Chapter 56: Chapter 56

Despite the bright white walls and the sunlight that streamed through the windows, the room was cast with shadows.

I listened to Christina’s sobs as she leaned over the comatose patient.

Her husband. Stefano’s father. The man my sister had played a part in hurting.

My mind was pounding from a headache. I couldn’t think properly or process how everything went downhill so fast.

The mood in the room was heavy as Stefano, Camille, Alessandro, Genevieve, Rena, Anton, Andrei, and Gabriella all crowded around the bed and gazed down at Xavier.

I tried staying out of everyone’s way and glued myself to the wall. Guilt tugged at me as my encounter with Selena and Jalen circled through my mind on a continuous loop.

It wasn’t something I could tell Stefano. Not at a time like this.

~Should I ever tell him? What would happen to my sister if I did?~

My hand unconsciously went to touch the phone in my back pocket. Would she call?

I looked at Stefano and Anton, huddled together by the door, their conversation quiet but intense.

Camille, who was currently rubbing her mother’s back in comfort, glanced at them, her eyes lingering on Anton’s figure for just a second longer before she turned away.

“What are you going to do?” Anton’s voice rose as he pressed Stefano for a plan of action. “With your father in a coma, you’re going to have to step up. You’re the heir, and right now, you’re the head of the family.”

“I know. Things are about to get bloody. You can trust me on that.” Stefano’s words were a cold verdict that struck fear in my heart.

His eyes were the darkest shade of blue they’d ever been, and I was afraid of looking into them.

I had never seen him look so scary.

“If you need my help, I’m here,” Anton told him.

“Appreciated.”

They wrapped up their conversation before Anton excused himself.

Stefano sighed and ran a hand down his face. He looked exhausted. I hesitated, not knowing if I should comfort him or not. Knowing what I knew kept me rooted to my spot.

“Fuck!” Alessandro’s outburst startled all of us. He moved away from his father and punched the wall. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Just wait until I get my hands on those bastards,” he seethed.

I winced.

Stefano looked at his brother and sneered. “What could you possibly do? Drug them to death?”

Alex glared at him. “I don’t want to hear anything from the man who couldn’t protect his own home, or his girlfriend.”

Stefano snorted, his voice dark as he spat, “At least I didn’t hide while my father was getting fucking shot at. This is all ~your~ fault.”

I glanced between the two brothers anxiously. This wasn’t the time.

“What was I supposed to do?” Alex shouted. “I was drugged out of my fucking mind. I’d have gotten shot dead before I managed to lift a single finger!”

“Then you should’ve died! You were in the house with them. If you’d man up for once in your life and get over this stupid addiction of yours, Dad would’ve had someone to watch his back!”

Stefano’s roar was loud, and I knew he was trying his best to hold himself back.

“I…” Guilt flickered across Alex’s face as he tried to make an excuse for himself.

Stefano’s lips curled in disgust. “You’re useless to this family, Alex. You can’t do anything right. Even your little sister is more valuable to this family than you are.”

He scoffed, running his fingers through his hair, before continuing. “You waltz in here, angry your father got shot when you could’ve fucking prevented it. I keep telling you this isn’t a game. This is our life! Man the fuck up!”

“Enough!” Christina’s voice trembled as she shouted, causing both brothers to turn to look at her tear-stricken face.

“Your father is dying, and you two are arguing over whose fault this is. Just shut up! I-I can’t.” She buried her face in her hands as she cried. “Please, God, don’t make me lose this man.”

The room fell silent, and everyone stood awkwardly as Christina cried. Alex gazed at his mother before turning toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Stefano called out after him.

Alex glanced back at him coldly. “To blow off some steam.”

“If you come back in here fucked out of your mind, Alex, I will shoot you myself,” Stefano threatened.

The door slammed shut behind Alex.

Stefano sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His phone rang, and he stepped out of the room to answer it.

Gabriella was nestled in Andrei’s arms as they stood off to the side. When we made eye contact, she mouthed, “Are you okay?”

I nodded with a smile and leaned against the wall. I was starting to get lightheaded and needed something to brace myself.

I felt like a fish out of water, flapping around aimlessly and panicking as I suffocated to death. The phone in my back pocket began vibrating, and I felt the speed of my heart rate increase as I realized it was Selena’s phone. I glanced around warily at the people in the room, then excused myself to the bathroom.

