My father is throwing me darts with his eyes, but I don’t care. I’m done with this charade.
“My family has been scheming to steal the Baas contacts and burn your business to the ground.”
“WHAT?!” Hugo immediately stands and towers over the table.
“What do you mean?” Jill asks, turning to me. “Is this why you wouldn’t tell me?”
“You would’ve hated my family and me if I did,” I respond. “But it’s important that everyone knows.”
“LUCA!” my father barks, getting up too, but to shout at me instead. “You betray your own fam—”
Hugo interrupts him, pointing fingers. “How fucking—”
“I’m not finished yet,” I say in a calm, collected tone to both of them.
“All this time, I thought we were partners. After all the sacrifices I made to keep this friendship from being destroyed,” Hugo growls at my parents. “Get out of my fucking house.”
“DAD!” Jasmine roars, commanding his attention.
No one expected a little bird like her to squawk that loudly.
“Listen to what Luca has to say,” she adds.
“You’re in on their little scheme?” he asks her, his tone threatening, even at his own daughter.
“I’m not, but this is more important than your petty fight,” Jasmine says.
“Petty?!” My mother gets up too now, crumbling the cookie in her hand. “My son died, and you call that petty?”
“So that’s what this is all about? That’s why you’re so intent on destroying our family, our livelihood?” Vera jumps into the fray too. “We already sacrificed our daughter to your family, and it still isn’t enough for you?”
“Blood must be paid in blood,” my father says through gritted teeth.
They’re all eye to eye now, and I doubt it’ll take a minute longer before any of them starts throwing the coffee around.
“EVERYBODY SIT THE FUCK DOWN.” My loud voice immediately throws all ire onto me, but I’m prepared for their rage. I’ve faced worse. “I’m not fucking finished yet.”
“I don’t fucking care what else you’re going to say,” my father barks, attempting to leave.
“Liam is alive.”
Everyone holds their breath. Even my father.
In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him flinch, but he did just that.
“Alive?” My mother’s face turns to shreds as tears freely roll down her cheeks.
“Do not mess with your mother’s heart, Luca.” My father grabs my shoulders. “Or I swear to God—”
“I saw him with my own goddamn eyes,” I respond. “He survived the crash. He’s alive.”
“Where?” he asks, shaking me. “How long have you known?”
“Couple of weeks,” I reply.
“And you didn’t tell us?!” my parents say in sync.
“Because I knew you’d abuse the situation,” I reply.
This really gets them riled up. I can tell from the way they’re throwing daggers with their eyes alone. If we weren’t at someone else’s house, real daggers might have flown across the room at this point.
“He’s my son,” my mother growls at me, trembling vigorously.
“I am too. Now take a sip,” I tell her, pointing at the coffee. “And you? Sit,” I tell my father.
Even after throwing me a damning look, he still sits because everyone here knows I hold all the cards now.
“Liam’s gone now,” I say.
“What? Why? Where?” my mother asks while wailing. “Why wouldn’t he come to see us?”
“Because he doesn’t want to,” I reply, staring both of my parents down dead in the eyes. “Because he hates you both. And you will never, ever see him.”
My mother almost chokes on her coffee while my father doesn’t even touch his.
“I don’t believe you,” he says.
“It’s true,” Jasmine suddenly says. All eyes are on her now. “I saw it in his eyes. He hates everyone and doesn’t want to see any of you.” There’s a certain sadness on Jasmine’s face when she looks at her mother. “I’m sorry for not telling you guys. I didn’t want to start another war.”
“War?” Vera says. “Oh, honey …” They hug tight.
“How? How is this even possible?” my mother asks, staring at her coffee like it’ll tell her the truth.
“He survived the crash and decided to disappear,” Jill replies, swallowing because we both know she’s leaving some crucial details out.
“But why won’t he even tell his own parents?”
“Because he’s forgotten almost everything about us. He doesn’t want to remember, and I won’t force him,” I reply.
My father shakes his head. “We didn’t do anything to make him hate—”
“We’re a goddamn mafia family,” I interject.
“How about you wanted to force him to marry the only girl he never wanted?” Jill says, her nails digging into her knees. “Me.”
I pet her back to relieve some tension, and it works.
Everyone’s eyes are on her now. It’s about time they listened to her demands.
“When he drowned, the guy you all knew vanished and was replaced with a monster,” Jill says.
“How do you even know? Did you see him too?” my mother asks. “Did you talk to him? What did he say?”
Jill’s face darkens as I grab her hand and squeeze tight. “Tell them,” I whisper into her ear.