Chapter 148
Tito released Raniero and the man stumbled in disbelief and stared at his brother in confusion.
“What do you mean I’m going with her?” Raniero asked his brother in confusion.
“This morning was a test for you Raniero.” Torq said with a shrug as he returned his gun you failed, terribly.”
his waistband and folded his arms over his chest. “It was a test
“You were testing me? Why?”
“Because at dinner last night the head of this family gave you a directive and you didn’t follow it. I pulled the surveillance from outside the bathroom. He saw Raniero’s eyes widen.
“You spied on me?”
“You left me no choice. She gave you instruction which you disregarded and immediately after the bullshit of dinner last night you came here and insulted her in my presence. A five–year–old child knew you were out of line and yet you seem to think you were perfectly within your rights to talk to my wife like you do.”
“She’s not your wife!” Raniero spat angrily. “She is the whore you spent money on when you were too worried another woman would dirty your dick.”
Even Alcee didn’t see how fast Torq moved. Raniero was a blur as he was lifted off his feet by the neck and slammed violently to the floor. His head bounced hard off the floor as Torq knelt over him, his knee in Raniero’s chest.
“Call my wife a whore again and see whether I let you board a plane at all to accompany your mother. I’ll bury you right here in this fucking condo and every time I walk on the floorboards I’ll be reminded of your head beneath my feet, and I’ll stomp on it for good measure.”
Raniero’s eyes widened in disbelief at the violence coming off the man towering over him. His hands wrapped around Torq’s wrist held at his throat. “Can’t breathe,” he croaked out.
“Good.” Torq growled. “You deserve to fucking choke on your hubris and ego. Who the fuck do you think you are to question the decisions of your Don?” he smacked his face with an open palm.
Alcee looked at Bastiano who was now on his feet and struggling to stand still. While she didn’t feel an inch of sympathy for the fucker on the floor, she felt tons for the man who was watching his partner get bitch–slapped into the next century, she felt sorry for Bastiano. It was clear this was hurting him.
“You’re my brother!” Raniero squeezed out.
“And you are mine,” Torq shot back, “and yet you cannot be happy for me? You cannot celebrate the fact I found my Aya or how we share a child together? You cannot feel my joy and want to be happy for me? Instead, you try to drive a wedge between us. You started your bullshit in my office. You continued it
you think I would side with you?” at dinner and today you brought your arrogance and self–importance to this meeting. Did
Raniero looked sideways at Bastiano.
Bastiano shook his head, cleared his throat, and sighed, “Raniero, I love you, I thought we would be together forever. There has never been anyone I want more than you. This though,” he waved to Cianna and then to where Alcee stood, “this crosses a line for me I can’t step over. How could you be so vile? I’m trying to reconcile the loving family man I believed you to be to this,” Bastiano waved at him. “What the fuck is this?”
Raniero blinked at the impassioned tone in Bastiano’s voice.
ld she could
“Calling a woman a whore? Calling this woman, this woman who so bravely escaped her abusive father and carved a life for herself, raisin have aborted, making a career to support her child, a whore, is revolting. Who the fuck do you think you are to look down on her?” Bastian stared angrily. “My hopes for today were for you to come in here and tell me a night alone in our home put things into perspective for you. Instead, I’m convinced you. spent an entire night soaking up your mother’s hatred. Yet, I watched the video, Raniero. I watched when you stood outside the bathroom door in the restaurant and told your mother it would only be a matter of time before Torq realized Alcee and her bastard child were liabilities and she should shut her mouth until you could make him see the light/1 fucking wish I’d watched it before leaving last night because I wouldn’t have left. I would have sent you both packing.”
1/2
Sold! To the Grizzly Don
