Salvatore's POV
"I'm pregnant, Salvatore… it's Massimo's."
Massimo.
Domenico's son.
Of all the men in Sicily, she had to fall into the arms of the one bloodline I wished she never crossed.
Massimo's father was my sworn enemy. He had been trying to take over my territory for years but had failed.
He hated me and my family. I had beaten him multiple times, but he never gave up.
I hated him too. I had killed his eldest son a few years back and I was going to kill his other son too.
Massimo was a dangerous man and his father was worse.
They were both snakes and I had to tread carefully.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the car roof. I hadn't been this shaken in years.
Tonight, I'd felt it the moment I saw Francesca sobbing on her bed.
Before I could gather myself, I heard footsteps behind me.
"Boss," Andrew said quietly, stopping a few feet away as if he knew I wasn't in the mood. "We found him, Jimmy wasn't missing, the police had him." He said. I looked up from the papers.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"He is dead, Salvatore. They say he committed suicide, he hung himself in his cell." Andrew said.
"Does that make sense to you?" I asked.
"No, Salvatore."
I clenched my fists and felt the anger building up in me.
But why?
I sighed and rubbed my temples.
Before I could think deeper, my phone vibrated. The caller ID made my nostrils flare.
The supplier.
I answered. "What?"
His voice came sharp and venomous through the line. "Three of my men are dead, my shipment is gone, and your boys vanished. Where is my money, Salvatore?"
My grip tightened so hard on the phone it almost cracked.
"I'm dealing with it."
"You better," he hissed. "Because if I don't have answers in forty-eight hours, I'm coming after everything you own."
The line went dead.
I lowered the phone slowly, my pulse hammering in my ears.
This wasn't just a failed exchange anymore.
It was a setup.
Someone wanted a war, and they planned to use my family as the battlefield.
I needed to find out what happened to Jimmy.
I picked up my phone and called my police contact.
He told me that Jimmy had committed suicide in his cell and there was nothing they could do about it.
I ended the call and went to my bar and poured myself a drink.
I drank it and felt a little better.
Francesca's tear-stained face flashed in my mind. Her trembling voice. Her hands on her stomach.
Massimo's child.
Domenico.
That monster.
The man who spread drugs, trafficked women, destroyed families without blinking. The man who hated me as much as I hated him.
And his son had touched my sister.
I pressed both hands against the car door, trying to breathe.
If Domenico found out about Francesca's pregnancy, he would use it.
Against her.
Against me.
Against our entire family.
I couldn't allow that.
Ever.
I took out my phone again and scrolled to the one number that grounded me.
My mother.
I hesitated only a moment before calling.
"Salvi?" she answered softly, her voice warm with sleep. "It's late. Are you alright?"
I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like a child again. "Mama… we have a problem."
"What happened, tesoro?"
"It's Francesca." My voice cracked before I could stop it. "She's pregnant."
There was a sharp inhale on the other end. "Preg, Mama mia. With who?"
I closed my eyes. "Massimo."
Then my mother spoke, voice steady but trembling with emotion.
"Come home, Salvatore."
"Mama.."
"Bring Francesca tomorrow. We will talk as a family. We will protect her. Do you hear me?" Her voice strengthened. "No matter whose child she carries, she is my daughter. And you are my son. We face this together."
She paused, then added softly, "Sleep now, Salvatore. Tomorrow is a big day."
I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Grazie, Mama."
"Amore mio," she whispered before hanging up.
I stared at my phone for a moment, then looked up at the sky. The stars were out, but the moon was hidden behind clouds. A storm was brewing.
But tonight, I needed to make sure my family was safe.
I dialed another number.
Bro," Alessandro's groggy voice answered. "The fuck, Sal?"
"Dress warmly. I'm coming to get you."
"Huh? What's wrong?"
I heard movement on the other end, followed by muffled cursing.
"You need to be at the house tonight." I continued. "I can't explain now. But pack a bag, and wait for me."
"Whoa, whoa, wait. What's happening?" His voice sharpened with alertness.
"Just do it," I snapped, then hung up.
Next, I called Francesca.
"Sal?" she answered, sounding small and afraid. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Cesca. Listen to me. I need you to pack a bag and go to Nonna's house. Andrew will take you. Do not tell anyone else, understand?"
"Sal, what's going on?" Her voice wobbled.
"Please, Francesca. Just trust me. You're safe, I promise. But I need you to go to Nonna now."
There was a pause, then a soft "Okay."
"Andrew is on his way. I'll see you tomorrow."
I hung up and stared at the night sky.
My throat tightened.
Jimmy dead.
The supplier is threatening war.
The missing shipment.
The police were involved.
And my sister is pregnant with the enemy's blood.
I exhaled slowly.
I closed my eyes, a name echoing in my mind like a death knell.
Domenico.