Chapter 4
Chapter Four
C ursed. I’ve always known our family was cursed. I thought it was in the love department. And really, if you look at how each and every one of us has had to fight for our relationships, then you could see how my theory is feasible.
But recent events have me thinking the woman who birthed us started this whole thing. Cursed us. I’ve always had good thoughts when it came to our mother. Now, even thinking about her has me wanting to throw up. She’s not a mother, because a mother wouldn’t do what she did.
I knew she was alive for a lot longer than my brothers. I kept it to myself, almost believing I made the whole thing up when I saw her in that clubhouse. I wanted to believe that I was seeing things, that the woman just looked like her.
Then I dug into it more and confirmed it was her. She was living her life as if she didn’t have a care in the world. I guess she didn’t, considering she left her five children with a fucking monster.
What does that make her? She knew what our father was like, and she left us with him. There is nothing she could possibly say that would excuse it either. Which is why I’m with Gio when it comes to his whole no contact thing.
“You okay?” Zoe asks, sitting herself on my lap. Her legs on each side of mine and her arms around my neck.
“I have the hottest woman in the world on top of me. What’s not to be okay with?” I smirk at my wife, my hands wrapping around her hips, pulling her core against my now-hard cock.
“Smooth, Marcel. But seriously, you look like something is bothering you,” Zoe insists.
“It’s the whole our mother coming back from the dead thing. I have a bad feeling about it. I don’t know what, but shit is going to hit the fan,” I say.
“Have you spoken to your brothers about it? Like really talked about it? Not just the quick we don’t need her bullshit that got spewed out over dinner the other night.” Zoe does an impression of Gio, which makes me laugh.
“No.”
“Typical. Men are useless.” She shakes her head. “You should talk to your brother. Tell him what’s bothering you. This isn’t your fight to fight alone. Whatever it is, it affects all five of you,” she reminds me. “You’re really lucky to have brothers who are so loyal.”
“ We ,” I correct her.
“Huh?”
“ We have brothers who are loyal. They’re your brothers too,” I tell her.
“Meh, I have no doubt that any one of them would push me in front of a grenade to save you.” She shrugs.
“No, they fucking wouldn’t. Because if they did, I’d kill them. But you’re right. I should go talk to Gio.” My hands move up her back. “Or you can lose your panties, take out my cock, and slide that hot little pussy of yours up and down on it.”
“Tempting, but I’ve got plans. You go talk to your brother. I’m going out with Daisy,” she says.
“Daisy? Doing what?” I ask, my eyes narrowing. Out of all my sisters-in-law, Daisy is the most likely to find trouble.
“The nail salon,” Zoe says. “Relax. We’re not robbing a bank.”
“Daisy wouldn’t rob a bank,” I grunt. “But she sure as shit would be the one taken hostage.”
“Why?” Zoe laughs.
“Because she’d try to talk her way out of it with the robbers,” I suggest. “I love you. Be safe.” I lean in and press my lips against hers.
“Always,” Zoe agrees.
* * *
Walking into my brother’s office, I’m relieved to find him alone. The sound of the door closing behind me has Gio looking up from his desk. “We need to kill her,” I tell him.
“Who?”
“Our mother,” I say.
“Why? Has she contacted you?” he asks.
“No.” Why the fuck would she?
“Then why do we need to kill her, exactly?” Gio’s expression remains impartial. He’s not opposed to the idea. I’m sure he’s already thought of it himself. He’s also not just going to jump onboard with it either. He wants to hear me out. See if my logic aligns with his.
“I have a feeling her coming back from the dead is going to cause chaos. Something bad is going to happen,” I tell him. “That woman is the curse on this family.”
“Maybe. But is that reason enough to kill her? Especially since she hasn’t reached out to a single one of us yet?” Gio asks. “She’s known where we are our whole lives. She chose not to be around. Pops has been gone for years now, and still nothing. She’s not coming back, Marcel.”
“So, what? We just let her live out her life in that clubhouse, and we go about ours as if she doesn’t exist?”
“Exactly. Nothing changes,” Gio says. “Come on, I’ve got a son who wants to see his favourite uncle.”
“Wait… Say that again. After I hit record . Someone needs to put Vin in his place. He thinks he’s the favourite just ?cause he’s younger.” I pull out my phone.
“Fuck off.” Gio walks past me. Laughing as he turns down the hall. And I follow him out of his office and into one of the living rooms his wife converted into a play area.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were here. You want a drink? Food?” El stands from where she was sitting and playing with Aurelio on the floor.
“No, I’m good. I just came to give this little man some lovin’ before I head out.” I bend down and pluck up my nephew.
“Well, I’m gonna get a drink. Be right back,” El says and walks out of the room.
“This is why,” I tell Gio, holding the toddler close to my chest.
“What?”
“ This. Aurelio and Luciano are exactly why we should kill her. So she can’t infect them with her poison.”
“That’s never going to fucking happen,” Gio grunts. “I promise, if she so much as sniffs in our direction, I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.”