Sold To the Grizzly Don (Alcee and Bruno) novel Chapter 155

Chapter 155

Alcee’s eyes felt heavy, but she was desperately trying to stay awake to hear the words Torq was telling her.

“You would cut him out for us?”

“I’d cut my own mother out for you and Antero.”

This statement woke her with a jolt, and she looked over her shoulder, “what?”

know I failed you yesterday. I failed to show you how much you mean to me and this family but the fallout, Antero’s reaction, your anger, it’s a wake–up call. I’ve been thinking a lot about my grandfather in the last twenty–four hours. Some of his good decisions, some of his bad and mostly of what family meant to him.”

“Oh.”

“To my grandfather, the Lozano name was everything. It represented pride. It represented power. It represented family. However, my grandfather, like his father before him, put his wife first. His wife and her choices and her decisions always came first.” Torq rubbed her back in wide circles, his thumbs pressing down on her low back pulling a deep moan from her. “My grandfather, when it came to decisions regarding the family, listened to his wife. Business was business but family was always her call. He made it a point to run everything by her. I’m not following well in his footsteps. I didn’t always agree with all of his decisions, especially regarding Raniero, but for the most part; he was my hero, and I wanted to be the kind of leader her was. He always told me whatever Nonna wanted, Nonna got, and I forgot this.”

“He really put her first?”

“Always. He made the rules in business, but she did the family rules. The rules of the household were ones she implemented, and we abided by. My grandmother was the one who told him Raniero was not welcome, and he stuck to her rules.”

“Why would she? He is her grandson. Who could forsake a child?”

“It wasn’t about the child, Alcee. It was about the parents and what they did to my mother.”

“All of it was because of your mom?”

“Nonna loved my mother, Alcee. My grandmother absolutely adored her and would do anything for her. They were remarkably close. My mother was everything my grandmother wanted in a daughter. Mama is strong, compassionate, and loving yet firm and despite my father’s bullshit, she always treated my grandmother like she was the queen of our family they shared a strong bond. Mom has a deep faith which my grandmother aiso held. They prayed together and spent time together. Even when my grandmother was older and ill, it was my mother who took care of her, going to my grandparent’s house every day to check in on my grandmother and this was long after the marriage was ended. My grandmother felt the disrespect shown by Corrado to my mother was not anything she would forgive or condone. In her mind, Raniero is the biggest slap in the face to my mother and for this reason, she refused to acknowledge him.”

“But your mother had Lorita.”

“Cicciu was handpicked by my grandmother for my mother. She approved of Cicciu because he promised to put Mama first. She didn’t approve of Cianna. My grandmother hated her with a burning passion. My grandfather simply wanted to kill Cianna, but my grandmother didn’t allow it.” He chuckled with the memory.

“Why not?” her words were slow now as he worked the tense muscles at her neck.

“Because my grandmother was of the opinion death was too easy for Cianna, Cianna lives in a two–bedroom house in a small town, a village really, away from the life of luxury she was hoping to get from being Corrado’s mistress. At the beginning of their relationship, they lived in Rome. They partied all the time and lived the high life. Corrado however was also sleeping with everyone and anyone and Cianna needed to bear the humiliation of knowing Corrado wasn’t any more loyal to her than he was my mother and he wasn’t being coerced by other women the way she coerced him.” Torq sighed as with shame he recalled, “there is even one story where after a day of shopping with girlfriends and returned to their shared apartment to find him in bed with the housekeeper and a neighbor and when she started to freak out, he told her she could either ipin in or fuck off. Nobody knows for sure, but it’s understood she joined in.”

“That’s gross,”

“I agree. While my grandmother was furious with their behavior she thought it fitting for Cianna to suffer his cruelty. Then when she reported she was pregnant, my grandmother exiled her to the small town, made Corrado woe give her only a monthly stipend and then cut her off from all of the friends and family she knew in the city.”

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11:40 AM

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