POTERE AMORE (Mafia Romance) 18+

Chapter seventeen

Fabio's POV

Odium.

Pure stigma.

The sigma of having her tied to me will always be with me.

Not for long.

I knew from the moment she entered my life, it was going to start going down hill. I had multiple opportunities to cut her out of my life, even before she became heavily involved with my family. I had chances to kill her but I didn't because I never thought she would be an initial threat.

Marrying her was one of the diabolical yet appropriate action I have ever done in my life. I didn't so much ruin my life, instead I ruined her and intended to ruin more of it. I married her to bound her to me and make her futile plan of tarnishing the Lombardi name backfire. The moment I realised Annetta's intention, I knew I had to act fast and ahead of all of them. She was going to suffer great consequence but all in due time.

Marriage intimidated her but she denied all of it as she endeavoured to keep it to herself. One thing I hate about her, amongst all other things is that she likes a challenge which I despise. Her audacity questioned my power, to some extent it worried me because one day, I feared that she might dominate me but I wasn't going to allow that to happen. She clearly isn't experienced or else she would never have been caught by me.

"Are you worried about Annetta?"

I snapped out of my conflicting thoughts when Dante's voice penetrated my eardrums. I blink and I snap back into reality and then glance over at him, concern written all over his face. Once I register what he asked, I sigh tiredly and then look away as I stand up on my feet and begin to clean the desk.

"She will be fine." I replied dryly, the mere thought of her angered me but I managed to control it.

"Then what's wrong? Avanti, I want to know." He demands,

"Nothing. I've just got a lot to do. I don't want to let Mario go so easily, not when he put my family through so much. I'm just frustrated that we didn't noticed sooner. You nearly died for us to realise."

"That's not your fault, fratello. It isn't your duty to look after me like a baby, we are the mafia. Things like this happen and as a Lombardi, you should take this situation as a lesson and do better next time, not sulk and blame yourself."

"It is my duty to look after you, you're the backbone of us. Without you, we are nothing."

Dante expels a surprised gaze as I finish speaking. He raised his brow before a frown swarms his face. Silences dwells in our presence as I watch him, I gulped and I look away, only for Dante to sigh. The silence spoke a lot, things we avoided such as death even though it is inevitable but an encounter like a few months ago, was not something we were prepared for truthfully speaking.

"Fratello, I'm sorry you feel this way but that's not true." He says, "Constantinou took you and Tony into the mafia to teach you it in different ways. You both are unique in your own ways. With or without me, both you and Tony would excel in different ways." He continued and I nod my head as I take in his words. Growing up, I always looked up to Dante, even though I wasn't really a Lombardi. The fact that we were so close in age encouraged a strong connection between us, a bond like what two brothers would have. This conversation only made me appreciate him a little more than before. Dante reached me in a couple of seconds and when he did, he stood next to me. "Just remember that without you, me and Tony, the Lombardi's are nothing. Do better Fabio, you're smarter and stronger than this."