Chapter 615: I Have A Way Out

"I have a way out," Luca continued. "I’ll tell Don I’m taking charge of the famiglia. And before you begin arguing about what Ma wants, I have already informed her."

That stopped whatever protest had been forming.

"She agrees?"

"She understands that it is the only way."

Carol had never wanted this life for Luca. She had spent most of his childhood trying to pull him away from it.

Agreement was probably too generous a word. Acceptance was closer.

Marco ran a hand over his face. "What happens to New York?"

"I’ll be leaving you here and moving to Italy permanently."

Marco lowered his hand slowly. "Luca... I’m meant to be by your side." His concern had already moved back to Luca.

As usual.

"You will always be my brother," Luca said. "It doesn’t matter how far away you are."

There were people connected by blood who would never understand Luca the way Marco did, Luca thought.

"Elio’s father will not like this new development."

That dragged Luca straight back into the practical nightmare of succession.

He gave Marco a flat look. "Well, he can suck my dick." Luca turned towards the door.

Then stopped.

Something about Marco’s silence bothered him. For the last few days, everyone had been consumed by what Val had done.

Somehow, in the middle of all that noise, Marco had become little more than another problem to solve.

The husband of the traitor.

And Luca realised, with a flicker of guilt, that hardly anyone had actually stopped to ask what any of this was doing to him.

Marco had remained steady through all of it. He had returned to New York knowing Massimo wanted him dead. He had watched the future they had barely begun building collapse around him.

And somehow Marco had still been Marco.

Luca knew firsthand just how much Marco loved Valentina.

Marco had loved her when loving her gave him nothing. He had loved her quietly, even when she belonged to someone else. He had loved her through jealousy, resentment and torture. He had suffered in silence.

Then, somehow, life had finally given her to him. And yet it was barely enough time to settle into being a husband.

Luca knew Marco would mourn her.

Probably for the rest of his life.

Maybe what Luca was planning would be good for everyone in the end.

Valentina had landed on the family like a hammer nobody had seen coming. The damage had spread in every direction.

Marco had somehow taken one of the hardest blows while making the least noise about it.

Luca looked at him across the office. "I’m sorry, Marco. I truly am."

Marco gave him a slight nod.

Luca stepped out of the office and into the hallway, leaving Marco behind with whatever thoughts he was trying not to drown in. Luca had another problem waiting for him, and unfortunately, she had never been particularly good at making his life easy. He made his way towards the false wall.

Time to face his nemesis.

The hidden entrance opened, and Luca stepped into the interrogation room.

Valentina looked up from the chair she was still bound to. She looked exhausted.

"Morning," Luca said pleasantly. "Have a good night?"

The mockery was obvious.

Valentina stared at him without answering.

Luca walked towards the desk and picked up the keys to her cuffs. "No? That’s disappointing. I was hoping we could have a lovely conversation." He moved behind her and unlocked the restraints.

The moment the cuffs came free, Luca grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly to her feet.

"I hear you’re going to be a big girl and behave. Oh, nothing to say? You usually have plenty to talk about." He stepped around her. "Usually, I get a full lecture. How you are the hero and I am the evil. How everything wrong with the world somehow leads back to Luciano Genovese. I was hoping for that smart mouth."

Luca turned towards the desk and reached for the hood lying there.

Behind him, Valentina finally spoke.

"I’m glad I will not be there when she dies. When you eventually get her killed."

"There you go!" Luca said. "I was waiting for that." He picked up the hood. "You just make it easier and easier. Incredible, really. You could stand in the middle of a burning building holding the match and somehow still blame me for the fire."

"I’m not wrong."

"Of course you aren’t." He approached her. "You’re never wrong."

Valentina looked away.

Luca lifted the hood.

Whatever happened next was not his favourite part of the plan.

But this was necessary even though he knew what Vee hoped for Valentina was incapable of seeing.

He strapped the hood over her face, covering her view, then he led her out to where Renato was waiting in the car park.

Renato’s men took charge of Valentina the moment they reached the car park.

Luca watched them secure her before stepping back.

When he turned around, Marco was standing a few feet behind him.

Marco’s eyes were fixed on the car.

On his wife specifically.

Luca walked towards him and gave him a small pat on the shoulder. His phone rang before he could say anything else. Luca pulled it out, glanced at the screen and answered.

"Luca!" Vee yelled.

His stomach dropped instantly. "Bambola!"

Every nerve in his body went on alert. The panic in her voice was enough to make his heart crack into tiny pieces.

"What happened?"

"You come home now or you are going to find a dead body in our house!"

"What?"

"Your parents have gone berserk!"

There was a loud crash somewhere in the background.

"For God’s sake, Carol, will you put that down!"

Luca closed his eyes.

Jesus Christ.

Why did he have to have crazy parents?

He could hear his mother shouting something in the background, most of it lost beneath Vee’s breathing and the general chaos, but the words son of a bitch came through very clearly. Luca pinched the bridge of his nose. "Where is Don?"