Sin and Redemption

by Cora Reilly

There were always secrets, security concerns, and the fear of the person being an undercover police officer. I had my siblings, cousins, and my mom as friends, and I never had to hide who I was from them.

Jabba simply smiled stupidly. “Luca isn’t the unquestioned king over his empire like he used to be. Some don’t like that he’s gotten himself in a war with us, the bikers, the Camorra, and the Outfit. Lots of enemies to have.” “Luca has loyal men who’ll die for him.”

“This is what’s going to happen, Maximus. You are going to fuck the pretty doll. I bet you’ve been secretly lusting after a high-ranking pussy like hers. With your fucked-up family history, a cunt like hers is out of reach, right?”

No matter what you record now, our rage will burn even brighter.” “Sure, but this time, one of your own is hurting a poor Famiglia woman. That’s going to sting. I heard a story of how warlords in Africa break the moral of their enemies. They forced fathers and brothers to rape their own family. Clever, right?”

Sara closed her eyes with an audible wince. I wasn’t sure if her reaction or my thrusts were convincing. I couldn’t think straight. My thoughts only revolved around two things: killing Jabba and our escape. The assholes had even taken the knife I had in a small holster at my ankle. I only had my own body. I’d been trained for many years to make it as lethal as possible, and it was deadlier than many weapons, but I needed proximity to use it. A sob from Sara made me look down at her again.

“You think I’m stupid?” I froze mid-thrust and glanced over my shoulder at Jabba. His head was purple, and a vein on his forehead throbbed. “That dick of yours isn’t anywhere near that virgin pussy. You have two more minutes to fuck her like you mean it, or I’ll call all of my men and let them have a go at her in whatever sick way they like. And some of them are sick fucks, trust me. And afterward, I’ll throw her in a cage with the bears or the leopard. They’ll be hungry after their long journey.” “It’s okay,” Sara said in the quietest whisper. I looked at her, but she had her eyes closed, and her face turned away as if she didn’t want to see me.

Someone knelt in front of me. For a moment, I thought it was my best friend Amo, but the blond hair quickly told me it was his brother, Valerio. “You okay?” I stared at him. “Once you put a bullet in my head in mercy, I will be.”

The door opened with a soft creak. Two heavy sets of steps sounded. I recognized them. I rose to my feet, then forced my gaze up because I wouldn’t act like a fucking coward. Amo and Luca strode toward me. Like father, like son: gray eyes, black hair. But while Luca’s expression was thunderous, Amo appeared emotionless.

They talked quietly for a moment. I wasn’t surprised that they kept secrets. When Amo finally came my way, he looked seriously pissed. We’d been best friends for half of our lives. I’d always known it would take a major fuckup for that to change.

Amo was still at my side even as the others lined up across from me like a tribunal.

I wanted to ask about Sara. I needed to know she was okay, or as okay as she could possibly be, but the words got stuck in my throat.

“You should go to them.” “I’m by your side because you look like you need support.” “Did you watch the video?” “I know what happened.” “No, you don’t, or you wouldn’t be by my side. Watch t...

“I’ll tell you everything I know so you can punish me accordingly. I’d like to talk to my family before you deal with me, though.” My calm voice was detached, and my insides matched my tone. I felt numb. I’d never felt this way despite the many brutal acts I had to commit in the name of the Famiglia.

Luca released a slow breath, then glanced at Romero and Flavio. “I know this is difficult, and emotions are on the rise.” He paused before he turned to me. “You failed to protect Sara and yourself from being captured. That’s the only transgression I see worthy of punishment. What happened after…” He looked toward Romero, who met his gaze, his eyes full of anguish. “…happened because you had no choice.”

“I should have picked her up,” Flavio muttered. “I would have protected her.” Accusation rang in his voice, and when he finally met my gaze, it burned in his eyes too.

“Or not, and then you might have been in the horrible position to do to your sister what Max was forced to do,” Amo said firmly. He still stood by my side. I’d forever be grateful to him for his loyalty.

“This discussion doesn’t lead us anywhere. Maximus isn’t related to Sara, and he did what needed to be done in a fucking shitty situation. Even Sara knew it. You heard what she said to him.” I swallowed hard at the mention of Sara. “How is she?” I pressed out, my voice rough and low, every word scratching my throat. Maybe that was how Dad felt when he talked.

