Chapter 188 She's Always Owned My Heart

Chapter 188 She's Always Owned My Heart
LORENZO

“She's got you all messed up there. You pretended to hate her, but the truth? You never hated her. Instead of killing the bitch and wiping out her entire bloodline, you allied yourself with those dirty bastards. The same people who’ve been killing ours for generations.”

“When did you find out who she was?” I asked, ignoring his rants. I knew more than anyone how deeply my love and obsession with Sancia ran. I don't need him telling me the obvious.

“When you brought her into our Famiglia. When you crowned her your queen.” He shook his head in disgust.

“That’s the day I lost all respect for you. I used to think you were the strongest capo. But when you chose to protect the enemy and stand beside them, I began to hate you.”

His lips curled. “So when Vince reached out and asked me to work with him, I said yes.”

“Was that why you ignored my orders and convinced the soldiers to shoot at my wife when she freed Antonio?”

He shrugged again. “I saw an opportunity to kill the bitch, and I took it. Unfortunately, none of the bullets hit her.”

My jaw tightened. “I’m assuming you weren’t working with Antonio at that time.”

“No. That came later. Antonio wanted you dead for taking the woman he loves and for torturing him. Vince and I wanted you dead for our own reasons. So we became allies.”

“Did Antonio know about Vince's plans for Sancia?” I ground out, my control hanging by a thread.

Gino cackled. “That idiot still doesn’t know Vince has no intention of letting him keep Sancia. And by the time he finds out the truth, he’ll be nothing more than a dead man. Poor bastard. I don't blame him, though.”

He glanced at Luca. “Did he let you fuck the little whore, Luca? Is that why you are not angry?”

“It’s not going to work,” Luca replied calmly, twisting the brass knuckles as he approached him. “You want to goad us into killing you faster so you don’t suffer.”

He slammed his fist on his face, breaking his nose instantly. “You knew better than that,” Gino grunted as Luca did what he did best. And I let him vent his anger for a few minutes before I pulled him back.

For a few seconds, Gino groaned and panted with pain, his face bleeding from numerous wounds. “Guess I was right. Capo, did you know? Did Fabio also fuck her? Were you playing favorite boss?” he taunted.

That was it. The last thread of restraint snapped. Suddenly, I wanted him to suffer; I didn’t care that we didn’t have the time. I’ll make every second count.

I looked at the time before I began to fold my sleeves. “Let him down,” I ordered Savio.

He and Luca quickly did as ordered. Gino’s body dropped to the ground a few minutes later. His body was too weak to hold himself upright.

He started to chuckle when I approached. “Did I poke the bear? You want to kill me?” He mocks.
“You think you're so smart because you caught me. But there are more traitors in this Famiglia, men who know you're not fit to be our Capo.”

“Get down here, Rico,” I ordered.

Gino’s eyes widened with fear. His gaze darted toward the entrance, watching Rico walk closer.

“You fucking traitor!” Gino roared, then he stood up as Rico got into the dungeon. No, he tried to lunge toward Rico.

I caught him by the throat mid-step and slammed him against the wall. Then I followed with a punch that made him wheeze; I turned him around, front against his back, and wrapped one arm around his neck, squeezing, and the other holding his head.

One snap is all it will take to end his miserable life.

“You’re one to talk,” I snarled, squeezing until his face began to redden. “Did you think Rico would betray me? You didn’t know I had him working in London for me, did you?” I growled as he grunted and struggled to escape my grip.

“I knew you wouldn’t trust someone in the villa, so I brought someone you’d consider new, someone who’s not close to me and is unhappy working for me secretly.”

I grinned menacingly. “I already knew you were working with Antonio. What I hadn't expected was you working with Vince. But then Rico found out what you were hiding. I also know Vince is here in Italy. You just brought him to me,” I growled, squeezing his neck harder.

He tried to fight; really, he did. He tried to kick me with his elbow and tried to pry my hands off the chokehold I had on him. I didn’t loosen my grip until he went down, and I flipped him around. And began to punch the fuck out of him; adrenaline coursed through me as anger exploded inside me.

“You fucking rat. Fabio loved you like a brother. I fucking trusted you,” I growled, then punched. “Luca and Savio trusted you.” Another punch.

“Everyone in this Famiglia treated you with loyalty and respect, and you dared to betray us?” I gripped his neck, panting, my body shaking with rage.

His nails clawed at my wrists. “You say you felt betrayed because I married Sancia. I have no excuse for that; you should have come for me instead of Fabio.”

My voice dropped, deadly quiet. “You're right. I loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her. She’s always owned my heart. Even after I found out what she’d done. Even when I swore revenge, I still loved her.”

I leaned closer, forcing his head up so he had no choice but to look into my eyes. His face was a complete mess, but there was no pity or remorse inside me.

“If that makes me a traitor in your eyes, so be it.” My grip tightened. “But don’t you dare lecture me about loyalty to this Famiglia, you hypocrite. Because I never killed my brothers. I never plotted against my brothers.”

The old rage surged through me. “You did.” My voice turned lethal. “You let Fabio and several of our men die. Not out of grief, like you are trying to make us believe, but because you were greedy and you wanted power. You wanted to be a Consigliere.”

I yanked him up and sneered. “Be a man and fucking admit it. That’s why you betrayed me.”

“Yes,” Gino groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “I should have been the Consigliere. I have killed and bled for this Famiglia longer than any of you, and yet I have to take orders from you and fucking Luca.”

I scoffed. “Loyalty isn't measured by how much you've given to the Famiglia, or how much you've bled for it, but by sticking with your brothers till the very end. And you've fallen short in that.”

Then I beat the shit out of him until he lay completely motionless, barely breathing, and my hands throbbed and dripped with blood.

Then I grabbed my sword and stood.

“Your death will serve as a reminder of what we do to traitors in the Marchetti Famiglia. Don't worry, Antonio and Vince will join you soon enough.”

I raised the sword and struck. Blood splashed against my face and shirt, warm and thick.