With a final surge of energy, I twisted around, my gaze searching for my wife. She was seated on the couch, clutching a bundle of blankets containing Luca to her chest, rocking him as tears streaked down her face. A peace settled over my soul, knowing the last thing I ever saw would be them.
Chest crushed beneath Arianna’s boot, I wheezed, “I’m sorry.” Rory’s face scrunched up, her sobs only growing in volume. “And I love you too.”
My final words on this earth would be that confession.
For most of my life, I believed that surrendering to love was a choice. This past year with Rory had taught me that resisting when another’s heart called out to yours was futile. It was simplyout of my control. And adding a baby to the mix only made my love for her grow.
Until this moment, I’d kept that secret locked deep inside, never giving Rory a single hint that’s how I felt. Hell, I’d been so firmly entrenched in denial that I was just now admitting it to myself. But that didn’t make it any less true.
Rory Bellini was my wife, the mother of my child, and the love of my life.
And I would go to my grave with only one regret. That I hadn’t told her sooner.
Unable to bear watching the horror of my death play out on her face, I let my eyes fall shut.
Three gunshots rang out in quick succession. Every muscle in my body tensed, anticipating excruciating pain to follow.
But it never came.
In fact, somehow, I was able to breathe easier, the weight on my chest vanishing.
“Wh—”
“I believe the words you are looking for are . . .” an all-too familiar voice drawled. “You were right, Enzo, we shouldn’t have gone in without a plan, but thanks for showing up just in the nick of time to save our asses.”
Sure enough, when I lifted my head, my cousin was standing at the open threshold of the secret passageway hidden behind a bookshelf, along with two of his security team. And lying motionless, in pools of blood with bullet holes through their foreheads were Dario, Nico, and Arianna.
While almost anticlimactic after the havoc they’d wreaked on our organization for over a decade, it was better that their deaths had been quick. We couldn’t risk them escaping again. And it was more than fitting that Enzo was the one to do the honors, given that Dario had made his life Hell from the moment he was born.
“Fuck, am I glad to see you, man.” Matteo’s relief was palpable as he pulled Enzo into a bear hug.
They clapped each other on the back a few times before separating. Enzo stepped forward and offered me his hand, which I gratefully accepted, groaning as I was pulled to my feet.
Still in a state of shock, I asked, “How did you get here from the city?”
That cocky smirk tugged onto his lips. “Carjacked a plow truck.”
I shook my head. “Of course you did.”
“Couldn’t leave you hanging, now could I?”
A squawking cry demanded our attention, our heads turning on a swivel to where Rory sat, trying to soothe Luca.
“Dude,” Enzo stage whispered. “You have a kid.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Matteo stepped up to my side. “We may have cut off the head of the snake, but the rest of the traitors, especially our former capos, need to be taken care of. There’s no better time to eliminate them all than when they’re stuck inside their homes.”
My eyes locked with Rory’s, and I found myself at a crossroads.
If I went with my brother to send a message to anyone who might ever dare to challenge us again, I would be upholding my responsibility to everyone who’d sworn allegiance to my family and our organization. But if I stayed, prioritizing my wife and my son, I would be sending a clear message thatmyfamily came first above all others.
It was a no-brainer.
My feet couldn’t move fast enough as I rushed toward Rory and Luca. And the minute they were within arm’s reach, I hauled them close, silently vowing to never let them go again.
Matteo hummed his approval. “Proud of you, brother. I’ll handle the capos.”
