I throw my arms around Alessa as soon as I open the door. She hugs me back but I can tell she's confused.

"Maria?" She asks quietly in my ear. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

I hate that she can tell already. I hate that she's just too smart for her own good.

"Come inside," I beckon her instead.

One of Knox's men who drove Alessa here wheels her suitcase inside before leaving. Alessa glances at it, then briefly around my house, before her nervous gaze comes back to me. She stays where she is.

"What's going on? You acted so weird during dinner a few days ago. Then all of a sudden Father sends me here when he was adamant to keep me away from Knox. What did you say to him?"

It's a good question. I did exactly what Knox told me to—pleaded that I needed to see my sister and asked if she could stay a week. I lied and told him Knox was gone on business and Cavallo covered for us, telling my father he's the one who sent Knox. He gave Alessa permission immediately.

Knox told finally told Cavallo the truth and he's been a livid man, eagerly helping Knox in bringing forth evidence to present to the mafia. But we have to move quickly and quietly because we can't risk my father finding out. I had to bring Alessa here right away or she would have gotten caught in the crossfire.

"Did Carlotta take the week off?" I ask instead.

Alessa nods. "Yeah. It's just Father at home so there was no sense in her staying while I'm here."

I nod too. I was hoping that would be the case. When this is all over I'll tell her everything but right now I don't want her to get caught in the middle. She's always been like a mother to Alessa and I. I can't let her get hurt.

"Maria." My sister's face cinches and I feel my heart crack. "You're scaring me. I know something is wrong."

God, I'm not ready to do this. To look her in the eye and tell her everything Father has done. She's only so young, so good, and so innocent. I'm going to shatter the world underneath her feet but I have to do it. She deserves to know.

I take her hand and guide her away until we get to my bedroom. Knox and I share his bedroom now but I use this space as more of an office for my Masters program. I close the door behind us and ignore how hard my heart is beating in my chest. I wonder if this is how Knox felt when he had to tell me.

It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do. At first Alessa is frozen in shock, white as a sheet and holding her breath. The information doesn't sink in right away so I keep going, like Knox did with me. Even when I tell her everything she doesn't react. It isn't until I show her the charm on my wrist and Knox's father's journals that Alessa shoots up from my bed and runs to the bathroom. I run after her and hold her the entire time she throws up and sobs hysterically. A part of me dies right with her through it all.

She's a mess, curling into herself and wailing so hard that I have to look away. I know how she feels. This is the deepest kind of betrayal and it's not one that's easy to survive. I let her go through it all, anger and denial and grief. She calls me a liar, begs me to shut up, pushes me away when I try to comfort her. I resort to sitting across from her and simply staying with her while she cries and cries until she falls asleep, right there on the bathroom floor.

I scoot forward and brush her hair away from her face, revealing her puffy face. Her brows are drawn in close, as if even in her sleep she can't find peace. It's how I've been sleeping these days too.

There's a knock on the door before it opens. Knox glances inside, his gaze shifting between Alessa and I.

"Well?" He asks quietly.

"I told her." I swallow hard and brush away some stray tears on my face. "And probably ruined her life."

"She had to know," he counters. He's right but it still fucking sucks.

He steps to the side and Axel walks inside the bathroom, glancing at me briefly. I've never spoken to him before. He's a cold man and looks as unapproachable as he is. I don't know what the hell I could possibly talk to him about so I never have.

I watch as he leans down to scoop Alessa up, who whimpers softly in her sleep. Axel looks down at her with a blank face, but I swear his brows furrow for just a moment. He walks out of the bathroom to take her to my bed. I get up too and go to Knox's side.

"Can we trust him?" I ask under my breath. Axel lays Alessa down and leaves the room without another word or glance.

"Yes. He's been keeping an eye on her the past couple of months."

"He has?"

"Under my orders. It was to keep your father in line but it served as a good way to protect her. Your sister is far too trusting and naive."

"I know." I glance at her, kind of glad that Knox had someone watching her. But still. "You're sure we can trust him?"

"He knows the truth about everything," he says, surprising me. "He was my cellmate in jail."

I blink at him. "You realize that only makes me more worried, right? What the hell was he doing in jail?"

"My question exactly." His jaw ticks. "He didn't deserve to be there. His younger sister was shot to death by one of his enemies. Axel retaliated, killed her killer. Lorenzo put him on trial and pronounced him guilty but that's no surprise. He's a mere soldier and his sister's killer was a Capo. You know how these rankings are. He never stood a chance."

