Riccardo (16 page)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

RICCARDO

"This is how you honour me? By fucking my daughter and keeping it a secret? You have been like a brother to me yet you betray me with my own flesh and blood." He squeezed the glass of scotch he still had in his hand and it shattered everywhere, glass cutting into his hand. "You fucking
bastardo
."

Sebastiano raised his fist, and the first hit connected with my jaw. I felt myself go down, and hit the floor. When I opened my eyes, I saw most of the men standing around me with their arms folded. No one dared interfere with my punishment. I brought this on myself. Stefano, Raphael, Vincenzo, Paulie and Aldo were all there, to witness my downfall.

I deserved it. Sebastiano's words about betrayal rang through my mind, taunting me. Getting to my knees, I climbed to my feet. I noticed Sierra hugging a crying Lorena.
Nonna
shielded Matias and tried to get him out of the battlefield.

“You think you can be my right-hand man after you do the unthinkable?" Sebastiano snarled at me. I heard Lorena call out to him to stop as he reached for my shirt and ripped it from my body. I tried to fight him off but it was no use. I felt like I was ten years old again when my father used to beat the crap out of me. Only this time, it was from a man who had saved me from my horrific past. Sebastiano had been there for me when I was being abused and he’d saved my life. Now here we stood, and the man who once saved me was about to end me.

Yeah, he was going to kill me. I could feel it.

“Please, stop, Daddy. Please," Lorena screamed.

"He doesn't deserve to be my Capo." I watched as Sebastiano pulled out his pocket knife from his pants and flicked it open, slicing my shirt off my swaying body. "Hold him before he falls again," he ordered the men. Nobody moved. "Did you fucking hear me? I said hold him up."

“Boss, take it easy," Stefano said. "He had her consent for God’s sake."

I looked over towards Stefano, seeing the pain in his eyes. I didn't dare look at Lorena. I felt like I was breaking apart inside.

“I have rules in this
famiglia
. You all know them. You do as I ask or you're going down with him." Stefano still didn't move. Sebastiano turned back toward me and sliced my chest with his knife. I fell to my knees in anguish.

"Oh, Jesus…Daddy, please stop." I vaguely heard Lorena sob. I wanted to go to her but I couldn't get up.

“On your feet. Get the fuck up, traitor," Sebastiano yelled.

There was complete silence. I tried to stand but fell to my knees again. Sebastiano pulled me by my hair and lifted me to my feet. Fuck, after all the hits and killings I'd done, I never thought I'd be the one facing this type of punishment, especially from The Don himself. Ever since Lorena came back, I'd fucked up like a motherfucker. I knew I didn't have a choice. Sebastiano had every right to get his vengeance, so I wasn't going to fight him on this.

I was in the wrong, but what I had with Lorena and what I felt for her was far from wrong. She was the best fucking thing that had ever come into my life. Apart from my best friend, who wanted to kill me. If I were Sebastiano, I'd want to kill me too.

He kicked me in the jaw and I tasted blood across my tongue. I could handle the pain in my chest; I'd had worse, but my head was spinning. "How long did you think you could keep this from me? You motherfucking, lying cunt." He hit me over and over and over again and I took it. I fucking hoped one of the men had the sense to remove Sierra and Lorena from the room.

“For fuck’s sake, boss, that's enough. He's like your brother," Stefano begged, trying to intercept him but Vincenzo held him back.

But Sebastiano didn't relent. "I want you to fight me. Hit me, you bastard. I dare you." He spat at me. He lunged for me again. This time punching me directly in the stomach. By this time, I had no more life left in me. No fight. No will.

Wiping the spit from his mouth, he stared at me with hatred. Something I thought would never be directed at me.
Beware the wrath of The Don.

"You never told me, you never so much as hinted about it before. I should've known something was wrong when you asked me to send her away.
Jesu Christo
, how long did you plan this for? I trusted you with my life, my family, and you go and seduce my daughter, all because you couldn't wait to get your dick wet?"

I squinted at him. My breathing was ragged from my injuries but I was angry at his cruel words. I knew I made a vow not to fight him, but when he insinuated I used Lorena because I couldn't keep my dick in my pants, I saw red. "Don't bad mouth your own daughter. She's not a whore or just someone I want to fuck. I want her to be mine. Forever."

