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"But how can he be trusted when he’s betrayedto tell, he would’ve by now," Vincent said "I’ to murder a seventeen-year-old kid because you think it’ll uilt of his death for the rest of your life, and I have enough people to worry about right now"

Carmine stared at his father "Like hiured out how to deal with hi when the tiwhatever that uess who--"

"Don’t even go down that path, Carain"

Car about it "There are only so h"

Vincent lost his cool and stood, shoving his chair back and pointing at the door "Get out"

Carly headed to the third floor and collided with Haven at the top of the stairs "Whoa! Where are you going?"

"I didn’t knohere you went," she said

"Where I’ve been doesn’t matter All that matters is where I am now" He scanned her She had on a pair of his flannel pants, rolled up to stay on, and his football shirt--the sa she’d worn that first day in the kitchen "You know, you look good in asped as he pulled her to his roo"

"Yeah, it’s definitely about to be a good ood evening, if I’m lucky"

They made love quietly on and off all afternoon, careful not to be overheard She sprawled out on the bed beside hi peacefully on her sto her back exposed He stared at her skin, wishing she’d never gotten any of those marks He wished she’d never had to experience pain, and he hated those fucking scars But on the other hand, they were a part of her, and to hily about her

She deserved ive it to her To give her a real life where she was free Free of her ier Justfree

He traced the ith his finger over her scarred back Free It was all thatto die"

Those four words cracked the silence that had enveloped the roo his cal he hadn’t already thought to hi it verbalized in that cold, emotionless voice made it real

He looked in the direction the words had co eyes, so dark Vincent couldn’t differentiate between the pupil and the iris They were the sa their last moments on earth, eyes that could break the hardest of men They were the eyes of a murderer, a man who could reach inside his coat, pull out his 22-caliber Ruger Mark II pistol, and put a bullet in Vincent before he kneas happening More importantly, they were the eyes of a man ouldn’t hesitate to do it if necessary

"I know," Vincent said, keeping his voice even despite his anxiety

It was the first of June, and toh school Out of everything Vincent had done in life, Doreatest accomplishment Just the fact that he had survived intact and was setting off on a path that didn’t resee ht Here was so he hadn’t destroyed, someone’s life he hadn’t ruined

But his pride was overshadowed by another event, one that had forced him to break his silence In two short days, Carest son would be emancipated in the eyes of the law and outside forces were threatening to take his life away The Don wanted the Principe, a puppet he couldsoldier Sal wasn’t above et his hands on Carraduation and to celebrate Carotten up before dawn to head to Asheville for the afternoon, and Celia was upstairs, purposely giving the two men some space

"She doesn’t look like a Principessa," Corrado said

"I had the saht"

"But you’re positive of it"

"Absolutely"

"I always suspected there was irl," Corrado said "It never made sense that Frankie would put a hit out on your wife because she was interested in his granddaughter Sure, he treated the girl horribly, but it wasn’t worth going to extre over"

Vincent cringed Corrado noticed his reaction and clarified "Not saying she should’ve died I still, to this day, wish I would’ve done ht Antonelli could be so heinous"

"None of us did"

Corrado looked away from him "It’s hard to believe she’s one of our own It’s surreal to discover, after all of these years, the little slave girl is Joseph and Federica’s granddaughter Their baby survived and ended up in Antonelli’s care What are the odds they’d be related to?"

"Salvatore," Vincent said

"He has surviving family, after all"