Giacomo’s gaze scoured him. ‘Your mamma. She had a chance to live. The doctor who arrived could only save one of you. She had a chance and she chose you.’ Bitterness coated every word.
‘And you’ve hated me for it ever since, haven’t you?’
Giacomo’s face hardened. ‘I never wanted children. She knew that. If she’d only listened to me, she’d still be alive.’ He inhaled and surged to his feet. ‘What does it matter? Come, Ruby. You’re no longer wanted here.’
Narciso snarled. ‘Lay another finger on her and it’s the last thing you’ll ever do.’
His father jerked in shock, then his face took on a grey hue. Narciso watched, stunned, as Giacomo clutched his chest and began to crumple.
‘Narciso, I think he’s having a heart attack!’
For several seconds Ruby’s words didn’t compute. When the meaning spiked, poker hot, into his brain, he reached out and caught Giacomo as he fell.
Behind him he heard Ruby dialling and speaking to emergency personnel as he tore open his father’s shirt and began chest compressions.
‘Madre di Dio, non,’ he whispered, the fear clutching his chest beginning to spread as his father lay still.
The next fifteen minutes passed by in a blur. The ER helicopter landed on the penthouse roof and emergency personnel took over.
He sagged against a wall when they informed him Giacomo was still alive but would need intensive care immediately.
‘He’ll pull through. I’m sure of it.’
He looked up to find Ruby in front of him, holding out a glass of whisky. He took it and knocked it back in one gulp.
It did nothing to thaw the ice freezing his heart.
‘Leave.’ He repeated the word he’d said what seemed like a lifetime ago.
Shock rushed over her face.
‘Narciso—’
He threw the glass across the room and heard it shatter. ‘No. You don’t get to say my name. Never again.’
He took satisfaction in seeing tears fill her eyes. ‘I can explain—’
‘It’s too late. I told you this thing between Giacomo and I was over. I’d trusted your counsel, taken your advice and abandoned this godforsaken vendetta. But where was your trust, tesoro mio? You knew this was coming. And you said nothing!’
‘He threatened my parents!’
His expression softened for a split second. Then grew granite hard. ‘Of course he did. But his threats meant more to you than your belief that I would help you. That we could fight him together!’ He couldn’t hide the raw pain that flowed out of his voice.
‘I didn’t want to fight! And I was going to tell you. Tonight after the party.’
‘We’ll never know now, will we?’ he said scathingly.
‘Narciso—’
‘Your actions spoke clearly for you. Unfortunately for you, you made the same mistake Maria did. You chose the wrong side.’