The door swung open. Dad entered the room. With barely a nod toward the others, he stalked toward me. His expression was unreadable. He’d always had my back, but I wasn’t sure how he felt today. Many people said I not only resembled him with my dark hair, tall frame, and amber eyes but also his character. He gripped my shoulder and looked me in the eyes, then he squeezed and gave a slight nod. “I’m here.”

👏🏼👏🏼😭😭🥹

Romero met my gaze. “I want you to help us get revenge. You’re one of the best when it comes to hunting and torture.” My chest constricted. “I will do everything in my power to give Sara and your family the revenge you all deserve. I won’t rest until every Bratva asshole in this city has died the most painful death imaginable.” Dad nodded. “We’ll get revenge, and it’ll be brutal and merciless.”

“Remo isn’t my fucking concern right now. If you hadn’t started things with Greta, the situation would be very different.”

“I’m supposed to marry in two months.” “You’re still marrying—”

I wanted to be the Sara from this morning, not the one I could feel myself turning into. I wanted to cozy up with a sweet small-town romance, eat homemade cookies, and listen to my sisters’ bickering. I wanted to be safe in the knowledge of what my future held.

“Maximus.” Saying his name took effort. I hadn’t even dared to think about him up to this point.

The mattress dipped. “I’m sorry, Sara. Part of me wants to kill Maximus, but…” “It’s not that,” I whispered. “I didn’t want you to watch.” Dad was silent. Even though I didn’t want to, I looked up. His face was full of anguish. I reached for his hand resting on his knee. “You shouldn’t be the one consoling me, Sara.” He wrapped his fingers around my hand and squeezed. “That’s my job.”

Following my sisters’ fighting, I left my room and found them in Inessa’s room. Inessa was seven years and Alea was nine years younger than me. They argued all the time.

Isa and I were cousins and liked each other, but we were different. She was three years younger than me, so we’d never hung out together. She, Flavio, and Valerio had always been inseparable, and I didn’t want to meddle with their bond.

Her own kidnapping had been three months ago after Amo’s wedding. From what I knew, neither she nor her mother had been hurt seriously during the incident, but I still noticed changes in Isa whenever I saw her. She was even more serious and withdrawn than before, always immersed in a book or scribbling on a notepad.

“I’m so sorry, Sara,” she whispered. “I know it might be hard to hear, but Maximus is distraught. He didn’t want any of this.”

“Cara,” Dad said in a hard tone as he rose from his chair. “That’s enough. Sara doesn’t need to hear this now. She’s got enough on her plate.”

“You’re looking out for your child, Romero, and I’m looking out for mine. Maximus w...

“It’s different,” Matteo, who had entered the scene without my noticing, said. “Maximus is a tough guy. He’ll survive.” “That’s some serious sexism there, Dad,” Isa said, crossing her arms. “Men can be victims of sexual abuse too.” “I’m sure it can be the case, Isa,” Matteo said in a voice that suggested he wasn’t convinced.

Talking to Isa had helped me, but what came afterward had opened the can of worms I wanted to keep closed. I didn’t want to think about Maximus because that meant reliving the details of what happened. I just couldn’t do it now. I wanted to have my old life back, and that wouldn’t happen if I broke down. It probably wouldn’t happen at all.

I felt sad, but not because I had feelings for him. I’d liked him in a platonic way and hadn’t minded a marriage when his parents had asked mine, but my heart had never been in it. I was sad because the future I had always envisioned slowly unraveled before my very eyes. I wouldn’t marry this winter and build a beautiful family with three kids. I’d be the center of gossip, with a canceled wedding and possibly a child from a man I wasn’t married to, born from an act I was trying to forget.

The pregnancy test on the counter didn’t leave any room for doubt. It wasn’t a slight second line, not one you’d have to look for like some people did in those cutesy pregnancy test videos I used to watch on TikTok. My second line was fat and blue. It was unnecessary to do another test, but I still did. This one was even more blunt. Pregnant. It was as simple as that. I was pregnant. Pregnant from an event I wanted to forget.

