Chapter 13 - Marco

“I still vote to attack him next week; we need at least a few days before another confrontation.”

It was almost morning, the day about to break, and the three of us entered the meeting place. We came as Mancini had requested — just the three of us, and peacefully. They just didn’t know about the battalion of men disguised at a safe distance.

“I want to laugh in his face, let me do that,” I muttered as we stepped into the courtyard, spotting his car nearby. “Mancini, decided to talk like men?”

“Don’t play with me, Falcone! You took my daughter, kidnapped my little girl on her wedding day! What honor do you have?”

I wanted to laugh hearing him speak so affectionately about the girl he didn’t care about at all, but I held back, keeping the conversation only on what was necessary.

“Do you really want to talk about honor? You, who didn’t respond to my proposal after our peaceful conversation. Instead of answering, you went and made an offer to another. Are you going to talk about honor when your daughter’s fiancé pushed her away while you were being attacked?” I crossed my arms, pretending boredom but already feeling the handle of the knife hidden in my sleeve. “I saved your daughter twice today — from an unhappy future and from being trampled by you while you ran for your lives.”

“You bastard!” he lunged at me, and Frank stepped forward to stop him from getting close.

“You said this was a negotiation — let’s negotiate!” I raised an eyebrow, keeping the smile off my lips, even though I could see the desperation screaming in his eyes.

Whatever deal he had with Filippo’s family, he seemed eager to fulfill it.

“Your merchandise is in the truck, and two of your men we managed to capture. Return my daughter, and we’ll return your cargo!” He pointed to a truck a few meters away from where we stood, and this time, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

“Hahaha, do you think Angela is worth a load of cocaine and two soldiers?” I took a deep breath, regaining my composure. “At least now we know why you took it all and didn’t just slit all four men’s throats.”

“They’re your men; I can torture them until they tell me things that could destroy you…”

“Good luck with that. My soldiers are trained; they’d be happy to die in the name of the Cosa Nostra. They’re protecting the future of the empire!” I interrupted calmly. They all had a cyanide tooth — they could end their own suffering whenever they wanted — and they knew they’d die protecting the Don’s wife. I would have said that if I didn’t want Mancini to know my plans for his daughter.

“And the half ton of cocaine? We both know how much that’s worth — it’s a huge loss for you and for all the people you supply.”

I stayed silent, staring at the desperate man in front of me, seemingly willing to do anything to get the girl back. But why? “It’s not worth the headache, the stress in the middle of this war we’re already fighting. Do you really want to end our truce and lose half a ton of merchandise?”

It was a lot, and I knew that. That was the main reason for my irritation over their carelessness with the warehouse security. But if Angela meant so little to me, I wouldn’t have done anything I did today — I would’ve gone to the Russians to marry, like Nero suggested.

“Burn it, sell it, use it. I don’t care what you do with that half ton.” I shrugged, turning away. “I have other priorities right now, like taking care of your daughter.”

“What do you want to return my daughter? Tell me, anything you want, and I’ll give it to you!” he shouted before we could walk away, sounding even more anxious.

“Your territory, Mancini. Hand it all over to me, and Angela is yours.” I said, turning back to him. I knew he wouldn’t accept, and even if he said yes, he’d get her back married to me and with my seed inside her, guaranteeing our heirs.

“You son of a bitch!” he lunged at me again. His men drew their weapons, and ours appeared, surprising everyone.

Gunshots echoed from both sides. My brother was already firing with blood in his eyes. Even though he hated fights, Nero was good at killing — just like me.

I didn’t let Frank intervene this time. I stepped forward, raised my gun, and fired at Mancini, who was running, trying to take cover in the armored car.

“Not so fast, you vermin!” My bullet hit the bastard’s leg, making him fall to the ground screaming. But before I could get closer, two bullets struck my chest, throwing me to the ground.

The air was ripped from my lungs as pain spread through me. I might’ve been wearing a vest, but that shit hurt like hell. I pushed myself up, breathing with difficulty, scanning for Mancini.

“Are you okay? Let’s get the hell out of here!” Frank shouted, stepping in front of me, trying to help me stand.

I knew he should drag me away — that was the right thing to do since I was blinded by rage — but I just shoved him aside, removing his body from my way and walking again, ripping off the vest just so I could breathe better.

“Marco! Damn it, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” I heard my brother shout from afar, but my eyes were fixed on the trail of blood Mancini had left, leading to the car.

My men covered me, keeping anyone from getting close to the car, and when I opened the back door, I found him there, sitting and trying to stop the bleeding from his leg.

“You marked her, and you’ll get the same, rat!” I shouted, pulling out my knife quickly and grabbing him by the collar.

The moment I dragged the blade across his back, tearing his flesh and feeling the hot blood run between my fingers, I heard a gunshot inside the car and realized it hadn’t been my weapon that fired.

While he screamed in pain, I glanced down and saw the bloodstain spreading on my abdomen. But I looked back up, yanked the gun from his hand, and had the chance to slash his chest.

Mancini punched the spot where the bullet was lodged, making my body fold and lose strength for a moment — just long enough for him to steal the knife and try to attack me.

I raised my arm instinctively, feeling the blade sink into my skin, and with a roar of pain, I grabbed his wrist, twisting it until it was turned against him.

“You’ll never have anything that’s mine, Falcone! Not even if I have to kill her!”

I brought my fist down with all my rage, driving the knife into his thigh at the same moment hands grabbed me, pulling me out of the car. Strong arms dragged me, throwing me into another vehicle moving at terrifying speed before I could process what had happened or face my brother and Frank.

And now she was right there in front of me — those fierce brown eyes despite the pain she was clearly feeling, her hair blowing in the wind, and the rumpled face of someone who’d just woken up.

How was I going to tell her everything that had happened while she slept?