His Promise: The Mafia’s Babies by C. Tamika
Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Christian

“I’m coming with you!” Luis unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the car.

“Luis…” Christian sighed. He felt bad for having to put him through this, and made him think about hisoThe only difference was that Luis was much braver than he had ever been.

He grabbed Luis’s hand as they walked through the back door. The two made their way to the livingroothing they saw was how Vincenzo pointed his gun at Christian from a distance.

“Luis.” Vincenzo breathed and looked at his little brother who had hidden behind Christian. “Vince putdChristian told him, but Vincenzo shook his head.

“Give me Luis!” He demanded as Luis’s grip around Christian’s back had tightened.

“Vince, I did not come here to argue—I came here because I want to spare your life,” Christian spokeandon the floor before he held up both of his hands as he surrendered himself.

“I could’ve handed Luis over to my family, but I didn’t and they don’t know I have him—because trustmnot intend to hurt him.” Christian tried to get through to him.

Seeing Luis tremble in fear made him believe that there had to be another way to convince his friend,oninclude violence. “You know, I was going to threaten you with Luis’s life so you would work along, butafyou…Vince, you need help.” Christian sighed.

He knew that this was not the same Vince who he had always admired and even secretly looked up to.Twho he had been jealous of for having a kind and bright personality.

“Vince, you have to put down the gun—you can not win this battle. Luis saved Beau.” Christian told himVincenzo’s eyes had widened. “Yes, that’s right—Beau is free, and when your dad replaces out that Luis

had“He’ll kill him,” Vince whispered and cocked his gun. “He won’t have to know if I kill you right now,”Vinctrembling hands.

“You are not going to shoot me.” Christian chuckled and grabbed Luis’s hand to pull him in front ofhim.me there’s still Beau and Isobel, she’s on my side now.”

“You’re lying!” Vince yelled out as Christian took a few steps closer. “I’m not, she’s the one who set himf“Vince, you’re losing—and I’m offering to show you mercy. I have begged everyone to show you andLuspoke while he stepped closer and closer.

Vince pointing a gun at his head did not faze him because he knew that the real Vince was stillsomewhe“Serena—who is innocent and has nothing to do with this, has begged me to show youmercy. She couldover to my family, but she didn’t—because she cares about you.” Christian took onestep closer before henough to cover the gun with his free hand.

“If you wanted to hurt me, you would’ve done so a long time ago.” Christian looked him in the eyes. “Iksome mistakes, and that I’ve abandoned you as everyone else has—and maybe if I would’ve beenthere you needed me…things wouldn’t have turned out like this.”

Vince had tears in his eyes and knew that his words were true. Christian had despised him when heneedand at that time the only family who made him feel like he was worth something was his father.

“You’re on the losing end here, and I’m trying to save you. I’ll make sure that you and Luis get spared,bwork along with me.” Christian told him. Vincenzo shook his head and pushed away Christian’s handso at his head again.

“I can’t do that—I can’t look at how you, Serena, and the baby live a happy life while I had to protectLuimonster the Lamberti’s and the Alfonzo’s created. When I have to live without a mother!”

“The men responsible for her death have already been punished many years ago—the Alfonzo’s whohawith this have already been punished many years ago and so have the Lamberti’s.” Christian slowlycoveagain.

“Serena grew up without a family, Beau lived as your puppet and you shouldn’t punish them because ofyou know that, and that’s why we have been friends for a long time. It’s because you know right fromwrtold him.

“You know that the one who gave the order to lit that house on fire was your dad—and that’s why youhhated him, so why are you doing this?” He wondered.

“We all have one common enemy, and that enemy is Fabio—you have always told me Fabio is ourenemy“How far do you want to go, are you going to wait until he’s going to hurt Luis?” Christian waitedfor an there wasn’t one. All Vincenzo could do was lower his head.

“If I don’t have my dad or Luis, I have no one. I have no choice.” He barely whispered and closed hiseyesdown his cheek. “That’s not true.

“We have discussed the situation about your dad a long time ago—and we both agreed that he’s not agtell me, why are you really doing this?” Christian was determined to get to the bottom of this.

