# 3—Chapter 18
I don’t have a plan for Antonio the next morning.
Liliana has already set her heart on staying the entire weekend, even though I urged her to go back to Chicago sooner. From the looks of it Antonio hasn’t told my sister of Anastasia’s true identity. Which is good for me, I didn’t need my sister to nag me. I already got an earful from my brother in law last night.
I didn’t get much sleep last night. My tinnitus had seemed louder than normal. My anxiety has been heightened lately and now with the harsh reality that I’ll have to let Anastasia go, I’m even more stressed out. I never gave myself proper time to mourn Nario, I kept busy and occupied with Anastasia. She’s entertaining and fun to talk to. She’s everything you look for in a friend. Once she’s gone and back into her father’s grasp, and she will be one day, I will have no one.
It’s no secret that I self medicate my probable depression with alcohol and women. Lately, it hasn’t been bad, but I’m afraid that I’m going to spiral into such deep darkness that no amount of light will be able to save me.
“Carlo is dead,” Liliana says over breakfast. “His funeral will be sometime next week. It’s so sad. He was a good man.”
I frown. “Shit. How many others died in the attack?” I hadn’t even known. I was too worried about Anastasia alone in my apartment that I forgot about my men. “I have to make some phone calls.”
“Now?” Liliana looks disappointed.
“I took care of it. You were recovering so I took it upon myself to cover you.”
“You took it upon yourself?” I jeer. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Angelo!” My sister’s eyes widen.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“I don’t need you to cover up anything for me. I don’t need your help. I am Boston’s Don and I think it’s time you go back to Chicago where you belong. This is my city,” I challenge him.
“Liliana, pack your things,” he says softly.
“Antonio, no-”
“Now!” He raises his voice startling my sister. “I don’t trust your brother running this city and I’m not going to risk being here when war breaks out. We’re going home.”
We don’t talk until Liliana is upstairs and I discreetly sign to Anastasia to wait for me in my bedroom. When we are the only two at the dining table, Antonio speaks first.
“I’m going to give you one last chance.”
“I don’t need your help,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Fuck you and your stubbornness,” he stands up shaking his head. “I would’ve helped you out of this mess, Angelo. You’re so set on destroying yourself, can’t you see that you’re pulling the people you love down with you?”
I remain silent staring at the wood on the table, avoiding Antonio’s harsh stare. He curses in Italian under his breath before joining his wife upstairs to pack.
Maybe I am self-destructive, but maybe it’s because the future already planned for me is one I don’t want.
Searching for my phone I call Christian and Piero for an update. “They aren’t going to stop, Boss. They are going to keep attacking until his daughter is safe.” Little do they know she is already safe. “We need to show them if they don’t stop attacking us on our territory we’re going to kill his daughter.”
“And what do you suppose we do?” I say through gritted teeth.
“I don’t know, Boss. Maybe send him some pictures?”
“Fine.”
“Okay,” Christian says warily.
“Carlo’s was destroyed. People are outraged,” Piero chimes in.
“I’ll pay for the funeral. Avenge Carlo and plan an attack. Gather some men and tell them to be ready by Sunday.”
“Yes sir,” they say in unison over the speaker phone. I hang up on them and throw my phone on the dining room table running my hands through my hair. I want to scream. I want to punch somebody. Maybe what I need is a mission.
Anastasia would argue I’m still injured.
Fuck. Anastasia. My men are right, so right it pisses me off. Vasiliev is only attacking because we haven’t shown that his daughter is being treated savagely.
I’m hesitant to go upstairs, but I have a plan and I just hope Anastasia agrees with it.