Capo Dei Capi (Secrets of the Famiglia Part 1) novel Chapter 38

"No, we were at the sunbathing place, near Ricky's Pub and grill. Ren was watching the door for Ms. Jane and Calum, while Gabriel and I threw the stink bomb in her car." Aliyana speaks as I take the turn to the residential areas.

"But Gabriel took all the blame," I finish for her, knowing about their antics and the DeMarco boy taking the brunt. Aliyana didn't know this, but Gabriel's uncle wasn't as forgiving as his shitty dad. Gabriel had it hard, he just learned to hide it better. Why he chose to take the fall for it, all didn't matter. The fact he did, well, that spoke volumes of the type of Capo he'd become one day.

"Yeah, he did, except for the few times Ren and I got caught with our hands in the cookie jar. My father's wife caught us once sneaking into one of Deno's clubs in New York. It wasn't the last time she caught us either. I guess when I think about it, maybe her hate for me doesn't stem from just my mother. Maybe it's warranted."

"Hate you? No, she doesn't hate you Aliyana, she envies you. A girl born in our world with the freedom your father has given you doesn't come by often. Ilaria loved a soldier before she was forced to marry your father," I respond as I speed past the black BMW hogging the road.

"I never knew that."

"Now, you do. Tell me something, Aliyana." She doesn't respond, and I take my eyes off the road to see her staring outside the window. Lost.

"My brother, was he good to Diamond?"

"Yes," Her voice drops, and I wish I could stare into her emerald gaze, "He loved her from the moment she fell into him, she was all spirit, and he was her slave."

"Can you tell me about him when he was a kid?" The question takes me by surprise, I go quiet for a bit, caught off guard as I take the longer route toward her house.

How do I start? Where do I start?

"I wasn't there enough to tell you the type of kid he was. I joined the army straight after boarding school. But, I can say that Lorenzo was my family's redemption. The start over the Catelli's needed. I was there the day he was born. I was 15 and just got back from boarding school. I went straight to the hospital with Deno and Anya. We flipped a coin who would go into surgery with Natasha, Deno won, but my father stole our thunder when he arrived. Anya, Deno and I waited for almost 3 hours before we got to see him. When I looked into his scrunched up face, I knew he was the better brother. I vowed to keep him safe as I'd done with all my siblings. But I failed him. I wonder if I made the right move leaving him in Chicago or did Deno's coddling and attempts to protect him from all the horrors of the 5th State weaken him."

"The only fault is the one who pulled the trigger. Ren was the better of us all. And maybe that made him weak, or perhaps, it made him stronger. Either way, he knew the risk in his actions, whether it was a Russo or the Government or one of the people he loved who pulled that trigger, he knew the risk was death."

I look at her as I get closer to her house. It is said that the eyes are a window to the soul, Aliyana's eyes are a mirror to mine.

"If you died tomorrow, Aliyana, would you say that you are ready?"

She drops her gaze and turns to face the window again.

"No, but like Ren, I know that every action in my life leads me closer to the inevitable."

"You are wise for your 19 years," I state. I didn't get enough time with Aliyana during dinner as I expected.

Deno got an urgent call and left to attend business. Half-way through our meal, my own phone began chiming. Kylie Bray showed up minutes after, and before we knew it, my idea of enjoying a meal with Aliyana before we put my brother in his grave to rot became just an idea.

What I did do was realize why Ren loved her.

Kylie did most of the talking, and while she could be entertaining, she wasn't in a humorous mood. She was snippy, going on about Sienna not visiting her when she got into town after Aliyana told her, Sienna stopped by for a visit.

Kylie went on to complain about Diamond not eating and how worried Diamond was since Ren passed on.

She had no idea, we knew about Diamond, so though she complained about her, she didn't divulge anything that could discriminate Diamond in any way. Kylie was Marcus Bray's daughter for sure.

Maybe she spent more time with the Stones, but she's his kid through and through.