Page 50 of Lucky

When we part ways, I return to my house, but sleep evades me. The night is long and restless. Jacklyn’s face haunts me. I tell myself it’s worry. It’s fear for her safety. It’s guilt. But there’s something more to it. Something deeper.

And as the first light of dawn filters through the window and I still haven’t slept, I realize something. Maybe it’s time to stop looking at my mother’s mistakes as the benchmark for everything. Maybe it’s time to open my eyes, to see the way my brothers have found strength in their women—and to ask myself if I’m ready to let go of the past.

Because if these men—the most dangerous, damaged men I know—can find peace in the arms of a woman, maybe, just maybe, there’s hope for me too.

26

SCAR

The weight of the moment presses down on me, heavy and suffocating. Dante sits across from me, his presence filling the room, but it feels like there’s a wall between us. We might as well be speaking two different languages. The mission at hand is important. But it’s not just the mission I’m struggling with. It’s everything—everything—that lies beneath it. Loyalty. Family. The way we’ve all learned to survive in this world where everything can change in an instant.

His gaze is steady, unflinching, but I can feel the distance between us, like the years we’ve spent in the game have carved a divide neither of us knows how to cross.

His eyes lock with mine, sharp and unwavering. "I met with your father-in-law," he says, his voice calm but with an edge I can’t ignore.

I lean back in my chair, trying to keep my expression neutral, but the truth is, I’m already a step ahead of him. Allegra keeps me appraised of everything with her parents—every phone call, every decision, every fucking dinner conversation. It’s one of those little perks of being married into this chaos. So, Dante’s “news” isn’t news at all.

But the way he says it, like it’s some grand revelation, has my hackles rising.

“We’re sitting here, strategizing over how to pull Jacklyn Vicci from the fire," I say, the words tight, "and you want to talk about family dynamics?”

I look at Caleph, who’s sitting beside us. He’s silent, his eyes flicking between Dante and me. His face is a study of indifference, but there’s a pulse of interest beneath it. He’s not here just to watch, but to be part of something that could shift everything. The room feels smaller now, like the walls are inching in.

I shake my head slowly. “I don’t know that a restructure is in our best interest right now,” I say, the words deliberate, weighed down with the kind of caution that always sits heavy with me.

Dante’s gaze hardens, his jaw tightening ever so slightly. “When this blows over," he corrects me, his voice low but full of the kind of certainty that could topple empires, “there must be stability in the region. And there’s only one way to ensure that.”

My chest tightens. I know what he’s about to suggest. He’s still insisting that Lucky and Jacklyn Vicci marry. When I don’t know how far I can push my brother before he cracks.

“By merging the families?” I ask, already knowing the answer. It’s the only logical solution in his mind, and I can’t deny it’s something we’ve all been circling for years. A merger could solidify power in ways we’ve only dreamed of. I just don’t want it to be at the expense of my brother.

Caleph speaks up for the first time, his voice smooth, precise. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. Your father-in-law is getting old. He wants to retire. It’s his right to do so, and it’s his right to appoint a successor.”

I want to laugh at how simple he makes it sound. Like there’s no emotion involved. But I don’t. Because there is.

Dante presses on, undeterred by the storm of thoughts brewing in my head. “We’ll be merging the Marone and Gatti families under one banner. It’ll consolidate power, but more importantly, it’ll create a united front. One family. One purpose. Each of the families on its own is a powerhouse. But together? Together, you’re dynamite.” He lets the words sit between us, heavy with promise and implication.

Merging families. I let the idea roll over me, the implications of it unfurling like an unraveling thread. I don’t know how much I trust this move, but I can’t ignore the truth in Dante’s words. It could work. Itwouldwork.

But then, a new thought surfaces, sharp and sudden, and I voice it before I can stop myself.

“That will split the families into four,” I say, meeting Dante’s eyes. “We need an odd number—usually five—to make the voting valid.”

The silence that follows hangs thick, like a beat too long, too pregnant with expectation. Dante’s gaze flickers briefly to Caleph, a look they exchange in the quiet, one of those unspoken conversations that says everything without saying a word.

Then, Dante nods, almost imperceptibly, and Caleph speaks again, his voice steady, sure. “It will be a complete restructure, Scar. A more equitable solution than the one we have now.”

Equitable. The word tastes like ash in my mouth. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

But before I can voice the question, Dante adds, “Lucky and Jacklyn will head the second family.”

I freeze. The room shifts. My mind stalls. Lucky and Jacklyn... to head a family?

I know Dante’s voice well enough by now to understand his certainty. It’s not a question—it’s a statement. And what he’s proposing doesn’t just break barriers; it shatters everything I’veknown about my brother and the choices he’s being forced to make.

I turn to Dante, my pulse quickening, my chest tightening like I can’t quite breathe. “You’re asking me to put my brother at the helm of this new structure... with Jacklyn Vicci?”

Dante nods, his gaze unwavering. “With his Gatti bloodline and his connection to the Vicci family, Lucky’s influence will surpass anyone else’s. He’s the one who’ll lead that second family. He’ll give the Gattis a seat at the table with the power to make real change.”