Chapter 12 - The Sins of the Brother
The ride back to Salvatore’s sprawling, fortified estate was entirely suffocating, wrapped in a heavy, impenetrable silence.
The moment they walked through the heavy oak doors, Salvatore dispatched dozens of armed guards to secure the perimeter and sent a detail to watch Danny’s dormitory.
Tessa followed Salvatore into his private study, watching as he poured himself three fingers of straight bourbon and downed it in one fluid motion.
She walked over to him, gently placing her small, warm hands over his clenched fists until he finally looked down at her.
Who is Dante? she signed, demanding the truth without a single ounce of fear in her expressive gray eyes.
Salvatore closed his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath before he raised his hands to tell the darkest story of his life.
Dante is my older half-brother, Salvatore signed, the movements slow and filled with an ancient, lingering pain.
He was supposed to inherit the Chicago syndicate from our father, but his mind was twisted, completely poisoned by a love for senseless slaughter.
Tessa watched intently, her heart aching for the heavy burden Salvatore had clearly carried alone for so many years.
When our father realized Dante was a liability, he named me the sole heir to the empire, Salvatore continued, his eyes darkening with the memory.
Dante did not accept his displacement gracefully; he orchestrated an ambush in the dead of night to eliminate me.
Salvatore paused, reaching up to gently trace the faint, jagged scar that ran horizontally across his own throat.
He cornered me when I was just twenty years old, Salvatore signed, his hands completely steady now, fueled by cold anger.
He slit my throat, intending to let me drown in my own blood, ensuring I would never be able to give an order or claim the throne.
Tessa gasped, tears immediately springing to her eyes as she realized the horrifying truth behind his absolute silence.
He didn't just take your voice, Tessa whispered aloud, her own voice breaking with profound sorrow.
He tried to take everything.
I survived, but Dante was exiled to Europe under the threat of immediate death if he ever returned to American soil, Salvatore signed.
Now that our father has passed, Dante believes the throne belongs to him, and he has come back to slaughter anyone who stands in his way.
Tessa stepped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Salvatore’s waist, pressing her face against his chest.
May you like
He will not take you from me, she signed against his shirt, her resolve hardening into pure steel.
Salvatore held her fiercely, knowing the war that was coming would burn the entire city to the ground.