Everyone hushed one another and the room fell silent again.

"
Disgraziato, per l'amore di Dio
. Why did you have to go after her, of all people? She will never be yours.
Never!
"

Sebastiano moved forward, hitting me in the face, like I was a punching bag, until I stumbled backwards into the glass cabinet, knocking it over. Glass shattered all over the floor. Glass cut into my back but Sebastiano was unforgiving in his fury. He soccer punched me on my left, then my right side, purposely aiming for my kidneys.

“Dammit. I need to try and stop this," Stefano said.

“No, bro," Raphael told him. "Boss said you're as good as dead if you do. Let them dish it out. Get the women outta here, would ya?"

“Boss, if you fucking kill Capo, I'll never forgive you. Let him go,
per favour
," Stefano begged.

Sebastiano was so hell bent on enacting his revenge that he must've blocked everyone else out. "I loved you like my very own brother so how could you betray me this way?"

“I b...b...betrayed you for this v...v...very reason, boss," I answered him raggedly. "For years I've loved and respected you and you've been the only family I've ever known. I'm not letting Lorena go," I said, blood beginning to ooze out from my eyes and down to my mouth. My vision was blurred and I could barely see who was still in the room. “I know I betrayed you and kept it from you, but I'll tell you again. I'm not giving her up. I can't. I won't. I will kill for her and I'm willing to die for her," I admitted. "So do your worst. Beat me, kill me if you have to. I won't fight you."

My pledge only seemed to enrage him further. I let him punch me in the face and pain exploded behind my eyes. He attacked me and I knew I wouldn't last long. His punches and shots only got harder.

"I gave you a life of luxury, a life of honour and duty. You had everything at your feet and you blew it." He slammed his fist into my chest, aggravating the knife wound even more. This time when I went down, I knew wasn't coming back up. My pain was so intense that I was slowly slipping into unconsciousness.

I accepted my punishment and Sebastiano's revenge. I slumped down on the floor and prayed for my death.

CHAPTER TWENTY

LORENA

I hadn’t seen my father so enraged since Sierra’s kidnapping, and I’d seen him beyond angry many times. From the moment Uncle Joey dropped the bombshell, all hell broke loose as my father’s face contorted into a mask of pure rage. He charged toward Riccardo with the intent to kill, throwing punches out left and right. Riccardo did nothing to defend himself or block the abuse. Why wasn't he fighting him? My father was lethal in his attack of Riccardo. I felt so helpless.

“Please, Stefano. You’ve got to stop him,” I cried. “He’s bleeding. If Daddy gives him one more hit, he will die.”

“I've tried. It's beyond my control.” Stefano cringed, hearing Riccardo groan as my father kicked him again. I could tell Stefano wanted to put a stop to it.

“Stefano,” I begged, grabbing his hand. “Put a stop to it or I will.”

“Dad!” I shouted. “Please, God, Dad, please stop,” I pleaded, but my words fell on deaf ears. I just wanted him to stop so we could explain. He never gave us the chance.

“Boss, please let Riccardo explain,” Stefano said, finally intervening by stepping in front of Riccardo, shielding him from any more blows.

“I fucking trusted the bastard. He was my best friend. A friend would never fucking do this behind my back,” my dad growled out.

“Okay. But he's unconscious. There's no need to take this further. He won’t fight you. You know that,” Stefano told him.

I took that opportunity to run to Riccardo and shield his broken body from any more harm. His face was so badly beaten it was almost unrecognisable, but I pushed it aside and stared at the two men I loved more than anything in the world. I couldn't think straight. My father would always be my father and he would always be there for me. And then, there was Riccardo. He was the man I'd loved for so long and fallen so hard for that I could barely breathe or think straight.

“Seb, that's enough,” Sierra said, moving close to my father and rubbing his arm. “I understand you're angry but you've done enough damage.” I half expected him to shrug her off but he didn't. Sierra had a way of calming him down. She knew when not to interfere, which was probably why she didn't interrupt him before.

“Fucking asshole,” my father yelled. But he didn’t move or try and take another swing at Riccardo. Sierra held on to him for dear life. Everyone else in the room was silent. I looked over at Gracie who was cowering in the corner. Stefano noticed it and walked over to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close.

