Chapter 604: I’m Prepared For Anything

His eyes locked on hers. He knew what she had done. Every ugly piece of it. Knowing all of that did not make loving her disappear. Marco had spent days wishing it would. He had wanted anger to burn cleanly enough to destroy everything else. He wanted to look at Valentina and feel nothing but disgust.

Instead, he still saw his wife. The woman he loved. The mother of the child he had chosen as his own.

The tears in her eyes still found ways to stab at his heart.

Valentina shook her head. "Marco, please."

"What you have done is aim the firing squad at me, Val. You meddled with something you have no idea how it works."

"No, I am trying to save you!" Valentina cried. "Why can you not understand that? Are you so blinded by your loyalty that you cannot see it? What has Luca done for you to make you so loyal to him, huh?" she demanded, throwing her hands out. "What has he done for you? Because all I see is what he has done to you!"

"Where the hell is he?" she yelled.

"Right here..."

The voice came from behind her.

Slowly, she turned.

Luca stepped into view with Renato beside him. Her mind refused to put the pieces together. She looked at Luca, then at Renato, then back at Luca.

And suddenly, the reality of the situation came crashing down on her.

The empty corridors.

The lack of security.

How easily they had entered Commissioned.

Marco waiting for her.

She had been fooled.

Again.

"No..." Valentina whispered. "No... no... no..."

Luca watched her without satisfaction. If anything, he looked tired. "I’m prepared for anything, Valentina. I have been prepared for you since you got the news Ricardo died and looked at me like I was the monster. Every step of the way, I have been trying to save you from yourself."

Valentina’s shock snapped into rage. She turned cold eyes on Renato. "You fucking coward!" she screamed. "You pussy!"

Luca looked towards Marco. "You got everything, right?"

Marco’s gaze remained on his wife. "Yeah."

Luca looked down at her. "Let’s just hope this little show right here is enough to save your husband."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why else do you think you got away with everything for this long? You thought you were smarter than everybody? That you kept slipping through because I couldn’t stop you? I needed the right people to see that everything you did, you did alone. You made the calls alone. You met Voss alone. You went after Vito alone. You went to the Bastiones alone. Marco had nothing to do with any of it, and I needed proof strong enough that no one could argue otherwise."

"Because the rules of the famiglia state that the spouse of the betrayer goes down too."

Valentina stopped breathing for a second. Her eyes flew to Marco. "No.... No." She shook her head harder. "Marco didn’t do anything."

"Exactly."

"Then why would—"

"Because you do not know how this world works!" Luca snapped. "You went running around trying to save everybody without understanding the first fucking thing about the rules holding this family together."

"I was trying to protect them."

"You weren’t saving anyone. You were killing yourself and Marco. And, oh, Matteo."

"Leave my son out of this."

"You brought him into it the moment you decided you knew what was best for everybody. Because if anything happens to Marco, Veronica cannot raise your son. He cannot be around famiglia."

"Maybe that’s the best thing for him. You’re a cancer, and you still haven’t figured it out yet." Her eyes burned into his. "You will kill everyone around you."

Luca said nothing. There was no point. He could have stood there for the next six hours listing every person he had protected, every danger he had taken on himself, every time he had tried to save Valentina from the consequences of her own decisions, and she would still look at him and see the monster.

Maybe she always would.

Valentina turned back to Marco. "Why didn’t you help me?" she asked. "You could have helped me. You see how they repay you for your so called loyalty?!"

Marco had no words for her. What exactly was he supposed to say? There were too many answers, and somehow none of them were enough because she would refuse to understand them. Marco stepped forward, turned her around and pulled her out of the office.

Luca exhaled and turned towards Renato. "Get your men out of here." He was already walking towards the bar. He needed a drink.

He poured himself one while Renato dispersed the men.

Eventually, the office fell silent again.

Luca took a long swallow before turning to Renato. Now for his end of the bargain. "Bastardi is your traitor."

"My brother?"

"Looks like mafia men do not have great luck with half-brothers now, do we?"

Luca took another drink. "You want proof? Ask him how he got the bullet wound in his leg. He stutters, then there is your proof."

"If you are lying to me..." Renato began.

"This doesn’t make us friends, Renato." Luca placed his glass on the bar. "I will never forgive you for the death of my Nonnina."

They might cooperate tonight. They might make deals when circumstances demanded it. They might even sit in the same room without attempting murder.

That did not mean Luca had forgotten.

"Someday soon," he said quietly, "I’ll wipe you off the face of this earth."

Renato gave a slow smile. The arrangement was finished, which meant they could comfortably return to hating one another. "I hear Italy will soon be up for grabs." He adjusted his jacket. "You are leaving a pussy in charge." His smile widened as he headed towards the door. "We’ll see who will wipe who, Luciano. Have a good day." Renato finished and walked out of the office.

Luca pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to his wife.