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We returned to our guest and the night passed by, eventually washing away all the awkwardness that I had created. Ari had never come around from her terrible mood, but Pina, my brothers, and I had a very nice time, and even if my motives were not the best ones, I was happy that they were all called here tonight.
Chapter 11
I couldn’t say if the bitter taste in my mouth was from the hangover, the anger, or just my liver finally giving up on me. The past two weeks were so close to what the priests describe hell to be like, feeling like shit started to become my reality.
I didn’t sleep for days because Grazia’s words haunted every minute of silence I had. Her crying voice telling me I caused her pain will be the one thing that will chase me until my death. It took the strength of ten men to stay away from her for so long, but I had to let things cool down.
Making sure Grazia was happy was my only goal and when she told meIwas standing in the way of that, it gutted me. What the hell could I do if not give her some time and space, waiting for her to come back to me?
She will come back. It was the one thing that kept me going all these days. Grazia knew she was mine and there was no other way, she just took longer to accept the inevitable. I didn’t give a shit about what her family wanted. Her father was nothing but an old piece of shit who only cared about himself and her brothers? There was a time when all seven were sworn brothers to me, but anyone who’d dare to stand between me and my woman would end up biting my bullets.
I had to wait for Grazi to find her own way back to me and when she’d come, it would be forever. It had to, because my life was about to change forever.
It’s too soon. The doctors have told me time and time again that father had another year, but in the past couple of days, his time was cut short. Dr. Ricci and her team didn’t leave his side, pumping him with meds to make him comfortable, but they all said the same thing. There was no use moving him to a hospital, there wasn’t much they can do, and that I should be ready to say my final goodbye.
Last night, I thought that was it. He had an attack so harsh, I thought he’d end up coughing out a lung. To see a man that once ruled an empire so weak, with one leg in the grave, it scared me to death. Adrian Fiori – my father – was dying, and I couldn’t do anything about it, so I ended up drinking my weight in vodka. It was only fair that now I was being punished with a headache from hell.
I raised my head and opened my eyes only to see I was on the bathroom floor, naked. I must have passed out, not that I remember anything, and I was grateful for it. For a few hours I got a break from the pain of losing my father in slow motion. I had no plan of getting up, but Totto’s insistent knocking forced me to.
I wrapped myself in a plush robe and opened the door.
“What do you want?”
“You should get downstairs, Salvatore.”
“What now?”
“He’s getting worse. Dr. Ricci thinks he’ll be gone soon.”
I felt my chest constricting and fire spreading.
“It’s too soon. She said he has more time. The medicine they gave him…”
“That was last night. You’ve been out for hours.”
“What time is it, Totto?”
“A little over nine.”
“Nine?” Damn it. My father was on his death bed and I was in a damn comma for twelve hours. I looked at the window to see that Totto was right and the sky was dark again. “I’ll be right there. Give me a moment to shower.”
“Can I get you anything?”
“Water, please.”
He nodded and disappeared just like a ghost.
I washed off all the alcohol, sweat, regrets, and fears. While the rest of the world could afford to show weakness when they lost a parent, I didn’t.
The king is dead, long live the king. Every eye in thefamigliawould be on me and they expect to see a new leader. Our enemies would look for any weakness and I wasn’t planning on giving them any.
The moment my father would close his eyes, I would beDon. All his legacy would be on my shoulders. All his rivals would become mine. I was prepared for this moment my entire life and we were all ready for it. Pietro would become my second in command, father’s lieutenants would swear alliance to me, and the Fiori name would continue to rule and prosper. Only one thing was not how it was supposed to be.
Grazia. Grazia Caputo should have taken my name by now, be by my side in all this, but she wasn’t. A predictable wave of anger shook me from head to toe, like it always happened when I thought about Fabiano Caputo and the wrongs he has done. Father was right to spit in his face and break the brotherhood, but I couldn’t settle with the fact that Grazia was not with me because of it.
Between his love for my mother and my love for the only daughter Fabiano Caputo had, my father had chosen the former, letting me deal with the aftermath.
And now I’m alone.
