By Virtue I Fall (Sins of the Fathers #3)(91)

I gave my best friends a sheepish smile.

“What the hell just happened there?” Sofia shouted.

Luisa seemed incapable to find words.

I shrugged but a relieved grin split my face. I couldn’t put into words how glad I was that I wasn’t going to marry Clifford, which was totally unfair toward him.

“Mom had something against me marrying Clifford, and I couldn’t go through with it either.”

Sofia widened her eyes comically. “Anna! The press is all over this. Tomorrow everyone will be talking about this.”

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” I asked, but I couldn’t feel regret. Guilt for bringing this down on Mom and Dad? Yes. But not regret.

I should have put a stop to my bond with Clifford a long time ago. I’d clung to our arranged marriage out of some misguided sense of duty, wanting to be the good, virtuous daughter everyone thought I was.

Luisa touched my arm. “You really love Santino, don’t you?”

I bit my lip. I’d never said it to him and hardly dared to admit it to myself. “Yes.”

“I mean, if he’d been present, it could have been straight out of a romantic comedy. With him in the hospital in a coma, it has potential as a drama though.”

I shook my head at my movie-loving, romantic friend. “I bet the Clarks aren’t laughing, Luisa,” I said with a small laugh.

Sofia snorted. “They didn’t look very amused, that’s true.”

Luisa nodded with a worried look. “Maximo Clark will make sure the Outfit and your family pay for this public humiliation. He isn’t someone who presents the other cheek.”

I nodded, worried. “Maybe I can straighten things with Clifford. I need to talk to him in private.”

Sofia gave me a doubtful look. “Maybe you should let your father handle it. This might be an instance where only threats work.”

A knock sounded and a second later Leonas poked his head in. He gave me a sly smile that made me want to hug and punch him.

“We should probably leave. This is family business,” Luisa said to Sofia. After hugging me, they slipped out, leaving me alone with my brother who still smiled broadly.

He sauntered over to me and patted my shoulder. “Thanks, Sis.”

“What for?”

“For making all my past wrongdoings look like a piece of cake.”

I grimaced. “That bad?”

“Pretty bad, yeah. I mean, it could have been worse if you’d killed Clifford to evade marrying him, or if you’d been caught banging Santino in a cupboard during the wedding party, but otherwise you really picked the worst possible moment to decide you couldn’t stand Clifford.”

“You really know how to lift my mood,” I muttered.

“I’m trying,” he said with a smirk, but I could see tension in his eyes. Leonas always pretended he cared about nothing, but our family and the Outfit meant a lot to him, and I might have hurt both today.

I swallowed, guilt weighing heavy on me. “It’s not even that I can’t stand Clifford. He isn’t bad. He’s nice, with a great career ahead of him.”

Leonas made a face as if he doubted it. “Only if voters give him pity votes after today, but being left at the altar doesn’t really scream tough future leader of the state.”

Had I really ruined Clifford’s career today? I didn’t want to believe it. “He’s really ambitious and clever. He’ll turn today into a great story and advantage for him.”

“Whatever. I don’t give a fuck about him, but we should really rack our brains how to make sure the Outfit leaves this shitshow as the winner.”

“I’m surprised you think we can still win after the mess I made.”

Leonas shrugged. “We might have to fight dirty, but that’s all the more fun.”





Over the years, my wife had surprised, and even shocked me on several occasions, a feat few people managed.

Today my daughter and wife both had given me the greatest shock of my life, and not just me.

I knew they hadn’t agreed on making such a public affair out of it, but they both shared a boisterous temperament that sometimes chose unfortunate moments to burst through.

“Valentina, what is going on?” I muttered under my breath. The shocked silence was quickly turning into disbelieving whispers. I needed to get the situation under control before it escalated even more.

“I’m sorry, Dante. I couldn’t let Anna marry Clifford. She wouldn’t have been happy.”

I stood with a tight smile.

Maximo Clark looked ready to explode and his wife was already fanning herself with the wedding program in a very attention-seeking way.

I cleared my throat audibly, then waited for silence to descend in church. “We must ask you to leave now. We have matters to settle and this wedding won’t happen.”

Then I turned my focus on the Clarks. Maximo was motioning for his son to come toward them. Valentina in turn was already rushing toward Anna who still stood in the front with a wide-eyed look.

I didn’t allow my frustration to grab the reins. I had to handle Maximo and Clifford first. They could cause a scandal I didn’t have the necessary patience for. Once that was done, I’d deal with my erratic wife and daughter. I had a feeling there was more at play here.