Melissa tilted her head, skepticism clear. “And if he learns he fathered a son, he would what? Bring you into the fold? It’s a little late to groom you to take over an organization, Rowen.”
“It wouldn’t matter anyway. My answer would be no. Like I said, I want no part of the underworld anymore.” Saying it made me wonder if I’d ever really belonged—or if I was always just looking for a way out.
Melissa leaned closer, brows drawn. “Then what’s bothering you?”
I hesitated, the memories surfacing raw and jagged. “Because of my failure to kill Jasper, my actions hurt two people I deeply care about.”
Jasper Michaels was more than just an enemy—he was a manipulator who thrived on exposing dangerous secrets. By letting him live, I’d given him the chance to betray us, to set in motion a chain of events that cost lives and shattered trust. The guilt pressed into me, reminding me that every choice carried consequences I couldn’t outrun.
Melissa’s voice was gentle but persistent. “Who?”
I swallowed, my voice barely above a whisper as I forced the words out. “Madigan Kelley and her husband.” My hands trembled against the comforter, the memory scraping raw across my nerves. “Jasper Michaels exposed Madigan’s husband’s real identity to her father, Nolan Kelley. Once Nolan found out, he handed him over to Boris Petrovitch. Boris killed him.” The room felt colder, the truth settling in the space between us—a truth I couldn’t take back, no matter how many times I replayed that moment.
Melissa’s eyes narrowed, her curiosity sharp. “Who was he?”
Guilt twisted in my chest, thick and suffocating. I steadied my breath and met her gaze. “Salvatore. He was my half-brother—his mother was Nicoletta Valentinetti.” I paused, letting the connections settle. “So not only was Salvatore my brother, but he was also Madigan’s husband.” Saying it aloud made the web of our lives feel even more tangled.
The confession pressed down on me, heavy as wet wool. My knuckles whitened as I gripped the edge of the blanket, the silence full of things I could never fix.
Melissa’s lips parted in shock, her voice barely a gasp. “Oh God.”
I pressed my palms together, trying to steady the tremor in my hands. My voice broke as I spoke. “You see now? Because of me, two of my brothers are dead—Jasper’s manipulations set everything in motion, but it was my choices that let it happen.” The weight of that loss crushed my chest, every breath a reminder of what I’d failed to protect. Shame coiled around my heart as I thought of Madigan, her life shattered because of secrets I never stopped. “And because of me, Madigan has to live without her son. I don’t know how I’ll ever look her in the eyes again.”
Melissa jerked upright, her tone urgent. “Wait—she has a son? Who’s taking care of him?”
“Illyria Valentinetti—Salvatore’s sister—has him now.” I remembered the quiet strength in Illyria’s eyes, the way she resisted the violence in our world for the sake of an innocent child.
Melissa’s brows drew tight. “Why isn’t he with his mother?”
My gaze dropped to the shadows flickering on the wall. “Madigan walked away from him—to keep him safe. She knew her family would never accept Salvatore, and if they knew about her son, he might be forced into the very life she was desperate to escape. Like me, Madigan and Salvatore turned their backs on their families, hoping for a slice of peace. For a little while, they found it.”
Melissa’s voice softened, wary. “So what changed?”
I shook my head, rubbing at the ache growing behind my eyes. “I don’t know. Sinclair doesn’t, either. Maybe Madigan or Salvatore uncovered something dangerous—something that upended their plans. All I know is that soon after Madigan had her son, she came back to the city. Alone.” My words hung in the air, heavy and unanswered.
Melissa’s fingers fidgeted with the edge of a pillow. “And Salvatore?”
“He pulled further away—cut ties with his family, retreated to his home in Montana, and took his son with him.” The image of Salvatore, stubborn and heartbreakingly alone, flickered through my mind.
Melissa let out a shaky laugh, trying to cut the tension. “You know how wild this sounds, right? Secret brothers, forbidden love, death—like the worst Lifetime movie, but real.”
A bitter smile tugged at my lips. “Welcome to my life.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Melissa
Taking a deep breath, I sat there on his bed beside him, more confused than ever. The lines between friend and foe, good and bad, had completely blurred. In that instant, I realized just how much the uncertainty was weighing on Rowen. The man was a tenured professor at one of the best colleges on the East Coast—a man known for his unyielding loyalty and a mind sharper than most gave him credit for. Yet, in the past hour, everything he believed in—his world, his very identity—had been shattered. It was plain to see that he wasn’t just a man who occasionally stepped into the underground ring or acted as a killer when compelled. Beneath that hardened exterior was a heart, and right now, it was breaking.
The silence stretched out between us, heavy and uncertain, until I finally found my voice. “You never really answered my question.”
He looked at me, his expression weary. “What question?”
I hesitated, then asked softly, “Now that you know the truth, what do you want?”
He turned to face me, the pain and exhaustion still evident in his eyes. With quiet certainty, he answered, “You.”
A simple, one-word answer.
