“No,” I breathe, icy terror sinking into my bones. “No—not Dan.”
But as I take in my father’s body crumpled on the marble floor, a gunshot wound to his head. His eyes stare blankly at the ceiling. I feel nothing but relief.
I let out a breath, then the guilt wraps around my throat, suffocating me.
"Where’s Dan?" My voice cracks raw with fear.
Elio’s eyes darken. "Who the fuck is Dan?"
"My boyfriend." My heart races, my mind grasping for any thread of hope. "Daniel Harris!"
“You let a man into our home?” Elio spits.
My uncle looms behind him, fury carved into his face. “You stupid girl. He’s the angel of death, and he’s been picking off your father’s men one by one for the last month.” His slap across my face stings, my nose exploding with blood, but nothing stings more than the pain in my chest.
“No,” I whisper, my knees buckling beneath me. “He wouldn’t. There has to be an explanation.”
“He used you to get into our home,” Elio snaps, disgust curling his lip. “Why else would anyone date you, Rose? Think about it.”
Dan’s voice cuts through the haze, not from memory but from now, sharp and real, pulling me back from the abyss. “Rose.” His trembling hand caresses my face, warmth seeping into my cold cheeks.
I see the man I love from my past and present colliding in my fading vision, his eyes red and bloodshot, deep lines of worry etched into his beautiful face.
And I realise the truth.
He does love me.
He’s always loved me.
But now it’s too late.
37
DAN
Voices shout around me, but it muffles into static. All I hear is Rose’s shallow breaths as she fights to stay with us and Angelos’ broken sobs as he kneels beside his mother.
My hands are slick with her blood, pressing into her abdomen, trying to stem the flow. Judging by the way it pours, it’s penetrated her liver.
“Mum, I’m sorry,” Angelos cries, dropping the gun in front of him as if it’s burned his skin.
“It’s not your fault, son.” My voice is coarse, but steady. I’m a trained soldier. Trained for any situation, but nothing could have prepared me for this. I lower Rose to the floor, keeping one hand on her wound while I reach across her body and snatch the gun from between Angelos’ knees.
Elio, Magnus, and their men close in like vultures.
I raise the gun. “Get the fuck away from her.” My eyes scan the room, daring anyone to take another step.
“Let’s go, son,” Magnus says, reaching for my boy like he still has a right.
I swing the gun at him, my finger tight on the trigger. “You’ll never touch my family again.”
Rose’s cold hand brushes my cheek, her palm trembling asshe slips in and out of consciousness. “Not in front of our boy.” Her eyelids flicker closed, and it takes all my strength not to pull the trigger.
I keep the gun trained on Magnus and nod to Elio. “Get him out of here before I kill him.”
Lucia slides out of her wheelchair, dropping to her knees at Angelos’ side. “Rose.” She strokes the hair from her forehead.
Rose opens her eyes again. Her blue eyes losing their lustre as the life drains from her body. “Take care of our son, Dan.”
