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I gawked at him, trying to control my shock and understand what this all meant. “Fuck man. I’m so sorry. So, Diego wasn’t your papi?”
He shook his head, “No idea who my papi was. Diego needed an heir. He saw an opportunity to have the boy he always wanted and raise him as the man he needed and took it.”
“Who else knows this?” I asked, my mind frantic with thoughts. I had so many questions, but I didn’t want to spook him. Now I knew why he had kept this a secret all his life. If this ever got out, he’d be killed instantly by anyone who wanted his position.
“Elio. And Isabelle knew,” Alessio sighed as he looked at me for the first time since his confession. “She found out when we were teenagers. I was an idiot, Finn. We started sleeping together. She was my first. We slept together for about a year until I came to my senses. I tried to end it, but she started to blackmail me. Diego killed a boy who she blamed when he found the condoms and I have had to live with that. Knowing his innocent blood was on my hands. She blackmailed me about my paternity and about telling Diego I was fucking her so I would keep seeing her. I fucking hated her for it, but it was easier than dealing with the fucking drama. Until I met Elle in La Casetta.”
I threw my head back, my hands covering my face as I let that information sink in. This was all starting to make so much sense. Isabelle’s weird obsession with him. Elle’s heartbreak. Did Elle know? My head snapped down as I stared at him with wide eyes.
“Isabelle told Elle, didn’t she? That you two had been sleeping together?”
Alessio rubbed his hand across his chin as he struggled to contain his emotions and nodded.
“I’m pretty sure she did. Elle wouldn’t have believed Isabelle otherwise.”
“Do you think she knows you’re not a Barbieri?”
He shrugged. “If she does, it’s only a matter of time until she tells Giovanni.”
“No. I don’t think she knows. That is why she is so upset. She thinks you were actually sleeping with your sister. You have to tell her.”
He turned to look at me and raised his eyebrow as I realised how bad this situation was. “Oh fuck! You can’t tell her. Because she might tell Giovanni. And then you lose everything. So, what are you going to do?”
He laughed desperately, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees as he lowered his head to his chest. “Fuck knows.”
“She loves you, you know. Even knowing everything she does, she is still in love with you.”
He moved his gaze to mine and I saw a small flash of hope in his eyes.
“I can’t let her go, Finn. I feel like I can’t breathe without her. It hurts so fucking much.”
I nodded, understanding that feeling more than he knew.
“It gets easier with time,” I gave him a small smile as his blue eyes focused on me again. The look in them told me everything I already knew. It would never get easier for him. He’d been in love with her most of his life and now he’d finally accepted it, he would never be able to get over her. She was his universe.
“Wait,” he suddenly sat up straight, his face turning hard and cold. “Was Galiz really coming for Elle? Or was Isabelle planning on killing Elle?”
“I think the plan was legit. Dante turned up to take her, but Gio shot him. He managed to escape before Gio’s men killed the rest of them. Isabelle was about to shoot Gio. Elle shot her to save him.”
“Dante?! I should have fucking known!” He shot up from the bench and started pacing the chapel aisle again. “I knew there was a fucking mole! I knew someone had to be feeding Galiz information. But I thought it might have been Diego himself just to test me. I am going to fucking kill Dante.”
“I’ve got to say, I am fucking relieved to hear that,” I folded my arms across my chest as he paused, his hands on his hips. “But what about Galiz? Obviously, Dante’s plan fell through, but I can’t imagine he is going to give up so easily. You are going to need to handle this carefully.”
He released a loud growl from his throat in frustration and I could feel his stress. I did not envy him one bit.
“Is being Boss everything you had hoped it would be?” I couldn’t help but try and tease him as he shot me a look that told me to fuck off.
“It’s a fucking delight!”
“Right…” I leaned forward and clasped my hands together to think seriously about all of this. “You need a plan, Alessio. And right now, I’m the only one who can truly help you because I know the truth. So, priorities. You’ve got to sort your shit out in the South. Deal with Dante.”
He nodded his head. “I have to sign Diego’s will, become Boss officially and then I can fucking kill him. Elio will be a problem though. He isn’t going to take too kindly to me murdering his son. And he knows too much.”
“Then you kill him too,” I shrugged as he bit into his lower lip.
“It is against mafia law. No Boss can kill their consigliere. It is the most sacred relationship. You do that and no man in your clan will ever trust you again.”
“Fucking mafia bollox,” I grumbled, shaking my head.