“I-I told you, my mom—“

“Is dead, she’s dead,” Christian spoke. “She’s gone and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

“Vince, you don’t really want to hurt Serena or Beau—because you love them.” He tried to remind himowhich according to Serena they had all spend together.

“The last thing you want to do is hurt the people you love, and after you come back to your senses—youdeal with that for the rest of your life.” Christian sighed as his thoughts went to Serena who he had

betra“It’s so easy for you, isn’t it Christian?” Vince’s hands trembled as more tears began to roll downhis che“You have your family, dozen people following you, you have Serena, a baby on the way—youdon’t knolike to say that you’ve had a hard life, but look at you?” Vincenzo spoke. “I needed somethinggood in mSerena—she made me smile and she made me happy…but just like everything else she’syours, you evenme.”

“Do you know what I felt like when I heard that she was an Alfonzo? I felt like I was getting punishedlikeanything good in life!” Vince yelled out through tears. “But still, I was willing to stay by her side butyou that it was all a lie. I was ready to give my life for her—and once you told her not to trust me…shethrew everyone else,”

“That’s not true!” Christian jumped to Serena’s defense. “Serena has never stopped caring about you,noyou still love her.”

Christian slowly began to blame himself. It was true, he had doubted Vince and even Beau did—butdespfor all those years, the thought of Vince being truthful had not crossed his mind. He failed Vince.

“What does it matter? She hates me!” Vince screamed in Christian’s face. “She will never love me, mymoshe isn’t here anymore—Luis can’t even look me in the eye anymore. Why would I risk my life andgo agwhen no one loves me?”

“That’s not true, I love you,” Christian spoke as he looked down at Luis who had his head buried in hiswshaking in fear and did not have the guts to face his brother. Luis had expected to talk to him so hecouldhim, but every time he closed his eyes—the only thing he could see was how his brother pushedhim. Hohad turned into a monster.

“I love you as a brother, and that’s why I’m willing to talk to you—friends can love you, Vince, nowpleasgun, and let’s talk about this!” Christian pleaded.

“It’s too late, it’s all too late—I can’t turn back anymore.” Vince had finally lowered his gun and lookedapainful expression on his face. That’s all he wanted to hear, that he was loved.

“Even if I tell my dad to stop, he won’t. I don’t have that kind of power, you know how he is.”

“It’s not too late, I know you still love Serena and that deep down you don’t want to do this to her,”Chri“Help me take down Fabio, just join the winning team so I can spare your life and Luis’s life. So youcan gSerena’s trust!”

“I can’t, it’s too late.” Vince cried and turned his head to Luis. “I never intended for things to go this far,awanted was to work along with my dad so I could keep Luis safe, I’m so sorry.” He breathed before hetuand held it against his own temple. “I’m so sorry, Christian—please keep Luis safe.”

“Vince put down the gun!” Christian spoke in shock. He had already prepared himself for a dozen ofdiffebut this was definitely not one of them. One bad move could ruin his entire plan.

Luis who was beginning to realize what was happening removed his head from Christian’s waist andran

“Vince, please stop—I’m begging you to stop, please!” Luis cried out and pulled his legs. “Don’t do this,leave me alone!” He begged him as Vince closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Tell Beau I’msorry.”Christian blocked out the sounds of Luis begging him to do something and crossed his arms ashe looke“Tell Serena I love h—“

Before Vince got the chance to finish his sentence, Christian grabbed him by his neck and pushed himagthe gun fell to the floor. “Love? Are you crazy? Think about Luis, think about Serena!”

Vince looked at Luis who was down on his knees, crying—and got an immediate wake-up call. Endingit wouldn’t do anything.

He had been searching for his brother, he had not closed a single eye—and it all would’ve been fornoth“If you really love her, you will do everything you can to save her, if you want to hurt yourselfafterward, tyou have to do—“ He yelled in his face.

“But before that—you are going to work with me, do I make myself clear?” Christian tightened the gripaas Vince tried to catch his breath. “You can kill yourself, but know that it won’t do anything because Iwilyou!”

“If you really regret your actions and if you truly love her, you won’t run away like a coward until youhelmess. You claim to love Serena and Luis, but if you do not help me, their lives will be in danger!”ChristiaVince nodded his head. “Good, because I have a plan—and you’re not going to ruin it for me.”

“What do you want me to do?”