Chapter 5

Nico’s POV

I hurried back to Antonio since he was in such a critical condition. From what I had seen, I wasn't sure he was going to survive the night. I had seen a lot of deaths in my life but this was one that was going to hurt. I was close to Antonio growing up, so much so that Dante had joked that he had stolen me away from him.

I found just as I left him, slumped against the wall, only that this time, his face was even more pale than before. The pool of blood also had grown larger and I gripped his shoulder to steady him as I saw that he was about to keel over. “Antonio, stay with me. We need to get you out of here.”

He drew a ragged breath as he shook his head. “It’s too late for that, Nico.” His voice was barely above a whisper which confirmed my worst fear. He was slipping away. “Listen to me. You need to look after Beth.”

“She’ll be fine, don't worry about that,” I assured him, slightly surprised that he was thinking of her.

“No, Nico. You don't just keep her safe. Protect her and keep her close always. They'll try to kill her. The family... they won’t understand.”

“Antonio, save your strength. We can talk about this later…” I insisted, though the truth was already clear in his eyes.

“There is no later,” he said firmly, cutting me off. “You have to tell Isabella. It'll be hard but make them get along. She’ll hate me for keeping Beth a secret, but...”

His voice cracked and he coughed out blood and I grimaced in anger feeling helpless next to him.

I swallowed hard, nodding. “I’ll tell her. I’ll make her understand.”

Antonio’s grip loosened, and I knew his end was near as his hand fell to his side. His eyes were weak and closed intermittently but I could see the pleading look in them and knew that he took it seriously. “Promise me, Nico.”

“I promise. Addio fratello,” I said fiercely bidding him farewell, my voice breaking despite my effort to control myself.

There was a faint smile across his lips as his eyes flickered toward the car and I knew that he was searching for Beth. “She’s stubborn... like her mother,” he murmured as his voice faded.

And then, he was gone.

I was motionless for a long time as I just stood staring down at Antonio's body. I finally bent down and closed his eyes while I looked at the blood that surrounded him. I had unknowingly stepped on it and I wiped it off on the grass.

Looking up, I couldn't forget the person responsible for all this and my blood boiled as I made my way towards him. As he saw me coming, he dragged his broken foot across the dirt, crawling quickly in a desperate attempt to get away from me.

“Dante,” I called him, my voice cold as the men around made way for me as I reached where he was.

He finally gave up and stopped moving as he turned to look at me with a defiant look in his eyes.

“You… you're not going to avenge him by killing your father, are you?” he spat, his voice trembling. “He gave me no choice. It was exile or death. It's not too late to amend your ways. I'll explain to the family that it was all his fault, you would still have your position back.”

“Negotiating even till the end. What did I expect?” I hissed as I was itching to blast him with the gun in my hand. “I expected you to be a man and take the punishment and leave. But instead, you shot your own brother in the back like a coward!”

I reached him in three quick strides, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him up despite his yells.“This is about you being too weak to face the consequences of your own actions and killing a good man in the process.”

Dante’s eyes darted toward the gun in my hand, then back to my face. “You think you’re better than me?” he sneered, his voice desperate. “You’re no saint, Nico. You’ve killed just as many, if not more, in the name of the family. Don’t pretend you’re any different!”

I was about to tell him why we were different but figured that there was no need to do so as it was akin to pouring water on a rock.

“Maybe I’m not different,” I said as I aimed the gun at his chest. “But I’ll never betray my blood without a just cause.”

His eyes widened in realization as he saw that I was serious and he opened his mouth to plead, but I didn’t let him start talking.

I fired twice, one in the chest and another in the head. The noise rang out loudly in the night as his body slumped lifelessly to the ground, his brain matter spread out over the place.

The night was silent as the weight of what I had done settled in the hearts of everyone present. I turned around to see the men around me gather in support. The tension was intense in the air as the weight of the moment was palpable. I wiped the gun on my jacket and holstered it as I prepared to address them.

One by one, the gang members knelt, bowing their heads in unison. The gesture was clear as it was an old ritual—they were acknowledging me as the new boss. It was everything I wanted but I wasn’t currently in the mood for any ceremony as I felt it wasn't the time or place.

“Save it for later,” I said, gesturing to them to rise to their feet. “We don’t have time for this. Gather the bodies and clean up. The cops will be swarming this place soon if we don’t move quickly.”

The men scrambled into action, but one of them stayed back, clutching his phone looking at it and back at me in turn. “Boss,” he called hesitantly.

I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “What?”

“You need to see this.” He handed me the phone, the screen displaying a social media post. My stomach churned as I read it: “Dante’s reign is over. The rightful boss has taken his place. #JusticeServed #NewEra”

The timestamp was fresh—barely a few minutes ago—and the post already had thousands of likes and comments. My hands tightened around the phone as I scrolled further, seeing pictures of the carnage, even a grainy shot of Dante’s body.

“What the hell?” I muttered. My men gathered around cautiously, exchanging worried glances.

“Who could’ve leaked this?” one of them asked.

I didn’t answer immediately as my mind was racing, piecing together the puzzle. Only a handful of us were here, and I knew from experience that none of them would dare cross me like that—the penalty was death. But the timing, the post...

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut as I realized the angle from where it was recorded. It could only be Beth. She’d been in the car recording the whole thing.

“Idiota,” I whispered under my breath, my fists clenching.

Without another word, I handed the phone back to the guy and stormed towards the car.