The Vatican - M.E. Clayton Page 0,30

back on her finger. It didn’t take a genius to figure out they were back on her finger because I put them there.

Saveria looked over at her father, and in a voice so matter-of-fact, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, she said, “Don’t go losing any sleep over it, Dad. Benetti’s going to end up doing a lot worse if he expects to get children out of me.”

All the air was sucked out of the room.

I could feel my vision turning black around the edges.

I could vaguely hear all the women gasp in horror, while the men froze where they stood.

My wife just told my father-in-law that I was going to have to rape her to get her pregnant with my children, and for him not to worry himself over it.

I stood immobile, not believing we’ve come to this, as she looked at everyone like her words hadn’t just carved up everyone’s insides. Like all our hearts weren’t shredded, bleeding at her feet.

“Saveria-”

She turned her back on her mother and looked at me. “How does this work?” she asked, her voice still cold and detached. “I’d like to go see Dante. Am I being escorted to your house where he’ll need to visit me there, or do I have your permission to go back to my building and visit Dante there?”

I didn’t trust myself to speak.

I had nothing left to fight her with.

I’d already made the phone call to Sal, there was nothing left to threaten her with or push her on. She hit us all with something we never saw coming, and I didn’t know how to fight against it.

She said I was going to have to rape her to get children, and she said it like she believed I would.

I stared at her, and the only beneficial thing to come out of all this, was I think everyone was finally grasping just how badly we hurt this girl. It’s rather ironic how Aunt Frankie had been in her exact same shoes once upon a time, and she had felt so betrayed, she left for six years, yet she couldn’t see how she’d done the same thing to her daughter.

We all knew the story of how Aunt Frankie had left because secrets were kept from her, yet she hadn’t seen what we were doing to Ria the same way.

I bet she was seeing it now.

I bet they were all seeing it.

I no longer knew what the right thing to do was, but I did what I was born to do.

Lead.

“You may go back to your building,” I told her. “But after you’re done visiting with Dante, I expect you to pack a bag until we can move you fully and be home by a reasonable hour.”

Ria didn’t flinch or bat an eyelash, and that’s when I knew I’d lost her.

“Of course,” she replied before turning her back on us all and walking out of the penthouse.

No one said anything for a few moments, before my dad finally said, “I’m sorry, Son.”

And I laughed.

What the fuck could his sorry do for me now?

Chapter 15

Saveria~

Where Vincent was the oldest of us all, and the most level-headed of us three, Dante was the most candid. He didn’t see what wasn’t there, and he didn’t bullshit you. I knew there were a few Benetti Family members who thought he was a bit of a psychopath, but that was because he was eerily absolute. He lacked no fear of consequences, and some people equated that to not having a conscience, and that wasn’t true.

Dante just didn’t do bullshit, and it was unheard of from someone so young, since he’s been that way since he was about thirteen.

After hours of Mica begging, I had gotten a new phone after smashing my old one in front of Vincent the other night. However, I had sent out a group text to the entire family telling them that if they had known about my arranged marriage to Francisco, then don’t bother calling or texting me. I had basically told them all to go to hell. I had received a barrage of various responses, but like a brat, I had deleted them all without reading them.

And, now, here I was, knocking on Dante’s door after sending him a text that I was on my way over.

He opened the door, and it was like looking at a younger version of my dad. He had Mom’s eyes, but everything else was Fiore.

“Come in,” he said,