The fruit alone was arranged meticulously, apples and oranges nestled beside soft bread and freshly baked pastries.
The groceries were an assertion that she would not be neglected. He placed the bags down at the foot of the door.
"Marco..." Ricardo’s voice came from behind him. Marco stilled for a fraction of a second before turning, already knowing this was not going to end well.
His jaw tightened the moment his eyes landed on him. "Did I not tell you I didn’t want to see you around her anymore?" Marco said, his voice edged with warning.
"That’s not for you to decide, Marco," he replied evenly, folding his arms.
"Like hell it isn’t," Marco shot back, taking a step closer. "What the hell do you want this time?" he added.
"I know she’s pregnant, Marco," he said, tilting his head slightly. "Thanks for telling me, by the way. Great effort."
The sarcasm landed hard, but Marco didn’t bite. Instead, his fists clenched at his sides, knuckles whitening.
"It gives you no right to her life or her space," Marco said. "Leave. Now. Or I swear I will pound your face into the fucking ground."
"Bellow all you want," he said calmly, taking a step forward instead of back. "I’m not leaving." His eyes darkened as he held Marco’s gaze. "I came to see Valentina."
A pause stretched between them.
"And I don’t understand why you act like a bulldog around her all the time," Ricardo added.
"Because of scumbags like you," Marco thundered.
Ricardo smirked, unfazed, almost entertained by the reaction. "Is it?" he tilted his head slightly. "Or is it because you like her... and you know she will never feel the same way?"
Marco’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t interrupt.
"Because, oh...I don’t know," Ricardo continued, "you’re too old... and wrinkled." The insult barely settled before Marco moved.
In one swift motion, he drew his weapon from its holster. The gun came up steady, aimed directly at Ricardo without the slightest hesitation.
"Disrespect me one more time," Marco said, his voice now dangerously quiet, "I dare you."
A beat passed, thick with violence waiting to happen. "You fucking piece of slimy shit." The tension coiled tighter, ready to snap.
Then the door opened. Valentina stood there, frozen in the doorway. Both men turned instantly.
The panic in her eyes drained the heat from the confrontation. Marco lowered the gun at once, shoving it back into place as he rushed toward her.
"Val?" he said, his voice losing its edge.
"Rosa is dead," she whispered. Everything seemed to stop.
"What?" Marco asked, disbelief crashing in. "How?"
"I... just got the call," she said. "They found her in an alley, a few minutes away from the pizza parlour." Her breath hitched, eyes glassy with shock. "Gunshot."
That was all Marco needed to hear. The moment the word gunshot settled, he turned sharply to Ricardo, his expression hard as stone.
"Stay with her," he ordered, leaving no room for argument.



VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Undressed By The Mafia God