“The only mistake I’ve made was trusting you,” I snap. “You lied to me. You used me. And when I needed you most, you traded me like currency.”
“You would turn your back on your family for him?”
“Yes,” I say with more certainty than I’ve ever felt in my life.
There’s another long pause before my father speaks again, voice cold and as sharp as glass. “Then don’t come crying back to me when he destroys you completely. You are no longer welcome here. You are no daughter of mine.”
The line goes dead.
My hand falls to my side. I should feel devastated, maybe even gutted, but instead… I feel free. For the first time in my life, I’m not trapped in a legacy I didn’t choose. I’m not someone’s pawn, someone’s daughter, someone’s political tool. I’m just me—and I’m his.
Leo wraps his arms around me, one hand pressing gently to my lower back while the other cups my cheek. “Are you okay?”
“I am now,” I whisper.
Behind us, Gio clears his throat softly, and we turn to find the rest of Leo’s brothers watching, quiet and grim. “You good?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah.”
Miko gives a curt nod, stepping in. “Glad you’re okay,” he says, then quickly averts his eyes, reminding me of my shredded dress.
I quickly release Leo to pull the fabric closed around me.
“We’ll cover the exits,” Gio says, his gaze carefully turned away as well. “Take your time.”
Leo’s brothers slip out without another word, giving us space, and Leo helps me to my feet slowly, steadying me when I sway on weak knees. Then he shrugs out of his suit jacket to wrap it around me.
“I’ve got you,” Leo promises, snaking an arm around my waist to pull me close.
That familiar phrase warms my heart.
Because I know he has me.
Always.
Against all odds, he’s kept me safe.
He’s saved my life in so many ways.
And I trust that he can protect me and our baby—no matter what obstacles come our way.
“We’ll get out of the city,” he says. “Go somewhere safe, somewhere quiet. Then we’ll get you and the baby checked out.”
He dips his head to steal a kiss, and it’s like being struck by lightning—blinding and electric and consuming.
There’s no hesitation in him now, no walls. He pours everything into that kiss—his apology, his devotion, his hope—and I give everything in return.
By the time we part, I’m breathless, my heart thudding against my ribs as I look up into his eyes. “I love you,” I whisper.
He leans back just enough to look me in the eyes, his thumb brushing along my cheek, and his expression softens into something reverent. “I love you too,” he murmurs. “More than anything.”
The next few hours pass in a blur. Leo’s younger brothers clean up the warehouse, taking care of the mess we leave behind while Miko takes us to their yacht to load us up with supplies for the road.
When we get to the boatyard, Miko presses a burner phone into Leo’s hand, along with an envelope of cash. “You’ve got about thirty-six hours before the Bratva start hunting again. Until we’ve finished dealing with those traitors, you’d better lie low.”
Leo nods, his hand finding mine and threading our fingers together. “We will.”
When we leave the warehouse, the air outside is cool and inviting, the stifling summer heat gone, just like the confines of the world we’re leaving behind. I feel lighter somehow.