"Oh my God," I murmur. Somehow that explains so much. "How did he become your right-hand man?"

Knox's eyes darken and the expression on his face makes me wary. "It was when Felix and I were first incarcerated. We were in a meeting during visitation trying to clear our name. By the time we got back, other inmates had broken into our cell. Seven of them and they were beating the life out of Axel. They were trying to rape him. To say my brother and I reacted badly is an understatement."

My stomach drops, unable to even imagine that. More pieces click together, including the unconditional way Knox has let Axel in his life. It was basically his mother all over again.

"We didn't talk to him before that but fuck, I wasn't going to let it happen again. I wasn't going to watch someone else get raped. Felix and I beat them senseless, killed the leader. Axel thought it was because we wanted him and went ballistic trying to kill us too. His sense of fight made it obvious he was a soldier. I had to hold him down and tell him everything, tell him why the fuck I even cared to intervene, and he finally understood. After that I contacted Lucio Cavallo to get him released and hired him immediately. He's been working for me since."

"Jesus," I whisper with a tight throat. "He looks pretty young too."

"He's twenty-five. He was twenty when the trial landed him in jail."

"He was a kid," I correct incredulously and Knox nods. "I'm glad you got to him in time."

"Yeah."

I can tell by the flash of pain in his eyes that he's thinking about his mother.

I take his hand, relieved that he intertwines our fingers, relieved that he learned to dissociate me from my father. I'll always feel immeasurable guilt that my family ruined his life but I promised myself I'd make it up to him. That he would be my family now.

"This isn't going to go well," Axel mutters under his breath, staring at the front door with a blank face.

I wring my hands nervously and glance at Knox. Just how bad is it going to be when Felix gets here? Will he really be unable to accept that I'm part of this, that I'm on their side? I don't know him enough to say. I don't know him at all, in fact.

"Don't say anything to him," Knox warns me. He catches my chin between his fingers and tilts my face up. "Just let me handle it. If you try to intervene you'll only set him off."

"It's that bad?" I ask nervously.

Knox shares a look with Axel I can't decipher before looking at me again. "He's just not himself these days. I'm not counting on him to be sober when he shows up so we don't know what to expect. But I'll handle it."

I nod my agreement but feel a rush of nerves. I've known Knox long enough to realize the rumours about the ruthless and cold man he is are untrue to a certain degree. But I don't think the same can be said for Felix. In fact, he's probably constantly underestimated under the shadows of his brother. Intuition tells me he's the brother we need to watch out for.

"Hey," I say to Alessa when I notice her coming down the stairs. She's rubbing her eyes that are still swollen and red. They're nearly lifeless when they meet mine and I try not to flinch, feeling responsible. "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"

She shakes her head and her gaze moves to Knox, who watches her solemnly. I don't know which of us is more surprised when Alessa steps forward and throws her arms around his torso in a tight hug. Knox glances at me with a partially raised brow, not hugging her back.

"I'm sorry," Alessa whispers into his chest and he looks down at her again. His brows are drawn close and he seems like he doesn't know what to make of this. "I'm sorry I didn't believe Maria when she told me. I'm sorry it turned out to be true. I'm sorry my father is a miserable bastard that deserves to rot in hell."

I blink at her in shock. I've never heard speak about anyone like that.

"His actions belong to him and only him," Knox tells her in a firm voice. "Save your apologies. I don't require them from you."

Alessa tips her head back to look at him, tears in her wide eyes. "So you forgive us? Maria and I?"

Knox glances at me again. I shrug at the slight incredulity in his expression. This is Alessa's nature and he's going to have to get used to it.

"You'd only need my forgiveness if you were guilty. Relax. You're safe now."

"Okay." She buries his face in him again with one last squeeze. "Thank you."

I hold back a smile at Knox's stiffness. His affectionate nature with me made me forget all about what a hard-ass he actually is. It's point blank amusing how uncomfortable he looks as he waits for Alessa to let go of him.

When she does, she comes over to hug me. I hug her back as she whispers in my shoulder, "Sorry for calling you a liar and yelling at you. I just didn't want to believe it."

"I reacted the same way. It's okay. We're going to figure this out together."

"I know. I love you."

"I love you too, kiddo."

I ruffle her hair when we let go and she pushes my hand off in obvious embarrassment. I notice her eyes stray over to Axel and hold my laughter back. She needs to stop being so obvious. Besides, Axel is too busy staring out the window, alert soldier that he is, and doesn't notice.

"He's here," he says just as we hear a car pulling into the driveway. Axel swings his hard stare to Alessa and pins her with it. "Upstairs. Now."