He shoved his hands into his black jeans and stared up into the overcast sky. “I regret many things. But I won’t ever regret kidnapping Marcella. Because if I hadn’t made the biggest fucking mistake of my life, she wouldn’t be my wife today, and that would be a fucking shame.” “You’re lucky your kidnapping had such a happy ending,” I muttered bitterly.

Primo’s face reflected my own confusion. We shared the same hair color, but his eyes were our mother’s blue. Not as kind, though. “Do you think it’s a trap? Do you want me to come with you as backup?” That thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. I’d been too wrapped up in the thought that I might see Sara again, and fuck, that possibility scared me more than a possible trap. I could deal with torture, but I wasn’t sure I could face her.

It felt strange being inside their home, as if I were intruding even though they’d asked me to come. Steps sounded upstairs, then Liliana rushed down the wooden staircase and stormed my way. She slapped me hard. I didn’t move, waiting for more of her anger to manifest in violence, but she simply breathed harshly, glaring at my chest. Sara shared similar facial features to her mother, and just that reminder was enough to make me take whatever violence she wanted to unleash.

“Sara is pregnant.” I froze. It took me several moments to realize why they were telling me this—I was the father. Sara was pregnant because of what had happened between us, because of what I’d done.

“I want to take responsibility and help you raise the child. I realize it’s not something you’ll want, but we could marry to give the baby a family.” Sara’s expression made me feel like an idiot. How could I suggest she marry me after what I’d done? I cleared my throat and got up. “I earn enough money to provide for you and the child without a marriage.” “I don’t want a marriage out of pity,” she said quietly. She avoided looking at my face, her gaze always hovering somewhere on my throat. “I don’t feel pity.”

“We discussed this with Sara, and she thinks a marriage between you and her would be the best solution in this difficult situation,” Romero said. His tight tone told me he didn’t agree. I searched Sara’s face. It was controlled, but her eyes brimmed with hurt.

Under different circumstances, marrying a beautiful and respected woman like Sara would have been a jackpot. Now, our marriage would be a constant reminder of my sin, which was exactly what I deserved.

“I realize I’m not the son-in-law you wanted, but I’ll do everything I can to be a good husband for Sara.”

I smiled bitterly. “I know this marriage will be on paper only. I don’t expect Sara to act like a wife.” If Romero worried that I might want to consummate the marriage, he didn’t need to. I would never touch Sara again unless she wanted me to, and the chances of that happening were nil.

“But you and Sara were both victims in this.” I got up, frustrated. “I’m not the victim. I wasn’t hurt.” “Yes, you were! You were forced to do something sexual you didn’t want to do. You’re a victim.” Was she blind to the fucking truth?

“I’m not a fucking victim, so stop calling me one. I’m a fucking rapist.”

Now that I was going to marry, I needed my own place—I needed a place for a family. I knew of a few Famiglia-owned apartments on the market, but I’d always dreamed about living in a house outside of the city like my parents did. What did Sara want? I hardly knew anything about her. If we’d been promised in the usual fashion, I would have asked her what she wanted, but talking to her wasn’t as easy as that.

Sara and I still were mere acquaintances, only now with a dark past and a difficult future. Fuck it.

I arrived at the Cancio home with five minutes to spare. I stuffed the small velvet box with the engagement ring into my pants pocket. I’d chosen khaki-colored chinos and a dress shirt to look put together. Handing over a ring wasn’t something I wanted to do in a tee and jeans.

“That sounds reasonable. You’re actually more reasonable than I’d expected.” Her admittance stunned me. “Why? Why wouldn’t I be able to make reasonable decisions?” Sara looked seriously embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just you and Amo have your reputation. With the parties and the girls. And…” Her gaze lingered on the tattoos on my hands.

“Should I get on my knees?” I wanted to kick my stupid ass. Sara bit her lip, obviously amused. “No, don’t. You didn’t have to get me a ring. I would have been fine.” “You’re now engaged to me, and I want people to know. I want you to carry a sign of our engagement to show you that I’m committed.” “That’s nice.” She held out her hand palm up. I put the box in her palm. I would have liked to put the ring on her finger, but I assumed her gesture meant she didn’t want that. I respected that.