Chapter 54 (Marco)


    "You care for Sartini''s daughter. Fuck, Marco, why!" It is not a question but an usation.


    "Sometimes, we have no choice," I say quietly, knowing he understands too well the words I speak and


    the honesty behind it.


    He gets up from his chair, his tall form, and broad shoulders, the two things I inherited of my fathers.


    My mother''s eyes will always be what holds me. I am the w in my father''s secret and my mother''s


    betrayal.


    The fault of their love.


    It is why he doesn''t stare too long. Unlike Deno and Anya. I am the image of my mother''s bloodline. I


    am also the true heir to the DeMarco name. The eldest son of the eldest child. And as of three years


    ago, when I stepped forward, I am the future Capo Dei Capi, The Boss of All Bosses. And right now,


    the most powerful person in this room.


    I, Marco Catelli, am the bastard son of my father and my mother. In the Famiglia, I am considered a


    nothing, but in The 5th State, I am powerful enough to rule over all of them. And as the eldest son, and


    product of two influential families, I have proved myself more worthy than just my name.


    A curse, a gift, and all for love. I am not as different to my father as I would like to be.


    My father takes a moment to answer a call. I use the time to get myself and my brother a drink.


    Leaning against my father''s desk as Deno runs his hand across the books on the dark wooden


    bookshelf. I enjoy the glide of the amber liquid going down my throat.


    "If father agrees, how are you going to get Sartini to say yes?" Deno asks as he lifts up a picture of us,


    from the bookshelf.


    I haven''t considered it, but my conversation with Aliyana earlieres to mind, and I smile as I take


    another sip of my drink.


    "I thought I''ll start with a more direct approach first."


    "Seriously? Just mentioning Aliyana''s name will have the man in a shouting fit."


    "I know, which is why I''m going to ask him after he agrees to something else."


    Deno turns to face me, and we stare at one another.


    The door to my father''s office opens, and we both move toward our seats. Our conversation on hold for


    the moment.


    "Mi dispiace. Dante Moretti has epted the marriage to his granddaughter. ''Till death do you part,


    were his words. I agreed. Cami is on her way." His words take a full 5 seconds to register.


    He has epted, ''till death.


    She ising? I frown in confusion. I was confident he was going to refuse. Six months and nothing.


    Now all of a sudden, I get this? So, what changed his mind? No, this can''t be.


    "I will marry Cami," Deno says in a rush.


    Dante''s warning rings in the room and, like my brother, always ready to be the one to sacrifice.


    "If shees to Seattle and I don''t marry her, it will be a direct insult to the Moretti''s, and a big fuck up


    we don''t need with La''s shit to deal with and Lorenzo''s death, plus the fucking docks."


    "I''ll make her choose me," Deno says again.


    And subject his life to torture and the possibility of someone finding out the things that shade him? I am


    the eldest son.


    "I was the one who asked for her hand all those months ago and continued to press it."


    I am also my brother''s protector, whether he wants it or not. A promise I made to my mother more


    times than I could count.


    She made me promise that I will keep him safe, and always choose him even if it meant I had to


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    sacrifice myself. It was a promise I made to her, a living one. The one promise in my life I won''t break.


    "I am many things, but I won''t go back on my word." I will have to go along with it for my brother''s sake.


    "You would choose honor over all you can have? Do you know what you agree to?" I can feel my


    brother staring at me as I look at the empty brown leather chair that belongs to my father. My mind


    empty, afraid of all the thoughts it will bring up if I allowed it free for even a second. But as much as it


    kills me, I lie.


    "Yes. Divorce is off the table. Aliyana is a half-blood, you said so yourself. Cami is a good choice, for


    Mischa and our family. A big army is what we need to protect Mischa, and Camies with just that.


    A small price to pay."


    "You are making a bad decision, a mistake. Aliyana can give you more than just an army, fuck Marco.


    You know what I''m talking about, you have spent time with her."


    I look at my brother, his cold gaze stuck in the past he will nevere out of. I''ll turn this world upside


    down and burn every fucker whoever takes his choices from him again. Myself included.


    "If she is so great, why don''t you marry her? This conversation is over. I won''t have you question me on


    this. My choice."


    "You are making the wrong choice," Deno barks.


    "I will sleep with my wrong choices." My phone rings as my brother breaks my eye stare.


    I''m aware the conversation isn''t over.


    I don''t expect anything less from Deno, but his reasoning will not change my decision. Not on this.


    My body hardens, as my mind goes to war with itself. Mario Moretti''s threat is no small matter, and my


    want for Aliyana is not worth the lives I''ll lose if I refuse.


    I slip my phone out of my suit pocket, ''VINCENT'' shes on my screen.


    "Who died now," I say in all calmness when dealing with my cousin.


    "The Bratva is going to be soon if we don''t talk with Aleksei."


    "What happened?" I am already dreading whatever it is he is going to say.


    "They kidnapped my brother, Jace, from his school trip. I think it''s about that fuckin'' biker girl Lorenzo


    was fuckin''."


    I close my eyes, and a heavier weight falls on my shoulders.


    This is not good because I have a feeling Vincent is correct. They have been asking about Diamond, by


    name.


    "Did you call anyone else?"


    "No, why?"


    "Because it''s a sensitive matter. I''ll handle it."


    My cousin Vincent Vasatti is a Mezzosangue. His mother''s short affair with Victor Stone produced my


    cousin. We epted him as a Made-Man because Victor is a quarter Italian, which meant my cousin


    wasn''t totally a half-breed.


    Over the years, when I was away, it was Deno and Vincent who held our territory, did all my father''s


    dirty work. While Deno did his share, our name protected him, but Vincent didn''t get such luck. His


    family is strong, but like most of our n, they''re tied to Catelli''s through marriage.


    He had to earn his stripes in blood and war. Power was something he took. And my respect is


    something he still needs to earn if he wants to be part of my circle when I take over.


    "The Stones were looking. Hold on, it’s my dad.”


    I hang on the line for Vincent. A minute goes by, “My father said Diamond is going to give herself up."


    Fuck.


    "I’m on my way." I signal Deno that we have to move. I don''t bid my father farewell as I walk out of his


    office. Deno follows close behind.


    Dante Moretti has twisted my hand, and my father had epted it when he agreed to Dante''s condition


    ''till death. I asked for this, but one thing my mother taught me is seeds grow silent. The power of that


    seed is the thickness of its branches and the stubbornness of its roots.


    I am Marco DeMarco Catelli. Heir to The 5th State, and it is time I sent a message to all those who will


    answer to me.