𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

35 | My Family Is Your Family

"Why are you really here Jack?" I said bluntly, sitting next to him and leaning forward to unbuckle the ankle loop of my heels, finally sitting down again. I slipped them off and sighed in relief, dropping them on the bench next to me.

"Harrison is like a son to me Y/N, you know I raised my two girls... But I always wanted a boy to follow him my footsteps though," he said looking blissfully at the gazebo down the hill, enjoying the view of everyone dancing.

"How'd you get out of jail then?" I asked bluntly, looking down at the wedding guests, trying to compose myself and not show Jack I was almost shivering with fear.

He stayed silent, a small chuckle like sound coming from his nose when he exhaled. He was obviously amused by my question. Perhaps he thought I was naive for asking such a thing, not assuming that all mafia men have connections that run the crime world; even from inside prison.

"You said it yourself Maniscalo, this may well be the last conversation we ever have. I don't know what's up your sleeve but you've gotta indulge me just this one question," I said turning towards him slightly.

"I respect you Y/N, the fact you really tried locking me up. You know, nobody has gotten me that close to incarceration before," he chuckled.

"What do you mean close? You literally have been in jail for several months," I scoffed.

"And then I broke out! Voila! Bingo bango, what a magic trick," he laughed, at his own sad attempt at humour.

I just stared at him blankly, crossing one leg over the other and adjusting my bridesmaid dress so the leg slit wasn't too revealing. The pool behind us was subtle in its noise, the water rippling in the background of our conversation.

"I had guys set up a jail fight and when they called an ambulance, my buddy was the paramedic who took me away. Never to return, they stitched me up, put me on a plane and here I am. They got me smack bang in the middle of my ugly mug though," he said pointing to the small stitches across his nose.

Like I had suspected before; broken.

"All that just to watch Haz get married?" I asked.

"All that to watch the fucking world burn," he reiterated, his voice deeper and riddled with rage. Jack was the most terrifying person I had ever met, and hearing those words come from his mouth didn't help.

"Surely you weren't dumb enough to come here alone though," I said, trying to pry further into his scheme.

"Of course not. But you were all dumb enough to not bring sufficient weapons to the ceremony. We found a few guns in some of the boys rooms... But Tommy? Bringing nothing? You must really have him pussy whipped for him to not bring a gun to Italy," he smirked.

The way he spoke was haunting, ever word sounding like a knife being twisted into my body further and further. He had been inside our rooms. He knew exactly who had brought guns and who hadn't. And he knew that the wedding party was vulnerable.

"You're going to kill someone today. May as well save us all the trouble and kill me right now. You get your vengeance on the woman who released Domenic before his death and the woman who locked you up," I sighed.

"That would be too easy. I want the Holland's to suffer. The ones remaining at least," he scowled.

At this point, this very delayed and late point, Tom came out of the bathrooms holding his thumb under one of his nostrils and sniffing aggressively.

"We all good here?" He asked, glaring at Jack before his eyes darted to me in an 'are you okay' type of glance. I smiled softly. None of us are okay with Jack Maniscalo out of prison and here in Italy, but nobody was dying yet - that's okay in my books.