Chapter 62
His Promise: The Mafia’s Babies
Christian
âWould you stop shaking, youâre making everyone anxious.â Gio rested his hand on his brotherâs shouldChristian had not closed an eye and immediately visited Lucio to tell him what was going on.
âSomehow my invitation, but hereâs your present -Fabioâ Lucio read out loud.
âWe decided to go through with the gender reveal to show that we are not threatened, and this is what hgrowled.
âDad, they were able to get so close to Serena and the baby.â Christian felt as if he had failed Serena. Hebest to protect her and stillâ¦
âThatâs why I told you not to provoke himâbut you didnât listen, you never do,â Lucio stressed. He knewkind of man Fabio was, and tried his hardest to protect Christian as Lucio had been carrying his own burdsecret from his children.
âYou told him you were proud.â Gio tried to calm down the situation. âYes, at him for sticking up for whanot for his unnecessary big mouth!â
âWeâre screwed, the rat we had on the other sideâ¦they killed him.â Lucio sighed. âNow we donât have anChristian took a deep breath and kept his mouth shut. He made Serena a promise to keep Beauâs identithe did not want to break it.
âI donât think he was in the wrong, I think he did the right thing.â Franco corrected his son. As the end wLamberti had temporarily moved back to the Lamberti estate so he could prepare himself for the war andhad a secret, no one was aware of.
âWe canât let Fabio walk over this family, ever. He sends Serena a dead squirrel? Fine, weâll send him two can play the game. Lucio, since when, have I raised my son to be a coward?â
âFrom showing the Salaâs mercy to bowing down to Fabio, have you completely lost it?â
âFather, you know whyânot now.â Lucio stared right into Franco Lambertiâs eyes. âW-why, whatâs going finally raised his head to look at his father.
âItâs nothing, letâs focus on this for now.â Lucio shrugged it off while Franco Lamberti chuckled. âHow is Gio asked.
âHow do you think?â Christian glared at his brother. âI tried to comfort her the entire night, she was shakscared. And I donât know if itâs because of the dead animal or because I lost my temper and yelled at her
âIâve never seen her like this before, the last time she was shaking was when she told me she was pregnathought about the somehow fearless Serena, who had always seemed completely unfazed by everythingâI donât understand, why would he suddenly move this fast?â Gio wondered. âIt doesnât matter, the poinand if we donât fight back now, we will never be able to stop him.â Franco leaned back in his chair.
Christian had no problem with his grandfather taking over things, as he started to think his own father wâThe Alfonzoâs are investigating the source of the package as we speakâand after that, we should all gatable to discuss our strategy, we canât sit down and do nothing anymore.â
âTo keep Serena safe, she needs to be around the people she can trustâwas there anyone suspicious at Franco turned to Christian.
âNo.â He immediately spoke, knowing where his grandfather was headedâbut after yelling at Serena forirresponsible last night, the last thing he wanted was to throw her best friend under the bus. Not after hewas okay to invite her.
âWhat about that Olivia girl? She works at Vincenzoâs factory.â Franco pointed out as expected.
âShe doeand she would never betray Serena.â
âHow do you know that?â Gio agreed with Franco. âBecause I know herâand thatâs not the kind of persoâBesides that, Serena told me Vincenzo yelled at her and she quit work after she spoke about the baby.â
âOkay, just checking.â Franco shrugged his shoulders. âNone of us expected the Salaâs to be snakes eithebetrayed us without a second thought.â He snarled.
Gio and Christian gave each other a look as their mind went to Enzo, who had also betrayed them.
The hfor the Salaâs made Christian worry about what would happen if the truth about Enzo ever came out.
âPiece of advice? Send Serena far away to a safe home.â Lucio spoke for the first time, making three headsurprise. âSo youâre telling me to let Fabio win, are you sick?â Christian raised his voice.
âChristian, itâs for your own goodâeven Mia and Stella are back home to finish their school year online.âthrough to him, but for Christian, all of this did not make sense.
