But I’m Belladonna Bosco. Poison runs in my veins.
I should’ve made sure I killed them all. Dominus, the don, and all of his sons, his capos, not just Alfredo. Instead, I waited, and Livia and her children paid the price. Her death, and possibly theirs, is on my head.
Everyone underestimates me. Fraternitas. My father. Even Kaiser. But not after this.
I will make the Vesuvios pay. It’ll mean the end of the alliance, but everyone will know what I’ve done. Kaiser will hate me forever, but I deserve that.
Those are the consequences of my actions, and I accept them.
But I refuse to be weak. I’ll prove to everyone once and for all who I am: a supervillain.
I fight through the pain raging through my body, gripping the side of the work table until I can stand without shaking. I continue to coat myself in the poisons.
It’s time for the Endgame.
Kaiser
* * *
Bella’s not beside me when I wake up in the morning. It’s not unusual, but something feels off. The house is too quiet, and the empty space next to me feels wrong. I trust my instincts.
I call her name, and when she doesn’t answer, I head down to the greenhouse.
I’m still cursing myself for taking her to her father. I should’ve known when he asked to see her that he was going to be an asshole and upset her again. When I listened to the conversation replay, I got why she’s so upset. She pleaded with him for an explanation, a sign that he cared about her, and instead of listening and reassuring her, he just turned cold.
I’m tempted to order her never to see him again. She’d hate me for it, but it might be for the best.
Except, I don’t want to give her orders anymore. I don’t want to force her to do anything anymore. I don’t want to lock her in a cage.
But I never want to see that lost look on her face again. In the car, she was a shadow of herself. That’s why, as soon as she went to the greenhouse, I got on the phone with St. James to negotiate the release of Livia Vesuvio’s remains. He argued with me, saying it wasn’t smart to get involved in the Vesuvio’s business like this. He’s spent weeks trying to get them to agree to a truce.
Claiming Livia’s ashes will piss them off, but it was the right thing to do. St. James didn’t like it, but he has a soft spot for this sort of thing, and in the end, he caved and made it happen.
I thought laying the ashes to rest would help her, but Bella cried herself to sleep.
She may still be upset. I need to find her.
I open the door to the greenhouse. The thick scent of greens and flowers hangs in the humid air. “Bella?” I call. I don’t see her anywhere. She’s not standing at any work table or bending over the plants.
Did she run? My heart rate speeds up, ready to run after her. But Argos would’ve alerted me if she left the premises.
I’m about to pull out my phone and check the cameras around the perimeter when I notice her lying on the daybed under the windows. She lies there, fast asleep, bathed in the morning light. She’s wearing her favorite hot pink gardening gloves. She must have been up early to garden and decided to take a nap.
I move to her side, quietly so she doesn’t wake. She looks so peaceful like this, if a little pale. I crouch by her.
“Bella. Bella, wake up.”
No response. That’s when I notice her breathing is shallow.
I touch her forehead. Her skin is clammy. Her sweat coats my fingers. I take her hand, lift it, and let go to test her reflexes. It falls limp at her side. She doesn’t flinch at all. She’s completely out.
Dread rises in my throat, choking me, and alarm bells screech in my mind. I try to wake her again, but she doesn’t respond.
I check her pulse. She still has one, but she looks like she’s on death’s door.
30
Kaiser
