Losing was never a thing I enjoyed, but losing to my little brother was just...

Despicable.

I put too much hope into this whole thing and not enough logic. That's why I was sitting a position under my father now on the leader board. I was going to lose everything if Chloe's biology didn't pick up its pace. I didn't want to take matters into my own hand on this one, but it was starting to look like I was going to have to.

Chloe was asleep on the chair next to me in the waiting room with Sophia on her lap, her head on Chloe's large baby bump. Just by looking at it, you'd think he'd be ready to come out, but he sure was taking his sweet time.

The large set of double doors crashed against the walls due to being pushed open too roughly. Both Soph and I looked to see who had caused the noise and I wasn't surprised in the least to see my father storming out of the adjoining hallway. What was wrong with him?

He stopped right in front of me, "He came out less than spectacularly, so I'm giving you two weeks and not an hour more. You better figure something out," and on that note, he walked away.

I need to go see Doctor Acardi.

"Angelo, I'm not hungry," I said as he tried to bring me yet another plate of food. He's been doing that all night long, and it was always a different plate.

"Our son probably is. You never eat anything. He needs to be big and strong so take the fucking food," he held the plate right under my nose, and I couldn't help but fall in love with the smells emitting from the hot dish.

"When did you cook this?" I asked. I've literally been sitting in the living room this whole time and I don't remember him ever cooking something so elaborate. "What is it?" It looked like lasagna but I couldn't be too sure, and then there was a random side of pineapple.

"Eggplant Parmesan. My creative juices are flowing."

I took the plate out of his hands just as Sophia rounded the corner and looked at the food. "Can I have some?"

"You're supposed to be in bed," Angelo picked her up so that she couldn't reach for any food on my plate. "Why'd you get up."

"I'm hungry."

"You're not hungry, you just want food. Go back to bed," he kissed her cheeks before setting her back down in the direction of her room.

"I'm hungry," she said stubbornly, giving Angelo the evil eye. Man, were they the same person, and that wasn't always a good thing. When they wanted something, they got it, nothing stood in the way.

Not even a scary father.

"You can have food tomorrow when you wake up. You ate an hour ago. You can't be hungry already."

She made a pouty face and slouched over a little bit, something she got from me. My baby. "Daddy, please. I'm starving."

"Oh my god, you're gonna eat me out of the house Sophia. Go eat a banana or something."

"Can you cut it for me?"

He gave her a look, signaling that she was on his last nerve and then he turned and gave me a look, "are you serious? You still cut bananas up for her? They're the softest food out there, they don't need to be cut."

"Well she likes it. You're her dad, so cut the freaking banana up for her if that's what she wants. Never mind," I got up and started walking towards the kitchen, "I'll do it."

"No," Angelo followed me with Sophia behind him. "You eat, I'll do it."

I had Arturo, a random new guy and Mariano stationed outside of the house, making sure Chloe and Sophia didn't get out and no one else, minus a few exceptions, went in for some reason.

I didn't have as much power now as I did a couple days ago. My father coming back and taking over the position as Boss meant that I got knocked down a rank, making me the Underboss. I now had to take orders right after I had gotten so used to not having to do so. It was terrible, it really was.

My dad had some enemies he wanted scared into silence, so he sent me and a few other Mafiosi I wasn't too interested in, plus Dom, to do just that.

We were at the docks, and Martin was unloading the trunk, also known as the place our prisoner was being transported in. He had a name, like all of us did, but I didn't know his, he wouldn't tell us, making this situation just that much harder. All we knew was that he supposedly worked alongside Vincenzo Bellini, Italia's new beau.

"What are we doing?" Dom asked as Martin and Alessandro dragged the guy to the end of the dock. His hands were tied and there was a pillowcase over his head, undoubtedly some sort of gag as well.

"Exactly what the padre says, scare him into talking."

"And..." He urged for more, "We need more of a plan than that. How are we going to attack?"

"How we always do," I told him before walking towards Alessandro, the prisoner, and Martin.

"Take the cover off him," I instructed, and Alessandro wasted no time in ripping the pillowcase from his head. His face was already beaten in, bruised and bloody beyond recognition, but that was the least of his problems now. Martin also pulled the piece of cloth off his mouth, and the two of them held him by the arms, tight. "Name," I said, foolishly thinking it would be as easy as that.

He spat in my direction, the small bloody pool landing only inches away from my shoes. That could have been an expensive mistake on his part. I took a step back. They were my favorite shoes and I wouldn't have them defiled by this man's pig-like actions.

I was on the very edge of the dock, easily able to see the cool blue water underneath. It was beautiful, something Sophia and Chloe would maybe like. I shook the thought out of my mind, I couldn't think about them right now, I needed to be focused on this.

"I don't ask twice, my friend. What is your fucking name?"

"Why don't you ask your puttana? She knows who I fucking am," he answered with the most disgusting smile that I've ever seen.

I barely had time to process his words before he somehow managed to break free from Martin and Alessandro's grip, and came charging at me, easily knocking me off balance and sending me straight into the colder than anticipated water. He fell in after and tried as hard as humanly possible to get me under the water, most likely in hopes to suffocate me.

It only took a few blows to the head before he wasn't trying that anymore.

I could handle myself easily, it wasn't even a question, but that didn't mean help was a thing I would reject. I looked around in search for my men, and I found all, except for Dom, swimming out. Fucking no good, lazy ass bastard. He was on his phone, not even on the dock anymore, he was by the car.

As Martin grabbed the pig man by the collar of his soaking wet polo shirt, I started back for shore. It wasn't far, but it was still further than I wanted to go.

I got out, feeling ten pounds heavier. The others weren't far behind.

I wasn't angry before, but I was fuming now.

The pig man called my Chloe a puttana just before pushing me into the water and destroying everything I had on me. I took my phone out and threw it on the pavement, gun too, and my watch. I whipped around to face him, "Last. Chance."

I got no response.

"Kill him. Cut him. Soak him in acid, piece by piece. Put any remains in a box and send it to his Madre, or his children. Whichever is worse. Just get him out of my fucking sight!"

I walked back to the car by Dom just as he was getting off the phone.

It looked like he had something important to say but he didn't know if now was a good time and honestly, it wasn't. "What? What the fuck is wrong now?" I snapped.

"It's Chloe."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Mariano's taking her to the hospital in Napoli."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure. He said he thinks she's going into labor even though its too early. She's in an ass ton of pain. We should go."

"So it's bad? Why didn't Acardi tend to her?"

This wasn't supposed to happen. Well I mean it was, but not like this.

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