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Fuck.
"Look who finally made it," the prick sneers, his green eyes filled with contempt. His body is tense, ready for a fight. Physically, he and Rafe are nearly the same size. But he's a fool if he thinks he stands a chance against Rafe. "You think you can just waltz in here and take me down?"
"My son?" Rafe snarls, stepping into the room. "You targeted my fucking son?"
Brio's smile is cold. "I wouldn't have had to if you weren't a miserable fucking Capo, Valentino. You don't deserve the throne. You know it. I know it. So does everyone else. Taking it off your hands is doing you a favor."
I bristle at his words, clenching my fists as I watch Rafe's obsidian eyes darken with fury. He's an idiot if he believes that. Rafe is the only reason this city hasn't descended into chaos. The families are what they are and have what they have because of him.
"You go too far, Cascella. He's your fucking Capo."
"No. He's your Capo. To me, he's a pezzo di merda on my shoe." His lip curls. "Just like his fucking son."
Rafe lunges forward with a roar, his fist colliding with Brio's face in a brutal blow. Brio tries to bring his gun up, but Rafe knocks it out of his hand.
Glass shatters as he shoves Brio into a shelf housing various medical equipment, sending it crashing to the floor. He strikes him again and again. Brio attempts to fight back, landing blows here and there, but like I said, he's no match for Rafe. He never was.
He's a delusional fool.
"Rafe!" I shout, trying to remind him not to kill Brio just yet. We have questions that need answers. "We need to know where Tabitha is."
The sounds of fighting echo throughout the mansion, growing closer as the rest of our family continue their rampage.
Brio spits blood onto the floor, staggering back from Rafe's relentless assault. He falls to his knees, laughing. "She's dead, Agostino. She was dead days ago. Did you really think I'd keep her alive?"
My vision blurs, a red haze settling over my eyes. I hear nothing but the rush of blood in my ears and the echo of those three words—She's dead, Agostino.
Cristo. I failed Aurelia.
I think I knew it the moment I walked in the fucking door, but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe that I could keep this promise to her. I never stood a fucking chance.
Brio looks up at Rafe with a cruel glint in his eyes. And then his lips twist into a savage grin. "I almost feel bad about it since Aurelia was a great fuck. She probably deserved a reward for keeping my balls empty."
My blood boils at the mention of Aurelia, at the insult. He never touched her. I know for a fact that he never did. Her virgin blood stained my cock. But that's beside the point. He's done enough harm to her. He doesn't get to speak her name now. Not to insult her. Not to taunt Rafe. Not to claim any fucking piece of her.
"You miserable piece of shit." I charge at him like a wild animal, the rage coursing through me all-consuming. The only thing left is the desire to rip him apart, piece by fucking piece.
"Mattia, no!" Rafe shouts, but it's too late. I crash into Brio with enough force to knock him off his knees and onto the cold marble floor.
His head bounces off it with an audible thud.
I wrap a hand around his throat as we roll around, exchanging blows and curses.
"You'll never come near her again, you fucking bastard!" I growl, landing a solid punch to his face. "You'll never see her, never touch her, never win. She's the reason you're going to live long enough to see your goddamn dynasty crumble to dust! We're going to keep you breathing until every fucking member of your family is dead, Brio. That's your fate. Not the fucking throne, but the complete destruction of your own empire."
Something perilously close to panic flickers through his gaze. In that moment, I realize this is precisely what he wants. He isn't taunting us because he thinks he can win. He knew the minute we showed up that he'd lost. I think he knew the minute Tabitha died that this ended with him in a grave.
He took a calculated risk and failed. And now, he wants us to kill him. Because he'd rather die here and now than suffer through the torture Rafe is going to visit upon him for what he's done.
Well, fuck that. I'm not giving him what he wants. He doesn't get to go out easy.
I haul myself off him, refusing to give him what he wants. I want him howling for mercy until the very fucking end.
But I fail to notice the sharp glint of broken glass in his hand until it's too late. He rears up suddenly, grasping for me. I try to jump back, but it's too late.
With a vicious grin, he drives the jagged piece deep into my side, ripping downward.
Pain blasts through me, immediate and excruciating. Red-hot agony radiates from the wound, invading every cell.
