“It is either you and I talk,cugino,” Rocco said, realizing I was not moving, “or we will have the meeting here with Renato in a different room.”
“Fuck Renato.” My voice was hoarse.
“Ah,” Rocco said. “There is the lion inside, but the man must choose now.”
I went to stand, but the room spun. My knees brought me down next to her, as if they knew where we belonged.
“Stand,” Rocco ordered, “like a man.”
I met his eyes and rose to the challenge. The contents of my stomach, probably acid and blood, seemed to swish as I forced my feet to move toward the door. Outside of it, I leaned against the doorframe for support.
Rocco’s eyes searched my face. “Renato has challenged you. You have the right to decline, since Ava agreed to the marriage, but the choice is up to you.”
I nodded. I knew he would, especially after I married Ava. I’d made my stand, even with my family, and the pieces were going to fall as they may. However, once we returned from Cairo, I had planned to challengehimsince it was my honor as her husband to do so. Olivier Nemours crushed my plans before I could, like he’d tried to crush us.
Rocco squeezed my arm. It felt like he was keeping me standing, but I knew it was by sheer will alone. I needed to get back to my wife. “When?” My voice grated.
“In time.” He sighed. “My father is allowing time for you to heal before you will be properly summoned. This is personal for us as well. Olivier Nemours will pay with his life.”
“Not good enough.” I took a deep breath and sighed it out. “He deserves to die more than one death. Each time, he is subjected to hell before he returns.”
“If only,cugino.” Rocco released my arm, and I felt as if all support was pulled from beneath my feet.
I hit the wall some, bouncing, and Rocco set his hand on my shoulder, and everything stilled again.
He squeezed. “No matter how this story ends, I am glad you found love.”
“I request to challenge Renato in return. It is my right as her husband to do so.” I hit my chest. “I will honor her with this battle in her name, and if I fall, I will honor her with my life.”
It might seem dangerously foolish to continue this challenge, even with an easy out, but I had my reasons for it. My wife was lacking confidence when it came to her place in my life, and how long I was going to stay. This challenge would kill any lingering doubts she had. It would prove to her who she was to me and how much I loved her. It wasmyright to give her that.
Rocco looked down for a second and nodded. “Love will be yours forever.”
We both looked toward the door when it opened. Aristide’s eyes were wide. I stood straight, my entire body going numb, except for my focus. It was razor sharp on him. Both dread and relief swirled with the acid and blood in my gut.
“She is fully awake, brother,” he said in Italian, “and asking for you.”
My wife is awake.
I can let go.
The room faded, and someone caught me before I crashed to the floor.
THIRTY-NINE
AVA
Every timemy feet touched the floor, and I felt them, I breathed out.
It was the second thing I asked the doctor when I woke up—will I ever walk again?She asked me if I could move my legs, and once my mind connected to my body and I wiggled my toes, she nodded my answer. I must have just hit the cement so hard, my entire body had the wind knocked out of it.
The wind got knocked out of me again when Beni told me what was going on with Nazzareno.
I’d asked for him first, asked what was going on, what had happened to him. The doctor told me he was not in good condition, and she put a hand to my shoulder when I’d tried to stand. Beni had come in and told me Nazzareno had hit his ribs on the curb. Hard enough to break every one of them. He also had stitches along the taut skin over them. When he’d hit, it also tore him open.
We were lucky, the doctors had said. Maybe if Nazzareno wouldn’t have thought so quickly, we’d both be dead.
It felt like I was when I looked at him, though. I forced Beni to bring me to him.
