Healed By Love

CHAPTER 46

AUDELIA'S POV

"They used to lead our mafias but I guess age has turned them into imbeciles." Valeria mutters annoyingly under her breath.

Her words bring the incident from the meeting alive again and along with it, the tension. It has been thirty minutes since dad disclosed their plan to all of us and yet we are all still in the same place they left us except for Ezra who left a while ago to try and talk dad out of this plan despite my reassurance.

With simply the five of us in the room, not pretences are on display. The air in the room is heavier than when I entered and charged, as if an invisible storm was brewing. A storm that would create havoc in our lives. Giovanni was sitting on the couch, his shoulders tensed and squared while Lucas and Lorenzo paced the room, their fists clenched at their sides, jaw tensed. Everyone of us was on edge.

"Can you guys stop pacing and sit down?" I say but none bother to listen. "I told you a thousand times now, I do not going there. I have been there before and I know how to handle myself." The words roll off my tongue like the previous times.

"You are not going anywhere." Lorenzo says sharply, his sharp eyes capturing mine. His eyes are dark with a conflicted expression evident.

"You guys are not making any sense right now." I barely conceal my frustration.

"The person not making sense in this room right now is you." His voice is firm and I hear the underlying anger that is undoubtedly growing everytime I disagree with his opinion.

"Enzo." Lucas warns him, noticing the change in his tone. Lorenzo simply ignores him, his eyes remaining fixed on me. "Delia, we know you are well able to take care of yourself but this is a far too great risk."

"You saw what they did here." Giovanni supports him. "Imagine what they can do in their country."

"Imagine what they can do if they are not stopped, Gio." I stand my ground.

"You don't have to be the one to do it." Valeria argues. "We can figure something else out . Something where we can all do something collectively and make it out alive."

"I will make it out alive, Val." I release a deep breath. "I have been on these types of missions before."

"With a proper team Addie!" She nearly exclaims. "Fifteen people is not a proper team. Not for this mission." Her words are sharp and clear, her eyes showing her determination. "Why can you not understand this?"

"Why can't you guys understand that this is not about only us."

"Don't start talking about innocent people's lives right now because we are in the mafia. Not a fucking fairy tale. You do not need to put yourself in harm's way to be the hero and save the day." Lorenzo stops me before I say anything else. "No one is going to give a fuck if you give up your life to save them."

"You are right. This is not a fairy tale. This is the mafia, and we are in harm's way every fucking day." I say, my tone harsher than I expected. "And, I am not going to die!"

Nobody speaks for a second, feeling the conflicting emotions between Lorenzo and I all over the room.

"Why don't we calm down and think about a better plan?" Giovanni tries to mediate.

"We already have a plan, Gio." My tone is firm and I stand up straight, my gaze still locked with Lorenzo's.

"Which has been cancelled." He challenges, his eyes narrowing on me and I can feel the anger radiating off him in waves.