Alessa's mouth drops in surprise. "What? Why? I want to be here too."

"You're not needed here. Felix will already lose it when he sees one Ferrera, never mind two."

"He's right," Knox adds, levelling my sister with his own firm glare. "Get going."

Alessa looks to me in disbelief. I hate to admit it but I agree with the boys. I don't want her here either, especially given Felix's unpredictable nature. Besides, she's been through enough for one day.

"Go," I say softly.

"Now, kid," Axel growls with impatience at the sound of footsteps crunching on a driveway.

"I turned eighteen last month," Alessa mutters haughtily under her breath. But she's too good to disobey orders so she bounds up the stairs and disappears from sight just as the front door opens.

I don't get a reaction from Felix when his eyes immediately meet mine. He shuts the door behind him and leans against it with his hands in his pockets, crossing his legs at the ankle. A smirk tugs his lips up and he does a slow once-over of me.

"So," he starts. "You're what the big deal is about. Forgive me, sister-in-law, but I just don't see it."

"Felix," Knox warns. He stands in front of me, concealing me from his brother. "Enough. A lot has changed that we need to discuss."

"We don't need to discuss shit." I peer around Knox's shoulder just in time to see Felix straighten up, eyes blazing. "Ferrera could have been dead by now. This all would have been behind us. But here you are making your fucking peace with what happened to Mother, you fucking traitor."

"I haven't made peace with shit, Felix. Ferrera is still going to die."

"You said that weeks ago! I would have done it myself but you wouldn't let me and for what? Just so you could play house with this bitch?"

Knox moves so fast I barely see it. In seconds he's standing in front of Felix and gripping him by the collar, shoving him back into the wall. "You will not speak to my wife that way. Ever."

Felix laughs, a hysterical sound that wretches out of him when he throws his head back. He smiles at Knox and I can't help but notice his bloodshot eyes and the way they don't seem to focus.

"So that's it then. Fuck your brother and your parents. Who gives a shit that our mother was raped so long as you get your daily hit of pussy, that it?"

"Enough!" Knox roars and I flinch. I've never heard him raise his voice like that. He's usually much calmer and almost always in control. Axel comes to my side and shields me from the scene. "Don't you ever fucking imply that I've given up on Mother. That what happened to her doesn't haunt me every single fucking day. You are not the only one who suffered, you asshole. I was the one who picked up all the pieces when it happened. I know the pain of it more than you."

Felix snaps, shoving Knox to the ground with a tackle and throwing a punch to his jaw. I gasp and instinctively try to go to Knox but Axel grabs me by the arm and keeps me back.

"Fuck you!" Felix's eyes are wild, hazy. "You think you had it worse? You think I don't know pain? You handled her when it happened but you left me behind! I had no one! And now history fucking repeats itself, doesn't it, brother? Because where the fuck have you been!"

"I'm trying!" Knox flips them over and holds Felix down, struggling to contain his brother who tries to throw another punch. "I'm trying to be there but you won't fucking let me. What have you done to yourself? I don't even know what the hell you're on right now. It was your idea that I marry Mariana, so what? What the fuck is your problem now?"

"You were supposed to destroy her, not pick her! How can you look at her? She is the spitting image of him, for fuck's sake!"

My gut tightens violently. I know Knox has reassured me time and time again that he doesn't see my father when he looks at me but now I'm wondering how that can be. The anguish in Felix's voice is so raw that I can't even blame him for the way he's reacting. And that's what hurts the most.

"She is not him." Knox's jaw clenches. "Choosing her does not mean leaving you behind. It doesn't have to be one or the other."

Felix throws Knox off with another violent grunt and shoots to his feet, breathing hard. "Fuck you. She is his blood. You picked them even after everything they did. You boast about being the one to put Mother back to pieces but if she could see you now you would be responsible for breaking her apart too."

I can see the way his words slice through Knox. Axel curses under his breath. Even he feels the weight of Felix's words. My heart sinks all the way to the floor.

"Felix," I try. He snaps his furious gaze to mine. "I want to help. I swear I had no idea what my father was capable of but that doesn't mean I won't try to fix the damage he caused. Please—"

"You think you can undo what he's done?" His nostrils flare. "There is no going back. And for the record, you're a fucking idiot for never once suspecting him. All you had to do was look a little closer. Ever wonder that maybe you didn't because you knew what you'd find?"