âI will protect Serena and the baby, and they will stay right here!â He argued. For him sending away Sereas a loss. The same as letting Fabio winâand showing him that they indeed felt threatened.
âYou canât,â Lucio spoke. âYou see how close the danger is, you canât.â
âGrandpa, say something.â Christian turned to Franco, but all he did was scoff as he looked in a differentafraid he has a point this time, Christian.â
âGio?â Christian tried and looked at his brother who shook his head. âEven Matteo agreed to this, itâs theeveryone,â Lucio said.
âI will not send her away, not when she needs me the most.â Christian stood by his point and was determSerena by his side. Lucio reached out his hand and grabbed Christianâs leaning over the desk.
âChristian, you have a big heart so Iâm asking you to stop being selfish and immature so please, use youbegging you,â Lucio spoke as Christianâs eyes widened at his dadâs words. Lucio Lamberti, who was beggâEveryone is willing to give their lives to keep Serena and the baby safe, but donât you want to do this wanyone on our sides.â Gio jumped in.
âYouâre not failing Serena, you are protecting her,â Franco sighed.
âIf thereâs one thing I know, itâs that Serena trusts your judgment. I think she proved that to all of us wheafter you pushed her away.â Gio told Christian.
âShe wonât go to the safe house, and thatâs final.â Christian spoke determined.
Franco scoffed and looked around him, noticing that one of his grandsons was missing. âWhereâs Enzo, dhim to tell him the news? I understand that he has his own issuesâbut that does not mean he can jump as he pleases.â
âNews?â Christian wondered.
âHe will not work until he fully gets better, thatâs my final judgmentâso please grandpa, respect my wishhis way right now,â Lucio spoke.
Christian lowered his head and fumbled his hands while thinking about the brother he was about to facescaredâand it was all because of a few words. I have never liked you.
âHmm, just as itâs about to endâit seems like youâre getting a hang of how to use your power, very wellgrowled out with crossed arms. Christian observed his fatherâs stressed face and looked at his nose, as a down his lips.
âDad, are you okay?â Christian asked. âYouâre mouth⦠youâre bleeding?â He grabbed a tissue and pushehand.
âHuh? Iâm fine.â Lucio accepted it and wiped his mouth clean while Christian gave him a suspicious lookbecause of all the stress, Christian thought to himself.
âDad, you should take it easyâgrandpa is here, Gioâs here and Iâm here, so you donât have to carry all thChristian looked at his father with regretful eyesâbut Lucio shook his head.
âProtecting Serena is not a burden, sheâs as important to me as she is to youâand so is everyone else I âVery well then, but please watch yourself,â Christian spoke in a worried tone.
The door opened and Enzo walked in, making everyone turn their heads. âDad, grandpa, Gio.â He greetetried to avoid all eye-contact with Christian.
âChristian.â He whispered. âI will leave you all alone for a bit, you have a lot to discuss.â Franco got up frogave a pat on Enzoâs shoulder as he walked out. âSit and close the door behind you,â Lucio ordered.
Enzo obeyed his father and sat next to Christian after he had pulled the chair awayâkeeping his distanceâI missed you at the baby shower, do you not care for your niece?â Christian rolled his eyes.
âDid you personally invite me then?â Enzo sighed, causing an awkward moment of silence.
He has the nerve, after Iâve spared him? Was the only thing going through Christianâs mind.
âIs there something the three of you are not telling me?â Lucio asked after a moment of silence as all thrto him in surprise. âIâve been very quiet and gave Enzo the time to get better, but now I would like to knoon so we can fix it, tell meââ
âYou want the truth, Iâll give it to you.â Christian spoke and felt a lump in his throat. He had kept it a secrfather, but somehow he could not understand how Enzo could walk in here like nothing had happened.
âWait, let me go first.â Lucio sighed.
âNow you listen to me, and you listen to me very well.â Lucio continued, and look at all of his sons.
âThisfeud the three of you haveâit has to stop!â He told them and closed his eyes.
âYou guys need each other, becauseâ¦â
âIâm dying.â