Capo Dei Capi (Secrets of the Famiglia Part 1) novel Chapter 68

“He isn't part of your club. He is a member of the Famiglia. When his name left your mouth, it became my business.” I glare at him, as I point out the obvious.

It is my father’s business and I am my father’s daughter.

We stand in a stare off.

“Why don't you go on and pour yourself a glass of that heat you wanted sugar,” Kylie chips in.

She has a knack for sensing danger. I stand stationary for a few seconds longer before I walk away.

I go straight to the cabinets filled with alcohol and do just that.

I tune them all out as Kylie tells them to fuck off in a nicer way. There are a few things that my father needn't know about today, but I needed to tell him about this. He'd want to know the bikers are looking for Vincent.

Kylie waits for the two men to leave and opens up the other part she keeps hidden in this ‘cave.’ My mind fizzles out and my mood, though it seems light to my friends, is anything but.

Our day falls into an evening as Kylie entertains us about her encounters with The Satan Sniper’s Motorcycle Club, and her brother, Kevin AKA Killer Stone who was part of the club along with my cousin which I didn’t share with my friends.

Ignoring the look Diamond gives me when I leave to fetch my phone from the sofa in the front room. I further ignore the look I get from Kylie when I ignore the phone call from Deno and the other one from my sister in favor of a glass of Hennessey.

It’s passing 6pm when I get back home. To say I am a bit tipsy is an understatement, I am border line drunk, but thanks to the likes of Gabriel and Mero I can handle drunk.

“Guilia.” I scream from the bottom of the stairs as I slip off my peach pumps smiling at the light spin, I feel doing such a mundane task.

“Guilia,” I scream again. My phone beeps and I decide to check my News Alert. My eyes are a bit squinty before I gather my shit up enough to actually read a coherent sentence.

Billionaire Business Man, Marco Catelli and Heiress Camilla Moretti engaged

I close my eyes as a million emotions flood my mind. I don’t need to read the rest of the headline to know I won’t like it. I knew it would come eventually. I am not surprised, even as my body feels like it just took a massive weight of lead and swallowed it.

Marco can marry her for all I care. In a few years time I will have moved on.

He is an arrogant asshole and I am glad I got to see it sooner. I hate him.

My sister comes from the back of the house, my father’s office.

“How was your day, I stopped by the ice-cream shop to get some chocolate kisses for you,” I say ignoring the turmoil going on inside of me and the slight need to barf at the thought of him and Camilla together in anyway.

“ALIYANA.” I have seen my sister’s face like this before, it was the day I told her I was leaving for Chicago.

I rush to Guilia, meeting her half way, drunk state forgotten.

My worry is instant.

“What is it Guilia? Is Papa okay?”

She crumbles right to the floor in a fit of tears and I bend down with her. Please God, don’t let it be Papa.

Ignoring the sounds of the men's shoes that come toward us.

“I am so sorry, so sorry, I said no, but Papa...” She is hysterical.

I frown, thinking, what more could possibly go wrong?

“What is it Guilia? Is Papa okay?” I rub her back as she cries. Repeating my words as I pat her back. My brain racks up a possible answer to her hysteria, but even this can't keep the flash of words that just a few minutes ago, lighted up on my screen. Marco was engaged.

“She's getting engaged,” The voice I hear is not my sisters, or my Papa. I am a bit more than tipsy, because it takes me a good few seconds to separate my thoughts from reality. My thoughts on Marco and his buxom fiancé. My reality is that said Marco standing right next to my sister and me who are both on the floor.

Engaged. My sister is getting engaged.

“Ssshhh, getting hitched isn't the end of the world,” I say ignoring Marco and the fact that his shoe is touching my leg.

“She's getting engaged to Leonardo,” Marco voices when I still don't look up at him.

I should have known that he wouldn't be too far behind. He has been here almost every day. And though I have wanted to hear that voice directed to me, those are not the words I want to hear. Wrong words, wrong time.

I don't lift my head to acknowledge he is even here. I knew this day would come.

6 months ago, I would have felt the sting, but even then I knew.

Papa doesn’t like the Catelli’s but Ren told me his father wanted a marriage between our families to happen.

Guess he got his wish.

“We were just about to leave. I'll see you soon Aliyana. Sartini.” Marco says standing there, waiting for me to lift my head.

He will carry on waiting. Asshole.

Finally, he turns and walks away and I let out the breath of air I’ve been keeping in since he stepped into the same space as me, crowding it.

He takes something with him when he does. I am just not sure what it is yet.

“Come Guilia, you can sleep with me tonight.” I don't ask her anything more, and my sister doesn't offer the words I should be hearing.

I ignore my Papa looking so confused. I never told him, it is my fault. I didn’t tell her either. I take the Chocolate Kisses and my sister up the stairs.

I ate the box of kisses as I held Guilia that night, knowing that the next few months were going to be challenging for her. Her loyalty to me would be her biggest obstacle to overcome. My silence was set in stone. No one could know of Marco and I. She was my sister, and I wanted to believe our blood and bond was thicker than the dealings of a heart. I should have known I was wrong, very wrong. I should have known that my silence was powerful but also very dangerous. Marco Catelli didn’t like to be ignored.