The guilt and regret makes it hard to breathe. "I didn't think—"

"Shut up!" He takes a step toward me that Axel immediately counters by pushing me behind him. Felix's eyes flash, looking between the three of us before they come back to me. "Got the big boys all wrapped around your finger? You really are your daddy's girl."

Knox is back on his feet and he bumps his chest into Felix's. "You're done talking to her. Open your fucking eyes. Accept that the situation has changed and fucking help us!"

"Us?" He grins but it looks cruel and sick. "So now she's one of us? Oh, you've fallen, brother. You might as well wear Ferrera's name like a fucking badge."

"I'm done with your bullshit. We're going after Ferrera tomorrow. You can choose to be part of this or you can fuck right off. Say whatever you want to me but at least I'm doing something instead of sitting on my ass and throwing a goddamn temper tantrum."

"So that's what this is." Felix spans his arms out in a grand gesture. "I come to you fucking pleading that you stand by me, choose to not leave me behind again, and that makes me an inconvenience. Duly noted, big bro. Nice to know loyalty doesn't mean shit to you."

Knox looks like he's being torn apart. "Felix. You are my family."

"Then how could you pick her when you were all I had left?"

"Why are you speaking as if this is in the past? I'm right fucking here!"

"No," Felix chuckles, a low and deadly sound that raises the hair on the back of my neck. "No, no, no. Because, you see, every time I look behind me you're just not there. So I'm done looking back. I'm moving forward—without you."

"Felix—"

"You realize how easy it is to kill? One bullet. I'm taking care of this myself. To hell with you."

Knox grabs him by the collar lightening fast. "Are you insane? You don't have any evidence on hand with you. You'll be executed by the mafia on the grounds of murder."

"Look closely, brother," Felix murmurs, eyes hardening. "I've been wishing for death to take me for weeks. But I can't go until Ferrera goes and I'm done waiting."

He yanks out of Knox's hold and stalks toward the door with purposeful strides.

"Don't." This time it's Axel who stops him right before he can leave. He holds Felix in place with his forearms to his chest. "Don't do this. Don't be stupid. You get yourself killed and he still wins. He might as well pull the trigger on you himself. You gonna let him have that?"

It's the only thing that gets through to him. Felix's shoulders tightens from the weight of Axel's words, who continues.

"He'd love to know you're rotting in a grave six feet under just like him. So do us all a fucking favour and give us twenty-four hours to deal with Ferrera. We fail and he's yours."

The two share a stand-off, a silent exchange passing between them. Finally, Felix yanks a cigarette out of his pocket and lights it up, shoving past Axel and opening the door.

"Twenty-four hours," he snaps.

His gaze briefly moves to Knox and the betrayal in them is so clear that it doesn't feel like we've won anything. The door slams shut and the silence that takes over is suffocating.

"Call Cavallo," Knox orders in a stiff voice. "Let's move or we miss our window for good."

Axel nods, already moving to another room with his phone pressed to his ear.

"Are you okay?" I whisper to Knox when it's just us. "He'll come around. He just needs time to accept everything."

He doesn't answer, still staring at the door like he's waiting for his brother to come back. I feel as torn as he looks.

"I'm sorry." I tentatively take a step toward him so I can wrap my arms around his torso. Oddly enough, this is the first time I've hugged him and maybe that's why he breaks his focus to look down at me. I give his waist a small squeeze. "I never meant to come between the two of you. I don't want to hurt your family more than I already have."

He searches my gaze for a few calculating moments before he brings his hand up, brushing my hair away from my face and sliding his hand to the back of my neck. I take his touch as a good sign.

"We've arrived at the impossible, Mariana," he reminds me quietly. "We both need to remember what we're fighting for."

I nod at the grave reminder. Knox dips his head to press a short kiss to my lips and I release him when he steps out of my hold. I watch his retreating back with a heavy heart and an even heavier mind, fiddling with the bracelet he gave me. Hoping neither of us gives up on the promises we made.

_____________________________

A/N

We all knew we were reading about the calm before the storm in the last chapter... *wails*

Seeing the brothers ripped apart absolutely ruined me. But I always knew it would be inevitable, especially for someone like Felix. He's a dark one. I'm currently in his head as I write his book and man, y'all better be buckling up for it.

Also some reveals about Axel because I know so many of you were curious about him! At this point everyone and what they're going through is just wrecking me lol.

Can you guys believe that in exactly two weeks this story will be done?! I'M SO SAD JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. Having y'all discover my book and read it as a community has been such an amazing experience. Please promise to be there for book two, besties.

Please VOTE, comment and share if you liked this chapter!

Happy Reading :)