At this point, Riccardo started to move and regain consciousness. He tried to stand but I held him down. God only knew what my father would do to him if he stood. With a staggered breath, bruising and swelling around his face and bloody spilling from the gash in his chest, he eyed my father.

“I can't let her go. I love her,” he said gasping in pain. “I wanted to talk to you about it, but that fucker, Uncle Joey, beat me to it.”

“You love her? How can you? You told me she was nothing but a nuisance. You wanted me to send her away. This is how you love her?” He was growing angry again. “Lorena is my fucking daughter. I can't believe you betrayed me like this. You don't deserve her. With all the women you can have, who flirt with you, you had to give in to the one woman that was forbidden.” My father charged for him, but this time, Sierra couldn’t control him and Vincenzo and Raphael stepped up and held him back. “Let me go. I need to fucking tear him apart.”

“Daddy, that’s enough bullshit.” I whirled around to glare at him. I was so sick of listening to his threats against Riccardo. “Get it through your thick Sicilian head that Riccardo and I are together. I wanted him from when I was seventeen years old. Possibly even thirteen, actually! Who cares? All I know is that I love him and I’ve been in love with him for a very long time.” I stood in front of him and poked at his heaving muscular chest as I spoke. “What’s done is done. And don’t think you’re going to mouth off or hurt him again. Get the fuck over it.”

Everyone’s eyes were on me, except for my father. He and Riccardo stared at one another, the silence thick and intense after my outburst.

“
Per l’amore di Dio
,” Stefano mumbled, swiping his hand over his face.

Vincenzo rolled his eyes while Raphael and Paulie stood there gobsmacked, their mouths agape. It wasn't the first time I'd stood up to my father, so I didn’t know why they were acting so shocked. I scanned the room, looking for
Zio
Joey, but he and his son were nowhere to be seen. He must've made a quick exit, escaping the riot.

“We didn’t want you finding out this way. It's not how we planned it. You know I tried to resist her for years. Fuck, I tried my damnedest to stay away, but I love her. I'm not going to fight you,” Riccardo growled out. “But I never intentionally meant to disrespect you.”

“You betrayed me by fucking my daughter.” Daddy looked at Riccardo with contempt and anger. His chest was rising and falling and he was still being held by Raphael and Vincenzo. “Don’t fucking say you never meant it. You knew where I stood on this, yet you went ahead and gave in, regardless of my rules. You are my Capo and she's my daughter for fuck’s sake!”

“Daddy,” I said softly, motioning for the men to release him. “Please, for the love of God, try and understand. I…we both knew it was wrong not to tell you, but honestly, this is what I want. It was never our intention for it to pan out this way. We never meant to go behind your back. But if the truth be told, Daddy, you'd be angry with anyone I was with. No one wants to date me anyway. Who the hell would want to get involved with The Don’s daughter? There's no one more suited for me than Riccardo.”

He shrugged away from Vincenzo and Raphael, who were both ready to pounce on him again. When he looked at me and took me by the shoulder, I only saw pain in his eyes. “I can't understand any of this, Lorena. For years you've flirted with Riccardo, with Paulie, with most of my men. I thought it was harmless.”

“Hey, come on, Boss…she never flirted with m…” Stefano interrupted, trying to defend himself.

“You. Shut the fuck up. You've done enough damage. And don't think I don't know you knew something about this.” Stefano kept quiet. He just kept himself busy comforting poor Gracie, feigning innocence. Sierra’s face turned beet red. I'd never tell my father she knew too. That would be the final nail in the coffin. “I thought we were close, Lorena, and that you were comfortable talking to me. Maybe if you'd told me your feelings for Riccardo, I would've been more understanding. Don't get me wrong, I still would've been pissed, but I would've come to terms with it eventually.”

He looked at Riccardo and the pain that had been on his face a few moments earlier had now dissolved and contorted into anger. “But you…I trusted you with my life, my family, and this is what you do? You fucked with my daughter, Riccardo, and I don't give a flying fuck what you say. You took a piece of my flesh. You betrayed me.”

He shook his head, and without saying anything else, he left the room, pushing the men and Sierra out of his way. Once out of the room, his Italian curses echoed around the house. Then we heard the back door slam shut. The sound of something falling and shattering to the ground pierced our ears.

The silence that followed was deafening.