Her lips parted. “Alessia…”
“Is he?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. He is. And I understand you’re hurt, but things were different—”
“I’m not hurt.” The words came out too loud, fire climbing into my chest. “You hurt Papa.” My gaze cut to her, then to the stranger across from me. “And worse … you hurt him.”
I pointed at Alonzo. The motion broke something inside me. My breath ragged, and I shut my eyes. “You know what?” My words came out almost as a plea. “I need to calm down.”
Papa’s voice cut through. “You’re right, darling. But we talked about it. That’s why Alonzo is here now. It’s hard for you, andyes, it changes everything, but listen, nothing changes.”
I stared at Papa, trying to blink sense into the weight pressing against my temples. “I shouldn’t be mad, right? For not knowing any of this?”
Mamma’s whisper barely carried. “I’m sorry.”
My gaze slid to Alonzo. “What about him?”
He met my eyes. “My life goes on,” he said simply. “I’m not here to change anything. I’m returning to Italy.”
He should have been angry. But he wasn’t. It was like he had practiced burying what he couldn’t change.
The silence swelled again until Papa broke it. “Regardless … he is your brother. And that is why we will move to Italy together.”
My head snapped toward him. “What?”
Papa nodded. “Yes. I already found a job there. This isn’t about Alonzo alone. With the way things are, I have to take my family there.”
Confusion clawed at me. “Wait, we’ll go back home?”
“Yes.”
“But Papa—”
He cut me off gently, but the words struck hard. “It’s not safe here, Alessia. You know it. I was shot. And who knows who will be next?”
My heart sank
“So yes,” he went on. “That’s my decision. I dealt with Rodion and gave him what he wanted. Soon I’ll face him myself, and he should let you go.”
Rodion.
The name shouldn’t have made my stomach twist. But it did. Why did it feel wrong? Why did it feel like leaving his side was the last thing I wanted to do?
I sat there, reality landing in heavy pieces. Rodion’s life wasn’t going to be mine.
“Those people are dangerous. Their enemies are worse. Andthey know I worked with him. They know you. Next time, they might kill one of us.”
“No.” My whisper broke through. “Don’t say that.”
Mamma leaned closer, her hand brushing mine. “It’s best we move back home. It’s safe.”
Safe.
My thoughts spun. What was the plan now? I had started to adjust to Rodion’s world, to him. And now?
Yes, they were dangerous. No one had to remind me. I had seen it and even experienced the worst. Rodion was not a man you brought home to meet your parents.
So why did the thought of leaving feel like ending something I wasn’t ready to lose? Why did I want to scream against how wrong it was?