𝐏𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢

28 | Spiralling

"Who's idea was it to send Nonno and dad to Italy? Why has no one told me?" I calmly ask I'm about to lose my mother fucking shit, "you know what cousin, I'm sorry I threw a knife at you. Get our doc to check it out. It's time I had a chat with my older brothers. Love you, bye." I smile sweetly and wave, leaving him behind as he lets out an exasperated breath.

P E C C A T R I C I

A loud bang shakes the walls around my office, startling myself, Nic and Vince. Val walks in through the door with a dark look in her eyes and her body is shaking with rage.

I cast a glance at my brothers and see them stiffen, Vince stands mumbling something before trying to leave but stops short when Val holds up a hand and motions for him to sit again. He obeys straight away, not without huffing though.

I sit up straighter in my chair and look her in the eye, "Is everything okay Bambina?" I ask, keeping my tone even.

She looks around the office and clicks her tongue before looking back at me. I can see she's talking to herself in her head, trying to figure out what to say. I have no clue what the fucks going on.

"Nonno and dad went to Italy? You didn't tell me, brother." Nothing but venom when she says the word brother and I flinch.

"Yes, they decided and I allowed even though they don't need my permission, they're grown, men." I shrug.

"You didn't tell me, you didn't talk to me." She pushes.

"I don't have to run everything by you Val, I am the Don of this family. I do have the final say, everything we do is protect the family."

She blinks, "I understand that but you still could have told me, I would have gone with them. Kept them safe, anything could have happened!"

"Nothing happened they're fine," I reassure her.

"That's not the fucking point Luc, the point is you should have told me regardless. I need to know what's going on." She shouts, walking towards my desk.

"Why? Why should we tell you when you're always planning and scheming behind our backs and we're all the ones who are blindsided?" I shout, standing from my desk.

"I think everyone needs to calm down a little," Vince says, standing up and walking over to us. Ever the mediator.

"I only do it because I love you, I love all of you and I don't want to lose any of you. I rather die before I put any of you in danger. Don't you get it?" She asks, tears gathering in her eyes and my heart sinks, "everything I've ever done since mother took me was to keep all of you safe, all I ask is you tell me things. I don't want your title of Don. I want a normal life, but that's never going to happen. My life is spiraling, I'm spiraling Luc." She whispers, looking down.

"Val," I breathe, I've seen her spiral when it came to Mez but this is different.

"Nonno and dad could have been killed and I would have known because you didn't tell me, I might not have been able to tell them I loved them," she sobs quietly, "have you seen all the people in this house Luc? Have you seen all the people we have to protect? I have all these people's lives on my shoulders, I have to keep them all safe because I love them all."

My phone dings, I don't want to check it right now while my baby sister is breaking down in front of me but I told Dom to keep me updated. I quickly pick it up and see the message, for the second time tonight my heart sinks.

Dom: we have a problem. It's an ambush at the landing strip, it's a blood bath.

The phone slips through my hands, "Nic, gather some men and gear up. We have to go save our family."

Val gasps before looking at me, "if someone dies, this is your fault." She whispers before storming from my office.

"FUCK!" I scream, swiping everything off my desk.