“Why would I do that?” My father took his arms off me and squeezed my neck until I gasped. He loosened his grip a little, just enough for me to breathe. “As soon as I let her go, you’ll kill me.”
“So you’ve figured it out then,” Rocco said, his voice low and calm, as if my father wasn’t about to choke me to death.
Or worse, what if he snapped my neck? A shiver ran through me at the thought. I continued to look up at Rocco, a dark angel standing above me.
“That you would turn on me?” my father asked. “I had a feeling.”
“Do you know why?” Rocco asked.
I whimpered. He was having a fucking conversation like we were at fucking brunch.
“Why don’t you enlighten me?”
“Don’t worry, I will.” I heard the smile in Rocco’s voice and saw the bottom of his boot come up in front of my face. I shut my eyes tight and braced myself. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but I wasn’t sure what my father’s next move would be. The hands around my neck tightened so much that I felt myself in a daze, drifting away, and then I heard a crack.
39
ROCCO
I carriedLenora in my arms and left Giuseppe behind me. Usually, I’d never turn my back on a man, especially one like him, but I knew Gio and Lorenzo would be walking through the side door any moment now. When I heard it open, I looked over my shoulder to make sure it was them and continued toward the front doors. If I closed my eyes, I could almost picture this as our wedding day. Lenora in a bridal gown, me carrying her away to consummate our marriage in the back of the limo on our way to the reception. It would be beautiful. The way she held onto me, as if her life depended on it, gave me hope that she might still want me even after all of this. Maybe it was false hope, but I let myself pretend a little longer. When we got outside, I walked to the SUV that awaited and set her down in the backseat as my brother stood by the passenger door. Lenora’s grip tightened on my neck as I tried to let her go.
“Don’t leave. Please don’t leave,” she said, her voice hoarse from screaming.
I pulled her arms away from me and looked at her. Even with the makeup streaking down her face, her hair a mess, and all the blood, she looked beautiful. I kissed her lips softly and let myself pretend a little longer. When I pulled away, there were unshed tears in her eyes.
“Are you going to kill him?” she asked, her voice hitching at the question.
Gabe, who was in the passenger seat, looked back. He was also in shock. They’d both known the plan before the wedding, but it didn’t surprise me that they were still in shock. Bloodshed wasn’t something you could prepare someone for.
“Yes,” I answered.
“You can’t.” She grabbed my vest. I sighed heavily. Even after he used her as a shield, she was against it. I wouldn’t say that, though. I understood how difficult this must have been for her.
“Nora.”
I could see the terror in her eyes. “If you do that, we won’t find out where my mom is. He’s the only one who knows.”
“That's what you're worried about?” I pushed the veil from her eyes and brushed my lips against hers, tasting the tears trickling down her cheeks.
“He deserves to die,” she whispered against me.
I pressed my lips against hers, kissed her forehead, and helped her get the train of her dress inside. I shut the door as Mikey got into the driver’s seat. We’d had to call in a lot of fucking favors for this to go off as seamlessly as it had and would have a lot of people breathing down our necks soon. She lowered the window and looked at me. I could tell she wanted to say something, but I didn’t want to hear it. Not right now.
“You’ll be safe, Principessa.” I smiled. “Go.”
40
LENORA
The second we drove away,the gravity of what had just happened kicked in, and I started to sob. We arrived at our destination, and Michael walked me upstairs and handed me clothes that I could use for the time being. None of us had uttered a single word. I was still in such a state of shock that I couldn't tell you what the bathroom looked like or what products I used. When I came out of the bathroom, I walked downstairs and sat beside Gabriel. His arm wrapped around me and pulled me into an embrace, sharing a warm blanket that was draped over him. His body trembled as I nestled against him. My teeth chattered as we sat there. Michael placed two mugs in front of us and sat down with his own on the couch opposite.
“Tea,” he said.
“Thank you.” I tried to say, but my voice was gone.
Gabriel nodded but didn’t speak. He was still shaking. I took a sip of my tea, flinching as I swallowed, and looked around. It had a similar layout to Dom’s and I wondered if the same person had designed it or whether they lived close to each other. It was spacious and modern with beige walls, except for the wall behind the television, which was painted a charcoal color. Overall, it felt cozy.
“I like your house,” I said, my voice barely audible.
