Capo Dei Capi (Secrets of the Famiglia Part 1) novel Chapter 55

“Aliyana, your father has been calling you, where are your ears?” Ilaria yells from the glass door leading to the pool I’m currently floating in. The sun has not shied away since Ren’s death. I still can’t believe it’s two weeks. It feels longer, but not so long that I've forgotten him, but long enough that I wake up thinking about seeing him, only to realize he isn’t coming.

“I didn’t hear him. I’ll be in now.”

Ilaria doesn’t say anything else, nor does she move. She has acted strange since the funeral, almost sorrowful. I received no snarky remarks from her, or bitching fits. But, like now, she stares at me. I find it strange, but also hopeful.

Since my conversation with Marco, and what he said about her, I pity her in a way. How must she feel to be stuck with an entire brood of kids who aren’t her own, or forced to sleep with a man who has nothing left to give her but a bank card and some empty sex.

I sink into the water, and my body glides easily across the pool. The coldness welcome, as my lungs scream for release. There is peace in water.

Taking my time, I get out of the pool and wave at my sister who is lying down, reading a book under the umbrella. The back yard is huge. This property was designed for my mother, and changed to keep my wolves happy underground and free on top. My father expanded the place years ago, when he bought the access land from our neighbors who didn’t need so much space. The wolves were my touch. There was nothing friendly about them, they existed to keep me safe.

Well, that is what I told my father. It is a lie. I kept them because they’re vicious enough that If I needed to send a message then I would do so by putting my ‘message’ with the wolves.

I always wanted to say ‘feed him to the wolves.’ The thought of one day having to put one of my friends in that den or my sister doesn’t seem as appealing right now. If what Marco and Deno said is true, one of the boys who I call my family could very well become an enemy.

The question is what kind of enemy would he become, one who I would destroy, or someone I would spend most of my life trying to ruin? It doesn’t sit well with me! Why would one of the others want to kill Ren?

“ALIYANA!!! Make quick,” Filippo yells from his balcony.