The revelation hit me like a punch to the gut. Ana? Involved in something so vile and sinister? It felt impossible. She had always struck me as just your average party girl, living for the moment and chasing after a life filled with excitement. It was unsettling as hell to think that even someone who seemed so normal could hide true evil underneath.
Rising to her feet, Tabi settled beside me on the bed. “But don’t worry. I doubt she’ll show her face now that the major player has been taken out,” Tabi said, flashing a reassuring smile.
“Until a new one comes into play,” I retorted.
“True,” she conceded with a sigh, “Anyway,” Tabi waved her hand in the air, “I don’t want to talk about this dark shit anymore.”
“So,” she drawled with a playful tone, bumping my shoulder. “How did last night go?”
When I stayed silent, her gaze sharpened. “Did he hurt you? I swear to god, I’ll kill him.”
A laugh escaped me.
“What’s so funny? Why are you laughing?”
“Because he didn’t hurt me, and he didn’t do anything I didn’t want him to.” I gave her a look that expressed my true feelings without needing to say them out loud.
After a brief moment, her face transformed into an expression of sheer happiness. “Oh my god!” she exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. “You had sex!”
“Shh,” I hissed, putting a finger over my lips.
“This is huge! Does this mean you forgave him?” she asked.
“I can’t say he’s fully forgiven, but...”
“But you can’t help who you love,” she said quietly.
I scrunched my face. “Yeah. Am I screwed up?”
“No.” She shook her head firmly, taking my hands in hers. “I truly believe you’re soulmates.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because you don’t want a fairytale ending,” she replied, her eyes searching mine. “You want the dark prince from your twisted fairytale—someone who will stand by you, not just in the light, but in the darkness too. You are two halves of a broken soul finding comfort in one another. He finds peace with you, and you find clarity in his chaos.”
I felt the truth in her words, a bittersweet recognition of our fucked-up version of love.
My spine straightened when a voice boomed, thick with anger and unmistakably familiar.
“Where is my daughter?”
“Wait, is that your dad?” Tabi glanced at me, eyes wide.
“Where the hell is she?” he barked.
“Yep, that’s my dad.”
Alphonse Gambino came barreling into my home like a serial killer on a rampage. The black wool trench coat, gloves, and black-out sunglasses made him look like he’d stepped out of a crime movie. He was a seasoned mobster ready to kill, and it appeared that I would be who he started with.
“You motherfucker!” he bellowed, a finger accusingly aimed at me.
“Oh, shit. You're fucked,” Luca said with a chuckle, and the two other dumbasses followed me into the hallway. Even my uncle, who just a few minutes ago was a hard ass, now cracked a grin.
“How did you get in?” I asked calmly, considering the man was ready to put me down like a dog.
“That’s not the fucking point!” he continued to shout. “You brought my daughter here without telling me she was released! Who the fuck do you think you are, Moretti?”
“I knew you’d want her to leave with you, and I wasn’t about to let that happen,” I replied.
