Chapter 56 Plan Change
Lila POV
The second those doors opened, everything around me went mute. All I heard was the wild beating of my heart resonating through my head.
Surrounded by all these powerful men, she looked invincible, and even though I had faith in Nico for a moment…that was no longer the case.
Matteo stepped in, but I couldn’t move. My body was frozen, like when rex had his disgusting body all over mine, my mind no longer registering anything but red and the hatred that seemed to emanate from almost everyone in the room.
A soft hand touched the curve of my spine and his scent surrounded me. “This has to be done, little pet. You need to walk inside.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing myself to be the little mouse that obeys. “Yes…sir.” I heard him suck in a breath, and I walked.
Damon got up, his one eye swollen shut. “Finally decided to be a man, hey?”
Nico snorted. “How’s the eye, little brother?”
The way Damon face hardened, his glare shooting daggers at nico forehead, I was ninety nine percent sure that this gathering wouldn’t last five minutes without bloodshed.
Nico mother got up from her chair. “What have you done, son?”
“All I want is the truth.”
“And I told you the truth.”
Nico walked forward all along the table to where Uncle Lucas was sitting. “The thing is, Mother, I don’t believe a word you told me.”
Her glare shot to me. “This is your doing. One son wasn’t enough for you? You had to go stick your manipulative claws into nico as well.”
“You’re one to talk.” Everyone’s eyes darted toward where Uncle Lucas sat.
“You’ve been manipulating this family for years, and finally someone is starting to see you for who and what you really are.” He shrugged. “Pity it had to be your son, your own flesh and blood.”
“How dare you. Are you not my husband’s brother?”
Uncle Lucas got up from his seat. “I was his brother.
But he’s dead, and it’s a shame he’s not here to witness this, to finally see what evil runs through your veins.”
She sat back down on her seat, and I looked over to nico. He was standing tall, proud, confident, but I saw the sadness in his eyes as he stared at his mother.
No matter who she was or what she has done, she still remained his mother.
“nico,” she started. “It is clear that our family has been torn apart by your actions, but you still have a chance to fix it. This wretched woman needs to be buried, tonight.”
My heart stopped, and my stomach felt like it had been filled with concrete.
Nico walked back to me, putting himself between me and his mother, shielding me from her hateful gaze.
“We have a deal with Falcone, and I intend to keep that deal. When he hands himself over to us tomorrow, I will send lila home, as per my word.”
What the hell was he talking about? And why did my stomach clench when he said he’ll be sending me home? That’s what I wanted, right? To go home, to get away from him?
I moved closer. “nico, what”
He lifted a hand silencing me like I was nothing more than a goddamn slave, and it stung more than it should have especially after what I just heard.
His mother smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “That was not part of the plan, son.”
“It is now.”
This time Damon spoke up. “You are choosing this whore over your responsibility to your family?”
Nico glowered his way, menace oozing out of his every pore. “I am choosing no one.
You want revenge against the person responsible for Nikolai death, and I am giving that to you. Falcone will hand himself over, and you will have your revenge. But lila will be set free.”
“No!” His mother shot back up to her feet. “Absolutely not. That woman will die along with her father.”
“No way!” The words just left my mouth and everyone turned to face me, including nico.
“Keep quiet,” he muttered below his breath so only I could hear.
I ignored him and glanced at his mother. “You can’t kill my father.”
“Oh I can, child.” She smiled like she already tasted victory. “And I will, but you will die first.”
“No, mother. She will not.”
Silence fell across the room. About twenty men went dead silent. Not even one breath could be heard.
Nico and his mother continued to hold each other’s glare, animosity pulsing between mother and son like a life force.
“damon,” she said with a sordid smile on her face. “Bring him in.”
What? Who was him?
Panicking, I looked at nico. The way he and Uncle Lucas glanced at each other with uncertainty it was obvious that no one expected this.
Damon got up and walked with his head held high, his exuded arrogance nauseating me.
There was a door at the far corner of the room, and everyone’s eyes were glued in that direction. The amount of fear that ran through my veins made me feel lightheaded, my knees weak.
But when that door opened, and I saw who stood on the other side my lightheadedness was gone, replaced with an explosion of dread and confusion.
“Dad,” I whispered, and nico glanced over his shoulder at me, his expression carrying the same confusion.
My dad was gagged, his wrists tied in front of him. Blood covered half his face, and he walked with a limp as Damon dragged him toward the crowd.
Again I looked at nico. “What the hell is going on?”
Nico stepped closer to his mother. “What in God’s name do you think you are doing?”
“Incentive.” She smiled maliciously victoriously, and I wanted to wipe that smile off her face with my goddamn fist.
Damon dropped my father into a chair next to Mrs. Moretti, and when my dad saw me, he moaned and whimpered with the gag fixed in his mouth.
My body started to shake as new tears blurred my vision. I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t handle seeing my dad like this.
I launched forward and placed my hands on the table right in front of Mrs. Moretti. Nico tried to grip my elbow, but I jerked out of his reach.
“Let my father go?”
“I’m sorry, child, but I can’t do that.”
“Let my father go and you can kill me. I won’t fight you. You can torture me, kill me as slowly as you want, I won’t fight, just as long as you let my father go!”
Nico cursed behind me, but I ignored him. This was no longer about just us.
His mother had turned the tables by bringing my father here, and even though my father and I never saw eye to eye, I would gladly trade my life for his.
“You see, lila” she glanced from my father to me “I can’t do that since we plan on killing you both. That has always been the plan.”