I squeezed my eyes shut, my voice trembling as I pleaded, “At least tell me you’ve had a doctor tend to her wounds.”
There was silence on the other end. I begged again, my voice breaking, “I’m begging you, Brando. Get a doctor for her.”
I could hear Brando’s heavy breathing through the phone.
“So, what’s your decision?” he asked after a long, tense pause. “Do you agree to the trade?”
“Of course I do,” I snapped. “Come get me, right now. Do whatever you need to do. Just let Emily go. She doesn’t deserve this. She’s done nothing wrong.”
“When she decided to marry someone like you, she should’ve known this could happen. I’ll send you the time and place for the exchange,” he said, and then the line went dead.
I immediately tried calling him back, desperate to hear Emily’s voice, but his phone was already off. Frustrated, I slammed my phone down on the desk, grabbed a heavy horse statue, and hurled it at the window. The glass shattered with a deafening crash, shards raining down like jagged tears.
Maxim slumped into a chair. “I never thought Brando would be involved in something like this,” he muttered.
“Power is the filthiest thing in the world. The desire for it corrupts even the purest hearts,” I replied bitterly.
A few minutes later, a message came through. The exchange was set for a field in Bologna. Memories of running through that field as a kid with my father came flooding back. It was ironic, this place that once felt like freedom would now become my execution ground.
Minutes later, Paolo called. Giuseppe had contacted him too, telling him to pick a side: stand with Brando or be considered an enemy of the Bruni family. Soon after, other bosses called. Giuseppe wasn’t just arranging an exchange, he was planning a spectacle.
***
I put on a black jacket over my white shirt and picked up a red tie, Emily’s favorite. She loved tying it for me before events. I smiled bitterly, remembering how I’d use that same tie to bind her wrists to the bed afterward. But there was no need for style on the way to my death, so I tossed the tie aside, leaving my shirt unbuttoned at the collar.
The room felt suffocating as I glanced around at everything that reminded me of my wife, the bed we shared, the makeup and perfumes on the vanity, the terrace where we’d spent so many nights together under the stars. I picked up her favorite scent and sprayed a little on my coat. It was a small comfort to carry her with me.
When I stepped outside, I was stunned by the large crowd that had gathered. My soldiers had come to see me off, their loyalty unwavering. Among them were seven underbosses, including Paolo and Lucia’s father.
Paolo stepped forward, his face lined with sorrow. “Is there any way to change your mind?”
“If you were in my shoes, would you leave your wife to her fate?” I asked.
The fire in Paolo’s eyes answered for him. He nodded solemnly and stepped aside.
Lucia’s father approached with his sons. “We’re coming with you. Giuseppe needs to see where our loyalty lies.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded. Even after everything his daughter had done to me, I never doubted this man’s loyalty.
Maxim’s face was hard as stone. Though he didn’t agree with my decision, he knew better than to argue. I turned to him and addressed my underbosses, “Maxim will lead after me. He’s the best man for the job.”
Maxim scoffed, muttering curses under his breath. I ignored him and turned to Giorgio. “Get Emily out of the country today. I’ve already arranged for Noah to help. The safest place for her now is the States.”
His face held a mix of anger and sorrow, yet he nodded. “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll protect her with my life.”
And I believed him.
With that, we got into the cars, me, Maxim, Lorenzo, Giorgio, and the loyal underbosses, and headed to the field in Bologna. As we arrived, a cool breeze rustled through the tall grass. I stepped out of the car and looked up at the clear sky. It was a beautiful day to die.
Maxim stood beside me, his voice low and trembling. “I’ll hunt them down. Every last one of them. I’ll make them regret what they did to you. But I won’t kill them. I’ll keep them alive for years until they beg me for death a hundred thousand times. And I still won’t give it to them.”
I smirked faintly. “That’s a good plan. You’ve always had smart ideas.”
His voice cracked. “I’m sorry.”
I turned, surprised, and for the first time, saw tears in Maxim’s eyes. He blinked rapidly, fists clenched, his entire body shaking with emotion.
“I let you down. I couldn’t protect you. I wasn’t a good enough soldier for you,” he choked out.
