my head, thinking about who is who and how, but I can't put my finger on it.

Obviously, someone is out there hunting me and the oldest and strongest enemy I have had all along is the Valentinis and they're all history now. I couldn't think of anyone else having bad blood with me, but then again, a Don is never loved.

I stroll towards the woman, hands shoved in my pockets, meandering in the sound of my Santoni shoes, till I reach in front of her.

Opening the one button of my suit jacket, I crouch in front of her, eyes glued to mine, following my every move and blinking fast once our faces level.

"Valeria, si?" I ask although she can't reply. Her mouth is filled with a cloth and her eyes tearing while she sobs. (Yes?).

"Alora... we'll have a small family reunion soon," I tell her, and she frowns, mumbling something. (So...).

I pull out the cloth from her mouth interested in what she has to say.

"That's impossible, you piece of shit! You killed most of it," she shouts at me, lips quivering and eyes burning holes into mine.

I raise my eyebrows and tilt down the corners of my lips, wondering who is her family that I've killed.

I fucking killed many.

The door behind me opens and I stand up, turning around, hoping to see Alex with Camilla, but instead, Mario shows in with the other four men, followed by a very defiant Camilla.

"Mario, che cazzo ci fai qui? Pensavo stessi portando a casa le mie pietre," I say, staring at him and frowning my eyes, sensing something is off. (Mario, what the fuck are you doing here? I thought you were bringing my rocks home).

He has the same cheerful look as always, Camilla walking behind him, her face changing from defiance to fear, shaking and turning white when seeing her sister tied up.

"Valeria..." she mumbles and walks straight to her terrified at the view she has seen. "What the fuck did you do?" she asks her sister in a blameful manner.

There we go!

I knew Camilla never had the guts to act on anything by herself. All she ever wanted was my bed.

"Dov'e Alex?" I ask Mario who stands straight, arms crossed on his chest while I can see Lucas and Massimo typing on their phones. (Where is Alex?).

"Oh, he... he stumbled on something. Something he had to do," Mario replies with a smirk and I'm having a fucking rotten feeling about this.

I take one step back and exchange meaningful glares with Lucas and Massimo. My brother-in-law raises two fingers in a sign to his men at the door.

"What was I supposed to do? I did what you didn't have the fucking guts to do," Valeria shouts back at her sister.

"Enzo, I have nothing to do with this," Camilla turns around, ghostly staring at me with her widened eyes, fear crawling under her skin, shivering like shit.

I rub the back of my neck trying to buy time and think how the fuck I can get out of this shit. And together with the increasing anger throbbing at my temples I can also feel Mario reeking of treason.

"I know, baby," I tell Camille, stretching an arm towards her as she runs to my chest and curls her own arms around my torso.

I squeeze her tightly with the one arm I've welcomed her and feel my gun with the other one, getting ready for the hell I know it's going to come.

Poor bitch glues herself to me, sobbing and falling into my trap.

See, I've never hit a woman, nor killed one, but desperate situations call for desperate solutions.

I won't shoot her. I'll just hold her as a shield, hoping that her sister won't be reckless and do something stupid as long as she's curled around me.

I can't say the same about Mario but I'll take the worst and risk nothing.

The four hitmen Mario has come with glue their eyes on us, one pair of eyes for each.

"Camellia, he never wanted you! He never cared about you, don't be stupid!" her sister laughs meanly, and I squeeze her even tighter to my chest, in a reassuring gesture, making her disbelieve the poisoned words of her sister.

"Sh, it will be alright," I whisper in her ear while I exchange looks with Lucas, making sure he's ready.

"That's okay, Valeria. Let her enjoy her last moments with her... amore," Mario speaks mockingly. "You see, Enzo, you have always been above everyone for me, the brother I've never had. Or I thought I didn't." (Love).

"You've always been a brother to me, Mario," I speak, still facing him with my back, eyes staring at Lucas in front of me.

I'm waiting for a sign from him, a blink, an eye squeeze, anything to pull my gun out.

"The fuck I was!" Mario chuckles.

My hearing sharpens with each second passing. I can even hear the flutter of his nostrils while breathing. And together with that, I hear a knife cutting the ropes from Valeria's shackled hands and legs.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Mario? Speak straight, give up riddles. Be a fucking man with fucking balls," Lucas says, trying to piss him off.

But he keeps composed and calm.

"Va bene. Vediamo," Mario replies in the most relaxed way before I hear a gun loading behind me, but Lucas doesn't move one muscle of his face, so I stay put, Camilla still curled around my torso. (Okay. Let's see)

I turn my head to the right side, planting a kiss on her left temple and sizing the area in my back with the corner of my eye to position Mario.

He's standing exactly behind me, with Valeria standing next to him and holding a gun pointed at me.

"Mario, you've put your gun in mellow hands," I say in a deep, hoarse voice. "I hope you didn't put your hopes there as well. For your own sake."

"And... that's a threat. At least I get the chance to hear that threat. My brother didn't," he replies, hissing between clenched teeth.

"What brother, Mario? Papa took you from the streets and raised you like his own. He made you his right hand in here and I took you the same. You don't have brothers, Mario," I reply, eyes shifting to Lucas again who looks hard as a rock, tensed but ready.

"I thought the same, but it seems I do have a family. Or rather I had a family. But what I can say for sure is that I have mafia blood running through my veins," he says.

I frown, and roll my eyes around, hoping that Massimo has more men ready than the two standing in here who have been already disposed of their guns.

"Va bene. Allora dimmi. Chi cazzo sei, Mario?" I ask, trying to offer an ounce of interest although all I'm wishing for is to grab his neck and squeeze the life out of him. (Alright. So, tell me. Who the fuck are you, Mario?).

Fucking traitor!

"Mario Valentini, Paolo's half-brother, but still, a brother."

*****
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