I didn’t see Stefano as I ran down the hall and counted it as a blessing. Once I was far enough away from Xavier’s room, I pulled out the phone to answer it.

“Selena?”

“Catalina.” Hearing my name caused my entire body to tremble as I leaned against the wall to hold myself up.

My voice trembled as I asked, “Selena, what’s going on? Why did you join the Perez family? Why didn’t you contact me?”

“I’m sorry… I was busy settling in with Mom and Dad.”

My brow furrowed in confusion. “Selena, what are you talking about?”

“Mom and Dad. They’re alive,” she whispered.

My heart thudded as I moved off the wall, my hand clutching the phone tightly to my ear as I glanced over my shoulder, paranoid that someone would suddenly pop out of nowhere and overhear me.

“This isn’t a time for jokes.”

Tearful laughter rang in my ears as she said, “I’m not lying, Cat. They didn’t die. They’re actually…” She hesitated.

“Selena?”

“You have to leave him.” Her voice was firm as she spoke. “Stefano. You have to leave him. This is serious. The Perez family is out for blood, and we won’t stop until we destroy the Roscottos. ~All~ the Roscottos.”

“~We?~ Who’s ~we~? Why do you keep talking as if you’re one of them?”

“Because I am! We are! Listen, Cat. Your real name isn’t Catalina Williams. It’s Catalina Perez.”

Time stood still. My heart shook at her words. ~Catalina Perez?~ As if on cue, a distant memory resurfaced.

~I was twelve years old, sitting in the living room, combing Selena’s hair as our aunt opened the front door.~

~I looked over curiously as big, burly men wearing suits looked into the apartment and asked, “Is this the home of Mabel Perez?”~

~My aunt glanced back at us in a panic and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. Though before the door closed, I managed to hear her say to the men, “I go by Mabel Williams now. Why are you here?”~

~I furrowed my brow in confusion. ~Mabel Perez~?~

My voice trembled as I snapped out of the memory and asked, “We’re related to the Perez family?”

“That’s not all. Our parents are the heads of the Perez family. We’re mafia royalty, Cat. You can’t stay there. If the Roscottos find out about you, you’ll be as good as dead.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say. This didn’t feel real. None of this felt real.

“Cat?”

I couldn’t even answer when she called my name. I slid down the wall as my knees buckled under me. One of the nurses passing by quickly came to my side.

“Miss, are you okay?” She threw her hand over my shoulder to help me up.

I blinked my eyes to get rid of the black dots that lined my vision. I felt like I was going to pass out.

“I’m fine,” I managed to bite out as the nurse led me to an empty room to sit on the bed. “I’m just a bit stressed, is all.”

She gazed at me worriedly. “Are you sure? Do you want me to look you over? Make sure everything is okay?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m fine. I promise.”

She stared at me for a few more seconds before slowly nodding her head. “All right. Stay here and rest for a bit. I’ll bring you some water.”

I nodded my thanks as she left.

“Cat?” Selena called out again, her voice softer and more worried now. “Are you okay?”

I took a deep breath to try to control my emotions. “I’m fine.”

“There’s someone who wants to speak to you,” Selena said.

There was shuffling over the line.

“Someone? Who?”

There was a bit of mumbling in the background before a gentle voice sounded.

“Little bird.”

My hands trembled as my eyes turned glossy with tears. I hadn’t heard that nickname or that voice in forever. Not since I was eight years old.

My voice croaked. “Mom?”

***

After I calmed myself down, I left the room and headed back to Xavier’s room.

But I was stopped before I could make it that far.

Everyone stood in the hallway as nurses filed in and out of the room in a hurry. Christina sat on the floor crying. Camille sat with her, her arms wrapped around her mother’s body. Though this time, Camille was also crying.

Gabriella had her face stuffed into Andrei’s side, but her moving shoulders hinted at her tears as well.

I spotted Stefano pacing at the other end of the hallway, barking Italian at the person on the other end of the phone. He looked more ragged than when he had left the room earlier.

“What happened?” I asked Rena, who was the closest to me, as I stepped into the family circle.

She glanced at me, then turned her pitied gaze to the two sobbing females.

“He’s dead.”

~What?~

“What?” I echoed my thoughts.

“Mr. Roscotto is dead.”

End of Book 1