"I know. I know." His voice was wrecked. "I love you too. So much. So—oh god—"
I felt him tighten around me. Watched his face as he came apart. Eyes wide and locked on mine. My name on his lips like a prayer.
It pushed me over the edge. I buried myself deep and shattered. Completely undone by the man in my arms.
When I could breathe again, I realized I was crying.
Silent tears sliding down my face as I held Emilio close. He was crying too. Both of us overwhelmed by emotion and fear and the terrible beauty of loving someone this much when the future was so uncertain.
"We're going to win," he whispered. Fierce and certain even through the tears. "I won't lose you. I won't."
I kissed him. Tasted salt. "Even if we don't—"
"We will." He pulled back to look at me. "But even if we don't, you're not losing me. That's not how this ends. We fight. Together. No matter what."
I held him close and tried to believe him. Tried to have faith that our story wouldn't end in a courtroom with a guilty verdict.
But even if it did, I had this. This moment. This love. This absolute certainty that choosing Emilio was the best decision I'd ever made.
We fell asleep tangled together. Both of us exhausted. Both of us at peace despite the chaos waiting for us.
I woke up the next morning with Emilio in my arms and thought about how much my life had changed in six months.
I went from viewing people as tools to caring about one person more than my entire empire. Emilio taught me that vulnerability isn't weakness and that love doesn't have to be a weapon.
The RICO charges were serious but we had a chance. Emilio's brilliant strategy was already poking holes in the prosecution's case. The illegal evidence would likely besuppressed. Vincent's credibility was questionable. We might actually win this.
But even if we didn't, I knew I'd made the right choice.
Choosing Emilio over everything else gave me something worth fighting for. I wasn't just protecting my empire anymore. I was protecting our future together.
My phone rang at 8 AM.
Matteo. Calling earlier than usual.
I extracted myself carefully from Emilio's arms and answered in the hallway.
"We've got a situation," Matteo said without preamble. "Stefan Romano infiltrated Inferno last night wearing a disguise and a wig. Security caught him on camera trying to access restricted areas. He was gathering intelligence before my men grabbed him."
I went very still. "Where is he now?"
"Locked in one of the upstairs rooms. Refusing to answer questions about who sent him or what he was looking for." Matteo paused. The silence was weighted. "What do you want me to do with him?"
"What do you want to do with him?" I asked carefully. I already knew the answer but I needed Matteo to say it.
"I haven't decided yet." Matteo's voice was controlled. Too controlled. "Could keep him as leverage against the Romano family. Could hand him back and demand compensation for the security breach. Or..."
"Or?"
"Or maybe just keep him." Matteo sounded almost angry about it.
I recognized that tone.
Matteo had already made his decision even if he didn't want to admit it yet.
"Don't do anything rash," I said. "I'll be there in an hour. We'll figure this out together."
I hung up and went back to the bedroom.
