"Brain cancer. Stage four," he says matter-of-factly. "I had to rush things along. Doctors gave me three months six weeks ago."
The revelation stuns me. This isn't just about power or territory—it's a dying man's vendetta with nothing to lose.
"That's why I pushed Zoe to marry you so quickly," he continues. "I needed to see my revenge play out before I checked out. One last victory."
He shrugs, an eerie calm settling over his features.
"So go ahead and tell me about your men coming back. Tell me all about how I won't escape." He taps the gun barrel against his temple. "I don't care if they fill me with ten bullets when they get here. Might be less painful than what's waiting for me otherwise."
Icy terror floods my veins as Byron's statement registers, his expression morphing into a cruel smirk.
"I've had eyes on Zoe since the moment she left your house," he says. "Did you really think I'd let my greatest asset disappear without a trace?"
"What did you do?" I growl.
"Nothing yet." Byron checks his watch. "Though I must admit, I didn't play this as smartly as I should have. Once you got my guards, I knew something was wrong." He sighs dramatically. "Her phone went dead. Amateur mistake on my part."
His eyes narrow, studying me like I'm a specimen under glass.
"I should have grabbed them both when they went to the hospital," he continues casually. "Would have been much cleaner than this warehouse situation."
I freeze, confusion washing over me. Hospital? What the fuck is he talking about?
Byron catches my expression and his eyebrows shoot up in genuine surprise. Then he throws his head back and laughs – a full-bodied sound that bounces off the concrete walls.
"Oh, this is rich," he says, wiping his eyes. "You don't know, do you?"
"Know what?" The words scrape out of my throat.
Byron's smile spreads slowly, savoring the moment. "Your little wife is pregnant, Feretti."
The world stops spinning.
"You're lying," I say, but even as the words leave my mouth, I know they're hollow.
Zoe. Pregnant.
"I have men watching Mount Sinai," Byron continues, enjoying my shock. "They followed her friend – that nurse. What was her name? Scarlett?" He shrugs. "Doesn't matter. They overheard enough to confirm it. She's only about a month along," Byron adds, twisting the knife. "Still plenty of time for something to happen."
"You're fucking with me," I spit, blood dripping from my split lip. "You think I'm going to believe anything that comes out of your mouth?"
Byron shrugs, indifferent to my disbelief. "Believe whatever you want, Feretti. The truth doesn't care what you think. My men had a little chat with Dr. Emma Rodriguez yesterday. Sweet woman, very concerned about patient confidentiality." His smile turns cruel. "Until they explained what would happen to her lovely children if she didn't cooperate."
My stomach drops, but I keep my face impassive. "More lies."
"Your wife was quite upset when they broke the news."
I strain against the chains, metal biting into my wrists. "If you touch her?—"
"You'll what?" Byron laughs. "Soon you'll be dead. Face it, Feretti. I've taken everything from you—twice now. And I'll make sure your child never draws breath, just like the last one."
"I will hunt you through hell itself," I growl, voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "I will tear you apart piece by fucking piece."
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
30 MINUTES EARLIER
The keys Damiano left for me fit perfectly in his favorite car—a gesture I can't fully process right now. My mind keeps replaying what I know about Byron and his methods. How he shaped me.
