Princess

Chapter 42: A Gift

"It's good that you know that," Matteo responded with acid in his voice. "You killed my mother."

"Your mother betrayed me," my father said calmly, taking a step forward. The muscle holding onto Mom yanked her hair back and my father held his hands up. "I trusted her. And she broke it. She betrayed me to your father."

Bianca Giovanni–Matteo's mother–worked for my father's family for years. My father provided for her, took care of her like his own sister and she turned around and married Liam Giovanni, Matteo's father. Anthony Hale was younger than I was when he stepped into this role–and not by choice. Bianca's intel had served Liam well, giving him the means to kill my grandfather. In retaliation, my father killed her when Matteo and I were still young. My father mourned her death for years. But it had to be done before she could spill any more weaknesses.

In his grief, Matteo had gone so far as to take my mother for approximately eight hours before I found her. I couldn't kill him then because some deeply hidden human part of me understood that he was angry and he was grieving his mother.

I'd known that decision would come back to haunt me. And here it was.

It was my biggest lesson and the most important: nobody could be trusted.

Fuck. That was it. That was how Matteo pulled this off.

He had someone on the inside.

"Whatever anger you need to work off, do it to me. Not my family," my father insisted.

"Your generosity is unmatched. But as of a couple minutes ago, your son is now the head of your family. This is between us," he smiled, turning his attention back to me.

"Leave them alone, Matteo." My voice was calm and stern despite the fear in my heart.

Who could have told Matteo how to get in, how to bypass security, and about the event tonight?

"I really wish I was the kind of guy who could do that," Matteo feigned sympathy.

"What do you want?"

"Excellent question! You've come to your gift now. I'm giving you an extended vacation." He grinned maniacally.

My finger twitched on the gun I still had raised to him. "Is that right?"

"Yes! Anywhere you want on the West Coast for the rest of your miserable pathetic lives. But you will leave New York."

Of course. Control of the New York underworld. Total domination. That was all Matteo wanted ever since he was a kid to make his father proud.

"That's unfortunate. I quite like it here," I mused.

"I can see why," he said simply and nodded to some guy who stands close to me. When I turned to look at him, my heart sunk and my lips parted.

Ariadne stood calmly as another man pressed a gun below her chin. Her posture was impeccable and she visually didn't look at all fazed. But when her brown eyes met mine, they were filled with a look I know all too well. Fear. The same look that haunted me when I left her at night to finish a job. He nudged her forward, moving the barrel to the small of her back.

My jaw stiffened and I trained my eyes on her, not moving the gun from Matteo's head.

"Touch my sister and you die," Christian said, jaw clenched.

Matteo just laughed. "Ah... Christian Ryder. Money money money."

"Is that what you want? Name your price. I'll write a check right now," Christian spat.

I wished Matteo was that easy.

"I'm alright, but thank you so much," Matteo sneered as he walked up to my sister. My free hand shook violently. He grabbed her hair and wrapped it into a fist. Christian's hands curled, his jaw ticked, and his eyes were wild with fury.