“Luciano!” my mother screams. “Get that gun from her! What are you doing?”
Kian ignores her, continuing to stroke my spine while my heart pounds so hard, I swear I can hear it. Maybe it’s just the blood rushing through my ears.
“She murdered my dad,” I say, my voice breaking.
“I know, angel.”
A tear falls down my cheek. “I’m going to kill her.”
“I know,” he answers. “And Luciano and I are here to support you. Do what you have to, angel.”
There’s not a doubt in my mind that Kian is pissed that I disobeyed him and flew out here… and that I held up one of his men… and met up with a man he doesn’t know to get a gun… Yeah, he’s angry for sure. Yet, instead of storming in here to stop me so he can do it himself, Kian Savage is here to let me be who I am… while he watches proudly and makes sure I’m safe.
The absurdity of my thoughts makes me laugh out loud. My mother tilts her head at me like I’ve gone mad, but really, I’m just amused over the fact that this is my real life. Four people, standing in the middle of an enormous, tacky bedroom where everything is fake gold, while the rest of the world sleeps. This is the life my father lived. And Luciano has been keeping his legacy alive all this time, while I’ve been held under the control of the evil woman standing in front of me.
I’m a Ricci, through and through. My father may have died when I was young, but he taught me some very important things in that short amount of time. Things I’ve never forgotten.
Always be loyal to those who are loyal to you.
Mercy is a gift that Riccis only give to those who truly deserve it.
If someone betrays you, remember whose blood runs through you and make sure it never happens again.
You’re not just my daughter, Tesoro. You’re the best part of me.
Love isn’t about who stands by your side only when you’re up. It’s about who doesn’t flinch when you’re not.
My hand trembles, and I think I may be sick as my father’s deep, smoky voice replays in my mind exactly how I’ve always remembered it.
“He deserved better than you,” I grit out.
“Lacey, you’ve completely lost your mind,” my mother says. “Your father was a gangster. He was out running the streets and sleeping with women, all while I was home taking care of you.”
“You’re a liar,” I spit out. “You were the one who cheated on him, and he forgave you. I might have only been a kid, but I heard your fights. I heard the way you spoke to him. Saw you hit him when he tried to hold you back.”
As if she’s totally forgotten she has a gun pointed at her, my mom rushes toward me, her eyes narrowed, but she stops a few feet away when I lift the gun higher. “You don’t know anything! I dideverythingfor you. To and from ballet, to and from cheer, to and from school. God, I gave up my life for you, Lacey.”
Blinking, I stare at her. “You’re fucking delusional. You murdered my father. You were emotionally neglectful, mentally abusive, and you tried to kill me. Twice. You fucking cunt. Go to hell.”
I close one eye, aim, and pull the trigger once, the bullet hitting right between her eyes. The explosion echoes through the room, then there’s a single thud as the woman who birthed me hits the floor. Blood drips from her head onto the light carpet, staining it a deep crimson.
No one says anything for a long time while I stare down at her lifeless body, feeling a sense of relief I hadn’t expected.
Several sets of footsteps approach, but I don’t move. It doesn’t matter who it is. They aren’t here for me. They’re here for her.
Warmth and Kian’s familiar cologne both hit me right before he slides one hand down my arm to where I’m holding my gun at my side. Slowly and gently, he pulls the weapon from my grip and hands it to someone else before he leans down, his lips by my ear.
“I’m right here, angel,” he whispers.
And that’s all it takes for me to crumble, my knees buckling as I let out a sob and grasp at him. He scoops me up and carries me out of the room, Luciano following. Over and over, I cry louder, my lungs burning while I gasp for air.
Kian still holds me as we get into the back of an SUV, Luciano right there next to us as the driver takes off. Neither of them says anything while I continue to fall apart. At one point, Luciano reaches out and takes my hand while Kian keeps me wrapped up in his arms on his lap. I grasp my cousin’s fingers, and he gives me a gentle squeeze back, calming me slightly.
What if he holds against me that my mother killed my father? My dad was Luciano’s blood uncle.
The car takes us to Luciano’s mansion, which I’ve only been to a handful of times. Despite Kian trying to get out of the car with me in his arms, I climb out first, not missing the disapproving look he gives me before he takes my hand, and the three of us head inside.
CHAPTER 44
