And I killed Paolo.
And tortured him. Didn’t send her pictures of that, though.
The man begged for his life, saying that he never meantmy daughter or my lover harm. He hadn’t known she was a Sanctum.
“You knew my daughter was, though. For that, you’ll suffer.”
“I can pay you billions, give you hundreds of women and daughters if you spare me—”
“The revenge I’m seeking isn’t worth billions. My revenge is fucking priceless because you threatened them. My woman. My daughter. My Sanctum. You get that, right? No Untouchable and no Sanctum should ever be threatened.Adamantem infractum manet, Paolo.”
“It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me.” He cried and cried, but I didn’t care. My men brought in the acid and my knives.
I stopped listening to him and got to work.
Mia
AFTER CARS AND FLOWERSand sorrys I didn’t care about, Jameson texted me the one question I knew I couldn’t ignore.
I love you. You know that, right? I wanted to say it in person. In bed. With you wrapped around me, Darling. But I need you to know that.
Please tell me … Are you ready?
Was I? Could I be? Could I forgive him? Could I forgive myself for not building his trust in me enough?
I may not have had my parents or my hometown anymore, but I had something better here. Archer had practically risked his life to be here, and I knew Olive and Dimitri were barricading Jameson out on the daily. Rosy stocked the hotel fridge, and Pink threatened bodily harm to anyone who hurt me further.
Sometimes family wasn’t the people who gave you life, but the people who chose to be in yours and support you through the best and worst times. Their love was intentional, theirsupport a choice, and their acceptance the reassurance I so desperately needed.
They were the people that chose me, and I chose them. And I wanted him to choose me too. Maybe that’s what hurt most. He’d chosen not to confide in me when all I wanted was for him to feel safe doing so.
“It’s probably time for me to talk to him, huh?” I asked Xavier. Archer had gone to get us food, and Xavier normally sat at the table reading.
He frowned at me, and the color had seemed to drain from his face. “Now?”
I sat a little straighter at the oak table where I was fiddling with my water glass. “Probably sooner rather than later, right? Are you okay?” I studied how beads of sweat were starting to form on his forehead.
He shrugged like he wasn’t sure what to say, but his eyes darted to the door in a way that had my eyes darting there too, and my mind going on high alert. Xavier was always reserved with me, but I blamed it on his unequivocal veneration for Jameson, nothing more.
He patted my shoulder as he stood, and then I felt the weight of something heavy fall into my lap before he walked past me to go to the door, open it, and then turn and say, “Sorry, Mia.”
And there stood Lex. Her face was tight with tension, with bags under her eyes, and the red dress she’d worn days ago was still on her. Her hair was messier, and I wondered if she’d been locked away all this time. Even if she had, she stood tall and rolled her eyes at Xavier’s apology. “Go do something else, Xavier. You’re going soft.”
He hung his head and walked right out of the hotel, leaving me even as I called after him.
When Lex turned to slam the door, I slithered my hand down quickly to feel the metal of what he’d dropped in my lap.
A Glock.
A weapon of defense against the woman he knew I would have to face down.
She turned to take me in, and I steadied my breath as I sat there, hiding what might be my lifeline against her in my hand but sliding my finger onto the trigger.
Her blue eyes were glassy, wide, and glued to me. “Happy Xavier could give us some time alone. Thankfully, his watch gave me access, and I had a few guys the senator lined up to get me out of that stupid holding cell. So, now it’s just me and you again to discuss a few more things.”
“He shouldn’t have,” I blurted out. “I’m sure he’s calling Jameson right now.”
She rolled her eyes and took a few steps into the room. My hand tightened its grip.
