Chapter 55

Brielle....

Brie watched as Giovanni is impatiently drumming his fingers on his desk.Paula has asked for all of them to be here and she wonders what's going on,they all are present except for the kids.Tino,Marco, Marcelo,Ari, Giovanni,their grandmother and herself.

"I don't even know where to begin."Paula started setting her empty cup of tea on the table and facing everyone.

"At the beginning."Giovanni demanded.

"Your mother's death and her disappearance a few days before her death wasn't an accident....it was all planned."Silence filled the room not one word is uttered....a pin can drop and one would hear it. Brie looked at Giovanni and by the fists on his hands she can tell something will hit the floor soon.Or whoever might upset him now will meet their death.

"What are you talking about abuelita?"Marco finally asked when the silence continued.

Paula got up and walked over to the window,there she stood and stared into the distance."Your mother came to me and your grandfather a few days earlier,your father had forbidden her from leaving the house but she found a way out and came to us."Sighing deeply she continued."She overheard your father talking to someone in his study,she wasn't sure who though....they were planning her kidnapping and her death.She came to warn us that if something ever happened to her it was your father.She gave explicit details of what they planned on doing to her once they got a hold of her.Your grandfather begged her to stay....he told her he'd protect her but she didn't want to put us at risk too.And since you guys were still young and with your dad she didn't want to leave you two alone with him cause she was afraid he would take out his anger on you."

"Abuelita...."Marco said standing up."Our father searched day and night for our mother.How can he possible be involved....he loved our mother."

"He never loved her."It was Giovanni who spoke and the way he spoke so softly worried Brie,and the manner in which he was playing with the knife in his hand,she hopes no one gets hurt."She was just a toy to him,someone he could abuse and control."

"Your brother is right Marco."Paula confirmed."Your father never loved your mother to him it was all a game.He would bring his mistresses home while she would be here in the house.My daughter was unhappy the minute she married your father but because the Garcia and Valetti family had an agreement it was compulsory for your mother and father to marry to strengthen the two families."

"I suspected that Victor might be involved but I wasn't sure."Rocco added too."And I didn't want to say anything in case I could be wrong, considering the tension between your father I remained quiet."

"What did you find."Gio asked in that same deadly manner.

"Recorded phone calls of him and Lorenzo's father,it was encrypted but I managed to crack pass their security wall and get each and every recording including one between your father and mother."

"I want it now!"Giovanni demanded.Rocco quickly got to work on his iPad.

"I sent it to your email."Giovanni opened his laptop and a second later Victor's voice filled the room.

"You have your whore now send me my money"

"Not so fast Victor....I'll sent half and the other half when I'm done with her....I don't need anything leading back to me after her death."

"No one will miss her or investigate her death...her father is too old and useless to do anything...as for her mother she won't be a problem I'll make sure to take care of her.You shouldn't forget our agreement."

"If you fail me I'll make sure you take the fall for Sofia's death and more....you owe me your life....if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be in that seat and hold the power you having now."

"I won't....I promise Leonardo."

So that's Lorenzo's father's name Brie thought.... Leonardo....risking a glance at Giovanni she can see his eyes are dead,empty like a hollow hole where one will never be able to get out of..... Leonardo is dead but Victor is about to meet the same faith....the look she's seeing now is telling her that and despite knowing it's wrong....she agrees with him.Victor is a cold blooded,heartless monster that doesn't need to live on this earth,not after orchestrating the death of his own wife.....the other recordings were of Leonardo and Victor planning and arranging the deaths of Paula and her husband Matteo,which they succeeded because Paula's husband died not long after his daughter.... Paula is the only surviving one,after Leonardo's death Victor went silent.The next recording is of a woman and Victor.It must be their mother....Sofia.

"Victor please...."She begged."I did everything you asked.... please tell them to let me go....I'm tired....I can't take it anymore."

One can hear the despair and desperation in her voice,Brie can feel her pain even though she doesn't know the woman or have ever met her.There's no doubt she's given up already....

"It's over when I say it is you whore!"Victor said.A loud slap rang out over the recording,followed by the sound of Sofia whimpering in pain Victor's evil laugh can be heard,it's like he's enjoying her pain and suffering."Just look at you."Another whimper came from Sofia after he kicked her."You pathetic and useless,you weak....you not fit to be a Valetti bride or my wife....you just a liability and I hate liabilities. From your death I'll benefit more compared to when you alive."

"V-vi-ctor...."She coughed up."I'm your wife.....please....the mother of your sons.Don't do this."He laughed again as she pleaded,Brie heard the sound of a buckle.....a belt buckle,then a zip being pulled down.

"Let me have you for one last time before Leonardo and his men will have their fun with you then you'll be of no use to me anymore.You whore!"

Giovanni banged his laptop shut so hard that the whole thing shattered,standing up he threw it up against the wall where it broke into further pieces."Did you watch this?!"He asked Rocco in a cold dangerous tone.So it's a video Brie thought.

"I didn't get that far Capo."He answered honestly."And no one has seen the video either.....but I believe your father has it is cause I tracked it back to his IP address and laptop."

"This is war?"Giovanni groaned angrily flipping the whole table over."Find him!Now!"

"Giovanni....you need to calm down my son."Paula tried to reason. "Don't let your anger get the better of you."

"He killed my mother,all because he thought she was making us weak for showing us love.He robbed us of our childhood by turning us into cold blooded killers.....he took my mother away from me without giving a damn about what it would do to us..... I'm gonna rip out his heart with me bare hands and feed it to my rottweiler I'm gonna tear him from limb to limb,I'm gonna give him a death far worse than my mother went through.I'm not angry abuelita." He said softly."All I'm seeing now is red....."He turned to look at Tino."Prepare everything in the basement for tomorrow evening. We'll get him right after the meeting.I know his favorite chosen son will be lurking around....keep an eye out for him too....and Rocco you in charge of surveillance....here and at the casino.Blood will flow starting from tomorrow.El diablo is back."

Brie got a cold chill down her spine....she doesn't want to know what will happen to Victor tomorrow after that meeting and she's so glad that she's not in his shoes ...by Giovanni's look on his face and the way he's shaking with anger she knows something big is coming and whatever it....it won't end well for all who's against him.

"Abuelita I'm gonna need you to stay with the rest of the women and children.We'll transfer you to a safe house no one knows about Rocco will protect you until we done with whatever we doing. You'll be safe.I give you my word."

"I know my child.Avenge her."Paula said with determination. "Don't let her death and suffering go unpunished by all who's involved."

"I won't."His gaze fell on Brie."Can I have a moment alone with Brielle?"He asked.Everyone left leaving them alone,all they did is stare at each other....no words are said or spoken until Brie got up and went to give him a hug.

"Come back."She whispered softly as she hugged him tightly against her."Come back to us?"

His arms tighten around her,the way they are holding one another is enough that nothing further needed to be said."Protect yourself and the kids.....no matter what.Just in case things go wrong and I don't make it back.....take care of yourself and our kids."

"Don't say that."She shook her head."You El Diablo.You can't die.I forbid you from dying on me."Her eyes shone bright with tears. "You better come back.Promise me."

"Don't cry tesoro."He wiped away her tears that has fallen."I need you to be strong.I know this isn't the life you would've wanted for yourself but I'm gonna need you to be strong."

She nodded her head, afraid to talk because her throat is thick with tears.Right now isn't the time to cry....right now there's a war coming and like he said she needs to be strong for all of them.

"I'm gonna need you to go and pack some clothes for you guys for a few days.I'll get in touch."He gently stroked her cheek.